Finding their way out of the Kunlun Mountains had been anticlimactic. The lotus lantern was just as accurate as Sanzo’s poem had said it would be, painstakingly guiding them through the often-confusing tunnels and unerringly pointing out the right way at every break in the path, past passageways that looked identical to the ones they had just emerged from. When they finally stepped out onto what appeared to be the other side of the mountain, blinking at the now-unfamiliar daylight, there had been no soldiers or nightwalkers waiting for them. Their comm link back to Avalon started working soon after.
“Where have you guys been?” Alex groaned, sounding relieved. “We’ve been trying to track you for the last two hours, and we couldn’t get through anything. The Chinese government claimed they hadn’t even detected anyone porting in.”
“It’s a long story,” Zoe said wearily, “but we got what we came for, thanks to Loki. Get us out of here as soon as you can, before anything else comes chasing after us.”
Now that they were safely back in Avalon by way of Manila, the Gallaghers and their team had gathered around the lotus lantern like it was the most fascinating thing in the world, running scans over it and conversing excitedly with each other using technological jargon that made not one whit of sense to Tala. She sat wearily on one of the command center’s comfortable couches, all now occupied by the rest of the Banders. The adarna stirred on her head and yawned.
The bird had been looking after her, Tala realized. Its song had paralyzed most of the nightwalkers, giving her enough time to recover. She looked up to see the adarna gazing sleepily back down on her. It seemed…inquisitive, and also reassuring. “Are you sitting on me,” she asked, “because you want to protect me?”
The adarna let out a short ditty of a song, then bobbed its head enthusiastically.
“Why?”
It shrugged.
“You’re just as exasperating as the firebird, you know that?”
“Maybe it just likes you,” Ryker offered quietly, plopping down beside her. “People and magical creatures have the right to like you, you know.”
“Funny.” Tala continued to scowl up at it. “My agimat still isn’t up to par,” she said. “But I know there’s another reason you’re singling me out beyond that, and I would like to know why.”
Much to her surprise, the adarna craned its neck downward and then, very lightly, pecked her affectionately on the cheek.
“Told you,” Ryker chuckled.
Tala lifted a hand to touch the side of her face. “I… Thanks?”
The adarna cooed.
The place where it had kissed her felt warm on her face, soothing. “Do you think I might be putting the rest of you at risk? Am I being stubborn, wanting to join the group when I could put them all in danger just by coming along?”
“I assume the weakening of your agimat was directly caused by what happened with the Nine Maidens,” Ryker surmised.
“Yup.”
“Then think about it another way. Maybe you still having the use of your agimat means you’re stronger than you think you are. I’ve heard enough stories about the Nine Maidens to know that most people who tried what you did lost more than just their abilities.”
“That’s not gonna be much help if nightwalkers can overwhelm me easily just because I’m weaker now.”
“The Snow Queen…well.” Ryker shifted uneasily. “I know a lot about the agimat only through her experiences with encountering it, from her stories of fighting some of your Makiling ancestors. You need to be constantly using the agimat to enhance it further, right? Have you been using it much the last few months?”
“Mom’s been putting me through exercises,” Tala admitted.
“That other girl, Nya—she doesn’t seem to have any magical abilities or segen of her own, but she’s still pretty good at fighting, right?”
It wasn’t Tala’s place to tell him that Nya was technically a magical creature in her own right, which made her whole self a segen, so she nodded instead.
“Well, there you go. Besides, I don’t think they’ll feel the same going into missions without you there.”
“Thanks. It just feels like there’s a part of me that’s gone, you know? It’s not easy. How would you feel, had you been in my place?”
“I’d be a better person, to start,” Ryker said dryly. “But that’s all my fault.”
He looked like he had more to say, so Tala remained quiet, waiting.
“I meant it when I told Fey back there that the Snow Queen’s intention is to corrupt her, make her another ice maiden,” he finally said. “And also when I said that the Snow Queen will ask all her novitiates to prove their loyalty by killing for her. I’m not proud of what I’ve done for her, even if I thought the end justified the means.”
He looked down at his hand, formed a tiny ball of ice barely bigger than a thimble on his palm. Tala saw Zoe look curiously their way but didn’t comment.
“I guess Fey’s gonna tell her I’m still alive,” he said. “If she wants to take these abilities away from me, she’s gonna have to come over and forcibly take them herself.”
