Novel Jumper

Chapter Twenty Six

 "You're lying," Lilia said after a beat of silence, a strange, numb calm settling over her. "You just want an excuse to hurt me."

"I'm not lying," the Wizard of Improbability said in a slightly offended tone. "Azca, you still have that wonderfully useful sword on you, yes?"

It took Connor, Lilia, and Azca a moment to even remember what weapon the man was referring to in their shock. Then, Lilia remembered when she had first arrived in Dwirinel, the method that had informed Connor and Azca that she wasn't lying about them being in a book and had informed her that that the world around her was real.

The Sword of Truth.

Azca reached under his cloak and unsheathed the katana. Although Lilia had only seen it once, she remembered it all too well.

The Wizard held out his hand for it, raising his eyebrows expectantly. Azca glanced at Connor and Lilia, obviously dubious about handing over a priceless artifact to this madman.

Finally, though, he sighed and held out the sword hilt-first. The Wizard accepted it with a gracious smile, held it in front of his chest, and said in a clear, deliberate voice, "The only way for Lilia to return to Earth is to die in Dwirinel."

The sword did absolutely nothing.

"Oh my god," Lilia breathed, the room starting to spin. She grabbed Connor's shoulder to keep from toppling to the ground.

"This can't be happening," Connor muttered to himself. "By the gods, please, no."

"Aren't there any other ways?" Azca demanded desperately.

"No," the Wizard said. The sword remained perfectly still.

"Then you're not leaving," Connor said firmly.

"Connor," Lilia started, turning to him. He shook his head firmly.

"I'm sorry, but I can't watch you die. I just can't."

"I do so adore a love story," the Wizard said dryly. "Now, let's get going. Chop, chop." He snapped his fingers with his free hand and pointed the Sword of Truth at Lilia.

"Absolutely not," Azca said briskly, making Lilia sigh in relief. He held out his hand for the sword. "Killing or no, nobody is soiling this blade."

"Thanks, Azca," Lilia muttered, realizing that the "absolutely not" had merely been directed at the thought of the blade being used as a weapon as hysterical giggles rose in her chest. She couldn't control the crazy grin that spread over her face, even when Connor looked at her as though she had truly lost it, his eyes panic-filled.

The Wizard sighed, rolling his eyes but complying. He returned the Sword of Truth to Azca and held up his hands as if to say, There - you happy?

Lilia's head ached with an approaching migraine. Dying? She had been expecting pain of some sort - heroes rarely got to return home without it - but having to die? She, like any other sane human, had always been apprehensive at the thought of her own death. If the Wizard was correct (which the sword swore he was), dying would return her to Earth safe and sound, but it wouldn't be fast or painless. After all, the most deadly weapons this world had were swords, not guns that could make the process nearly instantaneous.

"Stop," Connor snapped, watching her as her expression morphed into thoughtfulness. "Stop considering this. We are not killing you!"

Lilia looked at him, her throat clogged with sympathy; not for herself, but for him. She could never do what Theresa had managed. She could never learn to fit in perfectly in this world. She would miss her family, running water, electricity - everything that Dwirinel did not have. For a crazy moment, she found herself wishing for the same thing the Wizard wanted: for the two worlds to unify. No, she reprimanded herself strictly. That would cause chaos and confusion, not bring out the best in both worlds.