by Melody Rose
Come to think of it, I wasn’t completely responsible even in the perspective of my fever dream. I clearly needed wet wipes so that I could swab my hands free of icing once I was done indulging. As soon as I chided myself for not covering all my bases, a pretty sterling silver tissue box popped into view with a series of whimsical sparkles.
This time, I literally felt the power at my fingertips, my entire body humming with the delighted awareness. All this talk about magic and me being a Sorceress… it wasn’t some mushroom-addled vision from some primitive shaman. It was real, and I was doing this!
It finally set in that this world was my oyster, so much so that I could whip myself up a whole seafood buffet if I were actually into that. At first, I wondered if it was a symptom of being immersed in a draconic society, but then it hit me. Hadn’t I conjured a chocolate cake worthy of a cooking magazine by its looks and a baking competition by its taste? What had gotten into me?
I certainly enjoyed my meals and snacks, and I was pretty sure that I would have used these shortcuts all the time if this enchantment had been buzzing within me the whole time. Even if I didn’t consciously know about this magic, I had thought about culinary matters almost as much as literary ones, and it should have been inevitable that I would have magicked up a dish in a moment of hunger.
Maybe some actual food would help. I walked over and sat down in my make-do dining area, sinking into the soft chair and eyeing my beautiful buns. Yes, I’d be able to think better if I got some carbohydrates in my system.
I peeled a doughy ribbon from the spiraled treat and tore it off, folding it into my mouth. Before I even ran my tongue across its glazed length, I was hit with its rich perfection. It was toasty and just slightly crispy, its buttery cinnamon flavor hypnotizing me. I wondered if I could figure out how to hack this enchanted cooking setup and strip dishes of their calories if I wanted to. I could gulp down whole baking trays of these divine delicacies easily if I knew I’d get away with it.
Once I had made my way through two rolls, I noticed my fingers were immaculate without a single speck of icing. I guessed that the wet wipes were just a formality, a precaution I’d dreamt up before I realized that I could cast spells. I wondered what else was possible or if I was just some domestic witch that could cook or clean. After all, I had perfectly good hygiene during this banishment and was apparently a whiz with desserts.
Still, it seemed unreal or at least suspicious because I wasn’t always like this. I felt ready to get to the bottom of this. I took a swill of chai, a model combination of spices, ginger, honey, whole milk, brown sugar, and black tea. It was still warm despite how long it had sat, but that didn’t surprise me anymore. It just seemed the way of this spellwork to be kind to me. Fueled and full of warmth, I reached into the back corners of my mind to crack this case.
This had all been unraveling in the best way possible after I made my Halloween run in Ollie’s bookstore and got my hands on the Jörmungandr Manuscript. When I brought it home and was dizzy from my hours-long road trip, I went from nothing to the bearer of flawless cake. It couldn’t have just been my own desperation because there were plenty of times in my paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle that I’d been forced to eat a spoonful of relish or some other emergency “meal.”
To me, it had to be that whatever energy radiated from that rare book that must have rubbed off on me. I heard of items holding curses before, not that they actually bothered me. The more grisly or unnerving a legend, the more I wanted to hunt down the text. I’d never been told of an artifact that actually carried good luck, though. Sure, maybe rabbits’ feet or whatnot, but nothing specific. This was new to me, but I certainly welcomed it.
Honestly, this all felt like it all worked out for me, and I didn’t even carry a grudge with Troy for hurling me in here. Anywhere else, and I would have been stewing with rage, but this really struck me as the place I was meant to be. It was almost as though I’d died and been spirited away to my own personal utopia. I mean, I had more books at my disposal than any library or book store that I’d ever toured, gourmet food whenever I needed it, writing materials, perfect personal hygiene, luxury chaises to sleep on, and unbothered peace.
I had everything I would ever need, and I didn’t even have to be bogged down with minutiae, such as telling people to turn their books back in, restocking paper towels, or updating patron records. I didn’t have to worry about earning a paycheck and was given all I wanted for free. Talk about an extended, maybe even eternal, vacation. This was the life.
