Nixon had Andrew pinned to the wall but what caught my attention was the brawl happening on the balcony. Nick and Zane looked to be fighting against Zane's two friends that we would see him with in the halls, using their fists to attack one another.
I didn't understand what was going on or why Nick was helping Zane while his other two friends seemed to be on the opposite team but what made my heart drop was the sight of a ginger-haired individual, the same one that I remembered seeing when I was heading to the cafeteria with Braxton. He walked from the side entrance only inches away from the balcony and I immediately jolted forward into a sprint, realizing if I didn't get there on time, one of the guys would get hurt.
"Shit, Je-" Logan began but was cut off when another row of fireballs shot out at us from Eric's wand.
I raised my hand. "WATER!" I commanded. Water balls equal in number to the fireballs formed and shot out to clash against the approaching fireballs. I slid to the floor, moving past Eric before he could grab me. Then I cartwheeled and was up and running.
Brax, Maximus, Nixon, and Kage noticed my presence but were too busy holding down their targets to stop me. I didn't need to be stopped; I had to take down Lark before he finished the deed. I noticed him raise his hand holding a gold wand, and my eyes widened. My feet pushed off the ground as I leaped; my body tackled Lark and we both crashed to the ground, his wand falling out of his grasp.
"Fucking, who the fuck?" the voice snarled as he began to try and throw me off him. We struggled, our bodies rolling on the ground and he ended up pinning me beneath him. I glared up at him and his blazing orange eyes met mine, looking similar to the Lark I knew but I realized it wasn't the same person. He looked like him, but was younger. His eyes locked onto mine and narrowed.
"You,” he whispered; his hands went to my throat. I quickly kicked his balls and he cursed. Then I kicked his chest, pushing him back. I scrambled backward, putting distance between us. I dropped to the ground to avoid a flying body that crashed into the wall on my right.
I looked to see one of the students who was fighting Nick. Zane was knocked out, blood dripping from a wound on his temple. I looked to my right and Nick had the other student pinned to the ground.
Zane woke and starting getting up, bruises and scratches on his cheeks and arms.
His wild green eyes met mine and he looked both worried and relieved to see me. I glanced back at the Lark look-alike who gritted his teeth at me.
"You're the reason my life was shit! It was all you,” he shouted, pointing to me as he began to glow; the wand that he dropped levitated back into his grasp. I cursed, scrambling to my feet as Zane dashed towards me.
"Don't you dare!" he shouted, pushing off the ground to tackle the Lark look-alike but he was too slow. whirlpool of wind crashing into Zane and sent him flying straight at me. SHIT!
I didn't respond fast enough; Zane crashed into me and we both went flying straight into the wall. I heard a loud crack and I cried out before we both fell to the ground, my head immediately pounding so hard I almost vomited right away.
"Jewel!" Alice’s voice screamed and I turned to my side, pulling my legs up while I gripped my head. Fuck! Can't...get a fucking...break.
I heard Zane groan followed by a haunting laugh. I opened my eyes cautiously, realizing my glasses must have been flung off due to the impact. The world was spinning and the light was making everything worse. My eyes landed on the orange haired male who made a slow approach towards us, his wand charging his next attack.
"The years of mockery. The bullying and name-calling. All because of you. You're the reason why my brother was put into prison. You're the reason I had to suffer because of his stupid mistake of killing your damn brother. You and your friend were the ones who ruined my life. Now I’m going to ruin yours,” he declared.
Zane struggled to get up, gripping his leg that appeared to be broken. "Don't you dare go near her!" he shouted.
The ginger-haired male laughed. "Look at the silent hero. This whole time you played as the villain for the sake of protecting her. You thought I couldn't tell? The way you watched her at the party, I knew right away you weren’t loyal to me. You love her just like her pathetic boyfriend who ratted out my brother. Well after all this, what did you get out of it? Here she came, running to save you and now she'll watch you die as I throw your damn body over the edge." He laughed.
