by A E M
She hit something hairy. It growled and bit her arm. She screamed. The beast shook her.
“Freeze!” Vincent shouted from higher up the mountainside. His magic shot out of his ring in a cloud of black that rushed at the beast.
The beast dropped Charlotte’s arm and turned to run, but the magic caught it and it tossed it into the dirt and rocks. She looked over at the beast. Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. The beast had the body of a seal, the legs of a zebra, and the head of a dog.
Charlotte rolled over into the dirt and whimpered. What was wrong with her? She had fought! She had killed! Still the tears came. She wiped them away furiously. She heard the shuffle of Vincent’s feet as he neared. He yanked her up and all at once he was holding her and she was sobbing and he was yelling and she had no idea what he was saying. All she knew is that she was safe.
After some time he stopped yelling and whispered in her ear, “Just you wait until we get home. You haven’t even met mean me yet.”
Then he sat down on the ground and placed her in his lap. “Show me your arm.” He cleaned and bandaged her wounds. “We will go straight to the den’s hospital when we get back.”
She nodded and sat back against his chest as he called Stonebinder on his Quire to let him know about the creature and their location. They waited in silence, but it wasn’t long before the Maguard reached them and the beast was taken away in a cage. One of the dwarves handed Vincent a portal. “It will take you to the hospital.” He paused and looked down at Charlotte. “If you stay, it’s probably best to train her inside the den until we know what this is about. This isn’t the same safe world you trained in, I’m afraid. Life is changing quickly for us all.”
Vincent was tight lipped through the hospital visit. He stood, arms crossed in front of his chest, as the doctor healed Charlotte’s arm and gave her pain relief. Then he picked her back up and carried her through the hallways of the den. As soon as the protection spell went up in the room, he put her down and began to pace in front of her.
“Did that look like a walk in the park to you?” He yelled. “Did you even stop to think about what might happen if we got separated?”
“I didn’t think we would.” She answered through her tears. “The bond—”
“I can’t believe you would pull something like that.” He interrupted her. “That creature could have ripped you apart.”
“I could have burned it.” She said firmly, hands on her hips, but she was shaking in her shoes.
He laughed at the sight before him. “Foolish girl. Could you have? You barely know one thing and you think that’s enough?” He shook his head. “Do you think one day of playing with magic in the park will help you handle yourself and your magic under pressure?”
“Well, the way you talk to me, I’ll be able to do anything under pressure, won’t I?” She yelled at him.
“You really want to get into it with me? You are already in enough trouble as it is.”
“I can’t do this.” She hit the desk with her hands. “I can’t be little! I can’t be under somebody!”
“I think it falls more along the line of you don’t want to do this. You are perfectly capable of doing this. You made excellent progress today, and we almost,” he put his pointer finger and thumb close together, “got through a day without all this mess.” He waved his hand between them.
“Change me back. It’s not fair this way.” She demanded.
“Not a chance.”
She stomped her foot. “You’re enjoying this.”
“Does it look like I’m enjoying this?” He hit the top of the desk with the palm of his hand. She jumped. “Now, I’ve got things to do, like figuring out your punishment. Please, do anger me while I’m thinking that out. I’m sure that will be helpful for you.”
She sulked on her way over to the bookshelves, but she didn’t say another word. Vincent watched her as she studied each book she came across. What in the world was he to do with her now? She had gotten into serious trouble today; he would have to come down hard on her. His finger rested just above David’s picture on his Quire. He turned it off and put his hand back down on the desk. She had just lost her parents. She was still grieving. He looked back up at her.
She was watching him. Her shaking hands were holding a large book. “Some of these are in a different language.”
“German.”
“Did I really do well today?” She asked quietly.
“Other than the attitude and running off and nearly getting yourself killed?” He put his Quire away. “Yes, you did well for the rest of it.”
She put the book away and looked at the next one. He tapped his fingers on the desk. He knew she needed closure and reassurance. They both did. He hated this. He had hated it from the apprentice end, and now he hated it from the master end.
He closed his briefcase and got up. “I need to go out for a walk and see if I can learn a few things. Stay here.”
“Oh, take me.” She ran to him and grabbed his hand. “Please.”
“Not this time.” He said gruffly. “That’s part of your punishment. You’ll find out the rest when I get back.”
“Take as long as you want.”
Vincent headed down the hallway, listening in on conversations as he made the short distance to the Great Hall. There were still many visitors at the den, but it was much easier to get around than it had been the day before. He gathered from the tidbits he overheard that the Maguard had run into more beasts today. None of them were the same, and all of them had been solitary. The one that Charlotte had rolled into had been the only one taken. Vincent rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t get the sight out of his head. What was that thing?
“There must be another stronghold nearby.” A dwarf said. “It only makes sense.”
“I bet that’s why we are seeing those creatures.” Another added. “There were strange creatures around the last stronghold.”
