Spellweaver

by Tamara Grantham

  “I realize this.”

  “Do you?” I could imagine him running his fingers through his hair, the way he did when he got frazzled. “Fine. Let me get dressed. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you, Brent. I really mean it. I owe you one.”

  “No, you don’t. Don’t say things you don’t mean.” He ended the call.

  I hung up, feeling both guilty and more relieved than I had any right to be. I didn’t know why I still clung to Brent even after letting him go. Maybe there really was something about him I admired, even if I didn’t have romantic feelings for him.

  I glanced back at Mom. She’d fallen asleep. Her face was no longer ashen, but it seemed to glow with the faint, amber-white radiance of Earth magic—the same magic I’d inherited from her.

  “Hold on, Mom,” I whispered. “I will fix this. I promise.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I stood at the docks, searching for signs of life, my bag tucked under my arm. A cold breeze smelling of grease and a hint of sea salt rushed past, battering my hair against my cheeks. I’d told Miranda to hide somewhere. Either she’d followed my orders, or she’d been kidnapped.

  As I held on to my backpack, I walked along pier thirteen. My thoughts turned to Father’s memory charm in my bag. I might or might not be able to use it someday, but a talisman like that was too powerful to be left unguarded.

  When I made it to the end of the dock, the cold intensified. Strange, especially for Galveston. Crackling sounds came from the water as I peered over the dock’s edge.

  A large patch of ice covered the water, and bluish-gray light sparked through a lattice of spiderweb cracks. I held my hand over the ice, careful not to touch it. Magical energy swirled under my fingertips. What had happened to the whirlpool? And what had created the ice?

  Footsteps thumped behind me, and I rounded, readying my magic, feeling the Earth’s power trickle through my blood. I felt like half a person with only my Earth powers, but it would have to be enough.

  In the dim, bluish light cast from the ice, I could barely make out the shape of a female walking toward me. She held something. A basketball. I took a step toward her. “Miranda?” I asked.

  “It’s me.”

  I exhaled, letting my magic recede. For now. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m all right.” She stopped when she reached me. Fear clouded her usually bright eyes. She kept the basketball tucked under her arm, cradling it as if she held a newborn. “Zeke said you would find me. He knew… ” Her voice wavered. “He knew you would come.”

  “Where is he?”

  She swallowed, then pointed to the edge of the dock where the ice crackled behind us. “He went through there. The ice started forming right after he disappeared.”

  “How long ago did this happen?”

  “Only half an hour or so. Not long.”

  I glanced back at the ice. Should I risk going through a second time? It had almost killed me the first time.

  Miranda exhaled a nervous sigh, and I turned back to her. “He had a message for you,” she said.

  “A message?”

  She nodded. “He said that the tree sent him back in time in order to gather those who will accompany you on your quest. As long as you have the flower in your possession, Faythander will survive. He cannot help you, for this is your quest, but he said not to lose hope. And he left you with a warning… ” She bit her lip, afraid to look me in the eye.

  “What else?”

  “He said that Geth would succeed. The future has been written. It was written the moment Geth destroyed the tree. He will succeed, and Faythander will suffer.”

  “What?”

  “I know. It sounds pretty bleak.”

  “Bleak? I’m not sure why I’m trying if Geth is supposed to win.”

  She looked up at me. “I know I’m not from your world. I don’t have experience with prophecies or that kind of thing, but I do know that words can be interpreted in different ways. I think… I think that’s why he told you not to lose hope. And I’m pretty sure that’s why he wanted me to give you this.” She held out the basketball.

  “Is that the flower?”

  She nodded.

  I hesitated. She was right. I knew she was right. But the odds seemed so horribly stacked against me. And the truth was, I didn’t have a choice. If I refused to take the flower, Geth would win. If I took it, Geth would still win, but at least I would have given it my best effort. Even if I knew I would fail, I could still try.

