by J E Mueller
I picked up the roomba and started heading up the stairs. “So, what’s on the other side of the building?” I asked with what I hoped appeared to be casual curiosity.
“More rooms. Mostly storage. A lot of mess. Nothing can really be done.” The monotone voice prattled on. “We have kept up with what we can. I vacuumed as much of the west side as possible. Changing floors is difficult.”
I nodded. “That isn’t fun. Did you want to go to the other side?” I asked, walking over before she could even reply.
“We are supposed to get you to bed.” Roma’s reply somehow sounded more bored than normal.
“And we will. It’s not like checking out the other side will do much,” I replied confidently.
“It will doom us all.” The monotone mysterious threat fell short of its mark as I climbed the steps on the other side and set her down.
The roomba beeped. “We need to go back the other way.”
I glanced down at her as she continued with the beeps. “Why?”
“This is storage and things could get broken.” I considered her for a moment before shaking my head and walking quickly down the hall.
The roomba slowly fell behind, its small wheels only able to go so fast. She quickly gave up beeping at me, and seemed to head back toward the stairs -maybe to try and get help. I didn’t know how much time I would have, but the fact that they were hiding things made me even more curious as to what could be going on.
I reached the end of the main hall to the crossways and noticed at the far end a large set of double doors. They scratched and dented badly and were halfway open. The room seemed to only have a small amount of light coming from it. The light shining through looked almost wine red and sparkly, and as much as logic told me nope, I couldn’t help but walk over to peek.
The door’s scratch marks were bigger than I had expected but I still peered in, though more hesitantly now. On a large rounded drum table underneath a glass casing was a crystal rose. The deep reds were fascinating and seemed to glow of their own accord. Something about it drew me to it, and the closer I got the more details I noticed.
Someone had worked really hard on this. The petals on the rose looked amazingly life-like, even if they were crystal. The ones that had fallen off felt less vibrant though they still glowed softly. I couldn’t help but think this had to be magic made, but I had seen the marvels glass blowers could do, both with and without magic. I missed that about the town we previously lived in. They had so many fun activities to take up.
Still, this creation was beautiful. I stared at it, wishing my phone would work so I could at least take a picture, knowing full well that no camera would ever do it justice. Something like a low growl caught my ears and I carefully turned to see the beast slowly walking my way.
“What are you doing here?” she growled before reaching me and shoving me away. “You should be back in the dungeons. Do you want us all dead?”
I fell back, knocking into the stone wall roughly enough to dislodge pebbles. The beast didn’t care a bit. She bared her fangs and snarled at me. The sight of the oversized canines sent a shiver down my spine.
The beast let out a loud growl and I shot to my feet. Without a word, I ran past her and down the hall, finding another stairwell leading down. The adrenaline carried me down and out a side door, lending me the strength and willpower to keep running into the woods, despite being tired.
My feet kept moving, my mind hardly taking into account how quickly my heart was beating. It was only when it started to hurt to breathe as the weather turned too cold for me that I slowed and realized I could hear nothing in the woods. There were no night sounds. No crickets, no foxes, no owls. The moon hardly peeked through the trees making it difficult to see. How far had I gone?
Part of me wondered if I should turn back, at least find the castle and try and get back the right way. Another part of me did not want to be anywhere near that beast again. The wind whistled as the sharp cold air threatened to freeze me to death. In the distance I heard a howl and realized where there should have been words, no words came to me.
Chapter 5
——Marcus——
I awoke not terribly far from my car feeling like I had been kicked and thrown several times. I wouldn’t have been surprised if that was the case, all things considered. My mind felt hazy and I tried to place why I was at the edge of the woods by my car and not driving to the convention I should have been at by now, if the sun was any indication of what was going on.
I pulled out my phone to see the screen was scratched to bits. With a sigh, I summoned up my magic and the screen repaired itself. I hated to admit how often I used magic to fix my phone, but as long as no one knew, who cared? It didn’t matter in the long run.
Quickly I saw several messages and a voice message from Ash and my heart dropped. She had to have been worried out of her mind. An odd image came to mind of a castle, old and unkept… I stared at my phone blankly for a moment before pulling up Ash’s location, my gut screaming to follow that logic.
Her location didn’t show. Nothing appeared. My heart dropped. What had happened to my sister? Over and over I tried to find her location before calling her directly but it went straight to voicemail. I called upon all my magic and tried to force a last known place. Still, nothing. What monstrous event could have caused all of this?
The memories hit me. I stood there in awe trying to figure out why Ash would have traded places with me. She could have found the answers to this with far more ease. I needed to find help. The why hit me as hard as the memories. Ash had always had bad luck of getting people to take her seriously. Of getting anyone to really listen. The few that did listen were almost all gone.
I shook off the dark thoughts and dread before marching over to my car. I’d figure something out on the way back home. I’d need help in order to free her and solve this.
