by Ash Night
I was excited. The thought of magic flowing through me exhilarated me. I wanted to know. I was eager, like I had gone too long in the desert without water.
Cam’s smile grew wider. “Ready?”
“Yes,” I replied excitedly. I briefly wondered what my parents would think. Was it going against their wishes if I experienced magic, even if I didn’t break my Seal? Would anyone be able to tell? Was that punishable? Would the simple act of experiencing magic anger the government?
Did I really care?
The short answer was no. I didn’t care. I saw how happy Liam was yesterday when he did the frost spell. That little bit of magic, a small spurt of frost, had made him feel like a king.
I wanted to know how that felt. I wanted to know how it felt to feel what was already inside me but unfairly locked away. It was my right after all, wasn’t it? It was something the Goddess had given me at birth. I should be able to feel it, even if only once. It was mine.
“Before we begin, take off your shoes.”
“My shoes?”
He smiled. “You’re experiencing magic for the first time. Trust me, you’ll want the full experience.”
“Okay,” I said, slipping off my shoes while still holding his hands. I didn’t want to let go. He was so warm, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. The tall grass tickled my feet.
Closing his eyes, Cam took a deep breath. He looked so calm, so focused, so relaxed. It was comforting to see him like that, like watching a child sleep peacefully.
Magic flowed from his hands to mine in a soft glow. My whole body tingled as if I were being electrified, but it was pleasant, not at all painful. Without realizing it, I’d closed my eyes as well.
Then it hit me.
A tidal wave of power flowed through my veins. It was shocking, like being thrown into an ice bath, and my breath caught in my throat. My eyes popped open. Cam smirked, his eyes open as well, but didn’t say anything.
I looked down at my feet. The grass seemed to vibrate with life. The trees around us buzzed with energy. I was connected to nature on a deeper level. My body was screaming with power. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.
The wind caressed my cheek and it was as if I could feel every pore in my skin react.
Colors were more vibrant. The sun was warmer on my back. The grass beneath my bare feet, the trees surrounding us, even the wild animals nearby, seemed to be breathing with power, life, giving me power while simultaneously taking it from me as well. The circle of life suddenly had new meaning.
Magic was the power of all living things. We took what we needed but also gave back what we didn’t. It was exactly like breathing. Magic pulsed through everything like it was inhaling and exhaling power.
No wonder my parents missed this so much. How could anyone be okay, knowing this was inside them but locked away? It was more than unfair. It was barbaric. This was why Cam was pissed. This was what Kalden and Mary-Beth had fought so hard for.
Slowly, but altogether too quickly, the magic faded. I wanted to cry, to beg for it to come back, but I didn’t once I saw Cam’s face. He was grinning, but he clearly looked drained.
Some of the bouncing-off-the-walls energy was gone from his eyes and his shoulders drooped a little. Had that hurt him? I suddenly felt very guilty.
“I’m sorry.”
A look of confusion washed away his grin. “Why?”
“That must’ve taken a lot out of you.”
“Not a lot, just a little. I’m fine. I could keep that up for an hour or two, no problem,” he said proudly. “I was just worried your Seal wouldn’t be able to handle more than a minute or two.”
I smiled. “Thank you so much, Cam, really. That was…”
“Amazing? Shocking? Awesome? The best feeling ever?” His excitement was once again fever-pitch.
“All that and more,” I replied. “That’s what you feel like all the time?”
Cam’s grin grew wider. “More or less. You get used to it so it’s not like it’s that intense all the time. I’d imagine if it was, we’d all go crazy over time.”
My heart was beating fast. I’d been so distracted with everything around me that I hadn’t noticed my heart fluttering like a trapped bird in my chest. Still humming with leftover traces of magic, everything felt so right. I’d never felt better. Taking a deep breath, I slowly released it, taking everything in.
“Thank you,”
“You’re welcome,” Cam said as he stretched out his arm behind his back, pointing his elbow toward the sky. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? You loved that feeling. It made you feel good, normal, right? I want that for you. For everyone, really.”
I was speechless. Without having said so, this complete stranger had correctly guessed how experiencing magic had made me feel. It was wonderful. Instead of trying to find words, I simply nodded, feeling tears in my eyes.
He laughed. “Good.”
“So,” I said once I found my voice, “the meadow was the first place I checked and you were here. Did you sleep here?” I was only half-joking.
“No, I slept in the woods. Less chance of getting snuck up on. But I do like this meadow. It’s very calming.”
I nodded. “It is. There’s an inn in town though, if you get cold. Only ten copper a night.”
His eyes lit up. “That’d be great. A friendly water sprite warned me this morning rain was coming tonight. With these damn cuffs, I doubt I’d be able to keep a rain shield up all night. Could you show me where the inn is?”
“Of course.”
Before I could ask him if he had any bags, he took my hands in his and smiled, his eyes shining with gratitude.
“Thank you so much, Serena. You’re the only one in this whole town who has shown me an ounce of kindness. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” Just as quickly as he had grabbed them, he released my hands. “Breakfast is my treat.”
I blushed. “You don’t have to do that. It’s only a room.”
