It was barely nine in the morning, but already heat gathered heavy in the air. By the time Theo got off the trolley, sweat chafed the skin beneath the spiked collar he'd foolishly chosen to wear today.
Well, too late to regret his decision. And pretty soon he'd be indoors.
The museum had only just opened, so not too many people were milling around the wide, shallow steps leading to its entrance. Theo quickly picked out his friends and headed their way.
"Morning, Theo!" Sam cried, waving.
"Cool, you're finally here." Ryan flipped up his aviators. "Let's get this over with. It's way too early to be up on summer break."
To emphasize his point, he let out a jaw-cracking yawn. Behind him, Avia blinked, looking mildly concerned.
"You didn't have to come, you know," Theo sighed.
"'Course I did! I gotta get as much info about that crystal as I can. It's my duty as the Crowley heir!" Ryan puffed out his chest.
"Whatever you say." Rolling his eyes, Theo walked past Ryan toward Zenith, who nodded at him.
To his relief, Theo was able to meet Zenith's gaze. Well, his heart lurched a little, but it was easy enough to ignore. Piece by piece, bit by bit, the pain would go away and everything would return to normal between them. He hoped.
Adjusting his glasses, Zenith tilted his head toward the museum's imposing marble edifice. "This 'museum' is a place that contains objects from Earth's history, yes?"
"That's right," Theo said. "This one's a natural history museum, so it's got, like, dinosaur bones and rocks."
With a pang, he remembered explaining what an aquarium was to Zenith. But that had been completely different. Just the two of them.
Ryllis' voice provided a welcome distraction. "So it's just a bunch of old shit? Seems pointless."
"It's not like Tielos doesn't have places like this either," Darian pointed out. "The sages keep as much history as they can. It's important no matter where you are."
"Yeah, sure." Ryllis didn't sound convinced.
Jin, meanwhile, bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. "Are there gonna be dinosaurs, Sam? I can't wait! I want to see Majungasaurus! And Dilophosaurus! And and Hatzegopteryx!"
Seemed Jin had gotten obsessed with dinosaur books lately. Grinning, Sam ruffled his hair. "Don't get too excited now. Remember, they're not alive."
Watching them, it was hard not to smile. They might have come for a serious reason, but there was nothing wrong with enjoying themselves at the museum too. They'd probably have plenty of time to tour the exhibits after their meeting with the geologist wizard.
His spirits only rose when they entered the air-conditioned lobby. It was all Theo could do not to sigh in contentment. Yeah, he definitely didn't want to leave this place anytime soon.
A few families with kids waited in line, their excited chatter echoing off the marble walls. Rather than join them, Meg led them toward the receptionist at the end of the desk.
"Good morning. My name's Meg Ruby and I have an appointment with Dr. Gene Markov."
The receptionist checked her computer, then nodded. "If you'd wait by the back door over there? A docent will guide you to Dr. Markov's office."
Theo felt a bit awkward as they gathered around the unobtrusive-looking door, especially when some of the people in line threw their group odd looks. On the other hand, Ryan put his hands on his hips and lifted his chin as if bragging about getting VIP treatment.
Thankfully, it didn't take long for the docent to arrive. A fresh-faced college student, she engaged Meg in chirpy small talk about her research, something to do with lizards in the Caribbean. Pretty soon Jin started peppering her with questions too.
Theo tried to pay attention, but it was hard when the crystal in his pocket kept pulsing with Levia, uncomfortably warm against his thigh. He wasn't sure if its Levia had become stronger, or if he was just excited at the prospect of finally – maybe – getting some answers about it.
The docent led them down several plain-looking halls with linoleum floors, passing wooden doors with brass name plaques. It couldn't be more different from the museum's grand exhibits. After turning several corners, she finally stopped at a door at the end of a hall.
"Dr. Markov," she chirped, knocking on the door. "Your guests are here!"
"Yes, yes, come right in!" a muffled voice called from inside.
The docent bid them a quick goodbye and left, then Meg pushed open the door. The strong smell of coffee drifted out. When Theo followed her inside, he saw why – Dr. Markov was puttering at a coffeemaker on his desk.
