by Kimbra Swain
“Please don’t ever doubt my feelings for you, Lacey. It was real. It’s still very real. Just very impossible,” he said. “I won’t even promise you ‘one day’ because I don’t know that it is possible either. I’d give you all my tomorrows, but I don’t own them.” Tears rolled down my cheeks, and he brushed them away with a calloused thumb. He didn’t kiss me, but I was pretty sure my prayer changed about halfway through his speech. “I’ll check on you tomorrow. If you need anything, you have my number.”
I didn’t respond as he slipped out of the room.
“I need you,” I whispered to the empty room. Then pounded the mattress with my fist. “No. I will not get caught up in Dakota Fane ever again. Never, ever again.” I wiped away the remaining tears and swore I’d never take another look at him. No more getting lost in the depths of his dark eyes.
Very real feelings. Very real magic. I was up shit creek without a paddle.
“Did Fane leave?” Braxton asked when he returned with a cup of coffee.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“What’s up with him?” he asked.
“I don’t want to talk about Dakota,” I said bluntly.
“Looks to me like there was more than friendship there,” he continued.
“Brax, leave it,” I growled.
“Gotcha. How are you feeling? They need to bring you something to eat. You look pale,” he said.
“Don’t you have class?” I asked.
“Why? So, I can go exactly where my father and Shawnna can find me? No, thanks,” I said.
“I’m fine here, if you need to go hide somewhere else,” I said.
“Lacey, there is nowhere else I want to be,” he said sweetly.
Dakota was right. Braxton had all the assets that caused women to swoon over him. I was sure that if he didn’t get back together with Shawnna, he would find another sorority girl to comfort him before too long. They were all gaga over him.
“Thank you for being a good friend,” I said, firmly placing him in the friend zone.
“Ouch,” he replied as if he had felt it. “Is Fane friend-zoned too?”
“No, he’s not,” I replied.
“Oh, so he’s more,” Brax surmised.
“No. He’s nothing.” Liar, liar. Pants on fire.
“Well, I’m glad I’m a rung over hair man,” he said.
Dakota had dark brown hair that fell almost to his shoulders. It was thick and beautiful. Memories of my hands tangled up in it flashed through my brain. I shook it off.
“He has nice hair,” I agreed, trying to make it lighter.
“What about me?” Brax asked, turning his head to the side while lifting an eyebrow. Ridiculously cute.
“You have nice hair, too,” I said, as someone tapped on the door again. Before I could answer, a plump woman in a white uniform walked in with a tray.
“Good evening, Miss Ashcraft. The doctor has ordered you to eat. Here’s your meal for the evening. You are lucky. You caught us on chicken and dumplin’s night,” she said, clearing a spot on the tableside tray. “I’ve also got milk, juice, and water. Which would you like?”
“What kind of juice?” I asked.
“Apple or orange,” she asked with a smile. Finally, someone in this hospital with some inkling of friendliness.
“Apple,” I replied.
She returned from the cart outside the door with the juice. She sat two containers in front of me, then winked. I took it that she was giving me an extra.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“You are welcome, honey. I’ll come back by later for your empty plate,” she said.
I couldn’t help but smile at her as she left me alone with Brax. He had gotten up from the chair to help move the tray around to me.
“Good to see you smile,” he said.
“She was nice. No one else has been nice here,” I said.
“I noticed. Small town manners apparently don’t apply in the hospital,” he said. “Eat up. It actually looks good.”
He was right. It looked delicious, and my stomach growled in approval. I took small bites but managed to clean my plate. If not for anything, but for the nice lady who brought it to me. Braxton’s phone rang as I finished up. He hadn’t answered it all day, but this time he did.
“Hello.”
I wiped my mouth with a napkin, then finished off the apple juice. He handed the phone to me.
“Huh?” I questioned.
“It’s Aunt Clara,” he said.
“Oh!” I said, grabbing the phone. “Aunt Clara, I’m so sorry.”
“Child! What are you apologizing for?”
