by Halle Dean
"What are they saying, Tunia?" Layla whispered.
"Jace is want to say goodbye to brother," she answered. "Li is want to be with Warner's daughter. Mother is want them to stop fight in front of guests."
"You speak Notatsuese?" Lane asked.
"She speaks everything as far as I can tell," James said. "But only perfectly in Deyinfian."
"She's from Deyinfor?" Sophie asked. "I didn't realize that's what their accent sounded like."
"Didn't you meet the prince?" Warner asked.
Lane had to hold back a smirk at the tone of Warner's voice. He remembered very well the day they had learned of Sophie's betrothal to the prince of Deyinfor. Warner had not taken it well.
Sophie shook her head. "A meeting had been arranged, but I asked to push it back until after the spring banquet."
"Why?" Warner asked.
Sophie blushed. "Because you got drunk and kissed me. I was in no state to meet him."
Lane's eyes grew wide, but Melody spoke before he could say anything.
"You kissed her?" She glared at Warner. "Before your engagement?"
Warner scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish and avoiding eye contact.
"Well…"
"You told me you didn't!" Melody exclaimed. "You said you wouldn't try to affect her emotions!"
"I didn't mean to!" he defended. "I was only—"
"You lied to me!" Melody accused. Lane tried not to laugh at her outraged expression. "How could you—"
"Everyone is stop fighting," Petunia interrupted. "No one fight in Lawson home. Happy."
Melody sighed, but dropped the matter. "Of course, Petunia," she said. "Thank you for letting us heal here."
"And thank you for being so understanding about your inn being destroyed." Warner seemed glad to change the subject. "I promise to help build a new one when this is over."
"Hurry."
"We will," he said. "We must rest first though. Is there any room here to stay?"
Petunia looked a bit worried. "Is difficult," she said apologetically.
Layla stepped in. "All the rooms are full. James and Mason were taking Jace and Li's room to recover. And you were in the hospital room, so that was actually the healer's bed."
"Hmm, that's all right," Warner said. "I have a bed for someone to use. Can the rest of us sleep on the floor somewhere?"
"Why don't we use your house?" Sophie suggested to Warner.
"Only about four people would fit in there," he said.
"I think two of us could sleep on the floor in Jace and Li's room," Layla said. "Actually, Ella can probably fit there as well, since she's small. That would be everyone, wouldn't it?"
"So, who goes where?" Lane asked. "Munday would stay in his house—"
"Not if Ella isn't there," Warner interrupted. "Not a chance."
"Then Warner and Ella in Jace's room," James said. "And Sophie, I suppose. Then the rest of us in Warner's house."
"Are you sure you'll be safe on your own out there?" Warner asked. "I can put a barrier spell on it, but Barry can dissolve it, so that's not of much help."
"It's not any less safe than staying anywhere else," Melody pointed out. "And there are more of us there. It seems even safer than up here. Sophie and Jace are both out of magic and Ella is… unstable. At least we have two people that still have energy. And Lane will be there."
"And we'll have someone to cook for us!" James exclaimed, putting his arm around Layla's shoulder and smiling toothily. Layla glared at him. "What?" he asked, noticing her expression. "You're a good cook. I'm not saying that's all you're good for."
"Perhaps I'll poison your dinner," she said.
He placed his hand over his chest dramatically. "Are you actually joking about that after I nearly died today?"
"I wonder how many times he's going to use that to get himself out of trouble," Lane said.
"As many times as it works," James said, grinning down at Layla. "Aren't you glad I survived?"
"Let's go," she huffed.
With that, they said their goodnights and headed out. Warner leaned out a window far above and made his house appear on the ground. Lane, for all he had seen, was still fairly skeptical about magic. Though he had been in the house before, he still felt like it was immaterial when he saw it pulled from thin air.
The house seemed even smaller, knowing that the four of them had to sleep there. Melody was given the bed since she was the only one of them that hadn't been healed by Jace. Everyone else felt in top form. Lane would have insisted on it either way, knowing she had spent the last five years sleeping on hard stone. He tried not to think about that—those thoughts always gave him unpleasant dreams.
"Well, good night then," Melody said with a yawn.
"I'm going to stay awake," Lane said. "Someone should keep watch."
"Go to sleep," James said. "I'll take first watch."
Lane might have protested, but he still feel very tired. He removed his armor and sword and lay down on the floor next to the bed. The bed was simply a mattress, sitting directly on the floorboards. That worked well for Lane—he could still see Melody from his spot on the ground.
"Lane," she whispered. James and Layla were speaking with each other in hushed tones as well. Lane might not have noticed Melody speaking if he hadn't been looking at her. He scooted closer to hear her better. "I'm glad you're not dead."
"I had guessed as much," he murmured. "From the way you continue shouting at me about it."
"Please be careful," she said, looking away from his gaze. "If anyone dies in this fight, it will be because of me. Because of that foolish spell."
"I don't think it was a foolish spell," he argued. "And I don't think it's your fault."
"Excuse me?" Her expression was mostly one of confusion, but he saw a hint of anger. "It ruined my brother's life, it got so many people killed, and it created this whole mess we're in now. And I cast it."
