“Yes, but it took Kadon thousands of years to break free, and all magic weakens over time.”
“You mean Matt will stay trapped for thousands of years?” That was not what I wanted to hear. My eyes filled with tears again.
“Maybe you should go rest, my dear. You look like you have been though a lot this evening,” Lord Steffen suggested.
“No, I will not rest,” I screamed, throwing my arms in the air. “There has to be a way. I just have to find it.”
I teleported away, landing in a muddy field. I teleported again, landed on a rock and slipped down, cutting my knee. One more teleport should get me home. I had to believe there was a way to save Matt. Greg was the smartest person I knew. He had to know something his dad didn’t, and he owed me. I teleported home and landed at the end of the garden. Bright lights shot into the sky. Boom.
My heart almost stopped as I jumped to the side. My neighbours where setting off fireworks. I placed my hand over my heart. They did this every year on the lead-up to the new year. I usually loved to watch the free firework display; however, watching them now, I felt nothing—no excitement or joy. I wasn’t even angry anymore. I just felt numb as I looked up at the sky. My throat was dry, and my eyes stung. A loud bang echoed around me, but I didn’t flinch this time. I stood there motionless, not knowing what to do next.
Victoria came running out of the house. “Mellissa, I’m so glad you are back. I was so worried.” She grabbed my arm and bent down to my eye level. “What happened? Where did you go?”
I opened my mouth to talk, but nothing came out. My chest felt tight, and my throat was sore. She gave me a comforting pat. I shrugged it away. I didn’t deserve to be comforted.
“I can’t,” I said, “Lord Steffen said—why can’t I fix this? I’m to blame.”
Victoria put both her hands on my shoulders and bent down to meet my gaze. “I’m not sure what Lord Steffen said to you, but this is definitely not your fault. This is Kadon’s doing, and he is going to pay for what he’s done. Let’s go inside.”
Victoria took my hand and attempted to lead me inside. I pulled away from her. “No, I can’t. I need to do something.” My head was spinning. I needed to think of something. I needed Greg’s help, but he had known. He knew something was wrong but didn’t tell me. Could I really trust him now? My eyes started to well up. I couldn’t be mad at Greg. This was my fault. If I wasn’t so careless, I could have figured things out sooner. Some keeper of the Heart I was turning out to be. Victoria let go of me and headed back toward the house. I shut my eyes and felt the wind on my face. My whole body was shaking.
A hand rested on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Greg. I went to talk, but the words wouldn’t come. I was so mad at him, but at the same time, I wasn’t. I buried my face in his shirt and hugged him. “I don’t know what to do.”
Greg leant back so we were looking at one another. He wiped away the tears rolling down my cheeks and tilted his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any answers for you at the moment. For now, you need to go get some rest.”
“No,” I said, pushing him away from me. “Will everyone stop telling me to rest? I need you to help figure out how to save Matt.”
“I understand you’re upset—”
“No, you don’t. Matt was my friend, and I let this happen. This is all my fault.”
“None of this is your fault. I will help you find a way to save Matt, but first, you need to rest. You have used a lot of magic this evening.”
“What does it matter? Your dad told me I can’t break my own spell.”
“My father doesn’t know everything. We will figure this out, but you have to allow yourself time to recover.”
I looked at the ground. I was exhausted, and my whole body ached. My stupid human body needed to catch up with all of my magic usage. My eyes were sore from all the crying. My legs felt like jelly. I wasn’t sure how I was still standing. I took Greg’s hand and let him walk me back to the house. Victoria was by the door with her arms crossed.
Greg healed the cuts on my hand and knee before leaving me to get some sleep. I pulled off my mud-soaked clothes and replaced them with dry pyjamas. Their softness didn’t feel right against my skin. I curled up in a ball and drifted off.
I woke up in a sweat, my heart racing. I lay still and patted myself down. It had all been a dream, and I was still in one piece. I had dreamt of Matt. He had merged with the tree and told me I was a failure. Everything was my fault. Kadon appeared out of nowhere and captured Greg and Victoria. I tried to save them, but I couldn’t. Kadon had me beat and was about to make the final blow when I’d woken up.
My bed felt hard for some reason. I put my hand down beside me. Instead of feeling my soft sheets, it was damp and cold. I sat up and shivered. My eyes widened. In front of me was a tree, and another stood beside me. I looked around. I’d somehow woken up in the forest. Had I teleported in my sleep? That seemed to be the only explanation. I’d managed to bring my quilt with me. I bundled it up and teleported back to my bedroom.
I couldn’t get back to sleep after that. I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened and what I could have done to change things. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t change the past. I was also worried about where I might wake up next if I went back to sleep. I wasn’t sure if I should tell anyone about what happened. I didn’t need them obsessing over my powers when there were more important things to be thinking about. Plus, it was the first time it’d happened. It could just be a one-off.
I had to focus on what was happening now. I wouldn’t stop until I found a way to free Matt. I also had to be ready for Kadon if he attacked again. We had barely survived our last encounter with him. I had no idea what his plans were or when he would be back, but I knew he wanted revenge, and that would involve killing me.
