Jasper's Quest (Finding Magic Book 3)

by Blair Drake

  She shook her head, not comprehending, and he could tell the whole concept was far beyond anything she could imagine. All of a sudden, he wished he could show her.

  “Is it fun?” she ventured, her expression dubious.

  “Yeah, I guess it is, most of the time. If you do well enough and you can afford it, after school you go to college.”

  “College?”

  “Yeah, it’s kind of an extension of school, only more specialized. A college degree usually guarantees you a better paying job, and that’s important in my world. Everything costs money. You need it to survive.”

  “Even food costs money?”

  He smiled. “Yes.”

  “No one hunts in yer world?”

  His smile widened. “Yes they do, but mostly for sport, not for survival.”

  Willow fell silent. Though he reveled in her questions and the interest she’d shown in his world, he could only imagine what was going through her head. Mere words could never adequately describe the differences in their worlds. Once again, he felt the urge to show her.

  Yeah, right. Like that was ever going to happen. She didn’t belong in his world.

  He shook off the dark thought and smiled. “Tell me about your world. Who taught you to hunt and fish and build that shelter? I can’t believe you did it all without proper tools.”

  She laughed. “Of course I had tools! I made them myself.”

  “I mean real tools. Power tools.”

  “Power tools?”

  He grinned. “Never mind. My dad’s in construction. He builds houses for a living. Large houses. Apartment blocks that can hold hundreds of people.”

  Willow scrunched up her face. “All in one building? How can that be?”

  Jasper laughed. “It’s a big building. Maybe you’ll get to see it one day.” The words were out before he could stop them. They hung in the air between them. The confusion deepened on Willow’s beautiful face, and Jasper understood why.

  It was ridiculous to think she could leave her father and her world and follow him back to his. He didn’t even know if he could make it back, let alone bring an unexpected guest with him—even if she were willing. A few shared looks didn’t mean she was ready to turn her life upside down for him. Still, he couldn’t deny the idea of taking her with him was appealing even though he couldn’t imagine how it might work…

  Willow stared at him, her gaze intense, as if she could read his thoughts. The silence stretched between them. They were standing close, so close he could reach out and touch her if he were brave enough. He wondered if her skin was as soft as it looked and what it would feel like to kiss her. He stepped a little closer and leaned toward her. His eyes drifted shut.

  “I-I think we’d better head back,” she stammered. “My father will be wondering where we are.”

  Jasper’s eyes snapped open. Willow had moved away from him and disappeared into the darkness. His heart pounded. He blinked hard to clear his vision and then shook his head. What was I thinking? He couldn’t kiss her! She lived in a different world, on a different planet! In less than a week, he hoped to find this magic stone, break Rylan’s spell, and then disappear back to where he came from. He had no business harboring feelings for her or encouraging her feelings for him—no matter how much he wanted to. It was a hopeless situation.

  He needed to remember that the next time he felt the urge to kiss her. It couldn’t happen again. It wouldn’t happen again. Satisfied his feelings were back under control, Jasper finished washing and then headed in the same direction Willow had taken back to their camp.

  The sun hadn’t yet made an appearance above the horizon when Rylan shook Jasper awake. He groaned and tried to ignore the summons. It had taken him a long time to fall asleep. When he did, his dreams were full of Willow and Rylan and the mysterious golden stone.

  In them, he was filled with wonder he’d met such an amazing girl, but before he could convince her to come with him, he was overwhelmed by a sense of urgency and panic that morphed into a huge sense of loss when they didn’t arrive at the cave in time. Willow had stared at him accusingly. Rylan had looked at him with abject disappointment. He’d let both of them down. Failed. And he hadn’t figured out how to get home.

  He stared at Rylan in the dawn’s light, his heart still pounding. He tried to get his bearings. “What is it, Rylan? What’s the matter?”

  “Ye need to get up, boy. We’re heading out early. We still have a long way ahead of us. It’s time to go.”

