by Bonnie Lamer
“What is happening?” she shouts.
I ignore her as I make my way the short distance to Kegan’s door. The magic wants to push me past it, but I hold onto the frame. Kegan has managed to get the door open but is having trouble entering the hallway. I can see past him into the room where Alita is sitting in a wingback chair looking frightened. “We need to get Alita into Xandra’s room!” I shout to Kegan because the magic is making it difficult to hear. It feels as if my ears need to pop from all the pressure of the it pushing against my eardrums. Kegan nods and stumbles back into the room without question.
It takes the two of us grasping her arms and pulling to even get her out of the chair. It seems to take forever to get her to the door and managing the hallway has us close to giving up. Poor Alita must feel as if she is being torn from limb to limb. Finally, after a good ten minutes, we arrive at Xandra’s and my bedroom door. With a last big push, the three of us tumble into the room.
Without formality, Dagda shouts, “Is there black magic?”
Alita shakes her head. “I cannot feel anything except Xandra’s magic. If anything has been done to her, it has not been done with black magic.” There is a trace of disappointment on all of our faces as strange as that may seem. If this was a black magic spell, we would simply need to discover how to break it. But we are left in the dark now, not knowing what to do or how to fix it.
A loud smacking sound and a swaying of the carriage startles us. “We must have hit a tree,” Dagda says. “We need to try to get control of the carriage back.” I know what he is going to say. He is going to need my help with that.
“Have you tried dumping cold water on her?” Kegan asks.
I scowl at the idea but we have to try everything. “Get some from the bathroom.”
It takes him forever to make his way there and then return with what is left of a pitcher of water. Half of it is soaking into the carpet as he stumbles his way back. I have to give him credit, though. He is strong enough to be able to move about which is impressive. Alita is now glued to the bed trying to act as if the pressure of the magic in such close proximately to Xandra is not hurting her. Her reddened skin and the tight lines around her mouth and eyes say that it is.
Kegan hands me the pitcher of water. I do not believe he wants Xandra to wake up and retaliate against him, so he is leaving it to me. At this point, she can retaliate against me any way she would like as long as she wakes up. Here goes. I tip the pitcher so that the water splashes onto her face. Some of it slips between her slightly parted lips, some splashes into her nose. Even her ears are flooded with water. But nothing happens. Not a single peep or movement. Her breathing does not even catch.
Looking helplessly at Dagda, I ask, “What do we do now?”
The pain and fear in his eyes tell me just how much he is coming to care for Xandra. It also tells me that he has no better idea than I about how to wake her up. Great. Finally, he says, “Kegan, Kallen, we are going to try to push her magic back through her.”
Is he insane? “We cannot do that,” I say.
“Why not? It is the only way,” Dagda demands.
I shake my head. “If we push against her magic it will push back and sear through us. That will leave the three of us writhing in pain until Xandra wakes up, or at least until she stops emitting magic.”
He gets it. Cursing, he says, “You are right. That will not do any of us any good.” He is quiet for a moment as he searches his mind for alternatives. Finally, he turns to Alita and says, “Stay here with Xandra. Keep trying to wake her up. Scream at her, shake her, do whatever you can think of to rouse her.” Alita nods. I do not like leaving her embroiled in this magic, I would much rather be the one to stay with Xandra. But unfortunately, she is the best choice. She has little to offer magically.
To Kegan and me, Dagda says, “We need to try to get this thing back on track. God knows what Xandra could be steering us through.” As if to prove his point, the carriage bashes into another tree jolting us.
Rising to his feet, he starts towards the door and Kegan follows in his wake. I hold back a moment, hating to leave Xandra like this. Leaning over her, I press my lips to hers. “I love you,” I murmur. In the back of my mind I guess I had hoped it might wake her like the tales the Cowans tell their children, but my heart sinks as she continues to sleep. Apparently, I am not Prince Charming with magical lips. I always hated those tales.
It is much easier to move through the sea of magic going away from Xandra than it was towards her. It only takes a couple of minutes to make it downstairs and to the room housing the drivers currently on shift. Radella is waiting at the bottom of the stairs as she was never able to make it up them. She follows us into the driver’s room.
“Sire, what has happened?” one of the drivers asks. I can tell that all four of them fear Dagda believes it is their fault. The one speaking is even shaking a little.
“We have been hijacked,” Dagda informs them with a scowl.
“By whom, Sire?”
Dagda’s mouth clamps closed in a grim line. He does not want to tell them it is Xandra. There is already enough animosity amongst the Fairy population in regards to her, this will only fuel it. Which is probably why Radella blurts out, “His daughter is doing it. She has taken us hostage.”
I have never seen Dagda tempted to hit a female before. Ever. Until now. His hand is itching to make contact with her face. She notices this as well which is why she immediately takes several steps back. Dagda’s glare becomes more hateful with every step she takes. He hates cowardice.
Reeling in his anger, , Dagda turns back to the drivers and says, “She is in some sort of trance or coma and is not able to be wakened. The magic flooding through here and suppressing yours is indeed Xandra’s.” A couple of drivers are actually impressed rather than angry or scared.
