by Janeal Falor
After the two warlocks converse, the first casts a few spells, greens and blues and pinks, but nothing moves toward us. I bend my knees slightly, ready to run the moment that changes. But it doesn’t. Instead, he returns inside, the spells flashing after him.
“What’s he doing? Why didn’t he look for us?”
Lukas scoffs. “Magic makes things too easy. Why hunt for something when you can make a spell do it for you?”
“But your spell stopped him. He couldn’t find us.”
“Maybe.” He’s watching the lights flashing inside the house, eyes tight. “Maybe not. We’re not going to find out any more than we already have. Let’s go.”
I glance back at the house. “That would be—” An orange-red spell zips out of the house, hurling straight for us.
Chapter Fourteen
Lukas shoves me to the ground. My hands catch my fall, jagged pain screaming up my wrists, scraping my palms against the dirt and rocks. I bite my lip to keep from calling out and turn just in time to see Lukas cast another jade spell, stopping the light. Stopping it only paces from us. But the orange spell hovers right outside his wall, not bounding itself to pieces like the others, the glowing light a beacon to us.
“Run,” he says.
As I stand, I tell him, “Not without you.”
“Tracking spell. It’s hunting you down.”
“If it’s tracking me, running away won’t do any good.”
He grunts.
“Tell me how to help.” Behind the jade and orange spells, someone exits the house. “Now.”
His eyes close, face tightening as the orange spell presses closer to his. “Disguise yourself. Focus your magic. Picture someone else you know well, anyone else. Wrap that person around yourself with your magic.”
Do it now is implied so forcefully, I jolt into action. I close my eyes and picture the first person that comes to mind. Bethany. I concentrate until her image appears as full and real as I can. Lukas grunts. The warlock has to be getting closer. I wrap the image of Bethany around me and let my magic flow to it.
“Perfect,” Lukas says, his voice no longer strained.
I open my eyes. The orange red spell is shifting aimlessly through the area wandering away from us. Though I fear it, at least it’s not right next to us still. And Lukas is different somehow. Taller.
“We’ve got to run quietly.” His voice is low.
The warlock who attacked is nowhere to be seen but must be close by. Did he spot us when the spells were flying around only moments ago? He must have. I run in the direction Lukas pointed to, putting my feet down as carefully as I can while still moving fast, trying not to make more noise. He hurries after me, but is it enough? A warlock, especially one armed with a spell, may catch up to us if he discovers which way we went.
I put a hand on my side, pressing into the pain. I push myself to run faster, but Bethany’s thin legs don’t respond the way I’m accustomed.
“I’m cloaking us, but if he has backup, it won’t be enough.” He gently touches my shoulder as we both jog on. A flash of orange flares close by. They’re catching up to us. “Can you keep going?”
If I have to. I don’t waste breath on a response, just push myself harder. Lukas leads us through the streets, weaving around buildings. At one point we see another warlock who gives us a strange look, but doesn’t bother us. That’s when Lukas stops us. I gasp for breath.
“We’re drawing more attention to ourselves by running now. I think we’ve lost them.” He rubs the palm of his hand across his forehead. “I told you people were trying to attack you. You shouldn’t have waited for me.”
That doesn’t dignify a response. Things turned out well enough. “What do we do now? Is the house unsafe?”
“I don’t know. Probably. We should find somewhere to stay for the night.”
“We?”
“I’m not leaving you alone after that.”
I want to protest that I’m perfectly capable of handling myself, except if he hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have escaped. Even if I could have run away, it never would have crossed my mind to use magic to hide myself like this. What if he had left a few minutes sooner? A chill bounds through me. “Where will we go?”
He runs a finger across the side of his glasses. “I don’t know. We could go to where I’m staying, but they may know about it already.”
It’s not something I want to suggest, but what other options do we have? “I stayed in an alley behind garbage the first night in town. Would that be safe enough?”
“I don’t like the idea of staying outside.”
“How is it any different from staying inside?”
“It’s cold for one thing. And we’ll be vulnerable out in the open. We could stay at a different hotel.”
“Unless they come around asking for you. You look distinctly different than others around here,” I counter. “Of course you could change your appearance, too.”
“Which would work well until I need that energy for defending us against an attack. We'll stay away from people.”
“Which is another reason to go to the alley. No one found me, or bothered me there, unlike what just happened while we were inside the house. It’s not like we have anywhere else to go, and I think we’re close by.”
He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes before putting them back on. “I suppose we don’t have any other options.”
“One question. Do I have to stay disguised as my sister?”
“That’s who you are? One of your sisters? She doesn’t look much like you.”
“She looks the most different out of all my sisters.”
“Ah. Well, you should stay disguised as her. Now that you’re wearing it, it shouldn’t take much more magic to keep it in place, and we don’t know how long they’re going to be looking for you using that tracking spell, hoping you let your guard down.”
“Being Bethany isn’t so bad, I suppose. For now.” Though I think I’d be happier if it included not only looking like her, but getting to be back in a warm cozy house and with my sisters.
