Once Upon Another Time, page 19
He glanced up at Lena, who looked more surprised than anything. “Stab it!” he shouted at her. “If you don’t, the king will find a way to use it!”
“What?” the Golden King shouted. “I ordered you to destroy her! You cannot disobey me!”
The pain doubled this time, something Jin wouldn’t have believed possible. But even through the agony, he could see Lena step forward with the sword. She raised it, aiming carefully, and then drove it straight down…
Right at the Golden King’s hand, the one with Jin’s ring.
The sword struck true, and the king’s hand fell to the ground, erasing all traces of Jin’s agony as the king lost his ring. Jin looked up in shock, not able to believe what she’d just done.
Except the king didn’t seem even the least bit hurt. Instead, he slowly grinned as black light pushed out of his wrist, and from the hand on the ground below him. The two lights met up, and the hand slowly rose back up toward the king.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” the king said, his eyes turning black with shadow magic. “There’s a darkness coming for this land, and it will destroy all light in its path!”
“What is he?” Lena asked, stepping back away from the king as Jin did the same.
“No idea,” he said, shaking his head. “But we need to get rid of the Spark.”
“Do not touch it!” the king shouted, reaching for the Spark with his golden glove. Lena flung her compass arrow out to knock his glove away, though, and this time the Golden King shouted in pain and annoyance. The arrow landed on the ground, solid gold now and pointing straight at Jin.
“Spark!” Lena shouted, shoving her hand directly into the fire and closing her eyes. “Return to your Sparktender!”
“NO!” the king shouted, but it was too late. The Spark disappeared in a burst of fire, presumably teleporting itself to whatever a Sparktender was, just as the king’s hand merged back with his wrist.
Instantly, the pain returned, and Jin cried out, lights exploding before his eyes. “You shall pay for your betrayal!” the king shouted, aiming his golden glove toward Lena to keep her from interfering. “You deserve the same fate as the pathetic creatures in this city!”
“Well, that’s just rude,” said a new voice, and Jin froze, not believing it. He looked up at the king to find a small egg with arms and legs hanging from the man’s hand, just about to remove the ring from his finger. “And honestly,” Humphrey said, “as disappointed as I am in Mel, I think I can forgive him if he had you forcing him to do all of this.”
“What… no!” the king shouted. Humphrey—no, Humpty, that was what his friends called him—Humpty the egg pulled Jin’s ring off the Golden King’s finger and tumbled to the ground with it. Of course Humpty cracked as he hit, but that didn’t stop him, and he quickly took off, hobbling out of the king’s reach.
“Humpty, you’re a genius!” Jin shouted, standing back up straight as once again he found himself pain-free. “Just don’t give that ring to anyone.”
“I won’t give it to just anyone!” Humpty shouted. “I’ll give it to the Last Knight!”
And with that, Jin’s whole body went ice cold. “No, please!” he shouted, as the little, horrible egg disappeared into the knight’s chains, and Jin could feel the ring’s control take hold once more.
“Well, isn’t that something,” said the Last Knight, still chained up, but now with one hand sticking out of his binds, the ring on his finger. “Ah, genie? Any chance you have a wish left in you? Because I have a few ideas of what to do with the king here.”
The Golden King looked between Lena, Jin, and the Last Knight, then sneered. “Enough of this. You haven’t won anything. The shadow is more powerful than ever and will destroy this city soon enough. And you three will suffer unlike any others!”
Behind him, a circle of black void opened in the air, and two small children, a boy and a girl, stepped out of it, their eyes as black as the shadow behind them.
“You cannot have him,” the little boy said, and reached out his hand.
“He is the shadow’s,” said the little girl, and did the same.
Black light passed from their hands to surround the king, and he began to laugh as the shadow covered his eyes as well.
“No!” the Last Knight shouted. “Grab those twins, someone! They’re the ones controlling the shadow magic!”
