Shining Armor

by Halle Dean

  "Stop!"

  She leapt forward, but was too late. Taiki plunged the sword into Jace's chest and Melody felt her heart stop. She shoved Taiki away with all her might, but the damage was done. The bloodied sword fell to the ground. Taiki tried to get up, but he appeared to be stopped by a trap spell.

  "No, no, no!" Sophie cried. She ran over and used slicing magic to cut the vines holding Jace up. She caught him and carefully laid him down on the ground. Blood was pouring from the wound and Sophie pressed her hands against it, chanting, "I promised... I promised..."

  She kept saying it as Melody knelt by her side. Ella had walked over, looking worried. Sophie was still repeating herself, but Melody felt no magic energy left in her. She gently pulled her away.

  "Sophie, he's—"

  "No!" Sophie argued. "I promised I wouldn't let his father hurt him anymore. I—"

  "Jace?" Li said, pushing on his brother's shoulder. He started speaking in increasingly frantic Notatsuese. Sophie started sobbing harder, leaning into Melody's shoulder. No one said anything for several moments. "Hello?" Li said, once his own tears had calmed down.

  Melody and Sophie looked up at him. "What is it, sweetheart?" Sophie asked, tearfully.

  "Want... mother... and Jace," he said slowly, obviously having a bit of trouble speaking in a language that was not his own. "Help?"

  Sophie seemed unable to speak, so Melody stepped in.

  "I'm sorry, Li," she said. "We can't."

  "Jace heal," Li insisted, nodding feverishly and pointing to his brother, who was lying still. "Heal."

  Ella was nodding too. She didn't seem to understand what was happening. "Jace will heal," she agreed.

  "He—he can't," Sophie said sadly. "I'm sorry."

  Li began to cry again and Ella looked distraught. Li started saying a word Melody didn't understand as he tried to pull the vines away from his mother. Melody stood and helped Sophie up.

  "Can you get her free of those vines?" Melody asked her quietly.

  "Only if you take Li and Ella away," Sophie said, still sniffling. "I don't know what she will look like and I don't want them to see any more."

  Melody nodded and took Li and Ella's hands. Li was resistant to leave his family, but she just picked him up and carried him away, pulling Ella by the hand. Warner was starting to rouse as they passed by. The others were all out of their tree prisons, but they were unconscious. Sophie must have released them.

  "Warner," Melody said as his eyes blinked open. "Make sure the others are alive. Then help Sophie. I must take Li and Ella away from… this."

  Warner sat up and looked around. "What happened?"

  "Don't think about anything right now," she said. "Focus on helping the others. Some of them may have suffocated."

  Warner nodded and hurried to see what he could do. Melody, relieved to be away from the heaviness of death and dying, sat down with her back to a tree. She held on tightly to Li, so he couldn't run back. Eventually, he gave up on escaping. He settled against Melody, sniffling and occasionally wiping his eyes. He and Ella had both fallen asleep by the time Melody heard approaching footsteps. Warner came around the side of the tree, looking emotionally drained.

  "Is anyone alive?" Melody asked.

  "The knights, James, and Layla," he said. "Jace..." Warner covered his face with his hand. "Jace and his mother..."

  Melody sighed. She hadn't expected them to live, but she had been hoping for a miracle.

  "And what of his father?" she whispered.

  "Dead," Warner said shortly.

  "Is it safe to go back where the others are?"

  Warner nodded. "We buried the bodies. We're going to rest for a while, but then we must make our next plan of action."

  "Yes," Melody agreed. "We still must defeat Barry before this is over."

  "How are you faring?" Warner asked, gathering Ella into his arms.

  Melody shrugged, picking Li up as she got to her feet. "Numb," she said. "And I'm out of magic, so useless as well."

  "We'll have time to rest and recover," he assured her. "Everyone is out of sorts. It's been that kind of day." He allowed her to pass him as they walked back to the others. "And, Melody," he said softly. "You are never useless. Don't ever think that way."

