The pact

Chapter 10

The train sways and rattles through the night, but Milady cannot sleep. She stares out the dark window. How did they end up here? On their way to a mythical, potentially unstable wizard, she isn't even sure exists, to ask for help to undo the worst mess she's ever got herself into. Together with Lucy, who still doesn't know why she's here...

She glances at her. She's so small, huddled up on her seat, her head resting against the window, snoring softly. Milady turns away. Don't think about it. It's for the best, they need her. There is no other way.

The dark landscape whirls past her. It wasn't as if she thought crossing the worlds would be easy. She always knew it might go wrong, but she always imagined that they would be able to handle it. Between the two of them, she and Gullvi had always found a way. But she's not sure they will this time.

Once Lucy fell asleep, she went through every single book in her library. But they all told her the same thing. The spells had been cast correctly; the ritual space duly prepared. Had it been the invocation? Calling the powers meant weighing every word and, without using their names because that would mean a death sentence to reveal them to the Guardians, she'd written something that she'd thought was foolproof. But maybe it hadn't been in the end? At least it wasn't Lucy that was at fault. The guardians had accepted them but had taken Gullvi instead. Why? And why couldn't she close the portal?

She shifts, disturbed thoughts creeping up on her. What if they won't make it? What if they won't be able to close the portal? The books, unsurprisingly, lack a troubleshooting section and all she is left with is the hope that they will find a solution before it spirals out of control. Good luck with that.

They only have this alleged legendary magician. The elusive mythical creature that, for all she knows, might just as well be someone who ate too many mushrooms and never came out on the other side. Why isn't there a manual for this? She sighs and, for the umpteenth time, chucks up her jacket as a pillow, and closes her eyes, trying to sleep. But no sleep comes, only images from yesterday.

It hadn't been difficult to find Lucy, a simple trace spell had led her to her. It had been tricker to convince her to come with her. But they needed her. She'd hoped that if she was honest, Lucy would see that she had nothing to hide, and she would trust her again. She didn't tell her the real reason she had to come with them, though.

It is true that the shadow beings will come after them, but it is Milady and Gullvi that they will aim for. Lucy will simply be a gateway. Her nightmares showed they were still around and the veil would be thin until they managed to close the portal. But the shadow beings are not the real issue. Lucy has a part to play in closing the portal, banning the Shadow Man, and finding the answers to what happened. Milady just doesn't know what part yet.

Lucy's tear-stained face floats by and she opens her eyes. No, that's simply how it is living on the street. She isn't the first to be tricked as a rookie, nor will she be the last. Milady eventually learned the rules of the street and taught the ones around her to not fuck with her, but not before getting bruised. It would be the same for Lucy. The faster she learnt that, the easier her life would be. But the image of Lucy crying on the ground won't leave her.

She must have dozed off in the end, because she wakes up to the conductor announcing they will arrive at their destination shortly. Lucy is awake, she's leaning against the window, staring out at the suburbs coming into view. She doesn't look at Milady as she stirs and when the conductor announces they need to prepare to disembark, she simply waits for Milady to get up and follows her out. They will change trains here, and in a couple of hours, they will be in the Wizard's town.

She offers Lucy a sandwich while they are waiting, and she takes it without a word. Shortly after, the train arrives and Milady takes her backpack and Lucy follows her onboard.