Burned

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  “You’re worrying too much and no I haven’t grown at all during the night. It will take me two years in human terms to reach adulthood, so we have plenty of time to think of something,” she told me, reading my mind. I’d forgotten she could still do that.

  “Fran, go and have a wash. I’ll take care of the little dragon for a bit. You really had a terrible night,” Aly said, from the kitchen. I chewed on my bottom lip, wondering if it was such a good idea to leave them alone together. At the same time, I had to have a shower; my clothes were stinking, and I needed a minute alone with my own thoughts.

  I got up and went upstairs. In the bathroom, I took off all my clothes, thinking about Nicolas and Idris.

  I switched on the shower. The water felt nice, streaming down my body and washing away my sorrows. Then the images from the bridge began flashing in front of me again. I gripped my hands, thinking about all the nice moments I had with Idris. He had me played. On top of that, he knew about Aly’s place, and yet I was still here. The Dark Ones from the office could raid her house at any time or maybe they were waiting for the right moment. Avianna and I needed to disappear. It wasn’t safe for us to be here. I would never forgive myself if something happened to Aly too, because I had nowhere else to go.

  I sighed loudly, imaging him being here with me, kissing me, just the way he had done at his place. My other internal voice reminded me about our explosive chemistry. I couldn’t deny that we had a real connection. Moments later, tiny goosebumps appeared on the surface of my skin.

  He had this kind of effect on me. Maybe he truly had no clue what his father was planning, but I didn’t believe in his kind heart. Back on the bridge, Magnus confirmed Idris knew about everything that the Dark Ones were planning. He led me straight into their trap.

  “Don’t be stupid, Fran; he’s a rat and cannot be trusted,” I said to myself, rubbing a brush over my skin until it was raw.

  A few moments later I was out of the shower, trying to forget about Idris. I went to the bedroom and looked for something I could wear. The clothes Aly had bought me a few days ago were still there, and I felt even more guilty. She’d done so much for me, and I had to find a way to protect her from my world.

  My thoughts were racing when I went downstairs. The people on the television were talking about storms that were supposed to be coming from the north. Avianna was flying around the living room when Aly brought more food. She placed a plate with cold meat on the table and my eggs next to it. The baby dragon flew down and started picking the meat apart with her small claws. Even for me, this was freaking adorable.

  “I think you should go lie down, Aly. I can’t stay here; it’s not safe. Idris knows about this place. A bunch of his men might show up here any minute,” I said, trying not to eat too fast, at the same time watching Avianna literally polishing off everything on her plate. She must have been really hungry.

  “Maybe you were wrong about him. His sister must have influenced his father,” Aly said, shaking her head. “Besides, you have nowhere else to go, Francesca.”

  I frowned, playing with my food. I kind of lost my appetite.

  “To the paper factory. I need to speak to Harvey and see if he can help me. Nicolas is in the council’s office and there must be a way for me to break inside. I have to free him,” I said, shoving eggs into my mouth. I needed some new energy and Avianna was already starting to pick at my food and eyeing my toast.

  “Bless your heart, dear. I know you want to help, but from what you said, these Dark Ones are growing in power.”

  “You want to see that odd warlock? Man, that’s not a good idea,” Avianna said.

  “I’m leaving in a moment; it’s just something I have to do. Nicolas is probably being tortured and it’s all my fault that he got caught in the first place,” I said more firmly, and Aly nodded. I could see in her expression that she was worried about me. She’d gotten used to being around Nicolas and she treated him like a family member.

  Besides, I still had to find a way back to Draconia or at least find someone who could give me answers about Avianna and her magic. Deep down I was so anxious, thinking that something might happen to her. Returning to Draconia—although I had no idea if this was still possible—was the safest thing to do, but for now, getting Nicolas out was my top priority.

  “All right, hon, you do what you think is best, but just be careful,” she said. “Maybe I should go and lie down for a bit. I feel a little lightheaded.”

  “That’s an excellent idea,” I told her and then walked with her to the bedroom. I was planning to head over to Harvey’s straight after I filled my stomach with some necessary energy.

  As it turned out, Avianna ate a piece of my toast when I walked away, and she was blowing fire balls, grilling her meat.

  Later on, when we were done with our plates, I asked her:

  “What does a dragon eat anyway?”

  She was flying around the room, and I was even considering letting her outside in the garden, but then thought better of it.

  “Don’t ask me. I think I like everything you put into your mouth. Aly seemed spot on with the bits of meat. The eggs smelled nice and the that crispy thingy was tasty, too,” she answered, and I rolled my eyes.

  She hated when she had to get inside the backpack and soon, I began to realise that at some point I would have to find another way to transport her around. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest when I left the house, expecting to be attacked by a horde of Dark Ones. I wasn’t scared of them anymore, but I didn’t want to fight them head-on either.

  “Dude, you got plenty of magic and you kick butt. We have nothing to worry about,” Avianna’s voice came through and I tried to relax.

