Jay didn't finish what was left in the mug, and he wouldn't eat either. It turned out that traveling by magic from the city center was prohibited, so we had to go back to the city wall and start our journey through the worlds beyond it. On the way, I chewed on a bun I'd taken from the inn without even feeling the taste. The sorcerer waved his hand through the air as he had before, but I couldn't see the silver sparks without the amulet, so I had to hold on to his shoulder.

This time we didn't go through the woods with the butterflies, and the journey took longer.

“If I'd noticed you following us sooner, I wouldn't have taken the shortcut through the butterflies,” the sorcerer managed to explain.

So the amulet did keep me out of his sight for a while.

After that, Jay didn't say a word until we were in a field of golden spikes. The girls continued to mow, but already farther from the edge. The cloaks were lying nearby, the sun was shining, and a piercing wind was driving a wave across the tops of the spikes. Gray birds with striped tails were chirping. The sorcerer stopped and looked at me. That's how one looks at a fly hitting the glass next to an open window.

“Give back the cloak and apologize.”

“What?”

He rolled his eyes.

“Did you ask before you took it?”

I didn't like that question at all. Is he going to stick his nose into everything I do? I wanted to answer him like that, boldly and forcefully, as a proud girl who owed no one anything should, but I mumbled an excuse instead:

“N-no, but no one noticed! I'll just put it back, and-“

“No,” the sorcerer cut me off.

“But I don't know their language!”

“I do, so now you do.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, but the gesture didn't look impressive either, and the sorcerer didn't change his mind. I took off the cloak and moved slowly toward the girls. None of them reacted to my approach except one. A blond, rosy-cheeked girl of about sixteen turned and asked rudely:

“What?”

It was as if a file corresponding to that language had opened in my head.

“I was walking by, frozen, and I borrowed this cloak,” The words came out kind of clumsily, my tongue not being adapted to those sounds. “I-”

“You can't do that!” the girl exclaimed, snatching the cloak out of my hands. “You can't!”

“I'm sorry,” I whispered.

The other girls stopped and watched the scene. Their faces were frowning and hostile. I staggered back and ran to the sorcerer.

He didn't say anything, waved again, and we stepped into the next passage.

Finally, we reached the hotel. The night was still reigning over the place, but the sky seemed to be barely brightening. How much time had passed? I was exhausted from the last hours. What had happened seemed an incoherent bad dream. The door leading to the room with the mannequin was covered in stains, and sai was sitting in a chair nearby, occasionally splashing water from a bottle on it. The innkeeper did not look worried at all, but rather bored. She jumped up when we approached her.

“Master Sorcerer ! Welcome back! You have been paid for your help, I see! But why have you returned?”

She bowed incessantly. I wanted to tell the damn ingratiating creature that the amulet had been stolen and that she was the reason I couldn't return home, when suddenly it hit me: I was almost home. At least in the right world! Just go quietly away, get to my room, grab my backpack with my stuff. Only not to wake up Alina, no time for explanations. I just need to find a train station, buy a ticket for the next train, and go home!

Perhaps because I hadn't slept much, or because so much had happened in a short period of time, the plan seemed quite feasible.

“Go!” Jay pushed me toward the door.

I was so focused on plotting the escape that I did what he said without objection. I went into the room with the mannequin. The other door was closed.

“Finally!” The pregnant woman exclaimed, stretching and groaning as she rose from the floor.

While I was trying to figure out how she'd managed to escape the sorcerer's hold, the pregnant woman slid between Jay and me into the hallway and settled herself in the sai's chair.

“Oh, my back's all stiff,” the woman complained. “I knock and shout, shout and knock, the door does not open, so I had to lie down on the floor to rest.

“What about the sorcerer?” I asked.

“And what about the sorcerer?” He first came at me with this round thing - I was so scared! It felt like he was taking my soul out!

My chest tingled uneasily.

“And then that pearl of his exploded, as if it were overflowing.”

“A weak artifact,” Jay remarked. “Besides, the mirror doesn't tolerate magic within itself.”

“I jumped up right away, wanting to escape, because there was more he could come up with. I remembered that this one,” she nodded at Jay, “Said you have whatever's reflected in the mirror. So I grabbed a tablecloth and covered the mirror so he wouldn't have any reflections!”

