Crystal Heart

by Whitney Morris

  “Let him go,” I shouted. Focusing all my energy at the tree, I fired rays of light. Matt fell to the ground as the shadow whimpered back. I released a pulse of bright light into the sky. It lit up the entire city. The shadow retreated back into the tree.

  Grabbing hold of a part of the tree with both hands, I began reciting the sealing incantation. “Disseptum.” A circle appeared beneath my feet again, and the same circle was mirrored on the tree. “Signo que claudant abesse.” I could feel the crystal, illuminated with power, floating in front of me. The magic circle beneath me started to pulse and shift shape. My entire body glowed. Light spread all over the tree. The spell was working. The light dispersed, and everything was calm.

  I let out a sigh of relief. My heart was still pounding. I had never been so scared in my life. I had no idea how, but I had done it. My throat clogged as I recalled the hits Matt and Victoria had taken. They were the reason I had managed to pull this off. I turned around quickly, shouting their names. Matt was still on the ground, with Greg knelt beside him. Greg’s hands glowed as he ran them over Matt’s head. I ran to his side.

  “Don’t worry. He is all right,” Greg said.

  “What about Victoria?” I asked, frantically looking around the courtyard.

  “I’m fine, just a few bruises.” Victoria walked toward us with a hand on her shoulder as she rolled her neck. “Matt got the worst of it, but Flopsey here is pretty good at healing magic. I guess he has his uses.” There was a slight hint of worry in her voice. When it came down to it, she did care about her brother.

  Greg turned round to look at her. “That is not my name, and I would like it if you didn’t continue to use that ridiculous rabbit name.”

  She shrugged. “Whatever, Flopsey.” She slumped down on the other side of Matt. With her legs crossed, she looked at her nails.

  I knelt beside Greg. “I have no idea how she does it, but she managed to not use my name for a whole year once.”

  I took hold of Matt’s hand. He was breathing, which was always a good sign. A healer I was not. I was just going to have to trust that Greg knew what he was doing. He muttered some words I didn’t understand, and his hands went from yellow to green. He waved them over Matt, and the cuts on his body began to disappear. Useful had been an understatement. Even though I knew Greg had healed me back on the boat, I hadn’t been awake to witness it. Healing magic was amazing.

  Greg leant back. “All his wounds are healed. He will just need some rest to fully recover.”

  I looked up at the sky. Small flakes of light sprinkled over us as the ray of light I had shone over the city dispersed. I put my hand out and caught some of the small specks of light. They felt warm on my skin. I had no idea how I had managed to produce all that energy.

  Greg put his hand on my shoulder. “Let me see your arm.”

  In the heat of things, I’d forgotten about my injured arm. I showed him my burns.

  He took hold of my arm with one hand and hovered the other over my wound. “Sanum quod fit.” His hand glowed green, and my wound disappeared.

  I turned my freshly healed arm over. There were no marks left from the burn. “Amazing.” I was hit by a sudden memory. “Hey, I don’t remember those shadows that attacked us back home burning.”

  Greg looked up at the sky. “Maybe they weren’t as strong. Anyway, you don’t need to worry about that now. You did it. You should be proud.”

  I was proud, but there was also another feeling bugging me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. Things never would have gotten this bad if I hadn’t freaked out earlier and just cast the spell. Matt was injured all because I couldn’t handle the pressure. Yes, I had achieved what I thought was impossible, but my friends had gotten hurt along the way.

  “I do believe I’ve earned a long soak in that magnificent bathtub,” Victoria said.

  She definitely had. She was magnificent. Not once did I see her hesitate, and she had come to Matt’s rescue in an instant. I had been too scared to move. She was a true warrior.

  “What on earth happened here?” asked a stern voice, making me jump. We all turned in the direction of the voice. I gulped. It was Lady Gabrielle. Behind her was a bunch of other people. All the commotion must have caught their attention. All the lights were now on in the building. We appeared to have woken everyone up. “I will ask one more time. What is going on here?”

  “Lady Gabrielle,” Greg said, getting up and bowing to her. “We are sorry to wake you all at this hour, but after meeting with the council, Mellissa decided that maybe it wasn’t best to wait. We came out here to assist while she performed the sealing spell.”

  “You mean she has done it? Kadon is sealed?” Lady Gabrielle asked. The shocked tone in her voice was not appreciated. Then again, I hadn’t made the best first impression.

  “Yes, madame, it is done. Mellissa has resealed Kadon in the Tree of Time.”

  Everyone seemed to perk up, suddenly realising that Kadon’s dark shadow was gone. They talked amongst themselves. From what I could hear, they seemed happy.

  “This is wonderful news, but what happened to him?” Lady Gabrielle pointed at Matt on the ground.

  “I’m afraid that things were not quite as simple as initially anticipated, and he was injured. However, I have checked him over and healed his injuries,” Greg said.

  “Very well. You two over there, get him across to the infirmary so he can sleep it off.” Lady Gabrielle waved at two bystanders.

  They bowed to her and hurriedly did as she requested. From out of nowhere, they produced a stretcher and moved Matt onto it and carried him inside. I wanted to follow, but as I stood, I was swarmed by people. They were all so excited and asked questions about what happened. I answered the best I could, but for some reason, I wasn’t feeling well.

