After lunch, Chinis took them to the safehouse. It was a nondescript house near the military base on the north side of the city, with regular patrols of military police down clean, well lit streets. Once inside, it was Chinis’s duty to keep them there until they left. The trip to the Madhouse had been unauthorized, and Wil saw no reason to tell anyone.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, although being confined to just one building made both Syl and Isom chafe. The hours crept by, with little to do but chat or read, and the two wizards spent the time chatting about classmates and dreams of the future, until one of the neighborhood’s minders was sent out for food. They ate and went to bed, and in the morning were up bright and early to go through the continent’s biggest portal.

“Is it always like this?” Syl asked as Chinis drove them through the base’s open gates. Soldiers had looked over them, rifles in hand, before the mage produced identification and they were let through.

“Always,” said Chinis. “This portal isn’t for commercial purposes. Only troops and the most important people come through here. And their pets, I guess.” He met Isom’s eye in the window with a smirk.

Luckily for them, the base wasn’t too crowded at this time of day. They drove by soldiers jogging formation while gunshots from the firing range echoed from afar. There were a few other, larger cars, but they were far away. The portal itself wasn’t hard to find. It stood thirty feet high and sixty feet wide, looking like a sideways egg, swirling chaotically with partial images from the other side.

“Are you going to scream this time, Wil?” Syl teased.

“Oh shut up.”

Chinis parked in a marked spot and let them all out. “This is normally a multiple person job, escorting, but you’re a pretty low risk subject. We’ll send a runner to announce us, and security will be higher on the other side. Stick together, and try to look harmless.”

Several soldiers stared as the motley crew walked up to the portal. Their escort held up a hand and spoke with a powerfully built young woman, who nodded and stepped through the portal. Chinis waited a minute or so before motioning them to join him.

Wil approached the portal, cautiously. He could already feel it pulling on him, stretching him three thousand miles. He shuddered, but got into position. As one, the four of them reached forward and touched it.

It was nothing like the portal in Faerie. Rather than being yanked through the space, Wil plummeted sideways through a near freezing void. He didn’t spin or flail, but it felt like he should have. When he came out the other side, Wil found his feet moving of their own accord. Chinis caught him before he made it too far.

Isom, on the other hand, came forward rolling on the ground. He scampered to his feet, looking as embarrassed as Wil was. Syl calmly stepped through and lit up. “That was incredible! I would love to see how they did it.”

“You got a better chance of McKenzie coming to his senses than them telling you anything,” said the mage. “C’mon, keep close.”

The first part of Cloverton that stood out to Wil was the smell. It stank. Black clouds billowed above the base and across the city, dimming the morning sun. While Manifee City was loud, it was the sounds of the sea and people living their lives. In the Cloverton base at least, a cacophony of people barking orders and the sounds of machines clanking in the distance proved to be overwhelming, and not just for Wil.

“This is your capital?” Syl looked horrified. “This is depressing.”

“This is just the military base,” said Wil, privately agreeing with the faun’s distaste. The place was crowded and colorless, the same white and grays used for every building, with only the yellow signs on the ground providing anything to break up the monotony. “The rest of the city is bound to be better.”

They found the rest of the city was not better. The streets were wider and busier, with at least double the cars on the road. These ones belched smoke and chugged along at a volume high enough to make it difficult to think. It was a relief when they got into the new car and the closed windows kept the sounds partially at bay.

“How do you live like this?” Syl asked. He looked no more comfortable in this car than he had the last. “Seriously. It smells terrible and the air burns the lungs. And there’s so much iron. Everywhere.” Outside their window, they passed dozens of metal lampposts.

“No argument here, prince,” said Chinis. “Cloverton’s ugly and a pain in the ass to drive in.” He demonstrated his point by honking at a sleek black car with an open top that cut him off and weaved around the other cars. “I wouldn’t come here by choice. Thank Cuddles over here for that.”

“Thanks Chinis,” Wil sighed. “We’ll get out of here at the first opportunity.”

“You will,” said Syl. “Not me. You just have to answer for what we did. I have to represent my people, and who knows how long that’ll take?”

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It is loud here, Isom whispered in Wil’s head. There are many, many people, all thinking. It’s too much.

Wil turned around in his seat. The wampus cat’s head darted around at every new sight and thought he could listen in on. His tail was thick and he scrunched up to be as small as possible.

“Chinis?” Wil nudged him to get his attention. “We have a place to stay here tonight, right?”

“We sure do,” said the mage, braking suddenly for a mother and her children to walk across the street. “We’re staying at Marlowe Manor while we’re here. You may have messed up royally, but they’re treating you as someone to contend with.”

