Chapter Eighty-Two

Syaoran folded the thick cloth around Mokona's body, tying a knot near the top so it wouldn't slip off when they landed. "There," he said, managing a faint smile as he stood.

Mokona bounced from the floor to his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek before turning to Eagle. "Can we really have these clothes?"

"Yes. I've heard the world you're going to is quite cold." Eagle smiled, his expression the antithesis of his companions' somber faces.

Lantis stepped forward, expression unreadable. "I want to apologize for keeping silent despite knowing about your situation."

"And for having us shadowed?" Kurogane asked, raising an eyebrow. Syaoran glanced up in surprise, then remembered the ninja's earlier remarks about being watched. Of course, he thought. These three must have taken an interest in us because of the chess matches. His eyes narrowed. Fei Wang Reed had been observing the group since before they'd met in Yuuko's shop. When Kurogane had mentioned they were being watched, he'd assumed it had been one of Reed's henchmen shadowing them. And if these are his spies, he wants us to head to Ceres.

"So you noticed," Eagle said, his smile never faltering.

Kurogane sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. But there were others watching us, too."

Does he know something I don't? Syaoran wondered. Or can he sense it?

The sound of footfalls interrupted his reverie. He turned to see Fai, face grim, dressed in the fluffy coat he'd been wearing when he'd landed in Yuuko's shop. Syaoran looked away, trying to stifle the distrust churning inside him. It was easier if he reminded himself that he'd lied just as much as the magician. But acknowledging that came with its own ache.

"Is Fai all right?" Mokona asked.

For the first time in days, Fai managed a small, genuine smile. "I'm just fine. We can go."

Mokona bobbed in agreement, then turned to the wall. A circle of light shot out of the gem in her forehead, appearing on the wall to reveal Yuuko's face. "Everybody's ready," the creature reported.

"Very well. I will now name the price." Yuuko closed her eyes for a moment, as if the price would flash on the insides of her eyelids, then said, "The winnings from the chess tournament."

Syaoran blinked. "That's all?"

"The princess wasn't the only one playing chess. You all participated. You won chess games through your own strength, so that will be my price."

On his shoulder, Mokona fidgeted. Even as she spoke, Syaoran anticipated her argument. "But Mokona didn't participate . . ."

He rested his hand on the creature's head, being careful not to block the light pouring from the gem between her eyes. "That's not true," he said, though part of him agreed. "You played your own part. We knew you would be waiting for us, so we all did our best to come back."

Beads of moisture formed in Mokona's eyes, but she smiled. "Syaoran . . ."

He patted her on the head. From the corner of his eye, he saw the others smile. He nodded to each of them as well, a wordless assurance that they were going to be all right. Hopefully.

"There is one more condition," Yuuko said, looking at Fai. "When Mokona begins the transfer between worlds, you must cast a world-transfer spell as well."

Syaoran turned in time to see Fai look down, reminded of a conversation he'd had with the Other, near the beginning on their journey. He'd said that for Yukito to have sent two people to Yuuko's shop was an impressive feat, beyond that of most magic users. Fai was undoubtedly powerful, even with half his magic stripped away, but for him to transfer four people, even with Mokona's help?

Fai also said that just traveling by himself would require almost all his magic, even before he lost his eye. For him to do this now, in his condition . . .

"I'm sorry," Fai said, looking at him, as if Syaoran had spoken his thoughts aloud. "That's another lie I told. It's still a powerful working, but it won't kill me."

Syaoran nodded, though his relief tempered with disapproval at the deception. "It doesn't matter now."

"Mokona, will you give me Souhi?" Fai asked, holding out a hand. After a brief hesitation, the creature opened her mouth and summoned Kurogane's sword. Fai caught it, then turned to the ninja. "Your hand, please."

Syaoran tensed, then forced himself to relax. You have to trust him, he reminded himself. He's been fighting with you, for you, all this time. If you don't trust him, how are you ever going to be able to face Fei-Wang Reed?

Fai took the ninja's hand, his fingertips dancing over his palm. A thin trail of light resolved into a series of runes, gathering in a circle above Kurogane's skin. A moment later, Souhi dissolved into threads of light, pouring into the center of the ring, then sinking into Kurogane's hand. Despite his moment of distrust, Syaoran found himself fascinated by the spell. It didn't use the same magic system he'd learned from his father, but it appeared to have definable rules, perhaps even a way of creating new spells based on an alphabet rather than on geometry and guesswork. Perhaps later, he'd see if he could replicate Fai's method of spellcasting.

"What did you do?" Kurogane asked, staring warily at his hand.

"Mokona won't always be by your side, and you wouldn't want to be left without your weapon. It's the same kind of magic Syaoran-kun uses to draw his sword out of his hand."

A thread of suspicion wove through the ninja's voice. "Should you really be doing this?"

Fai simply smiled. "I've already used quite a bit of my magic. Where's the harm in this?"

Syaoran frowned, noting that Fai hadn't really answered the question. Something to think about later, he decided as Yuuko spoke. "Mokona."

"Yes?"