Radella, on the other hand, is a different matter. “We are at the mercy of someone who is asleep?! Something has to be done.” Rounding on me, she grinds out, “Go and wake her up! Ram some of that magic of yours that is supposed to be so powerful down her throat!”
Now it is me that wants to punch her in the face. Twice. Maybe even three times. I have to take several deep breaths before I can respond. “Do you honestly believe the King and I have not tried? If you believe it to be as simple as that, you are certainly free to make your way back to our bedroom and attempt to wake her yourself by ramming magic inside of her. I, for one, will enjoy the knowledge that you are lying breathless on the floor as her magic burns every molecule inside of your body.”
“As will I,” Dagda growls. The look on his face clearly says that Radella will be looking for a new job after this. Providing she does not piss him off to the point that he locks her away and forgets where he put the key. Understanding this, Radella is finally smart enough to keep her mouth closed.
Turning back to the drivers, he says, “I have an idea. We cannot push against Xandra’s magic in any sort of attempt to push it back to her. Instead, we will need to try to coax it back in the right direction. We will do this gradually in case her magic decides that we are threats. I do not want any of you harmed, so pull back if you feel it pushing against you.” He gives Radella a pointed look letting her know she is the exception to that.
The eight of us position ourselves so that we can all see out the front window. I immediately regret it. A sea of trees is blocking our path. I do not know how many of them can hit the carriage before it becomes dangerous for us to be travelling in it. I am not sure if I am up to doing anymore major repairs today either. I am not even sure how strong I will be in regards to redirecting Xandra’s magic.
“Do you see that tree; the one with the large knot about thirty yards ahead?” Dagda asks. “Focus on pushing your magic towards it. Do not engage Xandra’s magic. We are going to create a ‘wall’ if you will that will hopefully be enough resistance for Xandra’s magic to change course. Remember, this is passive magic. We are simply creating a stream from here to that tree.
If you feel resistance, pull your magic back,” he reinforces. He does not want to see his drivers hurt.
I have to say, it is a good plan. Dagda is going with the theory that her magic will take the path of least resistance instead of going on the attack. Hopefully it works. On Dagda’s count of three, the eight of us focus on the tree with the knot and create a wall of magic. Immediately, Xandra’s magic butts up against it and starts to push against ours.
“Pull back!” Dagda demands. Instantly, we all let our magic drop. “Damn it!” he growls, looking around as if trying to find something to hit or throw to ease his frustration.
“Perhaps if we try something that it is a little farther to the right,” I suggest. “Something just outside of Xandra’s stream of magic; be a little more subtle.”
Dagda glowers in my direction but I do not take it personally. “Fine,” he grumbles. Looking out the window again, he says, “That small clump of brush, aim at that.”
With a lot more trepidation than we started with, we focus our magic in that direction. There is no push of Xandra’s magic this time. There are several audible sighs of relief in the room. Apparently, the knowledge of how painful her magic can be has spread.
“Now, ease it to the left,” Dagda says. “Not too much, just an inch.
So far so good, Xandra’s magic has not engaged us yet causing Dagda’s confidence to grow. “A little more now,” he says.
Unfortunately, Xandra’s magic is too unpredictable to get overly confident about it. As soon as another slight shift is sensed by her magic, a little stream of it heads in our direction. Right towards the weakest link in the room. Radella.
“Son of a bitch,” I mutter under my breath. I have no idea how someone without strong magical powers became head of Dagda’s security team. She must have really good organizational skills. Or Dagda has been misled by her and her family. Probably the latter.
Though I dislike her a great deal, I do not want to have her writhing in pain until Xandra wakes up. Well, perhaps a small part of me does. I do not want myself in that position either, but I am stronger than Radella is. “Let go!” I say to the room in general and as soon as Radella’s magic seeps back through her, I manage to put a wedge between her and Xandra’s magic. I prepare myself for the pain that will follow.
It does not come. It does not push into me or cause me any pain at all. It is like a dog that has come to sniff my hand and not finding me a threat, it moves on. Her magic does not want to hurt me. At the moment. I suspect this is a temporary reprieve because I did not try to force it back into her. Strangely, Xandra’s magic does not feel out of control. It leaves me with a clear impression that it knows exactly what it is doing, and as long as we do not interfere, it will leave us alone. This is the first time I understand what Xandra means when she says magic feels like a sentient entity to her.
“What the hell do we do now?” Dagda grumbles, realizing this is not going to work.
He is not going to like what I have to say, but I will say it any way. “Perhaps there is nothing we can do at the moment. Xandra’s magic has proven to be too strong for us to budge.” The drivers and even Radella try to inch away from Dagda, ready for their King to explode with frustration and anger.
To all of our surprise, he starts laughing. A real belly laugh that I have not heard the likes of in years. Neither have the others from the stunned looks on their faces. After a moment, he has to catch his breath and then is finally able to speak. Shaking his head, he says, “I am so damn impressed with her abilities. Even while she is asleep, she is more powerful than anyone ever imagined possible.” He shakes his head again and muses, “My intentions may not have been admirable at the time, but what a beautiful creature I helped bring into this world.”
