She made it to the other side of the clearing, her arms and legs weary from crossing over—and sometimes climbing over—the many logs. She could have levitated herself, flown to her destination without another thought, but she was enjoying the nostalgic effort of physical exertion. Finally, in the center of where she estimated the word “me” was spelled out, she stopped.

“Here I am,” she said, not stooping so low as to shout; she had her dignity to preserve. “We’re near enough to the old battleground and its thick Chi’karda. Wink in and be done with it.”

A few minutes passed in silence. Jane grew restless far quicker than she expected, and stilled herself to be sure her emotions didn’t show. She would not utter another word or move another muscle, no matter how long the mystery person made her wait.

Ten more minutes went by, the cloudless sky growing ever darker, a deep blue slowly bleeding to purple. Then, with no fanfare or smoke, a man appeared ten feet in front of her. Dressed in a pinstripe suit, he had dark hair and olive skin. He was tall and almost handsome, but not quite. His arms were clasped behind his back, perhaps holding something, hiding it from her. Though she’d never met him, she knew his name immediately. After all, just a few months ago she’d tried unsuccessfully to arrange a meeting with him.

Reginald Chu, perhaps the most dangerous man in the Realities.

But surely he couldn’t possibly know her powers in the Chi’karda were growing enough to match his technological gadgetry. Why is he here?

“Hello, Mistress Jane,” Chu said, mocking her title. “We finally meet, several months later than you had hoped.”

“You got my note, then?” she asked.

“I did.” He paused, not moving, staring at her. “I waited for you in the park, but you never showed up. You wasted time that was not yours to waste.”

It took every ounce of willpower for Jane to remain calm, to not lash out and whip this man with one of the fallen logs. She could do it, and the man spoke to her as if she were inferior. No, she told herself. He’s here for a reason.

“My apologies, Mister—”

“Call me Reginald,” he snapped. “Never call me Mr. Chu. Never.”

Jane bowed her head ever so slightly. “My apologies . . . Reginald. I had a proposition for you, a good one, but the Realitants stole my Wand, trapping me here. I’ll soon have another one built.”

Chu moved his arms from behind his back to reveal what he’d been hiding—a brand new Barrier Wand, its golden surface sparkling despite the diminishing light, seven dials and switches running along its length.