Now was his time to change that. He would go to the other side of that light and save her. No matter that he was still too small or that his Da couldn’t remember anything. It wasn’t his fault. He was a grown-up. The just couldn’t do things that kids could do.
Yes, he would find a way to her and bring her home no matter what.
But how?
Jim let his mind wander to that night, like it had so many times before. In the back of his mind he still heard the kids chanting, ‘Freak,’ but he pushed it away. Maybe he was a freak for always bringing a magic sword to school. Or maybe the other kids were freaks for not seeing the magic. Maybe people in this world were the freaks and he belonged on the other side of that light with people like him.
His heart hurt to think about it. He’d have to leave his Da in order to save his Ma, and find his own people. But it had been too long already and things weren’t getting better, for any of them.
Every time Jim thought of that night, all he could see was the bright light and the dragon hand reaching through the air to drag her through the hole. No matter how hard he tried, he could never go back farther, to what made the light happen in the first place. How did he get in the living room holding that gold circle? What were those words he said?
All of it swirled in his mind and never landed on any answers. The only thing it did land on was guilt. Somehow, whatever led him to that gold thing and those words, caused his mother to be taken from him. So, it was his responsibility to get her back.
Jim stopped, frozen mid-swing with Ridire-solas high in the air. A blast of hot electricity shot through him, leaving his entire body buzzing. His skin prickled and there was a pressure bearing down on top of him, the weight of eyes.
The electricity grew from a buzz to a tremor, then a full-on seizure. The sword fell from his shaking hands and Jim fell to his knees. The blood rushed to his head, roaring and pulsing in his ears. Over the drumbeat off his own heart exploding, Jim heard every tool around him rattling violently.
His first instinct was to cover his head, but he fought the urge to cower. Instead, he looked up into the face of pure white-hot magic. The barn came to life before his eyes. Light burst through every crack between the ramshackle woodwork. It danced on every surface, finding its way to him.
When it found him, on his knees with tears and snot streaming down his tiny face, it stopped, waiting. As the light pulsed before him, Jim stood and picked up his fallen sword. With one huge swallow, he held out his arms and welcomed the magic in.
The world exploded in lights and sounds and textures he’d never experienced before. Every sensation that had been denied him since coming to this realm washed over him at once. His tears flowed again in anger, sadness, joy... feelings he had no words for yet, all along the spectrum. But most of all, he felt love. Intense, familiar, bloodborne love of family.
When the light released him, Jim wanted to crumple to the ground, but locked his knees and stood tall. This was what he’d been waiting for all his life and he would not waste the memory of this day by viewing it from the floor of a dusty barn.
It took some time for his mind to return to him, and when it did, there was one word on his lips. “Da.”
Chapter Ten
King Ase and his men barreled through the forest, chasing the last wisp of scrying smoke to find their Queen. It wasn’t long before they broke through the trees and charged onto an open field full of Raynor’s army.
“Margaret!” Ase shouted. His mouth hung open and the men around him nearly trampled over him before they could stop.
There, in the midst of heavy battle with three well-armored large men, stood his darling Margaret, sword in hand. Three on one was hardly a fair fight, but Margaret held her own. Two soldiers rushed her from each side while one charged up the middle, swords and voices raised. Ase feared stepping in and causing her to lose focus, but he couldn’t forgive his inaction if things went awry.
It took a long moment for Ase to realize he wasn’t the only one watching the scene. High above them, circling, was Sabadtein. The dragon spewed small bursts of green flame in what struck Ase as laughter. Not far behind him, on a dais of wood and river rock, sat King Raynor. From across the field, Ase still saw the wretched grin spread too wide across the old King’s thin face. His fingers gripped the armrests of his chair as if he, too, were wielding their swords.
When Ase returned his gaze to his Queen, he watched in horror as the dragon circled one last time and landed at her feet. It roared once and all movement stopped, including Ase’s breath. The armored soldiers removed their helmets and bowed.
