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“The Between is a prison,” Jack said.
“I knew that.”
Jack held up a copper finger. “It’s a prison for one being, and only one. There wasn’t a name, just a title: the Empress, but if I read it right, she’s one of the elven goddesses, or more like a primordial power.”
“Yeah, they worship those,” Adam said. “Sort of.”
“What does it mean?” Daff said.
“She’s their creator. She made them, and their world. She made Alfheimr. The Between too.”
“Why would they lock her away?” Daff asked.
“Because she’s someone who can edit reality,” Adam said. “She can grant wishes.”
“And if she can create worlds . . .” Jack mused.
“Then she can destroy them.”
30
Adam sat with the news for a moment. Well, he stood. There weren’t any chairs in the broom closet. He would have leaned against the wall, but the school might take offense.
“What do you want to do?” Jack asked.
“Keep this to yourself,” Adam said. “Both of you.”
“Adam . . .” Jack started.
“I know, information should be free and all of that, but this is dangerous, and I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”
“Which is why it should be free,” Jack argued. “If everyone knows, the risk dissipates. They can’t come after all of us.”
“Can you let me think about it before you rent a billboard?”
“I was going to post about it, but okay.”
Adam started to take off the watch.
“Keep it,” Daff said. “It will help keep you safe and help us with our work.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Adam walked to the door and whispered to it, requesting his destination.
“Where are you going?” Jack asked.
“To do what I just asked you not to.”
The door clicked, and Adam stepped through to the Watchtower of the North.
He’d asked the school to bring him to Silver, who was apparently back at the pool.
The king swam the lap, one end to the other, kicking off the side. If he’d noted Adam’s presence, he didn’t let it interfere with his swim.
After a while, he stepped out of the pool, shedding water like he had before, but Adam wasn’t really looking at him. He was thinking of who he’d been, all those years ago, when he’d had purple hair and called himself Perak, which he now knew meant silver in Malay, because the elves were subtle and Adam had been a bit of an idiot about things like that.
“Did you want to join me?” Silver waved at the water.
