by T Ariyanna
“Wherever you want,” Kaitlyn encouraged.
He thought for a moment, wondering what he could, and should, tell her. “My Mom's dead,” he blurted without thinking. “She died when I was born. My father blames me.” Though his head was whirling with his suspicions, he knew it was best to keep them to himself.
Kaitlyn touched his arm lightly and whispered, “Is that how you get these?”
Her fingers grazed over his fading bruises. He pulled his arm away and covered the discolored spots with his hand.
Kaitlyn bit her lip, her brow scrunching. “He shouldn't hit you. You could tell someone, they can…”
“What? What can they do? Better yet, who would even help me? No one cares.” The whole town knew by now about his fight with Kraven, about what he had done. They already blamed him for the storm, and any other bad thing that had happened. Now, they had reason to hate him.
“I care.”
Arion turned back to Kaitlyn. Her smile was gone, but her blue eyes shone. “Thanks,” he said, guilt at his outburst creeping up.
They sat in silence for a moment, Arion staring down at his lap. “Do you have anything of hers? Of your mother's?” Kaitlyn asked finally.
Arion nodded and pulled out his locket. He switched the clasp and showed Kaitlyn the picture of his mother. “I made the locket. And I have a music box that was hers. Maybe I can bring it to show you sometime.”
“I'd like that.” Kaitlyn smiled at Arion, and he couldn't help but smile back.
She glanced behind him and saw the teachers gathering around the building. “They're getting ready to call everyone in. I should get going.” She stood up and brushed the dandelion fuzz from her dress. It was caught by the breeze and flew into her hair. They laughed together while he picked the fluff from her locks.
Kaitlyn blushed and rubbed her arm until he was done. She shifted her weight awkwardly. “Bye.”
She walked around Arion, but he caught her hand.
“Do…do you still want to see what I had the other day?” he asked. He looked down nervously, but didn't release her hand.
She turned back to him, nodding excitedly. “Of course!”
Arion took his gloves off with shaking hands. He rubbed them together, feeling the magic flow through him. He held his left palm up, and it began to glow. It started as a dim light, but he forced himself to open it up. It grew brighter and brighter, the green light illuminating their skin.
Kaitlyn's eyes were the biggest he had ever seen, and her smile was intoxicating. It filled him with courage. He let the light fade away, and spun his finger in a circle.
Just like the first day Kaitlyn had talked to him, he created a small tornado in his hand. It hovered above his palm, and he blew it into the air. It moved quickly, twirling around Kaitlyn and blowing her hair in all directions. She giggled. He controlled the tornado, making it do tricks and flips between them.
“What are you doing over here, Kaitlyn?” a voice boomed behind Arion. The tornado died instantly, and Arion spun around as fast as he could, backing away from the person looming over him.
“Leave us alone, Kraven,” Kaitlyn snapped, but Kraven only laughed. His lackeys behind him chuckled, and he raised a hand to silence them.
“Shouldn't you be getting back to school? We don't want you to be late, now do we?” Kraven leaned closer to her, and his smile made Arion sick.
“I said go away!” Kaitlyn yelled. She pushed his chest, but he was too big for her. He didn't budge, and Kaitlyn fell to the ground. She glared up at Kraven, unphased.
“Looks like the little princess has a big mouth.” The group of boys behind him erupted into laughter, and Kraven turned on Arion. “You trying to turn her into a bad kid? Huh, freak?”
“Leave him alone! I'm here 'cause I want to be!” Kaitlyn yelled from the ground.
Kraven held a hand up to her, still staring Arion down. “Now, now, sweetie, why don't you leave this to the men. Well, the men and the freak.” His group broke into laughter again, this time with Kraven joining in.
When Arion remained silent, Kraven turned away from him and grabbed Kaitlyn's hand. He yanked her to her feet, and she winced in pain.
“Hey!” Arion yelled, taking a step toward Kraven.
Kraven turned on Arion again, his maniacal smile replaced by a snarl. “What?”