  Melody didn't turn around, but nodded her head slowly. She liked to think he was being sincere; she'd never known him to outright lie to her about serious things. Not long before, she had wondered what reason there was to cling to life. She felt that she couldn't think that way any longer. Warner had come back and saved her from the hellish existence she had been suffering in the dungeon. The least she could do was hold on to the chance he had given her for a better life.

  Forty Three

  Wishful Thinking

  Sophie felt like a failure. She hadn't been able to keep her promise for even a few hours. If she had just been paying more attention, things could have gone differently. If she had thought to put a trap spell on Taiki as soon as he appeared, Jace might have survived. Or if she had kept a better eye on him. Of course, then Warner may not have survived.

  It had grown dark as the group rested. All the knights had been told the entire story. Alex accepted everything readily. Sophie could tell that he never wanted to believe Warner had turned on them.

  Blue was the hardest to convince. He didn't seem to trust magic at all. Sophie had to remind herself that it had been a rough day for him as well. A magician had killed his brother and one of his friends before his eyes. It made sense to be wary of magic after all that he'd seen in one day. He wouldn't even let Sophie heal the cuts and scratches he'd gotten from the tree prison.

  "They're going to scar if you don't allow me to help," Sophie warned him.

  "I don't want magic anywhere near me," he insisted, a bit rudely.

  "Watch how you speak to your princess," Warner growled.

  "Go easy on him, Warner," Sophie said, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "He's been through much, just as we have."

  "I don't have want or need for your help, Princess," Blue scowled.

  Warner started to move towards Blue, but stopped when Sophie tried to hold him back.

  "Settle down, Blue," Robert said. "You must have respect." Blue just walked away from the whole group, stomping his feet and grumbling. "Sorry about that, Your Highness," Robert sighed.

  "It's understandable," Sophie said. "Emotions are running high."

  "He'll warm up," Alex said, still staring the smooth skin where his wounds had been. "This magic is amazing."

  "You should have seen Jace's," James said. "It was incredible."

  "It's a shame about him," Joseph said. "He seemed to be a sweet boy."

  "Sweet," Li repeated quietly.

  Sophie looked over to see him curled up on the ground. Ella was sitting next to him, patting his back gently. He had tear stains down his cheeks, but at least the actual crying had stopped. He had been sniffling periodically, but had stayed quiet, for the most part. Talk about his brother seemed to have caught his attention though.

  "What will happen to the boy?" Alex asked.

  "He has an uncle," Warner said. "We'll speak with him and see if he seems trustworthy enough to take care of Li."

  "What if he doesn't seem trustworthy?" Robert asked.

  "Then, we'll keep him," Sophie said, without a second thought. Warner looked down at her with slightly raised eyebrows, but didn't contradict her. She was determined to make sure that Li would have a good life. She had failed at protecting Jace, but his brother would be another story. "There is plenty of room for him at the castle."

  "Speaking of the castle," Joseph said. "What is going to happen now? Edric and his magic guard are gone, so, will the princess take the throne?"

  "If she doesn't, it'll go to the Magics Society," Robert said.

  "What?" Warner exclaimed.

  "Since when?" Sophie demanded.

  "Since about two weeks ago," Robert informed them. "I'm assuming, since Edric knew you were alive all
along, he was afraid of you taking over. He arranged it so that the leader of the Magics Society is the next in line."

  "But, we destroyed it," Layla said.

  "We destroyed the building," James said. "I seriously doubt that Barry was still inside."

  "But we can't allow him to take over Coriander," Sophie said, panicking slightly. "We must go back, immediately."

  "No," Warner said. "If you claim the throne now, he will know exactly where we are."

  "So, what are we to do?" James asked.

  "Find him and kill him," Warner said. "That's the only way to end this."

  "But, where is he?" Alex asked. "If you destroyed the Magics Society building, where would he go?"

  "He lives in Milvona," James said. "So, we only need to find his house."

