Part 18 (2/2)
Dominic blinked. A small smile played on his lips.
”I underestimated you,” he said. ”You are more like your mother than your father than I thought. I will help you.”
Sasha was perplexed by his remark. She was nothing like her father. He and Hannah were very alike. No one had ever thought she was like her dad.
Sasha thought Dominic was sad. It was as if he were distressed that she was her mother's daughter.
”Thank you for your help,” she said. It was best to be gracious.
”I don't think you'll be thanking me when this is all done,” he said turning away and opening the pantry. ”The quest you are on is practically impossible.”
Neither Sasha nor Evan responded. She wasn't surprised by Dominic's dour demeanor. Her mother had been equally negative about going to Tysseland. Sasha saw no choice. If the talisman was the key to the curse then she had to destroy it to be free.
Instead of cans of food in the cupboard, there were bottles of substances Sasha didn't recognize. Dominic took out a black candle, a slim stick and baggie of grey foul smelling powder.
”What is that?” she said turning her face away.
”Bones,” he said not elaborating. ”Come outside.”
As they went into the backyard he explained what they needed to do. The queen had a secret room in the castle where she stored her most prized possessions. He didn't know where it was, had only heard rumors of its existence. It was likely it would be guarded or have magical protections.
”Didn't my mother tell you where it was? She lived in the castle didn't she?” Sasha asked.
”Yes but Vania didn't start her collection until after Willow Bean left. Vania had always been dark. She perfected a new kind of evil after her daughter abandoned her. That's almost 30 years ago. Much has happened that we don't know about.”
Dominic said he was sending them to a portal master like himself, Glenbury. Except, Dominic wasn't sure he was still alive. Glenbury hadn't opened a portal since Willow Bean returned from Tysseland with the pendant.
”He lives in a rundown shack, ” he said. ”You can't miss it. I'll send you as close to where he used to live as I can.”
”Glenbury is key,” he said. ”You won't be able to come back without him.”
Evan and Sasha exchanged worried glances. Worry flared in her heart. Was she doing the right thing? She clamped down on her panic. There was no time for second guessing. Evan didn't look scared as he focused intently on Dominic.
Dominic gave Sasha a small white pebble with the inscription of two symbols. It was smooth and cold in her hand.
”Don't lose this,” he said. ”This is your time and place.”
Sasha wanted to ask questions but she was afraid to distract Dominic. He walked to a secluded spot in the yard where two large boulders and a stone bench made a triangular shape. Dominic laid the candle in the gra.s.s in the middle of the triangle and poured the stinky powder around the perimeter.
”Stand inside,” he said waving his hand to the s.p.a.ce between the rocks and the bench.
”Wait,” Sasha said suddenly seized with panic. ”What are you going to tell my mother?”
Dominic didn't look at her when he answered. He continued to putter around the triangle.
”Nothing unless you don't return,” he said. ”I'll leave it up to you to explain to your mother why you defied her orders.”
”She may come looking for me,” Sasha warned. ”She's supposed to be finding me a place to hide.”
Dominic gazed at Sasha intently.
”Time here is not the same as there,” he said. ”You won't be gone long, trust me.”
Dominic bent over and lit the candle. Before Sasha could say anything he dropped a leather pouch in her hand. The heavy contents clinked together.
”Remember,” he said frowning. ”Vania cannot be trusted. She's not your grandmother. She's the monster who put a death spell on you.”
”Wait,” Sasha said urgently as Dominic held out the thin stick and began muttering a spell. He ignored her and walked around the perimeter of the triangle, head bent in concentration.
Evan wrapped his arms around Sasha's shoulders and pulled her to him. He pressed his lips to her ear as her vision dimmed.
”We'll be fine,” he said. His voice echoed in her head as the light of the day disappeared and she was staring into an inky blackness. She couldn't feel Evan's arms anymore and twirled around to find him.
”Evan? Evan?” she yelled frantically as she searched for him in the darkness. Before her panic could consume her, she was pulled through a vortex of wind that yanked her from side to side and then expelled her with a push forward.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
As Sasha was ejected from the portal, she staggered and fell to her knees. Her surroundings were suddenly bright and blinding. She shaded her eyes but couldn't see Evan and didn't know where she was.
She was supposed to be in Tysseland if Dominic got the directions correct. She was able to inspect her surroundings once her eyes adjusted to the light. She saw Evan crumpled on the ground.
She ran over to him as he rolled to his side and retched.
”That was rough,” he rasped. He swallowed a few times before getting to his unsteady feet. ”I did not like that.”
”Hopefully,” she said, noting where she landed, ”we'll only have one more ride home and then we are done with magic and Tysseland forever.”
They were in a small field beside a ramshackle house. It had peeling paint and a sagging roof. Sasha couldn't tell if it was occupied.
The area was a combination of fields and forest. The field where Sasha stood contained beautiful purple and yellow flowers intertwined with menacing green weeds. The occasional red poppy glittered as if it were made of gems.
There was a dilapidated farm stand by a dirt road that ran in front of the house. The dirt road disappeared into a thick forest with redwood like trees that soared into the sky.
Why was everything in such bad shape? Sasha didn't know what to expect from Tysseland. So far everything appeared run down surrounded by beautiful nature. She wasn't impressed by the dichotomy; it seemed odd. Perhaps that was appropriate for an alternate world only accessible via portal.
”I need water,” Evan said rubbing his throat.
”Ok, let's go,” she said holding his arm as they walked toward the house. They moved slowly as Evan was shaky, tripping over exposed roots and rocks. At one point he slumped to the ground.
”I'm sorry,” he said. ”I feel so weak. That trip drained me.”
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