I went to see if Greg was awake. I figured he would have some books with ideas on how to save Matt. As I went to knock on his door, I heard him talking to someone. I opened the door a crack to see who was in there with him. I peeked inside, but there was no one there. Instead, he was on the bed talking to his glowing circular communication thing. He seemed to be arguing with someone. I could just about hear what he was saying. There was more than one voice on the other end. The council. They wanted him to bring me to their headquarters right away. Greg was arguing against their decision. I really didn’t want to go back there, but with everything that had happened, I knew I would have to face them soon. I shut the door and headed downstairs. I could look at books later. My dad was already up.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.
“Like someone stomped on my chest, but better than last night.”
My dad hugged me. “Victoria explained everything to me. I’m sorry about Matt. I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
I followed him into the kitchen. My jaw dropped. The kitchen was back to normal. The massive hole in the side of the house was gone, and everything was back in its place. There was no evidence of yesterday’s fight. My dad smiled at me. “Greg fixed it all with a spell. His magic just saved me a massive bill fixing the place.”
I sat at the table, and my dad made us breakfast. Harkura came in from outside, bowing to me and wishing us a good morning. I told him he didn’t have to be so formal, but he insisted it wasn’t right that a commoner like himself refer to me by only my first name. Harkura had set up a tent in our garden as he didn’t want to stay in the house. Being outside meant he would be alerted first if there was an attack.
“Harkura, do you know any other types of magic?” I asked. Hopefully, he might know something that could help free Matt.
He shook his head. “As a water nymph with fire abilities, I wasn’t able to take part in most magic lessons taught, as they were all water-based. I learnt everything I know from a warlock who lived near my village.”
He went on to tell us more about his village and upbringing. It was
interesting listening to Harkura and just the distraction I needed. He hadn’t had it easy being the only wielder of fire magic amongst a village built for those with water magic. He wasn’t sure where his powers came from. It was assumed that some distant relative in his family must not have been a water nymph.
Greg came downstairs to join us after what seemed like hours talking with the council. He didn’t look like he had good news. I was right. He informed us that the council had demanded my presence in order to prepare for Kadon’s next attack. He’d tried to convince them to wait, but they insisted on having me there now. I really didn’t want to go. The thought of going back again just reminded me of how I’d failed Matt. In addition, I didn’t really believe I could stand up to Kadon’s power. But I had to try, didn’t I? It was my responsibility as the keeper of the Heart Crystal. So, I agreed to go.
Harkura said he would go wherever I went, as it was his duty to protect me. He took his duty as a guardian very seriously, even more so than Victoria. I called Victoria to see if she would come with us. Of course, she agreed. She had gone home last night to talk to her parents. I didn’t think I could ever face them again. Mr. and Mrs. Street had always been so nice to me, and I had taken their son from them. I wouldn’t blame them if they hated me for the rest of their lives. I went upstairs to prepare myself to go back to the magic world.
I found myself staring out the window. I didn’t feel like myself. My whole body was tense. My heart was heavy, weighing me down. So much was expected from me. I didn’t even have time to get over losing Matt. I hadn’t had any time to try finding a solution to the problem. So much had changed in my life in such a short amount of time. It was all too much. I just wanted to curl up in my bed and hide away from the world.
There was a knock on my door. It was Greg. Everything had changed when I met him. He informed me that Victoria had arrived and everyone was ready to leave. I followed him downstairs where the others were waiting. They all grabbed hold of me, and I teleported us to Novosvillas.
“Wait, is this Novosvillas?” Greg asked. “This is the farthest you’ve ever teleported. Your powers are growing significantly.”
“Yeah, well, obviously not enough.” I rolled my eyes at him. “I can get us to the council in two more teleports.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Greg asked.
How could he ask such a stupid question? Of course, I wasn’t okay. How could I be with everything that had just happened? Kadon was free because of me, and my best friend was trapped. I felt like I was about to explode.
“No, I’m not okay,” I shouted. “Why would I be? I know I said I would do this, but I just can’t. How can you expect me to go back and help them again? The last time I did that, I lost Matt. This time, it could be Victoria, and they will just keep taking people from me until I have no one.”
“Mellissa, calm down. Nothing is going to happen to me,” Victoria said, putting her hand out.
I shook my head. “Matt told me everything would be all right, but it wasn’t. I don’t want you or Harkura to risk your lives being my guardians.”
“Your Majesty, it is an honour to be your guardian,” Harkura said. “I know we have only just met, but I truly believe in your ability as queen.”
“I know you mean well, Harkura, but I am no queen. I’m just a human girl thrown into a world of magic. I have no idea what I am doing.”
“Mellissa, I know you’re upset about Matt, but you can’t let that hold you back,” Greg said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “We need you. You are the only one that could possibly stand up to Kadon.”
“No!” I screamed, hitting his arm away. “I am not doing this. This is not my problem; it’s yours. Why should I ruin my life to help you? This is a problem of the magic world, and I’m not from here, so it isn’t my responsibility.”