  Coming fully awake, Jasper sat up and rubbed his eyes. They were sore and gritty, but there was nothing he could do about that now. Willow had already packed up their camp and the fire was covered with dirt. Rylan had shouldered his knapsack. They were waiting for him.

  As quickly as he could, Jasper prepared to leave. The day unfolded much as the one before. It was late when they finally made camp. Willow told them they’d reach the river crossing the next day.

  It was still dark the next morning when Rylan once again shook Jasper awake. His belly grumbled, but there was no offer of food. He guessed both Rylan and Willow wanted to put the river crossing behind them before eating. What they did that day would decide their level of success or failure in reaching the golden stone. The thought of what lay ahead sent a wave of uneasiness down his spine. He wondered if this might also be the last time the three of them saw each other alive. He forced the sobering thought away. He had to believe they’d make it safely to the other side. Then he’d deal with whatever was to come.

  With a last glance around him, he fell into step behind Rylan. Willow led the way. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and then the rising sun that provided more and more light. They wove their way back and forth through mud and marshes, skirting the flooded river. The rush of the water was even louder up close, but he’d almost gotten used to the sound. They walked for nearly thirty minutes before Willow stopped.

  “This is where we cross,” she announced.

  Jasper looked around him. There was a bend in the river and it narrowed straight afterwards, just like Willow said, and there were several large boulders visible in the water. If they could make their way from one to the next, it was possible they’d make it across. Tightening the straps of his backpack, Jasper indicated with a nod he was ready.

  “Good. I’ll go first,” Willow said.

  Jasper opened his mouth to protest but closed it again. What did it matter who went first? They couldn’t go in pairs. Besides, Willow knew this river best. Better for her to show them the way.

  She turned to Rylan. “Are ye going to be all right?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m stronger than I look. Go. Lead on.”

  She leaned forward and gave him a brief hug. “I’ll see ye on the other side, Papa.” And with that, she was gone.

  Jasper watched her disappear into the fast-moving water. Her head bobbed up and down, like a cork on a stormy sea. He saw her reach the first rock. She clung to it, catching her breath. She turned toward the bank where they stood and gave them a sign of encouragement. He turned to Rylan.

  “You go next.”

  Rylan held his gaze. “Are ye sure?”

  “Yes, I’ll bring up the rear. That way if you get stuck somewhere, I can help you.”

  Rylan nodded and readied himself. A moment later, he stepped into the water upstream of their preferred destination and was immediately swept away, spinning and swirling and bobbing about, like a piece of flotsam. Jasper’s heart jumped into his throat, and he suddenly wondered if the old man had what it took to make it across.

  Though Rylan had managed the long trek so far with hardly a word of complaint, the fact his was the body of an eighty-year-old meant the expedition must be taking its toll. Now he was battling a fast-flowing flooded river. The very idea of it made Jasper nervous, and he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell they were doing.

  He watched Rylan a moment longer, his belly twisting with nerves.

  Willow was well out of sight. Jasper coul
d only hope she was all right. Rylan reached the first big boulder that stood fifty yards off the shore. The flood waters swirled around it, but he held on. Jasper could see the old healer was breathing hard, but he looked like he was handling the challenge. As Jasper watched, Rylan let go and began to work his way toward the next rock.

  Jasper drew in a deep breath. It was time for him to go. With a quick prayer, he jumped into the muddy water and gasped. It was colder than he expected. After the heat and humidity of the rainforest, he half-thought the flood water would be as warm. He was mistaken. A surge of apprehension went through him. He’d have to cross the river to the other side as quickly as he could, before hypothermia set in.

  With that thought in mind, he began to swim with the current, doing his best to steer himself toward the first boulder Rylan had reached. He hoped the old healer was close to the other bank by now, along with Willow.

  The boulder rose up before him, and he hit it with a thump. Pain radiated through his shoulder, but he ignored it and clung to the rock. The water rushed around him, buffeting him from all sides, but he hung on long enough to catch his breath. He looked across the wide expanse of muddy water between him and shore. He thought he caught a glimpse of Willow on the far bank, but couldn’t be sure. As for Rylan, he didn’t see him at all.

