“We’d be on our own without Mira,” Cole said. “Besides, who knows how a Grand Shaper might be able to help us? Maybe that’s who Trillian meant when he said someone with enough power could get us home.”
“We’re coming,” Dalton announced.
Everyone else agreed.
“Then we’ll ride until nightfall,” Honor said. “Our guide predicts we will arrive in less than a day.”
“We surely can,” Spark chirped. “Just rely on your fearless leader.”
“I thank you all for coming to my rescue,” Honor said, mounting her horse. “I made a grave misstep getting caught by Trillian. You saved me from my folly. I’m indebted.”
“We’re just happy you’re all right,” Mira said.
Cole noticed how naturally Honor assumed command of the group. Her presence made it feel like they had been leaderless until now. She rode at the front near Spark and chose a good spot for them to camp as the light failed.
“I’ll watch over you tonight,” Minimus volunteered.
“Nonsense,” Honor said. “We’ll share that duty. You must sleep sometime.”
“Actually, my lady, I require very little rest,” Minimus said. “Watching through the night is a simple matter for me. I would not endanger you with empty boasts.”
“I’ll keep watch too,” Spark offered. “I don’t sleep either. And I see all directions at once. A good leader keeps an eye on his flock.”
“We’ll be well guarded,” Honor said.
“Our enemies will run screaming,” Jace joked. “Nobody would tangle with a little dot of light.”
“Mighty infernos begin with a spark,” Spark cautioned.
“Can you become an inferno?” Jace asked.
“I can alert the dwarf,” Spark said sheepishly.
“Then he can unleash an inferno indeed!” Minimus said stoutly.
“I’ll cloak us in an illusion as well,” Skye said. “We should rest undisturbed.”
As he bedded down next to Dalton, Cole gazed up at the foreign sky. Two dim moons shared weak light. Stars and galaxies clogged the firmament like luminous dust.
“I saw the Big Dipper,” Cole said.
“Here?” Dalton asked.
Cole explained about the simulation of Mr. Barrum’s house.
“That must have been nice to feel like you were home for a while,” Dalton said. “Except for almost getting chopped up by an ax.”
“It was good and bad,” Cole said. “I saw things from our old life. I saw a normal house. I saw a soda can. I even saw the light from a TV. Funny thing is, I’d almost forgotten about TVs. I’d almost forgotten about a lot of that stuff. Maybe it was because I was tiny, or because I knew it wasn’t real, but it didn’t feel as much like home anymore.”
“It was the house of a guy who freaked you out when you were little,” Dalton said. “You would have felt different if you were at your own house.”
“You’re probably right,” Cole said, not fully convinced, but not wanting to belabor the issue.
“I don’t miss TV either,” Dalton said. “But I miss my family. I miss our neighborhood. Playing soccer. I even miss school.”
“Yeah,” Cole said.
“What if we never get home?” Dalton asked.
“We’ll find a way,” Cole said. “At least we know it’s possible.”
“We won’t give up,” Dalton said. “We’ll try everything we can. But what happens if we find Jenna, and the others, and we can’t find somebody who can get us home to stay? What if we can’t fix this? What if our families won’t ever remember us? What if we’re stuck here?”
Cole stared at the stars. He had a lot of the same fears. He didn’t trust his voice, but he had to say something. “I guess we make the best of it.”
“You’re smart to help Mira,” Dalton said. “She’s pretty great. Even Jace is a good guy once you get used to him. We’re on the right side.”
“True,” Cole said. “I just hope we can survive helping them. We had some close calls the last few days. I hope I didn’t lure you to your death.”
“Don’t say that. I chose to be here. I was alone, Cole. I hated it. This is way better. I feel like myself again. We’re doing the right thing. We have to try.”
“I feel the same way,” Cole said. “It’s just freaky.”
“What? Trying to fight some demon lady who can enslave our minds? Getting chased by evil soldiers? It’s unbelievably scary. But the only other choice is to give up.”
“Not going to happen.”
“I’m not quitting either. So here we are. Good night, Cole.”
“Good night.”
Despite his comfy naps, the exertions of the day had left Cole weary. He shifted onto his side, pillowed his head on his arm, and tried to sleep.
The following afternoon, their first view of Fog Lake came from a low ridge not far from the shore. They all reined in their horses and gathered together to regard their destination.
The shoreline nearest them meandered along, damp hard mud in some places, pebbles in others, little peninsulas jutting out here and there. The far shore could only be glimpsed in the gray distance. Flat and white, the lake itself was a perfect bowl of motionless mist. No vapor rose higher than the shore, leaving the air above clear, but as far as they could see, no gaps marred the smooth surface.
“Weird,” Dalton said, drawing out the word. “How does it all stay in place? Shouldn’t some of the fog float away?”
“All day, every day, for centuries, it has been the same,” Skye said. “I’ve never seen Fog Lake, but most people in Elloweer know of it. Farther north is the much larger Fog Sea. It marks the northern edge of Elloweer for miles and miles. None have ever crossed it.”
“Do people go into Fog Lake?” Cole asked.
“Callista does,” Spark chirped.
