Page 24 of Down from the Tower

I shake my head, lifting my eyes to his. Instead of speaking, my gaze skates past him in the other direction, towards the sea.

Ocean? Sea? I have no idea if that’s truly the sea, or if our coastal location is a lie too.

I point the opposite, nearly throwing myself off balance on the peak, and his hand slides down to my waist to keep me from falling. I barely feel his touch as my mind spirals. “What's that?”

“The Endless Sea. It stretches for hundreds of miles, and further still than I’ll probably ever know.” One hand lifts, pointing upward. “See the moon, and the two stars to the right? Follow the second one until the horizon disappears and you'll find Neverland.”

“Neverland,” I squeak.

“That's very far from here, Princess. It's a place I've never gone. It's much farther than Arthur's Kingdom of Camelot.”

I close my eyes, feeling the panic setting in. A gust of wind snaps around us, and I have half a mind to stop fighting against. It could carry me off the rooftop and end this. The swirl of feelings, the edge of betrayal… it’s all taking root in my brain and making my thoughts clash together.

Midas and Dorah love me, don’t they? They hide me in the tower for safety and to ensure that no one takes advantage of my magic… except for them. Thinking about it, I can’t recall a time where I received any sort of love from them unless it’s in response to something they’d already done.

What kind of relationship is that?

Maybe it’s just the clear outside air, but I’m starting to see that things may not be as they seem. I stew in silence for a moment longer, and when I glance back at Zarev his brow is pinched. I wonder if I got too lost in my thoughts. “Camelot. Is that… an island?”

“ Yes. You travel north on the Endless Sea for seven days and nights and you'll find it.”

“Seven days…” there's a thumping in my head, or maybe it's just my heart. “Arthur… mother says he's coming back.”

He shrugs. “I don't have any knowledge on that, Princess.”

I glance at him again, watching his hair blow unnaturally around us. It takes a moment for my eyes to catch the shadows, playing with his dark hair like a friend instead of an extension of himself.

Focusing, I realize the shadows drift in a lazy, almost invisible sphere around us. Maybe that's how he planned to hide us in plain sight.

Or me, most likely. No one can see him.

Looking back towards the wall, despair crawls into my mind. “Why did they lie to me?”

He's quiet for a moment and I start to wonder if he will bother to answer. “To keep you from fighting to be free.”

7 Zarev

I let the princess sit on the rooftop with me for close to an hour. The wind blows past but she's numb to it, looking between the wall and the sea several times.

Her eyes are glassy, haunted. I've shattered her world by showing her the truth within it.

The shadows playing along my hands curl, holding tight, and I know my magic is growing tired. I need to recharge. It's one thing to hide my movements when most people can't see me, but it's another to hide a person so alive like Rapunzel.

Even when I let the shadows disappear and the living can see me, my magic is but a breath away. It’s part of me now, and if I exhaust my reserves without a break I risk making myself vulnerable.

The shadows protect me as much as I despise them. I’ve had many years to learn how to twist them to my will, and I’ve got a long way to go before I can claim to be a master. It feels like I know everything and nothing about this power all at the same time. None of the four Reapers had a teacher; we were thrust into this when Death called.

Glancing down the roof, I plan the route back. Climbing here was mostly up, so I could pull her if she stumbled. Going back to her room, the struggle will be to not to slide off.

I’m still not sure what I’m gaining by bringing her out here. There’s a strong chance the Princess of Tressa is the reason there are no dead in the Kingdom. But eyeing the wall, I suppose that could be part of the issue. It’s the only structure like this in Mystica, and of course it’s someplace I have to deal with it.

It couldn’t be Raymundo’s problem, or even Ban’s. Of my friends, I’m the one who got stuck climbing over the wall.

Rapunzel is unusual, but the wall is a monstrosity. The people of Tressa are none the wiser, but it keeps out as much danger as it locks in.

“Do you think they lie to me about other things?” she asks, her voice soft against the wind. When I look at her again, her eyes are unfocused in the distance. “Do you think… maybe no one out there wants my hair?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” I reply, her head snapping around to look at me. “If someone figured out who you are and heard the rumors, they might try to hurt you or capture you. But you’re a bit of a mystery to everyone outside of the tower. You might be able to pass as a regular civilian if you can hide the hair.”

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