Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or the world this takes place in. But I would totally dig it if I did.
After we have eaten, the girls are shown to their rooms and Henry and I pass the time by reading in ours until it is time for dinner. We join the other girls, who are more than happy to make small talk now that we have all learned of each other's lives since we were last together. It feels strange to be together again at Spence and not be bound to Nightwing's rules. After dinner, we sit talking by the fire as Henry plays with the girls in the great hall.
Felicity leans close. "When are going into the realms? I am positively itching to be back!" Ann nods in agreement, dabbing at her still-runny nose with her handkerchief.
"Tonight. I shall find you when it is time."
"Oh but Gemma, can't we go now? No one shall know!" Ann pipes up.
I look away, watching Henry running and laughing. "We should wait for Kartik. Besides, Henry shall be going to sleep soon."
"Oh, he is wonderful, Gemma," Ann sighs. "I should so like to have a child of my own someday."
"I couldn't bear it. Children are dreadful," Felicity quips. I turn, nearly reducing her to ashes with my heated glare. "Of course, Henry is an exception." I am satisfied. "Ann is right Gemma, he is quite impressive. Though it must have been hard raising him alone."
"It was." I offer no further explanation. We watch Henry bound across the floor. He trips once and I nearly jerk to my feet, but he resumes as though he was fine all along. With a nervous breath, I sit again and Ann takes my hand.
"You seem very happy to have Kartik back," she offers, and I smile.
"It's more than I could have imagined," I whisper, a blush stealing over my cheeks.
"Do you love him?" Ann asks. She is quite out of line, but I humor her.
"I do." It feels good to say it. She swoons, dropping her head onto my shoulder.
"It's all terribly romantic," she sighs dreamily. After Pippa left us, she assumed the role of the overly dramatic and romantic one. I see that she has not forgotten those qualities.
"Or romantically terrible." I swat Fee playfully and she smiles, taking my other hand. "I truly am happy for the both of you."
I hear a smack of hands on the marble floor and rush over to where Henry has fallen again. He must be tired. His lower lip trembles as he begins to cry. I sweep him into my arms as the other girls look on with a mixture of disdain and concern. I will not train Henry to hide his feelings from the world to be as they are, foreign to the concept of free emotion.
"Let's get you upstairs and ready for bed, hmm?" I leave my friends by the fire and take Henry up to our room. When I set him on the bed, his hands move to his knee. I lift up his pant leg and see nothing. "Does it hurt?" I ask. He sniffs sadly and nods and I kiss it. "There. Mummy kisses make everything better."
I find his bedclothes and begin changing him. "Where is Daddy?" he asks.
"Daddy will be along. Don't you worry about him. Alright, now into bed with you." He crawls under the covers, peeking out at me sleepily.
"Will you tell me a bedtime story?"
"Of course." I go for one of his picture books, but instead decide to tell him of the realms. Of course, he will believe this magical place where his dreams come true is all a fairytale until I introduce him to the realms when he is older, but it is nevertheless a glimmer of hope that I am more than happy to give him. As I weave a tale of a young girl and her friends, he slowly drifts into sleep.
And I know it is time to join hands in the realms.
I gather Fee and Ann, inviting them out for a "late stroll." I leave them by the East Wing, dashing to fetch Kartik from the stables. He hardly has time to greet me before I pull him after me toward the door.
We stand before the damp stone, giddiness seeping into our veins. "Are we ready?" I ask. The girls nod enthusiastically. I reach out, grabbing the door and pulling it open.
Before us lie the realms, a breath of fresh air in themselves. Ann and Fee push past me squealing with joy. I take Kartik's hand and he follows me in silently. The girls run across the grass, twirl, dance, shout about how beautiful it all is and how they should like to never leave.
Ann rushes to the river, where she stares at her reflection. The magic flickers over her and her features bubble into a more glamorous version of herself. "I am beautiful," she whispers, tears in her voice.
I place my hand gently on her shoulder and the magic flows between us as I change her back. "You are more beautiful than any Ann you could conjure." She smiles and she remains as she is. It is wonderful to finally see Ann so happy, so content. Felicity pulls her into a grand waltz and they fly over the grass, laughing heartily. I long to join them, but I have another job waiting for me.
"We should be going. The tribes will be waiting." They run ahead of us toward the garden and Kartik and I stroll along the river, fingers intertwined. My hands tremble and I cannot stop them.
