“You’re not expecting us all to leave with you, are you?” Anastasia asked as Caleb, Chelsea, Gwen, Lorelei, and Will started towards the door of Maxwell’s study.
“Just them,” Shias said. “You have your own role to play — but it looks like you already know it.”
Anastasia nodded. “None of us can fight Sal. But you have your own plan, one that needs us to buy time, am I right? You need Sal to be kept here.”
“That’s right,” Shias said.
“Can you manage it?” Caleb asked, staring in surprise at Anastasia. She just smiled.
“Blaise prepared for this,” she said. “And I think I can stall Sal long enough for Blaise to do his part. I’ll have to, won’t I? Your plan hinges on Sal remaining in Grimoire.”
“It’s the only chance we’ve got,” Shias said.
“Then you can count on me,” Anastasia said.
“Thanks,” Caleb said. He clapped Shias on the shoulder as he stepped inside the study, and the others followed.
“I sure hope she knows what she’s doing,” Chelsea said as Shias closed the door behind them.
“Shana also had some good news on that front,” Tock said. “We’ll explain on the way. Give us a second and we’ll be off.” She and Maxwell headed back to the control room, and with a soft shudder and a faint humming sound, the study left Grimoire behind, starting its journey to Alexandra’s.
Caleb took a seat, and Chelsea, Gwen, Lorelei, and Will all did the same. And as soon as they sank into the plush cushions of the couch, all five of them felt the weight of the endless fighting with far too little sleep and only just enough food and water.
By the time Tock came back to start telling them what was going on, the five warriors of Grimoire were fast asleep.
Caleb was gently shaken awake after what felt like an eternity in deep hibernation, the most dreamless, bottomless sleep he’d ever experienced. It was Shias who was shaking him awake, but it took him some time to realize that, groggily blinking and rubbing at his eyes. He felt like he could still sleep for another year or two.
“Sorry that it wasn’t very long,” Shias said as he shook the others awake. “But we’re about to land at Alexandra’s. Then, if you’re up for it, you’ll get a full briefing on the situation, and if we’re right about the timing, you should be able to get a full night’s sleep before having anything asked of you.”
“How long were we out?” Chelsea asked. She and Lorelei stretched and yawned at the same time in the same way, arms overhead, fingers interlaced, backs slightly arched.
“Almost two hours!” came a familiar voice. The voice of a young girl — a young girl who wasn’t Tock.
Seated across from them, gazing at them with her blue and green eyes, was Addie.
“Hold up,” Chelsea said, rubbing her eyes and then leaning forward, looking over Addie with a scrutinizing stare. “Pretty sure you weren’t with us when we boarded, kiddo.”
Addie giggled. “Pretty sure you were fast asleep when I boarded,” she said.
“We made a few quick stops before starting for Alexandra’s,” Shias said, stepping back into the embrace of Deirdre Greyson.
“Apparently, you aren’t the only ones needed for the final push,” Deirdre said, smiling at Caleb. “Addie and I were both picked up as well.”
“What about Dad?” Caleb asked.
“He’s still being cared for by Cara,” Deirdre said. “He needs an expert Healer’s attention, and he isn’t ready to be moved yet. He did his part.”
“Showed everybody up with his hit on Sen,” Chelsea said, nodding. “And it was that wound that gave everyone the edge they needed, and put them on the right footing when we arrived.”
“We’d do more if we could,” Tock said, coming out from the control room and perching on the arm of the couch, right next to Caleb. “But time is of the essence right now. We need all of you to have enough time to get briefed and fully rested before taking action. There’s a lot to explain about the final mission.”
“So Delilah’s ready?” Caleb asked.
Tock grinned as the soft hum of the study’s engine faded away, and a faint shudder announced their landing. “How about you go and find out for yourself?” she asked.
Shias opened the door and led the way out into Alexandra’s house, right into the grand, bright entrance hall.
Alexandra was there to greet them, along with Adelaida and Andrea. Her warm, inviting smile and melodic voice put Caleb instantly at ease as she greeted each of them.
“There is a great deal to explain,” she said, “but you should all start by seeing Shana and Delilah. We will meet in the central study in…” She looked at Adelaida.