“Who is making these creatures? Who is controlling all of this behind the scenes?”
Vincent wondered the same. Truthfully, he wanted to ask Charlotte about her experiences with the first stronghold, but right now he was too angry. He was angry with her for running off. He was angry with himself for pushing her so hard today. He was angry with himself because she had gotten hurt. He was supposed to protect her in this form, but how could he do that if she wouldn’t listen?
Stonebinder was busy discussing things with his Maguard General. Vincent didn’t see the false Vincent or Charlotte, but he did spot David in the back of the room. He guessed that Beau was either back in his homeland or on patrol. He made his way around the room slowly, listening in on all the conversations he could. There were still many whispers of Charlotte. It was good that he had left her in the room. She didn’t need to hear more verbal garbage and quite frankly, he needed a break from her. At last he stopped circling the room and sat on a bench in the middle of the room. He tensed when David sat down by him facing the opposite direction. He had no idea what David knew. He didn’t want to jeopardize the mission, but he also wanted to speak to him. Should he say something? Did he know?
“Vincent.” David whispered.
“I’m sorry. Did you say something?” He looked over at him.
“Shaving cream and permanent marker.”
Vincent smiled. “How did you know?”
“How would I not know?” David returned the smile. “I’ve only known you almost your entire life. I knew immediately that you two had been replaced by imitations. Beau knew quickly, too. You should have seen the imitation Charlotte’s face when he grabbed and kissed her.”
“But how did you know who I was?”
“You look different, but act the same.” David answered. A small group passed by. David scooted closer so their shoulders were touching. “How’s our girl doing today?”
He told him about the last couple of days.
“You know, I was thinking of making you two a present. I’m thinking a sign that says
, ‘It’s been this many hours since we’ve had an argument’.”
“Were we this surly in the beginning?”
“You were. I was fine.” David laughed.
“Great.”
“You two just rub each other the wrong way. Sorry, I know it stinks, but you’re stuck like glue now.”
“I don’t want out; I wanted perspective.”
“Keep on.” David said.
“I will.” Vincent glanced around the room. He wasn’t sure how long they should talk, but at least it would merely look like two weavers chatting.
“Where is she?” David stretched his legs out.
Vincent looked over at him. “In our room.”
“Did you lock her in?” David laughed.
“Maybe I did.” Vincent reached up to rub his face and stopped.
“Now you can’t harass me about locking you in your room or tying you to that tree.” David slapped him on the back.
“You tied yourself to another tree, D.” Vincent rolled his eyes.
“Well, we both needed to calm down.”
Vincent snorted.
“Good times, V.” David laughed. “You are my best stories.”
Vincent looked David directly in the eyes. “This morning we start to bond. Then she gets mad at me. Then she’s affectionate a few minutes later. We have a good day and now I’m mean again because I yelled at her after she didn’t listen to me and nearly got herself killed.”
David laughed. “Sound familiar?”
Vincent tapped his fingers against the bench. “I have to discipline her now, David. She’s just lost her parents.”
David sighed. “I feel like I’m having a conversation with myself after I got you.”
“I thought you might.” Vincent said.
“You only hated me for a few weeks.” David said.
“It was months.” Vincent said. “Nearly a year.”
“You know how to hold a grudge, don’t you?” David looked down at his hands. A few minutes passed with no words between them. “I can’t believe you kept that from me.”
“It wasn’t easy.” Vincent confessed. “But it became my way of getting back at you. Keeping something that big from you even with the bond.”
“You little twerp.” David chuckled. “I had no idea. I really am sorry. I would have done something if I had known.” David walked around the bench and put his arm around Vincent. “You know I had to, just like you have to, right?”
Vincent nodded. Now he understood. But it had taken him to this day to fully understand. “Can we keep in contact during this time?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Can you tell me anything else about the plans Bouldershaker and the others made?”
“Your job is your apprentice. Period. Let the rest of us work on this war. Your job is large enough as it is.”
“Now I feel like the apprentice.”
“Good.” He clapped him on the back and stood. “Remember that when you go back to the room. And by the way, you should feed her consistently. And get her to bed earlier.”
Vincent rolled his eyes and smiled. “Yes, sir.”
David snorted and walked away.
Vincent grabbed two trays of food from the cafeteria and headed back to the room. He stood outside of the door and took a deep breath. The sooner he started, the sooner they both got this over with. Besides, he had already disciplined her before as an adult for an entire day. Surely he could handle one punishment tonight. Surely she could. He released the protection and locking spells and pushed the door open. Charlotte sat at the desk reading. She kept her head bent down when he entered.
“Want some food?” He entered and put the spells back up. “I thought you might be hungry.”
She nodded and kept reading.
“Are you busy reading or busy ignoring me?” He set the plates down beside her and pulled the other chair over. “Either way you are being rude.”
“Sorry, Maven.” She set her book down, but kept her eyes away.