"You are nervous." I nod, my mouth too dry to speak. Kartik squeezes my hand. "I believe in you, Gemma. You were born for this. And I will be beside you the whole time." I do take pleasure in his presence and I let this calm me slightly.
"I truly do appreciate you being here," I tell him. He stops, wrapping his arms about the small of my back.
"Truly, it is my pleasure." He kisses me.
"Come on!" Felicity calls. "That can wait!" We break apart and it is his turn to blush. I find that I quite enjoy seeing him so flustered.
Just around the bend of the river, we come upon a long table by the river surrounded by many different creatures. There must be at least ten different species in attendance, and three or four representatives from each tribe. I spot Philon, who nods in greeting, and Asha, who sits uncomfortably by the water talking with a nymph. Pixies flit about the heads of centaurs, satyrs, and strange creatures I have no name for. It is incredible, seeing so many different creatures mingling. I approach the table, assuming the head. They all shuffle to their seats, gazing up at me in anticipation. I remain on my feet.
"Thank you all for gathering here today." My mind suddenly goes blank. On my right, Ann conjures up a stack of paper and a pencil and begins transcribing the meeting, the blessed girl. On my left, Kartik makes the occasional glance at the representatives from the Poppy Warriors. The tension between the men could be cut with a butter knife.
"Er, s-some of you have not met me. I am Gemma Doyle, high priestess of the realms." Blanching, I look to Kartik for guidance. He gives me a small smile and a nod, and I wish I could say his efforts are more reassuring. I take a deep breath, steeling myself.
"I have gathered you here to discuss a constitution for the realms, a system to equally divide the magic and ensure that it is not being abused. After we are done here, I expect nothing short of perfect harmony between all tribes. Before we begin, are there any questions?" Blank faces stare at me in silence. "All right then. Now that we have that sorted…" I sit, folding my hands delicately in my lap.
"I have a few conditions to bring to the table before we begin the process." A few muted groans erupt around the table and I choose to ignore them, for my own sake. "Firstly, no mortals are to be brought into the realms." I can feel Kartik tense beside me. It is incredibly difficult to resist singling out Boaz and his two men at the opposite end of the table. "You may enter the mortal world, but you must wear a proper glamour at all times. Mortals must never have knowledge of the realms or the magic."
No one protests, though Boaz's lips are pressed into a thin line, so I continue. "That being said, you may exit the realms, but, secondly, the girls of Spence Academy are not to be disturbed in any way. They and their staff are completely and totally off-limits. No exceptions. In the event that someone breaks this rule, punishment shall be administered by my hand."
In my graveness, I have sufficiently frightened a few of the unfamiliar creatures, who shift uncomfortably in their seats. I must admit, I have so missed the feeling of having power.
"Lastly, the Tree of All Souls is not to be used as a source of magic." I glance at Kartik, whose face softens. "I should say we have all lost enough to the tree. Again, the moment I hear of the slightest infraction, I shall be forced to dole out a great and terrible punishment." Ann scribbles furiously, her neat penmanship quickly filling the page. "Can we all agree to these terms?"
The members of each tribe quietly consult each other, all turning to nod their consent. I feel as if a massive weight has been lifted from my chest. Perhaps this will not go so horribly after all.
The meeting continues with small progress. A centaur suggests a market be formed so that goods may be traded. We easily come to an agreement on where it shall be placed and establish the rules of trading and bartering.
Things seem to be going exceedingly well when a fist on the table nearly scares me out of my skin.
"This is an outrage!" Boaz stands, his teeth bared in anger. Kartik quickly rises, his jaw clenched as he leans forward.
"Boaz, stand down," he commands. What is he doing? Boaz shall rip him to shreds.
"Kartik don't-"
"No mortals in the realms? We have every right to-"
"Stand. Down." Kartik's eyes are ablaze. Even I fear him. The two men stare each other down, both refusing to relent first. Just as I am afraid a fight could break loose, Boaz takes his seat again, glaring into the trees just over my head. I am in shock. Kartik sits, looking rather terrified past his facade of fearlessless. But before I have time to contemplate his strange outburst, he straightens and his face hardens as he nods to me to proceed and I am forced to shake off the bad feeling pestering me until later.