  I took the basketball from Miranda, and the faint hum of magic warmed my fingertips. It was only a small flicker, but at least I knew the bloom was there. Reaching for my pack, I pulled my mirror free and readied myself to return to Faythander, when three shadowy forms approached from the parking lot.

  They walked with heavy, booted footsteps, and all three wore dark robes with cowls. The portal’s bluish light made the shadows deepen, darkening the creases in their faces. Despite the darkness, I couldn’t mistake the overconfident gait of the man walking in front.

  Geth.

  “Miranda,” I said calmly. “Run. As fast as you can.”

  “You want me to leave you?”

  “Yes. Go. Go now.”

  She must have heard the intensity in my voice because she turned and sprinted toward the parking lot.

  None of Geth’s men followed her. They didn’t need to—I had what they wanted.

  I clutched the basketball tightly under my arm as Geth and his men closed the distance between us. My heart pounded in my chest. I considered running but knew it would be useless. They would catch me. They would find me. No matter where I went, they would find me. All I could do was stand and fight, and with only half my magic, I knew my odds.

  Geth stopped in front of me, seeming taller with his cape billowing in the stiff breeze. The bluish-gray light illuminated his hardened features and made his scars look more pronounced. I couldn’t meet his gaze. There was something about his eyes that gave me the creeps, plain and simple.

  His scowl deepened as he focused on the basketball tucked under my arm. “So,” he said. “A toy is what Earth Kingdom chooses as the disguise for the magical bloom. Hilarious, when you think about it. But fitting.”

  I could barely hear his words over my hammering heart. “I won’t give it to you, Geth.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “No? Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” He took a step closer, his footfalls echoing over the wooden planks. “The words you spoke when we met earlier impressed me, which is why I haven’t overpowered you. I will give you one chance. Give me the bloom, and I will let you go free. You can resume your life as normal here in Earth Kingdom, and you’ll never be bothered by me again. You needn’t worry about what happens in Faythander—you can live the rest of your life as if Faythander never existed.”

  One of Geth’s men, Nehor, shifted beside him. I noticed he was clutching a goblin knife—a wicked-looking thing, and deadly. I’d seen those black, mirror-like blades in action before and didn’t care to see them again.

  Geth’s offer shouldn’t have tempted me. I should have been noble and brave and laughed in his face, but I couldn’t stop looking at that blade. I knew Geth’s men would slit my throat as soon as they decided I wouldn’t cooperate. And I didn’t have my Faythander magic to protect me.

  Blue light sparked from the portal, giving me an idea. Could I make it to the portal before they caught me? And, assuming I made it through, could I use the bloom’s magic to manipulate the portal’s exit point? If so, then if Geth and his men followed me, they would hopefully end up someplace else—preferably as far away from me as possible. It was an insane idea on all sorts of levels, but if it worked and I survived, then it would be worth it.

  “Make your decision,” Geth growled. He pulled a knife from his belt. The inky, reflective surface glinted in the blue light.

  Geth’s eyes met mine, and fear spread like frigid water through my veins. I didn’t want to die, b
ut I knew that was precisely what Geth had in mind. He’d given me the option to run, but he knew as well as I that I would never take his offer.

  Oddly enough, I thought of Kull. What would my death mean to him? Technically, we weren’t a couple, but even so, I felt a connection to him unlike I’d felt for anyone before. I would miss him. And I knew he would feel the same way if I died.

  No, dying wasn’t an option. I was smarter than this. I just had to come up with a distraction, something that would allow me to make it to the portal before they caught up.

  The basketball warmed under my hands. Magic spread from my fingertips, through my arms and chest, and enveloped my whole body, catching me by surprise. I felt the surge of power swell deep inside my soul. Its warmth embraced me—the same warmth I’d felt while standing under the limbs of the Ever Root Tree. It calmed my confusion, spoke to my worries, and gave me hope. The feeling wasn’t an easy one to describe, except that the flower made me feel at peace. I knew then that I had a chance—however small, I still had a chance. And Faythander still had a chance, too.

