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Evie sat down on a comfortable looking armchair by the fire, Tallin settling in her lap. “I tried to stop them,” he said.
“I know you did,” I said.
“They overruled me.”
“It wasn’t difficult,” said Evie. “He wanted to help you as much as we did. We weren’t about to sit around and wait for you to come back.”
“Or not…” Tallin put in.
“I get it,” I said, and before I said anything else, I shook my head and smiled. “I just… it’s good to see you all.”
“It must feel like an age has passed here,” grandmother Helen said as she entered the living room. “How long has it been since you last saw us?”
“A couple of days,” said Valerian.
“It’s been minutes for us. We have barely shaken the snow off our shoulders.”
“How did you find us so fast, then?” I asked.
“That wasn’t difficult either,” said Evie, tapping the side of her nose.
“You sniffed us out?”
“In a manner…” said Helen, trailing off. “To use that same analogy, Arcadia doesn’t quite smell right. You’re about the only thing that does. You and your godparents, of course.”
Gullie buzzed over to my grandmother. “What do you mean?”
Helen took a deep breath. “I’m going to have a bit of trouble cutting to the chase.”
Valerian frowned. “Why?” he asked.
“Because,” Helen continued, though she threw Evie a stern look before going on, “I have a feeling I know what’s going on here. At least, I have a theory.”
“Wait,” I said, “A theory about what?”
Helen smiled. “How about we have some tea first? We should also get you cleaned up, you poor thing. You’re still covered in blood.”
“I wouldn’t say she’scovered…” Valerian added.
“Wait, no,” I said, “Do youactuallyknow what’s going on here? I want to talk about that.”
“I have a suspicion.”
“Based on how this place smells?” Melina asked. “How is that even possible?”
“Arcadian magic and Earthly magic have entirely different properties from each other. A skilled witch can tell them apart instantly, and I am nothing if not a skilled witch.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that Arcadia should notsmelllike Earth. More specifically, it should not smell familiar. I sensed it as soon as I set foot in this realm. It was impossible to ignore.”
Valerian folded his arms in front of his chest. “We all know I’m a fan of saying as little as possible,” he said, “But I think I can speak for all of us when I ask you to please tell us what you’re trying to say.”
Helen seemed almost reluctant. I wasn’t sure why. She took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and then opened them again. “For you, this was a long time ago. Long, long before you were born. For me, not nearly as much time has passed. Any longer, and I may have forgotten what her magic resonance smelled like.”
“Who?!” Gullie asked, desperate.
“You’ll remember her also… maybe. But please, let me start from the beginning.” She paused. “There once was a woman, a witch like me. On Earth, witches and mages consider themselves to be leagues above the throngs of regular mortals that walk among them; a notion we don’t subscribe to, by the way.”