But before anyone could move, the black light pulled the Golden King and the two identical children back inside the circle, which disappeared in a burst of shadow magic, along with the Faceless army.
Jin just stared in surprise, not at all sure what to say.
Unfortunately, not everyone was as speechless as he was.
“Yay!” Humpty shouted from a few yards away. “I saved everyone. I’m a hero!” He glanced over at Jin. “But would you mind taking me back to the horse doctor? I’m feeling a bit cracked over here.”
CHAPTER 37
That’s really your first wish?” Jin shouted, loud enough that Lena covered her ears. “You can’t be serious.”
The Last Knight laughed. “It’s more of a request. I’d give up the ring, but then someone dangerous might find it, like the Golden King did, so why don’t you stay here for a while until we figure out how to permanently free you?”
The genie growled something Lena couldn’t hear. “I already know… oh, forget it. If your wish is really for me to help rebuild the city, then fine, I’ll do it. But this does count as a wish, and no wishing for more wishes!”
“I’d never,” the knight said indignantly, putting his hand over his heart as Jin slowly floated away, throwing a look back at Lena as he did, then blushing and turning away again to get started on the cleanup.
“Well,” Lena said with a sigh. “This all went much worse than I could possibly have imagined.”
“Oh, it’s not a win by any stretch,” the knight said. “But I think it could have been worse. And look, we have a new friend. He’s much nicer than the last genie I knew, though that could be because that genie was stuck in a mirror, answering the Wicked Queen’s questions for years.”
“He’s a better person, or genie, than I gave him credit for,” Lena said, watching Jin go with a smile. “He really went through a lot to keep from destroying me. And he gave me some advice a little earlier that honestly helped a lot.”
“Huh,” the knight said, nodding. “Maybe he does have potential. Let’s see how he gets along with the city’s residents.”
“You want another pumpkin?” Jin shouted at Peter from a dozen yards away. “Oh, so what, you think I can just magic you up one? Why don’t you climb a beanstalk and steal some seeds from a giant like a normal person?”
“Whoa, no stealing from giants!” Lena shouted, and Jin waved at her in a friendly way, then turned back to whisper something to Peter, pointing up into the clouds.
“Okay, so maybe ‘potential’ is a strong word for… whatever it is he has,” the knight said, and Lena laughed slightly.
“Couldn’t you just free him?” she asked. “You know, wish for him to no longer be controlled by anyone?”
“Apparently not,” the knight said with a shrug. “He mumbled something about how that loophole of all things was closed. But even then, I’m not sure I really want to unleash someone with his kind of power on the unsuspecting world just yet.”
Lena frowned, not sure she agreed, but if it wouldn’t work anyway, there wasn’t much to be done.
They both silently watched Jin for a moment, before the knight turned to her. “What about you?”
“What about me?” Lena said. “Are you asking if I should be unleashed on an unsuspecting world?”
The knight laughed again. “In a way. I meant, what are you going to do?”
Lena winced, feeling her insides tighten up at the question. “I can’t go home. Whatever the king is now, he’s not going to just let me come back like nothing happened.”
“You could stay here,” the knight said. “Mrs. Hubbard would love to have you, and truthfully, I could use more help against the Golden King. Our rebellion is basically down to just me, and maybe Jin, if I use up another wish on it.”
She bit her lip, considering this. “What was that all about, with those kids? The small children?”
The knight turned to her like he was going to explain, then shook his head. “Don’t worry about it for now. Just some… family issues, and it’s my problem to fix. If you stay, I’ll leave you to deal with the Faceless. You seem to have a talent for it.” He waved his hand at the destroyed town, where the Faceless had attacked.
Lena didn’t answer right away, watching as Jin and Peter pulled a third resident into their conversation, all three pointing up at the sky now. The Cursed City had always felt like a second home, especially with Mrs. Hubbard and her other friends. And the residents already seemed to feel guilty about how they’d treated her, throwing her apologetic looks as they passed.
