by Katie Cherry
Or maybe I’m just jealous.
“Angela, it’s fine. Stop apologizing,” I sigh, interrupting her ramblings. “I want to bust Nathan out too. That’s why I’m mad at you… because really, I’m just frustrated with myself. It took me too long to ‘get in touch with my magic,’ as you put it, and the longer Nathan’s stuck in there with Patrick, the more likely it is that…” I stop and take a steadying breath. “I’ve been in his shoes. Twice now, actually. I know what they’ve done to me could be nothing compared to what they’re doing to him, and I just…” I break off, refusing to break down and cry in front of her.
Her face softens in sympathy, and she reaches out and takes one of my hands. “I know. It’s heartbreaking… which is why we need to do everything we can-” The words die in her mouth as she stands abruptly. “Oh my…! I can’t believe I forgot! You have a Familiar, don’t you? For Familiars, using magic is second nature… maybe your bird can help you better than I can!”
I feel a pang of guilt. I had forgotten about Nora. Sure, I was distressed and pre-occupied, but that was no excuse… I had forgotten about my friend, who was injured when Hunter took me. “Oh my goodness! Nora! Last I saw, she was hurt… Angela, we have to find her!” I rise as I speak, standing beside her.
She looks at me with sadness in her pretty eyes. “You know you aren’t allowed out of your room,” she gently reminds me. “But I can- and will- go look for her. I promise.” She heads toward the door, then pauses and retrieves the box that was strapped to her back when I first saw her. “Please practice while I’m gone,” she pleads before unlocking the door with magic and stepping out.
An idea forms in my head when I hear it click back into place from the other side. Sure, Angela, I’ll practice, I think with a smile as I slowly walk toward the door. If magic is the only way out of this prison, then magic is what I’ll use as my key to freedom. I’m sure I can figure it out.
Placing my hand over the lock, I close my eyes and concentrate, pulling energy from the air around me as Angela had directed, filling myself with it. As I’m filled with the buzz of magic, I turn my attention to the small piece of metal that stands between me and my breath of fresh air.
<<
Angela waves to the cook, Matilda, as she heads out the door, relieved that no one stopped her or asked about the box strapped to her back. Maybe she was over-protective or paranoid, but she just had a feeling that the less that people took an interest in it, the better.
Every Villager she passes whose gaze falls on her makes her stiffen a little more. She had to get away from all the scrutiny, and quickly. Spotting a young man in a shoddy, home-made uniform hurrying toward the castle, she quickly stops him. “Have you seen a red-tailed hawk?” At his surprised look, she feels compelled to explain herself. “I know, it’s an odd question, but…”
“You’re looking for the Familiar Nora?” the man asks. Angela’s shocked look must have answered for her, because he nods and continues. “I found her, broken, on the ground near the palace,” he explains. “I took her home and have been helping her heal… am I in some kind of trouble or something?”
“No,” she gasps, relieved and surprised that she had already located the Princess’s Familiar. “No, you’re fine… but that bird actually belongs to the Princess, so-”
“Oh! Of course! If I had known I would have returned her to the palace immediately,” he assures her. “I was actually on my way to talk to the King and Queen, but I would be happy to return Nora to her rightful companion at the same time. I have a message for her regardless,” he admits.
“Alright, let’s go to your house and retrieve Nora then,” Angela declares, her shoulders relaxing a little.
“Of course, ma’am,” he agrees before turning and leading the way through the Village. After a couple of minutes, Angela speaks up again.
“So, what’s your name, soldier?”
“Jared,” he replies with a cute, shy little smile. “And I’m not exactly a soldier yet. I’m still in training.”
“Ah, of course,” she nods. “And what is that like?”
Jared gives her a slightly startled look, nearly tripping over an uneven cobblestone. “No one’s ever asked me that before.”
“What? Really? Whyever not?”
He gives a tiny shrug and returns his attention to their surroundings. “I don’t know. I guess no one really cares to know what it’s like for me.”
Compassion and sadness well up in Angela’s chest. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
He shrugs again. “It’s alright. It’s not like I talk to a lot of people anyway.”
