Paige and the Quest for Truth: Book 2 in the series

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Chapter 1

Pain exploded in Paige's head. She backed up several steps, and ran again, full force, into the wall. This was the fourth library she had tried this month, looking for an open portal. Without a key, she was stuck looking the hard way.

Marcus refused to give her a key, saying she was "unstable" and "reckless." He said she needed to let Billie go. That we won, and Billie didn't sacrifice herself only to have Paige spiral out of control. Searching for Billie was the only thing keeping her going. Everyone told her that Billie was gone, that Earth and everything ever erased was gone. She should move on, grieve, and get on with her life.

Grief, though, wasn't an overnight guest. No, grief took its time, moved in, got cozy on the couch. It overstayed its welcome and escaped into her head no matter how many times she tried to lock it away.

After it was clear that there was no portal near here, Paige sat down, an overturned milk crate digging into her flesh. She put her head in her hands, defeated.

The Protectors had stranded her on another iteration of Earth, almost identical to the one she was from. Well, not from, exactly, but had thought she was from. Bellasonder was her world, not that she ever really knew it. Yes, her memory wards had been removed, but she still held some residual damage from the process. From what she did remember of her life before, there were mostly curfews, hiding, and violence. Not much time for exploring.

There were other versions of Bellasonder, but Marcus felt that she was more accustomed to Earth culture. Surely it had nothing to do with the fact that Marcus and Thaddeus had been stationed here.

They tried to help her. They worked so hard, even putting her into therapy. Marcus failed to take into account that her story sounded impossible. Erased worlds, traveling through portals, and fighting ghostly bad guys? She didn't blame them for thinking she was crazy. Hell, she might agree with them. That didn't stop her from throwing herself at every wall she thought could contain a portal. It was stupid, she knew that.

On top of it all, Marcus proposed to Thaddeus a few weeks ago. Paige was happy for them, she really was. When they kissed, held hands, or were generally all lovey-dovey, it tore her apart. She plastered a smile on her face and tried her best to keep all the broken pieces together.

This whole thing was stupid, Billie being gone. She had tried to go along with the therapy. Talk about Billie and leave out all the fantasy bits, but it only made her angrier. Angry with Billie for sacrificing herself. Angry with the protectors for erasing her memory, for stranding her here, for causing all of this.

So she ran. Not far, but never stopping long enough to breathe. She started skipping her therapy sessions. Using her newfound free time to search for every library in the area. Time and time again, she came up empty-handed. She was staying with Marcus and Thaddeus in the city. It didn't matter what city, she didn't even know the name. As soon as she found the means, she would find a way to Billie if she was still alive. If she was still...somewhere. She had a plan, and it had nothing to do with 'accepting reality' or whatever her therapist had said.

She planned to find a key, maybe buy one on the black market, if there was a magical black market. That was all Paige needed. Only that, and to rescue her dead girlfriend. Not dead... missing. She couldn't let her brain go to that place. Giving up wasn't an option. The slippery slope of acceptance was somewhere she didn't want to be. Not if she was going to save Billie. Billie would do the same if the situation were reversed. Billie had saved her, several times over.

Paige was sitting on a cement floor in a dirty library basement. Her head ached, and nothing she had done so far would bring Billie back.

She didn't know where to go from here. Actually, she did. She had to go to the dress shop and pick up her outfit for the wedding. As unfair as it seemed, people die. People die, and there are still errands to do. Life goes on. Billie is...Billie is gone, and life keeps going.