I could only hope that Troy wouldn’t come back to interrupt me and spoil this perfect dreamland.
9
Troy
By tracking the Jörmungandr sundial, a stone contraption with engravings I could not understand, I was able to track that a fortnight and one day had transpired. Not that I truly needed its aid. While I could not decipher markings, letters, and numbers, like many of my kind, my memory was well-honed. I knew each of our weapons by heart and had sorely punished three bandits who tried to steal away with them. I could recall how who in my clan was injured, who was equipped with healing supplies, and how far away they were from each other. I deemed these habits far more useful than the strange pastime of reading nonsense.
This degree of mental clarity and exacting thirst for vengeance was precisely the reason why I was so livid with Lady Rosalind. Not only was I forced to mull over her violation of my authority, but my similarly gifted kin would remember her outburst, perhaps forever. I hoped that I would earn their respect again by making it clear and in no uncertain terms that I would not cater to the Sorceress.
Still, though I had a less than favorable opinion of her, Lady Rosalind was a woman, and I was not willing for any real harm to come by her. As my kind was capable of withstanding two fortnights without water, I believed that cutting that time in half was a small mercy. This was the one element of innate fortitude that my clan retained after the Obliteration, when the Drikkende had drained us of our draconic abilities. Perhaps because our ancient predecessors had never uttered this or written about it in their tomes, the daemons did not know to bleed it from us.
I wasn’t certain what kind of witch she was or what she was capable of. I didn’t know her well, but I had the distinct sense that somehow she fended for herself. Perhaps her kind could sustain themselves purely with their magic, but I did know that this would run dry, eventually. Even if it could be restored in time, Kalen once told me that “mana,” his word for enchanted energy, needed complete tranquility to reach its peak state again. By now, she must have been so distressed, unaware when she’d be released, that she must be fully depleted.
After all, a collection of books, even if they were a trivial delight, would wane as amusements after a fortnight. I knew that I wouldn’t want to be confined in one place for so long. For many days, I was quite smug about how perfectly devised my plan was. Rosalind had no idea whether she would survive, while I had set up the circumstances to bring her simply to the brink of exhaustion. Confident that my punishment had sent its menacing message, I now felt it was the appropriate time to collect her.
What I was less sure of was what I would do with the woman after I let her loose. She was feeble, and that led me to want to banish her out of her realm, but that was out of the question. My kind had no enchantment to spare, and Rosalind was not trained in the art of teleportation. I couldn’t very well do away with her, but if her behavior did not improve, I would not wed her.
Perhaps we would be able to find a proper serving position for her. I always thought that our stronghold could do with a good scrub down to allow it to shine.
10
Troy
I stood at attention in Harlin’s cabinet room after having requested an audience myself. I believed it deftly covered my tracks to express my concern in advance and prove that I kept proper tabs on Lady Rosalind. Before I could voice my ‘interest’ in the Sorceress, I was immediately assailed with questions.
“How is she
faring? And how is your connection growing?” the Sage asked in a strained voice.
My heart ached at how tied he was to the outcome of the illusionary courtship. His eyes twinkled with idealism. I even wondered if it had improved his health as he was now able to sit up in a chair rather than languish in his bed. I supposed that it would be compassionate to play along with his fantasy.
“I wish I had better news to relay, my revered Kalen,” I replied with the proper note of somberness. “I had intended to show her every facet of our culture and familiarize her with the stronghold, but she is… overwhelmed with our ways. She used her enchantments to lock herself in our library the night of our arrival. I did not think much of it, but…”
“That was a fortnight ago!” Harlin interjected. “And you hadn’t attended to her the entire time?” His eyes flashed with irritation, but I stood my ground.
