Chapter Four: A Dollhouse without a Puppet Master

He was all I loved, my dream and my swan, and you now should be a beautiful dawn...

"About time."- he greeted her with a lazy smirk. "I was beginning to think that you've forsaken us for good."

Will glared at the fair-haired man who just sat there, in his chair, reading a book unperturbed. She had a storm of emotions in her chest already. She didn't need Prince Phobos to add to her tantalizing feelings.

"You know that I can't."- she retorted bluntly and pierced him with a glare. What was he so beatific about? "I...I was kidnapped by Cornelia. I couldn't leave earlier."

"Ah, yes, the one you reassigned the Heart of Kandrakar to, so very foolishly."- Phobos left his book aside and started pouring hot tea in two porcelain cups on the table next to him. "You cannot say you didn't expect of her to bite the hand that fed her with that privilege. You know my opinion on that decision of yours-"

"She does everything she does because she cares. She wants to help me and thinks that she can. Other than that, Cornelia is very much capable of dealing with the Heart."- Will interrupted him crossly. "I'd much rather have her be the keeper than risk the Heart being ill-used by your fucking deranged daughter...Where is she? Why didn't she call to me? Did something happen while I was in Heatherfield?"- the redhead looked around herself. Everything in the old castle looked as it had always looked. Then her eyes met those of Phobos and she felt her breath shortening: "Where's my- "

"In his room, sleeping. It's quite late you know, Wilhelmina."- Phobos said and waved his hand, inviting her to take one of the two tea-filled cups. "As for Avani, I must say I sincerely have no idea. She went out the same day you did and never came back."

"What?!"

Will could only stare at him with a hanging jaw. Their puppet master, the lunatic girl that had brought them to live with her, in this realm as her family, was missing?!

"But that was... that was almost an entire week ago."- she murmured, confused.

Phobos smiled even wider:

"Best six days of my life, as of late."

Will slumped in one chair and immersed herself in thoughts. So many thoughts. Avani was missing for almost seven days. Never had this ever happened before. It was more than unusual, she knew. But one look at Phobos was enough to assure her that he also didn't know anything. And if he hadn't found a way to get rid of the crazy Avani then where was she?

"Did she...did she say anything when she went out that day-"

"No."

"Well, that's...do you think something could have happened to her?"

The man rolled his eyes:

"What could possibly happen to a power-loaded, self-imposed monarch in the borders of the very same realm she has enforced with her magic and lived in her entire life? Drink your tea and go take a bath. I'm assuming your blonde friend didn't exactly keep you hostage in luxury."

"Phobos, this is serious! Don't you understand, this changes everything! If she doesn't return, we- "

"How exactly?"- Phobos cut her off grimly. "Do tell, guardian. How does that brat's absence change our fate? Are we not doomed to live an undesired, joint life already? Even if we do leave this foul realm? Can we go back to those we love? Can we move past what's been happening here over the last half an year?"

Every next question he added made Will's heart swell with new emotions and grave feelings. He was right. Everything was different now. Forever. And as she had already told her friends, Avani had been but the tip of the iceberg. What they risked colliding with if they didn't let her be was a huge dark glacier that was going to leave everything broken to pieces, sinking deeper and deeper in the endless ocean of despair.

Heatherfield...

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Irma growled and tossed over in bed. There it was again. That awful noise from the pipes. The actual reason she had spent a lot of time in hotels this last month. Well, that and the fact that she and her boyfriend were not exactly happy together in recent times but that was not part of her concerns today.

Irma Lair's biggest concern was finding her friend and sorting out the mess with her vanishing, Avani and Beta-Meridian once and for all. But in order to be useful in the mission that aimed to do that, she needed her rest and she couldn't sleep because of the stupid pipes.

Why did I ever come back here is beyond me. Martin's not even in town, the Latina thought angrily and then saw herself forced to finally get out of bed. And his apartment is supposed to be all new and shiny... Guess bad plumbing goes a long way in reconstructed buildings.

