by Blair Drake
Reese had never been so happy to be anywhere. Yet his stomach hurt thinking of Raven. He’d left her there. She’d saved him. And he’d left her to fend for herself. How could he do that to save himself?
He took in a deep breath of fresh air as if he’d never breathed before. And then he remembered. He stuck his hand in his pocket and felt for the talisman. Yes, it was gone. He’d given it to Raven in the hopes she could use it to find him. How would he ever know if she actually made it out of the underground world she’d been trapped in for so long?
Headmistress Lalane’s office door opened and out walked a young girl with long dark hair wearing the required school uniform all the girls at the Cliffs wore. She held a book in her hand. Reese couldn’t see her face because she was turned away as she talked to Lalane, who walked out into the hallway with her.
“Make sure you put the new pin on your jacket,” the headmistress said. “I like the stone on the one you brought with you. It matches your hair. But it’s not to dress code.”
“Yes, ma’am. And thank you,” the girl said, turning around and practically colliding with Reese and Jasper.
As soon as the girl looked up at them, her face registered steep panic. He’d seen that face before and would never forget it.
“Raven?” Reese said, reaching for her as relief filled him. He hadn’t left her behind. She’d found a way to get through. “You’re…you made it.”
The girl took a wide step back, and stared up at him with confusion.
“Who?” Headmistress Lalane asked. “This is Sable. She’s new to our school.”
Confusion collided with his senses. No. This was Raven. It was her! He was sure of it. She was dressed like all the other female students in the Gray Cliffs Academy, but he’d never forget those pale blue eyes. Ever. Why was Lalane calling her by another name?
But Raven didn’t say a thing. She didn’t protest or even give him a second glance of recognition.
Jasper jabbed him from behind. “Welcome to the Cliffs, Sable,” Jasper said.
Lalane cast Jasper a sharp look. “Gray Cliffs Academy.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Thank you,” Sable said in a small voice. Reese remembered that, too. She’d been like that the first moments they’d met. But it was clear she didn’t have the same recollection as he did of their time together in the underground.
“Where did you get your talisman?” Reese asked.
Lalane touched the stone and smiled. “I wondered that myself. The school hasn’t used this talisman in a very long time.”
“My grandfather gave it to me. He used to be a student here.”
“Really? Your parents didn’t tell me that,” the headmistress said.
“It was a very long time ago.”
Ms. Lalane smiled. “What was his name? Maybe I’ve heard of him.”
“Endel Gardist.”
“Endel?” Reese asked. “Uh, that was your grandfather’s name?”
Sable nodded. And then she smiled directly at Reese with a twinkle in her eye that let him know everything was going to be all right.
“Gardist, that’s a German name, right?” the headmistress asked.
“It means guardian,” Sable said.
Lalane smiled at Sable. Reese could tell she liked her. “Very interesting. You’ll have to tell me more about your grandfather. For now, why don’t you head to class, Sable. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help make you feel welcome here.” Then she turned to Reese and Jasper, giving them a stern look. “You two can stop ogling over the new student and go into the headmaster’s office to wait. The others will be in there soon.”
Reese glanced over his shoulder as he slowly walked across the hall behind Jasper.
“I told you she was cute,” Jasper whispered as they walked into the headmaster’s office. “You thought she was too young, but man, you’re practically drooling over her. It’s humiliating. Keep this up and I’m going to need to get a new best friend.”
Reese kept his gaze on the doorway, on Raven, or rather, Sable’s face. It was her. He was sure of it. Raven had made it out. And she was wearing the pin he’d given her. She had to be.
“Yeah,” Reese said, turning away finally when Sable walked down the hall out of his view.
Jasper sputtered. “Dude, you’re admitting it? Who the hell are you and what did you do with my best friend?”
Then he dropped in the chair in front of the wide oak desk just as several other students walked into the headmaster’s office. Reese didn’t even care why they’d all been summoned to the office. Reese knew. So did Jasper. It was clear by the relieved expression on Jasper’s face that he understood.
“Look at all this stuff. They expect us to give them another four years at Gray Cliffs U?” Jasper said, picking up pieces of paper that were stacked on the headmaster’s desk. When Reese didn’t answer, Jasper nudged him. “Hey, Reese? Where did you go?”
“I’m right here, Jasper.” Reese chuckled softly, and glanced back at the empty doorway. Raven had made it. They’d both made it. And something told him one day he and Raven would have a laugh over what they’d gone through to get here. “I’m not going anywhere, buddy. I’m staying right here.”
Reese picked up one of the applications to Gray Cliffs University from the stack on the desk and looked at it.
“Yeah?” Jasper said, grinning. “Really?”
“Yeah. Seems like a good place to be.”