We attempt to continue, but every time an opportunity is presented, a small argument breaks out among the tribes. I am suddenly no longer in a mood for further discussion.
"Perhaps it is time for a well-deserved break. We shall meet here again at this time tomorrow. May I encourage you all to return civilly." I stand, thinking to myself that I sound far too much like my old headmistress. "I am permanently leaving Asha and Philon in charge. You shall all report to them, they shall report to each other, and, as a unit, they shall report to me. Until tomorrow." Each tribe rises, whispering amongst themselves as they drift away in all directions.
I turn to my friends, suddenly finding myself positively exhausted. "Gemma, you look as if you could faint. Let's get you to bed," Felicity, says, taking me by the arm and leading the way back to the school. Once on the lawn, we part ways, as I would prefer a quiet walk to ease my mind before bed.
Kartik and I walk in the direction of the lake. "I was wretched," I moan through an extraordinary pout.
"No you weren't," he counters with a soothing hand at my back. "This was only the first meeting. Tomorrow will be better." I groan, resting my head against his chest. He wraps his arms around me.
"How am I to unite them if they will not stop fighting?"
"Shh." Kartik holds me to him and I close my eyes as he trails his fingers up and down my spine. The night air is refreshing and I am thankful to have a moment of quiet with him.
I suddenly am reminded of his strange behaviour during the meeting. "Kartik-"
A twig cracks, snapping us both to attention.
"What was that?" I whisper. He shushes me, breaking away and listening intently.
From the darkness of the trees appears a band of men, advancing on us with wicked grins.
"Kartik?" He pushes me behind him, taking them all on single-handedly. I wish I could be of more help, but it is best that I avoid the fray at all costs. Kartik throws a few punches, dodging a few himself. One of the men clips Kartik's jaw, surprising him, and they take him to his knees while he is incapacitated. I scream his name, lunging for him, but a pair of arms grab me from behind, holding me back. I fight against them, but they are stronger than I.
I do the only thing I can do. I begin to scream.
A hand claps itself over my mouth, cutting me off. "Oi, luv, what're you on about? We're only here to talk," says the gravelly voice at my ear. "You're a pretty one, aren't you, luv?" A hand settles at my hip, setting me fighting harder.
"Gemma, stop fighting!" Kartik shouts from where he kneels in the grass. I stop and in the moonlight, I can see the glint of a knife against his throat. His hands are tied behind his back. "These men are Rakshana," he spits.
Jackson, my family's old driver, and a member of the God-forsaken Rakshana, strolls out from behind the pack.
"Long time, no see, brother," he says to Kartik with an overly-harsh slap on the back. "We didn't think we'd be seein' the likes o' you again."
"Let him go!" I struggle once again, but my captor only holds me tighter. My efforts are futile. Henry. What if Henry is in trouble? He is alone. The thought sends me nearly into a frenzy, but I stand my ground. I feel the magic bubbling in my veins, but I hold it back. If I am to unleash it, I must wait until the last possible moment. I have outsmarted these men before, I can surely do it again.
"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, girl. It is your choice." The man restraining Kartik pushes the knife closer to Kartik's throat and my heart races. Kartik's jaw is clamped shut with anger, but his eyes betray his fear. He knows the skill of these men, that they will not hesitate when given a command. I concede, breathing deeply to harness the magic.
"Very good." He paces in slow circles around us and my hands shake with the effort of controlling the magic. He stops, eyes me with malice. "Do no' think I will not know if you employ the magic. If you release so much as one drop o' it, all hell shall break loose. Am I understood?" He takes my silence as submission and continues. "We know of your plan to forge a constitution to rule the realms."
I am stunned. "How?" I have not seen neither heads nor tails of the Rakshana in nearly four years. How is it they appear now, fully informed?
Jackson meets my eye. "Do not think so highly o' yourself, priestess. You are no' the only one who confers with realms creatures in dreams."
"The Poppy Warriors. I shall kill them," Kartik spits through clenched teeth.
"Quiet, boy." Jackson pushes the blade away and tugs Kartik arms behind his back into a painful position. Kartik's face contorts in pain. Jackson releases his arms and takes a fistful of Kartik's hair, pulling his head back to meet his eyes. "One more sound and you shall sleep with the fishes tonight." Kartik's eyes blaze, but he is silent. Jackson pushes Kartik's head forward and he falls face-first into the dirt. I am feeling faint between watching him in so much pain and the force of the magic.
