by Logan Byrne
“Guys,” I moaned, barely muttering the words.
“I just want to sleep,” I heard Rosie say softly.
“This might be the end,” I said, sighing out a deep breath from the pit of my lungs.
“Here! They’re here!” I heard, but this voice sounded different.
“Lexa!” a man screamed, before running to my side. The light glared overhead, reflecting off the snow and blinding me, before I was able to open my eyes just enough to catch a glimpse of the person there to take me in.
The man pulled down his facemask, smiling as a few tears filled his eyes. It was Blake. He held onto me, my body limp and lifeless, before he put his hand against my bare cheek.
“We’re here to get you out,” he said, motioning for others to come over and help.
“You came for me?” I asked, barely whispering.
“Of course I did. I love you, Lexa, and I can’t just leave you behind. I was always coming for you, all of us were, but we had to wait. We had to wait until the time was right,” he said.
“I love you, too,” I mumbled, closing my eyes.
“Get them out of here, and keep them safe. We need an emergency medical evacuation. We have the packages,” Mirian said nearby.
“Mirian,” I whispered, before I fell asleep.
10
“W—where am I?” I asked, mumbling, as I tried to open my eyes.
“You’re safe, in the resistance camp,” a voice said, coming towards me.
“What happened to me? Who are you?” I asked.
“My name is Paola, and I’m a nurse for the resistance. You took a very nasty fall a few days ago and broke your arm, but I was able to mend it. How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m not sure, I guess I’ve been better. Will my arm be okay? How come I’ve been out for two days?” I asked.
“The fall you took knocked you unconscious for a while. It has taken some special medicinal herbs as well as some charms to get you back to this state. Your arm is just fine, though it might be a little tender for the next few days. It’s best if you just continue to rest. I’ll alert the others that you’re awake,” she said, before walking away.
I opened my eyes further, squinting in the harsh white light as I tried to look around the room. I was in a canvas tent, though there was a hard floor with other beds like mine on it. The tent was large, able to house about twenty beds.
I put my hand to my forehead, rubbing it and trying to sit up. I felt a little sick, my head starting to hurt, but I took it easy and tried not to push it. “Lexa,” Blake called, running inside the infirmary.
“Blake,” I said, smiling. “What are you doing here? They’ll know you’re here.”
“It’s okay, it’s all covered. You were out for a while,” he said, before sitting beside me on the bed. He grabbed my hand, putting it to his lips and kissing it, as small flutters of butterflies swirled in my stomach.
“I can’t believe we got out of the prison. What about the others, the ones I was with? How are they?” I asked.
“Two of them are okay, a girl and guy, but the other two are over there,” he said, pointing to beds on the opposite side of the room. Lisa and Raul were lying there, still unconscious, though they appeared to be healthy otherwise. My eyes still hadn’t fully adjusted, though.
“How did you find us? I barely even remember it,” I said.
“We were coming to mount a rescue mission when we heard the commotion of the sirens and the escape. We tried rushing in quicker, but the dampener really slowed us down once we entered its range. We were still in range when we found you. We saw your vehicle teetering over the edge of the cliff. How were you able to slow yourselves down?” he asked.
“I stole a wand, one of the guards’ wands, that worked inside the dampener’s range,” I said. “Still not sure how I got that lucky.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you did, because that wand and your quick thinking saved your lives. How were things inside? Mirian said that when he went and saw you, you’d lost weight and weren’t looking too good. I started to really worry about you. It looks like you’ve lost at least ten pounds,” he said.
“I’ll be fine, I’ll put it back on. I don’t even care about that, to be honest, at least not anymore. I’m just happy to be out of there. It was horrible, Blake, the way they treated us and kept us more like dogs than prisoners. That place needs to be shut down,” I said.
“Well, I’m not sure they’ll re-open it anytime soon. You guys did so much damage that I think it will take them a while to repair it. Besides, they want me and the others to go hunt down the other inmates who escaped. I guess a lot of them did, more than half of the population,” he said.
“Yeah, that’s because of us,” I said, smiling. “We opened all the cell blocks and let out everybody who wanted to escape. We needed the distraction. We figured if the guards were busy with them, they wouldn’t bother with us.”
“Smart thinking on your part, then. What are you plans now?” he asked.
“First I need to fully heal, and then start my work on toppling Kiren and his regime. I just wish I could do it from inside M.A.G.I.C., and not stuck inside this camp,” I said.
“I don’t like the thought of you doing this, Lexa. He already tossed you in Filtonshire, so what’s going to stop him from capturing you again or even killing you? He doesn’t care about you, me, or any of us. All he cares about is power,” he said.
“I can’t just let him go, though. You’re right, he only cares about power, and that’s why he needs to be stopped. Everything bad that happened in there was because of him, and I won’t stop until he himself is behind bars,” I said.
“Lexa!” Britta yelled as she ran into the tent, with Charlie and Faus not far behind her.
“You run too fast, and I’m a jaguar,” Charlie wheezed, out of breath.
“I’m so happy you’re awake,” Britta said, squeezing me with a hug.
“Ow, I’m not healed yet,” I said, wincing a little.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t even think!” she gasped.
