Steffen walked round the table and sat down. “Yes, it has.”
“Will we be returning home?”
“No. Novosvillas is to be evacuated. All of our soldiers have been called to the capital, so there will be no one left to protect the city. Our people will go to one of the other two changeling cities. The fairy and warlock armies will also be making their way here.”
“Is it really a good idea for us all to gather in one place?”
“Kadon is too strong. We must throw everything we have at him if we wish to stand a chance against him. Which means combining all our armies here.”
Greg looked down at the table. He really hoped this conversation wasn’t about to take the turn he thought it was. “And what would you have me do?”
“Nothing. I just want to spend some time with my son. I have hardly seen you over the past few months.” His father gave him a weary smile. “I will get you another drink and one of those cream cakes you like.”
Steffen got up and walked over to the counter. Greg leant on his arm. Something was wrong. His father didn’t seem like himself. Maybe being on the cusp of a war was getting to him. It took the world falling into chaos for his father to want to spend time with him. Steffen returned with a tray of drinks. He sat down and placed a slice of cake in front of Greg.
“When you were little, whenever I brought you here, that cake was all you would eat.”
“That’s only because you let me get away with it. Anna was very strict about letting me eat sweet things.”
“Yes, my assistant probably looked after you more than she should have. It was never meant to be part of her job. I should have been around more.”
“I have no complaints about my childhood. I always had everything I needed. There is no need to feel bad.”
“Hard times are coming. I am allowed to wish I had been around more when you were growing up. I realise I have spent most of my time pushing you, but I don’t think I have ever told you how proud I am of you.”
Greg’s jaw dropped. “You are?”
“Of course I am. I’m sorry that I didn’t make that clear to you. You have achieved so much at such a young age. I just wanted to push you to be the best you could be, but I realise that maybe I didn’t go about it in the best way. I pushed you away instead of taking you under my wing.”
Greg tilted his head. “Thank you.” This was surreal. Greg had worked so long to get his father to be proud of him. However, he never expected him to apologise for anything. His father had always been too proud to even consider that he may have been wrong about something.
Steffen leant forward and put his hands together. “Now, about Miss Hail.”
Greg slumped back. It had all been too good to be true. He’d just been buttering him up so he could force his agenda upon him. “Father, there isn’t anything else I can tell you that I haven’t already told the council.”
“That is not what I meant.” Steffen looked at his hands and took a deep breath. He looked back up at Greg. “You are not to blame for what happened with her. I should have listened when you said she wasn’t ready. I pushed you into coming back, and I may have caused a problem for you.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t really belong there anyway.”
“Do you remember that cliffside I used to take you to on your birthday to see the fireworks?” Greg nodded. His birthday was on summer solstice, and there were always festivities. He’d loved it when his dad showed him that spot on the cliff. It was their own private viewing area, and you could see the whole city from up there. “I never did understand why you used to get so excited about it all. When this is all over, I think you should take Miss Hail there. Someone like her will appreciate it a lot more than I ever could.”
Greg looked down at his hands. “I am not exactly on speaking terms with her.”
Mellissa probably would love it there, but he was the last person she would want to go with. He didn’t know how everything had gone so wrong between them. He wasn’t sure how he could fix things—that was, if there was a relationship left to fix. Maybe when it came down to it, they were just too different. They were from different worlds after all.
“I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but you are right—she will come back here. However, I don’t think it will just be because we need her. She will come because of you. When she does return, you shouldn’t hold anything back.” Steffen chuckled to himself. “I will be honest with you, Lady Gabrielle had to point this out to me. I feel so silly for not seeing it myself.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I think you know. I understand if you don’t want to talk to me about it. I never was around for all that stuff with girls and whatnot.” Steffen got up. “I have a few things to get sorted, but I will see you later. I’ll buy you dinner if I can.”
“That would be nice,” Greg said.
Steffen nodded at him and walked away.
Greg watched as his father left the tearooms. Had that whole conversation really just happened? He turned back and looked at his uneaten cake. He smiled as he picked up a fork.
Then a feeling of dread shot through him. That conversation had been weird, almost like his father was trying to make up for lost time because he didn’t have much left. Was there something he hadn’t told him? Were things worse than the council had let on? Greg shook his head. He couldn’t think like that. He had to believe everything was going to work out. He believed in Mellissa. She may hate him right now, but she wouldn’t let this world plunge into chaos. He was the only one here that had seen Kadon’s power. He was extremely powerful, but it hadn’t been the first time he’d sensed power like that. Mellissa’s power was just as fierce. She would be able to stop him.
Mellissa
You can’t do this,” a male voice shouts at me.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I thought you would understand.”
“Understand what?” A pair of grey eyes tear through me. “Now that you are going to be queen, you think you are too good for me?”
“That is not true. You know we don’t work. We both have a duty to our people, and our beliefs are just too different.”
“You elves think you’re better than the rest of us.”