“Half an hour,” Adelaida said, not missing a beat. “I will show you to your sisters.”
“I kind of want explanations before reunions,” Chelsea said, trudging along after Caleb. They were all enormously tired — a little under two hour’s sleep had made them more aware of their own exhaustion rather than refreshing them.
But Caleb was eager to see Delilah and Shana after so long. And he had a feeling they’d have some preliminary answers before the full explanation of what was happening.
They were taken through halls familiar to Caleb, past several studies, lounges, dining halls, and libraries, and then turned down a hall Caleb didn’t know, to a staircase he’d never seen before. They descended many floors, into a basement Caleb hadn’t known existed. Bright gold and white was replaced by subdued blues and purples, inviting warmth traded for soothing coolness. They stepped off of the stairs into a spacious subterranean chamber, its high ceiling inlaid with tiny twinkling gemstones to give the appearance of a starry night sky. To one side was a cozy lounge area, with plush armchairs and couches arranged around a caged fire pit, the fire within glowing an incandescent blue. To the other side was a workshop. There was a great metal table, smooth and polished. Beyond it, a furnace, several anvils, and racks of tools, most of which were spectacularly small, fine and intricate tools for working with fine and intricate details. Beyond the furnace were several doors standing on their own, unattached to any wall.
A man lumbered around the furnace into view, though Caleb had never seen a man like him before, and found himself gawking. A huge and hulking torso covered in a leather apron that left massive shoulders, arms, and hands bare tapered down to a shockingly small waist and short, stocky legs that barely looked like they should support such a massive body. The man’s face was obscured by a shielded welder’s mask, and from his belt jangled a large metal ring filled with unique, fantastical keys.
“Is that… Lock?” Caleb asked. He’d only ever heard about the Locksmith from the twins, never seen him in person, but it was hard to imagine he could be anyone else.
“That’s right,” Shias said with a smile. He strode forward, waving. “Hey there, Lock. Are my sisters around?”
“Ho there, Shias!” Lock said in a deep, cheerful voice, muffled by his mask. “Good to see you again. Shana should be down any moment, and Fae and Delilah should return shortly. They won’t be expecting you, though.”
“How long has it been since I left?” Shias asked.
“If we’re talking Human units of time, over a month, I believe,” Lock said. “Temporal flux and all that. The ladies have been busy.”
Shias smiled. “Of course they have.” Footsteps sounded on the stairs, swift and excited, and Caleb turned just in time to see Shana jump the last four steps, stumble for a moment, and then race forward to tackle him in a hug, Altair following close behind.
“You’re here!” she cried, hugging Caleb tight. One hand let go for a moment, waving for Shias. “Shias, get in here! You’ve been gone way too long!”
“It was only about three and-a-half hours for us,” Shias said, joining the embrace. “It’s good to be back.”
“You’re darn right it is,” Shana said, laughing happily. “Delilah’s checking in on Fae and her team. They should be back any minute to give a report of their progress, as usual. You guys have good timing.”
“Wait, hold up a sec,” Caleb said, pulling away from Shana. “It’s been a month for you guys? But only three and-a-half hours in the study for us? And we’ve only been back in Grimoire fighting for, what, a week?”
“Less than that,” Lorelei said.
“Temporal flux,” Adelaida explained. “And time runs slower here than most anywhere else. It’s proven quite beneficial for all of us.”
“I’ll say,” Shana said. “But oh, gosh, there’s so much to explain and update you on! Um, well, Lock’s here!” She grinned, waving at Lock, who waved back at her before setting to his work. “Alexandra convinced him to join us. Her mansion doesn’t normally have doors direct to other Locations, but he’s helped us out big time. We now have a direct connection to Revue Palace, which has been essential for Fae’s part in all this. He made some big exceptions to his normal rules to allow constant back-and-forth access at all times to all of us.”
“Times of crisis call for my best work,” Lock said, pride rich in his voice.
“We’ve all been training, practicing, rehearsing, and planning,” Shana continued. “If everything comes together like we plan, then we’ll really be able to do this.”
“We’d better be able to do this,” Caleb said. “Grimoire’s…” He faltered, not knowing how to capture the enormity of Grimoire’s crisis in words.
