The Pariah Child & the Ever-Giving Stone

by Natasha D Lane

  Serwa paced around the fire, her curly hair standing on edge. She chewed on her lip. “We should split up.”

  Alexander eyed her.

  “No,” the vampire said. “We stay together.”

  “But the girl is right, Alexander. If Jacob is left with the vampires much longer, he’ll become a snack. And who knows what those vicious sirens are doing with the stone.” She stopped pacing. “I’ll go get Jacob and the dragon. You two find a way to get the stone.”

  “No,” Alexander repeated.

  She sighed and brushed back her thick hair. “Fine, then. I’ll find some way to get the stone, while you two save Jacob and Solar. Then, we’ll meet up at –”

  “No,” Alexander leapt from his seat. “Don’t you understand the meaning of the word?”

  Serwa’s eyes narrowed into slits. “This is the only way, Alexander.”

  “Strength is in numbers,” he retorted.

  She raised a brow and looked at him. “So is stupidity apparently.”

  “You know what I mean, witch.” He exhaled, his eyes steady on Serwa.

  She glared at him. “You’re being stubborn and your stubbornness is going to get us killed, as well as all Lyricans.”

  He gritted his teeth.“No one is forcing you to stay. Just like no one forces you to wait for me at your cabin. You choose to do that yourself.”

  “Oh, do I?” she barked at him. “Tell me little vampire, what would you do without me, huh? What would you do if I weren’t there when you needed shelter? Someone to talk to? A warm meal?”

  The irritation left Alexander’s eyes. “Don’t –” He reached for her. She smacked his hand away.

  “Why do I have to always wait, Alexander?”

  “You’re turning this discussion into another topic,” he said.

  “You’re the one that brought it up! It’s a topic that has been too longed avoided. You leave, but you think you have the right to give me commands.”

  “I never asked for this,” he said.

  “Neither did I,” she replied. “You know what? I am not a burden. You asked me to accompany you.”

  He looked away and closed his eyes for a few moments before sighing. He redirected his gaze at Serwa.

  “You are not a burden. I don’t care about burdens, but I do care about you. As I said, there is safety in numbers. I want you to see the logic behind what I’m saying. Stop acting like a child.”

  “And you stop acting like an ass!” she roared before walking into the woods. Alexander watched her retreating figure, before taking his seat beside Sarah.

  “Is she going to be all right?” she asked.

  He chuckled. “Trust me. Anything out there is more afraid of her than she is of it.”

  “I guess that’s true. She seems really upset though.”

  “It’s not that.” Alexander shook his head. Sometimes things run deeper than they seem. You’ll understand when you get older.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you just tell her you love her?”

  Alexander’s face dropped and Sarah smiled at him, her dull eyes brightening. “Yup, that’s right, mister. I know.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not admitting to anything. However, I want to know where you came up with that idea.”

  Sarah gazed into the fire and smiled, her head resting against her knees. “Because,” she said, “You look at her the same way my Daddy looks at my Mama. The eyes are the windows to the soul, after all.”

  “Perhaps,” he said, “but her safety is more important than anything else.”

  “Are you afraid the other vampires will try to hurt her?”

  He rubbed his eyes. “Yes, but...I was talking about myself, as well. Sometimes the hunger is hard to control. Monsters aren’t tamed easily, and there are other things...”

  “You’re only a monster if you think you are,” Sarah replied. “It’s obvious she loves you, too. Like my Mama says, ‘sometimes fighting against nature just isn’t worth it.’”

  “Your mother must be wise,” he said.

  “About some things,” she responded. “Do you think Serwa will come back?”

  He nodded. “Yes, calling me an ass was her way of submitting.”

  “Good,” she whispered with a laugh. “I don’t think the trip would be the same without her.”

  Alexander chuckled. “Neither do I.”

  Chapter 14

  The knot in Sarah’s stomach tightened as she, Serwa, and Alexander traveled deeper into the mountains. Alexander had the lead with Sarah following behind and Serwa bringing up the rear. Sarah couldn’t look at the tall jagged and twisted rocks that stared down at her with ghoulish faces. Thinking back to the lively, soft trees of the elves’ forest, Sarah began to miss their warm heartbeats.