“That is not true. You know my vision has always been for us to live as one people—not separated by race, but as the people of the land.”
He laughs. “You are delusional, Freya.”
“The elves and humans already live in harmony. Why not the rest of us?”
“You keep your human pets, because that’s all they are.”
“No, they are not. They are people like you and me.”
“Don’t insult me. You are a fool, Freya. I can’t believe I loved someone so naïve.”
“You have no heart. You don’t know how to love, Kadon.”
Kadon steps from the shadows. Darkness glimmering in his eyes. “I will show you how misguided you are. One day, your world will come crashing down.”
“Is that a threat?”
“A promise.” He marches out of the room.
I stare at the spot he was standing. How had I never realised what he really was before? I had been blinded by love, but I was blind no more.
I was shocked from sleep. Freya and Kadon had been together. The prince at the ball, the boy by the river and at the market—they had all been Kadon. The crystal had been trying to get me to understand their history. His hate for Freya ran so much deeper than her simply stopping him from enslaving humans. This fight was personal for him.
I ran to the guest room, but it was empty. Greg was gone. How could I forget? I had left him in Novosvillas eight days ago. Harkura had come to me that evening and informed me that Greg had carried on to the council alone. I had been so awful to him. Yet, he was the first person I wanted to tell about my dream. Surely we could use this knowledge to our advantage, but there was no “we,” not anymore. I slunk back to my room and got ready for school.
The Christmas h
olidays were over. Harkura would walk me to school and pick me up to make sure I was safe. Victoria would guard me during the day. We hadn’t talked about what happened in Novosvillas. In fact, we barely spoke at all. I went from class to class, barely listening, feeling numb inside. I missed Matt. It was hard without him. Lord Steffen had told me I couldn’t break the spell, but I didn’t let that stop me.
Every evening, I would go home and read Greg’s books. He’d left a ton behind. I would find a way to save Matt on my own. My skills had already grown significantly by practicing the different incantations and spells from out of the books. No help required. I didn’t need Greg. From now on, I would teach myself. I was determined to find something I could use. However, nothing I had learnt so far helped with freeing Matt. I also hadn’t heard from Greg since our argument. I regretted everything I had said to him. I kept telling myself I didn’t need his help, but it wasn’t really a matter of need but want. It was strange how he had become such a big part of my life. I didn’t like how we left things. I wanted to see him.
Once again, when the school day was over, I sat in the corner of the living room surrounded by books, practising spells. I was still in the corner when my dad got in that evening. The last week, he’d pretty much left me to it. He would poke his head in, see that I was practising magic, and leave. However, this evening, he came and sat in one of the armchairs. He put his hands together and leant forward, placing his arms on his knees. “Mellissa, we need to talk.”
I glanced at him over the book I was reading. “What is it, Dad?”
“You haven’t been yourself the last few days. You spend all your free time in that corner looking at those books. I am worried about you.”
“I’m fine. Just busy. Someone has to find a way to free Matt.”
My dad looked up at the ceiling and shuffled his feet. “Sweetie, what are you going to do if there isn’t a way?”
I slammed the book down. “Failure isn’t an option. It was my hesitation that got Matt trapped. I will never stop looking for a solution.”
My dad rubbed his hands together. He was fidgety this evening. “And what about Greg?”
“What about him?”
“What does he think of what you’re doing?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” I didn’t understand why my dad was bothered about what Greg thought. I didn’t need his opinion on any of this. He had chosen to leave. Although, thinking about it, he may not have had much of a choice. On the other hand, I may have given him a push.
“You mean you haven’t spoken to him since he went home?” my dad asked.
“No. Why would I?”
“I thought he was your friend and that he was helping you with all this magic stuff. Do those books not belong to him?”
I tightened my grip on the book in my hands. “Yes, they do. It’s just—well, we may not have parted on good terms.”
“I know you’re upset about Matt, but you shouldn’t push your other friends away.”
Why did he instantly think it was me that was the problem? I wasn’t pushing anyone away. I hung my head. That was a lie. I was definitely pushing them away. I hardly spoke to Victoria during the day at school. I tried to keep Harkura at a distance, since I didn’t want to get to know and care about my new guardian. If I did, it would only hurt more if I lost him too. I regretted everything I had said to Greg, but I hadn’t attempted to apologise because he was better off without me in his life. I was a danger to everyone around me. I had doomed my best friend, and I didn’t want to end up hurting anyone else I cared about.
I looked up at my dad. “I don’t mean to push them away. I just don’t know what to do.”
My dad sat back in the chair. “Tell me what the problem is, and I might be able to help. I may not know magic, but I know how people work.”
“They want me to stand and fight, but I said no. I refused to go back to the magic world, and I left Greg to return on his own.”
“They want you to what?” my dad exclaimed. “How can they expect you to fight? You are just a child.”