Arion darted his eyes to Kaitlyn, who was watching him with worry. She shook her head furiously, rubbing her shoulder.
Arion clenched his jaw and looked down. “Nothing,” he whispered. He clenched his fists, smothering the heat that gathered in his left palm. Don't be like him. Don't be like him!
Kraven laughed again and shoved him to the ground. “Good answer. Nothing. Just like you.”
Kraven and his group left laughing, dragging Kaitlyn all the way to the school. Arion didn't move from his spot on the ground until the school day was over, and the sun began to set. Once the streets had emptied for the night, he ran home.
Arion sat on the floor in the middle of his room, flipping through the pages of his book with little interest. He reached the end, with no new content to the ever-growing book. He'd grown bored over the past week that he had stayed home from school. It had been months since his first encounter with Kraven, and the bully had been on his heels at every turn. He needed a break, even if it meant he didn't get to see Kaitlyn.
He threw himself onto his back with a dramatic sigh. One hand ended up under the bed, while the other was bent awkwardly against the wall. The room was closer to the size of a closet, and the old furniture he had took up most of the space.
“Nothing new in weeks. And nothing I can use to find Mom! I thought you were supposed to be more useful than this?” he huffed. He flipped the book into the air with his foot, and it bumped into the wall. Arion forced out a laugh at the thud it made. He closed his eyes and rested one arm across his face. “What to do? What to. . .oof!”
The breath was pushed out of him as his large tome came down hard onto his stomach. It bounced a second time, and Arion shoved it onto the floor. He rolled onto his side, away from the book, holding his stomach. He laughed at the book, but more at himself. “Does every Mage get a book with an attitude like you?” he mumbled through the laughter.
The book rammed into his back playfully, and his laughter only grew. He reached a hand behind him and patted the book on its cover. “Fine, fine. I'm sorry, Tome. You're a good book.” He scooped up the book without looking and tossed it onto the bed. It bounced around for a moment, but settled easily. Arion stared at the ceiling, relishing in the calm and silence.
The few days his father was home between trips were awkward. He would look at Arion as though he was going to yell or hit, but his face would twist up in confusion, and then he would leave. The spell had worked, sort of, but it left interesting side effects on his father. Arion wondered how long it would last.
He closed his eyes and worked through the puzzle of his mother. There were so many missing pieces, and he longed to fit something together. He needed to know more, but he couldn't get any new information.
He waved his arm under his bed until his fingers connected with a smooth surface. He rested his hand atop the music box, and smiled lightly.
The loud knocking that sounded from below him nearly gave him a heart attack. He shot up, banging his arm underneath the bed. His book jumped and landed on his head. He doubled over, and Tome turned in a few circles before hopping to the floor and hiding itself under the bed. It nestled beside the music box, and Arion could hear its pages shaking.
The knocking came again, lighter and more hesitant. He stared at his bedroom door, slightly ajar. Who could that be? He thought worriedly. Kraven? Father? Has the town finally come for me?
He waited, twisting his hands over themselves. Once again, the knocking came short and abrupt. Arion swallowed his fear, and pushed himself off the floor.
He made his way to the front door as quietly as he could, and leaned against it. There were no voice
s to be heard, and they didn't knock again. He opened the door slowly and peered out through the smallest crack.
“Kaitlyn?” He threw the door open just as the girl was walking away. Her head was down and her shoulders slumped, but she perked up instantly at the sound of his voice. She skipped back to the door, her smile beaming.
“What are you doing here?” he whispered.
“I came to see you, silly. You weren’t in class. I got worried that something happened. That maybe your Father…”
Kaitlyn looked down at her hands, a bright blush standing out on her cheeks with the freckles. Arion noticed the small basket she carried. It was full, but there was a small rag covering its contents. He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.
“I can handle myself. Promise. I'm worried about you. You shouldn't be here! It's one thing if you talk to me at school, but you can't come to my house! You'll get in trouble with your dad, or Kraven.”