The pregnant woman was gibbering something about how she came out of the far room and couldn't get into the hallway, how she dozed off again, and I was trying to comprehend what she said. First of all, according to sai, it was a super-powerful pearl, not a pathetic artifact. Second of all, I had suggested that the mirror be covered with a cloth. So... What does that mean, Katherina? I am, of course, sometimes a stupid bird, but in general not brainless: when necessary, I think quickly.

The innkeeper didn't send me after the sorcerer to ask for help or to give him the amulet - he said himself that he didn't need her junk. It was I who was the payment for his services!

Sai, meanwhile, begrudgingly turned to the sorcerer: now that he was here again, could he do something about the pregnant woman. The latter was already dozing again. Sai could deal with the nervous one on her own! She was afraid to even let this lady out of the room, she hadn't figured out what to do, so she blocked her way. She'd blab everything out!

Jay leaned over the pregnant woman and put his hand on her belly.

“The baby could have been given some sort of power, but she needn't know that. It's better for her to forget everything. There's a strong environment here, a lot of electricity and waves, and you'll be interfering.” He glanced at me and sai. “Stay in the corridor while I work on her memory.

I couldn't believe my luck. The sorcerer carried the pregnant woman back into the room and closed the door behind him. Sai sat down in her chair and was busy smoothing out the folds of her velvet dress.

“I'll get some water from the kitchen,” I lied, and headed toward the central stairwell.

As I turned the corner, I sprinted as fast as I could. I had to slow down in a dark hall that wasn't reached by streetlights. Nothing seemed real. I'd just walked in here imagining myself as a character in a fantasy story. For a second, I wished I could be part of the plot I'd foolishly gotten myself into. But no, this was no time to think about what kind of character I would make. I would do that at home.

I ran to my room and quietly opened the door. Alina was asleep. Luckily I hadn't unpacked! I quickly peeked into the bathroom, grabbed my bath bag, and, lingering for a second, grabbed a towel with a gold monogram on it - a modest compensation for my misadventures.

I jumped out into the street and threw on a sweater on the run - it felt warm at last! The hotel was situated in the center of the town. The sky, pale in the east, was pushing against the darkness of the night. The last star hung in the west, and its glow was shaded by the dark silhouette of the cathedral tower in the central square. That was where I headed, expecting to find a map of the town by the main landmark, and the train station on it.

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The fresh, cool air tickled my nostrils. The narrow lane veered left and right. The sound of rubber soles on paving stones wet from the night rain seemed foreign and too loud. The streetlights dimly illuminated only the space below them. The town was still asleep. I turned around several times, but no one was following me. Once again, it seemed like it was all just a stupid dream, and I was packing up and running away for no reason.

Come to think of it, though, I didn't enjoy the trip all that much. I was tired of riding in the bus, tired of sleepless nights, the noise of the engine, overheard conversations, shifting twin towns, foreign smells, foreign languages, unfamiliar architecture and food, not my own cutlery, coffee in disposable cups, the inability to just wrap myself in a blanket and sit in silence... Still, it made sense to leave a note for Alina.

One last turn, and the cathedral rose in front of me. I looked around for a map. Yes, there it was, under the lantern by the steps leading to a tall double door of dark wood. I wanted to cross the square straight, but the space seemed vast and empty, and my lonely little figure would look defenseless in it. I walked along the houses that surrounded the square, passing the restaurant tables stacked on top of each other and glimpsing the windows as if saying goodbye.

I slipped on the wet paving stones and almost fell, approaching the map. The glass of the information shield was fogged up, but I could make out the words. The inscriptions were duplicated in English. There was a red circle “You are here”. I looked for the black railroad lines. There they were, next to the train station. Fortunately, computer games taught me how to read maps! I ran my finger down the streets, memorizing the names and trying to estimate how long it would take me to get there. I wanted to take a picture with my phone, but it was still too dark.

I ran my eyes along the roads one last time, making sure I had the major turns memorized.

“Such a beautiful city.”

