Chapter 10

Shay was tired but sleep eluded her. Her mind spun from her meeting with her mother. Try as she might she could not understand how her mother might change so much. There was no telling when Andy would wake. And now, more than ever, she needed him to wake up so she could tell him about this. She did not wish to stress him with the truth of their situation but she doubted she had any choice. There was no time to waste. Until then she had only one option. She fetched the book from the chair where she had fallen asleep the night before. There might be something in the book which could give her insight into her mother’s change. After all her mother was now, she believed, a character in the book.

Shay tried to flip forward from where she had read up to the night before but found herself reading every word for fear of missing anything. She found mention of Lady Maica and the marriage with Fiere’s father. There was little Fiere could do about it but he was, according to the book not very happy at the union. He kept his opinion to himself though for the sake of his father and their relationship. His mother had passed away from a sudden illness a few years before and he was loathe to accept someone else as a mother figure.

Shay recalled his introduction of Lady Maica when she had entered the chambers and was surprised that he could be so convincing in hiding his true feelings. She read on trying to find out as much as she could.

She confirmed that Fiere returned to the castle with no incident at all. There was no mention of a romantic interest in his life although he was expected to seek possible candidates to be his future wife during the wedding ceremony.

Shay read on hoping to find some background about her mother, Lady Maica’s character. She flipped backward and forwards in the book and eventually found some information.

Lady Maica was the daughter of a king from over the seas. Her father had been killed when their kingdom had been invaded by a neighboring kingdom. Lady Maica was the sole survivor of the royal family and had fled the kingdom knowing she would be put to death if she were caught. The kingdom’s name was Ingdolon but no one had been able to confirm her story nor had they tried. No one had ever ventured across the ocean and returned to tell the tale of what they found.

Lady Maica appeared to have washed ashore after the boat she escaped from her kingdom in, sank close to shore in a storm. She and her advisor Algwad were found by the king who had taken an instant liking to her and they had been together ever since. While no one could confirm her royal status in her kingdom, she had with her jewels and documents which made it clear she was a royal.

Fiere’s father, King Mayle, had been in mourning since the passing of his wife and despite many candidates presenting themselves to him and offering their hand in marriage; King Mayle had turned everyone down without even a second thought. With Lady Maica it was different though.

Shay thought her father’s introduction of her mother into the story was very clever. No one could trace her origin and simply took it at face value. She could not understand why her father had put her mother into the story though. How was it possible? Shay found herself wondering if her mother had disappeared when her father had written this part of the story. She could not understand why her mother would agree to cross over to this world in the first place and worse; become the spouse of someone else. What was her motivation? What did her mother and father know that she did not know and could not learn from the book?

The truth dawned on her then. The map. On her father’s desk. With the parts of it crossed off. Like a search. It was that! Her father had been searching Ethlerry for her mother. As he completed searching some areas he crossed them off! So he had known her mother was here but he didn’t know where. Anger stirred in Shay then. Anger at Andy. Anger at Rhian.

How dare they? They had both known and neither gave enough of a damn to tell her anything. Why? And here was her mother pretending she did not even know her! And all that time since her mother had left, Andy had known where she was. In Ethlerry. And he had never told her!

She wanted to wake him. She wanted to shake him until it hurt so bad he woke up. Then she would make him tell her everything.

Tears rolled down Shay’s cheeks as she wept silently. She felt betrayed. By both her mother and father.

Then, as if realizing he could not sleep forever to avoid Shay’s wrath, Andy stirred and opened his eyes. He groaned and rolled onto his back wincing in pain as he felt his wound. He realized it was bandaged and he looked around, confused. His gaze moved around the room and finally, his eyes settled on Shay.

“Shay, wha….what happened? Where are we?”

Shay moved over and sat down on the bed next to Andy.

“How are you feeling?”

Andy winced. “Aside from this wound, I am fine. Just tired and weak is all.”

“Dad, we have to talk.” Shay waved the book in the air.

Andy looked at the book and then concern crossed his face. “Where did you get that?”

“In your jacket pocket Dad. You used it to bring us here along with this.” Shay held up the bookmark.

Andy’s face became panicked. “Don’t put the bookmark in the book!”

“I already figured that would not be a good idea until I spoke to you.”

Andy seemed to relax. “Where are we?”

“Ethlerry.”

Andy seemed confused then, as he remembered the events of the night he was wounded, he seemed to brighten up.