His eyes wandered behind her. He clenched and relaxed his fist, taking control of his magic. He sent it out around them, but sensed nothing else nearby. Though his magic didn't lie, the worry he felt never dissipated.
“I just want to help. I know I can't do much, but I still want to,” Kaitlyn squeaked.
She dropped her head and held the basket out to Arion. He took it slowly and pulled the rag off. The basket was filled with apples, bigger than his hand and so shiny and red, they were nearly blinding.
A smile broke through Arion's concern and he looked up at Kaitlyn. She was staring at the ground, her hands tucked behind her and her toes digging into the dirt. Arion laid his hand on her shoulder and her head shot up.
“Thank you, Kait,” Arion said. A blush filled her cheeks again, and Arion turned away to hide his own redness. “So, since you're here, do you want to see my music box?”
“Uh-huh! Yeah!” Kaitlyn gushed, nodding enthusiastically. Arion laughed at the way her head bobbed on her neck, and motioned her inside. He ushered her quickly through the house and to his bedroom.
“Why haven't you been at class this week?” Kaitlyn asked as they walked through the house.
“I've just been home. Studying a book I have lying around, that's all.”
He stepped up to the bed and knelt down, only to be blown back by something darting from underneath. Kaitlyn yelped behind him, and he turned to see his spell book hopping around the girl. It opened and closed itself like a giant mouth, and nipped at the bottom of her dress.
He snatched it up as fast as he could and held it shut. Glaring at the cover, he scolded it, “No. She's my friend, now you be nice.”
The book ruffled its pages in defeat and calmed down. Arion tossed it onto his bed. It landed on the tattered blanket piled against the wall, and buried itself within the folds.
“Sorry about that. It's protective of me,” Arion apologized. He shrugged his shoulders and gave Kaitlyn a small smile. He stifled his laugh at her gaping mouth and wide eyes, and turned back to retrieve the box. He set it on his bed and flipped the lid open. His book surfaced from the blanket, and faced the box. Kaitlyn shifted nervously next to Arion, her eyes never leaving the book.
Arion tapped her shoulder, bringing her attention to the box. “What's that?” she gasped. She pointed to the crystal ball, and her skin came in contact with the glass. The purple smoke, previously swirling inside as though nothing was happening, flew to the spot she touched. It pulsed blue, red and pink, crawling over itself to get to the glass.
She screamed and ripped her hand away. The smoke returned to its normal color, but its spinning was slowed, and it weaved up and down as it moved. “What was that?” she shrieked, clutching her finger to her chest.
“I've never seen it do that before,” Arion mused, leaning closer to the ball. He came less than an inch away, his nose nearly touching it. He poked the glass a few times, and the smoke rammed against the glass, first aiming for where his finger had been, then for the spot just in front of his nose.
“Do you want to tell me why I needed to see that so bad?” Kaitlyn snapped. She was now examining her finger, turning it this way and that in front of her face.
“That's not exactly what I wanted to show you, but it was cool. This is what you'll like.” Kaitlyn stared at him with incredulity, her eyes darting from his relaxed expression to the smoke still swirling inside the glass ball. Arion flashed her a smile as he reached out a finger and flicked the small switch on the music box. Kaitlyn closed her eyes as the room filled with Arion's lullaby, swaying side to side with the tune. Arion watched with a smile until the music was done.
Her eyes shot open as soon as it ended, her face full of wonder. “That was beautiful,” she breathed.
“I think my mother used to sing that to me,” Arion said, his gaze drifting from Kaitlyn to the box. The smoke was now gathered at the edge toward the switch.
“I thought you said she died when you were born.”
“I did. She did. It’s just…I don't know, but I found this music box of hers a couple weeks ago, and I just know there has to be something special about it.” He glanced up at Kaitlyn, and she was nodding in understanding.
They sat for a moment, watching the smoke butt itself against the glass ball towards the switch. It gave up after a moment. It weaved inside the glass in time with the lullaby, though it wasn't playing. Arion hummed the tune, and the smoke danced with more energy.