I lead him to the alley. Nothing looks different from when I left it, except there’s less trash in the tin. Thankfully. We hunker behind it, trying not to touch anything. Once there, we sit side by side, huddled together for warmth. The night air is chill. At least it isn’t raining.
“Can I heal that for you?”
I’d almost forgotten the pain in my hands until he said something. The damage is easily seen though, and with the stinging that radiates up my arm, I don’t know how I could have forgotten. Trying not to wince, I say, “Yes, please.”
He gently places his hands beneath my own, both of our palms up. The warmth is immediate, the faint, dark blue light encompassing my palms taking not just the sting away, but also bringing heat that feels nothing like healing. When they’re completely restored, he pulls his hands from mine.
“Thank you.”
After a quick nod at me, he turns toward the street, peeking over the tins.
“Do you think they’ll find us?” I ask.
“If I did, I wouldn’t have come.”
That’s mostly reassuring. “Who do you think they are? The warlocks wore cloaks like the others who attacked Zade at the ball.”
“A group devoted to keeping things the way they are.”
Meaning warlocks who want me dead. Though I know that actually living through it, in a place I thought I was safe no less, makes me shake with more than just the cold.
Drips splatter on me, slow at first, but quickly increasing.
“Fantastic,” I say. “Perhaps this spot is cursed to rain whenever someone uses it.”
Lukas gives a hint of a smile. “Do you mind if I do something to block the rain?”
“Why haven’t you already?”
“Didn’t think of it until you said something. My thoughts are stuck elsewhere…”
I glance over his soaked clothing. “It must have been somewhere pretty heavy.”
“Indeed.”
It’s a wonder I’m not drowning in heavy thoughts too after the night we’ve had. “My sister takes more after Serena than I do when it comes to body fat. I’m freezing. I’ll feel more sympathy for her next time she asks me to find more blankets or start a fire. Now would be a good time to keep us from the rain.” And I’m most curious to see how he’s going to keep us dry.
He peeks over the tins. “We’ll have to hunker down more. We don’t want the spell to be spotted.”
This does not seem like a good plan. I glance around at the dirt and rocks. At least there isn’t any refuse on the ground. I flip over and lay on my belly. At least if I get something on me, I’ll be able to see it.
Lukas follows suit. A dark silver light flashes from him and becomes shaped like an umbrella over our heads. It hovers above us just as a real umbrella would, only no one has to hold it, and I see through it to the rain splattering down. I twist around and watch as the drips splat against the faint light.
“You like it,” Lukas says.
“Who wouldn’t like it?” Serena wouldn’t. Oh, she’d be grateful for the opportunity to be dry, but she’d prefer a real umbrella. How many other women in Chardonia are like her? If most of them are, will my doing magic in front of them make them more or less likely to embrace what we can do? What warlocks have taken away from us? “Will they see it from the street?”
“They shouldn’t. It’s down low enough and it’s pretty dark,” he says. “Sorry I don’t have a coat to give you this time. I don’t want to cast too many spells and wear myself out in case we’re found. Otherwise I would do that.”
“It’s all right.” My voice is taking on the mumble that comes with nearing sleep. No longer caring about my clothes, I roll over to get more comfortable, and I relax my head against my hands. “This is nice. Or rather, as nice as it can be when one is chased out of their house by warlocks who want to kill you.”
“Which brings us to the point that I’m not seeing the nice part.”
My eyes give a heavy blink, unconcerned with my trying to keep them open as I watch the rain splatter on the softly glowing light above us. “I’ve never been around someone who does magic so openly like this. Father mostly did hexes. Zade’s better, but he tends not to cast spells often. I think he’s worried about Serena because the few times I’ve been with him away from my sister, he seems much more liberal with his magic use. But still, it’s not like this.” I gesture at the steely light above us, faint silver shinning through it. “This is peaceful and calm. Something I want to be a part of. I like it.”
His voice sounds distant as I close my eyes. “I guess we’ll have to spend a lot more time together.”
That sounds very nice.
Chapter Fifteen
As cold and wet as the night started, it only gets worse, even with Lukas’s spell. After initially drifting off, the temperature dropped further, making it difficult to stay asleep. It’s almost as difficult as the first night I was here. Only this time, Lukas helps keep me warm and dry with his spell and company. Still not a place I want to ever spend the night again. I thought I missed home before, but it’s nothing compared to how much I miss it now. At last, morning finally arrives.
“Do you think it’s safe to return?” Please say yes.
“I don’t know. You should probably stay here while I check it out.”
“I’m not remaining here while you face danger meant for me. It’s my fault. I need to go along to see what’s happened because of me.”
He huffs, and I know he wants to argue. His eyes stare me down like he’s trying to use all of his will power to make me change my mind. It doesn’t work. There’s no reason I should stay here while he faces whatever has been left behind on his own. If something happens to him, it will be on me. Besides, how would I know what happened to him? I wouldn’t. And then I would eventually go looking for him, and the same would happen to me. At least this way, we’ll be together.