  I took a deep breath. I knew what to do.

  Geth didn’t want me. He wanted the bloom. So, I would give it to him. I’d never been great at illusion spells, but since it was so dark, I hoped it didn’t matter.

  If this were going to work, I’d have to be fast.

  I wanted to draw his attention away from the ball so I could make it disappear. Clenching the ball tightly, I decided my mouth would be the perfect diversion.

  “Fine,” I told him. “Maybe I would rather live than die. But how do I know you won’t kill me once I give you the ball?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Because I am not a murderer.”

  “Really? How do you rationalize such a thing?”

  Good. Keep him talking. I formed the replica ball in my mind as the original lost its coherence. I couldn’t just make it invisible—I had to rearrange its molecules to mimic its background. Usually, it was difficult, but since it was so dark, I simply darkened the shadows around it as the replica ball took shape.

  “Murderers,” Geth said, “kill out of fear and weakness. They kill because they cannot find a better way to control those around them.”

  “And you’re different?”

  Good, let’s talk about his ego… just a few seconds more.

  “I kill only when necessary. I would not kill you because it is not needed. I can control you; therefore, your death would be pointless.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes. You are no different from anyone else. Giving one’s life for a noble cause sounds heroic, but very few actually go through with it. We are creatures programmed to survive. We will shove our friends into the fire if it means our own survival. It is not a matter of cruelty. It is basic psychology.”

  Geth and his psychoanalysis. Give me a break.

  “You’re right.” I tried to put as much dejectedness into my voice as possible, then inhaled and sighed deeply. I’d taken a few acting classes in high school. Now I hoped they were paying off. “I’ll give you the bloom,” I said, “but it’s up to you to find it.”

  I tossed the ball as far as I could. It sailed through the air across the parking lot and landed with a thump on the other side of the chain link fence. Geth swore, and then he and his two goons raced toward the ball.

  I ran.

  I ran as fast as I possibly could away from the men, down the dock and toward the portal, but still I felt as if I weren’t going fast enough. When I reached the dock’s edge, I didn’t hesitate, leaping off the pier and onto the brittle ice.

  Ice shards broke free, cracking and snapping on impact, and I burst through as quickly as I’d landed. The icy water enveloped me, stealing my breath. Pain shot through my nerve endings from my head to my toes. The cold stole the oxygen from my lungs. My only coherent thought was to get out of the water, but a gray mist surrounded me. The world faded away. I clutched the genuine basketball tightly as the gray fog shrouded me in darkness.

  Soon, the cold disappeared. My head spun as dim lights faded in and out around me. I kept the ball close to my body, feeling the gentle hum of magic fill me with warmth. I focused on going anywhere in Faythander except where Geth had taken me. I knew if I returned to that place, he would find me.

  Concentrate. Someplace in Faythander. Someplace safe.

  The image of a beach formed in my mind. I wasn’t sure where it was, exactly, but it felt as though the magical bloom was controlling our passage through the portal, as if I was supposed to go there.

  I centered my mind on the image of the beach. Crystalline turquoise water. Black sand. Violet sky. A setting sun. My stomach churned, and the gray fog clouded the vision. For a brief moment, the image of the gnarled tree on the moor overtook the vision of the beach.

  No. I can’t go there.

  I pushed the image away and reconjured the beach’s image. Pain throbbed through my head as I forced the mental picture to reappear. Ignoring the pain, I dug my fingernails into the basketball—which now felt smooth and glassy—and uttered the magic word that would take me where I needed to go.

  The vision of the beach formed so brightly in my mind that it drove away the gray mist.

  Enter.

  My body slammed into a wall of sand. I gasped, feeling as if I couldn’t breathe in enough oxygen. My own inhalations sounded loud in my ears, though somewhere in the distance, I heard waves crashing. I opened my eyes. Dizziness made the world spin around me. The metallic taste of blood, mingled with sand and salt, filled my mouth. I rose onto my hands and knees, trying to let my thoughts catch up with the rest of me.