The knight’s offer made sense, and she knew she should take it. But just one thing had to come first.
“I’m in,” she said, turning back to him. “But before we get started, I have to say a proper goodbye to my parents.”
The knight tilted his head. “I thought you said you couldn’t go home.”
She grinned and patted Rufus’s head as he purred softly beside her. One of the city’s fairies was floating closer to the cat, a hand outstretched to pet him as her friends urged her on. But Rufus let out an overly loud sigh, and all three fairies went flying.
“Oh, I think we can find a way to sneak in for a quick visit.” Lena paused, then remembered something. “By the way, I almost forgot this in all the fighting. I found out what the Faceless are.”
The knight froze in surprise. “You what?”
Lena reached into her pouch and pulled out the still-bound tiny person she’d kept from teleporting away. The brown-haired creature glared angrily at her, and she started to hand him over to the knight, then paused.
She’d assumed the creature had been an adult when she’d captured him, but now that she had a chance to really examine him, he was clearly just a boy. And weirdly, she could have sworn she’d seen him somewhere before. His hair looked familiar, if nothing else.
She shook her head, then gave him to the knight.
“Do you… recognize him? I mean, considering that you…” She trailed off, not wanting to speak the knight’s secret out loud.
He shook his head. “No, but I’ll interrogate him and find out what he knows.” He tucked the tiny boy into his own pouch, then looked back up at her. “You did good work, Lena. Now go say goodbye to your parents.”
Lena grinned. “I just have one quick stop before that.”
The remaining giant guards had surrounded Creel, the Sparktender, and were throwing dirty looks at anyone who got close. A few of the Cursed City residents looked like they still might want to pick a fight, but the guards’ strength clearly intimidated them.
“Lena,” Creel said as she approached, Rufus at her side. “I’m so sorry about how this all went. I probably should never have invited you to the ritual in the first place.”
She forced a smile as the guards slowly separated, giving them a bit of room. “I’m… glad you did, if only so I could see it for once. I’m so sorry for taking the Spark, Creel. I never intended to, but I just didn’t know what it could do.”
“Honestly, neither did I,” he admitted, looking down at the Spark. He’d found a shattered piece of pottery somewhere, and now the flame was floating in it. “So it seems as if I have some researching to do.”
“Maybe I’ll check around down here,” Lena said with a shrug. “I’ll try to get you a message if I find anything.”
Creel nodded, then looked up at Lena. “Thank you for returning it intact.” He paused, looking at the guards, then moved in closer. “And before we go…”
Lena gasped as Creel took her hand and gently placed it into the flame.
“Lena, daughter of Roral the Unburdened and Cedra the Terrifying,” he chanted as Lena’s eyes widened. “I now declare you on your path toward adulthood and give you a true name. From now on, you will be known as Lena the Giant, and all shall so recognize you.”
* * *
Jin had a few different plans going by the time he decided he’d done enough for his first day of repairing the Cursed City and went to look for the Last Knight to let him know. Granted, his first day had lasted all of maybe a half hour, but there was no use jumping into things too quickly.
According to Peter, the Last Knight had been asked to stay in the city for now, at least until Mrs. Hubbard could get the misdirection spell back up, since there was no way of knowing if the Golden King would try attacking again. No one thought it would happen right away, but it was only a matter of time.
Jin followed various people’s directions until he found the knight’s new residence, apparently the home of the nutcracker who’d been turned entirely to wood. It was just a temporary thing until the nutcracker could be restored with the rest of the town, so Mrs. Hubbard clearly had her work cut out for her.
Jin floated up to the door and started to knock, only to hear voices on the other side, including one he’d never heard before. Wondering what was going on, he turned himself invisible and insubstantial, then pushed himself through the door just enough to see inside.
Whatever he would have guessed, the truth was something far, far weirder.
Climbing out of the Cauldron of Truth was a tiny, human-looking boy. “Thank you, Sir Thomas,” the boy said, shaking his head. “That feels so much better. So you’ve used this on others of us enchanted by the shadow magic?”