"The old Melody cast it," he shrugged, undaunted by her tone. "It's terrible that people have died, and Munday's predicament is… strange. But without that spell, you wouldn't exist. I have nothing against the old Melody—but I didn't have the same feelings for her as I do for you."
"Lane..."
"I know it's incredibly selfish," he continued, looking up at the dark ceiling. "But I wouldn't go back and stop the old Melody from casting the spell. I'll die every day rather than give you up."
"Don't be foolish," she said, sniffling.
He looked back at her to see tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," he said, sitting up. "I didn't mean to upset you." He moved to sit on the bed and pulled her into his arms. Much to his delight, she didn't resist.
"I'm not crying," she protested, burying her face in his chest.
"It isn't shameful," he said, stroking her hair comfortingly. "I don't believe there's a person alive that has as much right to cry as you do."
"You—you've said that to me before," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.
"You said you didn't remember that conversation," he said.
"That was—I didn't, before this moment," she said.
She sniffed again and didn't say anything else. After a few moments, her sniffling stopped, but she still didn't speak. Another moment later, Lane realized she had fallen asleep. He adjusted her slightly, but she didn't wake up. Smiling, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
Thirty Four
Attached
The cell was dark and Melody detested it. The day had been particularly terrible. Edric had learned a new spell and had been practicing on her for hours. She wanted to go to sleep and never wake up again, but the spells cast on her chains kept her from bleeding out.
"Miss Munday?"
The sound of Mason's voice made her heavy heart lighter. She wished she didn't feel that way—she would rather be very angry. But he brought the smallest of relieved smiles to her face, even through the pain. She wasn't sure if he could see her in the dark, so she spoke.
&n
bsp; "I'm here." Her voice was hoarse from screaming all day.
Mason sounded uncomfortable as he posed a question. "How do you fare?"
It took a moment for Melody to respond. "Not well," she finally said, sitting up and leaning against the wall.
There was no point in lying. Mason knew very well what happened to her each day. He sighed and she heard his footsteps approach.
"I wish there was a way I could help you."
"Why would you care?"
"Because... we are friends, are we not?"
"I suppose," she said. "You were more friends with Warner."
Mason's voice grew dark. "Let us not speak of Munday."
"I'm also Munday," she pointed out.
"I know," he said. "But you're Miss Munday."
"You could call me Melody," she suggested. He was silent for a long moment and she was afraid that he had left her. "Mason?" she asked, her voice cracking as she tried to keep herself from tearing up. She didn't wish for him to leave. That would mean she wouldn't see him again until the next night.
"I'm here," he said. "Melody."
Tears pricked her eyes as she realized she wasn't alone. Don't be a fool, she scolded herself. You have no right to be crying. This is your own fault.
"It feels strange to refer to someone by their given name," he said. He felt him come close, crouching in front of her. He reached out and shielded her eyes with his hand as he lit a small oil lamp. She still had to close her eyes at the sudden light, but his gesture of kindness made her heart flutter.
"Why don't you refer to people as such?" she asked, forcing her voice to stay even.
"I don't wish to talk about it," he said gruffly, sitting back.
"Please?" she asked. "For having known you nearly my entire life, I know very little about you."
He sighed. "I prefer not to get attached," he said, after a moment. "It hurts worse when they leave you."
"Who left you?" she asked, glad to forget her own problems for the moment.
"M—Melody, I don't—"
"You're using my given name," she interrupted. "You're already attached. It can't hurt any more to talk to me." She let herself smile, ever so slightly. "Lane?" She liked the sound of his name.
Once again, he sighed and took a long time to speak. "I'm not sure who my original father and mother are," he said. "They left me in a box in the Coriander town square." Sensing there was more, Melody waited for him to continue. "A woman found me there and took me in. Six years later, her husband decided I was too much of a bother." He absently rubbed at the scar cutting through his right eyebrow. Melody felt an intense dislike for the man he spoke of. "They sent me to an orphanage, which wasn't much better."
Orphanages are rarely pleasant places, Melody thought. She knew all about terrible orphanages. She and Warner had been in several when they were very young.
"I made friends I thought would last," Lane continued. "They shut me out when I refused to join in their delinquency. I was alone then for a while, before I was adopted. They were good and kind parents, especially Fath—especially the man. He died when I was eleven and the woman sent me away. After that, I decided to keep everyone at a distance."
They fell into silence for a long moment before Melody spoke. "I wish none of that had happened to you," she said sincerely. "You don't deserve that."
"The first friend I managed to keep was a stray cat. Pathetic, isn't it?" He sighed. "Perhaps I repel people."
"You don't repel me," she insisted. She blushed as soon as the words left her mouth. She felt very dizzy as what remained of her blood gathered in her face. "I—I mean—I am fond of you!" she stammered. "You are a good person."
"I don't know what has given you that notion," he said. But his normally sullen expression lightened somewhat. "Thank you, though." He started to get to his feet. "I suppose I should leave now."
"N-no, wait!" she said desperately, rising to her knees, but not having the strength to do anything more. "Please don't go... Lane... You visiting me is the only bright part of my life. Let me hold onto it a little longer."