“Oh. That’s right. But what is this place?”

Shay felt frustrated. “We are in the king’s castle. We were found by Prince Fiere who brought us here. He had his priest see to your wound.”

Concern crossed Andy’s face. “Really?”

“Yes, Dad. And mom is here.”

Andy was confused. “What do you mean?”

Shay’s patience ran out. “What game are you playing? Why didn’t you tell me the truth? Why wouldn’t Mom tell me the truth? I have mourned mother for six months and you knew she was alive and well!”

Andy held up his hand. “Please Shay. I did not know she is alive.”

“Well, she is. She’s here and she is not very pleasant. She calls herself Lady Maica.”

Andy smiled. “That’s not Mom. She’s just a character whose looks I described as being your mother.”

“I don’t think so, Dad. Yesterday I called her “Mother” when I was introduced to her. She recognized me but pretended she did not know me.”

Andy was disbelieving. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! One hundred percent sure!”

Andy was silent. Thinking.

“You brought Mom here didn’t you Dad?”

Andy looked at Shay then and a look of resignation crossed his face. “Yes, Shay. I did.”

“Well, what happened to her? She is getting married to the king! She pretends she does not know us. How can she just cast us aside like this? What have you done?” Shay’s voice rose in pitch as her anger took over and then broke as she started to cry.

Andy reached out to take Shay’s hand. “I’m sorry Shay. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never knew that your mother would disappear. I created a place in this world for her and took her there a year ago. She never wanted to come to this world in the first place but when I showed her that place, the rainbow lake, she fell in love with it immediately and would come back almost every day to the lake. I never came with her other than the first time.”

“So what happened Dad? How did she end up here getting married to the king?”

“I…I don’t know Shay. One day she just never came back. I traveled to Damalaen, the rainbow lake but there was no trace of her. I have been coming back here every day since to try and find her. Gods I have been a fool. I should have known that she would be Lady Maica. I guess at some point the book’s magic made her gravitate to her character’s role. I have to talk to her.”

“The book’s magic? Sure it is in some way since we could cross here from earth, but what exactly do you mean magic? Are we characters in this book too?”

“Not yet.”

“What do you mean not yet?”

Andy sighed. “I am not a character in this book and will never be. I have not written myself into the book in any way. But you……”

“What about me Dad?”

“I referred to you with a character in the book at some point. A girl I described who looks exactly like you. She does not enter the book at all but I planned for her to enter in the second book of the trilogy.”

“Jesus Dad! Have you written the second book?” Shay did not wait for an answer, “You have to change it!”

“I can’t Shay. Not now. I need to be back home. The book is there. Besides, it’s in the safe. No one’s going to get it there. And what’s happening here is far more important.

Shay sighed exasperated and looked at her father. He looked pale and seemed tired. “You need to rest Dad.”

He was silent a moment before speaking. This time more urgently. “Rest has to wait Shay. I must tell you about the book. Lady Maica is evil. She will kill the king on their wedding day.”

“What? So Mom is going to kill the King? That’s tomorrow!”

Andy paled visibly. “I never intended for it to be that way but that is what will come to pass now. She will try to pin the murder on the King’s son, Fiere. She is working with her commander, Algwad. They want to overthrow the kingdom and rule as husband and wife.”

“You have got to be kidding me! Why don’t we just use the bookmark and go home? This is just a story after all.”

Andy shook his head. “It is no longer just a story Shay. The fact that we are here makes it real. And if your mother has become Lady Maica, there is no just going home. The truth is that they do not simply want to rule the kingdom. There is power in the Ischlo Mountains which they intend to have. Once they possess that, they will be unstoppable and will be able to conquer this world if they wield it correctly. We cannot go home because they are most likely waiting for us there too. I am wounded and you are no match for them.”

Too much still did not make sense to Shay. “How did mom get from the lake to here? And how did she become so evil?”

Andy shook his head. “I don’t know Shay. We need to find out somehow.”

“How did you create magic books, Dad?”

Andy was silent a moment. “I did not create magic books. I received three bookmarks from a fan at a writing convention I attended. He gave me an envelope which was sealed and told me to try the bookmarks with my latest book when I got home. He said they were the next generation for marketing books. I did not believe it and did not give it a second thought. I left the envelope in my briefcase but it fell out one day after I got back. I opened it more out of curiosity and found three bookmarks. There was a small note which simply said that I should place the bookmark on any scene or area described in my book. I did that and a portal opened up. I got the fright of my life and pulled it away from the book. The portal closed again. I was terrified. I put the bookmarks away but kept being drawn to them as if some unseen power wanted me to use them. Eventually, I took the step and crossed over. I was amazed and fell in love with this world immediately. I was able to participate in it and observe the world I had created. I subsequently revised the first draft of my book and it was even better than I could ever have imagined.”