He sat down and gently wiggled her ear. “Protégé, have I ever told you about the time David tied me to a tree?”
“Are you serious?” She finally looked up at him.
“Completely. He was teasing me about it.”
“Did you just talk to him?” She moved some of her food around on her plate.
“Yes.”
“What did you two talk about?” She looked away, but not before he saw the tears sliding down her face. She wiped them away and went back to her food.
He tucked her hair behind her ears and smoothed it in the back. Her back straightened, but she didn’t fuss at him. “Well, I asked him if I he and I fought like you and I do a lot in the beginning. He said I was very much like you, but he was fine.”
“Do you believe him?”
“You know him a little by now. He’s always the joker, always looking at the bright side of things. Plus, he’s had many apprentices over the years. He knew what he was doing well before I came along.” He paused and set his fork down. “I know it wasn’t easy for him, though. He did lose his temper now and then.”
“Why did he tie you to a tree?”
“I think I was rude and disrespectful.”
She didn’t respond.
He nudged the book on the desk. “What are reading?”
“The History of the Den.”
“That’s a good one. I read it when I was your age.”
She glared up at him. “Which age?”
He sighed and sat back in his chair. “Look, I know this is hard.”
“Do you?” Her chin trembled. “Have you even stopped to think how hard it really would be to be this age after being an adult? Have you stopped to think that I just lost my parents and now I’m a child again and now on two levels all I want is my parents?”
“I—.”
“Have you stopped to think that the people I should turn to, I can’t? My parents are dead. Ebby is a dragon. I’m away from my hobs. I don’t have Beau, and he’s the only one I should have here. It would be nice to have my brother here, but I can’t even have that, now can I?” She stood and pushed her food across the desk. “I need somebody here who loves me and who can take care of me and I can’t have that! I’m stuck here with you!”
Vincent raised his eyebrows. “Are you quite done?”
She shoved the chair against the desk.
He fixed her with a steady glare. “Steady up now. It’s my turn.”
24
Fairy Dust
David pulled down the spell and knocked on the bedroom door. “Time for supper.”
The door cracked open. “I get supper?”
“V, when have I not fed you?”
“You’ve never called me names before.” The boy slunk back into his room.
David took the boy downstairs and fed him.
Afterwards they sat in the old rocking chair and read a book.
“Am I still in trouble?” Vincent asked later when he could hardly keep his eyes open.
“Yep.” David stretched out his legs. “Your punishment is having to have me as your family.”
Vincent smiled and settled into his chest. “Then your punishment for calling names is having me as family.”
Vincent sat up in the chair late that night reading one of Isaac’s journals. He hoped to catch the time when he had first met Audrey and thus find a useful observation about fairies tucked away. Charlotte was asleep in a sleeping bag near his feet. She had complained and cried and told him how much she hated him most of the evening. By the time he had told her that it was time for her to go to bed, she was sullen and silent. It had been a horrible evening. Every time she got worked up, her skin would start to burn and he would have to calm her down. She had hated that he was the one who was both helping her to calm down and also requiring her to keep going afterwards. He sighed and looked down at her tear stained puffy face. Tomorrow he was going to let both of them sleep in and then spend the day together exploring the
den and getting to know each other better.
He shut his Quire off and set it on the bookshelf. The lamp was off and the stars were shining on the ceiling. He let his eyes adjust to the dark room, then settled down to the floor. He wished she would wake up so he could talk to her. The bond between them was strained. She had caught onto it quickly. Would she also learn to keep things from him? He didn’t always understand her even through the bond. It wasn’t as straightforward as it was with David. David’s emotions were there out in the open. Hers were there, but there were so many all at once. Most of the time he couldn’t see straight through them. How did she manage?
A sizzling sound interrupted his thoughts. The barrier on the room fell down all at once. Vincent jumped up and stood in front of Charlotte. A gangly man in dirty jeans stepped through the doorway with a pair of snarling beasts. One of the beasts leapt forward and crouched in front of him. Vincent stared down at the head of a lion that was attached to the body of a hog. The beast roared. Charlotte screamed from behind him. Vincent carefully put his left arm behind his body where the small girl had attached to his leg. She reached for his hand. He took it and held tight.
The gangly man snickered and ran his hand through his oily hair. “Now who do we have hiding in this room: a weaver and his apprentice? But why would you two be in a Stonebinder’s personal hallway of offices?”
“Please, his grandson knows me.” Vincent said. “We were in the area and decided to visit last minute.”
“Ah, yes, the dwarf weaver.” The man took a couple of steps in the room. The second beast, which was a hog head connected to a lion’s body, followed him.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Vincent asked. Charlotte peeked around his side. He pushed her back behind him.
The man twirled a long rope in his hands. “I’ve captured the fairy girl, and now I am looking for trinkets.” He stepped forward again. “So tell me, are you trinket worthy?”