Cam scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “I sort of do. After all, I don’t know where to get breakfast either, and I’m not much of a cook unless you count fire-roasted meat and fish.”
I laughed. “In that case, I will happily accept.”
Chapter Six
As I led Cam to the Fleet Foot Inn, my mind was racing with excuses for why he was wearing activated Shadowsilver. He, however, looked calm and carefree, which, I was quickly learning, seemed to be his default mood. For two people who didn’t get along, he and Liam were very alike.
“You don’t seem concerned,” I observed.
He shrugged. “If I sense that they’re trustworthy, I’ll tell the innkeeper the truth. Maybe even get them to join the fight.”
My heart skipped a beat. Fight? My stomach churned as I remembered my dream. Onyx armor…
“Serena? Everything okay? You look nervous” Cam asked. He looked so concerned that I didn’t have the heart to tell him about my strange dream.
“It’s nothing. I always get a little spacey when I get hungry. Must be hanging around Liam too much.” I kept walking. Cam smiled and easily fell in step with me, comfortably close, like we were old friends.
His fiery orange hair was a wild mess, I noticed. When was the last time he’d brushed it? When was the last time he’d slept in a warm bed? Had a homecooked meal?
Although still relaxed, he walked with the cool confidence of a leader. The smile on his face was friendly and he seemed to give off an air of approachability. He was someone we could come to and ask for help. There was no doubt in my mind he was the hero we desperately needed.
“Just one?” the innkeeper, Jamie, asked, clearly taken aback by Cam’s charm and good looks. She must’ve thought I was crazy for not wanting to go into his room and have some fun with him. It wasn’t like the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.
“Yes, it’s just me. Serena is just showing me around. I’m not from around here,” Cam said. He wasn’t tense like he had been in the marketplac
e, but he hid his hands behind his back, balled into fists. I would bet he was more ashamed of the Shadowsilver than he even knew. My heart went out to him.
I grasped his fist and squeezed it reassuringly. He smiled at me, thankful for my encouragement. Jamie picked up a pen. “How long will you be staying?”
He thought for a moment and then reached into his pocket and gave her two small gleaming red rubies, enough for a year’s stay at least. “Indefinitely.”
Her eyes lit up as she took the gems. “Yes, sir. I’ll be sure to give you one of the extended stay rooms.”
“I’d appreciate it, thank you.”
“Name?”
“Cam…”
“Caldwell,” I replied quickly. I felt some of the tension leave him.
She wrote that down. “Well, Cam, here’s your room key. Make sure you don’t lose it.” She pressed a silver key into his palm, her long, manicured nails lingering a bit too long. “Enjoy your stay.”
Cam smiled, showing off his brilliant pearly whites. “Thank you very much.”
She matched his smile with a flirty one of her own. Seeing those glittering gems had bought out the siren in her. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes transfixed on Cam. She was suppressing the urge to sing.
I suddenly wanted to get Cam out of there. Not because I was jealous, but because I had always been taught to run when sirens were about to sing. Jamie was somewhat famous around here. Her songs didn’t only lure men.
“Well, Serena, let’s go to breakfast,” Cam said cheerfully, looping my arm in his, being extremely careful of the Shadowsilver.
“She was about to sing,” I said in shock as the door swung closed behind us.
“I know,” Cam replied, his mood suddenly taking a more serious tone. “A siren’s ability to sing isn’t suppressed by the Seal like normal magic is. However, I have seen The Seven clip their vocal cords because of it.”
I shivered. “That’s horrible…” I didn’t want to think about how he had phrased that, but it hadn’t escaped me. Seen. Not heard.
“Just another reason to fight.” He was back to his lighthearted self like someone had snapped their fingers. “I hope you’ll be by my side, Serena. I really do enjoy your company.”
Blushing, I looked away. “I really like your company too, Cam.”
We walked to the restaurant in comfortable silence. Cam held the door open for me and then took my arm again once we were inside.
“Table for two?” the hostess asked.
“Yes,” Cam answered. She led us to a table at the back of the restaurant and gave us each a menu, assuring us our server would be around to take our orders shortly. “So, Sunshine, what looks good?”
“Hm…the scrambled eggs look great.”
He nodded. “It does. I’m going to try the Mixed Berry Breakfast pie.”
My mouth watered as I flipped through the menu to find it. I was a sucker for sweet things. “That sounds amazing!”
He grinned, folding up his menu and setting it to the side. “Go ahead and order it.”
“But…the scrambled eggs look so good.”
“Order both.” He chuckled, resting his chin in his hand, looking at me, amused. “Sunshine, anyone ever tell you how pretty you look when you’re excited?”
“No, no, no, it’s okay. I don’t need both,” I said quickly.
“Nonsense, Sunshine. You order whatever your pretty little heart desires.”
“Are we ready to order?” asked our waitress, a wispy pixie, her glittery, translucent wings almost as long as her legs.
Cam took a sip of his water through a straw before smiling brightly at her. “Yes, the lady will have the scrambled eggs and the Mixed Berry Breakfast pie. I’ll have the Mixed Berry Breakfast pie and cinnamon toast with a side of Galepig sausage.”