No! I quickly rolled onto my stomach, fighting the vomit that threatened to escape my throat. The weird sensation took that moment to tingle through me like a cold wave and I gritted my teeth, realizing it was now or never. I had to think of a way to stop him.
Maybe if he couldn’t see. YES! BLINDING SPELL! I went to my knees and quickly stood, feeling wobbly as the world continued to spin, making me feel like I might pass out. I have to do this! I'll end the cycle for Brother.
I lifted my hands up just as Lark's brother readied his final attack. "BLIND!" I commanded, using as much mana as needed to speed up the process. He cried out, clutching at his eyes, the distraction canceling out his spell and he began screaming. He opened his eyes and they were now pure white, the color in them gone as he clawed at them, making his skin begin to bleed.
"No. NO! I can't see. How dare you?! NO!" he screamed, shaking his head left and right as he gripped his head, covering his eyes. I sighed in relief, my arms falling to my sides as I fought to stay upright.
"Jewel. I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Zane's tear-filled eyes met mine and I smiled weakly.
"I think I'm about to have a seizure," I confessed. "But I'm good," I whispered.
Zane struggled to move his leg and his expression flooded with concern. "Lay down. Nick called for help. Ms. Landsford and the others will be here any moment."
I looked to Nick who'd knocked out the other kid and now got up, his eyes meeting mine. "They'll be here soon, but you really should lay down," he instructed.
I smirked and my eyes went back to Lark's brother whose hands were still on his bleeding face. Was it weird that I felt pity for him? Maybe he was bullied and isolated because of his older brother's actions but two wrongs didn't make a right.
"HOOT!" I glanced over my shoulder and noticed Koa and Alice in the distance. I looked over at the school gate and saw Ms. Landsford, her assistant, Logan's mother and even my mother running towards the tower. I sighed in relief; my shoulders sank and the weird feeling did another slow transition down my body. The cold prickling and goosebumps that roamed my flesh alerted me I would experience a seizure at any time.
Guess I should lay down.
"NO!" Nick's voice suddenly cried out and I turned my head to see him running towards me. I looked back in time to see Lark's brother’s wand directed at me. My body was pushed back so hard it felt like my back broke when I slammed into the ancient brick which broke under the impact.
"JEWEL!" I heard Zane scream but the sound already began to fade as I started to fall. Everything slowed and as my eyes lowered to watch window after window of the tower pass by and my eyes locked on a pair of silver ones. The same sinister eyes that had watched me from the window looked down at me.
What frightened me the most was the sinister smile that crossed his dry lips, showing hints of his yellow teeth. He leaned forward, as if enjoying the satisfaction of my impending death before he pulled back, disappearing from sight, but my ears were able to catch a sickening laugh.
My consciousness wavered and I looked back up, noticing someone was flying towards me. It must have been at a faster pace than what I was going at, but everything still felt like it was in slow motion.
My eyes began to close as tears left them. I felt the trickle of blood from my nose but the image that formed before me made me relax: Gabriel's face looking down at me. He now had white wings, and his hand slowly reached out to me, ready to take me from this world. I felt bad that I would die and leave the others. Die the same way Gabriel did and leave poor Mother behind.
Yet, at this very moment, I felt at peace, knowing I trul
y ended the cycle. Maybe my death would finally end the bullying? Maybe it would let people finally realize the problem happening behind closed doors and for teachers to take more precautions in watching their students for changes in behavior.
My death could start a revolution of change and that thought made me somewhat happy. But before my eyes closed and my mind accepted the darkness, the image changed.
Red eyes with black magic circles in them locked onto mine and the last thought I had was that Nixon would hate me for not having one last nap in his arms.
"WEEE!" I ran up to Father's grave, going to my knees and pressing my little hands on the marble stone. "Hey, Daddy! Gabriel and I came to visit."
A part of my mind told me this was a memory but it felt so real, and I wanted to enjoy every second of it. I didn't get to visit Father's grave as often as I would have liked. If I had my wish, I'd visit him every single day so he wouldn't be lonely.
