Chapter 46: Foggy Omen

When I sat down at the music table next to Riley, I thought he was going to cry. He wrapped one arm around the shoulder and pulled me into a quick side hug before anyone from the staff would notice or say anything. "How are you awake already? I thought you were going to die before I got you to the infirmary. There was blood everywhere. Dr. Bloor had to call my dad and tell him to bring me a new cape. You have my other spare." He eyed the cape that sat on my shoulders that was two sizes too big. "If you need to, speak with someone in the art department and get that altered. I haven't worn it since my third year."

"I might have to do that." I tried to adjust it so I wasn't being swallowed by the blue fabric, but my attempts were all in vain. I was upset that my other cape had been ruined. It was a gift from Salem. "Was I really bleeding that badly?"

"It was horrible. If you look out into the courtyard, you can still see it in the snow. Dr. Bloor pretty much followed me all the way to the infirmary to make sure your blood wasn't getting on the carpet. Luckily our capes soaked most of it up." Riley shuddered. "I don't know if anyone saw me, but if they did, they don't have anyone to try and explain away the weird things that happen. That was always Salem's job. I guess Dr. Bloor lucked out that a lot of students were pulled out of the academy."

"Pulled out? What do you mean?" I scanned the dining hall. Riley was right, there seemed to be a lot less students than usual. However, students leaving the academy mid-week was unheard of.

"Even the unendowed are starting to sense that something bad is coming. A lot of people packed up their things and left. My mum wanted to leave too, but my dad wants to stay. He says whatever's coming, someone has to stay behind and fight it. You endowed lot can't do it on your own."

I was touched that Riley and his father cared about the city, but if Harken was coming, bad things were going to happen and we might not be able to stop him. "I don't know, Riley. Maybe you and your father should reconsider. Count Harken makes the Bloors look like saints. They're not playing around anymore. They're killing people and they don't care who gets in their way."

"I wish you would quit trying to push me away, Fin. I'm not going anywhere." He slid the rest of his plate over to me, for I had been too late to grab one myself. "Eat."

"Riley-" I tried to object but it seemed to only make Riley angry.

"Fuck. Just eat it, okay?" His angry outburst made a few people turn their heads. He just lowered his gaze and blushed. "Please?" He begged in a quieter voice.

I didn't wish to upset him any further so I began to eat from his plate. I hadn't realized it, but I was starving. I hadn't eaten since breakfast. Just as I nearly finished what was left, I heard the dining hall doors open and Mr. Weedon briskly walked inside. I watched as he approached Dr. Bloor and whispered something in his ear. No doubt, he would be telling him what Charlie and Lysander had done. Dr. Bloor leaped up, knocking his chair backwards with a loud bang that caught the attention of everyone in the dining hall. He rushed out, followed by Weedon.

"What happened?" Riley glanced over at me. "Were you out causing more trouble when you should have been resting?"

"No, Charlie and Lysander… I'll tell you after dinner." I glanced across the table at my brother who shot me a goofy grin. Of course he was proud of himself, even if it meant that we would eventually have to face the consequences.

Once the tables were cleaned up, Riley followed me into the blue coatroom and practically cornered me demanding to know what had happened. I tried to explain what Charlie had told me the best that I could, but it was hard to describe the kind of damage Lysander could do when he let himself go. He was easily the most deadly of the endowed. It was a relief that he had a heart of gold. I then choked to tell him that Manfred had told Charlie that our parents were likely already dead.

"He's an asshole, Fin. I'm sure your parents are fine. Neither of you know where they actually are, so whatever information they got from Charlie was guess." Riley reassured me. "Everything is going to work itself out." He placed his hands on either side of my shoulders. "I want you to look at me and tell me that you are a warrior."

"This is dumb-"

"You fought a medieval swordsman with an enchanted sword and won. Look at me and tell me you're a warrior."

"If I say it, will you stop shaking me?"

"Probably not." He grinned at me and shook me a little bit more for good measure. "Even if you won't say it out loud, just remember that you're strong. You should get to the King's Room so Manfred has no reason to yell at you."

