Spell Me Always

by Cherie Marks

  “As far as I know.”

  The look on her face could only be described as excited. She clearly had a plan forming in her head. “I need to prepare you for what you’re going to encounter. Their secret weapon is exactly what I thought it was.”

  “I guess this means I’m going back in as Henry.”

  “It’s the only way we can get close to Peps.”

  “Peps? As in who you’ve been looking for?”

  She nodded sagely. “Peps is short for Pepcid. He’s an ice dragon, and he’s the piece that his mother left with me. She left an egg, and he hatched years later. I was the first being he saw, so he imprinted on me. I am, for all intents and purposes, the only mother he knows.”

  “And you want me to get close to him? Do you expect me to free him?”

  “No. You’ll leave that to me. Once you take me in as your prisoner.”

  Lucian’s stomach churned at the plan she was proposing. “No. I can’t do that. It will put you in too much danger.”

  Mez laid a hand on his chest as she said, “You have to stop making decisions for me. You can’t really protect me by isolating me from the world. Trust me, I’ve tried. Bad things are still going to happen. At least this way, we know something they don’t.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We are a team, and I’ve got control of my powerful magic now.”

  “We are a team, but I wonder what changed?”

  “Right now, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have a way in.”

  He didn’t like it, but he didn’t have another idea that was any better. So, he agreed, and they started back toward the hidden entrance to the canyon.

  * * *

  “I just want to go on record to say that I still don’t like this.”

  Mez smiled at him with a confidence she didn’t really feel inside. “This is the way we keep Kresley safe, save Peps, and foil their attempt to bring back the High Priestess.”

  She just wished she knew this would work for sure. It was a huge risk they were taking, and Mez didn’t feel like every step was ironed out completely, but they really didn’t have time to figure it all out. They needed to act now. They couldn’t wait, or they might lose their chance.

  Lucian blew out a heavy sigh and place the cuffs on Mez once again. He kept them loose, just in case she needed to break free of them quickly. He shouldered his pack, and they started for the enemy camp.

  They were swarmed the minute they came within thirty feet, and even Lucian put his hands up as weapons were pointed at them both.

  “Henry! Where have you been?” The voice sounded more suspicious than happy to see him, but Esved walked toward him with the general right behind, and Mez watched the interplay between all three.

  It was time for him to sell the lie. “I got distracted chasing this witch down.”

  In a grinding voice, General Harper said, “Your job was to keep an eye on the old witch, not screw everything in sight.”

  “Sir, with all due respect, she saw too much. I had to make sure she didn’t go back and tell anyone of the King’s people.” He paused. She could see the uncertainty in his eyes as he made up his mind. She gave an imperceptible nod, and he ground his teeth as he said, “She’s also related to the elder witch. This is her niece.”

  Suddenly, their scrutiny intensified as they closed in on her.

  “Good job, soldier. This is something useful to us. We’ll take her from here.”

  Lucian reluctantly let her go. He seemed ready to rip someone apart if the look he wore as they flanked her on each side and marched her toward a tent. She held his gaze for as long as she could before they tossed her inside.

  “We’ll deal with her later. Come on. It’s time to saddle the dragon.”

  Mez thought she understood why they planned to use Peps to get past Kresley’s protections. They thought Peps could fly them high enough to get over the protections. They might be right, but even if they had her aunt, they still didn’t have the book.

  She had given it to Lucian for safe keeping just in case they searched her.

  With quick action, she pulled her hands from the loosened cuffs and peeked out of the tent, expecting to see a couple of guards there. Sure enough, there were two stationed right outside.

  She stepped back and held up her hands. “Pssst! Guys, I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  They stepped inside the flap, and she blasted them immediately, before they even knew what hit them. Where they had been, two blocks of ice stood at attention before her. She saluted them and eased her way outside.

  Close by, she heard Peps squawking in protest, and she knew someone was trying to tighten a saddle around his midsection. He hated saddles. He always fought them, and she hadn’t had the heart to force the issue. She’d always just ridden him without one when she’d needed to, and only when she’d needed to.

  She made her way in the direction of the trees behind the tents and circled around, following the commotion Peps was making. He was huge. At least the size of a house. And he was just a teenager, too. He was covered in iridescent pink scales and had big, green eyes. He was a beautiful sight, but she didn’t like what was happening.

  Once she saw how they were treating him, she nearly charged in, magic blazing, but she knew it wouldn’t help him in the end. They would overpower her eventually. She might take a few of them out, but looking at their sheer numbers, she wouldn’t be able to take them all down easily, and not without Peps possibly getting hurt in the process.

  They had ropes tied to a collar around his neck, and each of his feet were tied down as well. He looked scared and angry and her heart hurt at the sight of their cruelty. She needed to free him, but she needed to do it in a smart way.

  She had to think this through carefully.

  Suddenly, she felt someone behind her, and she turned, ready to blast them, but stopped herself as she recognized Lucian.

  “Took me a little while, but I finally was able to leave Esved asleep. They apparently traveled all night to get here, and he fell asleep after telling me all about it. What’s the plan?”