The husky, low voice dug into my temples. I shuddered and turned sharply. The characters in my favorite books and TV shows would say “No” at such moments. And I, as if to echo them, whispered:

“No.”

It can't happen. This is a dream.

And yet it wasn't a dream. Jay was standing just a few feet away from me. The stain on my arm that I'd forgotten about tickled my skin. No, no, no. I ran.

It didn't matter where. I darted down the street and slipped again, but this time I couldn't keep my balance. The weight of the backpack dragged me sideways, and I hit the ground with my elbow and hip. Despite the pain, I jumped up and ran without looking back.

He was already waiting around the corner. When I saw the silhouette in the cloak, I stood still. I'm just dreaming, that's all. Because it's impossible.

“You don't seem to understand the nature of our connection yet,” the sorcerer said as he approached.

I backed away. He either sighed or grinned.

“This,” he held up his palm with a spot as if in greeting, “is only an outward expression. I'll always know where you are. You're feeling tired right now. I had to use your powers, I spent a lot of mine today. Do you understand?”

I turned and ran. Just a dozen steps, and I was out of breath, my legs felt weak. I stopped, fighting the urge to lie on the ground. I was dizzy. I understood now. I bent down, put my hands on my knees, and caught my breath. The backpack slid down almost to my head. What on earth had Alina stuffed in there that was so heavy?

“We're going back to the hotel.”

When I looked up, he was already leaving the square. Should I stay here? Scream? Call the police? My strength was returning. I staggered after the sorcerer. When I caught up with him, I wanted to yell, but it came out as a barely audible pathetic mumble:

“They'll be looking for me...”

“That is why,” the man answered irritably, without turning around, “we are going back to the hotel.”

The sorcerer opened the door in front of me and made an inviting gesture. Before walking back into Mistress Sai's hotel-museum, I looked around. The town was getting ready to wake up. It was getting lighter, and the night humidity was beginning to fade, plunging the alleyway into a milky haze. The first birds were chirping, and a car drove by in the distance. I slipped into the hotel.

We sat down at the table in the living room, where dinner had been held just a few hours earlier. Sai brought paper and a pen.

“Write a letter to your relatives,” the sorcerer said, “that you have decided to stay and work at the hotel.”

Who can possibly believe that! Even if it were some impossible truth, I would rather call than write.

“But why write?”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and ran his finger across his eyebrow.

“Let's put it this way. I tell you to do something, and you do it. Do you understand?”

No, I don't! It doesn't make any sense at all... I took a pen and hovered over a white sheet of paper with a gold monogram at the top and the address and name of the hotel at the bottom.

Dear Mom and Dad, your daughter Katherina is writing to you. I met a sorcerer and accidentally became his servant. Or maybe a battery... Mom and Dad, I fell asleep, I'm having a nightmare. Dear Auntie, you died a long time ago, but I always hear your voice. Your aristocratic advice turned out to be absolutely useless in life.

The sorcerer slammed his hand on the table. I leapt up.

“Write like I said, one line,” he said irritably.

All right, all right, I'm writing it already! I signed under the short phrase. The sorcerer moved the sheet to himself, folded it in half, pressed it against the tabletop with his palm, and with the fingers of his other hand, ran it around as if he were sewing something on it. He closed his eyes and almost stopped breathing. Sai, watching mesmerized from the corner with her arms clutched across her chest, looked like a giant squirrel.

Finally, the sorcerer exhaled and said:

“Let's go see your friend.”

Putting Alina in the middle of this, too? On the other hand, I might have a chance to warn her, and she could go to the police... I got worried and jumped up from my chair and then sat back immediately, dizzy.

Sai emerged from her corner and ingratiatingly informed us that she had some amulets, sources of power.

“Bring them,” muttered the sorcerer.

He didn't even try to get up. He didn't seem to have any energy left either. Not surprising, considering how much he'd walked today. I shook my head. No, I didn't want to sympathize with him!

Sai brought out a huge box with her treasures in. Jay dug into it and pulled out a banal tourist magnet in the shape of a lighthouse. He hummed in surprise and set it aside. Picked out a few pearls and a small ruby. A key on a chain. A bus ticket. Sai pressed her lips together, but remained silent. Was it something valuable? The last thing to pile up was a bicycle bell.

