Into the Wrong Hands

Chapter Eleven: Returns and Betrayals

A/N:  well,  obviously its been a little while since I last updated this.  *Ducks as reviewers and friends pelt me with pencils and erasers*  Sorry.  I had a little case of writers block. *Glares at large block the size of Mt. Everest in my mind*  But no worries!  Im back now, and I have a plan!!! ::DUN DUN DUN::  just sit back, and read and enjoy!!    And ah yes, don't forget to review. 

Disclaimer: you know the drill… I don't own anyone except Justin and Theo, and not really even them, they are their own people.  Happy reading!

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Theodora woke to the sounds of shouting, and a huge booming voice above her.

She opened her eyes and saw, blurrily, huge stumps in front of her, and then a face swam into her vision. 

"Theo!" the face called, and Theo's mind suddenly snapped back.  Her vision cleared, and she sat up suddenly and looked wildly around.

She was in the football stadium, the bottom more specifically, with hundreds of people around her, many staring at the girl laying at the bottom of the concrete steps.  What the.. ? Theo looked at the person next to her.

"Sara!" she exclaimed.  She was back.  What had happened?  Hadn't she been in Carthak, in the huge library? And where was Justin?  "Sara," she said hurriedly to her friend, who was looking at her worriedly, "where's Justin? He fell too. Where is he?"

"Calm down girl!" Sara told her friend.  Theo would have none of it though.  She struggled up, and noticed for the first time that she was covered in some liquid…  Coke! She thought miserably.  I remember now, we fell down the steps, and I'm drenched in coke and, she pulled a sticky piece of candy from her hair and groaned. Coke and candy and popcorn! GROSS!

"Come on," Sara told her, taking her arm gently and leading her away from the staring people and towards the girls' bathroom. 

"Wait! Sar," Theo was frantic again.  "Justin! Where is he?"

Sara gave her a confused look before she asked slowly, "Theo, did you hit your head?"

Theo gave an exasperated sigh.  "No!  But I need to find Justin, he might be trapped."

Sara starred outright at her then, and Theo knew she had said the wrong thing. They're just books, Theo yelled at herself, no one here's going to believe you!  What about Justin? another part yelled back.  What happened to him?  She tried to compose herself, and tried one more time.

"Sara, didn't Justin fall down the steps with me?" she looked her friend in the eyes, and willed her to answer. 

Sara looked blank, but shortly answered, "Theo, I don't know what you're talking about.  Justin didn't show up tonight.  Do you know where he went?"  

Theo's head spun.  Wait! Her mind shouted at her.  How could he not have shown up? He fell down the stairs with me, he was here before me, and… and…  Theo sat down on the Girls' bathroom floor, not caring what she sat on.  She was already covered in every gross thing imaginable, wasn't she?  Whatever, her mind retorted. It seemed to be retaliating at the storm of action that had taken place in the past few days, or, wait minutes?

"Oh, I am so confused!" she muttered, putting her head in her hands. 

"Yeah, me too." She heard from an exasperated Sara somewhere above her.  

Theo sighed.  She would have to figure this all out later.  As of now, she wanted to go home, and get clean.  Some part of her cried at that. What about Justin? Isn't that betrayal? I'm too tired to care, she told herself, and got up slowly.

"Sar, I just want to go home," she told her friend, who nodded, as if almost glad to be rid of her.  Theo didn't care at the moment. She nodded to Sara, and headed out the door to the parking lot. 

After only about twenty minutes of searching, and the help of one of her other friends she had come with, she found her small, beat up Toyota in the school parking lot. She feebly drove home, muttered hello to her parents, and went upstairs.  She took a long shower, getting the grimy soda and stickiness from her hair, and crawled into bed. She could worry about Justin, Daine, Numair, Lindhall and Carthak tomorrow, when she had had a decent nights sleep.  With that thought, she drifted off into dreamland. 

                                                                      ~*~

Looking through the Arithmacy books at the library in Carthak, Justin heard a scream that sounded frighteningly familiar, and felt a weird sensation all at once. He ran out into the aisle and saw a glimpse of Theo, her face a mask of terror, clutching an old looking book.  Next, he wasn't entirely sure what happened, but a flash of light blinded him and every other on-looker now crowded around, and when people opened their eyes enough to see, there was no longer a young girl in front of them, on the floor holding a book. 

Justin was beside himself with terror. What had happened? Where was Theo, and what had happened?  After thouroghly searching the aisle and books that Theo had been looking at he made an inconspicuous dash for the exit when he saw guards coming to look at the scene.  He ran in the direction of Master Lindhall's quarters, or what he hoped was the direction. This place was so confusing. After much searching, he finally asked one of the young scholars where he could find the office, and followed the directions.

After ages of walking, he began to recognize the hallway, and found the door with Mater Lindhall written in curly writing on it.  He knocked, and heard a soft voice from the other side mutter "Come in."

He entered the suit, hoping that the mage was here alone. 

He was lucky. The man who had so willingly given up his rooms for them was sitting behind the desk, writing papers. Lindhall must have noticed the flushed look about Justin, because he sat up immediately when he saw him.