She was going to cry, she knew it. She could feel her emotions welling up inside her. When he knelt back down, she was filled with so much relief she could hardly stand it. He shifted closer, barely a foot from her. Her tears spilled over and she looked down, hoping to hide them.
"It's not shameful to cry," he told her, tilting her chin up gently so she couldn't hide. "I'm not sure there's anyone that has as much reason to cry as you do. But I do hope your tears aren't caused by me."
"I don't want you to leave," she said miserably. "I wish this moment could last an eternity so tomorrow will never begin."
"I… I wish for the same thing," he murmured. He inched closer as he continued to prop up her chin. "I wish I could stay with you and make everything else go away." He was so close she couldn't think straight. "Even for a short moment, I'd like to forget everything else... and be with you."
She was speechless and her head was spinning. She was certain that he was going to kiss her. His eyes closed halfway as he drew even closer. She closed her eyes as their lips met.
Suddenly, she was awake. It took her a moment to realize she was many miles from the place in her dream. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she noticed she was lying in Lane's lap. She began to sit up and he looked down at her.
"Are you all right?"
"I.. Yes," she said. "I was having a dream."
"A nightmare?" he asked.
"No. Just… high emotions. I—um—I remember, now."
"Remember what?"
"When you—uh—when you kissed me."
"Oh." His face tinted slightly red.
"I couldn't feel it in the dream," she mumbled.
"What?" He leaned forward to catch her words.
Melody blushed a little and spoke up. "I don't recall the feeling. I suppose you will have to remind me."
"You—you wish for me to kiss you?" he asked. Before she could even respond, he pulled her to himself and pressed his lips against hers. She was a little taken aback by his sudden fervor, but she wasn't complaining. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.
"I—" He cut her off by kissing her again. Every time she tried to speak, he would interrupt her with another kiss. She started to laugh and pushed him away slightly. "Lane!"
He smiled. "Your laugh is the most beautiful sound," he said.
"I love you," she said.
He kissed her once again. They both jumped in surprise when they heard an annoyed groan from across the room. They looked over to see James rolling his eyes at them.
"It is kind of you to share the bed and give us more floor space," he said. "But could you tone down the romance a bit?"
"You're only jealous because Layla's asleep," Melody teased.
"So," a voice said from the doorway, deflating the lighthearted atmosphere. They all looked up in surprise to see Barry standing there. "You've all paired off. I can make use of this."
Lane leapt to his feet, pushing Melody behind him and retrieving his sword. Melody considered that they would all be dead if Barry wasn't so dramatic.
I'd be a much more effective villain, she thought. We would all have died as soon as we reached the Magics Society.
James was crouching, trying to rouse Layla, but she was resistant.
"James," she grumbled, refusing to open her eyes. "Later. Allow me to sleep." He pulled her to her feet anyway and she opened her eyes blearily. "Oh," she said, seeming to realize the situation. "This is bad."
"Yes, it is," James said. "Perhaps you should listen to me when I try to wake you."
"Well, usually you're only—ugh—never mind," she said, her face turning slightly red.
Melody wanted to tease her, but it wasn't the time for that. Barry was looking around angrily.
"Where is that little sorceress brat?" he asked. "I have plans for her."
"You can't have her!" Melody exclaimed, stepping out from behind Lane.
"No
ne of them are here, are they?" Barry asked. "Did Warner take his little family and flee?"
"Yes," James said. "You won't find them."
"We'll see about that," Barry snarled, extending his arm towards Melody.
She flinched, but Lane sidestepped in front of her. He had braced himself for some sort of impact, but nothing happened. Melody cautiously peeked around him. Barry looked confused as he tried to cast another spell and it dissolved a foot before reaching Lane. The next moment, Warner shimmered into existence beside Melody.
"What happened? Is everyone all right?" he asked, looking around the room. When his eyes fell on Barry, he immediately tensed up.
"You put a protection spell on us?" James asked, turning to Warner. "We're supposed to be conserving our magic unless necessary."
"Obviously it was necessary. I'll explain later. For now, we must go."
Before Barry could react, they all linked arms and Melody brought them into The Void.
Thirty Five
Separate Ways
Sophie was tired of running. She hoped everything would be over soon so she could settle in one spot and not have to be afraid anymore. Without Warner, she was even more scared. And now she not only had to protect Ella if anything happened, but also Jace. She sighed as they finally came upon the edge of the forest.
"Now listen," she whispered to the children. "We're less likely to be found by people in the forest, but there are wild animals that can be very dangerous."
"Squirrels," Ella whispered.
"Very dangerous," Jace agreed seriously.
Sophie blinked twice before responding. "Anyway, you must stay close to me and tell me if you see any animals. Or plants," she added, thinking of the vines that had attacked Warner before.
"Plants," Jace repeated, seeming wary.
"Momma, I see very many plants," Ella whispered cautiously.
"I mean, tell me if you see strange-looking plants," Sophie corrected. "If something looks unsafe or scary, tell me."
"The dark looks scary," Ella said.
Sophie squeezed her daughter's hand comfortingly. "I know, sweetheart. It will be all right."
