"I see," Theo said. "So that's the situation."
He sat upright, hands on his knees, looking quite calm for someone who'd woken up in another world. Certainly, he was taking it a lot better than Sam had.
The group had gathered around a fire Ryllis had built, and Sam leaned gratefully towards its warmth. Her shirt was still damp from the dip she'd taken to clean off the slime. But even as it dried, a faint whiff of rotting fish clung to it. Then again, she hadn't spent very much time in the water, thanks to the cold and oh yeah, the risk of getting attacked by monster worms.
Thankfully the ulms hadn't shown their ugly faces again, and that gave them enough time to get Theo up to speed.
"Yes, that's basically it." Sighing, Darian raked a hand through her hair. Sam had never seen it so messy before. "Right now, our priority should be getting out of the Sunless Sea. After that, we'll head to the nearest portal."
"Portal?" Theo stiffened. "Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? You shouldn't be here – no, none of us should." Darian shook her head. "We never intended to go to Tielos in the first place. It's far too early; I haven't even found a wizard yet. Besides, we know for certain that we defeated Greisen, which means the Infernal Legion will pose far less of a threat to us on Earth."
That all sounded good to Sam. But she couldn't help noticing how Theo's eyes narrowed with every word Darian said.
The instant she stopped speaking, Theo burst out, "Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere."
"What?" Darian said, and she wasn't the only one staring at Theo like he'd grown a new head. Looking at him, his chin lifted and hands clenched into fists, Sam suddenly wondered if he'd opened that portal on purpose after all.
No way. The spells from his dreams might be powerful, but it wasn't like he knew what they did, right?
"What do you mean, Theo?" Meg asked.
Theo kept glaring at Darian. "We have to go to the sages and learn more about the Star of Miriel."
Darian sucked in a sharp breath. "Where did you learn that name?"
Unfazed, Theo dug into his pocket and pulled out the blue crystal. In the darkness, the stars on its surface seemed to sparkle. "I know this might sound difficult to believe, but I had a dream about it."
"A dream," Darian repeated, her brows knitting.
"Right, when I was sleeping." Theo briefly glanced down, brushing his hand over his chest. "I dreamed I met...someone. Someone important. And she told me what this crystal is, what I needed to do next. The sages have information about it, so I have to go to them."
"Theo, are you certain?" Next to Theo, Zenith turned toward him in concern.
Theo only nodded. His jaw was set, his eyes hard. Sam almost couldn't believe this was the same person as the shy little shrinking violet she'd met all those years ago. Even a few months ago, she'd have never imagined Theo being this stubborn about anything.
Darian sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Who was this…'someone'...you met in your dream, anyway?"
For the first time, Theo's confidence cracked a little; he flinched and swallowed. But after taking a deep breath, he looked Darian in the eye and said, "My mother."
This had been about the last thing Sam expected to hear. All she could do was stare at Theo, mouth open so wide a tarantula could probably make a home in it. Who could blame her? Sure, she and Theo had speculated about his mom being a wizard, but he'd never so much as hinted that she was appearing in his dreams.
Hunching his shoulders, Theo went on talking. "I know it sounds crazy, but I seriously saw her. And it's not the first time. I think she has something to do with the Star of Miriel." He squeezed the crystal shard. "She told me...to change Tielos for good. The way she couldn't."
"Oh-kay…." Ryan scratched his head. "And you trust what this random lady in your dreams says? How do you even know she's your mom? Didn't she die when you were a baby or something?"
That insensitive ass! Sam leaned forward, ready to give him an earful, but Theo beat her to the punch.
Shooting Ryan a glare that could freeze fires, he said, "I felt her Levia. I would never mistake it."
Ryan shrank back, not exactly looking like he bought this but clearly in no mood to argue further.
"All right." Darian sighed. "I won't deny that you have some kind of connection to the Star of Miriel, and it's worth investigating. But do you understand the full weight of your decision? You won't be able to go back home anytime soon."
Theo glanced down at his lap, but when he looked back at Darian, his gaze didn't waver. "I know. I know...my dad won't be happy. But I have to do this. I have to."
For several heartbeats, Darian held his gaze. Then she turned away and shook her head. "Fine. But the rest of you - " She glanced around the group " – didn't choose to be here. So first things first, we'll take you home. Does that sound good?"
She snapped the last question at Theo, who looked taken aback, but then nodded slowly. When his gaze slid toward Sam, the guilt in his eyes made her heart slam.
Would it really be okay to go home without him? But….
"Hey, hey!" Ryan's shout blasted through her thoughts like a siren. "Guess what, I'm not going anywhere! And you can't make me!"
Yeah, no surprise he was still going on about this. Darian glared at him he was a wart on a toad's backside. "Listen, you – "
"Wait." It wasn't Ryan who'd spoken, but Meg. "I understand you're worried for us, but if I could just say my piece? Personally, I'd prefer not to leave quite yet. If you're staying, prince, then so will I. I'm sure Lodo feels the same."
She nodded at her familiar, who nodded back. But Darian didn't seem to share his opinion. "What? But your shop – "
"It's true," Meg said, "I don't know what will happen to the shop when I'm away. And it's also true I didn't choose to be here. But before I was ever a bookseller, I was a wizard. Isn't it every wizard's dream to go to Tielos?"
"Yeah, you tell her!" Ryan yelled, but nobody had any ears for him.
"More than that," Meg said, lifting her head, "perhaps it's presumptuous of me, but I'd like to consider the two of us friends. And it's just not my policy to abandon my friends when they're in need, I'm afraid."
Darian breathed in, then out, looking more uncertain than Sam had ever seen her. "Well." She lowered her head, black bangs flopping in front of her eyes. "If you put it that way…."
Of course, you-know-who just had to jump in and ruin the moment. "Hey! If she's staying, then so am I!"
Just like that, the glare was back on Darian's face. "No. You're going home."
"Say what? How come she can stay?" Ryan whined.
"Because Meg is an adult, and you're a kid who has parents and school." Darian rolled her eyes. "Besides, what has any of this got to do with you in the first place?"
That was right, Sam thought. What did it have to do with her? She'd jumped into this world of wizards and familiars because it had sounded like a fun adventure, and it had brought her a lot of wonderful things. Like Ryllis and Jin. But in the end, that was all it was to her. An adventure.
To Theo, it was so much more. Sam didn't understand it herself, and she didn't think Theo did either, but she did know that he had a deep connection to this in a way she never would.
"Sam?" Small hands grabbed her wrist, and a soft voice drifted toward her. Heart pounding, Sam turned to see Jin staring at her with huge golden eyes. "Are you...are you really going to leave?"
"Jin!" Ryllis said sharply.
Jin wilted, ears and tail drooping. Seeing him so down made Sam feel like the crummiest person in the world, and the worst thing was she didn't have an answer for him. 'Of course I want to stay,' she wished she could tell him, but it just wasn't that easy. Because she had a family back home. But if she left, didn't that mean she'd never see Ryllis and Jin again?
Everything was mixed up, all her thoughts and feelings swirling around in her head. And she couldn't even talk about it with Theo, not when he was so certain of his path. All these years, she'd thought the two of them would always be together, but now it seemed he'd gone to a place she couldn't reach. A place she'd never be able to reach.