"I've been looking for you queen Margo, we need to get you prepared for the next step towards securing this kingdom and I have a few ideas."
Margo spun around, her single eye widening in shock. "What the—? I didn't invite you to a surprise party, you overgrown sprite. And might I ask what the fuck I'm preparing for?"
Tick, sensing the sudden, sharp shift in atmospheric and the queen talking to thin air, wisely decided he had urgent paperwork elsewhere and skittered away, leaving Margo alone with the spectral monarch.
"You need to create alliances, High King," the Fairy Queen said, "Your kingdom is weak. I have arranged for you to meet a companion from the Floating Mountains tribe. They command an army of four thousand strong. You will inherit that force, should this alliance work."
Margo scoffed, crossing her arms. "Oh, I've been in this situation before. I've 'allied' with royals just to promote this kingdom's ratings and even stooped so low as to ally with you fairies, and it usually ends with me getting stabbed in the back or married to someone with poor table manners. What makes you think this will work?"
"Because I say so," the Queen replied dismissively.
That was the final straw. Margo's single eye suddenly flared with a harsh, electric blue light as her core ignited itself in her chest. She didn't shout; she simply unleashed a wave of raw, telekinetic energy. The hallway shivered and the stone walls groaned as the air became pressurized on them. The Fairy Queen stumbled back a few feet, "Listen here, you insufferable twat," Margo growled, stepping into the Queen's space. "In case you haven't noticed, I have magic now. Real magic, so I can kick your dusty, winged ass in at least twelve different ways before you even blink."
The Queen let out a hollow laugh. "You speak confidently because of the power you now possess, Margo. But you should know, I have a hold on most of Fillory. If you touch me, if you move against me, your people will feel it. You may have magic, yes... but what of your subjects? What about your friends?"
Margo stopped dead in her tracks at that. Her hand hovered in the air, the blue light in her eye dimming to a cold hum. 'Shit. She's right.'
"You may have gotten power from that monster of a man," the Queen continued, referring to Kai as a smirk danced on her lips, "but it is still not enough to save everyone."
The Queen turned to leave, tossing one final instruction over her shoulder. "Prepare yourself and be presentable. This alliance is not a request."
"Enough of this," Margo snapped. She held up her right hand. Resting in her palm was her own eye, the one she'd sacrificed as a collateral, now trapped in a delicate, glowing cage.
The Fairy Queen stopped, her composure shattering as she looked to her robe surprised she'd lost her trinket, "When?" she hissed. "When did you retrieve it?"
Margo's smirk was razor-sharp. "A magician never reveals her secrets, honey. But you should know that having both eyes open even if one is a magical disconnected from you really changes the perspective."
"Give it back," the Queen commanded, reaching out with a hand.
Margo looked at her as if she were the densest creature in the multiverse. "Seriously? You think you'd just ask and I'd hand it over so you can continue spying on me? You're even more delusional than I thought."
With a flick of Margo's wrist, the caged eye vanished into thin air, folded away into God knows where and Margo gave a small, satisfied smile.
"Checkmate."
"And as for this tribe coming to my doorstep," Margo muttered, her voice dripping with that signature, sharp-edged bite, "if I don't like them, they're going to find out real quick that now that magic is 'gone,' they're all just sitting ducks and target practice. I don't care how many thousands they have, I've got a bad attitude and a surplus of spite. And yeah you're damn right I'm confident because of the magic my Friend gifted me."
The Fairy Queen's voice echoed back from where she stood,"Oh, Margo... you have grown quite the wings, haven't you?"
With a final, chilling rustle of non-existent fabric, the Queen vanished. Margo stood in the silence for a long beat, her jaw tightened up, before she let out a breath and spat out a single, definitive word: "Bitch."
The Physical Kids' Cottage
Alice and Quentin stood staring at Kai, who was lounging on the sofa.
"You want us to do what?" Alice asked, her voice tight with disbelief.