“And part of your abilities is being able to sense any nightwalkers nearby?”
“Gotta know where your expendable army is, right? Just never thought she considered me that too.”
“It’s okay to forgive yourself for being fooled by her,” Tala said sternly. “You were vulnerable, and she took advantage of you. That you even managed to get away from her influence says a lot.”
“I probably wouldn’t have if I hadn’t met you and Alex. I’ve always been jealous of your friendship, because as grateful as I was to her, I’ve never had that with the queen or with anyone. She was the closest thing I ever had to a parent after my mom, so I held on to her for years, even when she was distant. Always thought it was my fault, that I had to work harder to make her proud of me. And seeing you with the other Bandersnatchers…I’ve never had that either. I can at least make amends now by fighting with Alex.” He looked down, deliberately avoiding her gaze. “And this isn’t a ploy just to ask you out again, or anything like that,” he added roughly. “I am—that isn’t to say that I’m not interested. I just need to pull my shit together before doing anything else.”
“I understand,” Tala said, and she was surprised at how this no longer bothered her. Her old puppy-dog crush on him felt like it had happened to someone else lifetimes ago, now that she had fallen out of it and a new solid, more grounded affection had taken its place. “I don’t understand why you were so rude to Loki, though.”
Ryker looked back at her for a moment and then sighed, putting a hand over his eyes. “I’m not going to tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Guy’s still gotta have some secrets.”
The Gallaghers were still busily conducting their analysis of the lantern, a visibly enthusiastic Lord Suddene at their elbows. The rest of the command center was a flurry of voices, Lord Keer, the Wake of the Fianna, still on hand directing his people spread out all over Avalon. It looked like the ranger leader hadn’t even stopped for a break since Tala and the others had left for Manila. On-screen, Tala could see a group of rangers patrolling one of the designated outposts, their magic-infused weapons at the ready. There were at least three regiments within the Fianna comprised primarily of segen wielders now; a few months before, Tala would never have imagined there would be so many of them, much less pledged to fight for their cause.
Alex was looking a bit harried himself, though she was sure it wasn’t solely because of the constant stream of reports coming in. Tristan was still sticking stubbornly to the king like he was his official bodyguard, and the look on the young Locksley’s face told Tala that he intended to keep doing so for the indefinite future.
“We don’t have much time,” Alex finally said, and heads turned his way. “The Fifth Honor are reporting strange activity along the Burn, and Lord Keer has sent both the Second and Third to shore up their numbers there. I’ve issued a kingdom-wide alert for everyone to remain alert but calm. We’re triple-checking every port in the kingdom, building fail-safes at vulnerable areas. We don’t know where the Snow Queen intends to strike, but I don’t intend to be caught defenseless this time. Severon?”
“Nothing in our scanners is telling us this lantern has even a shred of magical ability, Your Majesty,” Lord Gallagher reported.
“How is that possible?” Ken asked. “We literally saw it shoot beams of light while it was getting us out to safety.”
“That may be so, Lord Inoue,” the man acknowledged, “but that doesn’t mean it contradicts our findings. If this was modified using the Alatyr, then it would have been created using some of the purest concentrations of magic known to humanity. Our most advanced spelltech would not even begin to detect it.”
“Do we really want to use the Alatyr?” Lord Suddene asked. “I admit that it is tempting to study, but the Alatyr is a crueler spell than the Nine Maidens. The latter requires a sacrifice from a royal of the Avalon lineage to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, but the Alatyr consumed any sacrifice it found, used their life forces as batteries to power the next massacre. Koschei offered up so many people this way, killing them and strengthening it without any loss to himself. Nome adopted a similar mechanic in his prototype when he used the jabberwocks.”
“I’m surprised,” Lola Urduja said. “I would have thought you of all people would have wanted the opportunity.”
“I’m not my father, Lola. I won’t forsake the possible consequences just to further my research.”
“We can discuss all that once we have the actual coordinates to Buyan.” Lord Gallagher scowled. “It does nothing for us to speculate on controlling the Alatyr if we cannot make much sense of its artifacts.”
“I’m guessing you haven’t found a way to recreate what we saw it do in Kunlun?” Loki asked.
“Unfortunately, no. There’s a possibility that it can only be triggered in the presence of some real and immediate danger and also by a worthy owner.”