“It’s okay, I promise. I just have to be careful,” I said, smiling.
“Hey, kid,” Charlie said, shuffling over with his hands in his pockets.
“What, no hug?” I asked, looking at him with an expression to let him know he better get himself over here.
He smiled, hugging me, though not as tightly as Britta had. “I’m glad you’re awake. I’ve missed you. They stuck me with Xelia and she works way too hard. That’s what happens when you don’t sleep.”
“Well, you’re going to have to work with her for a bit longer. I can’t come back,” I said.
“I know,” he said, with a disappointed tone. “Maybe I could leave and we could work together here.”
“No, that wouldn’t be right. Besides, Mirian wouldn’t let you. You know the resistance needs you, all of you, to stay put on the inside, especially with Kiren’s new power trip. He’s being too bold for any of you to leave,” I said.
“Now guys, Lexa needs to get her rest. You can visit her again tomorrow,” Paola said, coming back into the tent and scolding the guys.
“We aren’t sure how often we’ll get out of the precinct, but we’ll come out as often as we can,” Blake said, before leaning forward and giving me a slow kiss on the lips. I instantly felt sparks. It felt like a veritable lifetime had passed since I’d last kissed him, and the loving feeling I’d always had was still vibrant and strong. Prison might’ve changed some things about me, but definitely not the way I felt about him.
“See you soon,” Britta said, before she and Charlie hugged me again.
“Okay, I’ll see you guys. Please be safe, and stay under the radar. Trust me, you don’t want to be on this guy’s radar,” I said, laughing.
“Still making jokes, even after all this. Man, is she great,” Charlie said, shaking his head as they walked out of the tent.
“You need to get some sleep so you can heal.
The herbs work more effectively when you’re asleep,” Paola said. “Drink this, it will help.”
She handed me some hot tea in a small ceramic mug. I sniffed it cautiously. The brew smelled like wet, moldy leaves, but I drank most of it, the tea singeing my taste buds before I felt it hit me. The room started to shift and move, before my head hit the pillow and I passed out.
•••
“I believe the girl is working with others, perhaps inside the precinct itself,” Kiren said, as I stood in his office.
I was a ghost again—he couldn’t see me at all, even though I was mere feet from his desk. There was another man inside the office whom I’d never seen before, but I knew he was trouble just by looking at him. He wore a pinstriped suit, his slick black hair parted to the side. The one thing I couldn’t see, though, was his face. It was foggy, like something was blocking it so I couldn’t see clearly.
“What makes you say that, sir?” the man asked.
“There is no way she could’ve escaped like that, not with her skill. Some of the most powerful creatures in history have been exiled to that prison to rot away and die inside those walls. How could a girl like her, so inexperienced in comparison, get out? She must have had help,” Kiren said.
“And you believe her help came from inside M.A.G.I.C.?” the man asked.
“Start looking into her peers and who she spent time with in the precinct. Look at her partner, I know she has one, a shifter fellow. Make sure you start to keep an eye on them. Gather the evidence for me, don’t take action or make arrests, and we will go from there,” Kiren said.
“What if she’s a part of the resistance? Their numbers have been steadily growing, and they would relish the opportunity to get one of their own out of Filtonshire,” the man said.
“Yes, I suspect she might be active with them, but that doesn’t do me much good now, does it? If her little friends are part of the resistance as well, then we will take them down and throw away the key—permanently. I’m not going to take the risk of another breakout like this girl has proven capable of. If we get that far, just do the deed and take them out,” Kiren said.
“Lexa,” I heard, before I looked around the room.
Like smoke, it started to blow away, and I gasped, opening my eyes to see Mirian standing over me. I calmed down, glancing around and seeing I was still in the infirmary tent, before wiping the sweat away from my brow.
“Were you experiencing a nightmare?” he asked.
“I think it was a vision,” I said.
“A vision? Really?” he asked.
“I’ve been having them, waves of them, and I think this was one. I think it has to do with the mark, like it gives me the ability to see into the future, but I’m not sure how far into the future this was,” I said.
“What did you see?” he asked.
“It was Kiren, he knows. He knows I’m a part of the resistance, and he’s going to keep tabs and gather evidence on you all. He’s after Charlie, Blake, Britta, and Faus, as well as anybody else I was friends with in the precinct. It’s only a matter of time before he connects the dots to you, especially with that prison visit,” I said.
“And you’re sure about this? You’re sure this was a vision and not just a dream?” he asked.
“Mirian, I’m sure. Like I said, I don’t know when this will start happening, but I need to give you the heads up. You need to tell the guys as well,” I said.
“I will, I promise I will. I’ll also tell Pote. She will want to know if we need to start extracting out agents if they’re going to be captured,” he said.
“He doesn’t want to capture people,” I said, with hard eyes. He got the hint, nodding, though not happily. To Kiren, death was the only option for people he thought opposed him, and we all definitely did.
“How are you feeling otherwise?” he asked.
“I’m, well, just a little shaken. I think I need to get out of this bed soon, though. This is too much lying around, and that’s coming from a woman whose spirit animal is a sloth,” I said.