“Really?” Surprised once again, Angela examines the young man closer. He looked to be about nineteen or twenty with five o’clock shadow outlining his well-shaped face. His eyes, she notices as they dart nervously about, were bright blue with a surprising addition of a little green that accented them beautifully. She could sense that he was a very kind-hearted guy and was confused as to why he wouldn’t have many friends. So, she asks him. “You really don’t seem the type to not have any friends. If I had to guess, I’d say that you were the most well-liked guy in the Village!”
He stops dead in his tracks at this and turns to stare at her. “…You really mean that?”
“Of… of course,” she stammers, surprised at the intense look he was giving her.
Tears pool in his bright eyes, then he reaches out and pulls her into a tight hug. “Thank you,” he says.
“…For what?” she mumbles through his shoulder, which her face had ended up being pressed against.
“For thinking so highly of me,” he explains, releasing her but taking only a small step back. “No one ever thought I could do- or be- much of anything before. I’m either invisible or the butt of everyone’s jokes,” he sighs, blushing slightly. “…Sorry,” he adds after a second. “That was rash of me to hug you…”
She smiles and gives him another hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. “It’s fine,” she murmurs. “I don’t get many hugs.”
His arms wrap around her and hold her close. She notices that he smells slightly of pine and apples. “Thank you,” he whispers.
“No problem,” she says, stepping out of the hug and smiling brightly at him. As they resume walking, she quietly adds, “Also, you can count on me to be your friend.” His responding smile is so big it nearly breaks Angela’s heart.
“Thank you.”
<<
“I can’t do this!” I shout to myself, dropping my hand from the doorknob. Despite numerous attempts, I just couldn’t get the magic to do what I desired. It was like trying to hold water in a funnel. No matter what I did, the water just drained out the bottom, slipping away. “Why can’t I use magic? According to Angela, anyone can do it. …So why can’t I? What’s wrong with me? …Maybe there’s another way. A different way than what Angela knows,” I think, walking over and plopping down in a chair by the table in my room. After sitting there thinking for a few moments, I sit bolt upright as a new thought comes to me, electrifying me. “The Sohos… they have dragon magic! Dragons have magic… and I’m part dragon! …Kind of. Maybe if I get in touch with that part of me…”
Rushing back to the door, I rest my hand on the lock once more. Closing my eyes, I summon forth my dragon eyes, which is harder to do than it used to be, but I manage it on the first try. From there, I do as Angela instructed, pulling in energy around me. A word leaps, unbidden, into my mind. “Kcolnu,” I murmur. My eyes open wide when I hear a faint click from the lock. “I did it!” I quietly cheer to myself.
Before I leave, I hurry to put on my Glaoud skin outfit, so I can sneak through the palace and the Village without getting caught. I hold my breath as I slip out the door, softly shutting it behind me. I then quickly and quietly race down the stairs and bolt out the door when no one’s around. Finally, I’m outside. I pause for a moment to revel in my freedom before turning and heading down the streets of the Village, wandering aimlessly. I
don’t know where I’m going, I’m just glad to be out of my room.
After a few minutes, I notice Angela walking towards me with a guy- who happened to be cradling Nora in his hands. “Nora!” I gasp quietly. I rush over to them, throwing off my hood. They guy looks like he about has a heart attack at my sudden appearance, but my attention is focused on Nora.
“Nora! There you are! Are you okay?! Oh, I’m so sorry I didn’t come find you the instant I was back…”
“Princess, stop,” she says, her tail feathers twitching a bit in amusement. “You haven’t been back long, and I hear from Angela that you’ve been locked up since then regardless. How could I hold you responsible for something you couldn’t control?”
I smile. “Oh, Nora, I missed you.”
“And I you, Princess.”
“Crystal, how did you get out?” Angela hisses, her eyes darting about anxiously.
“Magic,” I proudly announce.
Her eyes widen in surprise. “Magic? …You did it?”
“Well, I didn’t light the candle like you asked, but yes,” I chuckle, then turn to the young man still holding Nora. “I take it you were taking care of Nora for me while I was… away?”
