Twilit Mage

Chapter 41: Returning

"Georgiana," Mercury whispered, watching in horror as the weapon melted and dissolved on the ground in front of her. "Georgiana...the sword–"

Georgiana didn't answer. She was disheveled, her shoulders rising and falling with rapid, frantic breaths. Her eyes were locked on the ground, wide and livid and horrified even as thousands of rapid thoughts were moving over her face.

"Very well," she said at last, her voice quiet but steady. "We surrender."

Mercury gave a gasp. "What–?"

"We can't win against you," Georgiana said a little louder. "Take us back."

"But–"

"It's all right, Mercury." Georgiana put on a slight smile, but the bitterness, the frustration and betrayal were written plainly in her face. "This fight was impossible to win from the beginning. It's best to go back."

"Very well."

Nero lowered his heads, closing his eyes and furrowing his brows to look almost regretful, monstrous dog form and everything. "Thank you for cooperating," he said. "I will take you back to the Otherworld now. From there you can use whatever means of transportation you like, I'll walk beside you to stop you if you try to go back to Paige & Turner."

Georgiana narrowed her eyes. "You won't force us? Why?"

"My instructions only said to take you back. I don't think it's necessary to force you two any further."

Mercury glanced back and forth between them. She didn't know what to say. Part of her still wanted to keep fighting, part of her refused to give up and go back when they had been trying so hard, when Georgiana had been so desperate to get into the archive. But if even Georgiana herself was telling her it was no use, what was she supposed to do?

"Okay," she said quietly, trying to give an encouraging smile. "Let's go."

~ ~ ~

Nero's portal to the Otherworld had barely closed behind them when Georgiana stopped short in her tracks, her knees threatening to buckle underneath her.

She had been trying to keep it together at Paige & Turner, just long enough to convince Mercury it really was all right to go back, but on the inside she had been shaking, panicking, every part of her mind screaming and thrashing and refusing to acknowledge anything. She barely knew how to name her emotions. Fear. Anger. Betrayal. Confusion. Frustration. Dread. All those words were part of it, and yet none of them managed to encompass the tiniest part of what she truly felt.

She had found out nothing. Nothing. None of the truths, the information she had come here for, no hints, nothing. She still didn't know anything. Except...that apparently she had known nothing.

Sullivan Blake. Sullivan Blake had sent his familiar after them. Sullivan Blake was hiding something from them, and she didn't know what. Something important enough to trick and trap them like this. Something...that had to do with the information they had come for, whatever that meant.

Mercury's words replayed in her head. You can't jump to conclusions. She shouldn't suspect him. But...it made so much sense. He had been the one to bring Mercury and Raoul into this school. His familiar had been present for the perfume incident. No, his familiar had apparently been monitoring them. And now this...

What was happening?

Who could she trust?

What was fake? And...what was real?

What should she do?

She hated this. This uncertainty. This helplessness that came with not knowing something for sure, not understanding and not being able to find a solution. Every part of her wanted to do something, anything. But until she knew what was right and what was wrong, how could she trust herself to make a good decision at all?