  "I'll go," Warner said. "Everyone else stay here and I'll try to be quick."

  "No," Sophie said, grabbing onto his arm in hopes it would prevent him from going into The Void. "What if you die?"

  "I won't die without taking him with me," he said.

  "That's not what I'm—" Before she could finish her sentence, Warner twisted out of her grasp and moved away from her. "Warner!" she shouted.

  "I'm sorry," he said. "I love you." He waved his hand in front of himself as Sophie jumped towards him in a last ditch effort to stop him. She was surprised to find herself colliding with him. He caught her before she managed to knock them both over, but seemed surprised himself. "It didn't work," he said, confusedly.

  "What didn't work?" she asked.

  "The Void," he clarified. "I couldn't go in."

  Melody suddenly vanished and reappeared on the other side of them.

  "It works for me," she remarked.

  Warner waved his hand over a rock and it shimmered and disappeared.

  "I don't understand," he said. "Why can't I get in?"

  "Don't you have the sphere with you?" James asked. "It can't go in The Void."

  "Oh," Warner said. "I suppose only Melody and other Warner have brought me through The Void since I acquired the thing."

  Warner reached into his pack and pulled out a glowing, green sphere. Sophie recognized it from the closet. Ella had said something about Mason going into a ball and not coming back out. Sophie glanced at Melody, who was staring at the sphere with a mixture of anger and longing.

  "What is that thing?" Alex asked.

  "It's a magic device used for collapsing things," Warner said. "We used it to destroy the Magics Society. That's how... well... Mason didn't get out in time."

  All the knights looked toward Melody. Sophie had almost forgotten that they knew she was more than friendly with Mason.

  "I'm sorry, Melody," Alex said sincerely.

  "I don't wish to speak of it," Melody grumbled.

  "Then we won't," he said quickly. He looked to Warner. "Instead, we'll discuss how all of us are going to find Barry."

  Before Warner could protest, which he was obviously about to do, a loud sound boomed across the sky. Everyone ducked for cover. Warner held Sophie close, defensively. It turned out to simply be a voice. It was the spell that Coriander Castle used to speak to the entire kingdom.

  "Citizens of Coriander," the voice started, magically sent to every corner of the land. "King Edric has passed away."

  "That's one way to put it," James mumbled.

  "In his place," the announcement continued, "is the man he appointed to take over in the event of his death. There will be no ceremony. He begins his rule immediately. All hail, King Barry of Coriander."

  Silence fell. Sophie was shocked. She looked around to see that everyone else seemed to be as well. Barry had moved very quickly. What were they going to do?

  "So, he's at the castle, then," James suggested. "Off we go?"

  "Not everyone," Warner said. "That message was likely meant to bait us. Someone must take the children somewhere safe." He looked pointedly at Sophie, but she shook her head.

  "I go where you go," she said, crossing her arms.

  "And leave Li and Ella on their own?" he asked.

  Sophie hesitated, but James stepped in.

  "It's all right," he said. "Layla can take them."

  "Pardon me?" Layla asked.

  James looked over at her. "You're going back to Milvona anyway."

  "I most certainly am not," she argued.

  He sighed. "Layla, please don't be difficult."

  "I'm not the one being difficult," she said. "You promised me that you wouldn't die, and I must stay to be sure you keep that promise."

  "I won't die," he said exasperatedly.

  "No, you won't," she agreed. "I'll make sure of it."

  "I'll take the children," Melody said when James started to protest further. Everyone looked at her. "I'll take them back to Milvona and make sure they're safe. If you need me to come back, I can use The Void." She walked over to Li and Ella and helped them stand up. "Besides," she said, "No offense meant to Layla, but my magic can protect them better than she can."

  "No offense taken," Layla said. "I don't have experience with children, in any case. Unless you count James."

  "This is serious, Layla," James grumbled.

  "I know that, James," she said. "That's why I'm going with you."