“Sire,” one of the drivers begins. He is an older Fairy who has worked for Dagda for years. I remember being frightened of him when I was a child. He has wild gray hair and eyebrows so thick that one could get tangled in them if standing too close. His eyelids are wrinkled and saggy, hanging over his eyes and affecting his vision. I have never understood why he did not have them repaired so he could see better. Obviously, he is not the navigator. “Do you mean for us to simply wait until your daughter wakes up? We have no idea where we are going, or what we will find when we get there.”
Dagda shrugs. “Unless you have more magic than you let on, I find no other recourse. Our combined magic is lacking in effect when compared to my daughter’s.” He is being remarkably calm about all of this.
Kegan, who has been unusually quiet the last few minutes, says, “Perhaps we should focus on Xandra herself. Try to discover why she cannot be awakened and what can be done about it. Grandmother and Tabitha may have some suggestions if we contact them.”
Dagda puts a hand on Kegan’s shoulder. “Excellent suggestion.” Looking at me, he says, “Please send a message to them both. In the meantime, I will search my library for answers and you should return upstairs. Your presence may be what is needed to draw her back to consciousness.”
Thinking back to the kiss that failed to bring her around, I doubt that. Still, I nod my head and send a message to both Grandmother and Tabitha. If there is an answer to be found, they will find it.
“Come on,” Kegan says. “Maybe by the time we are able to move through her magic to your room, Xandra will be ready to wake up.” He heads to the door without waiting for a response from me. He wants to make sure Alita is faring well more than anything.
“I will come with you as well,” Radella says.
“No.” The word comes out of both Dagda’s and my mouth at the same time. Dagda continues. “You will be nowhere near her. Understood?”
Radella’s mouth is in a grim line when she nods. Again, she is smart enough not to argue.
Chapter 6
As soon as we leave the drivers’ room and head to the stairs, the force of Xandra’s magic pushes hard against us. I did not realize what a reprieve we had in that room, which is the farthest from our bedroom upstairs. We could feel the pressure, but it was nothing like this. I can feel her magic pulsate as wave upon wave batters at us as it continues to carry us and the giant carriage west. What could she possibly want to do in the west? We have discussed her learning more about her new home, but we have not had time to begin her education considering how trouble follows Xandra around. There must be a reason but I have no idea what it is.
Kegan and I make it up the stairs and he is already quite winded. Truth be told, so am I, but I am better at hiding it. “What is the matter, cousin, not enough exercise lately?” Teasing Kegan is a little bit of normality in my new life of chaos and almost constant worry for Xandra’s safety.
“When this is over, I will be happy to discuss that with you. Outside,” he growls, taking the last step up with decided effort.
Turning towards our destination, my smug grin is wiped from my face as I too struggle to get back to Xandra. The magic is even stronger than before. Probably due to the fact that we tried to redirect it. It takes us a good twenty minutes, but we finally make it. It would have been easier with hand rails on the wall. I may suggest that to my uncle for any future trips with Xandra. I would have made some but I do not dare use magic inside of hers. I have no idea what would happen.
Alita’s skin is slightly ashen from the overwhelming magic surrounding her. She is still on the bed next to Xandra and she shakes her head in reply to the questioning look I give her. “There has been no change,” she says. “I have shouted, begged and pleaded. I have shaken her until I thought I might cause harm. Other than her eyes under her lids, she has not moved a muscle.”
Struggling to the bed, I kneel next to Xandra. I begin my own share of shouting, begging and pleading. Kegan is doing the same, but not to Xandra. He wants to get Alita downstairs where she will be less affected by Xandra’s magic. She refuses to leave her friend’s side. She is nothing if not loyal. My frustrated cousin will not be getting her to move any time soon.
As for Xandr
a, I get no more response than Alita did. No part of her moves except the slight rise of her chest with each shallow breath and her eyes, indicating that she is still dreaming. I even try kissing her again, but my ego takes another hit on that one.
“How about poking her with a pin or something?” Kegan says.
I scowl at him but it is not a bad idea. Pain is a powerful weapon. I create a sharp pin with my magic, hoping hers will let it go unnoticed as it is such a small amount. Taking a deep breath, I poke Xandra in the arm. Hard. Again, I brace myself for having her magic burn through me and again it does not. Neither did the pin cause a reaction from Xandra.
You could try a spot that is more tender,” Alita says. Just saying the words makes her feel guilty and blood rushes to her cheeks. At least she has a little bit of color now. “Maybe her abdomen?”
Why not. I am willing to try almost anything at this point. I pull back the covers, making sure she is decently clad, and then press the pin into the skin of her abdomen. It makes me cringe when it has sunk a good half inch into her soft belly, but it does not make her do anything. I pull the pin out and let the magic holding it go. I tug the covers back over her and rest my forehead on her arm. What do we do now?