"In short, Miss Doyle," Jackson continues, demanding my attention, "the Rakshana demands our fair share o' the magic."
No. Why would I ever willingly give them magic? After all they have done, the way they continue to treat my friends and myself?
"And if I refuse?" I am toeing a fine, fine line.
"First of all, we have something-or someone, rather-o' great worth to you." He gives Kartik a swift kick to the ribs. Kartik cries out and rolls away groaning.
"Stop!" I lurch forward, but am quickly snapped back into the chest of the man behind me.
"You're no' goin' anywhere, luv," he says in a menacing whisper.
"And secondly," Jackson interrupts, bringing my attention back to him, "you would no' be here it were not for us. A share of the magic is the least thanks you could pay us."
At this, I begin laughing hysterically, drawing uncertain glances from the men surrounding us.
"Thanks? And what, pray tell should I be thankful for? The spying and invasion of privacy? The persistent threats and demands? The lies and manipulation? Or, perhaps, taking my brother hostage? I see no thanks due you, Mr. Jackson." In response, Jackson continues pacing, retrieving his knife and running his fingers gently over its edges.
"If I might remind you Miss Doyle, if it were no' for our little organization, your son would not be alive." They know of Henry. "It would be a shame if something...happened to him."
"If you harm one hair on his head, it will be the last thing you do!" I so long to smack the smug look off his face, but my leash is growing shorter by the second.
He stands uncomfortably close. "The magic, Miss Doyle. We will no' hesitate to do whatever it takes to get what is rightfully ours." His eyes search mine for any sign of ill-compliance.
"The magic belongs to no one, Mr. Jackson," I state. "It belongs to the realms. It is not for myself or the Order or the Rakshana to dictate who may use it and who may not."
Jackson laughs. "Are you telling me that even the High Priestess will no' be receiving the magic?"
I straighten, not breaking eye contact. "I am."
Jackson regards me for a moment before walking away. "Likely."
"We are simply coming together to assure that the magic will not be abused. The creatures of the realms shall rule themselves according to the constitution we put in place. I am merely overseeing the process."
"Nevertheless, Miss Doyle, my orders were to retrieve the magic at any cost."
Kartik struggles into a sitting position. I consider my options. If I refuse, I could quite possibly lose him and Henry. No one I love is safe. If I agree, the Rakshana will have partial rule over the realms, and nothing good can possibly come out of that. Is it possible that I could stall them?
"Make your choice quickly, priestess. Lives depend on it." Jackson steps toward Kartik, raising his hand.
"No!" He stops, pleased that I seem to be caving. My time is almost up. Quick, Gemma, think! "I shall consider your request on one condition."
He snickers, swaggering over to where I stand. "And just what is this condition, dearie?" His condescension ignites a fire in my gut and the magic is positively chomping at the bit.
"I shall allow one member of the Rakshana to join our meetings. And I choose Mr. Fowlson. I trust him, which is more than I can say for the rest of you."
All the men begin laughing, holding their stomachs. I maintain a strong facade though my mind is racing. Blast, Gemma, you've gone and done it now, haven't you?
"I'm afraid Brother Fowlson disappeared no' long after you did, Miss Doyle. He's worth no more to us than old Kartik here." His remark comes with another blow to Kartik's back.
"If you are as resourceful as you say you are, Mr. Jackson, I am sure you are more than capable of finding him." Jackson hesitates for a moment. "That is my condition. If you can deliver Mr. Fowlson to me-unscathed, mind you-within three days, I shall consider your offer. If not…" I unfurl my hands stealthily, releasing the tiniest bit of the magic.
The man holding me captive jumps back, waving his hands in the air and shrieking madly about a burning sensation. The rest ready their weapons, including the man brandishing the knife at Kartik's throat, but I am quicker. With a sweep of my hand, they all turn to colorful ribbons. It is quite amusing to watch so many standoffish men waving ribbons with perplexed expressions on their faces. I am immensely grateful that they waited to present themselves until after I had an opportunity to partake in the realms magic. I could not wipe the smug grin from my face even if I wanted to.
Jackson looks me up and down, dropping the limp pink fabric that was formerly his dagger. "Very well then, Miss Doyle. We shall be seeing each other again very soon."
"Do not disappoint me, Mr. Jackson."