I agreed and Riley and I parted ways. I was the last to arrive and Joshua Tilpin was most surprised to see me. He wouldn't look me in the eye. He was too terrified from what had happened earlier. I sat down in my normal seat directly across from Manfred. Lysander sat on my right side and Emma on my left. Emma could barely tear her eyes off of Olivia and I felt bad for the younger girl. Losing your best friend due to mind control couldn't be easy.

"That cape is massive. Don't you care about your appearance at all?" Manfred snapped at me.

"Sorry. My other cape had blood on it." I met his gaze and was surprised to see that his dark demeanor was back. I felt dizzy staring into his eyes. He was threatening to hypnotize me. Whatever progress I had made had been undone in the few hours I had been out. I was angry that he was refusing to try and change his fate, that he would rather go down with the rest of his sinking ship. "Where's Dagbert Endless?" I asked. I couldn't mask the smarminess in my voice or stop my condescending grin. He didn't give me an answer.

Despite the amount of time I had spent resting during the day, I had no trouble sleeping that night. I woke up the next morning feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. When I checked my wound, I saw that it was completely gone. I had made a full recovery in less than 24 hours. I happily threw on my uniforms for the day and Riley's oversized cape. During break I would have to track down Aria Patel, a prefect in the art department that had a knack for sewing, that is, if she hadn't gone home.

When I made it to the blue cafeteria for breakfast, I found that I was early and lucky enough to get some of the good breakfast, at least as good as oatmeal and toast could be. I grabbed an orange from the fruit stack and took a seat at my usual table. Riley met me shortly after, then Charlie. When Charlie came to the table, he looked absolutely troubled and exhausted. He placed a postcard in front of me.

Like the previous postcards, this one had the picture of a whale splashing through the waves on it. I quickly flipped it over and read my mother's flowing handwriting. We're on our way home. It won't be long now! We've missed you both so much, but soon, we'll all be together. Your father says that you both mustn't look for the box. We love you. Mom xxx.

"Uh…what?" I looked over at brother and his perplexed expression made sense to me now. "How do they know that we're looking for the box?"

"I have no idea." Charlie took the postcard from my hands and read it over again. "That's definitely mom's handwriting."

"Either way, this is good news. It means your parents are alive." Riley tried to make light of the situation. "But what box are they talking about?"

I figured that if Riley wanted to stay behind, he was in danger already. Charlie and I filled him in as quietly as we possibly could. Riley stared back at us with bewilderment, as if he could hardly believe that the entire academy could be ripped from under the Bloors at any moment. "But the academy going to its rightful owner is the least of our worries anymore." I frowned. "If Harken comes back, none of this is going to mean anything."

The rest of the week went by without anything too exciting happening. When my energy had fully restored, I was able to heal Charlie's broken fingers. He had sat through the pain for a few days like a champ. When Friday came, Zelda picked me up in her truck as planned, but she seemed stressed out when I slid into the seat next to her. "There's a bit of a problem." She said finally, gripping the steering wheel. She put the truck in gear and pulled away from the academy. "Dagbert made it safely to the Kettle Shop, but he's very skittish. Well, Tancred stopped by earlier on a whim and…Dagbert absolutely lost his shit and booked it. He went to the bookstore and Miss Ingledew managed to get him to come inside, but he won't talk to anyone but Charlie. Katya and Tancred are there right now, but they're not having much luck."

"There isn't anything I can do if he'll only speak with Charlie." I pointed out. "But I may be able to calm him down."

"There's more." Zelda said darkly. "Piminy Street has become much too dangerous. Even with your wards, it's not safe. Katya says we can't go back. You'll have to go back home and Dagbert and Katya are going to have to stay with Miss Ingledew."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'll have to go back to my dad's house, I guess." She shrugged.

"That's stupid, Zelda. You can't be by yourself. Even though Alice Angel is staying with us right now, we have enough beds."

"Maisie is going to kill you if you keep inviting people to live in her house."

"She'll be fine." I snorted. "At one point, it was me, Salem, Charlie and Billy. Maybe you can keep Grandma Bone in check."