I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded. I attempted a sincere expression and looked at my Chieftain directly in the eyes to dissuade him from doubting me. I tried to ignore one of the banners behind him that depicted a grey dragon, the Great Ummet, praised for his unshakable patience and boundless mercy. An odd irony, as a woman was corralled in the library due to my notoriously short temper.
“With all due respect,” I prefaced, “Kalen kept insisting that she was a rare Sorceress who possessed the abilities to turn the tides of our inevitable battle with the Drikkende, and I retrieved her from a haven of books. There was no reason to think anything was amiss when I hadn’t heard from her. I simply believed that she desired surroundings that were more customary for her way of life, so I indulged her.”
“Indulged our esteemed guest, did you?” Harlin challenged. “Did you have attendants tend to her? I must ask, for I had not seen her present at any of our numerous feasts, and I don’t recall you having any skill in the art of cooking. How have you been able to ensure that she was well taken care of if you hadn’t heard from her or checked up on her this entire time?”
I raised my arms up defensively and, hopefully, blamelessly. This was certainly not shaping up to be the heroic moment I thought it would become. At this point, I would need to turn my focus to redeeming myself rather than shining a light on my noble actions.
“Pray tell, was I expected to coddle the Sorceress? Spoil her as though she were my superior?” I asked, losing awareness that I sounded more indignant by the moment. “Surely that would have been condescending, as though I didn’t believe that she could take care of herself with competence. She is supposed to be the cure to all our ailments, yes? Well then, have her prove that she can handle her own needs over a fortnight.”
I continued, my insides ablaze with a fury that I even needed to justify myself. “Further, it is a testament to my decency that I am even bringing this to your attention. If she is supposed to be all that you and Kalen say she is, you shouldn’t have any question that she can survive on her own. If she can’t, then she isn’t the one for us. Why are we even sparing her any pity after the insult she dealt me in front of my entire clan?”
Kalen didn’t seem angry but rather supremely disappointed with me as he raised a tired hand. “You misunderstand, Troy. The true extent of her powers will not be manifest until the two of you complete your Fated union. You cannot expect her to be capable of her best work when you do not stand by her side.”
“And why were you so quick to keep her isolated, Troy?” my Chieftain implored me, forcing me to wince. It was one of the first times I hadn’t heard him refer to me as his Champion and merely used my given name. “How will you be able to win her trust and loyalty when you have not even shared one intimate conversation with her? How can you even be certain there’s a chance for that now? How are we to know if she’s of a species that has the fortitude of our kind?”
Suddenly, my warm blood felt like it had been transformed into ice water. Though I was well versed in the art of war, I didn’t study much more than what was required for victory. I did not know about cultures in regions in my realm that were not hostile with us, much less those that were on a different plane entirely. It hadn’t fully crossed my mind that I had woefully misjudged how much Rosalind’s body could withstand.
Kalen nodded sadly. “I cannot provide any wisdom about the inner workings of her land. I was only able to scry her compatibility with you because she made contact with one of our artifacts. Beyond this, I know nothing. It is a great challenge to see into another realm, one I am not capable of in my advanced age and ill health.”
Harlin arched both his eyebrows in equal measures of shock about the possible endangerment and rage at my negligence. I wasn’t entirely sure I disagreed with him.
“You must go see to her at once,” the imposing man demanded, his scarlet eyes glowing with intensity. “I don’t care what it takes, even if she still insists on locking herself up to evade your arrogance. Ask her politely, knock the door down, call in the entire clan to break the wall if need be. Just recover her alive. Whatever state she is in, we will heal her.”
“Yes, my Liege,” I complied and bowed at the waist, deferential in my newfound anxiety, something I hadn’t known even during the most taxing battles. This was more than a matter of dishonor, and I did not want a maiden’s blood on my hands. “Consider it my foremost concern.”
With those terse words, I spun and proved that I was the counter to the Great Ummet as impatience bubbled up inside of me and blotted away everything else so that I could focus on the curious Sorceress. I could only hope that I would arrive on time and intervene before I severely regretted my impulsive punishment.