The men begin retreating into the darkness of the woods, but Jackson stays behind. "I might say the same t'you, priestess." With one last resounding kick to Kartik's stomach for good measure, Jackson disappears into the night. The moment he is gone, I am on my knees at Kartik's side, untying his bindings.
"Are you hurt?" Kartik is a short of breath, though he tries desperately to hide it. His hands go to his chest and he winces.
"Think they broke a rib," he hisses. A shiver of icy hatred makes its way down my body.
"Here." I place my hand flat gingerly against the fabric of his shirt, letting the magic heal his wounds. He exhales in relief, closing his eyes, and I nearly lose my focus. The magic finishes its work with a flourish, then ceases and I pull my hand away.
"Thank you." Kartik stretches his arms, groaning softly as he does. His shirt comes untucked in the front, revealing the smooth, taut skin of his stomach. I find myself battling between my sudden aching desire for him and my overload of adrenaline from our recent shock. He catches me staring just as I am thinking the two might blend beautifully, but then I remember that Henry is still asleep, alone in the school.
"Henry," I whisper.
"Let's go." Kartik stands, helping me up with him. We fly back to Spence as if on wings.
The room is empty, save for Henry, still dozing peacefully in his bed. I fall to my knees beside him in relief, planting a kiss on his forehead. The opposite bed squeaks lightly as Kartik perches on it and I rise to join him. He holds out his hands and I take them, standing between his parted knees.
"I'm sorry for...what happened." Kartik hangs his head, shaking it in disbelief.
"You needn't apologize," I tell him softly.
He raises his head again, this time sporting an amused smile. "You were bloody brilliant, you know."
We both chuckle as I take a seat beside him, not releasing his hands. "I was bloody terrified is what I was." My smile falls as I recall the events of the night. He frees one of his hands, throwing his arm about my shoulders and hugging me close.
"The Rakshana are thoroughly disgusting men. And I was proud to be one of them," he scoffs, his voice trailing off as he loses himself in thought. I waver where I sit as my face stretches into a powerful yawn. Kartik glances at me and begins readying himself. "You are tired, you should sleep." He makes to leave and I reach after him.
"No!" He stops, confused. "Stay. Please." He contemplates silently, searching my face for a moment, then sighs in resignation. I stand, resting my head against his chest. "Thank you."
"Of course." I squeeze him gently once, then turn to undress for bed.
Though he has seen me before, I find myself blushing madly as I reach around to unbutton my dress.
"Care for some help?" I jump at Kartik's velvety voice in my ear and his fingers replace mine. Surely he can hear the rapid beating of my heart as his fingers nimbly make their way down the clasps lining my spine. The fabric falls down my hips once he is done, and I step out of it, replacing it in the wardrobe. I remove and fold away my petticoats, and Kartik once again loosens the strings of my corset. Once my cage falls away, I breathe deeply, happy to welcome the feeling of air rushing into my lungs again.
My corset finds its place in the wardrobe and I am left in nothing but my chemise, out of which I slip quickly and silently. I pull on my nightgown, still blushing like a fool. I turn back to the room to find that Kartik has discarded his shirt and is already waiting in the empty bed, the sheets pulled back for me on the vacant side.
I slide in beside him, tucking myself in close to his body. He holds me tightly, though already half-asleep with exhaustion. I place a hand against his chest and he winces. "Are you sure you're alright?" I ask.
"Don't worry, I shall be fine," he says in a breathy whisper. Before I can reply, his head droops and he is fast asleep. I chuckle at him, placing a small kiss on his lips before joining him in unconsciousness.
Boy has it been a while since I've updated! I have lived the last year of my life feeling SO GUILTY for not posting more! I am so sorry! College is absolutely insane and it has taken over my life completely. But I am back with more of Gemma's adventures for all of you! I will have you guys know that a couple weeks ago I finally got to meet Libba Bray at a book festival and she was perfect. She remembered me from past Twitter conversations and I got to thank her for everything these books have done for me and I teared up a little so she took my hand. She is the most wonderful woman. Also, if you haven't read The Diviners or Lair of Dreams, PLEASE DO. They're incredible.
I love your reviews, so please tell me what you think of this chapter and what you would like to see in future ones! I'm going to try to put out updates more regularly again. Please give me ideas because I might actually use them!
xoxo Lady Hope