Chapter 404

I spend a long, long time in the stupid purifying bath that Pippa drew for me. And I spend most of that time crying.

At first Pippa had been afraid when I had gasped, my hands slapping across my mouth, and instantly burst into tears. She had dashed to my side, desperate to help, but I had pushed her away – desperate to just concentrate on the voice echoing in my mind.

Because it had been Jackson – Jackson’s voice in my head, echoing there, letting me know that he was near, somehow, by some miracle. And of course he’d wanted to barge right through these palace walls to get to me – but it’s too dangerous. My sweet, powerful mate will be instantly outmatched. Not even he can take on a whole castle, after all.

Just…the barest snatch of the conversation, and then his voice was gone as suddenly as it came. I had cried my little heart out then, sobbing into my hands. Pippa, darling that she is, simply ascribed my sadness to monthly hormonal issues and patted me on my shoulder before leaving the room, letting me have some time alone.

I let her think that I was just experiencing some weird PMS symptom, not wanting to explain. Because even as I’m coming to trust her and consider her a friend, I still think that her allegiances are to Atalaxia. And no one in Atalaxia really needs to know that my other mate is here.

But…where is here? Is Jacks…is he in the palace?

And why could I hear him, only for a moment?

Is he a part of the delegation that Moon Valley sent? I sink lower in my bath now that my tears have dried up. Idly, I blow bubbles in the cooling water, working hard to see all sides of this. But the more I think about it the more I realize that it would be ridiculous to send Jackson with a delegation of ambassadors. To begin with, he’d immediately stick out as a warrior amongst everyone else in the cohort. He’s head and shoulders taller than anyone on ambassador track and he’s built like someone sent to knock Atalaxian heads off their shoulders with a single blow.

And further, the Atalaxians know who he is and what he looks like. God, if they sent him disgused as an ambassador, he would be killed for certain, just as Gabriel promised he would be. Fear rushes through me but…

I mean, I think my family is clever enough to put all of that together…

Right?

God, I hope that they are.

But if not with the ambassadors…how is Jackson here? And why? Are there more troops surrounding the castle? My blood runs cold at the thought – at a mounting battle that could begin at any moment, and me here under Gabriel’s spell unable to use my magic to aid anyone.

I scowl, lifting my pruney finger out of the water and sighing as I look again at Jackson’s lovely mini mark. My little piece of him that I get to carry forever. I smile a little, remembering the day he gave it to me, the feel of his sharp canine against my skin. A little shiver runs through me from head to foot.

God, I miss him so much. My sweetheart mate. All brutal and broody and wonderful. If I ever get out of here, the entire world is going to be hard pressed to pry me from his side for a single damn moment.

I sigh then, forcing my own brooding temper aside and pushing myself up to sit higher in the water. Because the key element in that wonderful plan is to get out of here, and I’d better start thinking seriously about how I’m going to do that. I climb out of the tub, quickly toweling off before wrapping myself in one of the elaborate robes that Pippa keeps stocked in here, tying it in a knot around my waist.

Instead of moving to the vanity pressed against the far wall and beginning to comb my hair, though, I cross my arms over my chest and look around the room, frowning, wondering at the possibilities here.

Because I’ve spent a great deal of time in the Land of Darkness now, encaged. And I’m starting to wonder…

Idly, I move to the far corner of the wall and press my hands against it, looking up at where walls meet the ceiling.

And then I shift, everything falling backwards in that disorienting way, before my feet hit hard in the dirt in that dark world. I grimace, a little, that I didn’t think to put on a set of my slippers. But, whatever – because the results of my experiment intrigue me a great deal more than keeping my feet clean.

What is truly interesting here is that my hands aren’t pressed up against the bars of the cage as they were against the walls of the room – they’re actually sticking through the bars. I grimace a little, wondering if the bars would like…impale me, if I accidentally shifted from the other realm into this one directly where they are.

Slowly, I draw my arms back, making a mental note to be very careful. But even as I take a step backwards towards the center of the cage, I begin to put together the idea that…however Gabriel made these cages, he wasn’t absolutely precise with his measurements. Instead, the cage is just…slightly smaller than the room itself. Quietly, I move around the cage, shifting back and forth between the cage and the bathroom, incredibly careful not to manifest in a weird spot.

Once I mess up and end up actually sitting in the sink instead of standing before it – but at least I didn’t appear with the sink halfway through my torso or something.

But once I’ve made a lap of the room, I’m fairly sure of it – that Gabriel was very good at ensuring that the cage was almost precisely the size of my room – just…a little smaller. And so I shift again, going back to the Land of Darkness and pressing my face to the bars, looking beyond them.

And then I smile, because even though Gabriel was careful to build me a very precise little cage here, it’s clear to me that he was sloppy elsewhere.

The more I look I see that there is indeed a wide fence all around the entire area that probably represents the outer expanse of the castle walls, so that try as I might, I can’t leave the castle.

But inside all of that? Oh, there are more cages, probably serving a dozen purposes I don’t understand. But they are much larger. Which means if I can just get out of this one…

Well, damn it, why not take advantage of the situation while I can? Before Gabriel locks me up even more? Because some of my people are here now, and I need to find them and get some answers.

And there’s surely no better time than now.

I grin, shifting back to my world and immediately moving for the door. On my way, I slip my dirty feet into a set of cozy slippers and grab a bottle of liquid floral soap off of a shelf on the wall.

“Pippa?” I call towards the door. “I – I don’t feel so good…”

Then, grimacing a little, I pull the top off the soap and pour it into my mouth.

I retch instantly at the taste and dash to the sink to spit it out. It’s nothing toxic – I checked all of the ingredients of everything in this room to ensure there was nothing useful to me – but it sure tastes disgusting.

I spit the soap into the sink, gripping the edge, my stomach visibly heaving as Pippa calls my name, opening the door.

Her gasp is very gratifying as she rushes to me, even if the disgusting taste of the soap still coats my tongue. I gag again at the taste of it.

“Oh my god, Ariel!” Pippa gasps, her hands tight on my shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“Pippa,” I moan, shaking my head as I turn towards her, probably over-doing the acting a little bit as I do my best to appear incredibly ill. “Please – something is wrong –“

“What is it!?” she gasps, getting herself under my shoulder and helping me hobble towards the main room.

“My stomach,” I moan, shaking my head. “Something’s wrong!”

She begins to turn me towards my bed but I vehemently shake my head, moving us towards the door.

“Oh, Ariel, you should lay down – we’ll get the doctor to come –“

“No,” I cry, letting my shoulders tremble. “No time – Pippa – you have to take me to the doctor –right now!” I allow myself to stumble dramatically over my own feet.

Pippa cries out in fear but goes with me, her worry for me over-reaching her senses and any orders that Gabriel has given her. Because I have never, ever been allowed to leave the room with anyone but Gabriel at my side.

But my friend hauls the door open and steps out with me, looking up into my face with worry and fear.

As soon as we step into the hall I straighten up, my faux aches and pains immediately gone, even if I do still have a nasty soapy taste in my mouth. And then I step away from her side – not wanting to push her, but definitively needing space.

She stares at me in shock.

“Sorry, Pips,” I say, heaving a little shrug. “I hope I don’t get you in trouble.”

And then I shift to the other world, and the freedom it offers.