To my relief, he says, “If you’re going to come, might as well get rid of your disguise. We’ll see if they’re still looking for you before we do anything else.”
It would be nice to be myself again, though I’m already missing the small link I have to Bethany.
“Be ready to change back and run if you see a spell coming toward you,” he adds.
With that note of encouragement, I start to follow his words. Until I realize, I don’t really know how to do that.
“Um…” This is so embarrassing. I was willing to sign up for the tournament, but I can’t even do simple spells. What was I thinking?
“Did you change your mind?”
“It’s not that. I—I don’t know how to change back to myself.”
Instead of laughing, he says, “That should have been my first thought. If I wasn’t here to help you, what would you try?”
I shrug. “Perhaps try what I did to cast the spell, but the opposite? This time, picturing myself?”
He beams. “Exactly. See, you don’t even need my help. And if it went long enough, your magic would wear itself out, returning you to your original form. Yours just takes longer to wear out because you’re so powerful.”
It feels good that I got it right and that his confidence supports me, but I should have figured it out on my own. I’ve got to think through spells more. Not only is it finally acceptable for me to do them, but if I want to stay alive at the tournament, I have to.
It only takes a moment to repeat the process of changing my appearance, this time picturing myself. I keep my eyes open and watch the multicolored spell surround me. One moment I’m looking slightly up at Lukas. The next we’re at eye level.
“You’re a quick learner.”
His words fill me as we hover at the edge of the street, ready to run, hoping it’s not needed. When no spells threaten, he motions me to follow him. “We’re going to Xyer first, to see if he’s heard anything.”
This is a good chance to get to know who else is protecting my life. I keep my steps evenly matched behind him. It’s much easier now that we’re not being chased.
Even though a tracking spell didn’t manifest when I changed back, tension plagues my muscles. Worry and strain exude from each of Lukas’s quick steps. My own stride tightens to match his. It doesn’t take us long to find Xyer at a hotel and inform him of what is going on. Even less time for him to be ready to join us.
Though I've seen him briefly before, this is the first time I've really gotten a good look at him. He's tall of course, like all Envadi, but thinner than Zade with brown eyes and brown hair that leave him rather average looking. He could blend in easily just about anywhere if it weren't for his height.
The walk back to the house is long, both in terms of time and the route we take, weaving through streets making sure no one is following.
I don’t know what good I can do, but I grab hold of the magic in my core, ready for anything. The thought makes me feel as if I’m being silly. If I can’t figure out how to change back to myself, how am I going to handle stopping a hex, or my life being threatened repeatedly at the tournament? Perhaps I’ve made the worst decision yet. And I probably should have stayed in the alley. But there’s no turning back now. At the very least, father was a good example of how to hit and make it hurt.
The thought makes me ill.
I pull my magic back some, but keep it close enough to still do… something if needed. Once we’re behind the house across the street, we carefully peek around the corner. Last time, this led to spells fighting in a way I’d never seen before. Despite how fascinating it was, this time I’m hoping things are calmer.
No one is outside and nothing looks any different. But who knows if they’re lying in wait or not.? Or if they’ve left some nasty surprise behind? Lukas and Xyer watch it longer than I have patience for. I eventually give up to look around the house we're crouching behind. Hopefully, whoever lives here doesn’t mind my snooping. They shouldn’t because there’s nothing back here but
rocks and dirt.
Finally, Xyer starts forward. Lukas motions for me to follow. We slink across the street to the front of the house and stop at the boardwalk. I stand close to them but just a little behind. As much as I want to be here and helping, I’m not ready to fully throw myself into the fray.
Lukas casts a spell that flies into the house and keeps his hand up in the air. And then we wait. And wait some more. I want to ask what Lukas is doing, but his eyes are focused and his forehead is wrinkled as if whatever he’s doing is intense, so I keep quiet. The light continues to flow from him into the house. I wish I knew what was going on in there.
What is his spell doing and finding? If there was someone waiting for us, wouldn’t they have come out and attacked us? Something would have happened, as eager as they were to attack last night. All this waiting and spell casting seems unnecessary. His arm must be growing weary, staying in the air like that. Another minute goes by. What is taking so long? Why doesn’t Xyer seem fazed by the wait like I am?
I roll my shoulders and glance around the neighborhood. There’s no one about, but that has been typical with this neighborhood. At least from the little I’ve been here, it seems that way. Perhaps I’ve scared them all off with my snooping. Or perhaps all the spells from last night convinced them to hide.
Suddenly, there’s a loud crash from inside the house. Lukas is holding steady, Xyer focused on the house. I’m riveted to the spot, ready to attack anything that comes out. Not that I know exactly what I’d attack them with, but something. Maybe smoothing down their hair will be random enough to startle them, at least slow them down?
There’s not another sound, but my magic is still jumping about inside me, itching to be released. I’m ready to give up and ask what is going on when the spell comes crashing back to his hand and disappears as he lowers it.
“It’s safe.” The dark circles under his eyes are bigger than before the spell, and guilt pricks at me that I’ve been standing here thinking this is all for naught.