  Even without the stone, she had strong uneasy feelings about the mountains. They were old, mysterious and evil. They held the secrets of the dead, and with every step she took, Sarah wondered who had been buried beneath her feet.

  The group had been walking for hours, and Sarah thought her legs might fall out from under her when Alexander came to a stop and placed a hand on her back.

  “I think we should rest. There’s a small cave ahead. Follow me.”

  Serwa and Sarah took step behind the vampire to the mouth of the cave where they came to a halt.

  “I don’t sense anything but...Alexander?” The witch raised a brow.

  “No vampires. I’m sure,” he said.

  She followed behind Sarah as they walked into the little nook.

  Serwa wrapped several robes around herself and rested against the wall. Alexander sat across from her and Sarah sat next to Serwa.

  The witch’s teeth chattered. “Looks like another freezing night.”

  Alexander was silent, but his shoulders sunk as he stared out into the darkness, the moon their source of light.

  Serwa tried to smile. “No worries, I’ll teach the girl to keep warm. She’s about ready. Plus, these little robes we have won’t be enough. The temperatures up here are extreme.”

  “How can I stay warm?” Sarah asked. Cold bumps had already begun to cover her arms and legs.

  “Using your magic.”

  Sarah frowned. “Maybe if I had the stone with me but...” Her mind trailed off. She remembered how powerless she’d felt as the sirens nearly drowned her and took her treasure. How the water had filled her lungs so quickly, replacing all the air.

  “If you two hadn’t come in time, I’d be dead,” said Sarah. “Dead because I’m so weak. I need the stone to protect me. I can’t do it alone. You both saw that.”

  Alexander spoke, his voice flat and emotionless. “All that matters is you’re alive.”

  Serwa scoffed. “Stop babying her.” She turned to Sarah. “Look, you’re right about one thing. There was a good chance you could have died, but it’s not because you need the stone. It’s because you think you need it. The first rule of magic is believing in yourself. If you don’t believe, you can’t call on your magic to help you. The second rule is learning how to focus that magic. Now, I want you to call on your magic to start a fire.”

  “I don’t have any magic, Serwa. It all came from the stone. I’m not like the heroes from my books.” Sarah pulled her hair back from her face. It had become unkempt throughout the journey, and the high altitudes had made it especially frizzy.

  The witch glared at the girl. “A turtle doesn’t know it can swim until it reaches the water. How can you know until you try?”

  Sarah sighed. “I’m not a turtle.”

  The witch nodded her curly head. “True. The difference between you and the turtle is that the turtle has some backbone. Believing that you are more than an ordinary human is the key, Sarah.”

  The girl shook her head and turned to Alexander, ready to ask his opinion but seeing the shadow that rested on his face she decided otherwise.

  Serwa shrugged. “I guess you’ll just freeze, then. Alex is used to these cold temper
atures, I can warm myself with magic, though I prefer not to waste it, and you....” she waved her hand “oh, well.”

  Sarah’s jaw dropped. “You’re not going to really let me freeze.”

  “Of course. Why not? I mean if you keep relying on others to care for you, you’re not going to survive long enough to save our world, anyway.”

  Sarah looked at Alexander. The move was swift: a quick slap to her head.

  Serwa narrowed her eyes at the girl. “Don’t turn to him for comfort. If you want to be warm, you’ll make your own fire.”

  Sarah massaged the back of her head.

  “I don’t think that was really necessary,” Alexander said still staring into the night.

  “You coddle, I teach.”

  He shook his head and turned to Sarah. “Serwa has a point. I will fight by your side, Sarah, only if you are fighting, as well. Don’t let those arrows that Gan gave you go to waste.”

  Sarah looked away and bobbed her head. He was right, but at this moment Sarah didn’t feel strong enough to even lift an arrow. She stared at the weapon the old elf had given her that rested in her lap. These were meant for harming. They were meant for a warrior, something Sarah wasn’t.

  “I did promise them though,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “What?” Serwa asked leaning closer to hear.