“Hey, wait, didn’t Mom come back with you guys?” Shana asked, looking around. Caleb looked, too, only just now realizing that Deirdre had seemingly disappeared.
“She went off with the others,” Addie said. She giggled. “You were all too tired to notice.”
“She is vital to the final stage of our plan,” Adelaida said.
“She’s gotta be at least as tired as the rest of us,” Chelsea said.
“She and I are both a bit better off than you four,” Lorelei said, indicating Caleb, Chelsea, Gwen, and Will. “You were fighting non-stop. I was at least able to grab a few naps here and there, and I’m pretty sure Deirdre was, too.”
“She’s like Mister Crowley,” Caleb said with a smirk, “or like Grandpa. She never seems to tire.”
“Except when she’s worried about us,” Shana said. “I’ve never seen her look as exhausted as the first time we came home from the Enchanted Dominion.”
One of the doors beyond Lock’s furnace opened, and emerging through a wall of light came Delilah, Alice, Isabelle, Fae, Madeline, Olivia, Sonya, the Star sisters, Toryu, and Ciel. They were chatting back and forth as they entered, and even as they walked past Lock, sharing quick greetings with him. It was only when they were halfway across the room when they noticed the new arrivals, and stopped in their tracks, staring.
“Caleb!” Isabelle cried, the first to recover. She raced happily to Caleb, and Caleb knelt down so he could hug her on her level. “I haven’t seen you in so long! I’m so glad you’re here! You look tired.”
Caleb laughed. “I am tired,” he said. He stood, smiling at Delilah, but soon turned his attention to Fae. “You’re…”
Fae held up a hand before he could continue. “I’m not completely healed, yet,” she said in a matter-of-fact voice. “It’s complicated, so I’ll explain it later. But yes, I’m back in my own body.” She lowered her hand and sighed softly. “Sorry. Just got tired of answering the same questions over and over again, so I prepared ahead of time.”
“It’s good to see you,” Caleb said, smiling.
Fae stared back at him for a moment, her expression unreadable. She fidgeted ever so slightly, then nodded. “Thanks,” she said simply.
Delilah came up to Caleb and the other new arrivals, looking over each of them with concern. “It’s been really rough in Grimoire, hasn’t it?” she asked. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get everything in order.”
“Don’t apologize,” Alice said, rolling her eyes. “Honestly. We’ve been working really hard. And everyone knows what the stakes are. Nobody’s blaming you for having to fight these tough battles.” She eyed Caleb. “Right?”
Caleb laughed, nodding. “Right. And it sounds like everything’s ready for the ‘last mission,’ whatever that is.”
“Yeah,” Delilah said. “Come on, let’s head upstairs. We can explain a few things on the way, but it’s best to get everything out when everyone’s gathered together. Then you guys can get some food and a proper night’s sleep.”
“Can you deliver our report to Alexandra?” Fae asked. “We’ll be better off if we can get back to rehearsing sooner rather than later.”
“Rehearsing?” Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Fae said, already turning away. “We have a show to put on in order to reach our Key. Delilah will explain it.”
“You’re just gonna leave right after saying hello?” Shana asked, gazing pleadingly at Fae.
Fae’s shoulders slumped, and she let out a sigh as Madeline, Olivia, Sonya, and the Star sisters all looked at her meaningfully. “I just… need to focus,” she said.
“There’ll be time to properly have a sibling reunion,” Mercury said, flashing her winning smile. “You guys get briefed and get rested. We already know everything we need to know.”
“And she’s right about rehearsing,” Sonya said, casting a sidelong glance at Mercury. “We have a lot to work on.” They headed back to the door and through the light.
“This is how it’s been ever since they started,” Shana said with a heavy sigh, shoulders drooping. Altair’s tail tucked down as he bowed his head, letting out a soft whimper. “They just come back to report in, and then go right back to work. Which, I know, is important, and it’s probably exactly what they should be doing, but…”
“Fae’s right that her team needs the most work,” Delilah said. “They’re putting together an entire musical almost from scratch. They only had about half a script at the start, had to write their own parts, figure out roles, write music, sort out props and sets and costumes and effects, and then there’s constant rehearsing on a strict time limit.”