"Hey Dad," Gabriel called. I looked up to see him smiling down at me, with flowers in his hand. I rose, quickly dusting my hands off to make sure they were clean before reaching out for the flowers. The bouquet was so pretty and I didn't want to get them dirty. Dad deserved clean flowers.
Gabriel smiled as he passed me the bundle and I laid it carefully on Father’s grave. Then I stood and decided to tell him all about my last couple of weeks.
"Daddy, a lot happened since I last came here. I go to school now. A magic school. I have really nice friends. Well...actually, I think I love each of them, but I haven't decided who I like more. It's like they ALL have a part of my heart and I think things could work out nicely! Oh, Miss Landsford was there and Mommy's getting better. She's taking this medication Logan's family helped make and she remembers me now!" I exclaimed, unsure where these memories were coming from. They felt like something I experienced later in life, not now as a six-year-old, but I wanted him to know.
"Anyways, Gabriel's exams are next week so you have to wish him good luck, okay?!" I smiled. "I love you."
"That was an interesting recap." Gabriel chuckled
I pouted at him. "It was brilliant," I put my hands on my hips for emphasis. He bent down and picked me up. I giggled, giving him a tight hug.
"It was Jewel. Sadly, you have to go now,” he whispered.
"I have to go? Why?" I pulled back to frown at him.
He gave me a sad look. "You don't belong on this side."
"This side? Why not? You're here," I pointed out, confused by his words.
"I belong here. You don't, sweet Jewel. You belong with the living."
"But Daddy's here." I pointed over to his grave. Something told me Mother wasn't here with us, or she would have come to see Father too.
Gabriel shook his head. "Only I'm here right now and you have to go back or you'll make Mommy cry. "
"But...well...I don't want to make Mommy cry, but you'll be lonely! I can't leave you!" I cried, tears beginning to pool in my eyes.
He smiled, his own eyes misty with tears. "I can't lie. It is lonely here, but I get to watch you. See you love those friends of yours who'd do anything to make you happy. I have to do my part, Jewel. They would be sad without you." Tears began to roll down his cheeks
I lifted my hands to his cheeks, trying to wipe the tears away that kept flowing. Mine wouldn’t stop either. "But...I'll miss you." I whimpered.
"Me too, Jewel. You have no idea how much I miss you." He pulled me into a tight hug. "But you can't stay here. I won't allow it. You have to go back. There's more for you to do. I know you don't understand now, but you will one day."
We cried and cried for what seemed like ages, standing on the hillside of Father's grave as the sun began to set. He had to struggle a bit to remove himself from my hold and I looked up at him with desperate eyes, not wanting to leave. He looked like he was debating what to do, but he took a calming breath and knelt down to be at my level.
"I'll protect you from here and visit you in your dreams. I can't guarantee they won't be scary or sad, but I can at least see you there,” he offered. I pondered it, then lowered my gaze.
I do miss Mommy and the others. Prince Logan would cry and I don't like when he cries. Hm...I want to nap with Nixon and read with Brax. It would be fun to play magic tag with Maximus and take pictures with Kage. Alice and Koa would have more fun if I was there to bug them. And Zane, I want to hug Zane and thank him for saving me.
I looked back with a new resolve. I didn't want to leave Brother, but if he would still visit me, I'd have to make those minutes count so he'd never be lonely.
"You can come to my dreams whenever you’re lonely. Even if you’re not, you can still visit," I reassured him.
A wide smile formed on his lips as he nodded. "I'll visit whenever I miss my dear sister. Now make sure you tell Mother and Father I say hello."
I nodded. "I'll tell Mommy when I get back. Uh...I will tell Daddy the next time I pass by." I considered it, trying to think when I could visit Father again.
Gabriel chuckled, and I pouted again, unsure why he was laughing. "What's so funny?"
He shook his head, lifting his hand to brush against my cheek. "It's not my place to tell you, but you'll understand soon. Now come give your bro one last hug." He opened his arms wide and I gave him the happiest expression before jumping into his arms.
"I love you with all my heart, Brother," I whispered before yawning, suddenly feeling sleepy.
