Magus turned and walked down the corridor. Heather ran toward them and he handed the velvet bag to her. She took a step toward Skylar, but stopped and shook her head.
The mermaids were spinning feverishly around Argan. Skylar climbed the metal staircase to the top of the tank. She saw the mermaids trying to pry the coral bars open to release him, but they couldn’t. She glanced down at Heather, and saw sympathy show briefly on her face.
Skylar dove into the water. She swam to Argan, and the mermaids gave her room to try to free him. She pulled at the bars, but they were as strong as iron. She tried her hand at conjuring energy. She managed a small ball of blue light, but it did nothing but dissipate into the water. She squeezed an arm through the bars and touched Argan’s shoulder. He was so peaceful, floating, perfectly preserved. A mermaid swam closer. Skylar froze. It was the one she had seen her very first day. This close to her, Skylar could see the defiance in her eyes.
“Our bodies may be imprisoned, but our hearts are free,” Skylar heard in her head. “Your body is free, but your heart is imprisoned.” The mermaid placed her hand over Skylar’s chest and she felt a jolt. She dared think it was a dislodging.
“Can you take the stone out of me?” she asked with her thoughts.
The mermaid smiled. “It isn’t as hard as you think. When you set your heart free, the stone will be free as well.”
Skylar nodded.
The mermaid circled Argan and stopped in front of him. “Even in his stillness, I see his confusion. He questions who he is supposed to be. He’s done everything right, done everything asked of him—by the Goddess, by his mother, by you. He is the prince yet he struggles, feeling short of the goal. He feels slighted, wronged somehow, and doesn’t know how to express it.” She looked at Skylar. “This is not the Archer’s doing. Your lover locked himself in this cage. He waits in the space between worlds. He will find what he seeks there.”
“I understand,” Skylar said. She touched the bars restraining Argan and swam to the top of the water. Heather reached one hand down and helped her out.
“Thanks.” Skylar locked eyes with Heather for just a moment. Then she darted down the stairs and past Magus, headed toward the Sanctuary.
A faint knock sounded on Vivienne’s front door at 10:00 p.m. “Leonora, you are ahead of schedule,” Vivienne said, greeting her. “I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”
Leonora rushed by Vivienne into the apartment. Her cloak was soaked through from the heavy rain. “I’m sorry to ring at this late hour but something is wrong,” she said. “Argan has vanished from my sight. I know he’s not dead. I would feel that. But he is not living either. He is between worlds, and Skylar is not strong enough to help him.”
Vivienne smiled quietly and offered Leonora a seat in the parlor. “Let me fix you some tea.”
“I am not interested in tea, Vivienne. I know we made this happen, but this is my son!” Her voice rose uncharacteristically. She caught her breath and started again. “I have raised him as the Goddess asked. Now I am to throw him to the wolves?” She lowered her head. “I cannot.”
“Argan wanted to do this,” Vivienne said.
“Because I made it so!” She got up and walked to the open balcony. The wind whipped the rain wildly just beyond the doors, but no rain came into the room. “I bred him for this task and he accepts it as his destiny.”
“It is his destiny,” Vivienne said.
“Because I made it so,” Leonora repeated in a quieter tone, ashamed of having manipulated her son his whole life to bend to the path she thought she wanted for him. Now, she was changing her mind.
“Leonora, the most important part of this is that he believes in himself and his ability to accomplish this enormous, lionhearted task.”
Leonora returned to where Vivienne was sitting and looked at her with angry eyes. “We have all done our part, Vivienne,” she said. “Now it’s time to do yours.”
Vivienne paused, knowing there was only one answer Leonora would accept.
“You’re right,” she said. “I will go.”
At dawn, Suki met Milicent in the Quine library. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on her, but sleep was. She hadn’t gotten any the night before. She was dressed normally but Milicent was decked out in a silhouette-hugging, dark purple leather suit. Her white hair was piled high, similar to how Vivienne wore her hair, all wisps held back with a thin purple headband.
“It’s hot where we’re going,” Suki said.
“I’ll be fine,” Milicent said.
“I assume we’re only going there as a day trip?” Suki asked. “I didn’t pack anything.”
“Of course,” Milicent said. “I can’t imagine there are any accommodations suitable for an overnight stay.”
Suki moved the bookcase aside and opened the door, as she had done many times before. She took in a few deep breaths. “Ready?”
Milicent’s eyes widened. “No preparation?”
“I’ve done it already. Just take a deep breath and hold my hand. I’ll get us where we need to go.” She reached out her hand and Milicent stared at it. “It won’t work unless we are connected.”
“I got that,” Milicent said. She took in a breath but didn’t exhale and grabbed Suki’s hand.
“Sorry I’m late,” Noah said from the library door. “It’s just sooo early.” He stood there decked out in his finest Italian clothes, including a silk tie.
Milicent pulled her hand from Suki’s. “Noah, you aren’t coming! There are too many variables and you will weigh everything down.”
Noah folded his arms. “I knew you would say that. I’ll just man the door while you’re gone,” he said.
“Fine,” Milicent said. She grabbed Suki’s hand abruptly. “Let’s go.”
“Okay, well, these moments are never calm,” Suki said.
They both stepped into the blackness of a bent reality. As they stepped over the threshold, Milicent dug her talon-tipped nails into Suki’s palm. Suki was unsure if it was out of spite or fear or both, but she kept her focus on the task at hand.
It wasn’t long before they came out to the entrance of the cathedral, as Suki had done before. She looked at Milicent, who was trying to dust off the lucina.
“It won’t come off,” Suki said. “And that’s a good thing. It’s a protective coating.”
“Oh, all right.” Milicent tried to appear in control of the situation, but Suki saw through it. Milicent smoothed the wrinkles out of her leather as they walked toward the cathedral entrance. “I’ve been to quite a few otherworldly places,” she said. “This looks about right.”
They walked through a courtyard full of people going about daily tasks. When Suki reached for the door of the cathedral, Milicent took in a deep breath.
“This is a big moment,” Suki said, pausing.
Milicent remained quiet.
Suki opened the door and they walked into the throne room. Diana was seated in her chair; it appeared she was in meditation.
Milicent opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She let Suki lead, almost as if she were hiding behind her.