“Where can she hide?” Jace demanded.
Declan spread his hands again. “This is one of the best hiding spots in the five kingdoms. Unfortunately, the legion saw you come here. A portion of Mira’s power remains with her father. It continues to seep away, but it is there. While any of her power remains with him, he knows that she lives. He will not rest until he finds where she went.”
“Which will lead him to you,” Mira said.
Declan shared a tight smile. “Some legionnaires will undoubtedly come through the cloudwall, probably not long after daybreak. They will all die. Everything that comes through the cloudwall is drawn into the void. It was expertly designed to that end. We can intervene by entering the vortex from our side, but of course we won’t rescue our enemies.”
“Did you design it?” Twitch asked.
Declan’s answering laughter degenerated into a hoarse cough. He hawked up some phlegm, shakily produced a bag, and spat into it. “If I could have produced the terminal void, I would fear no being in the Outskirts or beyond. I have no idea who designed the Eastern Cloudwall and the void, or the Western Cloudwall with its staggering output. I cannot comprehend the mind that conceived the possibility let alone executed it.”
“Could that person be hiding behind the Western Cloudwall?” Cole asked.
“Very doubtful,” Declan said. “I studied the Western Cloudwall for years, and there is no way behind or inside of it without being destroyed by the creative furnace that generates the castles. The cloudwalls have existed for all of recorded history. I suspect their creator designed them to be self-sustaining.”
Jace cleared his throat. “If everyone who comes here gets sucked into the vortex, maybe Mira should stay.”
Declan frowned and shook his head. “The legionnaires who brave the cloudwall will fail. But there is another way. Cloudvale is no island in the sky. This is a peninsula, jutting out from the Brink. Access is difficult, but I came here, as did Liam. Now that Stafford knows where to look, his people will find a way in.”
Mira winced. “I’m sorry to bring this trouble to you.”
“Can’t be helped,” Declan said. “It wasn’t deliberate. Your father was bound to catch up to us. This hiding place would not have concealed us forever. There are powerful shapers aiding Stafford. There are spies and mercenaries. Not only does he have the legion at his disposal, but also his secret police, the Enforcers. It was only a matter of time before his full attention turned to finding me.”
“Where should I go?” Mira asked.
Declan sighed, his eyes sad. “Stay here, and they will corner you and take you. Run, and sooner or later, they will catch you. I suggest you take the offensive. Track down your power.”
“The power that’s running wild?” Jace checked. “The power that leaves no living witnesses?”
“Her power,” Declan said. “This could be the chance you’ve been waiting for, Mira. Reclaim your power. Help your sisters reclaim theirs. I can’t risk more communication with your mother, not with all eyes turned my way, but from what I understand, I believe this is what she would want. It won’t be enough to run from Stafford. It won’t suffice to hide. You have to beat him.”
Mira returned Declan’s gaze. “How do I get my power back?”
“I’m not sure,” Declan said with a faint scowl. “I don’t understand how it was taken. I don’t fully grasp how it is acting independently. But I do know that it is your power. It cannot survive without you. So defeat it. Make it submit to you. If you must, kill the form it has taken. Exert mastery over your power, and it should return to you.”
“How do we know you’re not just telling her what’s best for you?” Jace challenged. “If she leaves, it will draw the attention away from here. Once she’s back out there, they’ll question whether she ever made it through the cloudwall. Maybe she snuck around it somehow, or hid in it temporarily, like we were planning to do. Then Mira attacks her power. If she defeats it, great. If it kills her, it destroys itself. Either way, for you, problem solved.”
Declan gave Mira a small smile. “Keep this one close. He clearly has your best interests at heart. The advice I shared does benefit me as well. That doesn’t make it insincere guidance. Heed as much of it as you choose. Your path is not mine to walk.”
“How would we leave?” Mira asked.
“That part will not be hard,” Declan said. “Liam will show you the way. And I will lend what aid I can to your quest. Why not sleep on it tonight? Decide in the morning.”
“All right,” Mira said. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“I wish I could do more to ease your burdens,” Declan said. He tapped one of his canes against the floor, and the door to the chamber swung open. “Go and rest. Jamar awaits without and will see you to your rooms.”
“Thanks,” Cole added to the mumbled gratitude of Jace and Twitch. He wondered how well they would sleep with so much to think about.
CHAPTER
22
VISITORS
In Cole’s room, every item of furniture balanced on a single leg. Not just the chairs and the table, but even the couch and the bed. He figured this was a way for a shaper to show off.
Supported by a slender central rod, the queen-size bed looked especially precarious. Cole tested it by leaning against the thick mattress and shaking it roughly. Though it swayed a little, the bed seemed improbably stable.
Cole sat down on a chair with a single leg. It wasn’t connected to the ground—he had checked by moving it around. But when seated in the chair, no matter how hard he tipped his body, it refused to fall over.
Somebody knocked on his door. As he crossed the room, he wondered if it was Mira, wanting to talk about the choice she had to make. He still couldn’t believe that she was a princess.
