Chapter 25 - Finding Family

Wren gathered everyone into Gareth’s kitchen, and Gareth’s mom poured everyone a cup of steaming hot tea. She added milk to hers, but Gareth drank his black with only a few sugars. Wren added nothing, merely stared at it like it was made of acid.

“Well, it smells nice,” he said, but he still didn’t take a sip. He was preoccupied with thoughts of the conversation to come, as were the others.

Eloise was suddenly struck by how small everything seemed all of a sudden. It was just the three of them, Gareth’s mom, and Wren. Could they really stop the Nameless One? A being of infinite power and energy?

No. She couldn’t think like that. It was just the darkness talking.

“So here’s the plan,” Wren said. “Your father is being held in the Inner Circles. This is both good and bad. Good, because it means he’s not dead. Bad, because… well…”

“What?”

“The Inner Circles are a land outside time and space. Not only is it exceeding difficult to enter, but… well… it’s also where I was born.”

“Where you were born? Does that mean…” Gareth clenched his hands into fists. “Is he trying to turn my dad into a minion?”

“I’m not sure. But it does tell us one thing for sure.”

And that is? Eloise asked, before remembering that Wren couldn’t hear her.

“Which is?” Gareth translated.

“The Nameless One expects us to go after your father. It’s almost certainly a trap. We have no idea how many newborn minions are there… ones that will almost certainly be stronger than me. We’re going to need a lot of power if we want to stand a chance. What’s worse, the Nameless One never strays far from the Inner Circles. It is where he is most powerful.”

“Wren, how do you know all this?”

“Like I said, it’s where I was born. And I’ve been thinking…”

Who knew Wren could think? Olban said, rather sarcastically.

I’m not inclined to agree with Olban’s rather crude phrasing, but… It definitely seems as though Wren is deviating from the clueless caricature we thought he was. He seems to be… changing, Eloise said. Are we sure we can trust him?

“I think we can,” Gareth said, quietly enough that Wren couldn’t hear. “Now shut up and stop interrupting.”

“You’ve been thinking?” Gareth prompted.

“Yes. I have. I believe the hypnosis, overcoming the darkness… It may have given me a connection to the Nameless One?”

“A connection?” Gareth’s voice was laced with concern.

“Yes, although don’t worry. I believe it is one sided. I can see… flashes. Of the Nameless One’s thoughts, his plans…”

“That’s good news,” Gareth said. “But how can we be sure the Nameless One isn’t seeing us? And our plans?”

“It sounds suspicious, I know. But I don’t think he knows that I’m in his head. I don;t think he knows about this new connection. It explains how I could tell your dad was a fake, how I know your dad is in the Inner Circles.”

“I… guess so.”

I don’t trust him, Olban said. This feels too easy. There must be a catch.

Eloise was lost in her own thoughts, being careful to hide them from her headmates. The Nameless One already knows what they’re planning, thanks to his dream visit and her mistake. Why would he need Wren? Could it be that Wren is telling the truth?

If he is, then it could mean the difference between life and death. Victory and failure.

But there was only one way to find out.

How do we get to the Inner Circles? she asked.

“Good question, Eloise. How do we get to the Inner Circles, Wren? You said it’s a land outside space and time.”

“It won’t be easy,” Wren acknowledged. “But the Nameless One planted entrances in every universe. In order to speed up his eventual invasion of the multiverse. So there is an entrance in this world. We just need to find it.”

“Hang on,” Gareth’s mom said. Until now she’d been silent, using all of her focus on processing the insanity of this conversation. But now she spoke. “This is crazy. You said yourself it’s a trap. The entrance, wherever it is, is likely heavily guarded. You can’t just waltz into this. You need weapons. Or something.”

Ordinary weapons will likely not do much to the Nameless One, or even his minions, Olban mused. If we want to do this, we’re going to need magic. And if we want magic…

“We need to go back to your world,” Gareth finished. “You’re right, Olban. We need to figure out how to get back to your world, stock up on magical weapons.”

We could also use this opportunity to check on the rings, Eloise said. And Olban, you mentioned talking to your master about Wren.

“If there’s an entrance in every universe, like you said, Wren, then we can enter through Olban’s world. Maybe the Nameless One won’t be expecting that.”

Wren nodded gravely.

“It could work. But we need to hurry. Who knows what he is doing to your father.”

He finally took his first sip of tea and made a face. “Gah! This is nothing like soda!”

Everyone laughed, even Olban.

“You’ll learn to like it,” Gareth says. “It’s pretty much a staple drink here.”

Wren made another face.

“I don’t know about that. I think I’ll stick to soda.”

More laughter. The room itself seemed to get lighter. The gravity of their conversation seemed to lift.

Eloise felt something warm. Something almost like hope.

Maybe they could do this.

No. Not maybe.

They could do this.