  "How exactly are you going to help?" he asked. "You can't do magic, you don't know how to use a sword—"

  "If it comes down to me fighting, I've thrown grown men out of my bar hundreds of times without any help," she snapped. "But who says I'll have to fight? I'll stay back and tell you when your plan is foolish." She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Or I'll tell you not to give up when you're covered in plants."

  James sighed again, though it was less exasperated and more resigned. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean that you were useless. It's only that I don't want you to get hurt."

  "Then let's end this quickly," Sophie said. "No one else needs to get hurt."

  "Very well," James said.

  "We'll rest until morning," Warner continued. "Then Melody can take Li and Ella back to Petunia's and we can go back to the castle. That should give us time to restore our energy."

  * * *

  Sophie found it hard to sleep. Warner sat against a tree beside her, so she pretended to be sleeping so he would worry less. Ella was curled in his lap, fast asleep, but he was wide awake. Sophie wondered what he was thinking about. She also wondered if he still avoided sleep for fear of nightmares.

  It was coming up on exactly five years. Sophie usually became more depressed around that time of year, but things had changed. She understood what had happened—she was no longer afraid of Warner. She felt comfortable lying close to him, especially with Ella nearby.

  She didn't know how life would be once Barry was gone. It would not be easy to live with both Warners, not always being able to tell who was in control. She supposed that even the other Warner was still hers. They may not have been the same, but they were both part of him. Perhaps she could help him to see the light.

  It was wishful thinking, but Sophie wanted so badly for everything to turn out well. If there was nothing in the vast amount of knowledge from the Magics Society about getting rid of other Warner, she doubted it was possible. But perhaps having Ella around would make everything better. As long as she kept him away, there was nothing to fear. Sophie sighed.

  "Are you still awake?" Warner whispered.

  "There is much to think about before tomorrow."

  "Do you want to get married?" he asked.

  Sophie sat up and looked at him, but he was staring at the trees above them. "Tomorrow?" she inquired. "We might be busy."

  "Not necessarily tomorrow." His eyes dropped to look at the ground. "I was only wondering if you still wished to marry me."

  Sophie didn't have to think about her answer. "Of course."

  Warner smiled and finally looked at her. "You answered much more quickly this time," he teased.

  "It was obviously a 'yes,' back then," she defended.

  He ra
ised his eyebrows. "What part of 'I can't do that' sounds like 'yes' to you?"

  "I didn't say it that way!" She crossed her arms. "Besides, you caught me off guard. And, I was so emotional that night. I thought you were going to die."

  "Well, you still could have told me that you would if you could," he pointed out. "That way you wouldn't shatter my heart completely."

  "I thought you already knew," she protested. "Everyone always told me I was very obvious."

  "Everyone always told me I was very oblivious," he said. "I suppose they were right."

  "But you kissed me!" she said. His face turned a little red and he looked away. "You must have known then."

  "You avoided me for days after," he reminded her. "I thought I had upset you."

  "I avoided you because I could think of nothing else while you were around," she said. "And I was meant to marry to the prince."

  "Well, I'm glad you didn't."

  Sophie leaned her head against him. "Yes, so am I," she said, yawning. She was getting very tired and she felt comfortable leaning against Warner. "May I sleep here?" she asked.

  "Of course."

  He adjusted his arm so it draped around her and she snuggled close to him. It was cold outside, but he was very warm. He trailed his fingers along her arm and she found it very soothing. Before long, sleep had rolled over her.

  Forty Four

  A Split Second to Act

  James didn't want to wake up. He was still tired. He was also very comfortable, his head resting on something soft and warm. His eyes blinked open and met Layla's—his head was in her lap. She was looking down at him, an anxious expression twisting her pretty features. He sat up and stretched his arms, looking around to see that everyone else was still asleep.

  "Good morning," he said quietly. "What's the matter?"

  She bit her lip and folded her hands in her lap. "I worry that today will not go well," she said.

  James pulled her into a hug. She leaned against him and sighed, so he tried to reassure her.