Believe

by Katie Holland

“What was that?” Ruth asked.

  “I’m not entirely sure,” Alix admitted. “But I’m pretty sure this rock just absorbed whatever Grynn magic was in that box. Give me a minute.”

  Alix closed her eyes and focused solely on the small rock in her hand. She could feel the pulse of the evil energy in her hand. But what was she going to do with it? She didn’t think the energy was meant to stay in the rock, so she had to remove it.

  The energy felt really strong and she was sure it needed to be destroyed. Closing her fingers around the rock, she closed her eyes as well. She wanted to get a really good sense of the energy in her hand. The next thing she knew someone slapped her hand hard enough that the rock went flying. Her eyes flew open and Ben was standing there looking very concerned.

  “What was that for?” she asked.

  “Alix, you had a blue aura around you,” he told her.

  “What?” She looked around and saw that everyone had moved away from her and seemed scared.

  “You looked like a Grynn until I slapped that rock out of your hand.”

  “I could feel the energy was strong, but that’s just unbelievable,” Alix said, trying to comprehend what Ben had just told her.

  She decided she had to deal with this right away and went to locate the rock that contained the unusually evil energy. Not wanting to touch it again, she formed a barrier around it, so it looked like the small rock was floating. Picking it up she made sure it was nowhere near her tattoo. She created an energy ball in her right hand. Her plan was to draw the magic out of the rock and into the energy ball.

  It took all of her concentration, but finally the Grynn magic was leaving the rock and going into the energy ball. It was taking a long time, but Alix didn’t want to rush the process and have it go wrong. When the last little bit of magic was in her energy ball, she used all of her power and destroyed it. The magic inside the energy ball turned to dust. She checked to make sure it was completely safe before stepping outside and letting the dust blow away in the wind.

  Chapter 24

  Everyone was staring at her when she walked back inside. It made her a little self-conscious. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the magic she’d just done or the fact that she’d looked like a Grynn before.

  “What?” she said to the group.

  It was Ben that came over to her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “You just look a little pale and kind of tired.”

  Alix’s body took that moment to let her know she’d gone a little too far. She started to fall but Ben caught her. She was trying to keep her eyes open, but it was a losing battle. She felt Ben carrying her and then there was nothing.

  ****

  Shay was standing with her arms crossed over her chest and her foot was tapping on the floor. “I told you to be careful.”

  “I know, I know,” Alix answered. “But it had to be done as soon as possible.”

  “So here you are again, unconscious,” Shay said disapprovingly.

  Alix smiled at the look on Shay’s face. “Sorry?”

  “You’re going to turn me grey before I reach twenty.”

  “But you’d still look cute with silver hair.”

  “I know, but that’s not the point Alix. What if something serious had happened to you? Where would the world be without the Chosen One? You need to be more careful.”

  “I just couldn’t risk that evil magic getting loose. It was stronger than I thought it was going to be. Not as strong as what came out of Logan, but still pretty powerful,” Alix told her.

  “Why didn’t you ask for help? Anyone there would have lent you some of their energy.”

  “It was like once I started, I couldn’t do anything, but keep going. I just had to get it done. There were no other thoughts in my head.”

  “So, if you weren’t as powerful as you are then it could have killed you?”

  “Possibly.”

  “I don’t like that answer,” Shay said.

  “I don’t either.”

  “Do you think it was the magic itself?”

  “I really don’t know. And I hate that I don’t know. I didn’t have time to study it and now it’s gone.”

  “I’m glad it’s gone,” Shay said. “So now what are you going to do?”

  “After I eventually wake up, I guess go talk to Logan and see if he has any answers.”

  Shay smiled at the mention of his name.

  “I’ll put in a good word for you,” Alix said grinning.

  “Well you’d better get to waking up then. You’ve been sleeping for almost ten hours.”

  ****

  Alix heard a phone ringing. It stopped then started again. She managed to get her eyes open but didn’t have a clue where she was. Then she heard Ben’s voice and she somehow knew Shay was on the phone. She slowly sat up.

  “Ben, let me talk to her.”

  He looked surprised to see her awake but handed over the phone.

  “Hi Shay,” Alix said.

  “Oh my God Alix,” Shay screamed. “What just happened?”

  “Do you mean the dream?”

  “Yes, the freaking dream! How is that possible?”

  “Shay, take a deep breath or two.” Alix waited until she thought Shay had calmed down a little. “Better?”

  “Some,” Shay admitted. “Hey, wait a minute, you’re awake.”

  Alix let out a small laugh. “You just figured that out? I think it was you that made me wake up. I’m pretty sure we just shared a real-time vision dream.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I don’t know what else to call it. I’m assuming you dreamed about talking to me, telling me I’m going to make you turn grey and about the magic being powerful?”

  “Yep, that’s exactly how it went. You know this is crazy right?”

  “I know. But I also never know what to expect when it comes to my powers.”

  “So, you’re okay then?”

  “I think so. Other than being hungry and thirsty, I feel fine.”

  “Good,” Shay said. “So, make sure Ben feeds you and let me know what’s happening.”