  Knowing he couldn’t hang there forever, he took a deep breath and released his grip. Immediately, the water swept him along. Once again, he did his best to steer himself in the direction he needed to go. It was tough going. The water had a mind of its own and Jasper battled, using everything he had, to maintain some control.

  And then a band of steel wrapped itself around his chest, and he couldn’t draw a breath. He cried out and when the tightness didn’t ease, his alarm morphed into terror. An enormous eel as thick as a tree branch wrapped around him. Its tail swished and swirled in the water. Gasping for breath, Jasper plunged his fingers into the soft, slimy flesh in an effort to release the pressure of its grip on him, but to no avail.

  Panic rose inside him, and it took all his self-control to force it down. Panic would only get him drowned and drifting lifeless on the bottom of the river. No, he had to do something to get the eel to loosen its deadly grip, and he had to do it fast before he simply ran out of breath. Already, he felt dizzy as the vise-like creature cut off his oxygen.

  And then his arm was on fire as the beast bit down, sinking its teeth into his arm before releasing. He cried out in agony, and his heart pumped double time. Blood spurted from the wound in a gush of red that momentarily discolored the muddy water. Once again, his panic raced forward, and once again he forced it down.

  Calm. Despite the fiery pain in his arm, he needed to stay calm.

  He did his best to slow his breathing and then, using his hands, he tried to find the end of the beast. He felt along the slippery skin. It seemed to go on and on. The tail flailed more than ten feet away. The creature was bigger than he could have imagined. He’d be dead before he unraveled it.

  With that uppermost in his mind, he changed tack. He moved his hands along in the opposite direction, trying to find its head, taking extra care to stay clear of its fangs. All the time, the water rushed around him, doing its best to drag him down.

  His fingers closed around the eel’s neck, and he heaved it out of the water. It came up spitting fire, with its jaws opened wide, ready to attack again. Teeth as sharp as razors snapped at him, doing their best to tear him to shreds. With all his strength, he held the eel away from him and did his best to avoid another bite from its sharp-toothed fangs.

  And then his back slammed into another boulder, and what little air he had left in his lungs whooshed out. He cried out and clenched his jaws against the pain. And all the while, he maintained a death grip around the neck of the man-eating eel.

  A tingling feeling started in his fingers and traveled up his arm. A surge of electricity sparked through him. He looked down and noticed his school pin. Even under the muddy water, the talisman glowed red. It was a sign he’d come to recognize.

  With a howl echoing the victorious cries of battle in times gone by, he used his extra super strength to smash the head of the eel against the rock. The animal let out a sound that curled Jasper’s toes. Blood gushed from its head. Over and over, he pummeled the eel, until it finally went limp. The band of steel around his chest eased.

  Dragging in gulping breaths, he forced oxygen into his lungs. He reached under the muddy water and pulled away the slimy coils until he was free of the terrifying monster. Flinging it away, he watched for a moment as it was carried away on the current. With a sigh of relief, he collapsed against the boulder and rested his head on the hard surface. He closed his eyes and drifted into semi-unconsciousness.

  It seemed like a long while later, but in reality was likely only a few seconds, when he stirred and realized he still needed to get across. He was only halfway there—still a long way to go. With his supernatural strength fast receding, he had to act quickly if he were to make it. He prayed he didn’t encounter any other ferocious water life.

  With that thought uppermost in his mind, he pushed away from the rock and once again struck out for the shore. His arms felt heavy, and he was lethargic. His could barely move his legs. Still, he had no choice but to keep going.

  “Jasper! Jasper! We’re over here!”

  At the sound of his name, he lifted his head and saw Willow waving madly at him from the riverbank. Her long hair was still dripping, hanging in matted clumps down her back. Her clothes were plastered to her skin, outlining her shape. Despite everything, his pulse quickened.