“Loki, superglue yourself to the lantern from now on,” West ordered.
“The only thing I’m sure of,” Lord Gallagher continued, “is that it seems to be forged from the same kind of concentrated magic as your staff, Loki. I asked a few Chinese colleagues of my father still with the profession, and they confirmed that weapons like Ruyi Jingu Bang can come back stronger after they’re destroyed, although no one’s quite sure how.”
Loki nodded thoughtfully, playing with the toothpick behind their ear. “It broke in Sun Wukong’s hands numerous times. And I broke it that one time too, fighting the jabberwock.”
“Whether or not it can be reforged depends on its owner’s willpower—whether or not the magic finds them worthy to be remade for them. That is a quote often ascribed to Sun Wukong,” Lord Suddene said. “Let us hope that we will be just as fortunate with the other artifacts.”
“Tala,” Lola Urduja said crisply, “did Corazon accompany you and the others back here to Avalon?”
“Yes. They’re with the Fianna right now. They’re patrolling alongside the group guarding the Burn.”
The old woman scowled. “Now why would she be so interested in the Burn?”
“Is it really all that important, Lola?” Tita Baby asked. She and the other Katipuneros were guarding the command center, their abanicos (and in General Luna’s case, his favorite shiv) at the ready in case another unauthorized port opened.
“I can’t trust her as far as I can spit. If she shows interest in something, I know there’s some scheme she’s involved in that she’s refusing to tell us.”
“There are far more things to worry about than Corazon, Urduja,” Tita Baby chided gently. “With the attack on Alex and with the other relics still to be found, I wouldn’t think that—”
“Wait,” Tala interrupted. “What’s this about an attack on Alex?”
“It’s nothing,” Alex said, glowering at Tita Baby, who pressed her hands against her mouth and only looked a little guilty.
“That you say it’s nothing is the biggest warning sign that there is something.”
“They do need to know, Alex,” her mother reminded him. “It’s not like you can hide this for long when it’s already in the news.”
“In what news?” Tala demanded.
“There’ve been reports of certain areas in the Royal States being hit by unknown ports. No details on the specifics of those attacks—no one’s covering those details just yet—but King John has gone on record accusing Alex of the attacks. Everyone’s bracing for him to declare war on Avalon at this point. There’s still a lot of anger from the Abigail Fey incident, especially from the men, and he’s using it to stir up even more hatred.”
“Oh great,” Zoe groaned. “Just what we need right now.”
“That’s not your problem,” Alex said brusquely. “What you need to concern yourselves with right now is finding the rest of the artifacts. If Vivien Fey was already on-site when you were, then we need to step up before they can get to the next one. And if she’s getting other countries involved, whether they be the actual authorities or rogue government agents, then we may already be in trouble. Lord Suddene, what’s the next item on the agenda?”
“That would be the tamatebako, Your Majesty.” The monstrous lord took command of the display screen once more, the world map shifting to concentrate on the Japanese empire. “We might be on surer footing with this one, since their government has been on much more friendlier terms with Avalon, especially now that Kensington has taken control of the sword. After you all left for Kunlun, Ken, we received word from some officials of the emperor himself wishing you well. It sounds like they were rather pleased you’d chosen to name your sword after Kusanagi.”
“Well,” Ken said, flushing a little, “that’s real bloody high praise, isn’t it? And from the emperor!”
“One of the emperor’s own attendants has very kindly agreed to be here with us today, once we’ve made our wishes known. They can tell you more about it than I can. We are also reaching out to the other nations whose relics we may have to, uh, borrow. Most have been welcoming so far and willing to listen to what we have to say, though understandably cautious.”
The woman shown in was clad in a resplendent kimono, dark blue with the emperor’s current showa year written on one side underneath her obi. She bowed low toward them, and everyone did the same. “My name is Motoyama Chiaki,” she said softly. “Lord Suddene tells me you are interested in locating one of our more mysterious artifacts—the tamatebako, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Alex said. “Please extend my gratitude to Emperor Hirohito for giving us permission to use it.”
Chiaki chuckled. “You may not be as pleased when you hear where it is located. We have been fortunate in Japan to have preserved many of own revered relics. Some of our precious artifacts have even been showcased in famous museums without issue, but the tamatebako is not one that we have current possession of.”
