The Fragile Tower - Book 1 of the No.1 magical fantasy series

The Fragile Tower Chapter 7 - One Moonlit Night

Grace lay still in her bed, her ears straining to catch every movement her mother made in the next room. Dad had flaked out at nine, and it was just Ma who had paced the house until eleven before climbing the stairs. But even upstairs, she had gone on prowling restlessly, apparently climbing into bed and then getting up to fetch water, or use the bathroom, or find a book. 

She had been like this all day, and Grace understood it. She would have been the same without the knowledge that she was about to do more than wait. Ma had started a dozen conversations she then stopped attending to, and half-cleaned several areas of the house aggressively, before picking up her car keys at three o'clock and declaring that Grace should go to kick-boxing as usual.

Dad, just back in from another round of questioning the neighbours, had protested that Grace was exhausted. But Grace herself had been eager to go. Everything was ready for the evening by then, and she would never be able to sleep if she went back to bed. She was too anxious – and too excited, as well. And she was glad that she'd gone once she was there, her legs and her hands moving rapidly to hit the pads. It calmed her, and reminded her that she wasn't defenceless.

Grace glanced anxiously at her bedside clock. 23:19. She willed her mother to settle down.

Go at midnight, Mr. Fredrickson had told her. It won't be easy for you the first time you travel, so do it at the easiest time.

How do I know the easiest time?

Look at the number on the disc. It tells you, here. The number twelve below the full moon. So that means you go at midnight when the moon is full up until it's at the next phase...

She glanced at the large backpack where she'd hidden it under her desk, and went over in her mind the things Mr. Fredrickson had told her to bring with her.

He had listed it all for her, while they sat in two upright leather armchairs in front of his stove in the back room. He had made her write it all down, too, in a notebook he took from his stock-room.

Food and water for three days' travel.

Once you're in the kingdom, you'll be able to buy more. This is just for the first day and the day when you and Benjamin have to make your way back.

She liked the confidence in his voice when he said that, as if there were no doubt in the world that she'd be able to bring him back. She'd tried to write it down just as confidently. He had asked her if she could buy it for herself, or take it from her parents' supplies, and she had nodded, already planning meals that didn't weigh too much.

She looked at the clock again. 23:22. Her father was snoring now. There were no further footsteps from her mother. Perhaps she was in bed now.

Money.

She had blushed slightly. I think I'd use most of it up on the food-

Not dollars, copper marks.

He had stood and gone to a little cupboard beside the room's one window. He reached in and pulled out a varnished box, which he brought over and placed on the dark wooden coffee-table. He opened it on dozens of little leather pouches, and he took one out and loosened the draw-string to show her a handful of bright orangey coins which reminded her of newly minted pennies.

The currency in the Kingdom is copper-based. Gold and silver, pewter and bronze, in fact most of the metals we consider to be valuable, are unstable there. They can carry magic, so they can be modified to multiply or to vanish and return to their original owner after payment. But copper won't carry possibility.