Page 56 of Tik-Tok

Tik-Tok felt the blood drain from his face.Glarondal. His father. They thoughthewas his father. He bared his teeth, eyes narrowing. “I amnotthat piece of shit fae.”

The female slapped a hand over her mouth. “Blasphemy!”

“Blasphemy?” Tik-Tok snarled. “Who the fuck do you think Glarondal is? Agod?”

Shifting backward, feet dragging in the gravel, she eyed them both through a suspicious squint. Using quick movements, she covered her chest with both palms and brought them outward in a wide arc as if performing some sort of ritual. “Glarondal istheonlygod and may he strike you down for your insults.”

Respen snorted. “Weren’t you terrified a moment ago?”

“Come now,” Tik-Tok drawled to his first-mate. “Fear and worship often go hand-in-hand.”

The girl made the same motion over and over with increasing speed, mumbling words too low for them to make out. Each time she repeated the movements, Tik-Tok’s chest tightened in anger. Blindingly violent wrath.

“Enough,” he snapped. Whipping out his compass, he checked the face. This time the needle was steadfast, leading deeper into the village. He was innomood to traipse through the entire fucking world searching for his father. For all he knew, they were on opposite sides of this universe.

“You okay?” Respen asked as Tik-Tok stormed away from the praying girl.

“Wonderful,” he snarled. There was nothing quite like finding out you looked like the fucker who murdered your family. Except, perhaps, being mistaken for him. And that he was worshiped as a god.

“Let’s make this quicker,” Respen said, gripping Tik-Tok’s shoulder. The world went fuzzy, whizzing by, until it suddenly stopped. Respen had whirled them out of the village and into a field with deep green, ankle-high grass. Large creatures stood on four legs. Light gray scales covered their gangly legs and long snouts, and black fur sprouted from their bulbous bodies. “Any closer?” he asked.

Tik-Tok glanced at the compass. It still pointed ahead, only slightly to the left. He tilted the tool to show Respen, who still had a grip on his shoulder. Again, they traveled with Respen’s magic, stopping only to check the compass. Again and again. Appearing in glittering cities and bogs and outside of steam-powered factories.

Until finally, in the middle of a massive mountain range, surrounded by stony cliffs and climbing vines, the needle glowed gold. Sleet pounded down at an angle as Tik-Tok and Respen walked cautiously to the mouth of a dark cave. Water dripped somewhere inside, splashing softly against the stone ground. A wet cough accompanied it before trailing off into a wheeze. Tik-Tok slowed his steps, holding his sword at the ready.

Something was in there. His father, according to the compass, but perhaps he wasn’t alone. Glarondal used to talk about this place—how it was ripe for his intentions. Others had visited long ago, returning with tales passed down through generations—tales about how it lacked magic completely. Even the mortal world where Thelia came from had traces of it, but this place hadnothing. When Tik-Tok’s brother realized he had the extremely rare power to open sea portals, his father had pounced. No one since Tik-Tok’s brother had held the ability to open portals in the sea, not until North.

So, unless his father had brought any fae with him—and Tik-Tok was sure he wouldn’t have risked any potential power struggle—it wasn’t much of a threat. Especially with a cough like that.

“You don’t have to come with me,” he offered Respen.

He shrugged. “I’d rather watch him die, if it’s all the same to you.”

Tik-Tok grinned and took an orb from inside his jacket pocket to cast a small amount of light. It created shadows along the walls where jagged rocks reached out and up like spindly fingers. Water trickled from the ceiling, following the path worn by years of erosion, though in other places, it dripped straight down into hollowed pockets on the ground. Easing around sharp spikes, the two pirates descended farther and farther with light footsteps, and the darkness swallowed them from behind.

If it weren’t for another round of hacking, Tik-Tok would’ve thought his compass was broken. Respen paused suddenly and nodded to the side. Tik-Tok cocked his head to listen and scowled. The sound was coming … from inside the wall.

Magic.It had to be. Tik-Tok reached out with his golden hand and brushed it across the rock. The wall gave beneath his touch, springing back like the top of Cook’s warm pastries. He narrowed his eyes, scanned the wall, and sniffed the air. Traces of sweet berries, warm sunlight, and burnt wood mingled together.

“Fae magic,” he concluded.

“Do you know how to get through?” Respen asked.

Tik-Tok’s lips curled into a wiry smile and he lifted his sword. It was fae magic, but weak. Brittle. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have given beneath his hand, and the sound of coughing would’ve been contained. With a quick bash of his sword’s hilt, Tik-Tok smashed through the barrier. It fell silently, the illusion toppling like a stack of blocks, before disintegrating on the ground.

Inside was a large, squared-off cave full of gold furnishings. Most prominent was a throne-like chair, wide enough for two to sit in comfortably, with etched patterns across the back. An elaborate bedframe with rich brocade blankets and pillows sat in a corner, and a floating chandelier glowed brightly with attached orbs like the one Tik-Tok held. Even the wooden dining set sported shimmering leaves, and the rug was woven with golden fibers. A feast spanned the table, extravagant enough for the Queen of Oz herself.

And yet … everything was covered in dust and mildew. The food was blackened with age.

“What are you doing here?” wheezed a male, hidden somewhere in front of them.

Tik-Tok sniffed the air again, trying to scent the magic, but itallsmelled of his father. He would never forget the bitter flavor of his magic—the way it oozed around him during every beating, the way it had nearly suffocated him during their final interaction—the day Glarondal and his wife had murdered their children.

Snarling, Tik-Tok stuffed his orb back into his pocket, keeping both hands free. “Venture a guess,” he suggested.

Respen shifted uncomfortably beside him, but Tik-Tok refused to show the bastard an ounce of discomfort. If whatever shield he used was as weak as the barrier, it wouldn’t last long.

“Your magic glows bright,” the voice said, crackling. “Strong magic. I’ve seen that color before.”

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