“Dozens by now,” said the knight, only his voice was clearer than Jin had ever heard before. He glanced in the direction of the man’s armor, and his eyes widened.
A second tiny person stood where the Last Knight’s helmet usually was. Inside, an elaborate pulley-and-lever system seemed to allow the man to operate the armor from the helmet.
“Tell our people,” this Thomas said from within the knight’s armor, “that I will return and free them. The shadow magic rules them now, but I will soon have a way to take its power for my own. All I need are the twins, and it will be mine to control as it was once the Wicked Queen’s. And then I will use it against the true oppressors of this world!”
“What about the twins?” the boy asked.
“I forced the Golden King to send them into the shadowlands, thinking it was for their protection,” the small knight said. “All it took was him thinking I’d break into his castle and steal them back. He’s always been easy to manipulate when it comes to his treasures.”
“So they’ll be within reach,” the boy said, nodding. “I’ll tell the others, then. Good luck, Sir Thomas.”
“To you as well, Shefin,” Thomas said.
The boy paused, then looked up at the Last Knight. “That girl who found me. She seemed… fascinating, somehow. There was something about her—”
Jin’s eyes narrowed, and he glared at this newcomer.
But Thomas just smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll be seeing her again. She’s one of us, don’t you doubt it. Now get home, spread the word of what’s to come.”
The boy nodded, then saluted the knight and disappeared in a burst of light.
The tiny knight sighed, then glanced up in Jin’s direction, just as Jin instinctually yanked his head back out of the door, not that it would have mattered, considering he was invisible. For a moment, he couldn’t help but float in place, trying to figure out exactly what it was he’d just witnessed.
“See anything interesting?” said the Invisible Cloud of Hate from right next to him, making him jump almost out of his skin.
“I… what?” Jin whispered, having no idea what was happening.
“That about covers it,” the Invisible Cloud of Hate said. “I’m just glad I’m not the only one who knows what the knight is up to. This whole time, he’s pretended to be focusing on the Golden King, and all he really cares about is getting the king’s shadow magic.”
“But… why?” Jin asked.
“What am I, a Story Book? Go find that out yourself!” the cloud shouted. “I’ve been stuck here for months now, all because Captain Thomas there stole my sword.”
“Your sword?” Jin said, feeling even more lost. “The glass one?”
“It’s not glass, it’s the sword of an Eye,” the cloud said, and Jin could see her shape fading into view through his magical sense. “The Eyes were the Wicked Queen’s spies, and Thomas there was our captain. Some of us called him Tom Thumb behind his back, because size jokes always annoyed him.”
“And you were an Eye too, for this queen?” Jin said. “Did she call herself the Wicked Queen? Because that seems odd. Not many wicked people see themselves that way.”
“That’s your question?” the woman said.
“Yes, but it can wait,” Jin said. “That’s just… a lot of information. Why haven’t you told the other people about this, if the knight is so bad?”
“I tried,” the Invisible Cloud of Hate hissed. “But almost no one can see or hear me. Only those in touch with magic can even sense me, let alone communicate, which at the moment means… you.”
“And who are you?” Jin asked, his mind reeling from all of this. He’d need to tell Lena, as she clearly idolized the knight.
He felt someone shake his invisible, insubstantial hand. “My name’s Jillian,” the Invisible Cloud of Hate said. “But my friends call me Jill, and since you’re going to help me take the Last Knight down, we’re going to be good friends.”
“Jill?” Jin said, raising an eyebrow. “Never heard of you.”
She snorted. “That’s because the boys in my family get all the fame. It’s always ‘Jack’ this or ‘Jack’ that. But now my brother and his wife are both golden statues, and their twins are running wild with shadow magic, so who’s the good kid now, huh?” She paused. “Oh, we’re going to need to free them, too, by the way. I’m so glad someone can finally hear me!”
