Spurned Queen

Chapter 23: Ma'lak

Lexi

We ran.

Or, more precisely, I ran with my wolf speed and dragged Rowan's hand with me. We tore through the downpour, not pausing or hesitating, just putting one foot ahead of the other. I made a sharp halt at one of the pink houses' back door. I shoved Rowan inside and slammed the door behind us in one frantic movement. I was still shaking from what we had seen.

"What was that?" Rowan panted.

"That was the reason I didn't want to bring you here!" I snapped angrily. "It's way too dangerous. I've never seen anything like that before, this shit is terrifying."

Rowan glared at me as I leaned back on the door and tried to catch my breath. "Don't change the subject. You know I'm asking why the hell you decided to get yourself involved!!? You killed one of them! Why? What if you were seen and the thing is reported?"

"She was a child—"

"So?!" he cut me off. "She was a child who, unsurprisingly, was being chased by the authorities. What happened to her was none of your business. How do you know helping her was the right thing to do?"

"They were performing experiments on her. He called her a specimen, Rowan, a number! A statistic, for fuck's sake!"

"All I need to know is why you would compromise this mission, for her! You don't know her! And I'm betting that our world would be more important to you than one girl!"

"It was an impulse decision," I decided. "At the moment, when I saw that fire, I just had to protect her. That's it."

"You said yourself how deadly this place is, you don't go making impulse decisions!"

"Stop, Rowan! I get it okay, we need this mission to work out. But please stop judging me for helping a laboratory victim. Let's just hope I don't get caught for it— and even if I do, I'll deal with it. I don't regret what I did."

"You might... if this costs us our home."

I turned to him in rage.

"Melody!"

We broke out of the argument, Rowan surviving by the timing of the interruption.

"Ma'lak," I greeted.

Simultaneously, we brought two fingers to our brows and swept them outwards as a salute.

"Well child, I wasn't expecting you back so soon. I was pleasantly surprised when your presence was felt in my house," said Ma'lak.

"How long was I gone?" I asked curiously.

"Not a day over a week," he informed.

I laughed. "Well here I am now. I hope I'm welcome. The weather is miserable."

"Of course you are," said the old warlock warmly. "And I'm glad to see that you finally found yourself a companion. He's welcome too," he added, glancing pointedly at my hand which still rested in Rowan's.

I blushed, embarrassed, and let go of Rowan's hand. Before I could refute his idea, he clapped his hands once.

"Well, then," he said briskly, "since you're here, how about cleaning up and getting into some dry clothes. We will meet in my office in half an hour, after which the rest is to be determined. Now if you will excuse me, I have a class to be teaching."

With that, he snapped his fingers. A small ball of aquamarine light appeared, and he smiled before bustling away.

"What is this?" asked Rowan, studying the floating ball.

"It's an orb," I replied, forgetting my anger. No use being mad at my partner; not out here. "It'll take us wherever he wants us to go."

We followed it accordingly and I was glad to see that he had the delicacy to give us separate rooms to prepare in. Freshly bathed and clad in flowing white robes, we met again in the corridors, still following the orb.

"I wonder how they make these walls opaque," Rowan mused. "They appear translucent at first glance."

"Glamour," I chuckled.

The orb disappeared into a door. I knocked.

"Come in!"

We emerged into a large, nearly empty room. One wall was an air shield which looked like a window with raindrops splashing on it, showing nothing beyond but a grey expanse. In the center of the room was a fire pit with cushioned steps leading down to it. Here Ma'lak lounged, awaiting us.

He waved us over and we sat down.

"Ah, Melody," beamed Ma'lak. "Welcome back, again, to Vayana School, my humble residence."

Not so humble, Lattis snorted.

"And thank you, again," I smiled, ignoring her. "This is Rowan, my— er— colleague. From our world."

"Of course he's from your world. I can see it on his aura. A mind reader, huh?"

"Thank you for accommodating us," said Rowan smoothly, bowing his head.

"Well now that we all know each other," I said cutting off the pleasantries, "I need your help. I want an audience with the kings. Gather at least five for me, as quickly as possible."

"Gather? Quickly?" Ma'lak laughed. "How impossible. The kings of Ythinca spend all their time snatching territories from each other, throwing feasts to celebrate victories, or calling councils to plan war strategy. What will come of an invite for a royal meeting?"

"Well I came to you because I imagined that if anyone could help me, it would be you."

"Why do you want to speak with them?"

"Earth is experiencing a crisis. The whole dimension will be destroyed if matters are left as they are. I will take all willing with me back to Earth. However, I need the consent of the kings first."

"Why would I help you?"

"For the same reason everyone else would," answered Rowan. "If this threat is deadly enough to obliterate our plane, what's to prevent it from coming here and laying waste to this one too?"

"That's what you'll tell the kings?" Ma'lak said doubtfully.

"If they spend so much time discussing war strategy," Rowan mentioned, "they'll know that it's better to meet a threat halfway than to wait until it attacks your home."

Ma'lak narrowed his eyes at Rowan. "How big does this army need to be?" he asked.

"Too big," replied the younger warlock. "A single kingdom cannot provide it. If it did, it would be swallowed by the others in the absence of its main fighting force."

Ma'lak glanced between us, sitting poised on his couches with matching deadpan expressions.

"And what do you plan on doing meanwhile?"

I leaned back casually. "Earn our keep.  Teach your students what we can while you do what we're asking."

"Which is?"

"Get us an appointment with the kings. Start up a rumor about a parallel realm that needs saving from a mutual threat. Oh, and I hope the economy is balanced. If this works out, it will need to be. Go on, pull sone strings, call in some favors."

"Like you're doing with me," he pointed out.

I hid a secret smirk. "Well? Can you do it?"

Ma'lak straightened his back. "Give me one week."