“Yes, of course, but I have a question. How long will the spell last?”
“Not sure, sometimes the spell last two days, sometimes less,” he replied. He switched on the engine and drove into the heavy traffic. He was nervous for some reason; I noticed it while he was driving.
“Okay,” I said and then asked, “Have you spoken to your sister?”
“Yes, she intends to travel with Baxley to the Sepulcrum. I don’t know, little one. Maybe we should postpone this. I didn’t expect her to come along” he told me.
Yes, this complicated matters, but nothing had changed. I could deal with Zuzanna if it was necessary.
“No, Idris, we have to do this. It’s the perfect opportunity. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt Zuzanna, but you will have to use your magic to disable her at some point,” I suggested. He exhaled sharply and didn’t say anything else.
We didn’t talk about the trip to Sepulcrum anymore. Idris seemed stressed being stuck in traffic. The queue of cars in front of us was long, and the heat was becoming unbearable. What little magic there was in this world was too unstable, and I had a better chance of fighting Baxley in the Lower World.
Finally, two hours later, Idris parked the car in a very wealthy area. He told me that this part of London was called Chelsea. All the townhouses on the opposite side of the street were painted in white. A sudden surge of magic ran down my spine, making me slightly anxious.
“I don’t know this warlock very well, but he’s nothing like Harvey. And I have no idea what he’ll want in return.”
“I don’t have any money,” I told him, a little embarrassed.
“Trust money, cash is the least of our worries. I’ve got you covered.
“Okay, let’s go, otherwise humans might notice we aren’t supposed to be here,” I pointed out and Idris nodded in agreement.
A minute later, Idris led me to townhouse number seven. Someone very wealthy lived there. The decor outside and the golden door knockers on the wooden doors were making me a little sick. My stomach contracted with unease. I wondered if they were magical. I needed to take a deep breath and stay calm.
He knocked, and we had to wait for a long while before someone decided to greet us. Finally, after more than ten minutes of standing around like idiots, we heard the sound of footsteps. The door cracked open slightly and a pair of incredible golden eyes were staring at us from the other side.
“Who are you and what do you want from master Ridley?” the voice asked. It was a man, maybe a warlock or a Dark One. I couldn’t recognise his energy.
“The password is cucumber and my assistant made an appointment with Mr. Ridley yesterday. He should be expecting us,” Idris explained politely.
Seconds later, Idris’s face went pale and he clutched his neck, like he was choking, gasping for air. The sound of sadistic laughter sounded from the hallway.
Idris crashed to the ground and his eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. I was on my own now and didn’t know if this was just a test or if the warlock was truly planning to hurt Idris.
Chapter Fifteen
Choices.
“Idris, Idris, what the hell is going on? What are you doing to him?” I shouted at someone inside the house, kneeling beside Idris.
He must have been struck by some kind of spell. Strong wind ruffled my hair and a moment later Idris screamed. There was more laughter coming from the house and I started to panic.
My energy was vibrating through my fingers. Idris’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. I thought he was going to die; he was so pale. I jumped back to my feet and kicked the door. The smell of blood hit me unexpectedly. The windows in the hall must have been shaded, because it was so dark inside. Shock riddled me speechless for a second. I saw a woman; she was trying to get up from the tiled floor. I must have pushed her accidentally when I kicked the door.
She was an elf with wide pointed ears, and she was at least half my size. Idris was losing too much oxygen and I had to do something.
“Stop! Please stop whatever you’re doing to him. We don’t mean any harm!” I shouted at her. She frowned and looked at me like I was crazy.
“The Dark One gave me the wrong password, but I guess you’re telling the truth. The master wants to see you anyway. He thinks you’re very interesting,” she said and then clapped her hands.
I ran back outside, dreading to think of what was going on with Idris. His breath was whizzed, and he was still lying on the ground, but at least his colour was slowly coming back. A human woman was walking past the house, staring, unsure of what to do. Luckily for us she didn’t stop; I gestured to her that I had the situation under control. We weren’t supposed to attract any attention.
“Come on, let’s get you back on your feet,” I said, when he finally opened his eyes.
“I’m fine. That bitch twisted my energy. She used my own spells against me. Come on, let’s get inside before that bastard changes his mind,” Idris told me, squeezing my hand.
He was pissed, and I wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea after all. The warlock must have changed the password just before we arrived. Maybe he enjoyed playing games. I could sense Idris’s magic was still unstable.
We walked through the door and everything looked different. The sun was beaming into a large open plan hallway. There was a large staircase that led upstairs. Everything looked modern, and parquet floors were covering the entire first floor. I spotted a white piano in the other room. The warlock was extremely wealthy and must have embraced the human way of life.
The short elf, who was most likely playing the role of housekeeper, disappeared. A man stood by the stairs, staring at us. He was tall and looked very much like an ordinary human. He wore odd clothes: very tight trousers and a white sleeveless top. His black hair was styled in spikes all over his head, and he was wearing makeup. I had never seen a man wearing makeup. But hey, things were different in this world and who was I to judge someone’s fashion sense?