  “Enough. Everyone give the girl some room to breathe.” Lady Gabrielle cleared a route through all the people so we could go back inside. “Let us all go inside. She can tell us the tale of what occurred here and how she has saved us all.”

  Her tone had completely changed. No longer was she looking down at me, unimpressed. I knew I was not what they’d expected, and my earlier stunt, running off, hadn’t helped her opinion of me. However, everyone was now looking up to me and were overjoyed by my presence. It was strange. I hated being the centre of attention like this, but thankfully, I wasn’t completely lost for words as I was before.

  Everyone headed inside. As I walked, my body suddenly grew weak, and everything was blurry. I felt light-headed and I heard someone shout my name as everything went black.

  Gregory

  Greg’s chest tightened as he saw Mellissa crumble before him. He quickly leant forward and grabbed her. He managed to catch her just before she hit the ground. Victoria screamed Mellissa’s name, but she was out cold.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Victoria shouted, kneeling in front of him. “She was fine just a moment ago. She was talking with us like normal.”

  This was the first time since meeting her that he had seen Victoria look truly frightened. As much as she went about dismissing Mellissa and intimidating her, she seemed to be genuinely concerned. This went beyond her duty as her guardian. She was more concerned than when he was healing her brother. Maybe it was because Mellissa’s reaction had been delayed. Whereas, she had seen what had happened to Matt. His condition made sense, so it must have been easier to manage her worry. Victoria’s worry mimicked exactly what he was feeling, but he couldn’t let that show. He was a healer, and he had to do his job.

  “What is your evaluation?” Lady Gabrielle asked.

  Greg waved his hand over Mellissa head. “Magic exhaustion.”

  “She is going to be all right then?” Victoria asked.

  “Yes,” Greg said. “She used more magic than her body is used to. She will sleep for a while, but she should recover on her own.”

  Lady Gabrielle gestured two people over. “Take the keeper to her quarters where she will be more comfortab
le.”

  With a click of their fingers, a stretcher was produced. Greg helped them move Mellissa onto it and watched as they took her away. Victoria followed them. Greg wanted to go with her, but Lady Gabrielle put her hand on his shoulder. She then turned to everyone. “Nothing to see here. Everyone back to your rooms.” She waved her arms at them, and they all did as she said.

  Greg stayed where he was as everyone left. Once the corridor was empty, Lady Gabrielle gestured for him to follow her. He did as he was told. She led him to her office and pointed at a chair.

  “Take a seat, Gregory.”

  Greg sat in the chair. “What is this all about? I thought you would be happy.”

  “I am happy, but I am also concerned,” she said, walking over to a cabinet. She opened one of the drawers and started flicking through some papers.

  “Concerned? I know it looks bad, but Mellissa will be fine and so will Matt.” He hoped he managed to keep the worry out of his voice.

  Lady Gabrielle picked out a couple of papers from the pile and went and sat at her desk. “That’s not what I mean. I trust in your ability as a healer.”

  “Oh, thank you. What is concerning you then?”

  “I am concerned about Lady Mellissa’s future. She has great power, just like you said, but she is not ready.”

  “I don’t understand. She has completed the task we asked of her.”

  Lady Gabrielle interlaced her fingers. “You cannot repeat what I am about to tell you. Only the council knows about this, but I believe you are in the best position to help her. After you went to show the keeper her quarters, the council continued to discuss matters. There is an overwhelming number that do not wish to let the girl leave now that she is here.”

  Greg leant forward in his seat. “What?”

  “They wish to reinstate the elf monarchy. They want to make her queen, whether she likes it or not.”

  He shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course they would want her to become queen. However, it would be nothing but a PR stunt—something to make the people happy and hopefully encourage them to overlook the real problems. One thing was for sure: Mellissa wouldn’t like it, and she wouldn’t be as easy to keep here as they thought.

  “You can’t let the council do that. She knows the responsibility she has as the keeper of the Heart Crystal. She has already proved she will help us when needed, but you can’t force her into a life she doesn’t want. That would be bad for all parties. Do they really want to turn Mellissa against them?”

  Lady Gabrielle’s whole body seemed to relax. “I am so happy you responded like that. You have grown so much in your absence. You are looking at the big picture and the effects a decision like this could have on the people involved.”

  Greg would’ve liked to think he was considering all those involved, but really, his main concern was Mellissa. He may not have gone looking to make friends when he left, but he couldn’t deny that was what happened. He’d gotten to know Mellissa and knew this wouldn’t make her happy. Greg knew what it was like living under the scrutiny of the council. He wouldn’t let that happen to her.

  Lady Gabrielle pushed the papers across her desk. “I happen to agree with you.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. I feel the only reason certain members are so eager for her to become queen now is so they can manipulate her lack of knowledge of this world. That is why I want you to fill out this form.” She handed him the papers. “I will be putting it forward to the council that the girl return home and continue to learn about magic there. When she feels ready, she can then return to this world and take up her position as queen.”

  Greg looked at the form. “What does me filling out this form got to do with your motion?”