“Oh, um, yes,” he confirms, carefully transferring Nora’s small, healing body to me. “My name’s Jared, by the way.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I smile.
He smiles back, then seems to remember something. “Oh, and I had a message for both you and Thaddeus… could you possibly direct me to him?”
“Oh! Well, certainly,” I agree, surprised. Who would have a message for Thaddeus and me? I ponder this all the way to Thaddeus’s house, but bite my tongue to keep from asking. He clearly wanted to give us both the message at the same time, so I’ll be patient and allow him to do so. Angela knocks on the door when we finally get there.
“Why hello, Angela,” he says with a smile as he opens the door. “To what do I owe the… Crystal? What are you doing outside of the palace?” He exclaims in alarm. Glancing about, he quickly waves us inside. “Come in, come in, all of you.” That seems to be when he notices Jared. “Why, who are you?” He inquires. Growing tired of holding Nora in my hands, I transfer her to the table.
“My name is Jared, sir,” he replies with a small bow. “I have a message for you and the princess.”
“Oh?” He raises an eyebrow curiously. “From whom?”
“Nathan Anderson. He says…”
“Nathan?!” Angela and I squeal at the same time. “He… he’s alive? How is he? Where is he? How did you find him?” The questions pour from our mouths, causing the poor soldier to look quite alarmed.
“Well, he… I mean, he…”
Thaddeus intervenes in behalf of the poor man. “Girls, girls, just let him speak. All things in time,” he assures us, although I can see he’s almost as anxious as we are to hear Jared’s news. “Come, sit down and tell us what you know,” he invites, leading him over to his only couch.
He sits down thankfully. “Thank you.” Taking a deep breath, he turns back to me. “I found Nathan this morning. I was guarding the perimeter of the Village, and he arrived with three others. The boy was really bloodied up, and the other two were women who didn’t seem too bad off,” he recalls.
“That must be Zelda, Y’vette, and Chet,” Thaddeus figures.
“Well, I took the group to the hospital. Nathan asked me to come find you two,” he says as he points to Thaddeus and me, “and tell you that he’s back and that he needs to talk to you.”
Angela looks taken aback. “He didn’t say anything about me?”
“I’m afraid not,” Jared says with a small shake of his head.
Unlike Angela, I’m ecstatic. “Nathan… is back?! I have to go see him!” I exclaim. “Right now!” I race to the door.
Thaddeus calls after me as I speed out the door. “I’ll catch up in a while! I’m not quite as fast as I used to be!” I don’t bother to respond as I turn towards the hospital and put my little-used legs to use as I sprint towards the building. I barely notice that Angela runs right behind me, just as anxious to reach Nathan as I am.
He’s asleep when I finally arrive, breathing hard. I stop at the doorway and look in on him, sleeping peacefully on the bed. He seems okay, and I sag against the doorway in relief. I sit in the chair beside his bed, earning a glare from Angela as she leaves to get another one so she can join me at his bedside. I reach out and wrap one of his hands in mine, finding comfort in the firm warmth. The sheets on the bed shift as I do so, uncovering his wrapped wrists. The bandages are red over his swollen wrists, and I gasp in concern. What happened to him? His hands were practically destroyed!
He stirs and mumbles my name as his eyes flicker open. “Crystal?”
“Nathan! Nathan, I’m here!” I assure him, leaning forward anxiously and looking into his face.
A faint smile lifts his lips. “You’re okay,” he murmurs.
Tears form in my eyes and I smile and laugh a little. “Of course, I am. And you’re okay too, right?”
“Oh, I’m fantastic,” he chuckles as he sits up a little. I notice that he winces in pain as he does so.
“Are you sure?” I worry. “I mean, you are in the hospital- again,” I point out.
He smiles. “I’m fine, don’t worry. I just hurt myself a little as I was escaping,” he assures me. “…Hey, do you know where Thaddeus is? I kind of need to talk to him.”
“He wasn’t far behind me. He’s coming, don’t worry.”