“The password was right,” Idris snapped at him, and his fingertips charged with electricity. The man smiled and glanced down at his nails like he was bored. I had no idea what happened to the elf. She had just been here, standing in the same spot where the stranger wearing odd clothes was standing now.
“Well, I just changed it, so it was wrong, but Ridley wants to see the girl anyway,” the man replied, sounding irritated.
“We’re in a hurry and we don’t want to waste time,” I told him and then demanded, “So, walk us in to see your master.”
“He’s my lover, you idiot warden, and you’re lucky enough that you’re still alive,” the man told me, and his irises changed colour to dark red. Now I was certain he wasn’t human; he was a fairy.
A moment later, he turned around and walked across the hall. Idris nodded for me to follow him. The house was enormous. There were creepy statues of gnomes scattered around the place and some very distributing paintings. We went through the kitchen and then entered a large open plan living room. There was another man sitting on a white leather sofa, wearing a silky red robe and drinking a glass of champagne. He looked to be in his late fifties. The oddly-dressed man approached him with a smile and leaned over as if to kiss him, but the warlock waved his hand.
“Not now, Fredrick, can’t you see we have guests who are in need of our help?” the man who was presumably Ridley, said. “Come on, have a seat, Francesca, and you too, Idris.”
“How do you know our names?” I asked, startled, but Idris pushed me to sit next to the warlock. There was a large TV situated above a stone fire place; it was at least five times bigger than Aly’s and completely flat. Ridley was absorbed by what he was watching on the screen.
Several small statues of dragons were staring at me from every corner of the room. I didn’t feel comfortable being in his house. I couldn’t sense his magic. Something felt off, but that didn’t matter. Ridley had to change me into a Dark One.
“I know more than you can imagine,” he
answered, finally looking at me. He had a large face, small watery eyes and grey hair. He was a little overweight, too. “You lost something, and you need to get it back.”
“She needs to look like a Dark One, like one of us, and I know you can make it happen,” Idris said, and I nodded with agreement.
The warlock took a sip of his drink and awkward silence filled the room. My palms were damp with sweat and that male fairy kept staring at me like he wanted to strangle me.
“Ahh, well, that can be arranged, but the question is: Does she know what she can give me in return?” Ridley finally asked, and then picked a cherry from the plate sitting on his lap. He sucked on it, and a moment later, spit the pit out on to the floor.
I felt nauseous. I hadn’t noticed the cherries on his lap earlier on.
“What do you want? I need to become a Dark One,” I said, wanting to get this over with. I felt a little creeped out by his enormous house and his overbearing boyfriend. I couldn’t tell if he could sense my rising anxiety.
“You’re a warden from Draconia. Your eyes; I could always recognise them,” he added with a smile.
“What do you mean?” I asked, wondering if my eyes were gold again. Idris looked tense; he was sitting on the edge of the sofa. I wasn’t surprised that he too wanted to get out of here as soon as physically possible.
“Your parents were wealthy wardens in Draconia. I knew your father, he was a very proud man,” Ridley said all of a sudden. I looked at him and for a split second, thinking he was messing with me. His expression remained serious and my jaw hit on the floor. This was impossible; he couldn’t have known my parents. I didn’t even know my real mother and father. They abandoned me at birth, because I didn’t show any signs of magic. The council was supposed to take care of me, but I ran away as soon as I was capable enough to think for myself.
A storm of emotions swamped over me and I stood up. I started shaking, but I couldn’t get a word out of my mouth. Everyone in the room stared at me.
“Francesca, don’t listen to him. He’s playing on your emotions,” Idris told me. The warlock moved, crossing his legs at the same time revealing his very hairy thighs. My stomach made another flip. I brushed my hair away from my face, trying to pull myself together.
“I lived in Draconia for a very long time. I could tell you’re from a very important line of wardens and I have met your father. It was such a—”
“What happened to him?” I cut him off, my breathing uneven. I never believed I would meet anyone who knew my parents.
Ridley smiled, revealing crooked front teeth. I was ready to throw myself at him, just so I could get him to tell me everything that he knew.
“You need to decide: do you want information about your family or do you want me to change you into a Dark One, so you can save your baby dragon?” he asked, putting me between a rock and a hard place.
I glanced at Idris whose fists were clenched. My thoughts were racing, and I felt my magic rising within me. The tiny sparks of electric current were lifting the small hairs on the back of my neck. This couldn’t be happening. I didn’t want to believe I had to choose. My family—the cowards had given me away, but maybe there was much more to it, more than I would ever know?
“I want both, so I’m asking you: What do you want in return?” I asked, while my voice vibrated a little.
“This isn’t fair, Ridley. I knew you were scum, but you just crossed the line—”
“Idris,” I warned him.
“You cannot have both, my dear. You want rather sensitive information. I swore under oath to keep this secret hidden. Changing you into a Dark One requires a lot of skill, that’s why you must choose,” he said.
I glanced at my hands, wondering if my life had all been a lie. Avianna was much more important than the truth about my parents. I never cared about them before, and nothing had changed. Ridley wasn’t the only person who knew them. Once this whole thing was over, I could look for them myself.