"It's time."

The creature nodded, hopping off Syaoran's shoulder. A pair of white wings unfolded from her back, though they'd been nonexistent a moment ago. An elaborate magic circle spread out beneath their feet, preparing to transport everything within its boundaries. At the same moment, Fai carved a series of runes in the air. They pulsed with a fey light, spreading out to encompass the same field as Mokona's magic circle. The sorcery tugged his body upward, as if he were weightless, and then they broke through the barrier between this world and the dimensional sea.

It felt like being plunged into the ocean. Frigid liquid flowed all around him, as black and empty as the space between stars. It lasted only a moment—long enough for him to sense the cold, but not so long that it sunk into his bones—and then the dark waters vanished, replaced by a chill that could be survived. The dimensional waters receded as he dropped into the new world, and he automatically oriented himself so he would land on his feet.

"Is this it?" he asked as the snow crunched under his weight. He raised his head, squinting to see through the falling snow as the wind whipped it into a flurry.

Fai spoke, his voice somber, almost reverent. "This is Ceres."

The wind died down for a moment, allowing him to see the towering castle in the distance. Thousands of stairs surrounded the structure, following erratic, jagged patterns toward the edges of the building. Several crystal spires shot up from the squarish base, crusted with ice like mountain peaks. Though the wind battered against the rocky shelf where they stood, the castle looked untouched, even pristine.

It radiated magic like a furnace radiated heat. "What is that place?"

"Ruval castle," Fai answered. "My home."

Suddenly, Mokona started flailing around. "This is awful! Mokona can't sense Sakura's body!"

Syaoran pressed a hand to the creature's head. "It's all right. What you sensed before was the same power you sensed when her feathers were near. Now that her soul is separated from her body, you can't sense it."

"Sakura-chan is over there," Fai said, pointing toward the castle.

"How would you know?" Kurogane demanded.

"Even with her soul separated from her body, Sakura-chan still lives. And the only signs of anything living are coming from that castle."

Silence fell between them, the obvious question hovering in the air for a long moment before Mokona chose to voice it. "Aren't there other people in this country?"

Still, no one spoke. Syaoran shifted his weight between his feet, not particularly wanting to know the answer. "How do we get to the castle, then? Do we climb the stairs?"

"The stairs aren't really there," Fai said, nodding toward the crystalline steps Syaoran had noticed before.

"An illusion?"

Fai nodded, then started to move his fingers to shape more runes. Remembering his comment about how much magic the man already used, Syaoran grabbed his wrist. "I'll do it."

Fai jumped guiltily, then withdrew his hand. Syaoran focused, forming a magic circle in his mind. The wind, already moving fast, cradled them as he murmured the words to call it. "Fuuka Shourai."

The wind formed a sphere around them and lifted them up, all while leaving a cushion of calm air around their bodies. They flew above the illusory steps, heading straight for the front doors. Syaoran felt a stab of anxiety, wondering if the ground by the door was an illusion as well, but as he drifted down, it held their weight. He released the spell, and the winds that had carried them spiraled off in different directions, whipping snow into the air.

He froze when he saw the corpses lying next to the door. What happened here? he wondered, staring. The guards—they must have been guards, carrying armor and weapons—were covered in a thin layer of red ice and pink snow. Some appeared to have been crushed, though Syaoran could scarcely imagine the force required to mangle their bodies like that. Others were hunched over mounds of snow, blood frozen to wounds on their necks and backs.

Nauseated, he turned and followed Fai through the door.

"They were all wearing clothes like Fai's," Mokona whispered after a moment, burrowing into the space between Syaoran's jaw and his neck.

"Men of the castle," Kurogane guessed, not seeming disturbed in the least. Right. He's used to seeing things like this. Syaoran swallowed, not saying a word as they passed into the relative warmth of the castle's entryway.

A sharp, sudden pain flared in his head, as if he'd jammed an ice pick through his eardrums. He staggered several steps, clutching his head. His ears rang. Spots flooded his vision. Something's wrong, he thought.

"What is it?" Kurogane asked. A warm hand enveloped his as the sensation faded.

"It's . . . nothing." He pushed forward, cautiously testing his weight on the staircase before deciding it wasn't an illusion. The ripples of magic he'd felt before seemed to grow more intense with each step, until a dull ache sprouted in the back of his head. There's something wrong with this place. Someone doesn't want us to be here.

"Is Syaoran really all right?" Mokona asked him after a few minutes.

"I'm fine," he gasped, his stomach tight with pain and worry. "We have to find the princess. That's our first priority."

Kurogane touched his elbow. "Let us know if you need to rest."

"Right."

They passed more corpses, all stacked up in the corner and splattered with old blood. A curl of nausea joined the growing ache in his head, but he pressed on. No one had ever accused him of giving up. He would keep going until he reached his goal.

Finally, Fai led them to a tall, white door. Syaoran took a deep breath, gathering his strength and refocusing his mind in preparation for whatever lay beyond. The magician glanced back at them, his single eye haunted, then, with obvious reluctance, opened the door.