Two hours later I was screaming at my computer and cursing every fiber of magic the world had to offer. Something bigger than me was at play and I couldn’t even begin to understand what was wrong. Every time I tried to post about the stupid magical castle and the beast, my post would appear to go through, but a quick refresh later showed it never existed. Even the logs didn't show it as deleted, just as if it was never there. I tried texting it to random numbers and the same thing occurred.
I didn’t want to sound like a fool, but the only option I really had left was talking to normal people. Like they really wanted to listen about beasts and enchantments from the weird tech guru. They only took me seriously when they needed to, which wasn’t often. They paid me money, I fixed their stupid mess ups.
Nothing about this sounded like a good idea. Half would throw me into an asylum if they could, the rest would laugh and laugh at me until Ash never showed again. Then they’d blame me. I needed a better option than that crap. A light bulb went off, the sharp click of it dying as my room was shrouded in darkness was surprisingly inspirational. I dialed my best friend as I went to grab a new bulb.
“Hey, I know this sounds crazy, but I need you and the guys to road trip here,” I said calmly as soon as Tristian picked up.
“Okay, what for?” he asked, sounding more confused than that one time I managed to spell a flashdrive and mail him a magical fix for his PC.
“I can’t explain over the phone. Every time I try to type it out, the message gets lost. I’m afraid the phone would cut out,” I replied, trying to keep my voice as even as possible.
“Let me get this right, the magical tech guy can’t do something with tech?” re rephrased.
“Exactly.”
Tristian sighed. “Dude, if you can’t do something with tech this has got to be big. I’ll see when I can go to get everyone together. I’ll send you an ETA as soon as I can.”
I let out the breath I had been holding as we hung up. Whatever mess was going on, we’d get it sorted. Ash depended on me to do just that.
——Astrid——
The cold air swirled around me as I shiver
ed and made slow but steady progress through the woods. The wolves’ cry was getting closer but I couldn’t make a word out from the sound. I was used to my ability to hear animals being reliable, but this? This had never happened. I always knew what the different animals around me were saying.
It dawned on me as I moved carefully and deliberately in the dark woods that these may not be considered normal animals. If they were magical enchantments summoned to protect the castle from visitors, I wouldn’t be able to understand them. They were just physical manifestations of protective magic taking on the attributes of known creatures.
The thought was terrifying. I wondered how real any of the forest was, but there were no other animals making sounds for me to hear. I felt like I was running blind. A rustle in the bushes made me pause. Was it the wind? A wolf? I spotted a nearby branch that looked like it had a reasonable amount of weight to it and picked it up. If the wolves attacked me, it was unlikely the branch would help for long, but I was not about to go down without a fight.
I tried to recall the last time I heard a howl and how close it was. Were they on me? Did I stand a chance of fleeing? A growl near my leg told me otherwise.
I turned just in time to smack the wolf on the top of its head, causing it to back off but with its heckels still raised, the warning clear. It would strike the moment it got the chance. The sound of bushes rustling and movement had me spinning in circles until I saw I was surrounded by five wolves.
Well, that was a dandy amount, the hysterics in my thoughts were making it hard to form a plan. I wasn't sure if there was any way to help myself now. The growling caused my heart to race as they slowly closed the distance. I swung wildly at them trying to make a larger gap. I had no hope of outrunning them, but I knew staying trapped in a circle was even worse for my chances. At least if I ran I could get somewhere. Maybe something easier to prey on would distract them.
I doubted it. There wasn't any way I was going to come back from this one. With the stick, I swung and just missed the wolves. They knew they just needed patience and the right opportunity would present itself. I begged my magic to show itself. If ever there was a time for it to work in my favor, it was now.
The magic responded to me but refused to come out. Instead, me and the trusty branch whacked a wolf squarely on the nose. It whimpered as another one lunged at me. I swung too late and it knocked me down hard. The magic inside me sent out a blinding light causing the wolf on me to jump back in fear. While it wasn't overly helpful for the situation it gave me just enough time to get up and run.
Only to be knocked down again. A scream escaped my lips as I tried to roll over but found I was very much trapped under the heavy creature. Sounds of wolves rushing toward me filled my ears and made me cry out even louder. I tried with all my might to flail and fight this beast off when suddenly the weight was gone.
I rolled over and shot up, ready to run when I saw something unexpected. One beast fighting another. I stood for a moment flabbergasted by the sight before picking up my stick once more. As terrible and scary as she had been, no one should have to fight a pack of wolves alone. Running back I whacked the nearest wolf with the stick. It was distracted just long enough for her majesty to give it a good swipe with her oversized paw. The claws dug into its fur and the wolf retreated with a limp.
In what felt like no time, the wolves were gone and two lay dead. The beast, my captor, gave me a fierce look before grumbling in pain and reaching to her side. I saw the deep gash was gushing an unreasonable amount of blood. Though to be fair, anything with blood leaking out of the body was unreasonable to me.
"Your cloak, we need to wrap the wound until we can get back and treat you." I put out my hand, demanding the item.
She growled but relented, sinking down so I could remove it. After I finally got it to stay well enough I helped her back up. Gradually, I lead her forward, back to the safety of the castle. There was no way I could get through these woods tonight, and I was not going to leave her here like a terrible person to be further injured.