“Dad, I’m eighteen. I’m not a child anymore.” I pulled the crystal from round my neck and dangled it in front of him. “You see, this is what is known as a life crystal. It has great power. It was created by the gods to bring balance to the worlds, and I am the only one that can use it. There are two other life crystals, and Kadon has one of them.”
“Kadon. He’s the evil leprechaun that blew up my house?” I nodded. He put his hand on his chin. “I guess I can understand why they need you then, but that’s a lot of responsibility to put on one person.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. I ran away from my duty. It’s not that I don’t want to help. It’s just I’m not the strong warrior they need.”
My dad leant forward and put his hand on my shoulder. “Mellissa, you are stronger than you realise. Strength is a funny thing. We all think of it as brute force, but that isn’t always the case. You have a strong mind, Mellissa. You are extremely stubborn when you want to be. You also have a strong heart. You’re scared of caring for people because of Matt, but don’t be. I believe both of those things can amplify your magic.”
“I thought you said you didn’t know about magic?”
“Your mother may have taught me a thing or two.”
“I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix things.”
“Just say you’re sorry. I am sure he will forgive you.” My dad patted me on the head and gave me a gentle smile. “As much as I’d like to keep you hidden away from this fight, I don’t think I could if I tried. I believe you will know what to do when the time comes. I have faith in you, sweetie.”
He got up and left the room. I went back to reading my book, but I was finding it hard to concentrate. My dad had gotten me thinking about Greg again. Maybe I should just apologise and get it over with. However, I had no way to contact him. I could get to the capital in a couple of teleports. Who’s to say that’s where he still was? He might not even want to see me. I shook my head and covered my face with my hands.
It would be easier to slowly start chatting to Victoria again. That relationship would be easier to fix. I decided to go for a bath to try and relax. Maybe I was just overthinking everything.
I’d just gotten in the bath when Victoria burst into the bathroom. “What are you doing?” I yelled.
“Get dressed now. It’s an emergency,” she said, grabbing a towel and holding it up to me. By the look on her face, I knew she meant business. I took the towel and got out of the bath.
“What’s going on?” I asked, following her back to my room.
She grabbed some clothes out of my wardrobe and threw them at me. “I just got word that Kadon is attacking the magic council. We have to go now.”
I took a sharp intake of breath and grabbed hold of my arm to stop it from shaking. “Why is that my problem?” I hoped the fear I was feeling wasn’t showing on my face.
“I thought if I gave you time, you would come to your senses. You need to get yourself together now. This is not like you at all. What happened to the childish, caring, stupidly courageous person I knew? I know you’re upset about Matt, and so am I, but he would be ashamed of you for not helping,” she said.
She was right. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to look at the big picture. I had to get myself out of this funk. People’s lives were in danger, and I was the only one that could help.
“You’re right. I am stupid, but I was never courageous. It’s not that I don’t want to help. I’m just so scared of losing someone else.”
“You cannot let fear get the best of you,” she said. “Doing nothing will have the same result. Who do you think contacted me?”
I gasped. “Greg.”
I threw on some clothes and ran downstairs. I pulled on my boots, my heart beating rapidly, and shouted for Harkura. Holding my guardians’ hands, I teleported the three of us directly to council headquarters.
Mellissa
Ijumped to my feet. I was instantly hit by the sound of screams. Crashes and bangs went off all around us. I choked on the dust and could hardly see with all the smoke. The beautiful council building was in ruins. It looked like it had been hit by a bomb, but the dust hadn’t settled yet. People were running all over the place. The leprechauns were attacking at random and destroying anything and anyone that was still standing. I didn’t know what to do first. Victoria and Harkura, however, went straight into action, blasting any leprechauns they came across. Victoria ordered me to stay behind them and let them deal with the henchmen. I had to save my magical energy to fight Kadon once we found him. I did as she said. Flurries of many different types of magic were being thrown around. I didn’t recognise half the techniques. Soldiers from all the different nations had been called to fight. We fought our way through the battlefield. Just as we were about to be hit by crossfire, I grabbed both Victoria and Harkura and teleported us away from the fight.
“What are you doing? I told you to conserve your energy,” Victoria shouted.
“Behind you,” I yelled.
Victoria spun round and blocked an attack as I blasted the leprechaun across the room. “What did I just tell you?” she shouted.
“Look, this isn’t working. Taking down the leprechaun soldiers one by one is meaningless. We need to stop Kadon. He is their leader. Without him, they won’t know what to do.”
“That is a good idea, Your Majesty, but how do we find him?” asked Harkura.
“I don’t know. He would be leading the charge, wouldn’t he? Where would be a good place to do that?” They both looked at me and shrugged. I had come here to help, but I hadn’t really done anything yet.
“I know where Kadon is.” My chest tightened. I turned to see Greg in the doorway. I didn’t know what to say. It felt like I hadn’t seen him in forever, even though it had been just over a week. “I thought that was your magic I sensed,” he said.
I ran over to Greg and threw my arms around him. “I’m sorry about everything.”
Crystal Heart Page 31