He opened the door and found Jace standing there. The other boy looked tired. His torn sleeve had grass stains on it. “Hey,” he said.
“What’s up?”
“Can we talk for a minute?” Cole backed away, and Jace entered, looking around the room. “Everything’s on one leg?”
“And it doesn’t fall over,” Cole said.
“Everything in my room is edible.”
“Do you usually taste furniture?”
“Jamar told me.”
“Is it good?”
“Not really. The curtains aren’t bad. Look. We need to talk about tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Cole said. “Want to sit?”
“I’m fine. In the morning, Mira will start hunting her power.”
“She told you?”
“She didn’t have to. I can tell. You heard Declan. It’s really her only choice.”
“Maybe she’ll make a run for it.”
Jace shook his head. “No way. Declan told her she might be able to get her power back. And that she can stop it from hurting people. And that it’s a better strategy than running or hiding. I saw her face. She’ll follow his advice.”
Cole paused. “I guess we’ll have to go with her.”
“Not necessarily,” Jace said slowly. “I won’t leave her. But you don’t have to stick around. She’ll have help. You’re not from here. This isn’t your battle.”
Cole frowned. Jace was giving him an out. Did he want one? Kind of. How were they supposed to beat some huge creature made of pure shaping power? Cole didn’t want to let Mira down, but he was also worried about finding Dalton and Jenna and figuring out how they could get home. It sounded like Declan might have some ideas that could steer him in the right direction. He would make sure to bring it up tomorrow.
Jace had never been particularly nice to him. What was he up to?
“You don’t want me around?” Cole asked.
“I don’t really care,” Jace said, although it sounded like maybe he did. “It’s up to you. I’m just saying you don’t have to feel trapped.”
“What about Twitch?”
“I talked to him already,” Jace said. “He’s not too excited about it, but
it looks like he’s coming, more out of duty than anything. He doesn’t want the High Shaper to get away with what he did. But I think partly he doesn’t want to be on his own as a runaway slave with the legion and the Sky Raiders on his tail. If you go your own way, there’s a chance he’d join you.”
“You just want to be alone with her,” Cole realized.
Jace reddened. “What are you talking about?”
“I can’t believe it,” Cole said. “Even after all this, you’re mostly worried about your crush.”
Jace took a deep, angry breath. “Don’t try to push your feelings onto me. Just because—”
“My feelings? Are you serious?”
“Cole, don’t mess with me about this.”
“I might have to if you’re trying to talk me out of coming.”
“This isn’t up to me. The choice is yours. I’m just not sure I’d try to force my way into a situation where I wasn’t wanted.”
“What?” Cole exclaimed. “You get that she was going to leave with me. We were going to sneak away tomorrow morning. Then the legion showed up.”
Jace grew very still. “You’re such a liar.”
“Why do you think she knew about my friends who the High King enslaved? She was going to help me find them. You heard us talking about it. Go ask her.”
Jace looked away, his lips twisting. He flexed his fingers. “This is hilarious. What are you saying? That I’m the intruder?”
“No. I’m saying that Mira and I were going to run away and help each other. She told me her secret because I saved her life. She decided she could trust me.”
Jace gave a stiff nod. “Then you want to come?”
“Not really,” Cole said. “I don’t know how we’re going to beat that creature. If it kills her, sounds like we’ll get to see what explosions look like up close.”
“It’ll have to go through me first,” Jace said.
“I get it. You’re brave. You really are. She’s lucky to have you. She needs all the help she can get. Working together got us this far.”
“You’re coming, then?”
Cole thought about it. Did he want to abandon Mira to her problems? She was the only real friend he had made in the Outskirts. And Jace and Twitch were the next closest. Could he leave Mira to their care? He had promised Durny to look after her, but Mira had told him he could go. Did he want to be on the run alone? Not really. But what about Jenna? What about Dalton?
“I don’t know,” Cole said. “My friends have nobody helping them.”
“Right,” Jace said. “So what does that mean?”
“It means I need more information. I want to hear what Declan knows. My friends really need me.”
“Got it. Good to know where we rank.”
“Weren’t you just trying to get rid of me?”
“Maybe. Cole, I don’t like her how you think. We just found out she’s more than any of us have a right to dream about. She’s a real friend. I appreciate her. It’s not like . . . I just don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“Okay.”
“You better not say anything.”
“I get it,” Cole said. “I won’t.”
Jace looked calmer. “All right. See you in the morning.” He let himself out.
Cole walked over and flopped onto the bed. After all they had been through today, he could hardly believe that Jace wanted to add more drama. Jace obviously had it bad for Mira, but so what? They all had way bigger problems for now.
Cole buried his face in a pillow. Was he really going to ditch Mira? Maybe . . . if it meant saving Jenna and Dalton. But what if they were fine? What if they were becoming good shapers? What if they liked working in a palace? Thinking about the decision made him ache with doubt.
There was another knock at the door. Cole sat up. Could it be Mira this time? Or was Jace coming back with more inspirational thoughts?
Cole crossed to the door and opened it to find Liam waiting on the other side. “May I come in?”