Getting back was a slow journey. The royal beast was clearly in pain as much as she tried to hide it. Halfway back I made her lean on me, knowing she needed the support she didn't want to ask for.
When we arrived at the doors, a ridiculous swarm of objects were there to try and help. I shooed them away as best I could and ordered the suit of armor to show me to her quarters. At least it could walk at a reasonable pace. Even if getting up the stairs was a stiff process for all involved.
The hours ticked by as the events played out and her majesty was cleaned up and her injury wrapped up. She grumbled and groaned the entire time but didn't have much to actually say until it was all done.
"There. Now a good night's rest should solve the rest," I said more to myself than anyone as I sent the bucket and a few other objects off to put away the medical supplies.
"Wouldn't be a problem if you didn't get stupid and run to the wolves," she grumbled.
"Excuse me." I turned to glare at her. "This wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't decided to have a temper tantrum and throw me into a wall."
"You shouldn't have been trespassing."
"How can a prisoner trespass!" I threw back.
"You’re just stupid," she screamed over me.
"And you’re delusional." I stated cooly. I heard a few gasps around me but ignored them. "If you're going to be the alpha bitch here at least admit you can't keep up with reality anymore."
"How can I keep up with reality when I'm removed from it!" she screamed back.
"Like I know! It's not like anyone will explain this stupid curse, or enchantment, or whatever nonsense is going on," I yelled back just as loudly.
The beast's expression went from anger to defeat. "They can't. It's part of the stupid spell."
Well, that sucked, and with that simple statement, my tone dropped as well. "So, we've got a combination of problems going on here. I'm sure there's a solution."
"Nothing easy. Nothing worthwhile either."
I stared at her not entirely sure what else to say. "Magic is never easy. Doesn't mean it can't be fixed."
"What would you know about that?" Her tone turned cold and snooty once more.
I laughed. I couldn't help but full out laugh at her, and the confused look she gave me made it even harder to regain my composure.
"For starters, I'm part of the primal or raw magic spectrum, so I can't use mine worth a damn. Secondly, this entire place is like a giant magical drain. I can't even use my animal hearing ability, though I suspect that's more from the lack of animals than anything else."
"We just fought a pack of wolves," the beast pointed out bluntly.
"Yes, magic in the shape of wolves. Those weren't actual wolves. They only take on the form and likeness of them. I bet if you would hunt down every last one and they'd return the next day as if nothing happened." I shook my head as she took in this tidbit. "It's crazy complicated magic that's being used on this place and I haven't got a single clue why."
Her highness regarded me for a moment. "You know a lot about magic, don't you?"
"I try to. It's an interesting subject to study. Hasn't proven useful to me yet but it's helped complete enough essays and papers for school." I shrugged not noting the fact that I looked up all sorts of weird magic thanks to my family’s less than predictable line of gifts.
She sighed. "It's been too much of a night. We should go to bed. I need to go to bed."
"Wow, I'm actually allowed a bed now?" I wasn't afraid to be sarcastic after all that had transpired. I probably should have been, but common sense left with the wolves.
"Yes. It's allowed." She sighed defeatedly.
With a nod, I left. There was nothing more I could think to say about the mess going on. Hopefully sleep would refresh me.
It was much too early when Luce let himself into my room.
"Wakey, wakey, madame!" he called cheerfully over and over.
I threw a pillow at him. "It's
terribly rude to enter a woman's room like that." When he escaped the first pillow I threw another. "Rude!"
Luce got up from under the second one and hopped to the door. "My apologies! It will not happen again." He left and this time I heard a knock on the door before he called to me, "Breakfast will be ready in an hour!"
"Sounds good," I called before yawning, pleased he didn’t try to say anything more.
What had even happened yesterday? I stared around the room, noting the wardrobe was still heavily sleeping. There wasn't much to this place. I had always expected castles to be just filled with tons and tons of things. Here that was clearly not the case, or at least not currently.
I wasn't sure what to expect today. Last night’s entire, well, everything felt like a rollercoaster of sharp turns, fierce drops, and whiplash. I wasn't sure what to think of my situation or the fact that despite how crappy things were, that royal brat did come save me. Nothing made sense on any level. Oddly, I was okay with that.
I got up, went through the sleeping wardrobe for a change of clothes, and dragged everything to the shower. It was nice to soak under the intense stream of hot water for a few minutes and just let my head clear. After I was all ready to go, I was surprised to find the door to my room unlocked.
It felt like a trap, but I ignored the feeling and headed downstairs, doing my best to remember the way to the dining room. Once I reached it, I was a bit surprised to see her highness there. She took immediate note of me lingering in the doorway.
She cleared her throat before she addressed me. "I've come to realize I don't know your name."
I stared at her skeptically, wondering where the friendly demeanor was coming from. "Astrid, and you are?"
"Nadia," she replied neutrally. "Come sit, they'll have breakfast out shortly."
I lingered in the doorway. "Wouldn't it make more sense to help them? Like ninety percent of the staff doesn't even have hands."