“Not for many years,” Skye said. “The lake lies too close to Trillian to attract many visitors. It was never safe, riddled with unseen pits and other dangers. Superstitions abound about Fog Lake.”
“There are many drop-offs and steep places,” Spark squeaked. “And some mist grifters, but we’ll steer clear of them. Callista never has visitors. She’ll be so surprised!”
“Will she be angry you led us to her?” Honor asked.
“Not when I have permission from Trillian,” Spark said. “Callista trusts his judgment.”
“What does that say about how much we can trust her?” Dalton grumbled.
“We need information,” Honor said. “Callista was odd but always friendly to our family.”
“Callista is the greatest enchanter in the whole wide world,” Spark said. “I’m sure she’ll help you.”
“Lead on, Spark,” Honor said. “We’ll follow single file. Keep in mind we don’t float, and neither do our horses.”
“I’ll get you through,” Spark said. “Dress warmly. People get cold down in the deep places.”
Honor had a cloak, but most of them didn’t, so they wrapped up in their blankets. Spark skirted the shore for some distance before turning across a beach of firm mud and heading down into the fog.
Cole watched as Honor and her horse waded into the mist, disturbing it ever so slightly. Mira went next, followed by Jace, then Skye, and then Twitch. Soon Honor was just a head. When she vanished below the surface of the fog, it became still, as if it had never stirred.
“This looks wrong,” Cole said over his shoulder to Dalton as their horses followed the others. “It can’t be natural.”
“I wouldn’t go in alone for a million bucks,” Dalton replied.
“I’ll be right behind you, boys,” encouraged Minimus from his position at the rear.
As Cole’s horse walked forward, he sank into the mist. Once below the surface, he could barely see his hands, let alone Twitch’s horse in front
of him.
“Stay close together,” Honor called, her voice sounding much too distant.
“Are you there, Twitch?” Cole asked.
“Yeah,” Twitch answered, his voice not as far away as Honor’s, but farther than it should have sounded. “Keep up.”
“You back there, Dalton?” Cole called.
“I’m coming,” his friend answered.
Cole started focusing on the sound of Twitch’s horse. Hopefully, as long as he heard those hooves, he wouldn’t wander off an unseen cliff.
The farther they progressed, the grayer the fog became. The still, clammy air was cool and damp. Cole bundled his blanket tighter. Rather than part for him, the mist seemed to cling. Every time he inhaled was like taking a tiny drink. He felt the humidity in his lungs. As they went farther and deeper, the temperature dropped.
The sounds of Twitch’s horse grew fainter. “Twitch?” Cole called.
No answer.
“Twitch!” he shouted. His horse jerked beneath him, evidently startled by the yell.
“Cole?” Twitch answered from a great distance up ahead.
“Cole?” Dalton called from far behind, his voice small and worried.
“I think I’m getting lost!” Cole shouted, patting his horse in an effort not to startle it again. He could think of few fates worse than roaming this wet grayness alone. The lake was enormous! Even if his horse didn’t walk off an edge, they could get lost permanently. There was no way to get oriented. And what were mist grifters?
“Stay where you are!” Twitch called back, his voice still remote.
“Stay where you are, Dalton!” Cole shouted over his shoulder. He heard Dalton relay the message back to Minimus.
Cole reined in his horse and waited. What if nobody came? Could his horse find its way out by instinct? Could it outrun mist grifters without going over a precipice?
A little ball of light drifted into view.
“Spark?” Cole asked.
“You’re closer together than it sounds,” Spark said.
A hand touched Cole’s thigh, startling him.
“Hold this rope,” Honor said, her voice a little muffled even though Cole could feel her touch. “It’ll keep us together.”
Cole grabbed the rope, clinging harder than was probably necessary. The little ball of light moved back toward Dalton. Before long it returned, drifting forward toward Twitch.
After some time, a tug on the rope informed Cole that they were advancing again. He nudged his horse with his heels, and the animal started walking.
On they plodded, through a hundred darkening shades of gray, drawing ever closer to pitch darkness. Sometimes the way angled down sharply. Sometimes they wound back and forth. Even with the blanket wrapped tight, Cole felt drippy and chilled. The air seemed so moist that he began to wonder if it was possible to drown in vapor. He put a hand over his mouth and breathed through his fingers. Had anyone ever humidified themselves to death?
Finally, the darkness became complete. Cole longed for the white mist up top that at least permitted some vision. As the unseen mist grew denser and colder, Cole questioned how thick mist could become before it turned into a liquid. Water condensed on his face and blanket. Still, Cole supposed that a soaked blanket was better than none.
And then the mist abruptly ended. Still holding the rope, Cole found he was less than a horse length behind Twitch. Dalton came out of the mist right behind him.
Up ahead stood a large cottage made of rounded stones packed together with mud. It had windows and a thatched roof. Glowing globes surrounded it at a distance. Light also shone from the windows.
As Honor and Spark led the group toward the front door, it opened, and a woman emerged. She was of medium height, and kind of bony, with wild blue hair and large earrings that might have been made from turtle shells. She looked to be around sixty, though her hands appeared older than her face.
“Spark, you little rascal, who have you brought to my doorstep?” the woman asked.