The young woman put on a pair of black jeans and a Karmila T-shirt, not even bothering with a bra; her breasts were big and natural but also naturally perky, hence she didn't need much support. Then she went to the bathroom to wrap up her abbreviated morning routine. By the time she was putting on mascara and liquid lipstick, the banging and rattling from the pipes had finally ceased.

"Fabulous."- Irma snorted, looking around herself before heading for the kitchen to grab a small bottle of orange juice and a breakfast muffin.

"Irma, where are you? We're going to Beta-Meridian in twenty minutes. Nerissa and I moved the portal into her house's attic. I want you to come here right away."

"Wow, that attic's really poppin' lately, isn't it. Fine, Corny, I'll be there. I'm coming with my car."- Irma replied on the abrupt phone call before disconnecting and getting ready to leave.

But when she made it to the building parking lot, she was mildly said annoyed to discover that her vehicle's battery was exhausted again. Out of the blue.

"Fuck! Fuck this!"- Irma raged. She really had to take this automobile to a car service but now wasn't the time to think about it. Not the time at all.

"Cornelia's gonna kill me."

Remembering that Martin had his old car parked here and the keys to it were up in his office, the woman quickly ran back up to the elevators.

Her boyfriend's office was a big modern room that he had designed himself. Like the rest of the big apartment, Martin had made the most out of this room too. He had all his geek stuff carefully sorted in every corner of the office. His favorite artists' work and comic book characters on posters on the walls, and his collection of action figures.

Irma started rummaging through his gamer desk, looking for the keys. They had to be here somewhere...

"Ouch! Oh, are you kidding me-"- the Latina winced when her long nails got stuck in what she believed to be her boyfriend's old piggy bank, the stupidest place to hold his key. And that the key to open the lock of the glass-protected wall key hooks display where he kept his actual keys. Yes, Martin was strange like that with many things.

Trying to get her long nail out of the small gap in the piggy bank, the woman suddenly lurched when it broke off, sending her to hit her back in one small metal cupboard.

She winced in pain and then, as if to add to her bad morning, the annoying noises from the pipes came back.

"That's it."

Irma grabbed the piggy bank and broke it in the ground, into hundreds of pieces. Then she carelessly opened the wall display, grabbed the car keys she had needed, and just left the glass door to hang like that. She was ready to leave for good but not before she sent her boyfriend a bunch of angry messages on Instagram. Of course, he didn't respond right away hence she recorded a voice message too:

"Martin, that's it! I've had it!"- she yelled, glaring down at her broken nail. "We have a lot of shit to talk through and you're never here, and that's making me fucking mad! But I'm not going to have the stupid pipes be on my nerves as well! You better have them fixed by the time I'm back from my very important mission today or I'm going down there and taking care of it myself. With a fucking sledgehammer!"

"Thanks to that portal the girls managed to seize, we have a very big advantage. It closed after Will. But it didn't close on our side. And now we can open the other end wherever we want it on Beta-Meridian. Cause Hearts can do that."

Caleb was heated as he talked, leaning over the map, unfolded on the table in the attic. This was his thing much more than business. He and his parents had spent about a month with the rebellion in Beta-Meridian last summer, and thankfully, being the veteran rebel he is, Julian had brought back a bunch of maps and battle plans with himself.

"I suggest we open the portal here."- Caleb went on, stopping his pen on the map. "It's an old grain barn between the first inner yard and the main palace wing, whatever changes Avani has made the chances she touched it are slim. Because it's underground."

"And when we meet Avani and her people."- Hay Lin asked, looking at her friends. "Will said that her powers may be surpassing Elyon's by now..."

"We will defeat them. United, we are more powerful than Elyon too."- Nerissa remarked.

"Yeah, we have the element of surprise too. She doesn't expect us."- Taranee agreed. "Nobody does, not even Will, as Beta-Meridian's location was hidden by a spell only she could go through."

"What are we waiting for, we have the portal, we decided on the underground barn, let's go!"- Irma exclaimed. "I want to end this chapter once and for all. I have plumbers to meet too."

"Again?!"- Taranee turned to her in surprise, the focus of the discussion shifting for a moment. "How many plumbers did Martin hire already, why is no one able to at least ascertain the problem?"