  “I will. Have you talked to mom and dad? Are they okay?”

  “Yes, I have. They’re alright, but worried about you as usual.”

  “I hate making them worry.”

  “I know, but they understand. Now it’s time to get off the phone and go eat something. You still have work to do there.

  “Fine Miss Bossy Pants. I’ll go eat. You have fun shopping in London.”

  “You know I will. Talk to you later. And no more heroic stunts today, okay?”

  “I’ll try. I love you, Shay.”

  “Love you too.”

  Alix hit end on her phone and looked up at Ben. “Do you know what’s going on?” she asked him.

  “I think I get the general idea. You and Shay shared a dream and she wants you to eat something.”

  “That’s pretty close. I’ll give you all the details if you take me for some food. I’m starving. What time is it anyway?”

  “Somewhere around five in the morning local time.”

  “Well at least I was unconscious during the night,” Alix said, trying to lighten the mood.

  Ben pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. “You’ve got to quit scaring me like that. You know I’ll always be there to catch you, but my heart tries to leap out of my chest when you do that.”

  “I’m sorry, Ben. The magic was stronger than I realized. I’ll try not to do that again.” Alix’s stomach let out a huge growl. “I think I need to eat.”

  Ben smiled at her. “I think so too.”

  He took her hand and led her out of the room. It looked like they were still in the factory. They walked down a hallway then down some stairs. A couple of turns later, they were in a cafeteria.

  “Have you eaten here?” Alix asked Ben, with a concerned look on her face.

  Ben let out a laugh. “Yes, we all have. It’s actually very
good. Just point to what you want, and they’ll put it on a plate for you.”

  Alix went down the line and pointed at several items. She recognized the rice, but wasn’t sure what anything else was. She didn’t have to pay for the food as it was provided by the factory. Ben had gotten a plate as well and they sat down at one of the many tables to eat.

  She was surprised she liked it so much. It certainly wasn’t like the Chinese food from Chow’s back in Sunset Creek, but it was very good. She told Ben everything she could remember about the dream with Shay as well as about the magic from the metal box. When she’d eaten all she could, Ben took her back to the offices. Logan was at the same computer he was at before.

  “Hey Alix,” Logan said. “Glad to see you’re awake. Everything okay?”

  “Yep. Now that I’ve eaten, I’m good to go. Have you been here all night?”

  “Mostly. I’ve had a few hours of sleep, but I’m really close to cracking this. Can you tell me about the magic that came out of the box?”

  Alix told him everything she knew. About what it felt like and how strong it was. She hoped that it was going to help him. She wanted to get the Nykara contacts up and running and into the hands of people who needed them.

  They left Logan and went to find the rest of their group. They were scattered throughout the facility, but they managed to let everyone know that Alix was awake and doing fine.

  “Where’s the rock?” Alix said, out of the blue.

  “Huh?” Ben asked.

  “The little white rock that I used to get the Grynn magic out of the box.”

  “Oh, it’s here.” Ben reached in his pocket and handed it to Alix.

  “At least it seems back to normal,” Alix said, looking at the rock. She put it back in her pocket with the other items. “So, what do we do now?”

  “I guess wait for Logan,” Ben said, “And you should probably call your parents.”

  Alix agreed. She didn’t know what time it was back in Sunset Creek, so she tried her mom’s phone. It went to voicemail, so she called her dad’s cell. It went to voicemail too. She figured they were both busy and would try them in a little while.

  “Where are all the workers?” Alix asked, as they wandered the factory.

  “Lee sent them home until we can figure out how to get your magic into the contacts. That way we can do whatever magic needs to be done.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “Come on, I want to show you something,” Ben said, taking her hand.

  They ended up on the roof of the factory. It gave them a good view of the city in the morning light.

  “How did you find this?” Alix asked him.

  “We took turns watching you and when I wasn’t sleeping, I was exploring. When I found this, I knew you’d like it.”

  “You were right about that,” Alix said smiling. “Thank you.”

  They stood there with Ben’s arms around Alix staring out at the city. It was big and crowded. They even thought they could see where part of the Olympics had taken place. As they were enjoying the view Alix’s phone rang.

  “Hey Logan,” Alix said.

  “I think I’ve figured it out. You need to come to the office where I am.”

  “Got it. See you in a few,” Alix said, and hung up and turned to face Ben. “We need to get to Logan.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Several minutes later they were joining the rest of the group in the room where Logan was.

  “So, what have you got for us?” Alix asked Logan.

  “I was finally able to decode the plans for the inside of that metal box where the magic was. On the interior of the box is a very strong barrier that doesn’t allow any magic to penetrate inside.”

  “That explains why I couldn’t see inside with my magic,” Alix said.

  “Exactly,” Logan said. “Now I want you to imagine chocolates on a conveyer belt that are getting covered with chocolate falling from above. That’s sort of how the magic in the box gets into the contacts. They pass through the magic in the box and absorb a tiny bit of the magic. They come out the other side and are basically ready to wear.”

