Jacob waved me in before I could knock, looking up from where he was frowning over papers. I slid into the room, Ani trotting at my heels. Two empty chairs waited, and I took my usual chair on my right, with Ani leaping onto my lap.
Jacob flipped his folder shut, sliding it off to the side with a sigh. My curious eyes followed the movement, quickly reading the upside-down 'Agartha.' One of my eyebrows raised as I briefly wondered what about Agartha could be causing him so much headache. To my knowledge, the great underground city had separated itself from our affairs for over 10,000 years.
He caught me looking and, rather than the harsh scolding I'd expected for peering at potentially sensitive documents, said, "A curious mind is an admirable trait, but you might consider the situation before you let it get the best of you."
Admonished, I hunched over and twisted my earring. "I am sorry."
Jacob chuckled and offered me a branch of peace. "Don't worry. I wouldn't have waved you in if the information was too sensitive for your eyes. Actually, I need to speak to you and Cove about this once you're finished with your report."
I dropped my hand and smiled.
Cove arrived moments later, slightly surprised to find me already there. Ani dropped his head, and his ears fell back in depressed disappointment as he stared at the door, searching for Ranch. I gave him a few consoling pats, causing him to perk up slightly.
Once Cove was seated, Jacob pulled out a voice recorder and asked us to begin our report. Cove went into great detail about our most recent adventure, with the occasional question from Jacob or addition from me. He paused a few times, forcing me to take over and explain the dreams of our own. Besides the questions, Jacob let us speak uninterrupted, his attention focused wholly on us, his gaze not breaking away.
The weight of his attention was heavy, and each time I spoke, it was with nervous energy as I carefully weighed his reactions.
Jacob studied us as Cove detailed the fight with the Mayor, then the robots, his attention lingering on the bruises still visible where they stuck out from underneath Cove's shirt. I grabbed my arm, trailing my thumb along the gash hidden by my sweater. The movement didn't go unnoticed by Jacob, whose lips curled down into a frown.
Once Cove finished telling our tale, I moved to speak, accidentally speaking over Jacob, whose eyebrows furrowed. He shut his mouth, motioning for me to continue.
Except for unimportant details, such as my reaction to the scenario, I explained in great detail my recent dreams and the connection between Elm, Bearard, and the robot.
By the time I'd finished, Jacob was white-faced, his hand pressed hard against his temple. "Let me get this straight. Not only did you two not end up in Phoenix; but one of the fragments you encountered was sent by an unknown third party, suspected to be Ava; and you, Hayden, were able to be seen and interact with your dreams of the future, as well as dreamed of the moment those Elm's universe shattered."
There was a lot to unpack there. My hand drifted back up to fiddle with my earring. "Yes."
"Exactly," Cove agreed.
Jacob breathed in deep through his nose, letting it out in a whoosh from his mouth, which moved in formlessly as he grasped the words he needed.
His hand fell, and he sighed, turning to me. "First, let me thank you for your quick thinking, Hayden. If it weren't for your actions when my son was rendered unconscious…" he grimaced, pulling his hands beneath his desk. "Well, I can't imagine what might have happened," he finished, in a way that indicated he very much could and hated the thoughts that came with it.
"Second," he continued, his attention drifting between Cove and me, "I want to say that I'm impressed by you both. You were able to think quickly and obtain not one but two fragments, despite the obstacles thrown your way. There are many powerful mages, and no others have the ability and will to do what you two are doing."
My cheeks grew warm with the praise.
Jacob leaned back, steeping his hands. "I'm particularly concerned about the interference you've run into. Sending you two to collect the fragments is getting very, very dangerous. It will take nothing for them to kill you."
My fingers stilled. If the mage wanted to, they could force us to travel to the vacuum of space or somewhere equally deadly.
"But they didn't." Cove pointed out reluctantly.
Jacob nodded. "But they didn't. They wanted you in What Lies Ahead for a reason, and they don't want you dead for now."
"Do you think it's the witch?"
Jacob's eyes focused on Cove's face. "It's possible. She would certainly have the power and might not want you dead. But I had my eyes watching her very closely and reviewed the footage myself. There's nothing suspicious. And then there's the second fragment. If Avalynn sent you and it there so you could collect two fragments, why would she warn it? Moreover, why would she want you to collect two in the first place?"
"Maybe she has an agent, a traitor working for her."
"Then why send us there in the first place? She could have the agent collect the fragments," I pointed out.
Silence lingered in the heavy air as we thought.
Jacob cut through it with a shake of his head. "So, we have one, potentially two, unknown people interfering. I want you two to be very careful in the next world. You'll attempt to reach Phoenix again, but be prepared for anything."
"Yes, sir."
"Will do."
Jacob placed his hand on the folder from earlier, twisting it and sending it across the desk to us. "That'll be as soon as your injuries are healed. Until then, I have another mission for you both. Recently, I was able to gain an audience with the ruler of Agartha."
Cove's jaw went slack, and his eyes widened. I was shocked myself. "You serious?" Cove asked breathlessly, "I don't know anyone in living history who has spoken with them."
Jacob's lips twisted into a smile. "It's taken years of effort, but it's finally come to fruition. They're willing to open up more negotiations, potentially leading to trade between us and the peoples of the ancient cities. If Agartha agrees, the other cities, such as Shambhala and Kitezh, may also be more willing to speak with me."
Cove's hands dropped to the arms of his chair, and he squeezed them tightly as he leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. "So what does that have to do with us?" he asked, anticipating the next answer.
Amused, Jacob replied, "I need you two to open a portal between our cities. They've already agreed, with many stipulations. We're finalizing the details, but you'll be heading out within the week. Hayden, I want you to use this opportunity to learn the basics of [ortal creation from Cove."
I agreed hastily, excitement bubbling up within me. To think I'd be one of a few people in thousands of years to lay my eyes on the ancient and great mage city of Agartha! I'd never dreamed I'd have such an honor!
Cove flipped the file open, handing me a copy of the papers within.
"This is a brief summary of what we know of Agartha in preparation for your upcoming journey. You will teleport to the closest available portal, where envoys from Agartha will meet you and lead you to their great city. Hopefully, this will be the first of many new connections."