The office wasn't small, but felt rather cramped with everyone inside. Rocks of all sorts lined the shelves, from colorful crystals to plain-looking stones. The doctor himself looked up, wiping sweat from his brow. He was a short, squat man with hardly any hair and watery blue eyes.
"Meg, my dear! It's been too long!" he cried. His voice was thin and wavering, tinged with an Eastern European accent.
"That's my line, Gene." Meg embraced him and kissed his cheeks, which only emphasized how much taller she was. When she pulled away, she had on a huge, genuine smile. "Apologies for coming so early, I know you're not quite awake at this hour."
"Oh, no, no, I don't mind at all." Dr. Markov waved his hand. "Once I heard what you might have obtained, I'd move heaven and earth to see it. Oh, some coffee?"
He indicated the coffeemaker, which definitely didn't contain enough for the whole group. Dr. Markov seemed to realize this, for he let out a strained chuckle and rubbed the back of his head.
He went to sit down behind the desk, fidgeting the entire way. Once seated, he grabbed a tissue and daubed at his face, but it didn't do much for the sweat rolling down his temples.
Watching him was starting to make Theo uncomfortable. And he wasn't the only one; Meg leaned a little closer, frowning. "Gene? Are you feeling all right?"
"Oh?" Another breathless chuckle. Dr. Markov daubed harder. "Oh, no, no, everything's perfectly all right. I'm just excited, I suppose."
"Hm. So I'm guessing this crystal really is a big deal?" Darian spoke up, stepping forward.
Dr. Markov blinked. "Ah, you must be Prince Darian of Miria. A pleasure – pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"The pleasure's mine," Darian said, though she sounded impatient. "Theo?"
When she jerked her head at him, Theo started. The crystal's Levia pulsed again, sending slow waves of heat rolling through his body. His own Levia prickled, sharp and alert.
Dr. Markov was watching him with huge eyes, barely hiding his anticipation. By now, sweat soaked his entire shirt collar.
'Something's wrong,' Theo thought. His hand rested on his pocket, but he didn't pull out the crystal yet. Deep inside, all his instincts were telling him not to hand the crystal to Dr. Markov.
"Theo?" Darian said again, while Meg raised an expectant eyebrow.
Theo swallowed. How could he explain his misgivings? They'd come all this way already, and Meg clearly trusted Dr. Markov. He was probably just being paranoid.
Still, his hand shook as he pulled out the crystal. It took all his effort not to drop it as he held it out to Meg, and when her fingers closed around its tip, Theo had to force himself to let go. Its Levia still tingled on his fingertips like static electricity.
Meg turned to Dr. Markov, who leaned so far over his desk he was almost lying on his belly atop it. When Meg set the crystal down, he didn't waste any time snatching it. Theo's heart wrenched.
Dr. Markov sat back and lifted the crystal, gazing upon it with wide, reverent eyes. The awe in his face only pulled Theo's nerves tighter. He had the sudden horrible sense that this crystal was far more important than he'd ever suspected.
"I can't believe it," Dr. Markov whispered, trembling all over. "There's no mistaking it. It truly is…."
"What is it?" Darian stepped closer.
'Give it back.' The words pressed against Theo's throat, straining to escape. A chill gathered in his stomach, deepening with every throb of his heart.
Then he realized that he had felt this before.
His eyes fell upon the rock directly behind Dr. Markov – a huge geode cut in half, revealing a jet-black interior polished smooth as a mirror. In it, he saw his own wide-eyed reflection.
And...and something else. Something even blacker than the geode, spreading across it like a ripple in a pool.
No, not a ripple. A diagram.
Zenith must have sensed it at the same time. He threw himself in front of Theo, arm out. But before he could speak, the diagram erupted.
A roar filled Theo's ears. The office fractured, dissolving into pure darkness, and Theo went flying backward through the void. He flailed, desperately trying to reach the crystal, but it was no use – its Levia grew fainter with each passing second.
He thought he heard a voice – Dr. Markov? - whisper, "Forgive me."
Then everything disappeared.