Jin blinked, then blinked again. “I’m sorry… what now?”
“What?” the Golden King shouted. “I ordered you to destroy her! You cannot disobey me!”
The pain doubled this time, something Jin wouldn’t have believed possible. But even through the agony, he could see Lena step forward with the sword. She raised it, aiming carefully, and then drove it straight down…
Right at the Golden King’s hand, the one with Jin’s ring.
The sword struck true, and the king’s hand fell to the ground, erasing all traces of Jin’s agony as the king lost his ring. Jin looked up in shock, not able to believe what she’d just done.
Except the king didn’t seem even the least bit hurt. Instead, he slowly grinned as black light pushed out of his wrist, and from the hand on the ground below him. The two lights met up, and the hand slowly rose back up toward the king.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” the king said, his eyes turning black with shadow magic. “There’s a darkness coming for this land, and it will destroy all light in its path!”
“What is he?” Lena asked, stepping back away from the king as Jin did the same.
“No idea,” he said, shaking his head. “But we need to get rid of the Spark.”
“Do not touch it!” the king shouted, reaching for the Spark with his golden glove. Lena flung her compass arrow out to knock his glove away, though, and this time the Golden King shouted in pain and annoyance. The arrow landed on the ground, solid gold now and pointing straight at Jin.
“Spark!” Lena shouted, shoving her hand directly into the fire and closing her eyes. “Return to your Sparktender!”
“NO!” the king shouted, but it was too late. The Spark disappeared in a burst of fire, presumably teleporting itself to whatever a Sparktender was, just as the king’s hand merged back with his wrist.
Instantly, the pain returned, and Jin cried out, lights exploding before his eyes. “You shall pay for your betrayal!” the king shouted, aiming his golden glove toward Lena to keep her from interfering. “You deserve the same fate as the pathetic creatures in this city!”
“Well, that’s just rude,” said a new voice, and Jin froze, not believing it. He looked up at the king to find a small egg with arms and legs hanging from the man’s hand, just about to remove the ring from his finger. “And honestly,” Humphrey said, “as disappointed as I am in Mel, I think I can forgive him if he had you forcing him to do all of this.”
“What… no!” the king shouted. Humphrey—no, Humpty, that was what his friends called him—Humpty the egg pulled Jin’s ring off the Golden King’s finger and tumbled to the ground with it. Of course Humpty cracked as he hit, but that didn’t stop him, and he quickly took off, hobbling out of the king’s reach.
“Humpty, you’re a genius!” Jin shouted, standing back up straight as once again he found himself pain-free. “Just don’t give that ring to anyone.”
“I won’t give it to just anyone!” Humpty shouted. “I’ll give it to the Last Knight!”
And with that, Jin’s whole body went ice cold. “No, please!” he shouted, as the little, horrible egg disappeared into the knight’s chains, and Jin could feel the ring’s control take hold once more.
“Well, isn’t that something,” said the Last Knight, still chained up, but now with one hand sticking out of his binds, the ring on his finger. “Ah, genie? Any chance you have a wish left in you? Because I have a few ideas of what to do with the king here.”
The Golden King looked between Lena, Jin, and the Last Knight, then sneered. “Enough of this. You haven’t won anything. The shadow is more powerful than ever and will destroy this city soon enough. And you three will suffer unlike any others!”
Behind him, a circle of black void opened in the air, and two small children, a boy and a girl, stepped out of it, their eyes as black as the shadow behind them.
“You cannot have him,” the little boy said, and reached out his hand.
“He is the shadow’s,” said the little girl, and did the same.
Black light passed from their hands to surround the king, and he began to laugh as the shadow covered his eyes as well.
“No!” the Last Knight shouted. “Grab those twins, someone! They’re the ones controlling the shadow magic!”
But before anyone could move, the black light pulled the Golden King and the two identical children back inside the circle, which disappeared in a burst of shadow magic, along with the Faceless army.
