I did say ish.
It could see, though. Either the hollow sockets were also an illusion, or it had sonar or something. The boatman had looked right at me.
My dad was definitely a showboat. A real flair for theater, he had.
“How are you doing?” I asked Darius.
Still standing, he thought.
Yikes. I wondered if it was as bad as Dizzy’s spell breaking his hands. I didn’t want to ask for fear it was worse. I really did put the guy through hell. I’d have to get him a fruit basket or blood bag or something after this was all through. Maybe a back rub.
“How about now?” I asked, not advancing toward the boat just yet.
“I’m fine now. It feels the same here as in the edges. There is also still air. I wonder if that will change.”
I did, too. Why else would I have inherited the ability to survive without breathing?
“That fog must be what keeps people out.” Darius turned and studied the gray, stagnant mass. “It’s strong magic, like the illusion anchored to this place, but it’s still just magic. It can be worked around with enough power and skill.”
“Like…by mages, you mean?”
“Yes. Lucifer is mighty, but he is not untouchable. Neither is the elf royalty. I’ve seen them undone by an incredible dual-mage team. Brothers. Absolute naturals. Who, consequently, were banned from the Realm after their trick. They changed the layout of the castle. I don’t think anyone knew that could be done until that point. Natural mages such as those are extremely rare. Only a handful exist, that we know of, in the world. Form two naturals into a dual-mage team, and they could undo this fog, cracking this kingdom open like an egg.”
“Wow. Don’t dream really big, do you? Should I mention the flaw in your plan?” I paused for a beat, and when he didn’t answer, continued. “Mages can’t get through the gate to the edges.”
“Where there is a will, there is a way.”
“Right. Well, good luck with the whole supernatural world domination thing. Think those dual mages will help out?” I stared at the creature in the boat. It hadn’t turned our way, though our murmuring voices must’ve reached it. “Also, do you think that thing can hear us? If it has super hearing like a vampire, it might be able to make out what we were saying, and I doubt you want your plans foiled before you even begin.”
“It has not so much as twitched in our direction. And no, at this distance, with the muted quality of this place, and with how low we are speaking, it shouldn’t be able to hear us. Not that it will matter.”
Confident much? I had a feeling the other side of the river would cut that right out.
“That mage pair no longer exists,” Darius said, still not advancing. “One of them, the older of the brothers, died somewhere in Europe. He was on the council of the Mages’ Guild, but it’s rumored he didn’t like the direction the guild was going. He tried to amass support to reject certain changes. Soon after, he went on a business trip with a few of his followers. He never came back.”
“And his followers pled ignorance?”
“Only one follower lived. You can guess which position he now occupies.”
“Yikes. I barely know those crooked bastards, and I hate them.” I braced my hands on my hips, because I needed to make a move soon. I was stalling. I knew it, Darius must’ve known it, and the deaf-mute in the boat probably knew it. The faker.
“The younger brother, Emery, went off the grid after that. He went rogue. He pops up now and again, but when he disappears and doesn’t want to be found, he can’t be.”
I thought back, because this sounded familiar. “Is he a handsome guy?” Darius’s look darkened. I threw up my hands. “Not that I’m interested. I just remember Callie mentioning a powerful mage that was off-grid.”
“Why did she mention it to you?” Jealousy tinged his words, and I couldn’t help a laugh. Learning to feel again came with some unpleasant side effects, it would seem.
It occurred to me that the troubles in the magical world were much more strained than I’d originally thought. Each magical faction was at odds with another. I didn’t like that Darius was making plans to get involved, even if I knew he’d attempt to be stealthy. There was no way I wanted anything to do with any of that. I needed to keep my head down and get out of here without getting discovered, now more than ever.
After that, I could work on talking Darius into a nice, quiet life without demons and intensely powerful mages. I didn’t want to set off a magical war like a powder keg.
As always, that was easier said than done where it concerned me. I was a bad idea playing out at the best of times.
“So I could snap a picture if I ever saw him and pin it up on my wall. No biggie,” I said. “Anyway, let’s do this. We can’t stand here all day.”
Darius’s stare held mine for a moment before he finally tore his gaze away and directed it at the boat. “At some point,” he said, “one of these boats must be gone when someone arrives to use it.”
I walked forward. “Yeah, I don’t know how that works.” I hadn’t thought to look when I was messing with things. “We can ask Mr. Patient, there. Assuming he can hear at all.”
I stopped beside the boat, which did not bob or move. A rope attached to the side of the boat had been looped around a metal tie down on the dock, though maybe that, too, was just for show.
“Hi,” I said tentatively.
That was English, Darius thought.
I didn’t know how to speak the demonic language on cue. Or even if there was more than one.
“Can I have a ride?” I stuck my thumb out like an idiot before ripping it back down.
The creature in the boat continued to stare straight ahead.
I stepped into the boat. It rocked like I’d expect from a normal boat, and didn’t at all expect from the magical boat. My weight tilted it, sending me sprawling. I banged my knee on a wooden seat and fell against the side, getting splashed for my efforts.
I wiped away the water—which felt normal, if dirty—and sat up quickly. “My bad. I wasn’t expecting that.”
The creature continued staring straight ahead, right past me.
Darius stepped in a moment later, annoyingly graceful even when the boat pitched. He smoothly sat down.
The creature came to life, if that was what you would call it. Its head turned slowly until its eyeholes pointed at me.
“Who are you?” the creature asked in a flat, sandpaper voice.
“I am the egg man,” I said seriously.
Darius slightly shook his head. He probably also rolled his eyes.
“Egg man,” the creature said. Its head slowly turned to Darius. The suit wasn’t hiding him from the boat captain. “Who are you?”
Darius stared at him for a beat. “I am the walrus.”
I couldn’t help myself. I was a Beatles fan. “Goo goo g’joob.”