  “I want you to apply to go back with her, to continue teaching her. You cannot tell me you did not enjoy your time in the human world. I believe Lady Mellissa is as good an influence on you as you are on her.” Greg wasn’t sure what to say. Lady Gabrielle took his hands in hers. “Just think about it. Although, if you want your father onside, I suggest you exaggerate the situation. Make him think Mellissa needs extra training even more than she does. Now, I think you should go get some rest. It is very late.”

  Greg got up. “I will definitely think about it.”

  “Oh, and one more thing before you go.”

  “What is it?”

  “What is Lady Mellissa’s favourite colour?”

  “Why do you need to know that?”

  “I think a celebration is in order. Kadon has been resealed. The girl deserves a party in her honour before she leaves.”

  “It’s pink.” Greg shook his head. “Wait, why do I know that?”

  “Good night, Gregory.” She gave him a wave as he left.

  Greg made his way back to his room. On this stay, he was lucky enough to be able to stay with Samson, meaning he wouldn’t have to explain himself to his father. He hoped Samson would be asleep when he got back, but he was not. He wanted to know all about what happened when Mellissa had sealed Kadon. Instead of getting rest, he ended up telling his cousin everything that had happened, while trying to not overthink what Lady Gabrielle had suggested to him.

  Greg woke bright and early as usual. He got himself ready for the day, but just as he was about to leave the room, he paused at the door. He may be back in the magic world, but for some reason, he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. What was he leaving this room to do? Greg lay back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Now that Kadon was sealed, he didn’t have a purpose anymore. He’d thought that when he returned, he would be happy. His dad would be proud of his achievements, and he would go back to his old life. So what was this he was feeling? Maybe this wasn’t what he wanted anymore. Had it ever been what he wanted? He had spent so long trying to live up to his father’s expectations that he hadn’t realised that everything he had done was not truly what he had wanted, but what was expected of him. Lady Gabrielle had given him the option to do something else. He hadn’t considered returning to the human world. He hadn’t thought it was a possibility, but maybe that was what he should do.

  “Greg, are you actually going to do anything today?” Samson asked, standing in the doorway.

  “I thought you were on messenger duty for the council,” Greg replied.

  “I am, but I came to check on you after I found out no one had seen you all morning. It is nearly seven o’clock, and you haven’t left this room.”

  Greg shot up. “Did you say seven?” Samson nodded. “Then it is late enough to go check on her.” Greg walked past his cousin and headed down the corridor.

  “What is significant about seven o’clock?” Samson asked, following him.

  “Mellissa is not a morning person like us. She would actually consider seven early.”

  “Seven o’clock early? That’s insane.”

  “I know, but you get used to the odd human behaviour after a while.”

  Samson put his hand on Greg’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I don’t know. You just seem different.”

  “Different isn’t always bad.”

  “I guess not.”

  Greg patted Samson’s arm. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Now, you go back to your council duties, and I will do my job as a healer and check up on a patient.”

  Samson smirked while raising an eyebrow. “But are you just checking on a patient?”

  “Of course.” Greg flashed a smile at Samson and ran down the corridor. He skidded around the corner, narrowly missing a member of staff. He didn’t stop until he reached Mellissa’s room.

  Greg knocked on the door. He heard fast-moving footsteps, and the door swung open. He was greeted by a glare from Victoria. “It is about time you got here.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him through the sitting room and into one of the bedrooms. She pointed at Mellissa asleep in the bed. “Why isn’t she awake yet?”

  “She hasn’t stirred at all?” Greg
asked.

  “No, she hasn’t twitched all night. You’re a healer. Do something.”

  Greg walked over to the bed and checked Mellissa’s pulse. He waved his hand over her head while whispering a healing spell. There was no response. There wasn’t anything medically wrong with her. Greg turned back to Victoria. “Her condition hasn’t changed. She just needs more time to recover.”

  “I have depleted my magic before, and it didn’t take me this long to recover,” Victoria said. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Maybe I should get another healer to check.”

  “Magic depletion and magic exhaustion are not the same thing,” Greg replied. “Magic depletion is when you use up all your magic. It varies from person to person, but we all have our limits. Magic exhaustion is different and is less common. It happens when you use magic you are physically not ready to.”

  “How would she have been able to pull off those techniques if she wasn’t ready?”

  “Because I fast-tracked her training. The way you and I learnt magic is not the way I taught Mellissa. We learned lower level spells first, which allowed our bodies to adjust slowly to the use of magic. I went straight to higher level techniques when teaching Mellissa because it was what was necessary at the time.”

  Victoria clenched her fist. “This is your fault.” For a moment, he thought she meant to hit him. He knew he could block any attack she threw at him, but he wasn’t sure he should.

  “I know. I didn’t think about the consequences at the time.”

  Victoria unclenched her fist, but her jaw was still tensed. “I guess it isn’t really your fault. Time wasn’t on our side, and she picked it up so quickly none of us thought it would affect her negatively. You’re still an idiot though.”

  That was almost Victoria being nice, until she added that insult on the end. He didn’t blame her for being mad at him. She was just worried about Mellissa, but there wasn’t anything he could do.