Jin just stared in surprise, not at all sure what to say.
Unfortunately, not everyone was as speechless as he was.
“Yay!” Humpty shouted from a few yards away. “I saved everyone. I’m a hero!” He glanced over at Jin. “But would you mind taking me back to the horse doctor? I’m feeling a bit cracked over here.”
CHAPTER 37
That’s really your first wish?” Jin shouted, loud enough that Lena covered her ears. “You can’t be serious.”
The Last Knight laughed. “It’s more of a request. I’d give up the ring, but then someone dangerous might find it, like the Golden King did, so why don’t you stay here for a while until we figure out how to permanently free you?”
The genie growled something Lena couldn’t hear. “I already know… oh, forget it. If your wish is really for me to help rebuild the city, then fine, I’ll do it. But this does count as a wish, and no wishing for more wishes!”
“I’d never,” the knight said indignantly, putting his hand over his heart as Jin slowly floated away, throwing a look back at Lena as he did, then blushing and turning away again to get started on the cleanup.
“Well,” Lena said with a sigh. “This all went much worse than I could possibly have imagined.”
“Oh, it’s not a win by any stretch,” the knight said. “But I think it could have been worse. And look, we have a new friend. He’s much nicer than the last genie I knew, though that could be because that genie was stuck in a mirror, answering the Wicked Queen’s questions for years.”
“He’s a better person, or genie, than I gave him credit for,” Lena said, watching Jin go with a smile. “He really went through a lot to keep from destroying me. And he gave me some advice a little earlier that honestly helped a lot.”
“Huh,” the knight said, nodding. “Maybe he does have potential. Let’s see how he gets along with the city’s residents.”
“You want another pumpkin?” Jin shouted at Peter from a dozen yards away. “Oh, so what, you think I can just magic you up one? Why don’t you climb a beanstalk and steal some seeds from a giant like a normal person?”
“Whoa, no stealing from giants!” Lena shouted, and Jin waved at her in a friendly way, then turned back to whisper something to Peter, pointing up into the clouds.
“Okay, so maybe ‘potential’ is a strong word for… whatever it is he has,” the knight said, and Lena laughed slightly.
“Couldn’t you just free him?” she asked. “You know, wish for him to no longer be controlled by anyone?”
“Apparently not,” the knight said with a shrug. “He mumbled something about how that loophole of all things was closed. But even then, I’m not sure I really want to unleash someone with his kind of power on the unsuspecting world just yet.”
Lena frowned, not sure she agreed, but if it wouldn’t work anyway, there wasn’t much to be done.
They both silently watched Jin for a moment, before the knight turned to her. “What about you?”
“What about me?” Lena said. “Are you asking if I should be unleashed on an unsuspecting world?”
The knight laughed again. “In a way. I meant, what are you going to do?”
Lena winced, feeling her insides tighten up at the question. “I can’t go home. Whatever the king is now, he’s not going to just let me come back like nothing happened.”
“You could stay here,” the knight said. “Mrs. Hubbard would love to have you, and truthfully, I could use more help against the Golden King. Our rebellion is basically down to just me, and maybe Jin, if I use up another wish on it.”
She bit her lip, considering this. “What was that all about, with those kids? The small children?”
The knight turned to her like he was going to explain, then shook his head. “Don’t worry about it for now. Just some… family issues, and it’s my problem to fix. If you stay, I’ll leave you to deal with the Faceless. You seem to have a talent for it.” He waved his hand at the destroyed town, where the Faceless had attacked.
Lena didn’t answer right away, watching as Jin and Peter pulled a third resident into their conversation, all three pointing up at the sky now. The Cursed City had always felt like a second home, especially with Mrs. Hubbard and her other friends. And the residents already seemed to feel guilty about how they’d treated her, throwing her apologetic looks as they passed.
The knight’s offer made sense, and she knew she should take it. But just one thing had to come first.