  “So,” Alix started, “what I need to do is figure out how to get my magic that allows me to see the cloaked Grynn as almost a physical thing to put inside that box.”

  “Yes Alix, that sounds about right,” Logan said. “I’m guessing you’re going to need some time to do that.”

  “Yep.”

  “Okay. When you’re ready, let me know,” Logan told her.

  “Great,” Alix mumbled. “Now all I have to do is figure out the impossible.”

  Chapter 25

  Alix left the floor where the contacts were made and headed back up to the roof with Ben right behind her. She needed somewhere without four walls to think. It would have been better if she could have been in a place with a little more nature, but this was all she could do for now.

  “Talk to me,” Ben said, after a few minutes.

  “I don’t know how to do it. I can’t figure out how to make my magic something that can be put in a box. What I do is inside me, how do I get that to transfer to something physical?”

  “I think we need to go back to the beginning,” he told her.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Come, sit with me.”

  Ben took her hand and led her to the middle of the rooftop. He sat down and crossed his legs and instructed her to sit across from him. Once she was sitting, he held out his hands for her. She took his hands.

  “Now close your eyes,” he said. “I want you to think about the magic that allows you to see the cloaked Grynn buildings.”

  Alix closed her eyes and listened to Ben’s voice.

  “Focus on what you feel when you’re using that magic. Think about how you access those parts of you. Remember what it was like to see the cloaked things.”

  She pictured the look of finding Ben when he was trying to hide and then the large cloaked building in Edmonton that should have been hidden from her. She felt Ben move her hands together with her palms up. Then released them.

  “Keep concentrating Alix, focus on the magic. Think back to making the flower when you did your first magic. Make what’s in your head something I can see.”

  She thought about what he was saying. This was no different from the flower she’d created out of thin air. It was her own head getting in her way. She pictured the hot pink aura around the building and focused on her locating magic. She felt something start to form in her hands. Her tattoo was tingling, and she hoped that was a good sign. The magic in her hands was getting stronger and when she finally opened her eyes, she was surprised to see a hot pink ball of energy in the palms of her hands.

  “Wow,” she whispered. “Now what do I do?”

  “I think you should give it to me, and I can test it out.”

  Alix nodded and gently put the ball of magic in Ben’s hands.

  “Okay Alix,” Ben said, “now, cloak yourself as hard as you can and go hide from me somewhere on this roof and I’ll see if I can find you using the magic you just created.”

  “Okay. Give me a few minutes to find a spot then come looking for me.”

  Ben closed his eyes and Alix got up as quietly as she could. She cloaked and shielded as hard as she could. She knew Ben was able to sense her presence, so she was hoping that her extra strong shield would stop that from happening.

  Moving away from him, she went to the far side of the roof and stood beside a big metal box. She waited a few minutes and when she saw him, she ducked behind the box.

  “This isn’t going to work Alix,” Ben said, stepping right in front of her. “I knew where you were the entire time because of our connection. But, on a good note, I can see a pink aura around where you’re standing.”

  Alix dropped her shielding and cloak. “I thought that might be a problem for us,” she said. “We’ll have to try it with someone else.”

  “Let’s go back to the main floor and find ano
ther guinea pig.”

  Alix smiled and led the way back to the place where the contacts were being made. Ben carefully held the magic in his hands while they made their way back to where everyone else was waiting.

  “I think we figured it out,” Alix announced, getting everyone’s attention. “But we need to test it out. I need a volunteer to cloak and hide to see if Ben can find them.”

  “I’ll do it,” Kris said. “I’m really good at hiding.”

  Ben smiled. “Alright Kris. I’ll give you a five-minute head start. But please stay on this floor since we’re kind of in a hurry.”

  Kris nodded and left. Ben looked at his watch to mark the time. Five minutes later, he went in search of Kris. Alix went with him to see if it worked. Ben held the magic in his hand and went through room after room. In about the tenth room Ben got a great big smile on his face.

  “Gotcha,” he said. “You’re in the corner Kris.”

  Kris dropped his cloak. “Excellent work you two. Now we just have to get that in the box and see if we can make contacts that could save some Nykara lives.”

  They went back to the room that made the contacts. Everyone was still there waiting to see if Alix’s magic worked.

  “I think we’re good to go,” Alix said. “Ben was able to find Kris using my magic. Logan, do you know how much magic I will need to put in the box?”

  “I think enough to almost fill it. Think about how much Grynn magic came out of it. That much and probably a little bit more.”

  Alix nodded.

  “Is the barrier still on the inside?” Ben asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Alix said. “Let me check.”

  She sent her magic to explore the box that the contacts had to pass through to get the magic in them. This time she had no trouble, her magic went right through the metal and into the box.

  “It’s gone,” she told them.

  Ben handed her the little ball of magic. Alix floated it into the metal box and then concentrated on making it grow. It took her a few minutes but eventually, she got the entire box filled with what she needed. Then she put up a barrier that would contain the magic to the box. It would ensure that her magic wasn’t getting out and no other magic could get in. Now the only thing left to do was test the contacts.