“Hang on. I thought Evil was after me, not the Council?” She never told him what Raen said the morning of her escape.

“It’s the only logical next step. Evil brought attention to you by openly attacking. We have to avoid him and the Council.”

Coco wasn’t quite comforted by his answer.

Pulser motioned for her to follow. Grabbing the bag he handed her, she left the room and went back to the basement with him.  

“We’re leaving now? Like, right now?”

“Yes. After what just happened, there is no time to waste.”

“What about Ray?”

“What about him? You said he was with Charlotte. He will be safe.”

Suspicion flickered to life. “I don’t want to separate from my brother. And I can’t ask Charlotte to watch him for an indefinite amount of time.”

“We won’t be gone more than a month.”

“A month? Are you out of your mind, Pulser? I have obligations and responsibilities here. I can’t ignore everything and hope for the best.”

Pulser placed a hand on her arm. “I’ll cast a spell that gives the illusion you’re still here. You don’t need to worry about anything.”

That sounded too good to be true.

“I’m worried, Pulser. A man is out for my blood and even threatened going after Ray. And now you’re telling me the Council of some magical world wants to kill me? I can’t leave him.”

“There’s no other choice. He’s safer here in the human realm. I can’t guarantee his safety if he comes with us.”

“But you can guarantee mine?” She shrugged off his hand. “You’re my best friend—my family. I want to trust you, but you’re making it increasingly difficult.”

Pulser pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry, Coco. No, I can’t even guarantee your safety. It’s much harder traveling with a child. Hiding you in plain sight is easy. But children are valued in the sorcery world. He would stand out. Too many would want to greet him. It’s not something I can fix with magic.”

She wasn’t sure what to do. Before she could gather her thoughts, he continued.

 “We also need to break Evil’s curse. I have a few connections in White City. It shouldn’t take long to find them. And there’s someone better suited to teach you sorcery in the city.”

Something inside her knew he was right. However much she hated it, she needed to do this. “Okay. I’ll go.”

Pulser gave her a final squeeze and stepped away, grabbing their things and heading towards the far end of the room.

Coco stared at him, confused.

“Come,” Pulser said over his shoulder. 

Coco followed, hesitation weighing her every step.

Pulser dug through her bag and pulled out her cloak. “This might help you access your magic if we’re in danger. Plus, the hood will hide your hair. Pink is not a very common color amongst our kind. Almost every magical being knows that short, but deadly, prophecy. Even though it is nothing more than words, Evil is too well respected in the sorcery realm.”

Coco nodded, pulling the cloak on. It touched the floor. When she clasped it shut, it covered her completely. Not a sliver of modern clothing showed beneath the green fabric. She pulled the hood up. It shadowed her face, hiding her hair. 

Pulser turned to look at her. “Beautiful,” he murmured.

She pretended not to hear.

“Always leave the hood on. We can’t risk you being seen.” 

“Got it. Where are we headed?” 

“First, I need to get in contact with a sorceress who specializes in curses. After you see her, I’ll see if I can’t find the other sorceress to help with your training. We also need to pay a visit to James. He is very wise and can teach you much more than I. He might even be able to help us with the Council.”

“What about my brother? I can’t leave him unprotected.”

 “I’ve already arranged for someone to cast a protective spell.”

“Who?”

“My father.” 

Coco’s steps faltered. She wanted to trust him, but couldn’t stop Asher’s words from echoing in her mind. They were like a constant battle demanding her attention. He hadn’t been aggressive when telling her Pulser wasn’t her friend. That made him more believable in her eyes. “I thought your father died.”  

Memories bubbled beneath the surface of her mind, too cloudy for her to fully recollect. She couldn’t discern how long ago they were, only that they were urgent. Things she needed to remember.

“Yes, my foster father died years ago. His brother became like a father to me.”

“Can he be trusted?”

“Of course. No one is after your brother. He’ll be safe while we travel.”

Despite her hesitations, Coco decided to go with him. Her head didn’t feel right. She lacked any sort of confidence to press her concerns when Pulser sounded so sure about everything. When they reached the far end of the room, he pulled back the curtain to reveal a vast emptiness. 

“These voids are called portals. Similar to teleportation. They connect all the realms together. All we have to do is step into it and think of the place we want to go. Grab my hand.”

Coco did as he asked, his warm hand offering her much needed reassurance despite the chaos taking place in her head. The emptiness in front of her was almost overwhelming.

“Now, when we step through this portal, do not think of anything but me. Can you do that?” 

“Yes.” 