"No! And it's driving me nuts, I-"

"You're the guardian of water, can't you use your powers to feel the pipes on your own."- Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Now leave this. We will go. But not all together."- she declared, stepping forward with the Heart of Kandrakar around her neck, and everyone was silent once again.

"We will not?"

"No. The four of us will go together with Caleb. Nerissa, you will stay in Heatherfield."

"What?!"

"Why!?"- Nerissa stared at her indignantly. "I-"

"Because someone has to hold meetings for me today."- Cornelia said. "And you're the closest I have to a personal assistant right now."

Nerissa made a face:

"How flattering."

"No, it is, and you wanted to be into the socialite biz yourself. There are too many meetings with the press and the sponsors, and all that today, for the both of us to be absent from Heatherfield even for an hour."

The others present just exchanged meaningful glances.

"Isn't Will's life a higher priority?"- Irma clenched her teeth but the ex-guardian seemed convinced already.

"Fine."- she mused. "I had some things planned to attend to anyway. Give me your schedule."

"It's all on my tablet, Deja will give it to you. And, Irma, don't worry. We will manage just fine without Nerissa."- Cornelia assured her making her roll her eyes.

"Oh, no, I'm sure we will."

"I hope so."- Nerissa clicked her tongue playfully.

In a few moments, when they all left, and she and Julian were the only ones to remain in the attic, Nerissa threw her raven-colored waves to the back and wrapped her arms around his neck:

"And one of those things is my darling Julian..."

The man chuckled as she hooked her long leg behind his waist.

"Earlier than expected but very appealing timing too...I can't say I'm not enjoying your designation of personal assistant."- he purred as he ran his hand over the lace of her dark tights. Then he did something that even his wife, with all her vivacity, hadn't expected. He groped her leg a little more roughly and tore away a large piece of her tights, crumpling the torn-off part of the ethereal fabric in his hand, leaving her skin fully exposed to his next touch.

Nerissa gasped readily:

"Oh, you are such a bad boy today, aren't you."

"You've seen nothing yet."- Julian grinned against the kiss as she hooked her second leg around him and started to caress him like a goddess on the way to their bedroom.

Two hours later, Nerissa was sitting in a café downtown, all dressed up in an elegant two-piece set of boho linen pants and a top. She was going through Cornelia's agenda, absently, but the real reason she was here was to meet someone at her own discretion.

She hadn't waited long before her meeting arrived. Nerissa was on the tablet, perfect posture, one leg crossed over the other, making little circles in the air with her high heel when she heard:

"Hi, Nerissa. God, I hope you didn't wait for me long. I had to grab William from his appointment."

Susan Vandom-Collins smiled and left her purse at the table. Nerissa looked up and saw that she had brought her son along too.

"I hope he's not going to be a problem. I just...have to keep an eye on him these days."- the other woman added.

"No, no, it's alright."- Nerissa tossed her hair back and smiled. "Have a seat, Susan. I'm delighted you could make it. How are you?"

"I've been better but we're holding up. You look lovely by the way, as usual."

Nerissa smiled charismatically as she replied with some vague mirror compliment but her attention was elsewhere. She left the tablet aside and clutched the folder she had brought with herself. Now if only she could get Susan to sign these documents without going into great detail...

She knew that her replacement's mother had a lot of things on her plate even now, and didn't even suspect how deep some of them were. Why burden her with the tedious details about her father's shares? Nerissa knew that Susan was the vice head board of Simueltech, she had worked there for many years, and in fact, after her boss's retirement, she basically ran 90% of the company's affairs. Her signature would be enough... enough to give Nerissa back everything that her father had bequeathed to her. Everything that worthless Richard was planning to sell to Simueltech for his own profit...

"In fact, I called you here today because I'm collecting signatures."- Nerissa jumped to the topic. She was lying, of course. But that was the easiest way to achieve her goal. "It's for the municipality, we're trying to have this old site back at my old neighborhood renovated but they want to flatten it instead...It's sad, really, we're talking about monuments with historical value for the entire city."- the older woman sighed dramatically.

