Jasper's Quest

by Blair Drake

  Climbing to his feet, he grabbed the torch in his free hand and began to retrace his steps. He had no clue how long he’d been inside, but it was imperative he make it back to Rylan and Willow without delay. He still couldn’t believe he’d found the stone, and he had his school pin to thank. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined the nondescript pin, slipped in his jacket pocket by Headmistress Lalane, would play such a vital part in his quest.

  Slipping and sliding in the dampness, he used the wall beside him as a guide. Eventually, the air grew warmer, and he knew he was headed in the right direction. A few moments later, he saw Rylan and Willow. They sat where he left them. They spied him a minute later, and Willow stood and came toward him with a glad cry.

  “Oh, Jasper! Thank goodness ye made it back all right!” She threw herself at him and he caught her against him, happy to have her in his arms. He was just as relieved as she was he’d found his way back to them.

  Rylan was slower to rise to his feet, but eventually thumped Jasper on the back. “It’s good to see ye, boy. I’m glad ye are safely back.”

  Jasper saw the question in the healer’s eyes and slowly brought forward the rock. Upon seeing it, Rylan’s eyes widened in shock.

  “Is that the...?”

  He left the question hanging, as if he didn’t dare say the words. Jasper nodded and replied. “Yes, it’s the golden stone. I found it on a ledge. In my hands, I hold the power to break the curse. Rylan, in a few short moments, you’ll be freed of it.”

  The words filled Jasper with amazement, and at the same time he felt invincible. Bending down on one knee, he banged the rock hard on the ground. It cracked along the fissure and crumbled, and he was left with a smooth golden stone that fit comfortably in the palm of his hand.

  Rylan fell to his knees and bowed low before Jasper. Holding the stone high, Jasper watched in fascination as the stone glowed ever brighter. The glow became a circle and then it almost filled the room. It swirled and shifted and finally the glow of it enveloped Rylan from head to toe.

  With wide eyes, Willow watched from a distance, her hand up to her mouth. Jasper was equally entranced. The golden light covered Rylan so that for a while he was lost from their sight. Eventually, it subsided, and as it did so a changed Rylan emerged. Jasper and Willow gasped in shock.

  Gone was the elderly healer with the long white beard and frail appearance. In his place stood a tall warrior with thick black hair and a chest as broad as Thor’s. The only reminder of Rylan’s curse was a thin slice of silver hair that ran from the front to the back.

  “Papa!” Willow cried and ran toward him.

  Rylan took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. He was the age and in the health he should be, and now he had years to live. Jasper stood quietly nearby, proud of the part he played in making it happen.

  After a while, Rylan released his daughter and came up to Jasper. He held out his hand. Jasper took it.

  “I can’t thank ye enough, boy. Without ye, this wouldn’t have been possible. Ye gave me back my life. A life I can now spend with my daughter, healing all who seek our help.”

  Tears glinted in Rylan’s eyes, and Jasper knew he’d made the right decision. Willow belonged in this land, with her family. As much as it pained his heart to admit it, this was the way it had to be.

  “I’m glad I was able to make it happen,” he said quietly. “You deserve the time you’ve been given. Your life and your family were stolen away from you in an act of revenge. It was wrong on so many levels. I’m just glad I’ve been able to help give them back to you.”

  Rylan regarded him steadily. “I wish I could give ye something in return.” His gaze slid to his daughter, and then he looked back at Jasper. “But I’m afraid I have nothing.”

  Jasper nodded in understanding. “You owe me nothing. You saved my life, and I saved yours. We’ll call it even.”

  Rylan acknowledged the comment for what it was and hugged Jasper hard. When the embrace came to an end, both men wiped away tears. Jasper’s gaze went to Willow, and his heart clenched in sadness and pain. He loved her. He always would. But she had to stay. It was as simple as that.

  A sneaky breeze sent a chill down his spine, and Jasper glanced toward the entrance. The full moon had begun to rise over the tree tops, but dark clouds gathered, almost obliterating its golden orb. He moved closer to the mouth of the cave and trembled at what he found. The wind swirled ominously, picking up speed and sound.

  And then came a jagged flash of light followed moments later by a crash of thunder. A dangerous storm was brewing, and it reminded him of the night he was flung off the roof of the Gray Cliffs Academy.

  Louder and louder, the wind howled closer until soon it was ruffling their clothes. Jasper’s hair stood on end, fluttering and flapping in the breeze. A heavy gust blew in and lifted him from his feet. He cried out in alarm and put out his arms to catch his fall.

  He landed hard on the dirt floor and momentarily lost his breath. Rylan and Willow stood huddled together, fear and resignation battling for supremacy on their faces. Before he had time to catch his breath and take stock of what was happening, the wind picked up strength and once again it caught Jasper in its grasp. He looked down and saw his school pin glowing and suddenly, he knew what it meant: He was on his way home, being transported the same way he’d left. Caught up in a wild storm, carried on the wind… It was happening again.

  Buffeted on all sides, the wind turned into a mini tornado swirling madly across the cave. It lifted Jasper and hurled him into its spinning vortex. The faces of Willow and Rylan flashed past him in a blur. Tears poured down Willow’s cheeks. She was calling to him, pleading with him, but he couldn’t hear what she said.