“Marlowe Manor,” Wil breathed. While Manifee City was more magically inclined, Cloverton had one of the original places of study, converted into a workspace for visiting wizards. Archmages and grandmasters stayed there, with only the occasional master or mage allowed. “Well, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Sure, if I can.”

“When we get to wherever we’re going, could you drop off Isom? I don’t think they’re going to let us in with him, and he can get a feel for the place for me.”

“Sure.”

I do not need your pity! But I appreciate the chance to escape…this. Isom settled down.

Wil knew they were getting close when they passed through wards. A sensation of a heavy blanket settled over him, closing in until it was smothering. Like being bundled up too tightly in winter and being unable to move, unable to breathe as freely.

“What the hell was that?” Wil demanded, panting.

“Magic suppression field,” Chinis grunted. “Sorry, forgot about that. It’s all part of the security in the leadership district. You can do magic, it’s just harder. And not really recommended, unless you’re a fan of splitting headaches.”

It made sense, but Wil didn’t like it. Syl and Isom didn’t look any worse for it, so chances were it only restricted human magic. That’s when it really hit him that he had no power here, and was at the mercy of people who might not have been on his side.

As they pulled up to a large, ominous, ancient looking building, Wil realized how badly he wanted to run away, or beg for more time. Instead, he steadied his breathing and said, “I guess this is it, then? C’mon Syl. Isom, behave, and scout out Marlowe Manor for me.”

“Fine. Don’t take too long, or else I might come find you,” said Isom. Wil wasn’t sure if it was meant to reassure or threaten.

Chinis motioned with his head to the front doors. “Gotta see you head in before I leave. Good luck, McKenzie and Prince Goat.”

Syl saluted him, his discomfort momentarily forgotten in favor of friendliness. “Your good guard work and transportation is appreciated, and I’ll see you again tonight!”

They were let inside without incident, no doubt helped by Syl’s presence. Wil could’ve been any random wizard for all they knew, but only one fae diplomat was expected. They were led through a mostly empty waiting room, and down labyrinthine halls of closed doors and a low chatter in the background.

All the way into a corner office, where a placard outside the door declared the inhabitant to be S. Pierce. Their escort knocked on the door and left them. A voice bid them to enter. Syl looked as nervous as Wil, but they nodded and stepped inside.

“Ah, there you two are,” a small, older man with an impressive gray beard and spectacles said, standing up. He wasn’t much taller standing up. “Been expecting you for a few days, and I’m sure you’ve got tons of questions and concerns. Investigative Specialist Pierce, at your service.”

Will took his proffered hand and shook it. “Wilbur McKenzie, and Prince Sylano. How much trouble are we in?”

Pierce laughed. “A fair bit, if things go poorly. But I’m here for you, Master McKenzie. Prince Sylano, I believe my partner next door will handle your case.”

“Next door? Alone?” Syl made a face. He was no coward, but after the beating from Hugo and his men and the way Harper Valley’s most paranoid citizens turned on him, Wil didn’t blame him for being reluctant.

“Not alone, Harry’s in there. We need to separate you to get your statements on the past few months of incidents.” The investigator sat back down and motioned for Wil to join him.

Wil remained standing. “My friend here’s had a really rough time because of the incident. I don’t think he feels safe alone among humans, even with his diplomatic status. Which I am curious about. Shouldn’t a foreign prince have an honor guard and special treatment?”

“Yeah!” said Syl. “Where’s my honor guard? Does anyone even know I’m here?” He crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at the man.

Pierce shrugged and said, “Discretion Is important while we figure out exactly what happened in Harper Valley. Now, I know how scary this must be, but you must understand I’m on your side. I’m not just here to figure things out, but to make sure you’re protected and things go well for you.

“I’m your legal counsel, son, and the more you tell me, the easier job I have of making sure you don’t get thrown to the wolves and torn apart as an example.” Pierce’s smile remained, but he was all business now. “Help me help you out here. Cooperate, tell the truth, and we’ll figure out a future where you go back home a hero. But first, we need your statements. Separately.”

Syl blew out a frustrated breath. “And then when all is said and done, I get my honor guard and special treatment?”

Pierce shrugged. “As far as I know, yeah.”

“If you don’t hear from me again,” said Syl to Wil, “avenge me.” He clapped the wizard on the shoulder and retreated through the door, closing it behind him.

Wil sat down in the chair, taking a deep breath. His special danger sense was silent, but good old fashioned anxiety ate away at him. Pierce made it worse a second later.

“Now, that’s interesting,” he said, eyeing the door shrewdly. “Why would the prince of a foreign nation expect you to avenge him against your own government? What happened out there?”

Wil steadied himself the best he could, and started his story.