“Count on the theater kid to know what they’re up against,” Alice said with a smirk.
“Well, normally for a musical like what they’re preparing, they’d have something like six months of rehearsals — at least. And the script and music would have all been written and finalized before then,” Delilah said, clearly quite stressed on their behalf. “They’re trying to pull off the same kind of production in less than half the time.”
“Sounds like we really need to get caught up on things, huh?” Caleb asked with a self-conscious chuckle.
“Right,” Delilah said, collecting herself. “Let’s head upstairs to meet with everyone else.”
“Let’s go!” Isabelle said, cheerfully racing to the stairs.
“Everyone else” was quite the crew. There were Marcus, Maribelle, Annabelle, Kathryn, Rae, Ben, Deirdre, Maxwell, Tock, Alexandra, Adelaida, and Andrea, all people that Caleb already knew to expect here. But there were also people he’d never met, people he’d only ever heard about, and people he’d never expected to be here. There were Terevalde and Emmeryn, those who had experienced the Tragedy wrought by Gioracchi first-hand. Gerick Irsotz, expert on magical artwork and an artist himself, was here, along with Selphine Miora of Eventide Archive, and the long-lost Oliver, now returned to her. Twelve, the Paladin of Shimmerveil Pike and altogether proper, gentlemanly, and charming clockwork automaton was present. There was Isla, and her multi-tailed fox Summon Dama, both as mysterious as ever. Also present were Hayden, Botan, and Camellia, trio of Paladins from the Astral Wall, and their lovable dog Flynn. Trays had been magicked to float through the air, moving in and out of a connecting door to the kitchen, bearing drinks and a wide variety of snacks. Caleb, Chelsea, Lorelei, Will, and Gwen eagerly dug in whenever a tray floated past, food giving them some of their strength back.
Alexandra’s always an excellent host.
“Now, then,” Alexandra said, clapping her hands together twice and beaming brightly at the gathered assembly. She stood on a dais at the front of the room, helping her to see them all, and all to see her. “Let’s all try not to chatter freely, or this could get out of hand far too quickly. I want to begin by — hopefully — explaining in brief how this entire team and mission came to be. I suppose the simplest explanation would be that we found a positive use for my chronological displacement. As I experience time in a… shall we say, less linear fashion than the rest of you, I often experience your future before you do. Thanks to that, I’ve managed to already live through the majority of our final conflict against the Lord of Night, and can help guide all of you in achieving success through those means. Though…” she bowed her head, seeming self-conscious, “my memory is… imperfect. There have already been some irregularities. Not everything has gone exactly to plan. Even so, things are proceeding better than we could reasonably expect.”
Adelaida, standing beside her, nodded. “The mission to turn the Key of the World is to take a four-part approach,” she said in her serious, matter-of-fact tone. “First of all, there is the operational team, who will stay here. Now that Deirdre has arrived, the final piece of their part is complete.”
Deirdre stepped forward to join her, turning and speaking out to the crowd. “Through a particularly fascinating application of Divination and Manipulation Magic,” she said, “and a clever touch of Illusion Magic,” she smiled at Isla at that, “we’ve constructed an apparatus and connective devices that can help all four teams remain in contact even as we separate and tackle differing ventures in differing Locations. I will be running operations from here. I’ve only just arrived, so I still have more to learn, but that covers the basics.”
“My team kinda has the easiest role,” Shana said, raising her hand and stepping up onto the dais. “I mean, it won’t be easy, not really. But it’s easier — at least on paper — than everyone else’s. It’s also one where we’re kind of on our own. Shias, Annabelle, Kathryn, Rae, Ben, and me are all there is.” Altair, wagging his tail beside her, barked cheerfully, and she smiled. “And Altair, of course. We’re going to the Palette in the Clouds, in Dreamworld, to turn the Key there.” She looked out at the crowd expectantly for a moment, and then shook her head, looking slightly embarrassed. “Right. Fae’s not here.”
“I can talk about Fae’s role,” Delilah said, stepping up to join her sister on the dais. Standing up there, looking out at the crowd, speaking clearly and confidently, Caleb was stunned at how much his baby sister had grown. But then, he realized, he shouldn’t be so surprised. She’d always been mature for her age, always thoughtful, smart, and hard-working. It was no wonder she was able to handle this.
