Gwen’s ears burst as she arrived in Upper Garden. It was excruciating. Gwen reacted on reflex, cupping the sides of her head and cradling her ears. She kicked Brett and fell to the floor, banging her hip and elbow in the fall. Searing white light burned her eyes. She curled into a ball. Her knees covered her eyes as she held her head tight and resisted screaming.

  Amid waves of agony, Gwen felt herself be picked up and carried somewhere.

  “He’s bringing you indoors. I think it’s safe to open your eyes,” said Raf in her mind.

  What the hell was that? she wondered furiously.

  “Difference in air pressure,” Raf soothed. “The same thing happened to Raf when he went deep in the ocean. Human ears are pressure-sensitive.”

  Well, that really hurt, and I hated it, Gwen grumbled.

  “It’ll pass. Just keep massaging the area.”

  Brett lowered Gwen onto something soft and said, “Alright, take a moment to rest. The elevation difference can be disorienting if you’re not used to it.” Raf interpreted his words.

  Gwen opened her eyes to a bright room crafted entirely in polished Ivory. Ambient indirect sunlight reflected into the room, but Gwen could manage that discomfort. She removed the scarf covering her face.

  Brett knelt to look at Gwen directly. He seemed sympathetic, almost sad.

  “I’m going to tell you something, and it’s not going to be easy to hear,” Brett said.

  Gwen felt a rising dread in her chest.

  “I’m not going back for your dad. My orders were to move only you up here. He wasn’t invited.”

  Gwen tried to stay calm but she started trembling.

  “Hey, it’s gonna be alright. You’ll see him again one day. You just have to put in the work first.”

  Insane ideas flew into Gwen’s mind. She thought about killing this lying little prick and running, but to where? If she was at the top of the Pillar, she couldn’t very well jump down. Gwen thought she was infiltrating a school. But now she understood: she had infiltrated a prison, and there was no way out.

  As that was happening, a falcon flew into the room and landed on the bedpost.

  “Merlin!” Brett exclaimed joyously. “What’s the latest?” He relaxed into a nearby lounge chair.

  The falcon answered, “The Holy Mother is taking supper, but She’ll be ready to receive the prospective student soon.”

  “No, I meant about Chelsea. Is she still resisting the marriage?”

  The falcon plucked a chest feather, like a nervous tick. A bald spot had grown under the falcon’s wing. “Chelsea complains to your mother about it every morning over breakfast, but the decision was made weeks ago. Lady Susan indulges your sister’s whines, but these days, Chelsea is less resistant.”

  Brett sighed. “Well, at least dinners will be back to normal soon. This whole affair exhausts me.”

  Gwen wanted to ask questions, but she was suddenly developing a vicious migraine. She felt like vomiting, even though she hadn’t drunk anything all day. When she tried to sit up, her head started spinning, and then Gwen blacked out.

  -8-

  Gwen woke up in an entirely different room.

  This room was grand, elegant, with high ceilings and intricate gold inlay along the walls and pillars. Everything was built of polished ivory. Thick window curtains were drawn, blocking out direct daylight. On the walls, aether orbs glowed a warm, ambient yellow.

  Gwen sat up with some difficulty. Her head was still spinning, and she felt indescribably awful.

  “Take it slow,” said Raf in her mind. “I think you’re in Eve’s office. I’ve counted three familiars in the room, so far.”

  Gwen tried to pause and collect her thoughts. In the corner of her eye, Gwen noticed movement. She looked up to see the most preternaturally beautiful woman Gwen had ever laid eyes upon.

  Eve, for this could only be her, was majestic. She wore pristine white silks accented with delicate gems and precious metals. She stood tall and seemed to float when she walked on a cloud of elegance. Her hair sparkled in the aetherlight like finely spun golden thread. She carried a cup in her hands and a gentle smile on her face.

  Eve sat next to Gwen on the sofa, offering Gwen the cup. Gwen took it carefully and inspected its contents. She sniffed it. It smelled like some sort of floral tea. Maybe lavender? Gwen sipped it and found it was remarkably soothing on her migraine. She downed the cup and felt surprisingly better than before.

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  Eve began speaking in sign language. A familiar, one snow leopard, began to interpret Eve’s words, but Gwen cut in, rudely yet shocked.

  ‘You know sign language?!’ Gwen exclaimed.

  Eve blinked with surprise. Then she smiled widely. ‘Yes, of course. How do you know sign language?’

  Gwen almost answered honestly, then she remembered her cover story. She was thrilled to meet someone outside her family she could actually communicate with, but she had to stay careful.

  ‘I was born mute. My parents taught me sign language,’ she answered. ‘Are you deaf? Why do you speak sign language?’

  Eve made a surprised, confused expression, like she wanted to answer, but then she thought better of it. She hesitated and then signed, ‘I took a vow of silence many years ago. But we’re here to talk about you, not me. I was not informed you were mute. This is a rather pleasant surprise and a novelty. I don’t get to communicate often with others in sign language.’

  ‘Yeah, me neither!’ Gwen grinned like an idiot. She didn’t have to act. She was genuinely thrilled. ‘This is so great!’

  Eve laughed. ‘Oh, you are adorable. But no chitchat. This isn’t a social call. I’m told you have some impressive magical affinity. This meeting is to determine the nature and origin of your abilities, and then to decide where we can put those abilities to best use.’