  I traveled away from Earth. I’m on Faythander. I’m alive.

  I was no longer holding a tatty basketball. A glass ball was cradled against my chest, and evening sunlight glinted over its transparent surface as I sat up. The orb shone with a prismatic radiance, as if tiny rainbows had been trapped in the glass, and a glowing white flower floated inside.

  Running my fingers over the glass, I felt the calming hum of magic warm my hands. It seemed like such a fragile object, yet it had the power to save our world. I knew that my first priority was to keep it safe. Sheer luck had let me escape with it. That—and a little pure magic.

  I stared around the beach, taking in my new surroundings. The bloated orange sun sparkled over black sand. Despite the dark sand, the ocean water remained a clear blue-green. In the distance, I spied gently sloping green mountains.

  I wasn’t sure where I’d come to, or what creatures inhabited this place, but I knew one thing—I had to keep the bloom out of sight. My muscles cramped as I opened my pack and stuffed the ball inside. As soon as I fastened the clasp again, I heard footsteps. A shadow loomed over me.

  I looked up to find a woman standing near me. I almost didn’t recognize her—her cheeks were more sunken, her skin more pale. She looked gaunt, yet more dangerous than ever before. She clutched a knife and pointed it at me. Black blade, ornate handle. A goblin blade, and an exact match to Geth’s. She gave me a knowing smile, though the glint of madness in her eyes sent shivers down my spine.

  Heidel.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  I held my pack close as Heidel stood over me. Kull’s sister was dressed as I remembered her—her forearms encased in silver arm guards, her shapely frame emphasized by her black leather tunic and snug breeches, her long dark hair pulled back in a braid. I’d always found her a bit aloof, but now, I saw her for who she was.

  A servant of Geth.

  I hadn’t escaped him at all.

  “Well,” she said, her knowing smile still plastered to her face. “I’ve found you.”

  I gathered my magic. Did she plan to attack me and drag me back to Geth?

  “We’ve been waiting for your return. Kull has been in an awful mood, and I can only assume it’s because you are not with him. He needs someone to protect. Someone weak.”

  At the mention of Kull, my heart gave a tiny leap, but I couldn’t mistake
the aloofness in Heidel’s voice. “Yes,” I answered, not missing her implications at my supposed weakness. “He does need someone to protect. I’m grateful that he was able to rescue you.”

  She scowled. I expected her to attack me, perhaps put me in chains and force me to follow her. Instead, she replaced the knife in the sheath at her belt and held out her hand.

  I hesitated. She wanted to help me? Despite her attempt at civility, I stood without taking her hand. “Where are you taking me?”

  “Back to the village, of course. Kull will not leave until you are with him.”

  “Leave? Where is he going?”

  “You don’t know?”

  “Should I?”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “We will set sail for the outer islands at dawn. That is, if you’ll oblige us with your presence.”

  I rubbed my forehead, feeling confused. “And we’re going to the outer islands because…?”

  “Am I to explain everything to you?”

  “Yes, if you don’t mind.”

  She let out an exasperated sigh. “More than a week ago, Kull rescued me from the goblin catacombs. They’d been holding me hostage for some time. The goblins knew he would come for me, so they had planted a trap. He would have been killed if the pixie man hadn’t found him. After Kull freed me from the goblins, this pixie man told Kull of your plan to restore the magic, and without a second thought, my brother came here to seek passage to the outer isles.

  “I do not know how the pixie knew such things, and it baffled me that Kull would trust him. As it is, I am merely his sister and can do nothing but be controlled by my brother’s fantastical whims.”

  “So you’re taking me to Kull?” I asked hesitantly.

  “Of course. Where else would I take you? I do not want to deal with my brother’s foul temper a moment longer. He has been short-tempered and brooding, and you are the only person who can make him see sense. Come, I will take you to the village.”

  “Heidel,” I said before following her. “You know I can’t trust you. The last time we met, you were working with Geth.”