  “I love you!” he shouted, but the wind snatched his words away. He tried to tell her with his eyes, and then he was spinning and turning, upside down, inside out. His hair blew out behind him, he closed his eyes to slits. The wind bit into his cheeks, and then it was replaced by shards of ice. The blackness enveloped him and then…there was nothing.

  Just like the first time, the wind dumped him hard on the ground. He groaned at the impact and prayed he hadn’t broken any bones. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found himself on the grass of the football field. He sat up, bewildered and then recognized some school buildings of Gray Cliffs Academy.

  The administration block was on his left, and behind that, the math room. The boarding house was over to the far right.

  The boarding house.

  He’d been on his way to the dining hall right before he and his friends were summoned by the headmaster. The man was quite insistent they go with him immediately. Of course, they complied. No one argued with Headmaster Grotel Auster. It all came back to Jasper in a rush, and he trembled at the realization he made it back home.

  Home. He was home. In the blink of an eye, he’d traveled centuries away from Rylan and Willow—centuries away from a land touched by magic where Jasper Walker was a hero with supernatural powers. He wondered if his powers had disappeared, along with the world he’d left behind.

  The possibility they had left him feeling disappointed. He hadn’t enjoyed the confrontations with animals more terrifying than anyone could describe, but it was fun to feel the flow of unbelievable strength flood his veins and know he could best even the most brutal of beasts.

  He thought of Willow and Rylan and felt a tremendous stab of loss. Rylan had become a true friend and confidant, a man he liked and respected. In fact, after spending time with Rylan, Jasper was determined to sit down with his parents and tell them everything, including his desire the three of them spend more time together and really get to know each other.

  As for Willow, she held his heart in her hands, and probably would forever. The decision to leave her behind still hurt. And now, back in the familiar world in which he lived, he missed her.

  With a sigh, he dragged himself to his feet, relieved to discover that, apart from a few cuts and bruises, some stiff and sore mus
cles, and a ruined school uniform, he was unharmed. He made his way across the oval, up through the bleachers, and headed toward his room in the boarding house. The school pin that saw him through the past couple of weeks was warm against his leg as he walked along. As he neared the administration building, he looked through the window.

  The silhouette of a man caught his attention. He frowned. The night was well upon them. If it wasn’t for the full moon, he’d have difficulty seeing even a few feet in front of him. There shouldn’t have been anyone in the office at that time of night and yet, the windows were ablaze with light. It was downright strange.

  The thought made him chuckle and he shook his head. Everything about the past couple of weeks had been downright strange. Why should it be any different here?

  But that was the thing. He was back in his own world. Things should be back to normal. Strange should have been left behind him, on Ardhi. Curious, he walked up to the window, stood on tiptoe, and peered in.

  Headmaster Auster sat behind his large wooden desk. Headmistress Lalane stood in the corner. Rylan and Willow sat in chairs opposite them. Jasper gasped in shock. He must be hallucinating. There was no way the healer and his daughter could follow him. It isn’t possible. Is it?

  He rubbed his eyes and blinked hard and then took another peek. Rylan turned his head in Jasper’s direction and looked him in the eye. Jasper gasped again, and his heart hammered in his chest. It was Rylan. Jasper even caught a glimpse of the silver streak in the healer’s hair. And if it was really Rylan, then it must also be Willow…

  How did they get there? What are they doing? Why are they in Headmaster Auster’s office? And why are Headmistress Lalane and Rylan sharing surreptitious looks across the room, almost as if they know each other…?

  Weird. Very weird.

  And then he didn’t care at all about the how or the what or the why. All that mattered was they were there.

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  The Finding Magic Series

  Melissa's Quest: http://littl.ink/+YBlO

  Reese's Quest: http://littl.ink/+A3Mr

  Jaspers's Quest: http://littl.ink/+oBl7

  Elijah's Quest: http://littl.ink/+n7Ee

  Dylan's Quest: http://littl.ink/+DxN6

  Natasha's Quest: http://littl.ink/+vxo0

  Piper's Quest: http://littl.ink/+9KM8

  Rebecca’s Quest: http://littl.ink/+5AMR

  Alex's Quest: http://littl.ink/+eK9l

  Annalise's Quest: http://littl.ink/+PzvB

  Sneak Peek of Elijah’s Quest…

  Wind lashed past him as Elijah Davies staggered into the corridor outside the dining hall and slammed the doors shut. He leaned against them and panted for a second. Gray Cliffs Academy wasn't exactly renowned for its sunny days, but the weather lately had been weird. Almost creepy-weird. Thick clouds boiled over the gothic buildings of the school, and if he didn't know any better there was an air of... anticipation in the atmosphere. Like the weather was holding its breath, waiting for something.

  Or someone.

  "Relax dude," he muttered under his breath, trying to straighten his blazer. "Nothing ever happens at Gray Cliffs."

  Well, there was that one time that kid went missing....

  He pushed away from the doors, certain they weren't going to blow open. You've been watching too many horror movies with Zoe.