“The ‘Key through the glass’,” Delilah continued, “lies in the Hall of Reflections. But it can only be accessed through Revue Palace, by putting on a musical in the Reflection Theater. That’s what Fae’s team is working on right now. They have a partial script, but they’ve had to write the rest of it, along with all of the songs, and figure out all of the casting, set design, and costuming for their show — not to mention rehearsals. They’re making excellent progress, but they’ll be cutting it close no matter how much time they get. And the time to act on this mission is coming up very soon.” She bowed her head for a moment, then looked back up, picking out someone in the crowd. Up came Alice, with particular pep in her step, to join Delilah on the dais. Caleb was surprised at how much she’d changed, too. There was still that air of mystery, of contained darkness, that Alice had always had. But her more malicious playfulness had been cleansed of much of the malice, leaving her more enthusiastic and, Caleb thought, genuinely joyful.
“And then there’s us!” Alice said, her white eyes flashing as she smiled. “We’re taking Delilah’s Key to the pedestal it came from — at the deepest part of the former Prime Bastion, which we now call the Fallen Bastion.”
“It was believed Lost long ago,” Alexandra said, “and there are few, if any, alive who remember when it, and not the Library of Solitude, was the Prime Bastion. Marcus, who retrieved the Key from that place, confirmed our worst fears. The original Prime Bastion wasn’t simply Lost or abandoned. It has fallen to Darkness, and now rests in the deepest Darkness that we know.”
Delilah nodded. “It sits just beneath the Throne of Night, the Lord of Night’s seat of power,” she said. “Which is why we needed to take advantage of the Lord of Night’s attack on Grimoire. While our teams here work on their different parts of the mission, to turn the Key of the World, Anastasia and her friends are going to do everything they can to keep Sal focused on Grimoire. He needs to stay there, as far away from us as we can get him.”
“There are crazy risks for everyone,” Alice said. “But that’s how final battles are, you know?”
“Caleb, Chelsea, that’s where your team comes in,” Delilah said, fixing her determined gaze on Caleb. “We’re going to need all the help we can get against the dangers inside the Fallen Bastion. We have Marcus, Maribelle, and Isabelle with us, but even together, we may not be enough.”
“So we’re your bodyguards,” Caleb said, grinning. “We can do that.”
“As long as you’re gonna let us rest up,” Chelsea said, plucking a cookie from a passing tray. “And as long as we’re gonna get to have a proper meal when we wake up.”
“All estimates are showing that we should have, at minimum, another four days here before more than a few minutes pass in Grimoire,” Adelaida said. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation, given how unpredictable time’s disparate flow can be, particularly during a temporal flux. But you should have at least enough time for a full, uninterrupted sleep and a full, proper meal.”
“We’ll have a more detailed briefing after you’re all rested and recovered,” Alexandra said, beaming brightly. “For now, that should cover the situation. Go ahead and get some rest.”
They did just that. Caleb, Chelsea, Lorelei, Gwen, and Will followed Andrea, who showed them to a set of rooms prepared for them. “She said four days minimum,” Chelsea said, plodding along, “but I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
“You’re not the only one,” Lorelei said. Will nodded his head in weary agreement.
They bid each other goodnight, departed to their individual rooms, and went to bed. Sleep took Caleb, heavy and dreamless, as soon as his head hit the pillow.
——
Alexandra let out a weary sigh and sank into her favorite armchair. “I’m not sure I can keep this up for much longer,” she said. Adelaida and Andrea sat on either side of her, their hard-to-read expressions flickering with a hint of concern.