She looked like she was resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “Okay, is that all?” Her sneer made me think she hoped that was all we wanted.
He nodded, smiling sweetly as he handed our menus back to her. “That’ll be all, thank you.”
She walked away with her nose turned up at him. I chuckled. “I guess you aren’t a hit with every female you meet.”
Cam pretended to look sad. “I may be losing my touch.”
“No, she just thought it was sexist that you ordered for me.” I smirked playfully. “It’s sort of an outdated custom.”
His sly smile fell away, replaced with shock. “Oh, did I offend you? I just wanted to make sure—”
I giggled. “It’s fine, Cam. It didn’t offend me at all. You just wanted to make sure I got both the pie and the scrambled eggs, right?”
He nodded quickly. “Exactly.”
“Smart.” I winked at him. “If I’d ordered for myself, I would’ve only picked one.”
“Money isn’t a problem for me,” he said with the slightest hint of bragging in his voice. “My parents left a ton of cash in a trust for me. It’s guarded by a very powerful family friend so those government bastards can’t touch it. Not that they even know it exists.”
“Still, I feel uncomfortable, you treating me like this.” I looked down, fiddling with a loose string on my pant leg.
“Serena, I truly like you and I’m so glad you’re being honest. After this, I won’t throw my money around so carelessly around you. I promise. At least, I promise to try.” He touched my hand, his thumb gently gliding over the burn mark. “What I did was unforgivable. It will never happen again.”
The intensity in his voice made me look up and I was trapped in his gaze once again. “It’s okay, Cam, really. I forgive you. Please don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“Too late,” he muttered.
Breakfast was amazing. I’d saved most of the mixed berry pie for Liam as my way of saying thanks for covering for me.
I was still going to make him a cake, but I wanted to give him something before then. I really was appreciative of everything he was doing for me.
Cam, on the other hand, wasn’t so happy.
“I was paying for you to have breakfast, not that pompous ass.”
I rolled my eyes. “Liam is risking a lot to lie. He loves my parents dearly.”
“At least he can lie,”
“Just because he can doesn’t mean it’s easy.”
He snorted. “Like he’s lying to you about his feelings for you?”
My face felt like it was on fire. “He is not! I mean, he does not! We’re friends, okay? That’s all!”
“Sure, you keep telling yourselves that. I’m not blind.”
I looked down at the ground as we walked counted to twelve before looking up at him. The crunch of stray gravel on the path was the only sound for several minutes. I was counting slow.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I am. Incredibly.”
“Why?” I asked, taken aback by his answer.
It was his turn to look away first. His smile had turned shy. “He met you first.”
Chapter Seven
Liam was visibly relieved to see me. He let out a huge sigh of relief and the tension in his shoulders faded. “Thank the Goddess. Wait, he didn’t walk you home?” He scowled.
I laughed. “So, wait? You look like you thought he was going to kidnap me, he clearly didn’t, and then you’re mad he didn’t walk me home? Jeez, guess he had a right to call you an ass.”
“He called me a what?”
I shoved the box containing the pie into his hands. “This is for you.”
He smiled, his focus immediately on the food. “Thank you. Smells like berries.”
“Raspberries and blackberries,”
I felt him grab my wrist as I walked past. He wrapped me in a hug. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”
“I told you, Cam’s on our side.”
He froze. “Di-did you…” Stepping back, I saw his eyes were wide as sunlilly flowers and he was as white as a snow fox.
“What?” I asked
, concerned.
His voice was shaky and barely above a whisper. “Did you break your Seal?”
“No! Of course not!” I exclaimed. “I wouldn’t. I mean, I want to. More than anything in the world, but I couldn’t do that to my parents!”
“Then why do I sense magic on you?”
I traced a circle in the dirt with the toe of my shoe. “Um…Cam…”
“Did he hurt you?” I felt Liam’s magic surging through him. The sound of a nearby window cracking reached my ears. It sounded like ice splintering. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.
“No, no, now calm down! We’re too close to the market for magic. Someone might notice!”
He took a deep breath. “Explain.”
“He showed me what it felt like. To have magic. Liam, it was the most amazing thing! It was exactly like you described and more! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since!”
Liam softened and an excited grin crept onto his face. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“I want it so bad…” Suddenly I was in his arms, sobbing. “I want it so bad it hurts.”
He sighed, rubbing my back. “I know. I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do. Locking it away was beyond inhumane. Everyone in the government can go to Hell.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “This is cruel…”
“What does Cam plan to do?” Liam asked.
I chuckled. “He’s amassing an army.”
“Like father, like son, huh?”
“You know about his dad?”
“Yeah, Master Cisco told me about him a few years ago. Seemed like a cool guy.”
“And yet you can’t seem to get along with his son,” I teased.
He raised an eyebrow. “Kalden didn’t sound like a prick, unlike his son.”
I sighed. “I wish you would give him a chance.”
Shrugging, he put his hands in his pockets and started walking aimlessly. “Did he say why he has those cuffs on?”
Falling in step beside him, I thought for a moment. “No, I didn’t think to ask. However, he did say he was Exiled.”
"He was Exiled? Just like me?" Liam's eyes lit up. Finally, a common ground to work with!