"Really? That's terrible. Why would they want to flatten such a thing?"- Susan exclaimed. "What was its name again?"

"I have it all compiled here."- Nerissa quickly replied, pulling the papers out of her folder. "You can read some...history about it. We call it the Walk of the Worthy, it's a little park full of monuments of men and women who've helped our city pull through the great depression and the civil war- "

Susan looked down at the documents, unsuspecting of the glamouring spell cast over them. To her, Nerissa's words and the papers she was seeing made perfect sense.

"I used to play there when I was a little girl. It really saddens me that they want to build a gym in its place."- the ex-guardian sighed again watching the other woman's reaction closely. She was buying it, if she had to judge by her face.

"Hence I'm doing my part in trying to save it for the future generations-"

"Absolutely, Nerissa, my husband would appreciate it more than I, but I definitely see where you're coming from, this is a great cause. Of course, I will support you in it."

Nerissa smirked, pleased with the answer. Perfect.

"In fact, why don't you give me some copies, I will get you many more signatures easily. Or maybe we could do an online petition, it will become popular in no time."

Not so perfect...

"That will not be needed, thank you though, dear."- Nerissa chuckled somewhat priggishly.

"Why not, it's no problem for me!"- Susan assured her once she had thoroughly read everything a few times.

Then they were interrupted by the waitress. By the time they ordered, Nerissa was ready with her next lie:

"Not because it wouldn't be great, of course, it would, but I've dedicated this signature agenda to a ...more elite group of society. People like you, who are notable elements of Heatherfield's society. Unfortunately, I've asserted only that would make the municipality incline faster. So, I only go to my more notable friends and acquaintances these days. And thanks to you, when you sign, I'll have my number of such signatures."

Susan nodded knowingly:

"Oh, yes. Yes, unfortunately, you're right. You've asserted right. The new mayor is a people's person. Of the socialite people, of course. They're his electors."

"Exactly."

"Let me sign now. And when they renovate that Walk of the Worthy, do tell me, alright? We should go out and celebrate the success."

Nerissa smiled as she guided her pen with her nail.

"Oh, definitely, dear. It will be a triumphant moment."

For me and my family... And a slap to the face for that ungrateful double-crosser Richard...

Nerissa carefully put her freshly-signed documents back in their folder with a huge smile. Then her eyes fell on the boy that Susan had brought along and she felt something strange. A vibration, of sorts. He was staring back at her. She could tell at once. Something wasn't quite right...

"It looks like our order is ready. I'll go get it."- Susan stood up, pulling her pink silken shirt down. "I'll be right back."

Nerissa nodded with a smile and then when his mother wasn't at the table anymore, she turned to William. What was it about his eyes that made her doubt his identity...?

No, Nerissa had experience with this. Greater experience. She had been a wilder of quintessence for almost six decades. She knew to trust her instincts when they were tipping her off like that.

"Umm... what exactly are you doing?"- William asked, unperturbed, when she ran her hand over his face just millimeters away from his nose.

"You..."- she whispered when the Mage Ring reacted by flickering. "You're an Altermeere!"

Beta-Meridian...

Beta-Meridian looked like Meridian they both knew so very well. But it was different too. It was hard to explain for a native prince and a guardian from Earth.

A beautiful spring was something that both realms had in common. All trees blooming in different hues, with pollen flying all around, under the bright skies. Soft white clouds draped the sun ever so slightly from time to time as the wind was very subtle and pleasant. But what differed the most and Phobos had never in a million years expected to be doing one day, was mixing up with the peasants at the farm's market to shop for provisions.

"This is utterly ridiculous."- he hissed with contempt, walking next to the short redhead, draping himself tighter in his blue robes. "There are still servants in that putrid palace, no? Why must we and most importantly, I, have to come here to buy food."

"Don't start again!"- Will warned him and shoved another provisions-filled fabric bag in his hands. "Here. Hold this. I already told you. After I returned, all her servants and staff have this...look in their eyes. I think by now they suspect we have something to do with her disappearance."

