Legacy to Zero

40: New Territory

Harlow

"There." Mom stopped beside me, cross-legged and surrounded by a circle of flattened ground where my house used to be. Grass tickled my ankles even through my pants. The wind blew at just the right angle for it to comb my hair from my face like my mother had done just moments prior. "Now there's nothing."

"There is something," I said.

Magic raced across the open field, leaving frost in her wake. She had come slowly at first—the way the sun poked its head over the horizon before it broke out. Now, she hung over me. Waiting for me to get back on my feet.

"Genevieve went with Revel." Mom crouched next to me. "I sent them to find somewhere for us to stay."

I patted my bag-cloak. Somewhere else for us to live. That was what she meant.

I scraped myself off the ground to follow her. She didn't speed up as we walked to the riverside, where the last carved boat rocked in the waves. I shot one last glance at the Rift before stepping into the boat and toward the city before me.

"I think it's better if we move inward," I said.

"Make ourselves known." Mom rowed us to the other side with ease.

Jordan was by the trees beside me as he said, "We're bringing the supplies wherever you want. Then we rebuild."

And with that, we set off to the inner ring of Haryun. Straight ahead was the middle of the city, in the upper corner of the wooded areas intersected by pathways. The polytechnic was nestled below where the roads crossed—shrouded in the buildings and sunlight. Prismatrix HQ's stained glasses shone from my left.

That was what I chose. Magic settled over the dozens of sorcerers working.

"I can still hide you, but the squadrons will come if they see us," Jordan said.

I figured. "Let them come." As long as Lars held to his end of the deal, we'd be fine. And I didn't doubt that.

In front of me, the teenagers were spinning in circles, evidently taking in the world that had appeared around them. One of them shouted to me, asking where we were staying overnight.

I pointed to the mall. "There's housing under there."

"What is that? It's such a long house..."

I chewed on my lip. "It's a city contained." They were Lars' words to me when I asked the same question shortly after we'd first met. Then, of course, we'd gone to the mall together so he could watch my confusion, and I could watch his flippancy. I turned to my mother. "Can you—"

"Of course." She stepped over the wooden planks to show the sorcerers the way. "I'll show you."

As they headed out, Revel set out a makeshift tent for the rest of us. It was like one of River's dimensions—small on the outside, yet wide enough to hold the dozens of us once I entered.

"You're doing fine," Revel assured me.

I just gave her a brisk nod. She was the one who didn't want to tell them. And she had every reason not to. She was only fine with it while I was feeding her joy.