“I’m in,” she said, turning back to him. “But before we get started, I have to say a proper goodbye to my parents.”
The knight tilted his head. “I thought you said you couldn’t go home.”
She grinned and patted Rufus’s head as he purred softly beside her. One of the city’s fairies was floating closer to the cat, a hand outstretched to pet him as her friends urged her on. But Rufus let out an overly loud sigh, and all three fairies went flying.
“Oh, I think we can find a way to sneak in for a quick visit.” Lena paused, then remembered something. “By the way, I almost forgot this in all the fighting. I found out what the Faceless are.”
The knight froze in surprise. “You what?”
Lena reached into her pouch and pulled out the still-bound tiny person she’d kept from teleporting away. The brown-haired creature glared angrily at her, and she started to hand him over to the knight, then paused.
She’d assumed the creature had been an adult when she’d captured him, but now that she had a chance to really examine him, he was clearly just a boy. And weirdly, she could have sworn she’d seen him somewhere before. His hair looked familiar, if nothing else.
She shook her head, then gave him to the knight.
“Do you… recognize him? I mean, considering that you…” She trailed off, not wanting to speak the knight’s secret out loud.
He shook his head. “No, but I’ll interrogate him and find out what he knows.” He tucked the tiny boy into his own pouch, then looked back up at her. “You did good work, Lena. Now go say goodbye to your parents.”
Lena grinned. “I just have one quick stop before that.”
The remaining giant guards had surrounded Creel, the Sparktender, and were throwing dirty looks at anyone who got close. A few of the Cursed City residents looked like they still might want to pick a fight, but the guards’ strength clearly intimidated them.
“Lena,” Creel said as she approached, Rufus at her side. “I’m so sorry about how this all went. I probably should never have invited you to the ritual in the first place.”
She forced a smile as the guards slowly separated, giving them a bit of room. “I’m… glad you did, if only so I could see it for once. I’m so sorry for taking the Spark, Creel. I never intended to, but I just didn’t know what it could do.”
“Honestly, neither did I,” he admitted, looking down at the Spark. He’d found a shattered piece of pottery somewhere, and now the flame was floating in it. “So it seems as if I have some researching to do.”
“Maybe I’ll check around down here,” Lena said with a shrug. “I’ll try to get you a message if I find anything.”
Creel nodded, then looked up at Lena. “Thank you for returning it intact.” He paused, looking at the guards, then moved in closer. “And before we go…”
Lena gasped as Creel took her hand and gently placed it into the flame.
“Lena, daughter of Roral the Unburdened and Cedra the Terrifying,” he chanted as Lena’s eyes widened. “I now declare you on your path toward adulthood and give you a true name. From now on, you will be known as Lena the Giant, and all shall so recognize you.”
* * *
Jin had a few different plans going by the time he decided he’d done enough for his first day of repairing the Cursed City and went to look for the Last Knight to let him know. Granted, his first day had lasted all of maybe a half hour, but there was no use jumping into things too quickly.
According to Peter, the Last Knight had been asked to stay in the city for now, at least until Mrs. Hubbard could get the misdirection spell back up, since there was no way of knowing if the Golden King would try attacking again. No one thought it would happen right away, but it was only a matter of time.
Jin followed various people’s directions until he found the knight’s new residence, apparently the home of the nutcracker who’d been turned entirely to wood. It was just a temporary thing until the nutcracker could be restored with the rest of the town, so Mrs. Hubbard clearly had her work cut out for her.
Jin floated up to the door and started to knock, only to hear voices on the other side, including one he’d never heard before. Wondering what was going on, he turned himself invisible and insubstantial, then pushed himself through the door just enough to see inside.
Whatever he would have guessed, the truth was something far, far weirder.
Climbing out of the Cauldron of Truth was a tiny, human-looking boy. “Thank you, Sir Thomas,” the boy said, shaking his head. “That feels so much better. So you’ve used this on others of us enchanted by the shadow magic?”