"And what are they going to do about it, poison our food."- Phobos snorted.

"Well, yeah, for example."

Will gave him a little glare. The man's ignorance was on her nerves constantly, but she was also pretty used to it by now. He wasn't ignorant by nature, he purposely pretended to be most of the time.

"I can't trust Avani's people without her around, you forget she was the one they all wanted for Queen for years during Zorarose's tyrannical reign. They're territorial and we're not from around here. We won't really be favored much longer without her presence."- she stopped talking for a minute as to pay the next fruit vendor she had chosen. "Nobody runs background checks on people here like they started to do on Meridian after the Trill story, what if these people try to hurt, never mind us, but my- "

"So, I take it that you will be cooking food for the three of us as well from now on. Three times a day."- Phobos cocked an eyebrow. He put the rest of the bags in their carriage and reunited with the woman again. "That should be an interesting experience."

"I'm sorry, buster, but we're going to help each other around here. With the cooking too. How did you and Leonida manage while you- "

She stopped herself before finishing that. She stole a look of Phobos's face, he remained stoical but she knew she hadn't been supposed to say that.

Leonida, the woman he had opened up to and fallen in love with, in the course of their crazy but truthful union against the legitimate rulers of their kingdoms... Despite everything that had happened, they had almost had their happy ending. Phobos and Leonida... they had almost had a good life together with their baby daughter Opal, away from all their past crimes and mistakes... All until Avani, Phobos's elder daughter, hadn't separated them for good, kidnapping her father, of course.

"I'm sorry..."- Will murmured. "I...I had no respect for you and her before, I admit it. I saw you as mere villains. But now I know that it's hard on you. I know you're in pain..."

"As are you, for you cannot be with your Earth Knight."- Phobos didn't remain obligated. Will's face dropped even more. "It's all good, guardian, you and I, we're suffering from the same incurable disease. Lost love leaves one helpless. And we're helpless enough as it is even without that."

"Yeah..."- she sighed gravely imagining Matt's face again. It was too much stress to live through again. She needed at least a few more days of pretending that everything wasn't as hard. "OK, let's not talk about that."

They didn't. For the rest of the shopping session, they didn't talk. Then they returned to their carriage that was now filled with provisions and Phobos gently nudged the hugongs that began to pull it back towards the castle.

"There's something that we do have to talk about, however."- Phobos began in a low voice as they started going through the guards on the heavily guarded way to the castle doors. "If we are indeed no longer safe in this realm and Avani doesn't return to change that, there will be no more reason to remain here. Nor shall we be like dolls to her anymore. So...then what. Do you have any ideas or should I take initiative-"

"We can't stay in Heatherfield, we can't stay in Meridian."- Will listed with a grim expression as she watched the large drawbridge being lowered above the crocodile-filled ditch that surrounded this part of the castle. "I don't really know. We could go to Coronia so that you can talk to Leonida, but-"

"I shouldn't, not before I've received information about her life in the last six months."- the prince interrupted her a little sharply. "I can't... I shouldn't intrude myself on her in case she's found a way to continue living a normal life with her mother. Not when I am, unfortunately, bound to you."

Will nodded. It made sense. Her reasoning about going back to Matt and her friends was partly the same. She knew that her new situation was never going to be accepted...

"I will figure something out."- Phobos said in the end. "You just find me a magic bean-"

"I have one last left, I think-"

But they had to cut their conversation short. The guards that came to meet them once they were inside the castle itself didn't even suggest to take the bags with provisions from their hands, which Will didn't mind. She didn't want them to touch the food but the looks they gave them made her stomach turn in alert:

"Is there any particular reason you stand in our way ever so unpleasantly."- Phobos began coldly.

"Is there a problem?"- Will added. "Is Avani back?"

Big mistake. The mentioning of their missing queen enraged her guards who suddenly grabbed both the guardian and the prince and started to drag them along.

"Hey!"- Will protested while most of her shopping found itself on the floor. "What is going on? What are you doing!?"