Then, his dear Queen reached out a hand and petted the dragon atop its head.
“Yes,” she said, as if in response to some unheard expression. “I do believe they are ready.” Margaret scratched Sabadtein behind the ear and gave it a quick kiss upon the nose.
Ase’s feet found their strength and he lurched forward to take Margaret’s arm. “Come!”
She looked over her shoulder to him, eyes clouds of white, and smiled. Then, she gently removed her arm from his grasp and walked with purpose to the dais. With a curtly bow, she greeted King Raynor, who looked on in glee. Raynor nodded slightly and Margaret ascended the stairs and took her place beside King Raynor.
She sat her sword on the floor beside her throne, picked up a tarnished gold crown, and placed it on her head. Then with a gentle kiss, longer than the one she had for the dragon, she took Raynor’s hand and smiled back at him.
Chapter Eleven
Jim ran headlong into the house, screaming for his Da. The world outside seemed brighter, more alive now. But he didn’t have time to notice much. He knew what they had to do and he needed his Da. He'd convince him to listen somehow.
“Da! You won’t believe -” Jim’s words choked in his throat.
Down the hallway, before his very eyes, Jim saw his Da rummaging through the closet. So many nights they’d fought about the closet, his Da insisting there was nothing in the hallway at all. Jim insisted back that there was a closet and sometimes it glowed.
They’d settled into an angry truce, agreeing to never speak of the invisible closet again. That had been well over a year ago. And now... now his Da was crouched in the closet, throwing things out left and right.
When Jim got closer, he could hear his Da half yelling half wailing, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t believe. I’m so sorry.”
“Da!” Jim tried again.
“Oh, Jim!” Da sniffled and yanked Jim down to the floor with him. Da took him in a giant bear hug and squeezed him until his head hurt, but he didn’t squirm. He would let Da squeeze the life out of him, it felt so good to be in his arms again.
Finally, just in time, Da released him and all the air came rushing back into Jim’s lungs. The stars stopped twinkling in his head.
“Oh, Jim, ye were right. All this time. I see it. I see it!” Da picked up things he’d tossed out into the hallway, mostly his Ma’s ancient ritual stuff. Jim didn’t remember seeing those things before, really, more he remembered the day he stopped seeing them. Their absence was his only impression of them.
“Did you see the light, Da?” Jim asked, his hand on his father’s shoulder as if he were the grown-up.
Da shook his head. “I... I felt somethin’. Eyes. Love. I...” He shook it again, harder. “I don’t ken what it was but after... We hae ta find her.” Da smiled warmly at Jim and pulled him into another hug. Thankfully, this one didn’t hurt.
Then, Da turned back to the closet and began throwing things into the hallway again.
“What are we looking for?” Jim asked, picking up each item from the floor and examining it closer. Da was going way too fast to be thorough.
“I’ll ken it when I feel it.”
Jim nodded. He understood completely.
Moments later, Jim heard a scrape of wood across the bare floor and both men stopped. Jim saw the hairs on his Da’s neck stand, as did his own. This was it.
Da pulled out a small wooden box with almost-gold looking things painted on top of it. Things Jim didn’t recognize except for their importance to his Ma long ago.
Then, as if Da’s hands knew what to do without him, they fumbled and rubbed different places on the top and bottom of the box, and it opened.
Jim stood on his tiptoes to see inside the box. What magic awaited them? What had the bad magic tried to hide for so long?
A small piece of metal in the shape of a horse’s face looked back at him. It had black down inside the lines of its hair and eyes and strange smile. Not what he’d expected at all.
“How do we ride it?” Jim asked.
Da laughed and rubbed the top of Jim’s head. “We don’t. We say the magic words and this little guy will take us to Valonde. To yer Ma.”
Chapter Twelve
James landed hard on both feet, in the middle of an intense battle, with a sense of DeJa'Vu coming over him. He'd done this before. Through the fog of the memory, he chuckled at the absurdity. This time at least he hadn’t landed on his bum.