  Then he spied Rylan lying in a heap on the ground, and his heart skipped a beat for an entirely different reason. Given that Willow appeared in good spirits, beckoning him in, he assumed the healer was all right. He sent a grateful prayer heavenward that the two had made it safely to the opposite side and renewed his efforts to join them.

  One more boulder, another brief rest, and then he kicked off and plowed through the water. Knowing the other two were waiting for him gave him an incentive, and as he continued to move across the swift current his arms gained strength. And then his feet touched the bottom and reeds clumped around his legs. He stood on shaky legs and waded to the bank. A few feet from Willow, his legs gave out and he collapsed in the mud.

  Chapter 13

  “Jasper! Thank goodness ye made it!” Willow cried, rushing over to him. She kneeled beside him and threw her arms around him.

  Jasper’s arms crept around her, and he hugged her back as relieved as she was that they’d all survived. And then all he could think about was how good she felt against him, in his arms. He turned his head and breathed in her earthy scent.

  Rylan cleared his throat, and Jasper pulled away like he’d been burned. His cheeks heated. He kept his gaze averted, focusing on the muddy ground. His arm ached from where the eel took a chunk out of it, but he wasn’t about to draw any more attention to himself. He didn’t know if Rylan was aware of Jasper’s burgeoning feelings for Willow, but he wasn’t up to having a stay-away-from-my-daughter lecture in that moment.

  “Jasper! Oh, my goodness! What happened to yer arm?” And just like that, Willow drew her father’s attention back to him.

  He glanced down and was taken aback at the nastiness of the wound. It had hurt like hell when the eel bit him, but he’d managed to ignore the pain when he had more important things to concentrate on—like surviving the attack and getting out of the flooded river. But now, looking at the raw and festering laceration, the pain came back to hit him with the force of a hammer. He stifled a groan.

  Rylan struggled to his feet and hobbled over to where Jasper sat. The healer put out his hand, and Jasper gratefully accepted the man’s offer of assistance. Rylan pulled Jasper to his feet and helped him climb further up the bank.

  “Sit down, boy. That’s a vicious bite. I want to take a closer look.”

  Jasper nodded and held what was left of his school shirt out of the way. Th
e torn and ragged sleeve caught on the wound and he winced at the pain.

  Rylan touched it with gentle fingers and frowned. “I’ve never seen anything like it. What did ye run into out there?”

  “An eel,” Jasper replied.

  “An eel?” Rylan repeated, his bushy white eyebrows rising in amazement.

  “Yes, at least, that’s what I think it was. It came at me in the water, wrapped itself around me like a boa constrictor. For a while I couldn’t draw a decent breath. I thought I would die out there.”

  Willow drew closer. Jasper saw her shudder. “How awful!” she breathed. “How did ye manage to get away?”

  Jasper shrugged, uncomfortable discussing his magical power. He glanced at Rylan. The old man remained silent. Taking his cue, Jasper’s answer was purposefully vague. “I got lucky. I managed to fight him off. I got my hand around his neck and…suffocated him.”

  Her eyes were large and round. She stared at him in disbelief. “That’s impossible! I know the kind of eels ye speak of. I’ve never seen one, but I’ve heard plenty of stories from people who have. No one survives an encounter with the killer eels.”

  Jasper kept his gaze fixed on Rylan’s feet. He didn’t know how to respond without telling Willow about his supernatural strength. He glanced at Rylan.

  “Go ahead and tell her. She already knows ye have descended from a long line of wizards.”

  Jasper stared at the ground in indecision. Will it matter if I tell her? She already knows I possess magical powers. Will she think of me differently if she knows I have supernatural strength? He wished he had the answers. His supernatural power was part of him. Whether it carried over to his normal life, he had yet to see. For now, and in this place, it existed and might very well surface again before his time on Ardhi was done.

  Decision made, he drew in a deep breath and turned to face Willow. “I have extraordinary strength. It seems to come upon me when I most need it most. It enabled me to fight off the eel. The truth is, I managed to smash its head against a rock and kill it. I was saved by magic.”