  Correction: Had been watching. His movie watching days were over.

  "Hey, Davies," a loud voice boomed. "You get your paper back? How'd it go?" Jeremy Stilton fell in beside him in the corridor, slinging an arm around his neck.

  Elijah raked a hand through his unruly black curls. Lightning flickered through one of the windows. Now he was late for class. At this rate, he'd be lucky if his grades were the only thing he should be worried about. "Yeah, passed my history paper." Barely. "Not the best result, but it's not a fail."

  "It's just... the team really needs you for our next game. You're our lucky symbol, Eli. And where have you been?"

  Trying to avoid a certain someone. He scanned the hallway. No sign of Zoe. Good. He slouched along, hands in the pockets of his school blazer.

  "I thought you had to get your grades up or coach was looking at benching you for the training camp," Stilts said.

  "I'm working on it," he muttered.

  Stilts hesitated. "Maybe we can get you a new tutor? I could ask around. I'm sure Steph Larsson would be more than happy for some one-on-one coaching. She already owes me a favor."

  "Nah, I'm good, man."

  "Think about it. Don't just diss the idea because Zoe was your last tutor. I know you're still trying to wrap your head around being single, but it was amicable, right? You two decided to go your separate ways, so it's not like there's bad blood or anything."

  Amicable, yeah. About that.... "I'm a free man. Life's great. And it's not Zoe." Mostly. Okay, fifty-fifty. Elijah scratched at his eyebrow. "I'll get my head back in the game. I've just got a lot going on at the moment at home."

  Home. That place no longer existed. Elijah's stomach tensed. He could still remember the day he'd left home, kissing his mom on the cheek as he headed for a new life. Gray Cliffs. Not the place he wanted to be, but one step closer to the future. He'd always known he wasn't going to ace through school on grades, but if there was one thing he had going for him, it was his athletic ability. And Gray Cliffs had a first grade hockey rink and training program. Getting a scholarship hadn't mattered before this year, when his mom finally explained that money was getting tighter. He'd wasted the last couple of years in school because it had never mattered before this year, and now his grades weren't the best, and he knew he'd started to fall behind.

  If coach benched him....

  If he wasn't allowed to play....

  No scholarship. No college.

  "I'll get my grades up," he promised Stilts, trying to force a smile. Everyone knew Elijah Davies had his shit together. It was why his teammates trusted him. He wasn't about to blow it. "But I don't think the Steph Larsson idea is a great one."

  The phone in his pocket gave a small insistent buzz, but Elijah ignored it, grinding his teeth together.

  Get the hint, old man. Lose this number.

  They turned the corner, and the herd in the corridor thickened, as students started heading up to class.

  "If the Grauster hears that thing buzzing, he'll be on you like a flea on a dog," Stilts warned.

  Elijah slipped his phone out of his pocket to turn it to silent. There were four missed calls, and then a text message. Same number. Mr. Davies.

  His thumb paused. It wasn't as though he wanted to speak to his dad—I mean, surely he'd gotten the point by now—but Elijah's eye caught the first couple of words and then he couldn't help himself.

  I'd prefer to do this by speaking to you, Elijah. But since you refuse to answer your phone, I guess you leave me no choice. I wanted to let you know Amie and I are having a baby in six months. Amie was hoping....

/>   He barely saw the rest of the message. The world seemed to slow down around him, and then he tripped on something—a foot perhaps—and staggered sideways into a group of girls walking in the opposite direction.

  At an inch over six foot, he nearly wiped them out. Good thing coach had been working on his footwork. Elijah grabbed the dark blur in front of him, the phone sprawling on the floor and skating sideways. His fingers dug into the girl's arm, and then a sudden lick of premonition went down his spine as he slammed against her.

  He'd know that riotous tangle of brown curls anywhere, and the smell of that perfume. Big brown eyes blinked up at him, as if he'd knocked the breath out of her, though he was fairly certain he hadn't hit that hard.

  Zoe.

  "Watch where you're going, Elijah," her best friend, Jessica Hawkins, said. "Talk about desperate."

  A snicker sounded.

  "Elijah." He felt like someone behind him was saying his name. Maybe Stilts. "Elijah?"

  All he could see was Zoe.

  All he could hear was his father's voice. Amie and I are having a baby.

  Having a baby.

  Having a baby....

  He stared at Zoe. She stared back, a hint of red creeping into her cheeks. The urge to blurt out the bomb his father had just dropped on him was almost overwhelming. He'd talked to her about his parents—he didn't talk to anyone—but if there was anyone he felt safe confiding in, it would be... would have been her.

  Say something.

  For the second time in his life, words failed him.

  "Sorry," he muttered. "Didn't see you coming."

  "Here," Zoe said, stepping out of his grasp and fetching his phone. It was weird seeing her hair in a tumble of curls like this. Most of the time she straightened it, and she moaned about its natural state constantly, though if he were being honest, he preferred the curls. Their hands brushed as she held the phone out to him. "Are you okay?" Looking up from beneath her lashes, he caught a glimpse of the old Zoe. The one who'd looked at him as if he were her whole world.