“Do you really think this is just a problem for the magic world? Once Kadon is done getting his revenge on us, do you truly believe that he won’t come after the humans? Kadon still hates humans. He will go after them too, and you along with them.” I could tell by Greg’s tone he was annoyed with me. “Even if you try to deny it, you can’t change your ancestry.”
“I am done listening to you, Greg. Listening to you is what got me into this mess in the first place. I wish we had never met!” I yelled, throwing my arm to the side.
The ground shook, and a massive crack appeared. Cries of passersby echoed as they stumbled. I looked down at my hand, wide-eyed. Had I just done that? Both Harkura and Victoria looked shocked at my outburst. Greg looked like I’d just slapped him in the face. I turned away and teleported home, leaving them all in the middle of Novosvillas.
Gregory
Greg took a deep breath to keep himself composed. His body was tense, and his jaw was sore from forcing himself to keep a straight face. All those months ago, when he had first been called to meet with the council, he’d been so nervous. He’d thought he had been given a great honour. The second time he’d been in this room, he had been so proud of himself. He had brought them the keeper of the Heart Crystal and finally achieved something significant. However, right now, as he stood listening to the council, he felt no pride. He was not nervous. He was annoyed. He stood with his hands behind his back so no one could see his clenched fists. It was all he could do to keep his annoyance from showing.
“How could you come back here without her?” asked Lord Ping.
Lord Ping was the leader of the fairies, and he was not the first person to ask that question. Greg had already explained what happened, but they didn’t seem to be getting it.
“As I have already said, she refused to come,” Greg replied.
“You should have made her come,” Lord Ping snapped.
“Please, tell me, how I am meant to get a teleporter to go somewhere against their will?”
“You could have overpowered her.”
“There isn’t anyone in this room that could overpower her. Is that not the reason you want her here to begin with?”
Lord Ping curled his mouth and lowered his brow. “Do not forget who you are addressing, boy.”
Greg gritted his teeth. He hadn’t forgotten who he was talking to. He just couldn’t believe that the people that were meant to be leading the world of magic were being so petty. They were scared, which was understandable—they would be stupid not to be—but going over why Mellissa hadn’t returned with him was a waste of time. This was time they should be spending coming up with a plan to stop Kadon.
“We should send someone else to go collect the girl,” suggested Chancellor Den. “We entrusted too much responsibility to someone so young.”
“It doesn’t matter who you send; she won’t come,” Greg said. “She needs time to get over what’s happened to her friend. She will come around. Mellissa won’t let Kadon destroy the world.”
“This is a council matter, and we did not ask your opinion,” snapped Ping.
“I believe your judgement is impaired, Gregory,” Den said.
“I am thinking very clearly, thank you.”
“You are too emotionally involved,” Den said. “You overstepped in the position you were given. You have blurred the line between colleagues and friends, which never ends well. We cannot trust your opinion on the matter any longer.”
Lady Gabrielle put her hand up, and the two fairies stopped talking. Everyone at the table turned to look at her. “Gregory’s opinion is the only one that matters. He is the only one of us that actually knows the girl. If we want her on our side, we must act with compassion and be considerate of what she is feeling right now. Trying to force her here will only push her further away.”
Lord Ping frowned but didn’t say anything. Den put his finger to his mouth. “Perhaps you are right. The girl is a teleporter, after all. We wouldn’t be able to make her stay even if we somehow managed to get her here.”
Greg wanted to shout but held his tongue. That was exactly what he’d said. Why did it take Lady Gabrielle saying it for them
to finally get it?
“Are you certain Mellissa will return in time?” Lady Gabrielle asked.
“She will be here when we need her,” Greg replied.
“Thank you, Gregory. You are dismissed.”
Greg bowed and left the room. That had been the biggest waste of four hours. He understood their initial shock of him returning alone, but the meeting shouldn’t have taken that long. He’d repeated himself so many times he had lost count. Although, his father had been uncommonly quiet. He had expected him to question him along the same lines as Lord Ping, yet he’d hardly said a word.
Greg went to the tearooms. He got himself a drink and sat at a table. There wasn’t much else he could do right now. This was a council matter, after all, and his opinion wasn’t wanted. He wasn’t sure if he would be staying here or if he would be sent back to Novosvillas. He hoped to just be sent home. He’d had enough of the council, and he hadn’t been properly home in a long time. It was overdue. That decision would ultimately be up to his father, but did he have to listen? He was an adult.
He didn’t have to listen to any of them. Greg stirred his drink. Yet, that was exactly what he had done, and by doing so, he had messed up big-time. If he hadn’t done everything the way the council wanted, maybe Mellissa wouldn’t have gotten to the Tree of Time too late. He should have listened when she said she didn’t want to meet with them. After spending four hours going around in circles, he could understand why Mellissa had freaked out when she first met them. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realised how pushy they all were before. They acted like children when things didn’t go the way they wanted.
Greg jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Is it all right if I join you?” his father asked.
“Of course,” Greg said. “Has the council come to a decision, then?”
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