Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

After the giddiness of the library, we decided to go for a walk in the castle’s gardens. We stepped out into the cool evening air. The gardens stretched out before us, a labyrinth of greenery under the soft glow of moonlight.

"Let's check out the birdbath," I led Jessie and Robbie down the cobblestone path. Flowers bowed their heads as if to whisper secrets as we passed.

We reached the birdbath, its water a mirror reflecting the stars above. A flutter of birds skittered away at our approach, all except for one brave little fellow. It was a griffin, no bigger than a robin, with scrappy feathers and an eagerness in its eyes that made me chuckle .

"Look at him," I pointed. "He's not bothered by us at all."

Jessie smiled, watching the griffin splash about. "Brave little thing, isn't he?"

Robbie nodded. "Bet he'd scare off a dragon if it came down to it."

While we were engrossed in the antics of our tiny, feathered friend, Jessie glanced at her watch, a subtle look of concern on her face.

"What’s up?" I asked.

"I was just thinking…"

Lifting a brow, I tried to keep my smile from showing, and failed. "About what?"

"About the idea of traveling to other realms." Jessie looked thoughtful.

"Do you know a lot about it?"

Robbie stood a little taller. "Anything helpful?"

"I don’t personally know a lot about traveling to other realms. It’s not something I’ve researched in detail, but I think I know someone who might be able to help us figure things out. Only, it might be better if I talked to him alone."

"Hey, if it helps, I don’t mind being left out," I told her.

She gave a firm nod. "Okay. I'll try to be back in a jiffy. We’ll see if Mr. Vanderflit has some answers about traveling to other realms," she said hopefully.

"Be careful," I said after her as she walked away.

"Other realms..." Robbie leaned against the stone rim of the birdbath. "Think there's one made entirely of candy?"

"Or one where everything's on fire?" I said, though the thought made me shiver.

"Or maybe a realm where everyone has to sing instead of talk," Robbie added with a laugh.

"Ew, I wouldn't want to live there. My singing could raise the dead." I grinned, but my mind wandered to Jessie and what she might discover. Could we really travel to places like the ones we imagined?

"You think Jessie will find out something good?" Robbie shot me a questioning glance.

I shrugged, trying not to let my nervousness show. "With magic, who knows? But I hope so."

We fell into a comfortable silence, watching the griffin preen its wet feathers. It shook itself, droplets flying in every direction, creating tiny rainbows in the moonlight.

"Nature's very own magic show." A sense of peace washed over me.

"Absolutely," Robbie said, his voice low and relaxed.

We had no idea how soon that peace would be shattered, how quickly our world would twist into something straight out of a coloring book. But for now, we stood together, lost in the simple pleasure of a bird's bath time, waiting for Jessie and the knowledge she would bring back from Mr. Vanderflit.

Robbie reached over and took my hand.

I squeezed his back. "I hope we get to study magical animals. That’s a subject I could really get lost in."

He smiled. "I actually picked up a book from the library about enchantments. I’ve been practicing all kinds of spells in my room. Even self-defense ones, minor ones, but still, it’s been pretty fun. "

"What an overachiever!" I returned his smile. "I should probably spend more time studying. Tonight, I think, I’ll do a bit. With all the trouble we’ve found since coming here, it wouldn’t hurt to have more enchantments in our back pockets."

"Want to see a few?" he asked, looking excited. "We can’t actually use them in here, but I can show you how they’re done."

"I would love that!"

So, we used our fingers as wands, and found ourselves swinging our backsides and hips, twisting and turning, and jumping up and down as he showed me a spell to blast things away, one that causes fires, another that brings wind. We practiced them repeatedly until Robbie felt like I had them done, and even though I still wasn’t sure I could get them to work, I liked thinking I had some new skills to help me in the world.

A movement caught my eye, and I put a hand over Robbie’s mouth, for reasons I didn’t understand. There, outside the windows, the hunters passed us by. They were talking, heads pressed together, which I didn’t like one bit. But luckily, they didn’t slow or head in our direction, they just walked past.

I dropped my hand when I was sure they were gone.

"Think they were looking for you?" he asked.