  Gwen felt a sinking feeling, but she tried to conceal it.

  Eve looked up like an idea had just occurred to her. ‘Since we both speak in sign…’ Eve stood up and then moved to a chair opposite Gwen, so they could look at each other directly.

  And as Eve repositioned herself, something dark and iridescent caught Gwen’s eye. It was a necklace. Instantly, Gwen was transfixed by it, hypnotized, like all the rest of the world fell away. Like she was outside of herself. She forgot who she was or what she was doing or why. Gwen fell into Eve’s necklace, like gravity.

  Slowly, Gwen regained awareness, and the first thing she noticed wasn’t Eve or the room or even herself; it was Raf. That weird reaction was his, not hers. Something intense just happened to Raf, but he was silent.

  Raf? she wondered.

  Nothing but a fuzzy feeling in the back of her mind, like he was waking up.

  Gwen blinked and noticed the hand waving in front of her face. Eve was trying to get her attention.

  ‘Are you okay? Where did you go just now?’ Eve looked concerned but mostly curious.

  Gwen nodded slowly and for a long time, thinking, trying to come up with some answer that satisfied.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she finally signed. ‘I was just worried about my dad. He’s probably worried about me.’

  Eve made a sympathetic face. ‘Some things in life are hard but necessary. Your dad couldn’t come up here. You experienced how unpleasant the jump can be. Not everyone survives it. Most don’t. If your dad had come, he probably would have died. And now that you’re here, you don’t have to go back down. You can stay, and you don’t have to go through that awful experience again.’

  Gwen bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood, which was a welcome relief in the moment, despite the pain and futility in tasting her own blood.

  ‘And you will see him again. But for now, consider me your mother, because I am. I can give you all the things he can, and more.’

  Gwen bit harder, but acted like a sweet 8-year-old girl. Eve leaned forward to brush Gwen’s hair behind her ears, smiling benevolently.

  ‘Would you show me something?’ Eve asked. ‘I’d like to see your magic. Is that alright?’

  Gwen nodded. She felt more like herself. Raf was still silent, but she could sense him now. He was agitated, and it was infectious, distracting her.

  Eve wants to see some magic. I’ll show her some magic, Gwen thought.

  Then she pulled light from all around her, compressing it into a dense sphere between them. Furiously, Gwen kept pulling and pressing, more and more, until the little orb of light was blindingly bright, like a tiny sun floating over her palm. Gwen knew she should pull back, but she wouldn’t. Something within her kept pushing and pulling and pressing and raging in that tiny little orb of light.

  She felt heat radiate off it, like a tiny inferno. And as little flames erupted, Gwen came back to herself and realized she was acting insane.

  Gwen dropped the orb of light like a hot potato. It crashed onto the floor, igniting the rug on fire.

  Calmly, Eve stood up, grabbed a blanket, and dropped it on the floor, putting the fire out. Then Eve looked at Gwen approvingly, considering her, measuring her.

  Gwen tried to remain motionless. That was very foolish, she thought.

  Eve sat down again and signed, ‘Thank you for that excellent demonstration. Sad bit of business about the rug, but it’s clear you have potential, and that’s worth a burnt rug. But we need to test and challenge the limits of that potential, and the best way to do that is with an expert in your craft.’

  Eve tapped her pointer finger to her chin thoughtfully. Finally, she signed, ‘A light mage, I think.’ Eve turned in her chair to address the snow leopard familiar, ‘Take Gwen to the Luxori estate, and inform Lucille I want this one given special consideration.’

  Then Eve looked back at Gwen with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘I wasn’t planning on gifting you a familiar yet, let alone one of my favorites, but I think it sends the right message, don’t you?’

  Gwen looked at the magnificent snow leopard and then back at Eve several times, processing. She was surprised at the intensity of emotion she was feeling. The last time Gwen had a familiar, she was just a child. Apple the capuchin monkey, little Lyn’s first and only friend. Apple was put down after she betrayed Lyn.

  Gwen choked on her emotions and then swallowed them. ‘I’m honored, Holy Mother. Thank you.’

  Eve smiled graciously and then stood up. ‘We shall see each other again soon,’ she signed.

  Gwen took that to mean the meeting was over. The snow leopard exited the room, and Gwen followed it.

  The hallways were also crafted in Ivory with stunning golden detail. Everything was opulent and regal.

  “I’m sorry I broke down in there,” Raf said in her mind.

  She almost tripped upon hearing his voice again. What the hell was that? Where did you go?

  “Gwen, I saw something in there that changes everything.”

  Gwen slowed her walk. What did you see?

  “Eve’s necklace. I know what it is and where it came from. What I don’t know is how she has it.”

  Okay. So what is it?

  “It’s a dragonscale. But that’s not all. It’s a soul prison. The same way Adam trapped the souls of the Ikons into his “Blessings,” the angel Sophia trapped two souls into that dragonscale.”

  Gwen was barely moving. She stopped paying attention to the snow leopard or her surroundings. She stopped breathing. Two souls?

  “Yes. One of them is a fallen named Azazel, the demon who killed Dad and possessed Morgan.”

  Somehow, Gwen already knew the answer, but she had to ask. Whose is the other soul?

  Raf didn’t answer for a long time. Finally, he said, “Mine.”