Moments later the lad dropped to the ground beside him, sword at the ready. Only this time, the little wooden thing wasn’t so little, or wooden. It shined in the pale golden light, and the words carved along the now metal blade glowed bright yellow. And, for all that was holy, James could read them. “Ridire-solas,” he whispered to himself. Knight Light.
James almost laughed again at the lad’s sense of humor when the lad repeated the words he’d just spoken. Only this time, at the lad’s saying of them, light shot forth from the sword as if in search of something James didn’t know.
He looked down at his own hands, where a matching sword appeared. The white leather wrap around the hilt fitted perfectly to his hand. Oh, how he’d missed the feel of it.
A strangled cry swept all thought from James’s mind. The battle raged around him and the lad, swords clashing and bodies falling. King Ase’s men were clearly outmatched this time. King Raynor’s army was clad head to toe in dark metal, while Ase’s small unit wore only their winter pelts and leather. A lucky few had brown fabric helmets with flaps hanging down over their faces, but not nearly enough had even that bare protection.
Then, James realized he and the boy had less than that by far. While his sword had appeared for him, not much else had changed. James still wore his work overalls, stained with manure and Odin knows what else. The lad, poor little thing, wore last year’s ill-fitting shorts and plain white shirt, his play clothes.
James stepped forward in an attempt to shield the lad, but the weight of him had changed somehow. He did not budge from his fighting stance. Before he could stop it, the lad burst forth toward a large man in blood-smeared armor.
With all his strength, James leapt beyond the lad and swung his own sword at the soldier. It came down at an angle, cutting a line across the man’s shoulder and neck. He retaliated with a loud roar and well-placed slash across James’s own chest.
James let out a cry and stumbled backward.
Chapter Thirteen
The Queen sat, perched on her throne high above the scene of battle. Her fingers itched to join her men, to destroy these intruders one by bloody one. Yet, she remained perfectly still, ramrod straight against the back of her chair. Her King squeezed her hand and smiled down on her.
The Queen surveyed the skirmish, checking that none of her men needed her help, despite her King’s insistence that she only watch.
Sabadtein circled overhead, also keeping a watchful eye on the ground. What a good protector he was, always so close, never leaving her side.
The Queen leaned forward as Sabadtein’s eye caught something off to the side. The leader of the unruly bunch had worked his way through most of the crowd, making a beeline to the dais. Though she should feel terror at what this man would do to her once caught, she did not.
He looked...the Queen squinted, then shook her head. He looked like a murderer.
King Raynor flicked his wrist slightly and muttered something under his breath. His other hand held tight to a dark green emerald clasped around his neck. Another wave of love washed over the Queen. She squeezed her King’s hand tighter and watched as Sabadtein bore down on top of the other army’s leader.
The man braced himself for impact, or fire, shielding his face with his arms.
Sabadtein landed before him and roared, blowing a puff of dark smoke in the man’s face.
That face.
The Queen leaned forward again, searching his features. There was something...warmth and calm came over her again. The tension flowed from her like water, and she smiled. Her protectors would do just that. She had nothing to worry about.
As Sabadtein opened his mouth to destroy the small man at his feet, there came a loud guttural cry from the backfield.
Everything slowed around the Queen as she noticed a large man clad only in overalls. He stood wide open, arms out, screaming at the soldier before him. The intense emotion across the man’s face nearly brought the Queen to tears. Then, her eyes fell to just below the familiar man’s elbow, to a mop of light blonde hair.
Margaret stood, tears rushing to her clear green eyes. He’s so big. What has she missed in all this time? How long was she gone from him? Her poor boy. “Jim,” she whispered, as she turned to King Raynor.
His thin bone-like fingers clung to the emerald necklace. His lips worked furiously, mouthing some secret prayer.
Margaret reached beside her throne and wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her sword. The same sword she had used to train these heavily armored men to fight against her own army.