West groaned. “Please don’t tell me we gotta go into another mountain.”
“Behave, hijo,” Tito Boy chided with a reproving flick of his hands.
Chiaki shook her head. “It is not located inside a mountain. It might be easier to retrieve if it was. I do not know if any of you are aware of the legend behind it. We have many Japanese heroes often associated with powerful segen. Inoue-sama here has inherited Muramasa’s and Masamune’s swords, for instance, and his father has distinguished himself with their use in the past.
“The tamatebako in particular is often associated with one of our most popular heroes, Urashima Taro, who was said to possess extraordinary longevity because of his ownership of it. By keeping his life’s essence within the tamatebako, he was able to survive numerous attempts on his life, lead his people to victory, and fight for our emperors against those who sought to overthrow their rule. Many of his opponents who thought they had killed him in battle, even at times going so far as to desecrate the body to make sure—against our code of honor—would often be astounded to learn, days later, that Urashima had once again turned up, alive and without a mark on him.”
“Do you know the specifics of how he was able to return to life?” Dexter asked eagerly.
“Accounts of it vary. Every time the tamatebako was opened and his soul released, he would reappear, alive and whole, in some nearby village, sometimes within days of his death, others a few months more.”
“Will your country not come under fire for helping us?”
“Officially, the emperor has nothing to do with Koschei or with the Beirans,” Chiaki said cheerfully, “and Japan maintains a neutral stance. I am here simply because Lord Suddene has very kindly asked me for information about the tamatebako, and we are more than happy to oblige.”
Alex grinned slightly. “Acknowledged, Lady Motoyama. But why do you not safeguard the tamatebako like your other artifacts?”
“Urashima threw the tamatebako back into the ocean after the war, choosing to grow old and die peacefully. He himself couldn’t carry it on his person at all times. His enemies could have simply killed him and taken it from his body. Often he would entrust it to someone loyal to him, though even that has its own dangers.”
“I suppose that could pose a problem,” Zoe acknowledged. “May we know where it is?”
“It is said to be located beneath the waves at the Ryugu-jo, the Dragon Palace, which lies underneath our seas.”
But Ken was already out of his seat before the woman finished, folding his arms and looking like there were no levers in the world large enough to move him. “No,” he said. “No, no, no. Absolutely not. And if you need me to spell it out in Japanese too, that’s iie, dame, and k’so!”
“I don’t understand?” Chiaki asked, confused.
“Avalon’s hero has an averse reaction to large bodies of water,” Nya said dryly. “You did manage to float the last time, Ken.”
“If I’m going to take beneath the waves literally, then I will not be, in fact, floating!”
“If it is the fear of drowning that concerns you,” Chiaki said, “then we have spelltech that will allow you to breathe underwater for several hours if need be. I believe Avalon also has their own versions of it. I do recommend ours, which has been perfected by some of our most esteemed deep-sea divers. The Dragon Palace is not for tourists or even for the Japanese. Many artifacts are stored within its walls, most that we do not know much of ourselves. Curses within it make it dangerous to travel to.”
“Any specifics?” Nya asked.
“There is a strange time-lapse spell that lingers within the palace. It is similar to the frost that you have endured in your kingdom—the Avalon year, as they have now called it? Where over a decade has passed outside Avalon and yet only twelve months for its inhabitants?”
“I was one of those inhabitants, and yes, they do call it the Avalon year now,” Nya said sourly.
“It is the same with the Dragon Palace but for far longer. There were records in the early 1300s of an explorer who chose to enter the Dragon Palace, disappearing without a trace, only to reemerge in the 1920s, disoriented but claiming to be the very same person. As he was of a noble clan, many records had been kept of his ancestry. His DNA proved his claims true.”
“There were no chances at all of him being a con artist?” Loki asked.
“None at all, because I, too, was descended from that very clan and had the chance to talk to him in his later years. As it turned out, he was my many times great-uncle, whom my own family had written off as an eccentric who’d been lost at sea.”
“I hate water,” Ken said. “I really do.”
“You can sit this one out, Ken,” Zoe said reassuringly. “We can retrieve it ourselves.”
“Horse can take your place,” West chimed in.