“Change me. She’s my everything,” I said, convinced that this was the best decision I’d ever made.
Frederick laughed, muttering something under his breath. The warlock stood, popping another cherry into his mouth.
“Let’s go to my study; up there, we can prepare the potion. You’ll owe me a favour, Francesca, and I’ll claim that favour at the time of my choosing,” he told me once we walked inside a large library. That room reminded me a lot of the one back in Draconia, where for the first time in my life I learned that there was a real dragon egg hidden in the attic.
It was fate, my destiny that brought me to that place when I was running away from the Dark Ones.
He removed his hand from his pocket, probably for me to shake it. I took a deep breath, looking down at his hand, and then touched his sweaty palm. Suddenly, a current of electric shock moved through my body; my legs felt like jelly. I could barely hold myself together.
“Right, Frederick get the potion. The transformation will be instant. You will look different; we chose a random person from my special album of dead humans. There may be a few side effects that you might experience until the spell fades,” he told me, while his lover was searching for something in the drawer. I swallowed hard, wondering if I would be able to deal with what was coming.
“What kind of side effects?” Idris asked.
“I’m not quite sure. She may feel emotional distress; some anger and she might be short tempered. Bear in mind that you’re taking on someone else’s appearance,” Ripley explained, and that didn’t make me feel any better about my decision, but I was missing Avianna. I couldn’t bear being separated from her any longer. I had to do whatever it took to get her back.
“Okay, let’s just get on with it,” I told them, feeling a tingling sensation in my feet and arms. Frederick handed him a flask filled with green liquid.
“Don’t worry, this won’t hurt. It will just be slightly uncomfortable,” he said, and I wanted to fucking punch him in the face.
The tension in my back was apparent and my hands were a little shaky when I took the flask. It smelled like someone had stored the aroma of a pile of dead bodies inside. I wanted to vomit, as memories of Dara began floating my mind.
“Bottoms up,” Frederick said with a mocking smile. I shut my eyes and just drank it down in one go. It tasted horrible, but I swallowed it quickly. Then I closed my eyes again, waiting for something to happen. The sudden cramping pain in my stomach knocked the breath out of me for a few seconds.
I screamed and went down on the ground, sweat dripped down my face. It felt like someone had dropped fire inside my stomach.
Then I started hearing voices inside my head, many people were talking at the same time. This went on for some time; I didn’t know how long I laid in floor writhing in pain. Eventually I must have passed out. That bastard had lied to me or maybe he was secretly trying to poison me.
Sometime later—I can’t be sure how long—I woke up lying on the floor in his fancy study. Idris, Frederick and Ripley were leaning over me; their faces were showing a little sign of distress.
Idris knelt beside me and then helped me to my feet. He was looking at me like I had grown three heads.
“So, did it work?” I asked. “Am I a Dark One?”
“Yes, Fran, it worked. See for yourself,” Ripley answered and handed me a mirror. I glanced at my reflection and my heart stopped. I was blond, with blue eyes and red ruby lips. I was beautiful. This wasn’t what I had expected, but at least the spell worked. I was one of those mages, a person who every warden back in Draconia hated. Now I just had to hope that my and Idris’s plan was going to work.
Chapter Sixteen
Beautiful people.
I was way shorter than before, and I loved my long blond hair. Idris didn’t look too happy. He wasn’t used to seeing the new me. Even my energy felt much more intense. The voice in my head reminded me that this wasn’t me, that in the real life I was unique in my own way, and I didn’t have to be pretty.
Finally, the pain in my shoulder wasn’t bothering me anymore and my bone must have healed itself. I couldn’t believe it.
“Fran, are you sure you’re all right?” Idris asked for the fourth time.
“Of course, she’s all right, silly. She’s a Dark One now. Your father would have been so proud,” Ripley replied for Idris, clapping. I glanced at him, frowning. He was talking about my father again, so he must have been in favour of the council. Now everything was clear: I didn’t have magic, so when I was born he must have convinced my mother to get rid of me.
“Is that it?” I asked, wanting to get out of his house. Unexplained anger rose in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t feel good being in this body, but I had a job to do. Nothing else mattered.
“Yes, my job is complete. The potions in your body should last for at least seventy-two hours, and you may experience some strange side effects. Remember, I will show up to ask for that favour when I need you, Francesca,” the warlock reminded me.
My stomach made a funny jolt, because I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t have any money, only great thieving skills. The tiny voice in my head told me that I might regret this “favour” in the near future. When I showed up at Harvey’s office, my expectations were different. He wanted me to steal something for him and I was happy with that arrangement. I should have offered the same thing to Ripley, but now it was too late.
It bothered me that he knew my parents. I never thought not knowing them would hurt, but deep down, I wanted to track them down.
“Yes, I understand our deal. Don’t worry, I’ll fulfil my end of the bargain when the time comes,” I told him, a little shocked that my voice sounded so different, too. The future seemed bleak, but now nothing else mattered. Avianna meant a lot to me; she was my friend and partner in crime.
We left the warlock’s swanky house as soon as we could. Ripley was a strange character and he creeped me out. I knew that at some point in my life I would have to see him again.
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