"I love you too, Jewel. Death cannot get rid of my love for you and I will continue to watch over you until I know you'll always be safe. Farewell, my sister." His whispered voice sounded further away as my mind drifted into darkness.
Farewell, Gabriel
The sound of whispering woke me up, my sluggish mind trying to figure out where I was as my hearing began to pick up the words being exchanged.
"What if..." I heard a soft voice began but trailed off.
I listened closely to the familiar voice that spoke next. "Zane, stop already. Jewel's been fighting really hard. She won't die again, Savannah confirmed it," Logan reassured.
Again? What do you mean I died again? I don't feel like I died.
"But...it's my fault." The deep voice broke and I knew he was on the verge of crying.
"Hey. Jewel's not gonna be happy if she wakes up to you bawling your eyes out. Not a sexy first impression. Don't worry. Everything is going to be okay," Brax reassured him.
"Yes, her blood results came back and everything is within a healthy range and thankfully nothing is broken. Just the stress of the fall and the fact she hit her head prior is why she's been out for long. Don't lose hope." Maximus spoke calmly.
Fall? I fell...when? What was I doing prior to this? Sunday...exam prep...we went to stop something bad.
"She's a trooper. We just have to be patient," Nixon declared quietly. I remembered his fearful eyes, his hands reaching out to me, but I didn't understand why? Maybe I was falling, but how did I get to that point exactly?
"Kiku Ku!" a chirping sound exclaimed.
"Huh? Jewel's awake?" Kage's gentle voice questioned. I felt something soft rub against my cheek before a quiet purr. Alice?
"Meow meow meow,” she replied "Jewel? My Jewel's okay? Does anything hurt? Do you know who I am?" Her worried voice hurt my heart, making me wish I had the energy to hug and comfort her. I must have really gotten hurt for Alice to be so freaked out.
No...nothing hurts. I think I'm okay. Really tired though. It’s really hard to open my eyes. And of course, I know who you are, Alice Starfire who likes to steal our neighbor’s jewelry.
I felt Alice begin to lick my cheek, which made me want to giggle.
"Jewel, my precious. Can you try to open your eyes for me?' Logan's voice was closer and gentle which made me realize he was whispering into my ear.
"Zane, dim the lights," Maximus requested.
"Meow?" Alice added.
"Just try. Don't worry if you can't. Savannah said you need lots of rest."
Hmm alright. It to
ok me a few attempts and after two minutes I was finally successful. It took a few moments for my vision to focus; watery gold eyes met mine.
"Hey, Precious," Logan whispered. A tear spilled from his eye and dropped to my cheek. I furrowed my brow, using a great deal of concentration to lift my hand and brush his cheek.
"Hey, my Prince. I thought you said crying wasn't a good first sexy expression?" I croaked, giving him the best smile I could muster in my weak state.
He smiled, pressing his forehead against mine before kissing me softly. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, though I don't know where I went," I confessed. He chuckled, giving me another kiss before he leaned back up.
Purple kitten eyes appeared in my vision, Alice's cat form took her turn to lick my face over and over again. "Hey. That tickles and is weird," I whispered, but let her continue, seeing as she never licked my face unless she was worried or wanted to reassure herself I was okay.
"I missed you. Don't scare me like that again. Mom almost had a heart attack," Alice scolded.
"Mom? Why? What did I do to make her almost have a heart attack?" I complained out loud, wondering if someone else could answer my question for me.
"Maybe we should sit her up so she can drink some water," Maximus suggested.
"Good idea," Brax agreed.
"I have the water." Kage gestured to the glass in his hand.
"We'll answer your question in a second, Jewel," Nixon assured me. Maximus walked over and pressed some buttons on the bed before it slowly shifted position, putting me at a 45-degree angle which was helpful. I could finally see the guys and their relieved expressions.
"Here you go," Kade put the straw to my mouth and I literally gulped two-thirds of it down before Maximus intervened.
"Not too much in one go, Jewel." He smirked at my frown.
REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1) Page 29