Otherworld: A Son of Two Realms

Chapter 35: "The Fake Knight"

Rufus hadn't even unpacked. His clothes lay in an open suitcase on the guest room's dresser, despite the walk-in closet right next to it. But the closet door was shut.

"Careful," Rufus said, fishing a key out of his pockets. "That book was practically simmering with magic."

"But you said there's no magic on Earth."

Rufus shook his head as he unlocked the door. "Never underestimate Marcus. The book itself isn't magical. But it can somehow force open a portal from Guildron, like using a magnet to unlatch a door from the other side. I still can't wrap my head around it." He opened the door and switched on the light.

A sudden closeness took hold of Jack, as if the room had shrunk. The closet was empty, except for a dozen hangers on a pole and a black plastic tub on one of the built-in shelves.

Even though Jack couldn't see inside, he knew the book was in there. It wasn't through intuition or guess. It was the feeling he got when someone was right behind him. There was no sound or touch, only a tickling of the mind, an unidentifiable sense that something was different.

"You feel it, don't you?" Rufus said.

Jack's hand wanted to lift up and reach for the tub when Rufus suddenly shut the door. Jack blinked. He felt like the world had just skipped a beat. "What was that?"

"Cera, I think," Rufus said, shutting the door and locked it back. He placed the key in his right pants pockets. Jack wasn't sure why he noticed that. "I think he was able to locate Marcus through the book, using it like a kind of homing beacon. I told you the book could force open a portal from Guildron. I think Cera figured out how to exploit that from his end and Marcus didn't realize it until it was too late."

"He told me that Cera had found him," Jack said. "Right before..."

Rufus nodded.

"If that book is how Cera killed dad, why is it sitting in your closet? We should burn it!"

"Not yet," Rufus said. "I need to study it."

"Why?! Do you think Cera is going to ignore the fact that everyone saw me open the portal? Now he thinks I lied to him."

"I don't think he'll be able to find you the way he did Marcus. You were born on Earth so you don't exactly stand out as much as he did. You have to trust me on this."

"Maybe we shouldn't gamble my life on your opinion," Jack said, stepping toward the closet door.

Rufus moved to block him. "If Cera really wanted to kill you, he'd have done it already. I can't let anything happen to that book until I've had time to research it."

"Research?" Jack said, his voice rising. "What could you possibly hope to find?"

"A way home!" Rufus shouted. "You of all people should understand that."

Before Jack could shout back, he understood. "Oh."

With a deep breath, Rufus stepped away from the door and leaned against the dresser. "Cera was completely unprepared for you to stumble through the portal like you did. But now he knows what to expect. If I open that book, he'll feel it and he'll track me down. I need to figure out a way to go through undetected. I think there's a way but I need time to figure it out."

"Of course," Jack said, too embarrassed to look at him. "You miss your home."

"Terribly."

After three days in Guildron, the stomach-churning dread of knowing he might never return home had nearly hollowed Jack out. Every morning since, he still woke up terrified that his return to Earth had just been a dream.

"Your father and I had very different experiences here," Rufus continued, his gaze growing distant. "I was in an airport in Brussels when I saw the first War of the Roads on sale."

Jack could hear that there was more behind the words. "What happened between you two?"

As if for the first time, Rufus noticed his clothes lying haphazardly on his suitcase and started folding them up. "I was in Brussels because I'd lost contact with Riker and was trying to track him down. I'd also heard about a coven of witches in Ireland and still thought someone on this planet might know magic. Needless to say, that was a dead end. But when I saw the book, I realized Marcus had given up. I flew to America and confronted him." He paused. "Some words were exchanged. Traitor. Coward. Bastard."

"And dad didn't respond well?"

Rufus huffed. "He threw me out. I tried to keep searching on my own but eventually wound up in South Africa with no money and no hope of ever getting off this planet. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a job when you've never seen a keyboard and you think that cell phones are enchanted stones?"

"What did you do?"

"I'm part of a..." Rufus twirled his fingers, searching for the right word. "A historical re-enactment dinner theater. We joust and spar and pretend to kill one another while tourists eat Cornish hens with their hands."

Despite his best effort, Jack's mouth curved into a smile. "You work at a Renaissance Fair?"

"I've never understood that title," Rufus said, stuffing his clothes into the dresser drawers. "It's more Dark Ages than Renaissance. And when I was a squire, I don't recall having to pose for selfies with tourists after a fight. The pay is crap but I eat descent and sleep indoors so I can't really complain, although I do."

In Jack's mind, he saw Rufus dressed in a suit of armor, as families snapped photos with him.

"You're imagining it, aren't you?" Rufus said, crossing his arms.

Jack struggled to stop smiling. "It's just very ironic."

"Cruelly ironic," Rufus said. "But I guess it's not a problem anymore. I missed the Sunday matinee by about..." He looked at his watch. "A week."

"You can stay here. I'm sure it's okay."

"Well, it is your house."

Jack laughed but then realized Rufus was right. Ward Manor belonged to him.

A week ago, Jack had been imagining every possible way to get away from Marcus's shadow, even if it meant separating himself from Marcus's fortune. Student loans, late night studying, endless resumés and job applications. Even though he still had no idea what he wanted to do with his life, Jack was honestly excited to figure it out.

But now he didn't have to any of that. Not if he wanted.

Rufus could see the sudden onslaught of realization in Jack's eyes. "I'm sorry. I know this is a lot of information all at once."

"Actually, with the week I've had, this is a pretty normal amount of information all at once."

Rufus closed the dresser drawers. "You need to get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Jack nodded and followed Rufus out of the room, glancing over his shoulder at the closet door as he left.