"What is it boy?  Where is Theodora?" Justin gaped for a moment, and then launched into a story from the library and flashes of white light that needed many questions from the mage to get strait.

When Justin had told his entire story, Lindhall sat back in his chair, a worried look on his face. 

"I don't know what to tell you Justin," he began.   Justin sat up from his seat on a couch across from Lindhall outraged. 

"What do you mean you don't know what to tell me?" he yelled.  "You can tell me things are going to be all right!  You can tell me that you're going to find a way to find her! You can tell me that you will get everyone you know on to finding Theo!  What happens if that guy gets a hold of her?  We have to find her!"  He ended his speech on a desperate note, and fell back to the couch, holding back the tears that he knew would come.  Guys didn't cry though, and he wouldn't, not even now. 

Lindhall looked calmly at Justin during his tirade.  The young boy had a pained, but determined expression on his face, and the teaching master knew that this boy would do anything to find his friend.  It was clear they had been very close, and the teacher wondered at that for a moment. 

But it was that expression alone worried Master Reed more than anything else. 

He sighed; he would have to say something that would placate the frightened teenager.  "Justin, listen to me.  I promise I will do everything in my power to find her, but you must understand.  The Emperor has many spies, many which were probably in that Library.  We must be careful."  

Justin closed his eyes and put his head in his hands as a response.                                                            

*

Theodora woke the next day groggily, looking at the alarm clock on her bedside table. 

12: 39

What?  It's past noon!  She hurriedly brushed the last of the sleep from her eyes, and sat up. 

What had her dream been about?   Tamora Pierce books and falling into their world?   Daine, Numair, Lindhall, Justin?  Theo was confused.  What had happened?  The library, a book, glowing things and people?  But that had all been a dream, hadn't it?  It was all a blur at the moment, but Theo felt a sense of urgency.  There was something she needed to know, but her mind wouldn't let her concentrate on it.  She tried to bring the thought to her, but it wouldn't cooperate. 

Theo cursed under her breath, and got out of bed.   It was past time for her to be up.  She wondered idly as she got dressed why her parents had not woken her.  They usually woke her up around nine or ten, and they would never let her sleep past noon.  She ran a brush through her wild curls and went downstairs, dressed casually in jeans and a Roxy T-shirt. 

"Mom?" she called, going downstairs, listening for her parents.  "Dad?"  It didn't seem as if anyone was home, at all.  Strange, she thought.  She went into the kitchen to find something to eat, and found a piece of notebook paper lying on the counter.  It was a note, from her parents. 

Theo,

We went to the farmers market this morning, to get some stuff for dinner.  I'll be home in time to see you to the hairdresser, don't worry.  Good luck with tonight!

Mom

PS. Dad went to Home Depot.  You know him.  He'll be a few hours at the least. Have fun getting ready.  Sara can come over if you need.    

Theo sat confused for a moment, then the thought struck her.  Homecoming!  The dance was tonight!  Homecoming dance.  Everyone would be dressed up, and Theo had planned everything with her friends months in advance. 

Something about this news made Theo worry, but once again, she couldn't remember why. 

The thought of Homecoming made her think of Justin.  They had agreed mutually to go with each other, just as friends.  Justin.  There was something wrong, and Theo couldn't place it, but she knew then that it had something to do with Justin.  Something was horribly wrong. 

She grabbed the cordless phone on the counter next to the note, and quickly dialed Justin's number from memory. 

"Hello?" came a female voice that Theo recognized as Justin's mom from the other line.  

"Um, Hi," Theo started,  "I'm looking for Justin.  Is he there?"  There was a slight intake of breath from the person on the other end, before she answered. 

"No, He's not here right now.  Is this Theo?"

"Yeah," Theo answered, wondering where Justin could possibly be.

"Oh hello dear.  No Justin's not here, he didn't come home last night from the game.  I think he went to Trevor's." Theo frowned at that.  Something was defiantly wrong.

"Okay then, thanks Mrs. Neilson." Theo said her goodbyes, and hung up the phone, thoroughly confused. 

What had happened last night?

She had gotten there, and then sat with Justin.  He was there last night; she knew that.  And the JV game had ended, and Varsity had begun.  Then we went to get food.  In a flashback Theo remembered it all. 

They had fallen, and that's where her strange dream about the books had come from?  But wait, had she dreamed when she fell, unconscious?  That didn't make sense. Theo remembered Sara looking at her weird, and taking her to the bathroom.  But hadn't she said Justin hadn't been there?  It was all so confusing!  

Sara said Justin wasn't there, but I know he was, at least before we fell.  Fell.  

That's it! she realized with horrible clarity.  Everything that had happened last night suddenly came crashing back to her troubled mind.  Falling, into Carthak, and getting picked up by Daine and Numair and Kaddar and Lindhall taking care of her, and the dress that he gave her. 