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The Finding Magic Series
Melissa's Quest: http://littl.ink/+YBlO
Reese's Quest: http://littl.ink/+A3Mr
Jaspers's Quest: http://littl.ink/+oBl7
Elijah's Quest: http://littl.ink/+n7Ee
Dylan's Quest: http://littl.ink/+DxN6
Natasha's Quest: http://littl.ink/+vxo0
Piper's Quest: http://littl.ink/+9KM8
Rebecca’s Quest: http://littl.ink/+5AMR
Alex's Quest: http://littl.ink/+eK9l
Annalise's Quest: http://littl.ink/+PzvB
Sneak Peek of Jasper’s Quest…
The icy wind howled past Jasper Walker’s ears and bit into his cheeks. He was filled with an eerie sense of foreboding. The summons to the headmaster’s office, along with nine of his school friends, was strange enough. No sooner had they arrived when the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness. They were supposed to be in the dining hall eating breakfast. Instead, Headmaster Grotel Auster sent all of them to the roof of the Gray Cliffs Academy with no word of entreaty or explanation. More than strange. And why is the headmistress here?
Headmistress Hettie Lalane looked as scared as they were. Wide-eyed and trembling, her lips moved as if in silent prayer. Before Jasper could ask what was going on, a cloak of mist blew in from the coast and surrounded them. The wisps of white air thickened and shrouded them, isolating them from everything and anyone else. The early morning sunshine disappeared and was replaced by a darkn
ess so black he could barely see a foot in front of him. What game are they playing?
He blinked hard in an effort to focus and peered through the mist toward his classmates. Part of the dimness lightened in a swirl of bright colors and he saw they looked equally confused and afraid. Had evil paid a special visit to the Academy? It was a stupid thought, but as it flooded Jasper’s mind he shivered and his apprehension grew.
He spotted a flash of fear on the headmaster’s face and his disquiet ratcheted up another notch. It was clear something strange was happening and Headmistress Lalane’s face was deathly pale. Her eyes were now as round as saucers and her knuckles showed white. She moved silently among the students, murmuring something that almost sounded like an incantation. Weird. She touched the side of his school blazer and then just as quickly moved away.
It was her fear causing him to quake; sending a tremor through his veins. Why are we here, up on the rooftop, and what is the headmistress so afraid of?
Without warning, a fierce storm set upon them. Driving rain lashed their faces; wind screeched in their ears. The force of it drove them apart. Fear rooted itself deep in Jasper’s chest. He sent a frantic glance toward his classmates. They clung to each other’s hands, desperate to hold tight against the force of the gale.
And then the unimaginable happened. Despite their best efforts, they were torn asunder. He watched in horror as one by one his classmates trundled wildly into the darkness, turning and tumbling, spinning and twisting like dry leaves in a windstorm. And then it was his turn.
His best friend, Reese Calamita, stood next to him, bent almost in half against the wind, his face twisted in a grimace. Jasper clung tightly to Reese’s forearm, but in the end, neither of them were a match for the ferocity of the wind. It forced its way between them, wrenching them apart. He screamed in terror as he went flying, high above the school. Spinning like a top, far and away from the place and the life he’d lived for the past six years.
It was his final year of high school. In less than a month, he’d turn eighteen. His parents had made arrangements for a special birthday party and he’d invited all his friends. Now nine of them had spun off into the abyss along with him, snatched off the rooftop by a wind so vicious it drowned their screams.
What on earth is happening?
Without warning, the temperature dropped below freezing. His teeth chattered so hard he bit his tongue. The taste of blood was sharp and acrid in his mouth. It was spring. The air shouldn’t be so cold. Just another unexplainable happening on this strange and unexplainable night.
And then the wind turned even more ferocious and the sound of it deafened him. Spinning crazily, without control, he was hurtled farther into the dark abyss. The echo of his screams sounded faint in his ears. He’d be embarrassed everyone else might think he was a sissy if he wasn’t so darn scared. Are my friends experiencing the same?
The wind and darkness continued to swirl around him, the air colder than ice. He looked down and saw white flakes coated his clothes. He shivered, glad he’d pulled on his blazer that morning.
All of a sudden, the wind renewed its ferocity. His stomach did a somersault and he fought the need to throw up. Pushed and pummeled and spun around and around, Jasper let out another shout. The darkness surrounded him, blinding him, swallowing his plea for help. He couldn’t remember which way was up. His chest tightened on another wave of fear. And then he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.
It must be the wind, only it sounded like nothing Jasper had ever heard. It sounded like a wounded elephant, or maybe a lion. A growl so deep and ferocious, so filled with sadness and pain. It reverberated in his head, echoing in the darkness.
A fresh wave of terror raced through him.
Along with the roar, the wind spun him faster. The snow joined in the dance. Flurries of white flew into a funnel that opened up right beneath him, dragging him into the blackness that lay within. He wanted to resist, but there was nothing he could do. Nothing to grab hold of, and no strength left inside him. Slowly but surely, he was sucked into the wild vortex. His screams echoed through the darkness…
“Whumph!”
Jasper landed on the hard ground with a thud and groaned from shock. Winded, he gasped for breath, wincing at the stabbing pain knifing through his chest. He forced himself to breath more slowly, easing air between his clenched teeth. Gradually, the pain subsided and he breathed normally again.