She was already debating on using her magic against the men. Phobos had made a decision faster than her. It wasn't as easy to absorb their life force or use a direct attack spell against them, as Avani had long equipped them with magic-resistant uniforms, but they were far from invincible.

"Let us go at once or you'll regret it dearly!"

But Will's attention was immediately occupied by the woman in the Throne Room, where the guards had dragged them. The tall slender figure of a woman with long blonde hair...

"Cornelia."- the redhead murmured in astonishment when Cornelia turned around. Her arms on the shoulders of a young preteen who stood by her side. That shocked Will even more: "Billy?! How did you-"

"How did they come here, you said that your friends couldn't follow you even with a bean?!"- Phobos exclaimed making Cornelia frown.

She had been about to reply to her friend but the prince's presence clearly upset her in a way.

Oh, boy, Will thought as she followed the blonde's cold glare directed at Phobos. He didn't hesitate to return it.

"They couldn't...At least Avani said that Beta-Meridian cannot be accessed from the outside. Only insiders can open portals to it-"

"Here's your friend and the prodigal father of the Queen."- one of the guards turned to Cornelia. "We brought them to you just like you asked. Now please, gather your elemental guardians and leave! We don't want any problems here-"

"I will leave once I'm completely sure that you're not hiding your Queen from us."- Cornelia spat at him. "She's a criminal in Kandrakar's eyes and I'm the conveyor of Kandrakar's will. She won't get away with what she did to my friend. And that's final!"

The man opened his mouth to say something but another man pulled him back into the guard circle at a respectful distance from the blonde keeper:

"Arel, drop it now."

Arel nodded reluctantly. Will followed his eyes to the destroyed wall of the Throne Room in the back. Apparently, Cornelia had made a memorable entrance and statement.

"Cornelia."- she began, taking a few steps towards her. "How did you make it here? What are you planning to do now?"

Cornelia's features softened at the sound of her voice and for a moment she looked as if she just wanted to hug her. But then her eyes fell on Phobos again and her face darkened:

"I'm planning to bring you back to Heatherfield once and for all, and send him,"- and she pointed at the prince with her long elegant finger. "-to the Tower of Mists."

Will's face paled. Oh, shit. Fucking shit.

Phobos just gifted the blonde keeper with a venomous cold look but didn't say anything. Then, Irma and Taranee entered the room and the tense moment was over:

"Will!"

"Avani's not in this realm."- Taranee started to report. "The locator potion doesn't pick up any trail, that doesn't mean anything on its own when we talk about a magic-user, but... Irma tried her water divination power...something has happened here one week ago. Something terrible."

"Is the Queen alright?"- Arel interfered again. "Is she..."

Irma and Taranee exchanged glances.

"Wait a minute, she's not here?"- Cornelia interfered. "Are you absolutely sure-"

"She's not here. Not near for sure."- Phobos interjected, everyone's eyes turning to him. He just shrugged: "We spent months together. She's of my blood. I learned to sense her presence on a larger scale."

"You were attacked one week ago. Didn't any of you grasp it?"- Irma began.

All the guards just looked at each other and the room was filled with murmurs of confusion:

"Attacked? By whom?"

"Hell if I know, it's not that easy to divulge these things just by the water but it definitely holds pictures of past events. Almost like an army."- the Latina went on. "Don't come at me for this, it looked like a ninja army to me, they came through the Heatherfield portal, stormed the capital on its corners. They were looking for something. I think they got Avani."

Now that was when the confusion grew into horror and chaos.

"Shut up, all of you!"- Cornelia demanded, looking strictly at Arel and the rest of the guards.

"The Queen was in danger... we didn't protect her! We didn't even comprehend the danger..."

"Well, it's not your fault."- Taranee shook her head. "Avani was out there alone during the night and these people, whoever they were, were looking for something. Perhaps for her. They didn't want to attack the castle or anything of the sort. They wanted...her."

"But who are they!?"

"They came through the portal I left open. In Heatherfield."- Will breathed hard. "But how is that possible, are they from Earth?"