“I didn’t come home,” I said.
“Well, that was troubling, but I’m happy that the rich boy has kept me informed of your condition. Has your fever broken?”
“I still have a small one.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“They don’t know what it is, but hopefully I can go home tomorrow,” I replied. She sounded very worried.
“Is the nice rich boy staying with you? Did Dakota come by?” she asked.
“Brax is here now, but he doesn’t have to stay. And yes, Dakota came by,” I replied
“Shame he didn’t stay,” she muttered.
“Aunt Clara,” I prompted.
“Yes, I know. I’ll stay out of it. I’ll take the bus down there if you want,” she said.
“No! Aunt Clara, just make me some fresh bread, and I’ll be home tomorrow,” I said. Braxton took the phone from me, and I scowled at him.
“Don’t worry, Aunt Clara. I’ll stay with her and bring her home,” he said. I could hear her talking through the phone. She thanked him profusely, then said goodbye.
“Brax,” I huffed.
“You are stuck with me, Lacey.” He grinned at me. “Now. Tell me what happened with you and Dakota. I’m not dumb or blind.”
“Seriously, Brax. I’m not talking about it,” I said. “It doesn’t matter.”
He walked over and sat on the edge of my bed. “The tracks of tears on your cheeks tell me that it did matter. Do I need to kick his ass?”
I laughed. “No.”
“Kick him out of the group?”
I shook my head. “Nothing like that.”
“I could slash his tires,” he offered.
“Brax! Please don’t. He and I made a mistake once, and I don’t care to hash it out again,” I said.
He took my hand and squeezed it. “He’s a fool if he missed a chance with you.”
“Don’t be all sweet and stuff with me,” I said.
“You deserve someone who will adore you, Lacey. Every woman does. That’s why I didn’t belong with Shawnna. I could never adore her. And damn it, I deserve better, too,” he said.
“I agree with that,” I replied, feeling uncomfortable with his hand holding mine.
“You should rest,” he said, lifting my hand to his lips. He pressed them against it, then rubbed his cheek across it. “Sleep, Lacey.”
A wave of exhaustion hit me, and I knew he was right. I was tired, and I needed to sleep. The last thing I saw was him sitting down in the chair across from me.
The hooded man, Ajax, haunted my dreams. He kept telling me over and over that this was an attack. He yelled at me to wake up. He yelled at me to move. I tried running from him, but it didn’t matter where I hid, he walked through the walls to me.
This fever started when he came to me in the emergency room. For all I knew, he was the attacker. Inside my dreams like this, I couldn’t be sure if he was friend or foe.
I forced myself awake by bolting up in the bed.
“Hey, it’s just a dream,” Brax said, rushing to my side. “The doc came in a little bit ago, and they are going to let you go.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to catch my breath.
“Damn. Your heart is pounding. Nightmare?” he asked.
“Something like it,” I replied. There was no way in hell I was telling Braxton about a man in a
hood that was after my magic.
“Who is Ajax?” he asked.
“Greek hero,” I replied.
“No, you were saying his name,” he said.
“I have a history test this week. Greek mythology and stories,” I replied.
“Oh, do you always dream about demigods?” he asked.
“No, not generally,” I replied.
“Do you ever dream about me?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.
“No, I don’t,” I said, but I might have somewhere along the way. He was the kind of handsome that fueled dreams.
The rude nurse from the day before came into the room without knocking. “Here are your discharge papers, Miss Ashcraft. An orderly will be by in a few minutes to escort you to your vehicle.”
“Okay,” I replied. “What did the doctor say about my condition?”
“You don’t have a fever anymore, and he’s scheduled another visit with a general practitioner in a week,” she replied.
“He should be here to tell her that,” Braxton protested.
“His mother died, so forgive him if he didn’t come by,” she snarled.
“It’s fine. Thank you, ma’am,” I interjected. The nurse nodded then left the room.
