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The moment the words left her mouth, Alex felt like slapping herself. Closing her eyes at her own idiocy, she recalled a memory from not even two days ago: ‘When the time comes that you need to remember me, you will.’

Well, she’d dropped the ball on that one. As Zaylin had said, whathadAlex been thinking, climbing over the balcony? It wasn’t at all necessary—not when she had a much better option available to her.

Reopening her eyes, Alex cast her gaze out until she focused on a clear landmark not too far from the palace; a diamond fountain spraying liquid gold into the air, easily viewable with her heightened sight. She wasn’t certain that what she was about to try would work, but without pausing to second-guess herself, she attempted to summon a doorway right from where she stood.

Perhaps the Library was feeling charitable, or perhaps her connection to it was stronger while she was in Tia Auras—the place where it had supposedly originated—but either way, a doorway appeared instantly in front of her, despite her having never previously been to the fountain she’d envisioned.

Ignoring the gaping Zaylin, Alex didn’t hesitate to step through, landing on the ground exactly where she’d imagined, free at last.

Alex wandered the streets of Vardaesia for hours.

As soon as the thrill of her liberation faded, a numbing chill settled upon her, something she was unable to shake no matter how far or fast she walked. She might have been able to escape the palace, but she couldn’t escape her own mind.

Over and over she replayed the look of icy rage on Jordan’s face; the way he’d snapped out that single word, ‘Don’t’; the image of him slamming the door in the wake of his retreat. And more than that—she also recalled the way both D.C. and Bear had looked at her, their eyes almost as unforgiving as Jordan’s.

The further she walked, the worse the memories plagued her. She’d wanted to leave the stifling palace walls to calm down from the hideousness of what she’d felt trapped in her room, but not even the splendour of Vardaesia could offer her a distraction.

The city itself was partially to blame for her increasing distress, since the more time she spent in it, the more she found she wanted to leave. Her surroundings were just so damnshiny; it was as if a unicorn had thrown up a rainbow and topped the mess with golden sprinkles. There were times when Alex’s eyes physically hurt from the glare of the bright gold and diamond blending with the accompanying multi-coloured clouds.

It also didn’t help that the metropolis defied the laws of nature, and not just due to its elevated position atop what should have been an insubstantial mass of condensed vapour. It was the other parts Alex didn’t understand—the crystalline trees that grew up from glassy roots deep within the clouds; the opalescent flowers growing along the shimmering streets; the diamond-like vines creeping over the gilded buildings and reflecting the overhead sunlight into billions of brilliant mini rainbows. It was all, quite simply,too much.

But it wasn’t until Alex found the lake that she began to wonder if she was hallucinating the psychedelic journey of visual absurdity. And that was because the lake wasn’t a normal lake—of course not. Had she ever considered the impossibility of an inland sea magically resting atopclouds, she would have presumed it to contain water of a crystal-clear colour. But inVardaesia, where everything was over the top and nothing appeared as it should, that wasn’t the case.

Instead, the lake was liquefied gold.

With small ripples lapping at a silvery shore while the rest of the watery mass was as still as death, Alex could do nothing but collapse onto the glittering sand, staring at the sight. The powder beneath her was unfathomably soft and she trickled it between her fingers, allowing herself to become hypnotised by the ebb and flow of the golden water.

Minutes turned into hours as she sat there clearing her mind of all thoughts, unmoving except to continue playing with the silky-smooth sand. Having wandered the streets for so long before arriving at the lake, and skipping lunch in the process, Alex eventually realised she was starving. But she also felt a hollowness that she knew no food could satisfy.

As the suns lowered in the sky and the moons rose to take their place, casting their glow across the golden water, Alex knew it was time to return. Unlike her agitated wandering through the city, her time at the lake had allowed her the chance to calm her thoughts. Jordan had once understood the need for her to manipulate his memories, so she had to believe he would again. And while Bear and D.C.’s reactions had hurt, she knew they had been acting out of loyalty to Jordan, and she couldn’t fault them for that. Once she explained her side of the story, she was certain they would all move past what had happened.

Nervous but hopeful, Alex rose to her feet and brushed the glittery powder from her clothes, sparing a final glance at the beautiful—if pretentious—lake.

Knowing she couldn’t handle walking back through the gaudy city without wanting to gouge her own eyes out—since now that it was night-time, Vardaesia was lit up like a Christmas tree—Alex was grateful when the Library generously opened a doorway at her mental summons.

Arriving directly back into the darkness of her bedroom, Alex took a few moments to prepare herself before she walked to her door and paused there, listening to what was happening on the other side. While muted, she could still make out muffled voices, her heightened hearing allowing her to recognise Jordan’s as one of them. That was all she needed to know, and with a deep breath, she opened her door and stepped into the shared space between their rooms.

Eleven

All talking ceased as Alex entered thecommon room, with five pairs of eyes jumping straight to her.

Kaiden and Declan were seated at the table, playing some kind of card game with thin slabs of gold cut into hexagons. But it wasn’t them who her attention focused on; it was Jordan, Bear and D.C., all seated on the couch together, their stiff postures revealing that they’d been waiting for her, perhaps for some time.

Her throat dry, Alex slowly approached, unable to think of how to begin. Should she sit? Should she remain standing? Should she ask to speak with Jordan in private? She didn’t know. But the choices were taken from her when Jordan stood just as she reached them, with Bear and D.C. following close behind.

Unable to ignore the intimidating atmosphere, Alex rubbed her arms, suddenly cooler than before. Her eyes flicked over to Kaiden and Declan, both watching carefully, uncertain whether to stay or leave. Alex wasn’t sure either. Having them there was a comfort, if only for their neutrality, and part of her hoped they would stay. But another part wondered if she and her three closest friends needed privacy.

Again, the choice was made for her, since Jordan spoke before anyone could leave—Alex included.

“Enjoyed your day playing tourist?”

Alex blanched at his tone, one that showed he hadn’t cooled down—at all.

“Not particularly,” she managed to say, somehow without her voice croaking. She didn’t know how he’d come to realise she wasn’t in her room, but his presumption that she’d gallivanted around all day ‘playing tourist’ stung.

Shaking off her offence, Alex asked, “Are you ready to talk to me now?”

“I was ready hours ago.You’rethe one who took off.”