"That's ridiculous."- Phobos sneered from behind, drawing everyone's attention. "Who from Earth would want her of all people and how would they overpower her, her dark magic is stronger than mine-"

"I'm telling you what I was shown."- Irma put her hands on her hips and looked at him annoyed. "Don't take my word for it, you can do your own past peeking, I don't really care about your daughter. We came here for Will."

Phobos narrowed his eyes but Arel's frantic words took precedence again:

"You have to help us retrieve the Queen! You have to! As guardians, she-"

"Kandrakar is currently in a process of redress and your realm doesn't fall under their watch. Deal with your batshit-crazy queen's case on your own."

Caleb's potent voice silenced the entire room when he entered together with Hay Lin. The first thing his green eyes fell on was Phobos and he could feel the blood inside of his body beginning to boil:

"Let's go, Cornelia. Now."

"But Earth is under Kandrakar's watch, is it not?"- Arel insisted. "Yes, it is..."- he whispered as if in a trance. "People from Earth came here and hijacked our Queen, you said it yourself! If you don't help resolve this matter, we will proclaim war on Earth!"

The guardians stared at the man in dismay. He was a good-looking man, late 20s, most probably. Well-built, medium height, with dark eyes and dirty blonde hair.

Will looked at him and Nerissa's words from years ago suddenly sounded in her head:

Fear is a powerful thing especially when it fuels betrayal, The need to do anything, no matter how treasonous, to smudder the burning flame of your own fear...

"Are you Avani's boyfriend or something?"

Irma's question caught him off guard. He blushed:

"I'd do anything for her. Anything. That's why I gather the courage to face all of you and demand your help. If I have to lead my armies to your planet and attack your city, Heatherfield, I will. I will die for Avani."

"He's simply desperate."- Phobos disregarded his words once again. "It will take Avani's people ages to find magic beans which they need to cross out of this parallel realm. They're barbarians with no magic and no brains."

"Phobos, shut up."- Will hissed in his ear but Arel's face was overtaken by malice:

"And you! What kind of a father are you, you devil! Your daughter's been hijacked and you don't even feel a little concern for her, do you?!"

"No, not particularly, not after she hijacked me first."- the prince retorted coldly. "I'm indifferent to her now."

"Enough of this."- Caleb bared his teeth. "We're leaving. Attack Earth and you'll face our forces that will annihilate you. For good."- he said in Arel's face. He didn't budge but it was visible that the other man's actions were making him uncomfortable. Caleb could be pretty minacious when he was fighting for something:

"If you think that you can afford that go ahead, proclaim war. But I'll be waiting for you on the other end of that portal and I will make you regret your impudence. I promise you that."

"Everyone just calm down!"- Taranee demanded and turned to Cornelia who just stood there, holding William's shoulders. The boy didn't look frightened but he didn't look naïve or that young anymore either. He was obviously maturing at a fast pace and whatever he had been part of in recent times was greatly responsible for that. "Cornelia, we have to leave a door open. We will probably have business with Avani again if she's on Earth. Or with her kidnappers. They may be dangerous. We don't need wars with other planets right now. Especially not on Heatherfield territory."

"She's right, Cornelia."- Hay Lin nodded. "Let's establish some kind of communication with Arel and his people. We will work together not against each other, and we will achieve our goals faster."

Arel nodded livelily, encouraged by the two guardians' words. Cornelia seemed to think about it but Irma just seethed:

"Oh, pah-lease, girls, don't tell me that we will do Avani favors now. After how she betrayed us and fucked up Will's life? Let's just leave. As insane as it sounds, I think Phobjerk is right. Finding a magic bean will be harder for Mr. Arel here than for us."

Will watched her friends debate on what to do next and her stomach turned once again. Because she realized. They were taking the decisions now. No one was going to ask her opinion. No one was going to give her a chance to explain, especially since Avani was not in the picture. They were going to drag her back to Heatherfield and then she'd have to tell them more than she had ever planned to...