Angela then arrives with another chair, which she drops at the door when she sees that Nathan’s awake. “Nathan!” She’s at his other side in the blink of an eye, grasping his other hand. I drop the hand that I’ve been holding and back up a respectful distance. I didn’t really feel like watching them being all affectionate with each other. When I hear them kiss, I shudder and bolt out of the room. Walking just out of the hospital, I catch sight of Thaddeus finally wandering up, with Jared following behind.
“Thaddeus!” I call, walking forward to meet him. “Nathan’s alright!”
“Oh good,” he sighs, releasing some tension from his muscles at the news. “I was so worried about him,” he confides as he follows me back to the hospital. “You’re sure he’s alright?”
“Yeah his wrists are hurt pretty badly, but he seems to be okay overall,” I say, leading the way to his room. I pause at the door, praying that they’re done with their displays of affection, then open the door. Luckily there’s a healthy amount of space between them.
“Nathan, you’re back,” Thaddeus says as way of greeting, his cane aiding his slow journey to his side.
He smiles in return and sits up all the way. “Indeed I am.”
“How did you get out?”
He hesitates. “There was a spy among them. She left me the keys, so I busted Chet, Zelda, and Y’vette out with me while everyone was sleeping.”
Thaddeus waits for more. “…That’s it?”
“Yeah, the escape went pretty smoothly.”
“And the rest of your… stay there? What happened?”
This time Nathan hesitates even longer. I sit down next to him again and take his hand in mine, offering him comfort. “You don’t have to tell us everything if you don’t want to, I understand that… well, the things Patrick can do sometimes…”
He smiles at me and shakes his head. “No, it’s alright…” He pauses and takes a steadying breath. “I passed out from the knife wound not long after you guys left- and probably also not long before Hunter and Patrick found me. I guess they decided to keep me alive. I woke up tied to a table by my ankles and wrists. I tried to get out but they were too tight- hence the wounds there- and I also wrenched my back, I guess. Although the doctor says that I popped my shoulder and a rib out of place.” He gives a small shrug with his right shoulder, which must be the uninjured one. “Anyway, eventually Hunter comes in and he says that he’s going to use me as a secret weapon or something.”
“But he didn’t?” I ask, looking him over. “You fought through his mind-control thing?”
“I guess so. It’s not like I want to go around killing anyone,” he points out. “Anyway, after that he decided he’d just have his sorcerers studying me to find out what the sorcerer who took my Gifts did, and…”
“Did they discover anything?” Thaddeus inquires.
“No, that’s when I met the spy. She locked me up as Hunter told her to, and left me the keys.”
“Hunter told her to lock you up?” Angela repeats in surprise.
“Yeah. Oh, so apparently this Dexter guy showed up,” Thaddeus turns pale at the name, “And he made Hunter the leader of the Dragon Hunters instead of Patrick.”
“…Hunter is leading the Dragon Hunters now?!” I gasp.
“Yes,” he sighs. “Anyway, so Chet was in pretty bad shape when we got out, but Zelda and Y’vette seemed alright. We got to the Village outskirts, and there was nobody there, but then Jared here shot an arrow at me- he missed, don’t worry- which made me jump and so I hurt my back more. He then accompanied us to the hospital, which is when I sent him to find you and Thaddeus,” he says, looking only at me.
Thaddeus seems to be the most stunned by the news. “Dexter made Hunter the leader of the Dragon Hunters… who knows what this means for the rest of us?” He turns to me. “Did you contact the Sohos?”
“Yeah, they should be getting here around lunchtime,” I estimate.
Glancing at his watch, he nods satisfactorily. “Good. That gives us a couple of hours.”
Nathan turns and swings his legs out of bed on Angela’s side. She supports him when he stands, although he seems fine to me. “Alright, well let’s head back to the palace, then, and strategize or something,” he says, bending to put his shoes back on.
“Are you sure you should be leaving the hospital so soon?” Thaddeus worries. “I mean, just look at your wrists and ankles!”
He shakes his head stubbornly. “No, I don’t want to stay here. They’re making me wait until they heal on their own anyway. They say the more we use the quick-healing stuff, the less effective it is. Our bodies build up an immunity to it, or something. So I might as well wait for them to heal naturally somewhere else.”