  There were thick grey clouds in the sky and I didn’t see many humans walking along the streets. I was seeing residents and cars, but nothing else out of the ordinary. I licked my upper lips and started walking, remembering the moment when Idris dropped me off here. Even then Nicolas didn’t trust him, and he had been right. I kept glancing behind me, watching strange individuals passing by and thinking about mages. They could disguise themselves using any human appearance; that was their advantage, so I needed to be careful. I used the formula to make sure my eyes were more human-looking, too. Marek was right. When I looked at my reflection in the mirror this morning, after I got out of the shower, I noticed that my golden irises had already begun to fade. I hated this, and I was scared of losing my identity as a warden.

  “I wish that I could fly freely. I want to see the city and there are so many different smells around here.” Avianna’s voice rang in my head.

  I smiled to myself when we were surrounded by humans. Most of them weren’t even watching where they were going.

  “We both know that’s too dangerous. People would freak out if they saw a baby dragon flying around, and we could end up in the council’s office again. I have no idea what would happen if we were to get separated,” I told her, but felt a little bad for scaring her like that.

  She didn’t say anything else, and after a few minutes, we were back on the tube. My thoughts started racing away, but somehow, I was able to keep my anxiety at bay. I forced myself not to flick my wristband this time, although my heart rate was unsteady. I arched my head backwards, wondering why everything was so screwed up all of a sudden. People in Draconia—other wardens—had no idea they were being manipulated and lied to.

  On top of that, the Dark Ones had been infecting us with Dragon Fever—that terrible disease was spreading everywhere, causing so much devastation and suffering. I hated Magnus, Idris, and the entire council. They needed to be destroyed, weakened by some sort of internal power, but for that to happen I needed to get others involved.

  I was so absorbed in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice several wardens running away in the opposite direction. I was near the factory, and something didn’t feel right. Even the humans were rushing away, looking anxiously behind them. Most of them were still wearing their uniforms, and the
y all looked scared.

  My magic stirred inside of me, so I did the only thing I thought was right. I backed away to the nearest building to observe the situation. From there, I could see everything that was going on across the road. More and more workers were fleeing; they were mostly wardens. My heart skipped a beat then raced triple time when five minutes later, Magnus appeared near the entrance. He had a satisfied expression on his stupid face.

  A strong wind blew, ruffling my hair and I continued breathing steadily. He was with his daughter, Zuzanna, and some other Dark One who I hadn’t seen before.

  “There is something going on outside the paper factory. Magnus is there and that bitch, Zuzanna, Idris’s sister,” I told Avianna, ready to lash out at them with my magic. I sensed it slowly crawling up my spine. Even my fingertips were ignited with flames.

  I knew I needed to gain control of myself. I knew I couldn’t defeat them alone. The Dark One who I didn’t recognise finally turned around, so I could take a good look at him. He had a thick dark beard, and he was as tall as Idris, dressed in a sharp suit. He was handsome for a magic-stealing, evil bastard. When Magnus went back inside the building, the strange Dark One smiled at Zuzanna and then kissed her.

  I had no idea what was going on. The Dark Ones shouldn’t have any business in the factory. Warlocks didn’t have to answer to them.

  “I heard that warlocks escaped the Lower World when my kind was eliminated. Maybe they found out that Harvey was helping us or something?” Avianna suggested and I was amazed that she knew so much about my history.

  Shock riddled me speechless when I saw Harvey being dragged outside. He was struggling, and sparks of magic were flying everywhere. I felt his energy stumbling and pounding away. He had what looked like a cloth of some sort covering his eyes and his hands were tied behind him. Then a white van arrived, and he was shoved inside. The wheels spun, spraying debris around after Idris’s father and the other Dark Ones laughed about something. I noticed Magnus was shaking hands with another dark-haired mage.

  Harvey Stark was supposed to be one of the most powerful warlocks in the city. According to Marius, he could have wiped the floor with the Dark Ones and yet he lost the battle with Magnus. Now my last bit of hope was lost, because the only warlock who could help me was now in the hands of the leader of the Dark Ones.

  Chapter Three

  Rooney.

  Magnus, Zuzanna and the other Dark One talked outside the paper factory for a few more minutes. Then a very nice white car arrived and the three of them slipped inside. Idris’s sister was kissing the stranger in the back seat, while her father seemed absorbed in conversation with the driver. This was probably Zuzanna’s boyfriend or husband.

  Either way, this whole thing with Harvey paralysed me. I stayed inside the building and waited for several long minutes until they disappeared from sight. It felt like bunch of heavy rocks dropped down to the pit of my stomach.

  I didn’t know what to do until I saw someone running in my direction. It was another warden, so I quickly blocked his path.

  My energy pounded through me, and I had to at least try to figure out what happened inside that factory.

  “Hey, you—what happened to Harvey? Where are they taking him?” I asked, my inflamed hands displayed in front of me.

  His wide face went pale. I didn’t want to take any chances. The warden looked scared and I hated wasting time. I needed answers.

  “They Dark Ones showed up on the shop floor out of nowhere,” he said, glancing anxiously at my hands. “Apparently, someone reported him to the high council. They accused him of smuggling wardens from Draconia. They put some sort of spell on him, so he couldn’t use his abilities. No one knew they were coming.”