"Alright, here's what we'll do."- Cornelia said eventually and removed her hands from William in order to be able to create a small potted plant with her magic. It had small flowers in pink hues and dark green leaves. "This is a Chinese primrose."- the Earth guardian explained as she handed the plant to Arel. "It's a talking plant that can transmit messages and thanks to the Heart of Kandrakar's magic, these messages will come through the plant all the way to the Heart itself no matter how far away we are. This will help us communicate. Take care of this plant and keep an eye on it, and expect further instructions. Do you understand?"

Arel slowly nodded, looking at the pink flowers a tad skeptically.

"And in order to contact you, I just have to talk to it?"

"No."- Cornelia frowned. "Only I can open the message channels. You will talk when I call you through the Heart, so to say."

Arel didn't look too pleased with that but he nodded nonetheless:

"Well, I hope that you won't forget about keeping me informed about Queen Avani's situation..."

"I won't. You have my word."

And with that, Cornelia started a group teletransportation. When she opened her eyes again, Will saw that they were in some sort of an old grain room and the portal was guarded by... Blunk.

The passling looked happy to see her and she smiled down at him when he hugged her leg. If only the situation was different, she'd be hugging all her friends and celebrating...

"Go through the portal. I will see Will and...Phobos out and I will close it after myself."- Cornelia gave new instructions and the girls obeyed her. Hay Lin took William's hand and crossed with him.

Only Caleb didn't go into the yellow energy vortex that established the portal between two realms in different Universes... He just stared at Phobos and Will who stood by each other with a strange look in his eye.

"Go."- Cornelia ushered him. "I have it covered."

"Be careful."- he said so that only she could hear him. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all, Cornelia. Phobos has charmed women into going over the edge before. This won't be the first time. He made Zorarose lose it last fall, he has clearly done something to Will's right mind now. I don't want to risk him using this to his advantage and doing something gruesome. That man has done enough evil for a lifetime."

Cornelia furrowed her brows but didn't say anything. Her fiancé was right. And she had to do something about it, as the new keeper of the Heart. If only she knew where to start...

"Cornelia, I'm impressed, really. It seems like you've progressed very well with the Heart in the short amount of time you've been holding it."- Will spoke once Caleb had gone through the portal. She gave a weak smile when her friend turned to her: "I am happy I chose you to carry it. Despite the Nerissa resemblance, you're actually doing a decent job. I-"

"Well, I didn't exactly have much of a choice, did I."- the blonde interrupted her coldly and gave Phobos a sharp nod. "You go first. And go with Caleb. He will take you to your temporary shelter in Heatherfield. Now!"- she yelled when the man didn't budge. "We don't have all day."

"Cornelia, wait a minute, can we talk-"

But Phobos was already walking towards the portal. He stopped to give Cornelia a derisive smile from up close:

"What now?"- he faked being hurt. "Don't tell me I cannot establish myself in the Earth Knight's home again?"

Cornelia's face was overtaken by pure rage but she somehow managed to hold it in. She made Phobos's smile drop when she made a magic-blocking cuff appear around his left wrist.

"You will pay for everything."- she promised him. "For everything."

"Cornelia, you have to understand something."- Will interjected but Phobos had already gone through the portal without further comments.

"You have to understand that things aren't that simple now. He's not just our enemy..."

The blonde looked at her as if she had just been told that Earth is flat.

"Will, I understand you."

"You...you do?"

"I understand that you had to do all this because Avani threatened you because she's mentally ill and somehow thought that you could replace her mother..."- Cornelia took a deep breath as she spoke. "She took your brother and used that against you, I understand all that. You were forced to stay here and the mere fact that you were allowed to come to help Matt in Heatherfield again is a miracle. You're selfless and brave, you even gave up the Heart to protect it."

Will nodded with a faint smile and wet eyes. This was her friend who understood her each time, even if not at once. Cornelia and she had always been like that with each other. They were so different yet so close and had such an amazing friendship.

"...I can understand and salute everything but the thing William told me about you and Phobos. I can't... I just can't imagine that this could be true, Will."

Will's smile quenched and the heaviness in her stomach went up un her chest:

"What did my brother tell you- "

"That you're in love with him!"- Cornelia cried, shocking herself once more as she said it out loud. "That you're in love with Phobos! "