Something was not right with this girl. Her entire body was stiff, emitting an aura of fear. Not that Senara wasn’t used to the fear of everyone she came in contact with, but this seemed different. The world here felt… different. In Uthoria she could feel the magic swirling around her, just out of reach, even with the bracelet cutting off access to it.

But here… here was different. The magic felt different. Fragile. Weak. It spoke in whispers to her, instead of the normal shout she had to learn to block out. A wave of nausea hit her. It wasn’t the first since she’d come through the portal. The bracelet was calling her back, stronger and stronger already.

She’d lost her sword in the portal somehow. She patted her side. The daggers were still there.

Where was she? The girl was talking about something again. Senara watched her out of the corner of her eye. Why was she speaking in the Swarian dialect? Orcus were forced to study it as a formality since it was considered the language of magic, but no country actually spoke it. Many books on magic had been found in the language, but no one seemed to know its origin. Had she somehow stumbled upon a country where it was still spoken? What had happened at the temple?

The tops of some buildings began to appear over the strange moss-covered trees. Orange half circle shale of some kind. She followed Meri around a corner and her hand went straight to the hilt of one of her new daggers. Other males and females near her age streamed back and forth between large buildings. Buildings made of materials she had never seen. This had to be a school of some sort. Maybe these were their Orcus. Which meant Meri was one of them.

The girl was studying her when she glanced her way. Senara took a step back. “Do one of these know where the blacksmith is?” She had to get this bracelet off. She needed to fully heal. And the feelings the bracelet sent through her body… unpleasant at the very least. Would it get tired of trying and give up?

Unlikely.

Surely in a place where Swarian was actually spoken, even if the accent was wrong, there would be someone she could coerce into removing her bracelet. Perhaps even this girl would be able to aid her. If she spoke Swarian then she must know something about magic.

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But it was best not to show the bracelet now, when someone else might see it. Everyone knew exactly what the bracelet meant. Obviously this girl hadn’t figured out what she was yet, or she would be cowering in fear or asking some type of favor. It was the life of an Orcus. She didn’t need that to deal with right now.

These people dressed strangely, even for Swarians. She had noticed it with the girl, Meri, but had thought it was just the girl who was different. And all of these people seemed to be the same age. How were there this many at one school? It would have been the ideal place to hide from Titus if it wasn’t right beside the portal.

Where in all of Arnath was this anyway? She had always been taught that Swarian wasn’t spoken anywhere, and yet here she was listening to it, trying to remember how to speak it, only a portal away from Uthoria. No one knew where the Enlightened books came from. Was it here, wherever here was? If so, they were the ones who had first crafted the bracelets. There had to be someone here who could help.

Senara followed Meri along the outside of the building. No one seemed to pay them much extra attention, even though she was dressed so differently. She tugged at her collar as they walked. This abrupt change in temperature did not suit her.

Finally Meri stopped outside one of the buildings. She pointed at a bench. “You can wait here. I’ll be right back.” She started toward a glass door.

“No.” Senara followed right behind her. This girl was the closest thing she had to an ally right now.

Meri looked nervous for a second. Maybe she did understand what Senara was. Maybe this was a trap. Still, better to go with her than be left out here.

“I prefer to stay with you.” Senara gentled her tone, trying to soothe the other girl. She really was not good at this. The gentle did not survive long among the Orcus.

Meri shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She swiped a card beside the door and a lock clicked.

Magic? And why did she want her to suit herself? Were special clothes necessary here? She followed Meri up three flights of stairs made out of strange materials, passing girls going down in even stranger clothes. Surely a place like this couldn’t be hidden from the rest of the world. Senara had never even heard rumors of anything like this. Where exactly had that portal taken her?

There was another door and four flights of stairs. Her mind automatically stored information on their path, in case she needed to leave without Meri. In case this was a trap. She ran a finger along the hilt of one of her daggers, reassuring herself. Even if she couldn’t call on the elements right now, she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

A wave of pain worked down her arm from the bracelet.

Normally she was more than capable of taking care of herself. But for now, she was desperate.