“Dozens by now,” said the knight, only his voice was clearer than Jin had ever heard before. He glanced in the direction of the man’s armor, and his eyes widened.
A second tiny person stood where the Last Knight’s helmet usually was. Inside, an elaborate pulley-and-lever system seemed to allow the man to operate the armor from the helmet.
“Tell our people,” this Thomas said from within the knight’s armor, “that I will return and free them. The shadow magic rules them now, but I will soon have a way to take its power for my own. All I need are the twins, and it will be mine to control as it was once the Wicked Queen’s. And then I will use it against the true oppressors of this world!”
“What about the twins?” the boy asked.
“I forced the Golden King to send them into the shadowlands, thinking it was for their protection,” the small knight said. “All it took was him thinking I’d break into his castle and steal them back. He’s always been easy to manipulate when it comes to his treasures.”
“So they’ll be within reach,” the boy said, nodding. “I’ll tell the others, then. Good luck, Sir Thomas.”
“To you as well, Shefin,” Thomas said.
The boy paused, then looked up at the Last Knight. “That girl who found me. She seemed… fascinating, somehow. There was something about her—”
Jin’s eyes narrowed, and he glared at this newcomer.
But Thomas just smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll be seeing her again. She’s one of us, don’t you doubt it. Now get home, spread the word of what’s to come.”
The boy nodded, then saluted the knight and disappeared in a burst of light.
The tiny knight sighed, then glanced up in Jin’s direction, just as Jin instinctually yanked his head back out of the door, not that it would have mattered, considering he was invisible. For a moment, he couldn’t help but float in place, trying to figure out exactly what it was he’d just witnessed.
“See anything interesting?” said the Invisible Cloud of Hate from right next to him, making him jump almost out of his skin.
“I… what?” Jin whispered, having no idea what was happening.
“That about covers it,” the Invisible Cloud of Hate said. “I’m just glad I’m not the only one who knows what the knight is up to. This whole time, he’s pretended to be focusing on the Golden King, and all he really cares about is getting the king’s shadow magic.”
“But… why?” Jin asked.
“What am I, a Story Book? Go find that out yourself!” the cloud shouted. “I’ve been stuck here for months now, all because Captain Thomas there stole my sword.”
“Your sword?” Jin said, feeling even more lost. “The glass one?”
“It’s not glass, it’s the sword of an Eye,” the cloud said, and Jin could see her shape fading into view through his magical sense. “The Eyes were the Wicked Queen’s spies, and Thomas there was our captain. Some of us called him Tom Thumb behind his back, because size jokes always annoyed him.”
“And you were an Eye too, for this queen?” Jin said. “Did she call herself the Wicked Queen? Because that seems odd. Not many wicked people see themselves that way.”
“That’s your question?” the woman said.
“Yes, but it can wait,” Jin said. “That’s just… a lot of information. Why haven’t you told the other people about this, if the knight is so bad?”
“I tried,” the Invisible Cloud of Hate hissed. “But almost no one can see or hear me. Only those in touch with magic can even sense me, let alone communicate, which at the moment means… you.”
“And who are you?” Jin asked, his mind reeling from all of this. He’d need to tell Lena, as she clearly idolized the knight.
He felt someone shake his invisible, insubstantial hand. “My name’s Jillian,” the Invisible Cloud of Hate said. “But my friends call me Jill, and since you’re going to help me take the Last Knight down, we’re going to be good friends.”
“Jill?” Jin said, raising an eyebrow. “Never heard of you.”
She snorted. “That’s because the boys in my family get all the fame. It’s always ‘Jack’ this or ‘Jack’ that. But now my brother and his wife are both golden statues, and their twins are running wild with shadow magic, so who’s the good kid now, huh?” She paused. “Oh, we’re going to need to free them, too, by the way. I’m so glad someone can finally hear me!”
Jin blinked, then blinked again. “I’m sorry… what now?”