"I hope not," I said, and I meant it.

That sense of urgency returned. We needed to figure this out before I found myself behind bars for a crime I didn’t commit. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure how the whole legal system worked in this world, but I wasn’t about to trust my life to it.

"Hey, there she is," Robbie said as Jessie emerged from the shadows of the Academy's towering stone archways. Her face was drawn into a frown that didn't quite match the playful leap of the griffin still splashing in the birdbath.

"What did Mr. Vanderflit say?" I asked.

She let out a sigh, the kind that spoke volumes before words even had a chance to catch up. "He wasn't much help, honestly. Said that traveling to other realms is something some godmothers and sugar daddies can just do. Like flipping on a light switch, you either can or you can't."

"Did he say anything about how it's done? Maybe writing your name is part of it?" The question slipped out before I could think twice about it.

Jessie avoided my eyes, focusing instead on a particularly vibrant tulip bobbing in the evening breeze. "No, we didn't get into details," she said after a pause. Her hands fidgeted, tying themselves into knots.

"Jessie." I reached for her arm. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged off my touch gently but firmly. "I'm fine. It's just, Mr. Vanderflit acted like he didn't want to talk to me. And now that I think about it, nobody has been very forthcoming lately."

"Because of me?" I couldn't hide the hurt in my voice. The idea that my friendship could cause issues for Jessie knotted my stomach.

"Maybe." Jessie's voice dropped to a whisper. "Ever since I started hanging out with you, people are keeping their distance."

"Jessie, I'm so sorry," I said, the words coming out heavy with guilt.

"Hey, don't be," Robbie cut in. "This isn't on you. If they have a problem with Jessie's friends, that's on them."

"Thanks, Robbie. You’re absolutely right." Jessie managed a weak smile, then looked back at me. "We'll figure this out, okay?"

"Right," I nodded, forcing a smile for her sake. "Together."

The weight of unspoken things settled between us, heavier than the cool night air. But we stood united, our shared resolve pushing back against the shadows of uncertainty.

"Let's head back," Robbie broke the tension. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Good idea," I said, but as we turned to leave, the corner of my eye caught the griffin taking flight, disappearing into the night sky. A symbol, perhaps, that some mysteries were meant to soar beyond the reach of simple answers.

We walked back to the courtyard, our steps slow, burdened with unanswered questions. The moon hung like a silver bauble in the sky, casting long shadows that stretched across the cobblestones.

"Jaylyn managed to slip through to another world," I eyed the spot where her name had been scrawled. "How? And why my name? "

"Maybe she needed someone to pin it on?" Robbie said, his brows knitting together. "A diversion?"

"Or a target," Jessie added, her tone grave.

"Could be either, or neither." I sighed. "Without knowing her motive, we're guessing in the dark."

"Let's go over it again," Jessie said, determination in her voice. "There could be something we missed."

"Right." Robbie nodded, and we split up, examining every inch of the courtyard with excessive scrutiny.

I crouched down, running my fingers along the ground where Jaylyn’s potion had spilled. Nothing felt out of place. Standing up, I brushed off my hands and glanced at Jessie and Robbie, who were inspecting a statue nearby.

"Find anything?" I said, walking toward them.

"Nothing," Jessie said, disappointment lacing her words.

"Maybe we should check her room," I said. "If there's nothing here..."

"Wait," Robbie stepped closer to the statue. "Let's just give this one more look. I have a weird feeling…"

"All right." I joined them, feeling foolish for hoping we'd find some magical clue out in the open.

We leaned in close, inspecting each curve and angle of the stone figure. That's when I stumbled, my boot catching on an uneven slab. Flailing for balance, I grasped at Robbie's arm, sending us both crashing into Jessie.

The impact sent us tumbling against the statue, and then the world twisted. The solidness of the courtyard vanished, replaced by the sensation of plummeting through a kaleidoscope of colors.

"Wha—?" was all I managed before landing hard on something soft and squishy. I blinked, disoriented, as Robbie and Jessie groaned beside me.

"Did we just..." Robbie pushed himself up.

"Portal," Jessie finished, wide-eyed.