  The man was about my height, skinny, with curly ginger hair. He was eighteen or maybe older. I cursed, pacing around.

  This was bad news for me.

  “Smuggling wardens? But I thought the council couldn’t enforce their law in this world. They have no right,” I said, slowly losing my patience.

  If it wasn’t for Magnus and Idris I would have been in Draconia already. Nicolas shouldn’t have gone with me. I’d made him an easy target.

  “I don’t know. Apparently, he broke some kind of license agreement. I have no idea what that’s about. I bet this has something to do with the cracks, though. There’s more and more appearing in and around the city,” he explained and then narrowed his eyes at me, like he finally recognised me. “It’s you. I remember now. You treated Victor with some serious magical power. Francesca, right?”

  I looked around, not knowing if I was supposed to say anything, but we were alone. He seemed harmless and, in the end, maybe he could help me. I just needed to smooth him over a little. Harvey must have been doing business with wardens for years. He couldn’t have smuggled wardens from Draconia. They were arriving through unstable cracks of magic, so people in the factory were spreading rumours… unless some other forces where behind it all. I had no idea what to think anymore, but I needed to act fast.

  “Yeah, that’s me. So, what happened to the others?”

  “They arrested a few wardens, but most of the workers managed to get away. It was strange, because we all got here through the cracks. Everything happened so fast. It was like they wanted us to get away,” he said, scratching his pointy jaw. “My name is Rooney, by the way.”

  “Good, great, it’s nice to meet you, but I really have to get going now. I need to find another warlock,” I muttered, more to myself. I turned around, ready to leave, but then I didn’t know where else to go. Nicolas was my priority, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure if he was in the council’s office. Too many mages there knew about me and I couldn’t risk Avianna’s life.

  This whole plan was suddenly too dangerous, and I felt helpless.

  “Hold on, do you really want to find another warlock? I heard there’s one in Brixton who runs a motorcycle gang,” Rooney told me, and I looked at him like he had two heads.

  It was a stroke of luck.

  “Another warlock? Are you sure?” I asked, thinking that the God of Draconia was finally answering my prayers.

  I was a great thief and warlocks always needed my services. I wouldn’t mind stealing something in order to get to Nicolas.

  Right now, I just needed to find someone who could help me track down Nicolas. The office was literally riddled with Dark Ones and every single one of them wanted to get their hands on Avianna. Magnus didn’t know she’d already hatched out. I didn’t want to return to Aly’s place yet with the possibility of Idris showing up, so I needed a new plan.

  Rooney smiled and then pushed me towards the building, like he wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be overheard.

  “Yeah, but he’s the worst of the worst kind. I heard that he made some sort of deal with vampires and he supplies humans to them; they act like their donors. The problem is, he doesn’t trust wardens, he despises them,” the warden explained, looking even more frightened than before. None on this sounded particularly appealing, but what other choice did I have?

  Suddenly, it seemed there were more and more Dark Ones in the city than I’d realised, and I suspected they were trying to control all the cracks. Magnus knew I was trying to get back to Draconia, but my priorities had since shifted. Avianna hatched and Nicolas had lost his freedom—a few details Magnus wasn’t yet aware of. This might give me some sort of leverage if I planned everything just right.

  I suspected that Magnus was going to use him as bait in order to get to me.

  “Can you take me to the area? I can’t really pay you. I don’t have any human money, but—”

  “No, don’t worry. I actually live around there, so I’d be happy to show you around. Victor deserved the harsh lesson you gave him. He was arrogant and no one in the factory liked him,” Rooney told me. “Me and the rest of my family arrived here through the cracks. I was lucky that I managed to get away when they showed up. I never want to go back to Draconia. That life was bad, a
nd I hated it.”

  I smiled at him, thinking he sounded very vulnerable. Maybe this was stupid, but I just didn’t want to be on my own right now. Aly had done a lot for me, but she didn’t understand magic. My world was harsh, and she’d already been involved too much. I hated that I put her in so much danger.

  “Thank you,” I said, and after we made sure the streets were clear of Dark Ones, we started walking towards the busy streets. He believed the council was planning something, because he had never seen so many mages in one place who didn’t arrest wardens on sight. They normally hunted any of us who showed up here illegally.

  Avianna was pushing me to ask him all sorts of questions, but I didn’t want to be too intrusive. It turned out that he was here with his parents. The crack had appeared in their living room about five years ago. They were from Cemetery; the lower class in Draconia, so I completely understood what drove them to this world.

  The tube station was busy in midday and I was becoming a little paranoid, thinking the Dark Ones were following me around. I felt hot, sensing anxiety rising within me, but Avianna told me to close my eyes and just breathe in and out. Rooney was still talking to me, and now and again I needed to respond coherently.

  Somehow everything passed and when we left the subway my heart rate was slowly going back to normal. We walked for another ten minutes, reaching the residential part of Brixton. Rooney said many times how much happier he was in the world where there was no magic. His parents both had jobs, and none of them were even thinking about returning to the Lower World.