“Overall, the plan is progressing as you described,” Adelaida said, consulting a pocket notebook well-organized with her distinctive clear, business-like handwriting. “Some of the details have diverged, but —”
“That’s exactly the problem,” Alexandra said. “Small details diverge, but over time, those add up. This is… I’ve never tried to use my condition this way. I haven’t seen how this mission ends. I have no idea if we even succeed. Everyone’s trusting me, but I… I don’t know if I can trust myself.” She shut her eyes and raised a trembling hand to her forehead. “Is my memory of the events I experience faulty? I can’t possibly remember everything perfectly, can I? What if I’ve forgotten valuable details, things that are vital to our success? Worse than that, knowing that I haven’t experienced the full sequence of events from starting this plan to its completion, what if the most vital moments are moments I still have yet to experience? I’m not… we’ve been treating my condition like it’s a power, like it’s an ability we can use. But it’s not something I use. It’s who I am, and it’s out of my control.” She sighed, sinking deeper into her favorite chair. “If only Lance were here. Where is he? What’s taking him so long?”
Footsteps sounded in the hall — multiple sets of them. Alexandra sat up straight, composing herself. It wouldn’t do to have those who counted on her see her in such a state. However confident she was, she could always project confidence, and —
“Sorry I’m late.” The dark, clear voice of her brother filled the room as he entered. His hair was slightly disheveled, his long, dark coat a bit ragged, but his eyes were clear and alert, his expression full of life and energy. Behind him came Ingrid and Mineria, but Alexandra hardly noticed them.
“Lance,” she said, nearly breathless with relief and renewed hope.
“What’s wrong?” Lancelot asked. It was spoken in a straightforward, unemotional manner, but the fact that he asked her at all warmed Alexandra’s heart.
“Lance, you can look at people’s memories,” Alexandra said, leaning forward, gazing at him pleadingly. “I need to know if I’m remembering things correctly. I need to know if I’m leading everyone down the right path or not.”
Lancelot ducked his gaze, his expression hardening. “We’ve tried that before,” he said softly. “I can’t access your memories.”
“But it’s been such a long time,” Alexandra said. “Not since we were children. Your powers and understanding have grown so much since then. And perhaps being here, in a place that stabilizes my physical self, can help.”
Lancelot didn’t look convinced. But he came over and knelt before her nonetheless. Raising a hand, he pressed his thumb and ring finger against her forehead and closed his eyes. “Close your eyes,” he said calmly. “Try not to think about anything. As best you can, at least. The clearer your mind is, the easier it is for me to find my way.”
Alexandra closed her eyes and did her best to do the impossible and empty her mind. She focused on sensations rather than thoughts — the warmth of her brother’s fingertips against her forehead, the faint glow of the room against her eyelids, the calming smell of lavender and vanilla from a candle on the other side of the room. Calming, soothing sensations, they helped ground and relax her, so that she didn’t think of anything clearly, didn’t let her mind spin over all the worries and cares that had been relentlessly pursuing her lately.
So relaxed was she that she was startled when Lancelot removed his hand and stood, telling her she could open her eyes. It had seemed to happen so quickly. Could he already be done? Or…
“You still couldn’t see my memories?” Alexandra asked, gazing up at her brother’s puzzled expression.
“I could see… things,” Lancelot said, softly, as if to himself. He spoke slowly, carefully, gathering his thoughts. “Strange impressions. I couldn’t see clearly, or in detail, so I won’t be the help you’d hoped for. But… hold on, can I see those?” He sat down beside Adelaida, indicating her notebook, and she held it out for him to see, though pointedly kept him from touching it or turning the pages himself. After looking through several pages, Lancelot nodded thoughtfully and sat back, staring at the ceiling.
He was silent for a long time. Too long.
“What is it?” Ingrid asked, tapping him on the forehead to break him out of his reverie.
Lancelot batted her hand away and looked at Alexandra, his gaze intense, scrutinizing. “Your memories and the notes match,” he said.
“You could see that much?” Alexandra asked.
Lancelot nodded. “I saw a few fragments that confirmed details in the notes,” he said. “It’s possible they don’t all match, but… they’re different from how events have unfolded for the others, aren’t they?”
Alexandra asked which events, which details, Lancelot had confirmed, and when he told her, her stomach knotted itself with dread. “They’re… different,” she said softly. “But I don’t understand. How is that possible? I experience time in a different order than the rest of you, but… isn’t that… all…?”
Lancelot leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers steepled together, his eyes narrowed in serious contemplation. “It seems chronological displacement is more complex than we realized. We’re going to need some help.” He looked up, lowering his hands. “How soon until Caleb wakes up?”