“Sure,” Cole said, stepping back.
Liam entered. He wore loose blue pajamas. It was the first time Cole had seen him not on his disk. “I did this room,” Liam said.
“It’s weird,” Cole replied.
“Thank you. Mind if I sit?”
“No.”
Liam plopped down on the couch, making it wobble. “How is Happy?”
“The face on the wagon? That was you!”
“One of my early semblances,” Liam said. “I was glad to hear he’s still out there. I wonder how many people have found him over the years.”
“He still talks about you.”
“And here we are talking about him. Did he cheer you up?”
“Actually he did. I was having a bad day.”
“Anyone in that wagon is having a bad day.”
“True.” Cole sat down on a chair near the couch. “Did Declan tell you about our conversation?”
“No, I spied.”
“What? I thought nobody could spy on that room.”
“Nobody can penetrate it from the outside. I had Lola the Pig leave behind a tiny rendering. It sent vibrations to an earpiece that I wore. Nobody else could have overheard. I take a greater interest in current events than Declan realizes.”
“Then you heard about Mira,” Cole said.
“Miracle, yes,” Liam said. “I suspected her identity when I first saw her up close and noticed the powerful shaping keeping her from her abilities. I’ve been helping Declan track the embodiment of her powers. It’s such a puzzle. Even right there in front of me, I still had no idea how they did it. Amazing work, really.”
“No fun for her,” Cole said.
Liam pointed at Cole’s chair, and it toppled over sideways. “Don’t be a downer. Of course it’s no fun for her. It’s still incredible.”
Cole had managed to break his fall with his hands. “Thanks for that.”
“I try to teach little lessons wherever I go,” Liam said. He waved a hand at his couch, and the support vanished. Rather than fall, the couch started floating gently.
“Why are you here?” Cole asked, shifting into a kneeling position.
“That’s deep,” Liam said. “I’m not sure I have enough focus to answer.”
“You heard what Declan said about you,” Cole realized.
Liam gave a little shrug. “At least when he talks behind my back, he sticks to the same things he says to my face. It’s actually kind of admirable.”
“Do you lack focus?”
“Absolutely. He was telling the truth. I’m not very serious. But I’m not sure it’s as big a weakness as he thinks. Get too serious and you freeze up. I may lack focus, but some important things catch my interest.”
“Like what?”
“Flashing lights. Dominoes. Pinball.”
“Pinball has flashing lights,” Cole said.
Liam grinned. “I’m sensing a pattern.”
“You guys have pinball?”
“In Zeropolis,” Liam said. “I went there as a slave. We know about a lot of stuff from your world. Most of us have our roots there. I notice many things from your world on the castles when they head down the void. I’m not sure how the items get there.”
Cole stood up. “Would you fix my chair?”
Liam snapped his fingers and the chair lurched upright. “You must hate it here.”
“I don’t know,” Cole said, sitting gingerly, making sure the chair would hold him again.
“They enslaved you!” Liam said. “Not a great way to encourage tourism.”
“How did you end up a slave?” Cole asked.
The couch had drifted up to the ceiling. Liam pushed off gently, and the couch glided lower. “I saved a bunch of orphans from a fire, and my freemark got charred. I was enslaved the next day while I was recovering.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Yes. Ready for the truth? My parents sold me. Not my real parents. I never knew them. They supposedly died in a riot. The pare
nts who raised me decided to sell me.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We lived on the border between Junction and Sambria. My parents didn’t like my shaping. They tried to get me to hide it. I didn’t. It was the only thing I was good at! One day, I got sold, marked, and chucked into a slave wagon. Thanks, Mom! Thanks, Dad! Don’t spend it all in one place!”
Liam talked like he was joking, but Cole heard real bitterness behind the words. “So you came here.”
“Not right away,” Liam said. “I had to escape first. And it took some effort to find Declan. Long, boring story.”
“Was it hard to find your way in?”
“Much harder to get in than to get out. I found where Declan had entered and followed the faint path he left behind.”
“Wait,” Cole said. “Didn’t he come here years before you?”
“The woods he came through make you turn around without knowing it. The Boomerang Forest. You walk in, stay on a straight course, and walk out the way you entered without ever turning.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But Declan performed counter-shapings wherever the forest tried to turn him around. He adjusted certain places in the woods so he could move sideways or diagonally instead of backward. His shapings were left in place, and I followed them here.”
“How do you like it?”
“Beats slavery. Beats parents who would sell me to slavers. I’ve learned a lot. It’s kind of like a voluntary prison where I get to shape amazing things all the time. I won’t stay here forever. Sounds like you four won’t stay here past tomorrow.”
Cole nodded. “Looks that way.”
“You’ll have fun,” Liam said. “New experiences. Fighting a monster made of shaping power? Nobody has done that! Nobody can even guess what it would be like. The idea is revolutionary.”
“Do you think we can survive it?”
Liam scrunched his face in thought. “I should probably make a tomb. You know, the kind of memorial they use when you can’t retrieve the bodies? We can have the funeral before you leave. I could whip up some black clothes.”