“They came for me,” Margaret said as she swung the sword with both hands.
Sabadtein let out an awful shriek as its king’s head rolled off the dais.
Chapter Fourteen
Jim watched his Da strike down the man he had tried to kill. As the soldier fell, he got one good swipe at Jim’s Da. Both men cried out together.
Everything seemed to stop around Jim, everything but the giant dragon. It roared and snorted greenish gray smoke at a man Jim thought he should know. The man didn’t cower. Instead, he clinched his jaw and stared down the beast.
It was then that Jim first wondered how he was able to see things like the features of a man so far across a battlefield. The colors in the world were different, too. The sky was orange and the trees all around him had blue leaves, only not quite. Orange and blue were just the closest colors his mind could come up with.
Another sound caused Jim to look up, beyond the dragon that stole his Ma. A woman’s scream tore through the air, catching Jim in the chest. “Ma,” he whispered and charged toward the dais.
Da tried to stop him. Jim heard him yell something, but kept running toward her. Men fell left and right, even the familiar man dropped to the ground with one swipe of the dragon’s claw. Still, Jim pushed forward. Da’s screams of ‘Stop!’ fell on deaf ears.
As he neared the platform, he heard his Ma’s sweet voice say, “They came for me.”
Jim wanted to call to her, tell her of course they came for her, they love her. But he stopped when he saw the flash of her blade. The bad king’s eyes went wide but only for a second before closing and rolling down the stairs with his head.
Jim felt a hand on his shoulder and another across his face, shielding him from the horror a moment too late. “Don’t look,” came Da’s voice from behind him.
Jim nodded. He didn’t have the heart to say he’d already seen too much.
Da pulled him backward and turned them both around so their backs were to the stage.
“Da, was that Ma?” Jim asked through his Da’s fingers.
“Yes,” said a beautiful voice he hadn’t heard in so long. “It’s me.”
Jim wriggled out of Da’s grip and spun around to see the face of his mother, tears streaming down her cheeks over the continent-shaped mark. As she and Da hugged over Jim’s head, their birthmarks
met in a perfect kiss.
“I’m so sorry,” Ma said to both of them. “I didn’t know what I was doing. How long...” Her voice trailed off as she ran her fingers through Jim’s hair. “You’re so big.”
“I’m seven,” Jim explained. “I never forgot. Not never.”
“Seven,” Ma whispered, her throat strangling the word.
They stood together for a long time, hugging and crying and hugging some more, unaware of the rest of the battle.
After some time passed, the man Jim thought he should know walked up to them, holding pieces of his brown vest closed where the Dragon had got him. Blood oozed from around his fingers but he had a wide smile on his familiar face.
Da finally found his words. “Ase, thank ye,” he said, and hugged the man.
“No, don’t thank me. I feel it’s partly my fault. I let him get the rune in the first place.” The man looked down at Jim and ruffled his hair in that annoying way grown-ups do. This time, however, Jim allowed it. “Let me make it up to you.”
The man, Ase, kissed Ma on the forehead and gave Da a strong handshake. Then both men put two fingers over their hearts and nodded their heads.
Moments later, Ase pulled a small object from his pocket and cupped it in his hands. He whispered into it and a ball of white light shot into the sky.
Jim jumped and tried to run the other direction. He saw the dragon lean its head back, mouth open, to breathe a huge wall of fire.
Ma and Da each took one of Jim’s hands and squeezed.
“Let’s go home,” Da said.
The white light opened up big and they all jumped through together.
About the Author
Toasha Jiordano has been writing most of her life, as far back as she can remember. She still has many of her childhood notebooks filled to bursting with magical tales and daring escapades. She loves the smell of old books and the comfort of old furniture. That’s why most of her novels are written at an antique roll-top desk, which may or may not have a quill and ink set waiting for its next adventure.
Forgotten Magic (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 3) Page 4