"Get the Third Key," Kai said, gesturing vaguely at the, book on the table. "From the Puzzle-Ground in Fillory. Just as it states in the book. It's a literal scavenger hunt, Alice. Try to keep up."
Quentin shifted uncomfortably, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Well, um... the Puzzle-Ground is supposed to be—"
"What?" Kai cut in, his smile sharpening into a challenge. "Not up to the task, Quentin? Is it too many moving parts for the Great Quentin Coldwater? Do you need a nap first before you complete this part of the quest?"
Quentin's look was comical as he stopped and looked at Kai with an offended look. He looked at Alice, then back at the boy who radiated more danger than a nuclear reactor. "Fine. We'll go."
Kai's expression shifted instantly from mocking to a blinding, genuine-looking beam of joy. "Oh, good! Believe me, it'll be a blast. Plus, lighten up! Try to enjoy the quality time you'll both be given together trying to solve the puzzle. It's romantic, in a 'we might die in a logic trap' sort of way."
Alice paused, her brow furrowing. Something about the way he said quality time felt like a warning shot. "Is there something you're not telling us, Kai?"
Kai laughed, a sound that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Oh, come on, Alice. Trust me, just this once. You don't want the spoiler. It ruins the ending, and I'm a big fan of surprises. So, off you go!"
Alice and Quentin exchanged a look, a silent conversation of mutual anxiety and shrugged. They grabbed their gear, moving toward the Ram-Headed Clock that served as their gateway.
As they reached the threshold, Kai called out, "Now remember, both of you: take your time solving it. Don't despair. It'll all work out one way or another, even if you don't think so at the time."
Quentin blinked, confused. "Uhh... okay." He stepped through the clock, disappearing into the gears.
Alice lingered for a second, her hand on the brass frame. She looked back at Kai, her intuition screaming. "I really hope I don't regret this."
Kai's face softened. The manic energy seemed to bleed out, replaced by a strangely earnest look. He looked at her not as a pawn, but as if he were watching a masterpiece unfold. "You won't, Alice. You're going to love it. In fact, it'll be a life-changing experience."
She didn't question the sudden sincerity. She just nodded, stepped into the clock, and vanished
Julia appeared in the doorway, her brow furrowed in concern as she looked at the silent, brass instrument. She turned to find Kai sitting exactly where he had been, though his gaze was fixed on a point in the air that didn't exist for anyone else.
"What are you planning, Kai?" she asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.
He didn't even turn his head towards her as he offered her an answer, "They need the time off, Julia. They've been running so hard they've forgotten how to breathe."
"What does that mean?" she pressed, taking a step toward him. "You sent them to the Puzzle-Ground. That's not a vacation."
Kai finally looked at her, his expression unreadable. "The Third Key isn't just hidden; it's anchored in the past. To solve the puzzle, they have to live it. It's a closed loop, an isolated variable." He leaned back, "They'll be there for a lifetime. Hopefully, it's a good one. A quiet one. Maybe they'll have kids, grow old together, and finally get a break from all this celestial nonsense."
Julia froze, her eyes wide. "A lifetime? How could you possibly know that? And if they spend their whole lives there, how the hell are we supposed to get them back?"
Kai chuckled, a dry, hollow sound. "Oh, we don't get them back, Julia. They become the foundation. That key is destined for someone in the distant past, someone who becomes the very reason for this entire mess to exist in the first place."
Julia's heart hammered against her ribs. "This...? You mean...?"
"Oh, yes, I do," Kai whispered, his voice gaining an edge. "She's the architect of your own salvation. They are the reason you all are still alive, the reason there are branches of timelines at all. They aren't just solving a puzzle; they're knitting the fabric of everything you know."
He then stood up, "But enough of that. We have a debt to collect, and I'm feeling particularly good today."
"Where are we going?" Julia asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"We need to pay the Watcher Woman a visit," Kai said, heading toward the door with a grin. "Let's go, shall we? To a place where time doesn't exist and where secrets go to rot. Oh, and bring Alicia. This could prove to be quite the show."