Throughout the drive, I noticed that a menacing fog was threatening to smother the city. Was this a sign that Titania was successful in bringing back the Count? Or was this something that happened whenever people with great, evil magic banded together? We drove towards the book store on Cathedral Close and parked our car in a parking lot of a seemingly abandoned business across the street. In the middle of the streets, suspicious looking people danced to music that came from old folk instruments. As they watched us, their faces contorted in malice. We picked up our speed and quickly ran into the book store, avoiding confronting any of these unsightly people. When we jogged down the stairs to where everyone else was, Emma and Charlie were nowhere to be found and were none the wiser about the situation at hand. She had gone home on the bus with Charlie and Maisie would have to relay the message to them. It was good to see Tancred again. He was helping Miss Ingledew tidy up from her last bout of customers and Katya was sitting in a comfortable armchair. She looked completely warned out. "My girl," She said happily, springing from the chair. "Dagbert told me that you fought that swordsman and won. I am so proud of you."

"It was an intense fight." I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck. "Where's Dagbert?"

"I put him up in Emma's room to rest. That poor boy is an absolute nervous wreck." Miss Ingledew, Uncle Paton's girlfriend, gave a sympathetic smile.

"I take it you have forgiven him then?" I glanced back over at Tancred.

He grinned at me and shrugged. "I certainly have, but I don't think Emma has."

"She can't be faulted for that, Tancred. She saw everything." Miss Ingledew spoke defensively. "If not for the Flames, you wouldn't be here."

"I understand that." Tancred said plaintively. "I don't blame her for that at all, but I also understand why Dagbert behaved the way he did."

"That's very mature of you, Torsson." Zelda smirked. She took a seat on a backless stool next to Katya's chair. "Though some people aren't meant to be forgiven." She glanced over at me and it didn't take me long to realize that she was really talking about Manfred. "Not every villain can get a redemption arc."

Tancred, not catching Zelda's double meaning or the fact that her comments were directed towards me, frowned. "Dagbert may have saved Infinity and Charlie's parents. He risked his own life to do so. You don't have to be so pessimistic all the time, Zelda."

"Yeah, Zelda. Quit being such a downer." I elbowed her and she dug her sharp nails into my arm. I suppressed my squeal and elbowed her again.

"Girls." Katya gave a warning. Just then, the tinkle of bells from the top of the shop door interrupted us. The bells were followed by barking as Runner Bean bounded into the room, following by Charlie, Benjamin and Emma. Upon seeing Tancred, Emma practically launched herself into the room and into his arms.

"Tancred! You're safe! I heard about the mustache and everything." She wailed.

"Mustache?" I looked over at Zelda and she just snickered.

"Charlie, Dagbert is upstairs. Why don't you have a word with him?" Katya spoke over Tancred and Emma's reunion. She was obviously worried for Dagbert's sanity. We all waited for a moment, hoping that whatever Charlie had to say would resonate with Dagbert. When he didn't come down after ten minutes, Katya shot to her feet and started up the stairs. There wasn't anything else we could do but follow behind her.

"You're one of us now, Dag." I heard Charlie say as we all began to flood into the room. Charlie was standing in front of Dagbert who was perched on the bed holding what was formerly the sea globe. He had a very ordinary, happy smile on his face. "And you'll be needed. Thinks are happening in this city."

Miss Ingledew spoke up first. "Charlie's right. Something is happening and I think we will all be tested in the next few hours. Half of the inhabitants of the city have left, and I predict that over the next few days, many more will go, until only a few remain. It will be tempting to leave before the fog finally encloses us."

"We must stay and fight!" Katya paced around the room. "Or the shadow will drag this city to the past, and the Red King and all his stood for will not even be a memory."

"Fight?" Emma said shakily. "With what?"

"Anything that comes to mind, dear." Katya put her hand down on Emma's shoulder to reassure her. "Unfortunately we have no way of knowing how or when Count Harken will make his move. It will be soon, I am certain. The growing ranks of the residents of Piminy Street, the increase in stone creatures, the fog, all of these things suggest that he will arrive soon. His conduit is cracked, but he will find a way. He is an enchanter, after all."