  “Can’t really say that I have one yet. I just don’t like how they’re treating my dragon.”

  With a whole lot of effort and a few men flung across the campsite, they finally got a saddle buckled around Peps.

  The general stepped up and with the help of the soldiers around him, mounted the dragon, using a long pole that emitted an electric shock to punish him when he didn’t move the way the general liked.

  Lucian had to hold Mez back as Peps cried out in obvious pain.

  “We have to help him! Don’t let him get hurt, Lucian.”

  “As an ice dragon, is Peps freeze-resistant?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “I’m going to distract them. The minute I give the signal, freeze them all. Once they’re out of the way, we’ll free Peps and get out of here.”

  “They’re too many of them.”

  “That’s where I come in. I’ll take half of them away. You deal with the ones who remain.”

  He didn’t wait for her agreement. Instead, he charged toward the soldiers in front of them and shouted, “Come on! There are forces sneaking through the canyon. I need some of you with me.”

  The men looked at the general, and he gave a consenting nod. They took off after Lucian just as he thought they would.

  Mez stepped out of the trees and raised her hands. She felt the familiar tingling build in her hands, but as she released her magic, a blast of heat dissipated it quickly. To her right, a witch with fiery orange hair and deep amber eyes held her hands high, a knowing grin on her face.

  In no time, Mez was surrounded and her hands were cuffed tightly behind her back. Out of the trees, a group of soldiers dragged an unconscious Lucian along and tossed him to the ground.

  The one he called Esved stepped forward and said, “I told you he wasn’t who he said he was. And I also found this.” He held up the green-covered book, and Mez felt
her stomach drop.

  The general laughed and kicked Peps in the side to get him up into the air. “And now, it’s time to get the final piece of the puzzle. Boys, tonight we celebrate our victory. Tomorrow, our High Priestess returns.”

  Chapter 18

  He had failed her. He had failed them all, and now the entire kingdom would be destroyed by a vengeful High Priestess. But most of all, he had failed his Mezzie.

  Now, the general was on the back of Peps, and he had the green book. To make matters worse, he had managed to use Peps to get his hands on Kresley. Somehow, he had to have bound her magic. It was the only explanation.

  It was all over.

  It certainly felt like all hope was lost, but then again, they had underestimated him before, and whether they realized it or not, they were doing it again. They had left him cuffed and guarded in a tent with Mez. In a matter of minutes after they’d gone, he had his cuffs removed and was working on Mez’s.

  Outside of the tent, it sounded like chaos ensued. Apparently, the general was having trouble controlling Peps now that they were back in camp. The electric prod only seemed to be making things worse, and Mez fumed with each cry of pain from the dragon.

  With a click, the cuffs fell away, and Mez met his gaze. He’d never seen someone more determined, and he was thankful she was on his side.

  “So, how do we stop them, Mez?”

  “My magic is useless as long as that other witch can cancel out anything I throw at them. They have the green book and they have Kresley. It’s just a matter of time before they do everything they can to bring back the High Priestess.”

  “How do we stop them?”

  “Well, you know, ice isn’t my only power. I can also open and close other dimensions.”

  “So, you think blasting the general into another dimension is the way to go? Maybe the whole army? If we could do it before they start the spell, then we might stop everything.”

  “Or we could be the ones to dimension hop.” Once again, he didn’t read confidence in her gaze as he looked at her.

  “And how exactly would that work?”

  “Dimension, space, and time are all part of the physical world. If I could just pinpoint...”

  But she paused as a familiar voice spoke at the entrance to the tent in which they were being held.

  The general stood just outside, speaking to the guards in front of their tent. His gravelly voice sounded angry as he said, “No one goes in or out of this tent except me. I don’t care if the thing catches on fire, you don’t go inside. The other two still haven’t thawed out completely, but when they do, they’re dead.”

  The guards gave their ‘yes, sirs,’ and the general ducked inside.

  Lucian and Mez had sat back down, placing their hands behind their backs.

  “You put up a valiant fight, but you’ve clearly lost. At this point, I will let you live, but the minute you try anything, I will make sure you are burnt so thoroughly to ash that not even a fingernail or strand of hair remains.” He walked backwards, pausing to say, “We have the book and we have your aunt. The ritual has already started, and nothing can stop it. The High Priestess will return to rule Linwyn once more, and there is not a thing you can do about it. I suggest you join us, or eventually, you...will...die.”

  He left with a low chuckle, and Lucian was proud of Mez’s restraint. He could feel her anger pulsing the entire time.

  Mez stood up. “That’s it. We need to hop ahead in time.”

  “Wouldn’t it make more sense to go back in time and stop them from getting the book or getting Kresley or taking Peps from you?”

  “No. We go to the moment right before the High Priestess returns. In that moment, her soul will be completely untethered from either body, floating aimlessly. I remember the book mentioned that the soul would be lost forever if the spell was interrupted right then.”

  “So, we could defeat her permanently?”

  “Exactly. Not just once or twice, but she would be dead always.”

  “Do you think you can do it?”

  “Whether I think I can or I think I can’t, I’m right either way. Let’s hope I can.”