“Honor Pemberton and her sister Miracle,” Spark replied. “Along with their companions. They were excellent followers.”
“Now, there’s a surprise!” the woman hooted. “My first houseguests in ages, and they’re royalty. My home is in quite a state. I wasn’t expecting company!”
“Are you the Grand Shaper Callista?” Honor asked.
“That old hag keeled over years ago,” the woman said. “I’m a figment she left behind to mind the house.”
“Oh, no,” Honor said. “I’m sorry to hear it!”
“And I’m sorry to tease you,” the woman said. “I’m Callista all right. It gets lonely when there’s nobody to joke with but the figments you invent. People need people, or they start to lose touch, wander down strange paths in their minds. Climb off those horses and come inside. You must be cold and wet.”
“Thank you,” Honor said.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Callista cackled. “You haven’t seen the place!”
CHAPTER
34
CALLISTA
Cole felt much better once he was seated by a wide fireplace sipping soup from a mug. The soup didn’t have much substance, but the warm broth tasted vaguely like fish. He and the others sat on crates and casks, while Callista swayed in a rocking chair. Little balls of light like Spark hovered around the room. A big, shaggy dog walked up to Cole. He had always wanted a dog, and leaned forward to stroke it, but his hand passed through its intangible body.
“Don’t mind Buttons,” Callista told Cole. “He just likes to be part of the conversation.”
“I’m your only conversation most of the time,” Buttons said in a deep voice.
The little balls of light twittered countless outraged protests.
“Unless you include the twinklers,” Buttons added. “Or Gurble.”
“Gurble?” Mira asked.
“Gurble is an ancient figment,” Callista said. “He belonged to many Grand Shapers before me. He holds a lot of knowledge.”
“Gurble is stuffy,” Buttons complained. “Knowledgeable, sure, but about as companionable as a stack of scrolls.”
“I can’t get over Trillian sending you to me,” Callista said to Honor. “I’m surprised he let you go once he had you.”
“My sister freed me by winning a contest,” Honor said.
“Yes, I understand, but Trillian gave her the opportunity,” Callista said. “That is not often the case.”
“I think he is worried about Morgassa,” Honor said. “She’s a monster who is changing the people of Elloweer into her horde.”
“I’m aware of her, darling,” Callista said. “I’m sure we’ll discuss her eventually. But first an important question: How are you all enjoying my soup?”
“It’s great, thank you,” Mira said.
“Nice and warm,” Dalton added.
“What is it exactly?” Jace wondered. “It must be tough to find food.”
“It can be difficult,” Callista said. “I have an exquisite mushroom garden. Fungi flourish here. I also harvest several species of edible slime.”
“Don’t forget the moths,” Buttons inserted.
Cole fought the urge to gag. What had been in his soup?
“Yes, we have a surprising array of moths,” Callista went on. “And there is a pond not far from here where I collect guppies and other wee beasties. I change them into this and that, depending on my mood. Had I known to expect you, we could have enjoyed a grander meal.”
“What about firewood?” Cole asked, setting aside what remained of his soup.
Callista made a face. “No, dear, firewood tastes terrible.”
Cole laughed. “I mean, where do you find firewood? Do you make it out of mud?”
“This isn’t Sambria,” Callista said. “I can’t transform nonliving matter. I get my
wood as offerings from the mist grifters. They also bring me food from time to time—frogs, birds, and fish, mostly.”
“Why do they bring you firewood?” Jace asked.
“In return for me not slaying them, dear,” Callista said.
“Trillian told us he trained you,” Mira said.
“Then he told you true,” Callista said.
“Isn’t he dangerous?” Mira asked.
Callista cackled freely. “I don’t know. Buttons, is he dangerous?”
The dog shivered. “He’s not my favorite. Leave it at that.”
“Trillian is very dangerous,” Callista said. “So am I. He would not be the right teacher for many. That wily old torivor knows more about shaping than anyone in all five kingdoms. He sees it as one great whole rather than individual disciplines. I would not have discovered most of what I know without his guidance.”
“Weren’t you worried he’d keep you there?” Twitch asked.
“No, no, no, my pet,” Callista said. “Had I gone there hoping to leave, he would have never let me go. I went there to learn. I was willing to stay forever if it meant I could learn from the best. He knew my motives. And eventually he released me. I returned to him when I went into hiding. He granted me sanctuary for a time, then suggested I set up a home elsewhere, where I could stay in touch with happenings in Elloweer.”
“This place keeps you in touch?” Jace asked.
“Children,” Callista said, shaking her head. “So candid. It reminds me why I never had any. Who would like dessert?”
Cole tentatively raised his hand. The others sat politely.
Callista pointed at Cole. “That one can stay. If you don’t want my hospitality, the fog can have you.” She sweetened her voice. “Once more, who would care for dessert?”
All hands went up.
After tipping back in her rocker, Callista swung forward briskly, catapulting herself to her feet. “Buttons, entertain our guests.” She left the room.
“Okay, she’s gone,” Buttons said in a conspiratorial tone. “What do you want to know?”
“She made you?” Dalton asked.
“With the help of three apprentices, all dead,” Buttons said. “She didn’t kill them,” he clarified.