The sound of hinges creaking breaks the silence. I can’t see who it is because of the wall of mages, but one by one they start to move until there’s a pathway through them and what I see makes no sense at all. Zero sense in any universe.
“Eleanor?”
Jaak points his battle axe at her. “HA! I knew it! I knew it all along! I knew you were evil, you crustacean. I should have slain you when I had the chance!”
“Oh my gods. The whole crabs are evil scuttle thing was real.”
“Eleanor’s a crab?” Dina asks.
I look at Jaak and shake my head. “I am sorry I doubted you. I promise, if you ever want to behead another old woman I’ll support you. I love you.”
“That warms my heart to hear. I love you.”
Dina shakes her head. “That’s not as romantic as you both think it is.”
“Okay, she’s kind of right about that. Any old lady who scuttles though, you have a green light,” I amend and Jaak nods.
“Acceptable.”
The old woman walks towards me but she doesn’t seem so old anymore. The flitting way she moved before is back but there’s more power in it and the closer she gets to us the younger she becomes. When she comes to a stop in front of the mages she’s a beautiful woman with long curly blond hair. If I didn’t know better I’d say she was my age. She’s graceful and statuesque, the cardigan and wool skirt she was wearing before is gone. In its place is a sparkling golden gown and heels. She looks like a movie star.
Eleanor’s eyes move over us slowly. “So good to see you again,” she pauses and I don’t miss the way her gaze comes to Jaak, “Jaakobah, my servant. It has been far too long since I’ve looked upon you.”
“What?” I look at my husband and see he’s white as a sheet. He looks like he’s seen a ghost. “But if you’re his master then you’re-”
“A supreme being, perfect and wondrous in every way,” Eleanor stretches her hands over her head and grins. “Yes, I know. I’m impressive but Iama god. I bet you’ve never seen such a perfect being as me, have you, mortal?”
Jaak moves in front of me. “Do not speak to my wife, Eri. Your quarrel is with me.”
“I’m going by Eleanor now. It's classy, so get the name right.”
“Whatever your business here is, you can deal with me. There is no need to bring this world into it. Release your hold over these weak souls now.”
Eleanor pouts. “You have always been so particular about the women in your life. Always the protector, so valiant. That’s what I love about you. It’s always been your downfall, you know. You’re so easy to control by the ones you love. Why, all I have to do isthisand you’d come crawling to me on your knees, wouldn’t you?”
I can’t see what Eleanor is doing because of Jaak being in the way but I soon find out. Thethisis a searing pain that explodes in my head and I scream. I’ve never felt anything like this before. It’s like a white hot poker being shoved in my brain. I try to fight it, to throw up my magic against it but there’s no fighting it. Eri’s power cuts right through my defenses and into me.
“Meadow!” Jaak turns and holds me up when my legs almost give out. “Stop this, Eri!”
“I saidmy name is Eleanor!” she screams and the next thing I know Jaak is falling to his knees. He keeps a hold of me and I grab his hands as another scream rips through me. I can barely see anything, my vision is wrong. It’s like I’m looking at the world through broken glass. “Now crawl!”
“Stop it!” Dina tries to charge Eleanor but she’s taken down as soon as she takes her first step. She lands on the ground next to Jaak and I. Whatever Jaak’s master has done to me, she must also be doing to Dina with the way the other woman thrashes on the ground.
Jaak bends down to look at me. “I love you, you will always be my heart,” he whispers and then he’s gone, crawling forward towards Eleanor. I try to reach for my power, for anything, but it’s not there. I’m cut off from it. There’s only the pain and misery Eleanor forces down my throat. I can barely even feel the bond between Jaak and I, but there is something Icanfeel. Snapping and alive. Hungry as a World Eater and ready to devour me. Dread. It raises its ugly head and forces itself front and center.
See,it says, you were always going to lose.The voice sounds like my parents, like the cult leaders, like every wrong person I trusted.How did you think you were going to save everyone? You can’t even save yourself. You’re still the same weak girl you’ve always been, Meadow.
“Enough, Eri!” Jaak bellows. “Release her!”
It's right. I am the same girl I’ve always been. I see myself the way others have, timid, quiet, always nervous and easily frightened. I thought I changed. I was wrong. The voice winds deeper, digs right into me, it fills my ears until it’s the only thing I can hear.
“Why can’t you be normal, Meadow? Why can’t you just be normal? Why?”
“I don’t know,” I choke out the answer. I roll onto my back and it’s the ghosts of my parents that look down on me. Their eyes are full of contempt, faces twisted in ugly sneers. The light around them bends and moves. Why is it doing that? My parents keep speaking but I focus on that bend of light, that ripple in the air around them.
“You need to be punished, Meadow. You know that, don’t you?”
I know what’s supposed to come next. The basement. The darkness and the loneliness but that’s not right. The light is all wrong. They’re wrong.