The sorcerer pushed the box back. He took each item in his hand and set it aside after a few seconds. I tried to catch a glimpse of any trace of magic, at least one silver spark, but saw nothing. For the longest time, he clutched the ticket. I felt more awake. I wasn't sleepy anymore, and I wasn't even hungry. Thanks for remembering to recharge your spare battery!

“Let's go,” said the sorcerer.

Alina didn't wake up when we came in. She was always sound asleep. Sai stayed in the living room - the sorcerer wouldn't let her accompany us. The morning light was streaming through the curtains. The sorcerer whispered something, and Alina sat up on the bed without opening her eyes. She was wearing a T-shirt that I hated: a sad kitty holding onto a branch with its front paws, and the words “Hold on!” I gave a mental thank you to the kitty for its sympathy. Maybe I should wake Alina and ask her to save me immediately? But the sorcerer would just suck all the strength out of me at once, so that I would faint and not interfere with him.

“Please be silent,” he told me, as if he had read my mind. “Memory work is very delicate. Few people know how to do it without hurting the person.”

The implication, of course, was that he was one of those specialists.

The sorcerer placed my note on the bedside table, leaned over Alina, and placed his fingertips on her temples. Once again it was boring nonmagical magic, no candles, no bat wings, no glowing-in-the-dark potion.

Tears started to run from my eyes. This was Alina, the one who had watched over me for so many years. Took care of me, dealt with my problems. Who's going to help me now? I sobbed and immediately put my hand over my mouth, but the sorcerer paid no attention. Somehow I knew he wasn't doing anything harmful, as if the subtle connection between our palms was transmitting an echo of feelings. I was only afraid that Alina would forget about me.

The sorcerer stepped away from the bed. Was it only my imagination, or were his hands trembling? Alina was smiling. Without noticing us, she took the note, read it, nodded, and, as if nothing had happened, lay down and fell asleep for real.

Jay gently took me by the elbow and pulled into the hallway. “Don't forget me,” I whispered to Alina.

“She won't. She thinks you work here. She' s sure she helped you make that decision herself. She'll give the note to your parents, and the magic will spread to anyone who asks about you. It won't be enough for many people, but you hardly know anyone, do you?”

I took that as an insult. Why would he say that? Without waiting for an answer, the sorcerer went back to the dining room. There he explained to the sai what to tell the group about the missing tourist, not to waste the magic on them.

Finally, he decided it was time to leave, and waved his hand in the air. I pulled my backpack from under the table and walked over to the sorcerer, getting ready to step into the unknown, into the dizziness and the heat and the wind and the cold and the golden spikes. I preferred not to think about the butterflies, and hoped that we would somehow get around them again.

Jay looked at me oddly.

“What did you take?”

I shrugged: “My stuff is in there.”

“What did you take from here?”

“Nothing!”

The sorcerer threw his head back and whispered to the ceiling, “Gods!” When he spoke, there was a distinct harshness in his voice: “If you need to be explained slowly and legibly, fine, I'll explain. Rule number one: You do what I tell you to do. Rule number two: You don't lie to me. You don't seem to have much of a moral compass, so don't lie to me, not because it's bad, but because I'll know. Is that clear?”

It was clear that he had no right to talk to me like that because of a spot on my hand. I didn't answer.

“Get it out.”

I put the backpack on the floor and pulled out a towel. I should have hidden it better! Sai giggled, but then she stopped herself and mumbled an apology. Jay unfolded the towel and pointed to the gold monogram.

“Here's something made especially for your kind. Three years of bad luck, not bad, is it? And deadly for someone like you.”

I lowered my head and pressed my lips together in resentment. Not only did the sorcerer see through everything I was trying to hide, but he was also throwing sarcastic phrases at me.

Jay handed the towel to the sai, and she clutched it to her chest and burst into a fireworks of gratitude, not forgetting to bow. I couldn't see her as human anymore. It was a real squirrel, fussy and insolent. I wished the old gentleman on the bus had seen it; it would have made a great picture.

“Follow me,” the sorcerer ordered.

I reluctantly put my hand on his shoulder, and we stepped into the passage.