  Chapter 19

  Mez couldn’t do this. Who was she kidding?

  She was about to attempt controlling her magic that, up until yesterday, had been completely erratic. Her hope had been a book that wasn’t at all what she’d thought it was. Now, the whole kingdom’s hope was her.

  Gulp!

  She’d give anything right now to be back in her little cabin in the middle of nowhere with no one around, but now she had others to think about. Now, she had to think about her aunt, Peps, Noxy, and the entire kingdom of Linwyn. But mostly, she had to think about Lucian. She had only known him for a week, but in that time, he had grown to be someone she cared about, someone she trusted completely, someone she...loved.

  Yes! She loved him. She couldn’t believe it, but he had found his way into her heart, and now, she couldn’t imagine life without him.

  That gave her a new determination to get this right. She and Lucian would jump through dimensions to get to the exact moment that the spell was being cast.

  There was just one more thing she needed to know, and that was the exact moment. Fortunately, she had already accomplished that detail.

  As it turned out, she had lived this moment before. They had waited to determine the exact time. Then, she had jumped back to herself in this moment with that knowledge already figured out. It had been complicated, but it worked. She now knew the precise time she needed to appear.

  She had also employed the help of Noxy, who had been all too willing to hop through dimensions with her, surprisingly. Even though her control had been iffy just days before, Noxy told her she had confidence in her. It had almost brought tears to her eyes how lucky she was to have a best friend like Noxy.

  “Okay. Everything seems to be in place. Are you ready, Lucian?”

  “Mezzie, I would follow you through every dimension for the rest of our lives as long as I was with you. I’m ready.”

  “Okay...”

  “Wait!” Lucian held out his hand to stop her from beginning.

  Mez met his gaze and wondered what had made him put on the brakes. Did he know something she didn’t?

  “I need to say this before we go. Just in case...Mez, you might not know this, but I hadn’t laughed really in years. I had no joy in my life. The day I saw you freeze your aunt and her small group of farm workers, I knew there was something about you that I couldn’t live without. Now, I find that the prospect of not getting to spend the rest of our lives together is all too real.”

  He cupped her face and looked at her. “I love you, Mesmerelda Wilder. You are one of the best things that ever happened in my life, and I want to make it through this so that I can prove that to you for many years to come.”

  His kiss was possessive and consumed her, like a blaze bursting to life from a spark. As their mouths moved together, Mez felt the space around them fade with a pop, and they floated between worlds, feeding each other passionate kisses, expressing a love that was beautiful and rare and full. It was everything Mez never thought she would have in life, and she knew now why she would fight with everything in her to keep it.

  As they broke free of their kiss, Mez opened her mouth to tell him she loved him, too, but in that moment, the natural world materialized around them.

  They walked into the dimension in the surrounding woods, where Noxy waited in the trees for them. She swung down and landed on the ground beside Mez.

  “What did we miss?”

  “Oh, you know, the usual. World domination, evil resurrection, body possession, all the stuff we’re used to.”

  “Is Peps ready?”

  “Yes, but he’s especially excited to see you again. He’s missed you.”

  “If we do this right, we can all go back to our quiet life...with a few new additions, of course.”

  She looked over at Lucian, who grinned at her
in return.

  As they emerged from the tree line, Lucian shifted. When guards charged at them, Lucian took the left flank, fighting with vicious teeth and claws, and Mez blasted the center with a coating of ice. At the same time, Peps surprised his guards when he lifted from the ground, completely free from his loosened ropes. Noxy’s doing, of course.

  Peps sprayed the right side of soldiers with his icy breath, freezing them all so cold that they shattered instantly when he flew over them, his wings creating an air current that struck with a wave of energy.

  At the far end of the camp, the general and a few other guards had Kresley tied down. She looked drugged, and the green book lay open beside her.

  Mez watched carefully as she crossed the field, blasting anyone who dared come near her with her icy magic.

  The moment she saw the High Priestess’s soul lifting into the air, she raised her hands to send an icy spell soaring, but the fire witch stepped in front of her, igniting a spell to block her offense. Fortunately, they had anticipated this.

  Lucian bounded forward, grasping Kresley by her multi-colored shirt, tossed her onto his back, and ran for the woods. The general motioned for some guards to give chase as he scooped up the green book and Noxy threw mud at him from a distance. At least, Mez thought it was mud. Noxy was a monkey after all. And according to Princess Gemma, monkeys in the Earth dimension often flung their...well, it was probably just mud.

  On cue, Peps flew overhead, pulling a fresh swath of air into his lungs before spraying everything below in cool, crisp, ice, including the fire witch, the general, and the soul of the High Priestess.

  With another pass, they all shattered into a thousand shards of crystallized water.

  But just to be sure the High Priestess and her minions were gone forever, Mez lifted her hands and opened a desert dimension, completely void of water. She tossed them inside before they could even hit the ground and watched them evaporate into the dry heat.

  She felt a blast of radiation just as she closed the dimension to their world forever.

  They had done it.

  They had made Linwyn safe from the High Priestess forever and always.