  Sarah continued to stare at the bow and quiver. “I promised Dasi and Gan I would save Lyrica and their people. I promised I would do it, not you or Alex.” She held one of the arrows in her hand. The magic of the elves’ forest came flowing back to her. She sighed, replaced the arrow and turned to Serwa. “Fine, teach me how to make a fire.”

  With a triumphant smile, the witch tossed her robes away and turned Sarah’s hands palm upward. “In the early stages, it’s all about visualizing. Close your eyes and see a fire. Then, feel its warmth rising in you. Go ahead.”

  Sarah did as she was told. She searched her mind for the memory of a fire. She remembered the school bonfires. Everyone from the town would come and gather in the schoolyard for roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. The other children would never speak to Sarah. Still the fire was always there to warm and hypnotize her with its dancing flames. The color was so bright and rich. Sarah would wonder how deep those colors ran and what lay beyond the flames. She reached out for the fire, feeling its warmth tickle her fingertips as she grew closer.

  “Sarah.”

  She jerked her eyes open and just like in her memory there was nothing but the dancing flames spiraling around each other in her palm.

  “You did it,” Serwa said.

  Sarah was wide eyed. “I can’t believe I...I did that?” She pointed to the blooming flame that was still spiraling in her other palm.

  Serwa patted her back. “Yes, you did. A witch is always right.”

  “But, wait.” Sarah turned to Alexander suddenly full of worry. “I think I made it too big. Do you think any vampires saw the flames?”

  He didn’t look at her. “They’ve been trailing us since we first stepped on their land. Flame or no flame, we’re being watched. You two might as well eat and rest so you’ll have energy when we start again.”

  Sarah peeked out of their little nook. She could see only darkness. “But how –”

  “It’s a skill that comes with practice,” Serwa interrupted. “Let’s rest for now. Alexander?”

  “You two sleep,” he said. “I’m going to stay up for a bit before we eat and move forward.”

  Serwa cupped Sarah’s hands, and the flames were extinguished.

  “Not while we’re sleeping,” the witch said. “If it gets too cold, I’ll start a fire. We should be good for a few hours. Take some of these robes and rest.”

  Sarah wrapped one of the robes around her body. She looked at Serwa, and then scooted beside her. The witch rolled her eyes but did not move or push her away and soon she was sleeping. Sarah turned on her side and watched Alexander as he watched the night until sleep overcame her.

  From his pocket, Alexander pulled a small pouch. In the pouch there were a few slices of bread, some berries, nuts and pieces of meat. The vampire sighed. He thought he had packed enough before they got too deep into the territory. He had predicted that by now the vampires would have captured them. He would have given himself up, they would have killed him and the others would have escaped free. At least in captivity, Serwa and Sarah would be fed...maybe. There was nothing up here for them to eat. Food supplies we’re running short. He silently cursed his people. Why wouldn’t they just attack already?

  The vampire pushed the small amount of food over to Serwa and Sarah. They both took a little bit of this and that, not too much of anything. Alexander took note of their meek forms. Fatigue had started to set in, and the vampire wondered how much longer until starvation. The fact that he fed from Serwa didn’t help her, but she was stronger than Sarah. Her magic, another form of life on its own, kept her going.

  Alexander frowned as they handed him back the pouch, though it was obvious they wanted—really needed—more of the food. And then he realized. His eyes grew wide, and the words stumbled out of his mouth before he could catch them.

  “They won’t attack us.”

  “Huh?” Sarah asked already digging into her make shift sandwich.

  “They want you to die. They only want me. That’s why they haven’t come for us yet.”

  “What are you getting at, vampire?” Serwa asked.

  “We already know they’re watching,” the vampire said. “But they haven’t attacked us. They’re trying to wait until you two die so they can take me in alone.”

  “Are you insane?” Serwa snapped. “They’d be smarter to kill Sarah and me now. Well, not really smart since I –”

  “If they know you’re traveling with me, they won’t attack needlessly. Not to mention, you’ve built quite the reputation for yourself, Serwa. Do you really think they’d come at you head on?”

