Midnight Wonders

6.0.7. Midnight

Cora, Tristan, and Annabel waited at the door. Cora was still in sheep form, still in Tristan's arms. He said they should wait to turn her back just in case something happened and they were caught. Cora didn't protest because she liked staying in Tristan's arms. She thought he liked it, too.

"Are they coming?" Tristan asked, looking down the sloping hills.

"They're coming," said Annabel. Cora craned her neck around Tristan to look, but she couldn't see what he was seeing from where she was in his arms. Ah, well. Some sacrifices had to be made.

"Should we wait for them?" Tristan said. He sounded agitated. Cora put her head against his arm, and he looked down at her. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, and he spoke directly to Cora: "I want to get you home as soon as possible."

Cora wished she could speak. Well, she could. But she would only sound like a sheep, and sheep speak was not very useful in the moment. Tristan looked at Annabel, and Cora wasn't looking at her so wasn't sure what her expression held, but it seemed to be unspoken suggestion or permission, for Tristan nodded.

"All right," said Tristan. "I suppose I should actually get to doing that, then." Gently, he lowered Cora to the ground. Cora unfolded herself out of his arms, feeling a bit like she'd been rejected. But Tristan smiled at her, so it was all right. He pulled out the wand (it was just a stick, but Cora supposed that was what wands were. She was going to go around calling all sticks outside wands; that would just make life so much more magical) and tapped her three times on the head. She barely felt it, he was so light.

Like before, the transformation was a bit...underwhelming. Cora blinked and she was back to how she'd been before. She only had to look up a little bit to meet Tristan's gaze. "So," she said slowly.

Tristan nodded. "Goodbye," he said.

Cora didn't say anything for a moment. It felt unfair. She felt annoyed at herself for what she'd done earlier, right before the initial transformation. She was certainly going to remember that forever, but what did it matter if she went back outside again and never saw Tristan again? "Why can't I ever see you again?" she said aloud.

Tristan blinked at her. "I mean," he said, "you're meant to be outside. Your home is outside and mine is here."

"So is Emma's and I saw her outside," said Cora. "So is Annabel's but she's outside sometimes too."

"In my case, it's what I do," Annabel said. She paused. "Well. I suppose a bit of it is for Emma too."

Tristan sighed. "Cora. You'll forget eventually. Remember? Remember that you'll forget. That's why we didn't go the first time. It's better to forget, you know. So you'll have no reason to return."

"Forgetting didn't work the first time," Cora said. "Even without Symphora and all that. I went. Luc went. We walked. Because we knew. We went back here because we knew."

"You don't belong here." For some reason that stung.

"I don't know where I belong," Cora said. "But it wants us here—the hill, or maybe the Rowan. Something. I don't know if I do belong outside because I tried, and then the memory of here became so I could not."

Tristan just looked at her. He glanced at Annabel for help, but Annabel only shrugged.

"Why do you get to remember and I don't?" Cora said.

Tristan stared at her. "It hurts to remember things, you know."

"I want to remember things and hurt," she said, "because I'll know I had them before. I won't forget any time I look at Emma or Annabel again. And they're not going to stay here, right?" She looked at Annabel for confirmation.

"I am the Collector," Annabel said, by way of answer. "Emma likes being outside, too. She doesn't have a job, but she does feel she has a duty with what she does."

"And I still have a duty here," Tristan said.

"And I?" said Cora. She didn't really have a duty...anywhere. Well, here, she did. She had a duty that she was leaving behind, because she didn't want to die. But then she was going outside where she was certain to die. She supposed her duty outside was to live. Maybe she had a duty to be independent after so long with Luc doing so much for her. If she was supposed to be independent maybe Tristan couldn't be there. Would she rely on him? She already was. "The world doesn't make sense," she said.

"Little things do," said Tristan. "We can't expect the big things to as well."

"I want you to come with me," Cora said. "That makes sense."

"I know," said Tristan. He looked at Annabel for help again. "But if I go then Symphora will realize she can just go out here and take you again."

"I'll call the police and report her for kidnapping," Cora said.

Tristan was still looking at Annabel.

"You think in such absolutes," was all Annabel had to say.

Tristan was silent for a moment. "You never tried to stop me before."

"I didn't think much about it before," Annabel said. "But since Emma has been going in and out I've started to think about it."

Tristan stared at her. Then, slowly, he turned back to Cora.

"Do you want to watch Cinderella with me?" she said.

Tristan smiled. "I'm coming with you," he said. "I'll watch it with you"

Cora's heart soared. It sang—she could almost hear the music again. "Okay, the door!" she said. "Annabel, the—"

Annabel gestured with a flourish to the mirrored wall. At some point she'd opened it; Cora hadn't even heard her say anything or seen her open it, because it hadn't been there before. It looked dark in the space. "Quickly, then, since we're supposed to be in a rush." She smiled.

Cora paused. "Wait, are you coming too?"

"Well, I'm not waiting for the wrath of Symphora," she said. "Come on, come on!"

"All right, all right!" Cora said. She went over to the door and peered into the darkness. It wasn't really dark—there was faint light somewhere from above. There were indeed stairs, with railings on either side. "Convenient!" Cora said, reaching for the rails. She glanced behind her at Tristan, pausing. He looked up at her, face bright despite the darkness. He smiled again. "Don't..." Cora didn't know what to say. "Don't be too long." Then, before she lost her nerves, she turned and ran up the stairs.