"Mrs. Kettle and I made some arrangements." Miss Ingledew butted in. "She will stay here with me and Emma. Dagbert, you too. Infinity and Zelda, you'll have to return to Filbert Street. Piminy Street is too dangerous and Infinity's protection wards can be easily countered if she isn't present."

"Before this happens, there's something I must do first." Charlie suddenly looked solemn despite Katya's pep talk. "I have to get Billy out of Badlock. I promised Cook."

I suddenly felt very guilty. I had almost forgotten about Billy. "I don't think this is the best time, Charlie." Miss Ingledew said gently.

"It's kind of a now or never thing." I pointed out. "If the Count gets banished back to Badlock again, there's no telling what he'll do to Billy upon his return. Do you know where the painting has ended up, Charlie? That's the only way in."

"I have no idea." Charlie said sadly.

Though I hadn't wanted to return to number 9 because of Grandma Bone, I was happy enough to be back with Maisie. She warned me that since Alice Angel had arrived, Grandma Bone had not been acting like herself, however. She had become very dazed and tired, as if Alice had her under some sort of spell. "I hope I can do things like that one day." I found myself saying, but the more I thought about it, I was already capable of something similar. I was so close to breaking through to Manfred. But the person that he had become, was that really him? Or was that whom I had influenced him to be? I wished I could talk to Salem about it, or even Zelda, but I knew she would just get angry.

After catching up with Maisie about my week and the resolution of the commotion at the book store, Zelda and I went up to the bedroom. I gave Zelda the single bed and took the top bunk of Charlie's bed. Charlie had gone up to my former bedroom to speak with Alice, and had yet to come back. Although it got later and later, he never came to bed. I eventually grew too tired to wait for him and fell asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, Zelda was still out cold. I shambled down the ladder and looked down into Charlie's bed and it was still neatly made and empty. He had never come back to bed. I decided to up to Alice's room and investigate. When I knocked on the door, I was surprised when Emma answered. She looked completely terrified.

"Emma? What are you doing here? Where's Charlie?" I looked down at her hand. She was grasping the Mirror of Amoret, except that the offending crack down the middle was gone. "Oh no… Don't tell me…"

"He said he went in after Billy, but I saw who he was thinking about. He was thinking about a girl, the Count's Granddaughter. Matilda. I think Charlie has a crush on her." She quickly explained.

"Emma, how did you get this mirror?" While I wanted to know more about this girl and I was hurt that my brother hadn't told me about her, I was confused as to how the mirror got here, repaired, in the first place.

"I um…" She shifted uncomfortably. "I broke into one of your great aunt's houses this morning. It was in her basement. I became an eagle and smashed through the window. I brought it here right away and Claerwen was able to repair it."

"Claerwen is with him?" I felt a little bit of relief knowing that his moth was at his side, but I still wished I had been consulted. "That still doesn't explain why Charlie was up here all night."

"Well, Alice Angel said that Matilda had communicated with her when she touched that window over there." She nodded to where an armchair had sat covered in a sheet. "So he stayed up here all night, his hand on that window, waiting for her."

I frowned. Leave it to Charlie to fall in love with a girl over a thousand years out of his time. I felt almost sad for him, because I knew he would try to bring her back but probably not succeed. It would be too much on Claerwen to bring him, Billy, and another person back.

Emma and I decided that the best thing we could do is sit and wait. After about ten minutes of waiting, Zelda joined us and we were able to fill her in on what happened. We waited for at least a half an hour in total before the mirror that sat on the floor between us began to vibrate and shake against the wood floor. All of us moved back and could hardly believe what was happening. One moment, it was just the three of us, and in the next, there were five plus a rat.

Charlie and Billy had landed on their backs in the center of the floor. Charlie was wearing some kind of strange robe and hat, Billy was wearing what I assumed was once a very nice older outfit that was now torn and dirty. Emma quickly tended to Billy while I pulled Charlie to his feet. "Why didn't you tell me about Matilda?" I couldn't mask the hurt in my voice, and Charlie actually looked guilty.

"Doesn't matter now. I'll never see her again." He said sadly, pushing passed me.