“There is no way we are going to force you into doing this if you don’t want to,” Nya said sternly. “You’ve got good reason, and while I appreciate you trying to overcome it, it needs time to—”
“I wasn’t trying to overcome it,” Ken said. “I was just trying to overcome it a little bit, because my very hot girlfriend is a goddamn sea goddess, and I can’t impress her if I’m terrified of her favorite place to be.”
A blush grew on Nya’s cheeks. “You don’t have to. I’m not asking—”
“I know. But the problem is that I’m asking me to do it, and I’m kind of an arse.” Ken groaned again. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll do it, but I want a pack of that bloody breathable spelltech you’ve got, and then three more.”
“Our scholars believe the Nameless Sword is required to gain access to the Ryugu-jo,” Chiaki said. “The only one successful at opening its doors in the past was Musashi, another warrior who had known ownership of the Nameless Sword.”
“How did he get out of the palace?” Zoe asked eagerly.
“He never told anyone else how he was able to overcome the curse for fear that others would take advantage. But he said that all it took for him was his strength of mind.”
“Well, there you go,” Ken said sourly. “I don’t need to swim; I just need brain muscles.”
“That doesn’t answer the question of the time-lapse spell still within the Ryugu-jo,” Zoe pointed out. “I don’t suppose the Japanese have found a way to fix that either?”
Chiaki shook her head. “Dabbling in time-lapse spells tends to be more disadvantageous than not. We have, in our foolishness, made many of those attempts in the past—with unfortunate results. In a very odd way, we look to the Ryugu-jo to protect and preserve our history and are content to leave it be. We revere it as a historical landmark but take steps to prevent anyone from entering its territory. The artifacts that remain within are not intended for use.”
“But your emperor was kind enough to make an exception for us,” Alex said.
“We understand the uniqueness of your position, Your Majesty. And of course, should your business with the tamatebako be done, then we would be grateful to see it returned to Japan, where it will be protected.”
Alex laughed. “I can’t guarantee you what state it will be in when we return it, but we do hope to keep it in one piece. Thank you again, Lady Motoyama.”
“I can speak with your other generals. It is necessary for me to explain what you would require for protection.”
“No one’s telling me how we’re going to overcome the time-lapse spell,” Ken complained after the woman left with Lord Suddene. “I don’t want to get in there and come out five hundred years later. Six months in the Avalon frost was bad enough.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Alex held out his bracers. “I’ll need all the strength I can get to hold on to any spells I can find at the palace.”
“No!” Tristan exploded.
“I told you I wasn’t going to use it unless we had no other choice. Time-lapse spells are something that not even the Gallaghers can control. OzCorp didn’t even bother making spelltech with them, knowing their unpredictability. Or shall we abandon searching for all the artifacts altogether?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Nothing inside that palace is worth your life. That place ought to be safe from even the Snow Queen. If she can’t access it, then she won’t be able to cobble together what she needs to revive Koschei. In fact, we should let her try. If she disappears for several centuries, that would solve a lot of problems.”
“You’re forgetting that the Snow Queen has her mirror,” Zoe spoke up. “Broken as it might be, it still has some of the Alatyr in it. That’s the prototype the Nine Maidens was based on. What are the chances of her using time-lapse spells there too?”
Tristan shot her a stony glare. “You’re not helping, Zoe.”
“Your Majesty?” This from Dexter, who looked scared out of his wits.
“Dex, I insisted on shorter shifts for a reason. I don’t remember seeing you taking a break—”
“I’m a-all right, Your Majesty,” the boy stammered. “It’s just—I think this is something that Miss Motoyama should know immediately.”
“What?”
But the young Gallagher was already switching the display over to video. “Miss Motoyama said their people were monitoring the Ryugu-jo,” he said. “She gave me permission to access the body cam from one of her soldiers on-site.”
It was difficult to make anything out at first; the waters were churning heavily, like some kind of fight was in progress. And then a familiar dark shape slid into view before it was promptly gutted with a harpoon.
“Shades,” Ryker snarled.
Other fighters came into view, most of them firing at another person who, unlike the Japanese warriors decked out in scuba gear, was bare chested and clad only in a dark latex outfit. He was clearly not Japanese and was wielding a heavy ax that his opponents were keeping their distance from.
Tala stared at the invader as he slowly drew nearer to the camera.
She recognized that wild wave of hair, the scraggly beard that she liked to tug, the heavily muscled arms that had taught her arnis.
“Dad,” she whispered.