“Still, a doctor should have been here. I swear this hospital is the most backwoods, podunk place in all of Georgia,” Brax said sounding like a good southern boy.
I giggled at his accent which had thickened with his rant. He blushed, because he realized that he’d let go of his generally formal speech. There were different kinds of southern accents. Brax always had that deep pocket, old money accent. But when he ranted, he could have been Jimmy Ray or Joe Bob.
“Stop laughin’ at me,” he said with a brilliant smile.
“It’s cute,” I replied.
“Well, then I’ll do it more. Marley came by earlier while you were asleep. I had called her to bring you some clothes to wear home. I don’t know what they did with your other ones,” he said. “If you need help, I can close my eyes.”
“No, you get out. I can dress myself,” I said.
“Oh, alright,” he groaned with disappointment. “I’ll be right at the door. Guarding your chastity.”
I slipped out of the bed, and my feet hit the cold floor with a jolt. Brax hesitated at the door. He’d lost the playfulness, and concern crossed his face.
“I’m fine. Just finding my legs,” I said.
“I find your legs to be perfect,” he said.
I pointed at the door, and he stepped outside into the hallway. I heard a thud like he’d leaned against it.
Opening the duffle bag at the end of the bed, I opened it to find a t-shirt, jeans, and clean underwear. Thank the heavens for that. It felt heavenly to put on my own clothes. I even was able to get to the bathroom on my own. A bandage covered the place on my arm where the I.V. once was. I looked at myself in the mirror while washing my hands. I looked tired.
I had an urge to see if my purple circle still responded to me, but I managed to fight it. No need to draw attention now. As I dried my hands, I heard a buzzing in the duffle bag. Inside, my phone lit up with several messages.
They were from Ajax’s number. “Get out of the hospital now. They are coming. Get out, Lacey. Now!”
I shook my head. Something was off about all of this. I needed answers, but I had no idea who to ask. I stuffed the buzzing phone into my pocket, then opened the door for Brax. A gangly orderly stood with him pushing a wheelchair.
“Oh, I can walk,” I said.
“Hospital policy,” he said. His name tag said Louis.
“Okay. If you insist,” I said grabbing my duffle bag.
“Let me take that for you,” Brax said. “I’m going to go pull the car up at the discharge door. Stay in that chair until I get back.”
I rolled my eyes and plopped down in the chair. My pocket continued to buzz.
“Are you going to answer that?” Brax asked.
“No,” I said.
“Boyfriend?” he asked.
“Braxton Stanwick, go get the car,” I demanded.
“As you wish, Princess,” he said with a stupid bow. He hurried off down the corridor toward the elevators. The orderly wheeled me around to push me in the opposite direction.
“Wait. Where are we going?” Ajax’s persistence had me suspicious.
“Staff elevators are this way. It’s easier to take patients through them, than through the guest elevators,” Louis explained.
“Oh, okay,” I said, fishing my phone out of my pocket. It was ringing now. I hit the end button, then put the phone on silent with no vibration.
The orderly pushed me down the hallway to a single door elevator. The damn thing looked small from the outside. I wondered how they took patients in beds in the tiny thing. The door dinged as someone shouted down the hallway.
“Hey, you! Stop! Where are you taking her?” another orderly said, pushing a wheelchair. Behind him the nurse scowled. I watched as she stuck her leg out and tripped the man. He fumbled the chair, falling head over heels to the floor.
“Wait!” I said, trying to stand up. Louis put his boney hand on my shoulder pushing me down in the chair. His hand felt warm.
“Sit down, Miss,” he said. “This will be a short ride.”
He shoved my wheelchair into the tiny elevator, then stepped inside with me.
“Stop!” the man down the hallway yelled as the doors closed.
I jumped out of the chair, and put my back against the wall. My heart pounded in my chest as Louis grinned at me. His long face and long nose reminded me of an old man like Scrooge. He was missing several teeth, and had a slight lisp as he spoke.
“Now, calm down, Miss Ashcraft. I won’t hurt ya. I’m just taking you downstairs,” he said, reaching for me.