Together, they stepped through. 

~~~

Coco couldn’t really describe traveling by portal. All she could remember was her head spinning and feeling slightly nauseous as she struggled to regain her footing. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she couldn’t make out anything apart from rough stone.

“Remember, Coco, keep your hood on. You also need to go by a different name.” 

“Which will be?” She pulled her hood tighter around her face. She didn’t like the stress in his voice. Or the fact that this proved sorcerers existed. She had hoped there was some other explanation to all the strange things happening.

“Star Light. Light is a common name and there are many different family lines branching from it. It will be difficult for anyone to track down information if you use it.” 

“Right.” Coco looked around at the narrow space, a shadow of regret dancing behind her rose-colored eyes. “Where did we end up?”

“A closet.” At Coco’s look, he explained further, “It’s where I had the portal bring us. Regardless, your cover is that you are sixteen and in training if anyone asks. It’s unusual for older ages to be magicless the way you are.”  

“I doubt I pass as a sixteen-year-old, Pulser. Why not just use my real age? It’ll make matters easier. I’d prefer being questioned over my late blooming than asked why I don’t look my age.”

Pulser let out a frustrated huff. Nodding, he grabbed at the handle, opening the door with ease.

They were in a small pub made of faded gray stone. The lighting was low, emanating from sconces lining the walls, flickering with orange flames. There were wooden tables and chairs spaced at random intervals. A small cluster of people were gathered at the bar. They were wearing cloaks similar to Coco’s.

“Pulser! M’boy!” A booming voice shouted from across the room. “I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Pulser grabbed Coco’s hand in warning before putting on a brilliant smile and stepping forward to greet the sorcerer. “Archer, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Coco was startled by the man’s appearance. He had an odd mix of yellow, blue, and green hair that fell to his waist. His skin was a deep almond color.

“Who’s this?” Archer asked. His eyes were unsettling. The outer ring was an acid green and the inside a deep purple. It didn’t matter if he was friendly or not, Coco didn’t like his eyes.

Pulser looked back, meeting her wide stare. “Star Light. She’s from one of the smaller cities near Diamond. I met her in my travels.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Coco greeted. She kept her eyes downcast.

“A shy one, no doubt?”

“Terribly so,” Pulser confirmed. “I would stay and chat, but we’re both tired from our travels. We’ll stop by this evening to have a round.”

Archer smiled, revealing straight white teeth. “Very good. I’ll save you the best spot.”

The man waved a goodbye. Coco watched him leave with apprehension. This all felt too unreal. Was she really in a different world? Or was Pulser pulling the biggest prank of all time?

She followed him to the exit. “Who was that man?”

“A good friend of my father’s. He helped raise me.”

A violent shiver consumed Coco for a moment. More memories scraped at her mind, just out of reach. Was this really her best friend? How was it possible that he was raised alongside Archer growing up? She had memories of them playing together all the time as children. He never mentioned Archer to her. She knew he said it was his foster’s brother that was like a father to him. But the way he was speaking didn’t sound right. And wasn’t his foster family all human?

Another memory surged forward. This one was of a younger…the face in this memory was blurred. But she was meeting their mother for the first time…

Did she make a mistake coming here?

“Why didn’t he question where we came from?”

“Sorcerers are always popping out of unexpected places. It’s a normal part of life, especially when some portals spit us out in places we never intended to go.”

Coco knew he was trying to make light of the situation. She didn’t find it very humorous considering there was a man out for her death. And, apparently, an entire Council of sorcerers joining the search. If Raen could still communicate with her while the effects of his curse were wearing off, didn’t that mean he’d be able to find her? She would end up in the Council’s grasp if that were to happen.

Pulser’s back and forth was tiresome. He riled her up in a panic to leave, then acted calm and collected once they arrived.

A burst of noise greeted their ears when they left the small pub. Buildings made of dark brown brick towered above them. Other buildings were much smaller and popped with brilliant colors of teal, lavender, mint, and marigold.

Bright, white marble laid the foundations of the roads. It made the colors of the different shops and buildings stand out in sharp contrast as it wound its way through White City. 

Coco couldn’t tell where the road wandered off to. Other blazing, white marble roads twisted and curved away from the main, leading deeper into the city. After looking down one of the roads, she could see an endless stretch of houses and other shops leading away from where she was at. 

If she squinted her eyes a little, she could just make out the top of a white dome that seemed to be the center of the city. Of course, it was probably miles away from where she stood because it was nothing more than a faint white smudge against all the dark and colorful buildings.       

People bustled about the streets. No one bothered to stop and stare at the two hooded figures standing in the doorway of Travelers Beware. Coco assumed this was because almost everyone else was wearing a cloak of some kind.   

For a moment, she stood motionless as she tried to take everything in. 

“No time for sightseeing, I’m afraid.” Pulser interrupted her gawking.  

She opened her mouth then closed it. She no longer felt certain of her friend. Was there something he wasn’t telling her? She looked away as she tried to hide that unwelcome thought. 

Asher, the man claiming to be Pulser’s real brother, flashed through her mind once more. It was annoying how often she thought of him. What’s worse, she was starting to think there was some truth to his words about Pulser.

She needed to get back to the human world. She was conflicted about coming for a reason. It didn’t matter if she doubted Asher. What mattered was that Pulser was starting to lose her trust.

Unsatisfied, Coco startled when Pulser linked arms with her and ventured out into the busy street. Cloaks of all colors flashed by.

“Not one cloak is the same,” Pulser explained. “Each represents who the person is and how powerful they are. A cloak is made by the sorcerer’s own magic.” 

“Won’t mine give me away?”

“It shouldn’t.”

He steered them further away from the hustle and bustle of the shops towards a calmer neighborhood. There was still a good deal of people roaming about, but foot traffic significantly dropped.

Coco discovered that the living quarters of the city were made from white marble while the shops and restaurants were full of bright splashes of color. It made for an interesting dynamic, though she wasn’t sure if she liked seeing white everywhere she looked. The architecture of each building was unique, but it was all made of the same marble.

Pulser stopped outside an inn tucked between a restaurant and clothing store. “This should be safe. We’re far enough away from Archer’s place and no one knows me here.”

Coco didn’t offer a reply. She knew coming here with Pulser would be one of the biggest regrets in her life. She just didn’t know how that was going to play out.

She decided she’d stick to the original plan unless she had the opportunity to return home.

Coco had no choice but to rely on him. He packed a bag of clothes for her by using his magic. He portaled them to a different world. He knew how things operated on a deeper level. He knew the people to talk to.

She was essentially trapped.

The inside of the inn was a stark contrast against its outside. Light gold decorated the arched ceiling. Elaborate chairs held plush purple cushions with gold accents painted on with a delicate hand. The floors were black and gold diamonds. Lanterns were attached to the blue walls. Golden flames flickered and gave light to the first floor. An elaborate desk made up most of the front entrance. Two staircases on either side of it led to the upper floors.

“Welcome to Mystia’s Inn.”