What was going on?   That wasn't possible, was it?  Arriving suddenly into the land of storybooks and fairy tales?  But it had happened, and Theo knew that they had.  For at least three days, they had been in Carthak, in a couple of storybooks, and no one on earth was going to believe her.

**

Justin was running out of patience for the mage and his excuses.   It was all starting to piss him off.   Where was Theo, and was she alright were questions that kept popping into his mind at the most inopportune times.

Currently he was trying to get to sleep in Master Lindhall's quarters, on the couch that he had slept on last night.  It wasn't working very well.  His mind wouldn't let him rest, and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to.  He was worried about his best friend, and he knew that sleeping would not get him any closer to having her back in his arms.  And he wanted her there.  More than anything now, he wanted Theo back, just to hold her.  He knew he felt strongly about her, much more than just a best friend.  And now that she was gone, he didn't know what to do, and he felt he would go out of his mind with worry if he thought about her in trouble. 

Resignedly, he got off the couch and made his way back to Lindhall's study, where he was reading something.  Probably snoozing, Justin thought, annoyed at the man slightly, though he had no real idea why. 

When he made it to the door to the study, currently closed, he paused, hearing voices on the other side.  One was Lindhall, there was no mistaking that lilting tone.  He wasn't sure about the other however. It was a man defiantly, and it sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.  He forgot about it though, putting his ear to the door and eavesdropping on their conversation without a second thought. 

"Lindhall," the mystery man was saying, "we cant worry about the girl right now, we have to continue on the plan to get the Prince out of the palace if anything goes wrong, and making sure the diplomats know the situation."

"I know, Numair. (So that's who this guy was, Justin thought from the other side of the door.) But I have to worry about her.  What happens if the Emperor gets a hold of her?  We were just learning and discussing her newfound abilities.  You know very well what the Emperor will do with experimental magic.  Your young Veralidaine is in danger as well."

When Numair answered, he sounded livid, and Justin subconsciously backed away from the door in astonishment.

"Diane is in danger, and that is unacceptable in itself.  And, unfortunately, I know that will fight to protect Daine more than this other girl, Theodora, when it comes down to it.  I cannot loose her." 

"I know you feel for the girl, numair, but, well, honestly, you put yourself in great risk envoking the Emperor's wrath for her.  You must be careful as well, you know." Lindhall sounded like a father, berating a young son. 

"I know," was the curt reply.  Why does this guy have to be careful about the emperor? Justin wondered.  "But the simulacrum (the what!?) will be my safety net, as long as Ozorne catches it and not me, I'm perfectly fine. He never did allow himself to believe anyone was better than he. The fact that mine have magic alone will distract him long enough for me to do what I need" Numair sounded bitter, and the room was silent for a moment before Lindhall spoke.

"The simulacrum will deceive the Emperor, yes, but not if he catches you first. And even though it looks and feels like you, but he wont be deceived for long." After that there was mumbling that Justin couldn't make out for a moment, and then he clearly heard goodbyes from both Numair and his teacher.  Justin hurriedly backed away from the door, going back to the couch to pretend to be asleep. 

Just in time as well, for as soon as the teen closed his eyes, he heard Lindhall open the door between study and rooms, and walk in.  He tried for all the world to look asleep, facing the back of the chair, and wishing that the man behind him would just go away.  After a few moments, he did, and Justin breathed a sigh of relief.  He sat up, tired now, and thought about what he had just heard. 

This man Numair, and Lindhall as well, were double crossing the Emperor guy.  What was so bad about him any way?  The image of that man that he and Theo had been dragged before days ago flashed into his mind. He had been powerful, that Justin could tell just from looking at him.  But why were these men, and perhaps others, betraying the man?  They are just as guilty as him, whatever he did, by becoming spies and such.  And this powerful man who ruled this country might be able to help him, Justin thought.  He could help him get Theo back, and then get home. 

Wait a moment, a conscience cried out in his mind.  This emperor guy kidnapped me and Theo, why would he help me?  Maybe I can get him to bring Theo back, from wherever she is, and then we'll escape.  Surely it was possible; they had easily escaped before.   And this guy and his wizards or whatever will be able to bring back Theo, from wherever she is, that's all that's important. 

But where was Theo.  What had happened to her?  If these guys, Lindhall and all, cant find her, how will the Emperor.  He brought us here in the first place, Justin argued back, he will be able to find her, and then I will get her to safety, and we can get back to Numair so he can take us home, if at all possible. 

But how would the Emperor know he was telling the truth?  Why would he trust him? 

The Deceivers. 

Justin could tell him about the simu-thingies, and that this Numair guy could put magic in them, isn't that what he had said.  Justin tried hard to remember the exact words of the conversation.  He was pretty sure he had said that.   This emperor didn't know, and that information could help him get to the Emperor, and he could get Theo back. 

That same conscience came back up to tell him that this plan was mean, and betraying to the people that had helped him and Theo when they had been in danger.  But it will bring Theo back, he argued sensibly.

That was all that mattered, getting Theo, because he could imagine not having her.  And however cunning and deceiving his plan sounded in his mind, he had to go through with it,

If only for Theo.