Emerson’s Story

Chapter 10

Ten

“Um … what?” I ask, utterly confused. “What are you talking about? And who are you?”

“I’m Aurora. I just got here this evening. The professor told me there was another new girl, and I thought that since you haven’t got too deep into their program yet, and they haven’t brainwashed you, or whatever it is that happens here, we can get away together.”

“Brainwash? Where’d you get that from?”

“Because I—I may not know how to use my magic at all, but I did grow up in this world, and I know things. I’ve heard things. About this place.” She inches a little closer. “People disappear from here sometimes. Like, they just vanish without a trace soon after their training begins. And it’s made to look like Chevalier House has nothing to do with it, but how can it not? People come in here, and they never leave. They just disappear. And I don’t want that to happen to me. I just got my freedom, and I don’t want to lose it.”

If I could move any further away from this girl, I would, but I’m already backed up against the wall. “So, you’re saying … they kill some of the people who come in here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” She tugs at the silky belt of her robe, pulling it tighter. “Or maybe it’s something worse. Maybe they’re prisoners somewhere. Maybe they’re being experimented on.”

“Do you have any proof of that?”

“Of course not, but that doesn’t make it untrue.”

Given what I overheard between Dash and Azzy just now, I’m almost inclined to believe this girl, but her wide, terror-filled eyes remind me all too much of Mom. Mom looking desperate and afraid, speaking about equally irrational things. “Look, Aurora. I don’t mean to be unfriendly, but I don’t want to get involved in whatever you’re talking about. You have your issues, and I have mine. Let’s just get through this Magic 101 thing, and we can both go our separate ways.”

She draws back, hurt filling her eyes. “You don’t believe me? You seriously want to take your chances with these people you’ve only just met, instead of considering that I might be telling you the truth? That you and I might never get the chance to go our separate ways if something happens to us before then?”

I think again of Dash and Azzy’s quiet conversation. “Okay,” I say slowly. “It’s true that I don’t know the people here at all, but I don’t know you either. You could be making this up.”

She takes a deep breath. “What do you want to know? I’ll … I’ll tell you everything. When you understand how horrendous my life’s been up until now, you’ll understand why I don’t ever want to be a prisoner again. I’ll do anything to get out of here.”

I raise my eyebrows at the word ‘prisoner,’ but I’m still not ready to believe this girl. If there are insane people in my world, there must be insane people in this one too. “Why don’t we leave this until the morning?”

“No! Just let me explain myself. How will you know if you can trust me until you’ve heard what I have to say? How do you know you can trust them?”

I consider shouting out for Azzy, but Aurora’s right. I don’t know if I can trust anyone here. What if Chevalier House and this program is all an elaborate ruse to gather untrained magical beings? I don’t know why anyone would do that, but I don’t know much about this world, so there could be a reason. “Fine. Tell me what you want to tell me.”

“Okay. So, I was brought up by witches—”

“Witches?” I give her a doubtful look. “Like on broomsticks? Nobody’s said anything to me about witches. Are they even real?”

Her eyes narrow. “You’ve been in this world for all of five minutes, and you’ve already decided you know more than I do?”

“I just—”

“No, they don’t have anything to do with broomsticks. I don’t even know what that means.”

“Oh. You’ve never been in my world?”

“The non-magic realm? No, never. Why would they have taken me there? I’ve spent most of my life locked up in their home. The only things I know are the things I’ve heard them talk about, and the things I’ve read in their books. I don’t know how I ended up living in a house with witches, because they never bothered to tell me. They … they treated me like their servant.” She pulls her knees up and wraps her arms around them. “They never taught me how to use my magic, because that would have made me stronger. I could have used it against them. They caught me reading about Chevalier House once, when I was trying to figure out an escape plan and where I would go if I ever got away. They laughed and said that even if I managed to run away from them, Chevalier House wouldn’t do me any good. Fae disappear from here all the time.”

“If that were true, surely the Guild would know about it. They would have shut down the program by now.” It can’t be true. I need it to not be true. I need Azzy to teach me everything about magic so I can get back to my own world and help Mom.

“Unless the Guild’s in on it too,” Aurora says in conspiratorial tones.

“So if Chevalier House is dangerous, why did you come here?”

“I didn’t choose to come here.” She returns her feet to the floor and leans closer to me. “I finally managed to get away from the witches after months of careful planning. I was all on my own until a guardian caught me stealing food. That’s how I ended up at the Guild, and they’re the ones who sent me here.”

I sigh. “You know this all sounds ridiculous, right? And the only thing you’ve got to go on is what a bunch of witches have told you. Obviously they’d want you to believe that Chevalier House can’t help you. They didn’t want you running away.”

“Okay, so maybe they were lying. But are you willing to take that risk? Do you even want to be here?”

“Actually, yes. I do. I realized today that magic can help me far more than anything I’ve ever learned in my own world, and I need to know how to use it before returning home.”

“If they ever allow you to return home,” Aurora points out.

“Fine. What exactly are you suggesting then? That we run away together?”

“Yes. Everything’s locked up now—I already checked downstairs—but we can wait for a chance tomorrow and run together. Then we can figure out what to do once we’re free.”

“No,” I say flatly. “I’m sorry, but no. I tried that today and it didn’t work. I have a different plan now, and it doesn’t include running away with someone I just met.”

“You’re being so naive,” she whispers with a fearful shake of her head.

“Am I? I don’t trust you, and I don’t trust them, so who am I going to go with? Obviously the side that’s most likely to help me. And right now, that looks like Chevalier House. If something weird’s going on, I’ll figure it out soon enough and then I’ll run. But for now, I’m staying put.” I shove aside the tiny voice that says Aurora might be right. That the strange conversation I overheard is evidence enough. Because I need this program to work. Now that I’ve realized how much magic can do for me in my own world, I’m clinging to it as if it’s my only hope for a better life.

Aurora swallows, then breathes out slowly. She tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear, leaning away from me. “Okay. I’m—I’m sorry I bothered you with this.” She slides off my bed and stands. “I’ll … um … I guess you’re right. We should each be looking out for ourselves.”

I nod, since I’m not sure what else to do or say.

“Okay, well … good night.” She turns and hurries out of my room.

“So weird,” I murmur as I tap the lamp, plunging the room into darkness once more. I keep telling myself I’ve made the right decision, but I can’t help turning her words over and over in my mind, and it’s a long time before I fall asleep.