11
Troy
I wouldn’t ordinarily be winded by sprinting across the stronghold, but this time I was out of breath as I hastened to relieve Lady Rosalind of her detention. It must have been how raw my nerves were and how my heart pounded from worrying over the Sorceress’ condition. With a shaking hand, I fitted my key into the library door and unlocked it. I pushed it forward with all my might, in a rush to collect her and carry her to the banquet hall for nourishment. While it would have been safer for my reputation to kick down the door and make this look like a rescue effort, I would risk my nearly unblemished name to provide her swift aid.
“Lady Rosalind! Are you well?” I shouted at the top of my lungs, ensuring that she could hear me even in a weakened state. “Let me know what you need! I will fetch it at once!”
“Keep it down!” the raven-haired maiden protested, small crumbs falling from her mouth. “Respect the sanctity of a library, won’t you? This isn’t some rock concert or one of your kind’s battles! Like the Invasion of the Giants during the Black Moon!”
As relieved as I was to see her in good health, I was quite confused. There were additions to the library that I’d never noticed before, including a small table. On top of it was a glass jug and a cup full of milk, as well as a plate of curious treats that looked like oatcakes with small brown morsels embedded in them.
On top of that, what she announced that had been an iconic battle in draconic history. Rosalind must have been reading our histories, and I supposed that was a suitable means for her to win the respect of my clan. I watched in bizarre awe as she continued to chew. The particles that flaked off the cakes actually disappeared before they hit the floor.
Rosalind smirked impishly as she decoded my reaction as surprise, and then she waggled her eyebrows with a charming arrogance. She shoved another treat greedily into her mouth, took a swig of milk, then displayed her two thumbs to me, though I didn’t know what this signaled.
“Pretty neat, huh?” she chirped with delight. Then, she slid a finger into one of the small brown bits on her treat, causing it to melt under the warmth of her flesh. “Normally, you wouldn’t want chocolate around books, right? Big no-no, for sure. It only gets messier over time, but take a look at this.”
I didn’t actually know that was a principle to abide by, and I didn’t know what chocolate was. Further, I didn’t have any strong opinions about t
he caretaking of the works that filled this library, though it seemed to be of the utmost importance to her. I humored and allowed her to display what she wished to.
Lady Rosalind pretended to gasp at her own audacity as she dragged a chocolate-coated finger onto the pristine pages of the book she was occupied with before I had called upon her. While I didn’t see what the fuss was about, what did impress me was that it didn’t leave a mark. That was a rather good spell, particularly since so much time had passed, and she still had energy to attend to such small details.
“That is rather remarkable, Lady Rosalind,” I admitted with a smile, respecting her commitment to subtleties as she nodded, completely unafraid to soak in my praise.
She then rubbed her fingertips against the glass, again showing that none of this chocolate would leave grease on any item that she touched. Once she made her point, she licked her fingers clean. I watched in fascination as her tongue made slow and deliberate work of this. I was even more transfixed by the way her eyes closed in sheer ecstasy at the taste. She seemed… quite pleased with herself.
“Isn’t it, though?” she remarked with guileless joy.
It was hard to believe I had imprisoned this gentle maiden when she was so inarguably innocent. She hadn’t even launched into a tirade about my treatment of her, and I supposed that meant that her species was capable of great compassion. Perhaps her verbal attack had been a rare response to her situation. In truth, she had little say in the matter. If she was able to keep herself in good spirits and health even in my absence, Lady Rosalind must be a gifted spellcaster indeed.
“Most assuredly. Listen…” I began. “I apologize for my untoward handling of your time at my clan’s stronghold, Lady Rosalind. I also regret having taken you without your full knowledge of the matter.” I glanced around. “Thankfully, your spellwork has allowed you to eat and drink during your confinement. Have you suffered much? I imagine it must have become dull after some time, even if you enjoy your books.”