“Still have your spunk, I see. Glad they didn’t take that away from you,” he said, with a laugh.
•••
It would be two days before my feet were allowed to hit the ground for any real length of time. I was under watch, making sure I allowed myself to heal and didn’t face any more problems, though I kept telling Paola that I was fine. I guess she wanted to be sure, and I couldn’t fault her for that. It was her job to make sure I got well, after all.
The scent of horse manure filled the air as I stepped out of the infirmary tent, freshly bathed, and breathed in deeply. It was like coming home. I looked around and saw masses of magical creatures running about and going on with their business. It was so different from working at the precinct, even though I saw a lot of these types of magical creatures during my duty there. There was something medieval about this place, a lot less modern than the precinct, and I definitely didn’t hate that aspect of it.
“Lexa!” I heard, before feeling someone grab me and hug me tightly.
“Rosie,” I said, laughing. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m doing great. My family is here!” she said, brimming from ear to ear with smiles and excitement.
“When did they get them out?” I asked.
“Just after we escaped they went and got them. I’m so thankful to you,” she said.
“Hey, I didn’t rescue them. Besides, you played a huge role in getting out of Filtonshire,” I said.
“Yeah, but because of you they’re here and safe, and I’m able to be with all of them. Thank you,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Anytime,” I said, rubbing her back.
“How are you feeling? You took a nasty fall that day,” she said.
“I’m feeling fine. I’m just ready to get back to work and get my hands wet again,” I said.
“Well, what are you going to do? It’s not like you can go back to your old job, can you?” she asked.
“Well, no, I can’t,” I said, realizing that going back to M.A.G.I.C. wasn’t an option. I obviously knew I wasn’t an auditor anymore, at least officially, but it hadn’t fully set in until I was broken out, healed, and ready to get back into action. I was done with that, and my wand had been taken away.
“Maybe there’s something around here for you to do. They’re already having me help with their systems. I’m helping any way I can,” she said.
“I’ll have to talk with Pote,” I said.
“You know her?” she asked, looking star-struck. “She’s such an amazing woman, being the leader of the resistance and all. I can’t believe it.”
“We’ve worked together, yes. She’s great,” I said. “I better go find her.”
“Okay, I’ll catch up with you later,” Rosie said.
A couple people nodded to me as I walked the muddy road, like they knew who I was. I wanted them to know, not for selfish or narcissistic reasons, but because it was a show of what we were capable of. I was a pilt, a prisoner, and somebody society had tossed aside, but I overcame it all. I did the impossible, and if I could do it given my upbringing, then anybody could.
When I walked up to Pote’s tent the guards moved to stop me, but she yelled through the doorway. “Let her in!” The guards backed down before I walked inside. “I knew you were coming,” she said, with a smile.
“How are you, Chancellor?” I asked, walking inside.
“How am I? I should be the one asking you how you are doing. Gracing me with her presence, the only known living person to break out of Filtonshire. That’s quite the accomplishment,” she said.
“It was nothing and besides, I didn’t do it alone. Not by a long shot,” I said.
“I have spoken with your compatriots, and am in the process of finding positions here for all of them. The least we could do is offer them jobs and protection, given they helped topple that sadistic prison. It’s lucky you found that wand inside,” she said, with a smile.
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br /> “Was that you?” I asked, shocked.
“Well, I ordered it, but sadly I cannot take full credit for it. It took our people on the inside to drop it off. I’m glad you found it okay, and that you were able to sneak it out and use it that day,” she said.
“Yeah, but now I’m a witch without one,” I said.
“That reminds me! I completely forgot you had your wand taken away, and for obvious reasons you couldn’t hold onto the prison one, with their tracking systems. Here, you deserve this,” she said, pulling out an oak box from underneath her desk.
She set it on top, turning it around. A golden clasp sealed the box shut. “This is for you,” she said.
I walked forward, smiling, before flicking open the clasp and slowly opening the box. I looked in awe at a beautiful wand lying on a bed of purple velvet inside. The wand wasn’t carved with intricate designs but I could tell it was cut by a master wand-maker who left it sleek and feminine. “Go ahead, pick it up. We had it made just for you.”
I touched it, feeling a surge of power flow through my body, as the tip lit up in the most spectacular way. A glow emanated from it, illuminating both of our faces with a bluish hue before dying down. I flicked the wand around, hearing it cut through the air with razor-like precision, before I broke it in for the first time. “Candelae,” I said, the tip lighting up the room.
“I knew it would be perfect for you. It’s infused with shards of Lapis Lazuli, a precious stone used extensively by Merlin himself. We figured if you bear the mark, you should have it amplified by using a wand infused with his crystal,” she said.
“It’s beautiful. I can feel the crystal, like it’s amplifying what’s inside me,” I said.
“That’s the hope. I’m happy we were able to have this made for you. We thought you deserved it, given everything you’ve done for us,” she said.
“I just wish I could use it,” I said.
“Well, why can’t you?” she asked.
“I’m not an auditor any longer. How am I going to use it to take anybody down?” I asked.
“Eventually you’ll be using it against Kiren, won’t you?” she asked.