“What about the fan? Did you see him again? Do you have a picture of him?”

Andy thought a moment. “I never saw him again but I have a picture on my smartphone. I had someone take it while he was handing me the envelope with the bookmarks. He behaved like it was a big ceremony.”

“Why did he do it? Why did he give you the bookmarks? Why would he want to make your books magic? Why you Dad?”

“I don’t know,” Andy defended. “Whoever thinks that their books can be magic or brought to life with a bookmark?”

“Have you tried the bookmarks on other books?”

“No. It never crossed my mind.”

“Where is your phone?”

“It must be back home.”

Shay sighed. She wanted to know what this man looked like. “Then what about Mom?”

“I can try to talk to her when I see her Shay. I can’t believe that she could change so much. When she….” Andy trailed off as if realizing he had said too much.

“When she what?”

“She just seemed so happy with Damalaen. It was like her little paradise she could escape to every day. She loved it so much. She came back so alive every time after she was at the lake. I cannot believe she would leave the lake and become Lady Maica. I thought she had been taken by someone or captured. I couldn’t accept that she would leave us. Still can’t accept it.”

Tears rolled down Shay’s cheeks as she thought of the change in her mother and listened to everything her father told her. She felt anger towards her father but she had to keep it in check. Right now she needed as much information as she could get.

“What power are you talking about in those mountains?”

“The Ischlo Mountains? It is a magical power that, if used correctly, will enable one to become a powerful sorcerer instantly with the power to command nature and events from history. The holder of the power will be able to conquer this world and any other worlds they may be able to access.”

“Earth?” Shay asked. She knew the answer before Andy nodded.

“What holds the power?”

“It is two statues frozen in a fighting position for all eternity. Their swords cross and from the point where the swords cross, called the crossing, a drop of magic falls every few hundred or thousand years. Between the fighters on the ground is a jewel that has formed over thousands of years from the drops that fall from between the crossed swords. The next drop will be the last. It will complete the jewel and the first person to find it will then be able to take it and use its power for good or evil depending on the person’s disposition. The magic drops alternate between good and evil too. The last drop will determine if the jewel provides good or evil magic. A person can become the world’s greatest sorcerer for the power of good if their heart is good and if the last drop of magic is good. If the jewel is ended with a drop of evil, it shall only support the power of evil in which case we, the good, must get to it first so evil cannot take it and use it.”

“What is the history of the statues?

Andy winced. “My side is killing me.”

Shay could see a film of sweat on Andy’s face. She fetched a cloth soaked in cool water and wiped his face.

“Sorry, Dad. You need to rest first. We will talk more later.”

Andy nodded weakly. He grabbed her hand though and she looked at him.

“I’m sorry Shay. I’m sorry I never told you. I know how close you and Mom were. I feared your wrath if I had to tell you the truth. I feared you would blame me. After all, I had brought her here the first time so she is gone because of me. I was afraid you would come looking for her and that I would lose you too.”

Shay felt sorry for her father then. She could see the pain he had wrestled with since her mother had disappeared. The fear he had lived within so many respects regarding Shay. She squeezed his hand and then leaned over to hug him.

“It’s ok Dad.”

“Thank you, Princess,” he whispered. Then he fell quiet and closed his eyes. He was asleep in a few minutes and Shay watched him breathing deeply.

She still felt anger towards her father. He had known all along what had happened and yet he never told her. They were in a real mess now. She could have helped. They could have found her mother before she became Lady Maica. She doubted that they would ever get her mother back and Shay thought she was lost forever.

Shay wondered if it came to having to kill her mother if she could do it. She doubted that she could and that was concerning for her since she thought that there just might not be any other way.

Shay thought about what her father had said. Who was the fan who had given him the bookmarks in the first place? What interest did he have in having Andy make his book come to life? The answer, or lack of the answer to that question, concerned her. There was still too much unknown and Shay read the book further trying to get more information. Eventually, she fell asleep and the book collapsed on her chest as she drifted off to sleep in the chair next to her father.