He struggled to his feet, grateful to discover he hadn’t done any serious damage to his body during the fall. Apart from sore muscles, he didn’t feel any different than before. And then he looked about himself in growing confusion. There was one big difference – his surroundings.
Where am I?
He stood near the edge of a thick forest. Tall trees stretched upwards, blocking a portion of the sky. The sun hung low to the horizon, painting the ground with long shadows. The night would soon be upon him.
He drew in another breath. The air was hot and humid and felt heavy in his lungs. The snow that gathered earlier on his clothes had already melted, leaving him uncomfortably damp. He took a few steps forward and then turned around, not knowing which way to go. If he turned right, he’d end up deeper in the forest. To the left, was an open plain.
Which way?
And then came a haunting cry, the same anguished plea he’d heard through the storm. Shivers coursed up and down his spine. He couldn’t tell if the cry was human or not, but it was definitely from something in a great deal of distress.
His instincts kicked in, and he headed away from the forest in the direction of the sound. Across the plain, through a stand of trees, hurrying now. The cries grew louder and with them other sounds joined in. Laughter reached his ears, sounding incongruous alongside the painful pleas. He crept closer, his heart thumping.
Taking cover behind a large baobab tree, he discovered a natural clearing among another thin clump of trees. Shadows stretched long, dark fingers across the ground. Peering into the dimness, he swallowed a gasp. A group of people, made up of men and women, boys and girls surrounded an old man who lay in the dirt. The man was curled up in a fetal position with his hands covering his face.
Jasper watched one of the male spectators lash out with his foot and connect with the old man on the ground. A howl of pain went through the victim. He curled up even tighter, whimpering.
The crowd laughed even louder. “Ye call yerself a healer! Ye say ye’ve saved so many of us over the years. Why don’t ye get up and save yerself!” another man in the crowd jeered.
“Yer a has-been. No good to anyone, or anything. Yer time is over, old man,” another tormentor mocked and aimed a vicious kick at the victim.
Rage surged through Jasper at the injustice of the scene unfolding before him. A defenseless old man was being persecuted for no good reason. It was something he couldn’t tolerate. It reminded him of some of the younger students at the Academy who found themselves the brunt of jokes from older kids. Jasper had a reputation as someone who stood up for the underdog. Now he burned with the need to do something to assist the old man who lay helpless on the ground at the mercy of the cruel crowd.
He took another moment to look around him and did a rough head count of the spectators gathered around. He was outnumbered by far, and a sizeable portion of the mob were full-grown men. Jasper was tall for his age and physically fit, yet he was no match for the men who made up the crowd.
Still, he couldn’t sit there and do nothing. The man on the ground was crying in pain. Then he saw three of the boys pick up large rocks and aim them toward their victim. Before he could fully process what was happening, the boys hurled their missiles. They landed with remarkable accuracy, thudding against the man’s head and shoulder and back. Each time, the man cried out.
Unable to hold back another moment, Jasper burst out from his hiding place, his fists clenched.
“Stop!”
The spectators gasped collectively in surprise. The ones with their backs to
him turned around. All of them took a step back. He glared at the gathered crowd, his breath coming fast. Adrenaline surged through his veins. They stared at Jasper in shock. He understood their reaction.
Every member of the crowd, including the man on the ground, was dressed in funny garments, like something he’d see on an old-fashioned movie based in ancient times. The coarse homespun fabric looked something like burlap. The men wore tunics that hung loosely from their frames and fell past their knees. The women wore long dresses made from the same material.
He looked down at his school uniform – the navy-blue blazer, white shirt, blue-and-maroon school tie and gray pants. His lace-up school shoes were still shiny. He’d polished them only that morning. It felt like a lifetime ago.
“W-who are ye?” one of the male adults of the crowd demanded.
The man was broad across the chest, with arms as thick as tree trunks. Jasper trembled inside, but forced himself to maintain eye contact.
“My name is Jasper Walker. Who are you?” he stated clearly.
The man gathered himself together, and when he spoke again, his voice was loud and firm. “I’m Baron Drakor. What is yer business here?”
Jasper took a few more steps forward. Most of the crowd drew back. Baron Drakor remained where he was. Jasper narrowed his gaze at the man, and then pointed to the figure on the ground. “That man is a friend of mine. I demand you release him.”
Drakor’s face split into a wide grin. Huge guffaws filled the air. His whole body shook with mirth. Many in his crowd of supporters began to laugh. He crossed his arms over his powerful chest and stared hard at Jasper.
“A friend of yers, you say? How could that be? This man has lived in my village since I was born. I know every inch of this land and everyone in it, and I’ve never set eyes on ye.”
Jasper thought fast. He had no idea where he was, but it was obvious he’d been thrust somewhere far back in time. He could hardly admit he was a school boy snatched from the twenty-first century. They’d think he was crazy and might turn on him next.