  “You speak the truth,” she said and nodded. “They may think Sarah still has the stone, as well.”

  Sarah looked out of the cave. “I feel like that poor caged rat in Mr. Galer’s science class.” She gulped.

  “This means they definitely know who you are, Alexander. If we die, you die, Jacob dies, Solar dies and to make a long story short all of Lyrica dies,” the witch commented. “We have to reach the part of the mountains where the vampires sleep, at least. That’s the only way they’ll take any action. I don’t know about you two, but I refuse to let any of us die here.”

  “What should we do? We need a plan.” Sarah took her bow and quiver in hand.

  “That’s easy,” said Serwa, “we keep moving. That small amount of food we have isn’t going to last long, and after it’s gone, neither will we. If we stop all breaks and run straight through, we can make it in time.”

  Alexander sat up right. “You two are already exhausted. Do you honestly think you both can make a journey straight through?”

  “Alexander,” she said, “that is our only option unless we want to die in these mountains and, as I said, I simply refuse. If I am to die, I will die back in my cottage in my bed in my room with the rose-painted walls and a burning fire. No exceptions.”

  Alexander stared at her. Sometimes, even he forgot how eccentric she was.

  “Fine, we’ll leave tonight. No more stops. But both of you are going to have to let me carry you so we don’t get slowed down. For me you two are light. I’ll be able to make the journey faster than if we all were on foot. That’s the only deal.”

  Serwa gagged. “I’m not luggage.”

  “True but don’t forget my people thrive in the night. It will be more dangerous traveling at this time, so I carry you or we stay put.”

  “I’m in,” Sarah said.

  “That’s one down. Serwa?” he questioned.

  The witch bit her lip, fidgeted with her fingers and rolled her eyes before finally mumbling a tense, “Yes.”

  “Good,” Alexander said with satisfac
tion. He wiped his hands, stood and began gathering the few items they had brought with them. He stepped out of the cave, Serwa and Sarah behind him.

  “Okay,” he said. “Sarah, you want to try that bow?”

  “Wait, what?”

  Alexander smiled. “You can do it. Just aim and fire.”

  “But I –”

  “Kill or be killed, girl.” Serwa looked down at her.

  Sarah grasped the bow in her hands. “I can try.”

  “Good. You’re on my back. Serwa, the knapsack. I’ll get the last few bags.”

  “And where am I supposed to sit ‘Oh Wise One?’” Serwa’s voice was not lacking in sarcasm. “Only one of us can fit on your back and –”

  In one swift move, he swept her into his arms. He winked at her. “Don’t worry. The Wise One has you.”

  Serwa glared at him before punching him in the arm. Alexander smiled.

  Sarah climbed onto his back with bow and arrow at the ready. He took one step, the right foot ahead of the left. Then, he pushed from the back foot, and they were gone.

  Sarah couldn’t believe how fast they were moving. Her body felt so light. Were they even touching the ground? Or were they walking on air? Everything blurred by her and her eyes watered, though the only emotion she was feeling at the time was sheer joy. The redhead had never dreamed she’d be flying through the air with a witch and vampire as company. The only feeling of flight at home was the one roller coaster at the state fair once a year.

  Still, with wind blowing through her wild red hair and the light feeling of flight racing through her, everything that had happened to her seemed so surreal. Like a dream...

  What if this is a dream? What if everything right now is something my mind conjured up? But it feels so real.

  Sarah wondered if she’d wake up in school with a teacher nagging her. Panic replaced the feeling of lightness within and soon that was replaced by sadness. Suddenly, she had an urge to cling to something, to someone to prove to herself that everything was not a figment of her imagination. She wrapped her arms tight around, Alexander’s neck and smiled. He was solid, strong and brave. He was one of her first friends, and without even having to look, Sarah knew he was smiling, too. Alexander would never abandon her, and she would never abandon him. After all of this, they were tied together forever. Serwa too. The witch tried to be a grouch about sixty percent of the time, but during this journey, she had become like the older sister Sarah had always wanted. Yes, this was what the redhead had dreamed of, people who loved her, accepted her and protected her. These were friends for life.