Marina stared at Kai, her arms folded tightly across her chest.
"This had better work," she said flatly. "Because this is my life we're talking about."
Kai barely looked up as he adjusted the final sigils hovering in the air.
"Well, statistically speaking, most plans involving gods end in screaming and dismemberment so really, this one's already above average."
Marina's expression didn't change after he said that. It was the kind of deadpan look that said 'try again and I will end you.'
"…Really?" she said.
Kai shrugged. "I'm saying optimism is a choice."
Across the room, Kady sat sideways on a chair, her boots hooked over the armrest, with Penny standing behind her and Julia watching from the far end of the room.
"It'll work, Marina," Kady said. "Have a little faith."
Marina let out a dry laugh at that and turned to address Kady. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one being used as the proverbial bait for a fucking murderous rapist of a god, now are you?"
Penny groaned. "Oh, quit yapping."
Julia tilted her head, eyes fixed on Kai. "Where exactly is John? And how sure are you that Raynard won't go after his son instead?"
Kai finally looked up.
"John's currently in my Fillory. Along with Alicia, Alice, and Quentin. He's… well-supervised."
Penny shook his head.
"I still can't believe you actually copied Fillory and created something similar. A full mirror replica. That's insane."
Marina nodded.
"Not really Penny, you see there are artifacts out there capable of becoming pocket realms. Or sometimes you just stumble onto one that's already primed." She looked directly at Kai. "But the one thing all those methods have in common is that they require a ludicrous amount of magic."
Julia frowned. "How much magic?"
Marina didn't hesitate to answer, "Enough to turn someone into a blue magical energy being."
Kady blinked. "A Niffin?"
Marina nodded. "Yup."
Kai waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, that part was easy. I had a ready source to tap into."
Everyone looked at him confused at that. He continued casually, "And since it's a mirror copy of Fillory, I didn't need to recreate the blueprint from scratch. I just made an imprint based on what already existed. Much less taxing."
He paused, then raised a finger.
"Oh and one more thing."
Kady straightened. "What?"
"My pocket dimension isn't quite what you think it is." Marina narrowed her eyes. "Meaning?"
"Well my realm is different because It's tied to the object used in its creation and birth."
There was a pause after he said that before Marina looked at him with barely hidden interest."…And what object would that be?" Marina asked carefully.
Kai smiled.
"The Ascendant." Penny muttered, "What the hell is that supposed to be?."
Kai clapped his hands once. "Alright. We're done."
Marina blinked. "Done?"
Kai nodded. "The spell placed on you will now mimic a very specific presence. One Raynard won't be able to ignore."
Penny frowned. "What presence?"
Kady scoffed. "What could he possibly want more than Marina herself?"
Marina nodded.
"Exactly. Frankly, I don't know why you're going this far just to get his attention. He already hates the hedges. I'm already a pretty damn tempting target."
Kai's smile faded just slightly.
"He's not stupid you know," Kai said. "Egotistical? Yes. Arrogant? Absolutely. Convinced we can't do anything to him? Without question. Underestimating us in every conceivable way? Definitely."
He looked at Marina, eyes sharp.
"But stupid? No."
Kai's voice dropped."He's a fox. He knows a trap when he sees one. Which," Kai continued, "is exactly why I'm taking this extra step."
He tapped the glowing sigil hovering near Marina's chest.
"To make sure he walks exactly where I want him."
Silence hung thick in the room after Kai's words and Penny was the first to break it.
"Why couldn't we have just taken all of this to Fillory?" he asked, irritation sharp in his voice. "Raynard could've followed us there. We'd have had the advantage, I mean we'd be closer to the Source, more magic, better ground plus we'd have the magical creatures help us as well."
Kady nodded immediately.
"Yeah. Fillory would've been smarter."
For a moment, Kai said nothing.
Then— "Hm." He leaned back slightly, considering it, fingers tapping once against the table.
"That actually would have been better," he admitted calmly. "It would've increased our chances. Significantly yes."
Kady blinked at the fact he didn't deny it and Penny frowned.
"Then why didn't we?"
Kai's lips curved faintly.
"Because Raynard would never follow us there."
Julia stared at him in confusion at what he could mean by that.
"What? Why the hell wouldn't he?"
Marina scoffed.
"Yeah. Since when does he give a damn about boundaries?"
Kai looked at them, truly looked at them with confusion flickering across his expression, as if they had just asked why fire burned.
Then he paused.
'Ah, Right at this point they didn't usually deal with gods, at least not yet,' he thought.
A low laugh escaped him then it became soft and amused. The kind of laugh that carried an amused realization. The laughter was like something that, under the right circumstances, could end worlds and feel absolutely nothing about it.
And in this universe, ending worlds was not hypothetical.
With the right conditions… even a mundane magician could do it.
Kai tilted his head slowly toward Marina, studying her like a puzzle, she should've already solved.
"You're asking why Raynard wouldn't dare to trespass?" he said mildly. "Is that truly what confuses you?"
He brought a hand up, then clasped both hands behind his back as he stood up, pacing leisurely as he spoke savoring it.
"Let me shatter the illusion for you," he continued. "This universe isn't polite. Not even remotely. But what it is… is territorial."
He raised finger up.
"Ember, the god of Fillory may not take much seriously," Kai said, "but he is still a god. And Fillory belongs to him. And his brother. Umber."
"A god's domain is not claimed," Kai said quietly. "It is owned you see every law bends inward, every particle kneels and even meaning itself behaves according to their will."
His smile sharpened as he continued.
"The reason Raynard cannot enter uninvited," Kai continued, "is because the moment he does, he is diminished. His authority dulls considerably."
He drifting toward Penny while still giving an answer to their question.
"Here," Kai gestured vaguely, "Raynard can do nearly anything he wants. Over there?" He tapped the table once. "He could speak and the world would pretend not to hear him."
Penny swallowed at the implication.
"And the host?" Kai added, voice lowering. He chuckled softly. "The host is never confused. Whoever's realm is being trespassed into which in this case is Ember's, believe me he will feel him the instant he cross into his realm. Like a parasite slipping beneath the skin."
Julia frowned as a thought came to her.
"Then wouldn't that have made it easier to hide John there?"
Kai shook his head immediately.
"No," he said. "John is Raynard's spawn. Even suppressed as he is, he is still of him."
"Ember wouldn't be seen as a guest," Kai continued. "To Ember, John would be an offense."
The room went cold.
"And gods," Kai said calmly, "are not exactly hospitable creatures unless you are entertainment. They do not negotiate with intrusions."
A pause.
"They correct them in ways you cannot fathom."
He let that settle.
"That," he finished, "is why entities stay in their lanes. Not out of respect but strictly out of survival."
Kady exhaled sharply as Kai moved toward another table, lifting the lamp carefully into his hands.
"Would've been a good place for Anya to stay," she muttered. "Maybe she'd still be alive."
Julia turned to her quickly.
"We couldn't have known. No one can be blamed for that."
Kady gave a humorless laugh.
"Sure," she said. "No way we could've known huh, right Kai?"
Her eyes flicked to Kai.
Kai met her gaze from the corner of his eye, his expression unreadable.
Kady stood abruptly and left the room, Kai sighed understanding her frustration clearly.
After a while Kai looked to Penny, "The enchantments are ready."
Kai raised the lamp in front of him, expression sharpening with focus.
"Now, it's time to finally put this cat and mouse game to a rest."
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