“Don’t touch me,” I said, swatting his hand away.
“I said I won’t hurt ya, but I will if you fight me. I might look small, but I can handle a little girl like you.”
“Don’t you dare,” I said, reaching in my pocket for my phone. It was still ringing. I answered it with a whimper. “Help me.”
“Where are you?” Ajax asked.
“In a tiny elevator,” I said.
“Hey, put that down,” Louis said, grabbing the phone. I slid to the floor to avoid his grasp.
“Help me now, Ajax,” I cried out.
“Fuck,” he cursed through the phone. “Lacey, use your magic. Fight him off.”
“I don’t know how,” I said.
“You told me that the magic showed you how to save your friend. It will show you again,” he insisted. “I’m on the way, but you have to fight.”
Louis lunged for me to pin me to the floor. I kicked at him as he knocked the phone out of my hands. “Now come to me,” he said, grabbing my legs.
I lifted my hand and spoke the words, “Circulus elementum.” The purple circle blazed to life over my hand.
“Now, there, little Miss. You don’t want to do anything stupid. We are in an elevator. You unleash the wrong thing, and it will kill us both,” he warned. “You can’t throw magic around so frivolously.”
The third of the main runes pulsed with power. It looked like an “H” with two cross bars instead of one. What was it? What did it stand for? I tried to remember the symbols on Miss Fleming’s board.
“Fire,” I muttered. A bolt of lightning shot out of the circle enveloping Louis. He shook and convulsed as the magic shocked his body. His eyes began to bulge out of his head.
“You dirty little Mage!” he screamed. The scream died out. His body laid in the back of the elevator, smoking. The smell of burnt flesh made me retch. I closed my hand and rolled over on my knees. My chest heaved, and I threw up what little I had eaten. The bile burned my throat as the smell made me continue to gag.
“Lacey!” I heard Ajax’s panicked voice through my phone. I tried to reach it, but as I did, the elevator stopped. I looked up to the numbers above the doors. Fifth floor. Someone was a
bout to see that I killed a man. I was a murderer. This time it wasn’t a cat. It was a man.
The doors didn’t open, but Ajax stepped through. He fished me off the floor, steadying me.
“My phone,” I muttered.
“Look at me. Are you hurt?” he asked.
I couldn’t see inside the darkness of his hood. I reached up for it, but he grabbed my hand. “No, please don’t. I’ve been told to leave you to the forces that be, but I can’t do that in good conscious. It is better for both of us, if you don’t know who I am.”
“But I killed him,” I said.
“Listen, you are going to sit back down in that chair. I’m going to put you to sleep. It’s going to seem like an electrical accident. Okay?”
I shook my head. “I have to tell them. I killed him,” I said.
“Lacey, if you do that, they will start asking questions. What are you going to tell them? That you summoned a purple circle and electrocuted him?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” Tears rolled down my cheeks. I was turning into a cry baby, but I felt so helpless and confused.
“Just trust me this one time,” he said. His back stiffened, and he swung me around putting himself between me and Louis’s dead body. Another dark figure joined us in the elevator.
“Ajax, you were told to leave Miss Ashcraft alone,” the new hooded man said.
“Do all of you wear hoods?” I muttered.
“Sir, she was in danger. As you can see,” Ajax said, pointing to the smoking body.
“Looks like she handled it. You go back to the manor. We will discuss this and your punishment for disobeying an order,” the man said.
“Hey! You can’t punish him. He helped me,” I said, stepping out from behind Ajax. “I was scared. He’s the only one that has been kind since all of this started.”
“Magic isn’t kind, Miss Ashcraft. It is a force of the elements that combine giving us the power of gods if we so choose. You chose to kill with it today. It taints Ajax and our group by having any association with you,” the man growled.
“I need to learn,” I said.
“Not from us,” he replied.
“Sir, he was from the Society,” Ajax said.
“I am aware of the dead man’s affiliations,” the man returned.
