She’d never gone to his room before, always meeting him in the kitchen or outside, but she didn’t hesitate—she knocked loudly. He also had a red X on his door, matching hers. She wondered if Auntie Zee intentionally gave staff the rooms with broken portals. She filed that on her list of items that she’d probably never have a chance to ask. “Jack? It’s Calisa.”
She heard a thump, then heard Jack swear. He opened the door a second later, and she caught a glimpse of a chair that had been knocked over. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes. No. Kendra’s portal won’t open.”
She saw his face freeze, and she knew he was thinking of his father. She’d thought of that already. What if the doors all failed and none of the guests could return home? “Do you know if any of the others have had issues? Is it only Kendra’s portal?”
Grimly, he said, “We should check.Withoutalarming the other guests.”
Calisa nodded. Her heart was galloping. She hadn’t really thought about what she’d do if something actually went wrong at the bed-and-breakfast. She always assumed that Auntie Zee would be back before anything serious happened.I’m not supposed to be in charge.
Panicking wouldn’t help. Calisa took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s check the doors we’ve used recently, and the ones the guests have. Get all the information we can on how widespread this is,beforewe panic.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him downstairs to the lobby. She yanked the drawer of the desk open and scooped up the master key.
She marched first to the guest room with the Night Market…and the closet door opened to the familiar swirl. She heard Jack exhale beside her. “Check a few more?” he suggested.
Methodically, they checked room by room.
Miraculously, the other portals were intact.
“It’s only Kendra’s room,” Jack said.
They returned downstairs to find the sea witch in the sitting room. She was pacing in front of the fireplace as she dripped seawater. Grabbing towels, Jack scurried behind her, sopping up water before it saturated the rugs. The white cat was on the windowsill, her fur fluffed and her body tense as she glared at the sea witch. Outside, the winged lizard was perched on the window ledge, looking concerned. Or hungry. She couldn’t tell which.
“I don’t think you understand the scope of this disaster,” Kendra said without any preamble. She wrung her hands, and water splattered onto the walls, sliding down the wallpaper. “If I can’t return, there will be no one to regulate the storms.”
“We’re going to find Auntie Zee,” Calisa promised.
And then it hit her: If previously stable portals were malfunctioning, maybe Auntie Zeehadbeen trapped behind a closed door? Maybe, for whatever reason, her magic wasn’t allowing her to open it? Or she was sick and couldn’t open it?
She hated that explanation.
But it did make sense.
All this time, she’d been assuming that Auntie Zee had chosen to stay away. But now…What if I was wrong? What if she hasn’t come back because shecan’t?
Hoping the dismay she was feeling didn’t show on her face, Calisa crossed the sitting room, her wet socks squishing, and held out her arms to the cat. “Portia? Will you let me carry you to a dry room?” The cat had never allowed Calisa to pet her, but this time she seemed to feel the situation was suitably dire. Portia allowed Calisa to carry her into the library, where Calisadeposited her on the window seat. “We’ll fix this. I don’t know how yet, but we’ll think of something. Don’t worry.”
The cat hissed.
“It’ll be okay,” Calisa said, as much to herself as to Portia.
She hurried back to Jack. He looked near panic, his eyes wide as he mopped the puddles as quickly and thoroughly as he could—it was a losing battle, though, as the sea witch continued to ooze seawater.
“It’s time to check Auntie Zee’s room,” Calisa said. “Maybe there’s a clue there.” Kendra’s portal closing changed everything. Auntie Zeecouldn’tbe staying away voluntarily, not if she knew this was what could happen in her absence. As grumpy as Auntie Zee was, she cared about the Faraway Inn too much to be that reckless with her legacy.
Calisa expected Jack to argue. But he didn’t protest or even say a word. Just handed her the key. Maybe he knew it too. This was far more serious than Auntie Zee simply needing a break.
She charged up to the third floor, and then she stopped. They hadn’t searched Auntie Zee’s room because they’d assumed either they’d find her or she’d return on her own. Entering it now…that was tantamount to admitting that she couldn’t come back.
Immediately, Calisa’s brain helpfully supplied images of what could have happened to Auntie Zee to prevent her from reopening a malfunctioning portal, all the possibilities she hadn’t let herself consider because this wastheAuntie Zee.What if she’s hurt? What if she’s sick? What if she’s unconscious?What if she’s—Not letting herself complete the thought, she stuck the key into the lock, twisted, and pushed the door open.
Auntie Zee’s room was a wondrous kaleidoscope of color: scarfs and tapestries were draped over the walls, while mobiles made of prisms dangled from the ceiling. Gold, silver, and blue pillows were piled on the bed beneath a ruby-and-emerald-colored canopy. Multicolored rugs covered the honey-colored floor. Every surface was stacked with treasures: boxes carved from seashells; tiny sculptures of creatures that shouldn’t exist, like dragons and centaurs; little paintings that hung on the wall depicting worlds with impossibly high waterfalls, many moons, and castles. Coming inside, Calisa saw one etching of the labyrinth with its bone guards.
These were souvenirs of her travels. Or perhaps gifts from visiting travelers. She’d made her room a shrine to all the wonders that the nexus could bring.She loves this place.
Looking around, Calisa was now completely and terribly certain: Auntie Zee wasn’t staying away voluntarily. She had to be trapped…elsewhere. Far away.
She saw a warm glow from the fireplace. The firebird was here, watching her. It occurred to her that the firebird was always where she was, anticipating where she planned to go. She decided that was a good sign—she was supposed to be here, looking for her aunt.