“What do you think is in there?” Kaitlyn asked, breaking his reverie.
“What?”
“That smoke doesn't seem like just smoke. It's weird…different. It's almost like something's trapped in there.” Kaitlyn slowly lifted her finger to the glass again. The smoke responded calmer this time, curling around itself at her touch, turning into a writhing ball. Its colors changed, slowly fading into the next.
“I …I never thought of that. I always just thought it was pure magic. I still don't know how any of this works, to be honest. I haven't had my magic for more than a few months.” Arion rested his finger against the glass, and the smoke looped between the two of them. For Arion, it was a bright green color, and for Kaitlyn it was a blue that eerily resembled her eyes.
“I should probably be getting home. Daddy won't like me being gone for too long,” Kaitlyn said after a moment of peace. Arion led her to the front door, where they paused.
Kaitlyn picked up the basket of apples and shoved them into Arion's hands. “Don't forget to eat, okay?” She said it lightly, but her eyes were filled with concern. Arion nodded and held the door open for her. She skipped off of their small porch and set on her way home, swinging her arms wildly.
“Kaitlyn!” Arion called after her as she reached the edge of their walkway. She turned back to him, her head tilted slightly. “I'm really glad you came over today,” he confessed.
Again, that smile he loved so much lit up Kaitlyn's face. She waved her hand over her head excitedly and called back, “Me, too!”
Monday came quickly, and Arion found himself stuck in his room. Though he knew Kraven could only do so much damage, and he could heal himself if he wanted, he still trembled at the thought of the beatings he would get if Kraven caught him alone. More than that, he worried what Kraven would do if he found him and Kaitlyn together again.
He had told himself he didn't need school. His book would teach him everything he needed to know. School is for humans, he reminded himself.
But he was human, or at least, half human. But since he lost control and hurt Kraven, that's all they saw of him. Though most of them doubted it, they still feared him. Tome had told him that humans could sense magic, and it gave them reason to believe Kraven's stories. It was certainly more believable than Arion being able to beat him with just his strength.
“What do you think?” Arion asked as he flattened himself to the floor and pulled Tome out from under the bed. It hopped once in front of him and flew open. It turned itself to the last few pages, where Arion had sketched a picture of Kaitlyn. He smiled a little bit and nodded
. “Thanks.”
Tome hopped again in place and slid back to its hiding spot. It shuffled its pages as though it was snoring, and Arion left it to rest.
When he arrived at school, it was nearly lunch. He waited at his tree for the children to be released for recess.
He flinched at the onslaught of yelling and laughter as the students burst from the doors. He leaned around the tree, looking for Kaitlyn, but found Kraven first. He was near the corner of the building closest to Arion, hunched over a student, his group doing a good job of hiding what was going on.
Arion shrunk from the situation, but couldn't pull his eyes away. Does he just find someone else when I'm not here? Ignoring his instincts, Arion ran to the edge of the schoolyard, out of Kraven's sight, and moved closer. He didn't know what he would do when he reached him, but he couldn't just watch another student be tormented.
Maybe I should, he thought. No one ever helps me. No one except…
Kraven's voice cut his thoughts off. “So where were you on Saturday, huh? I looked everywhere for you. Your father didn't even know where you went.”
“It's none of your business, Kraven. Just leave me alone. Ow!” Kraven yanked the student into Arion's view. It was Kaitlyn, and he had one giant hand wrapped around her arm. She desperately tried to claw herself free, but Kraven only tightened his grip.
“I said, where were you?” he growled in her ear. Kaitlyn cringed away from him, and Arion watched her clench her fists at her side. “You owe me an answer. After all, I am…”
“She was with me,” Arion yelled, jumping out of hiding. The group parted to reveal Arion, and Kraven's sneer turned at him. Kaitlyn paled when she saw him, her mouth agape. Arion stared his bully down, knowing he'd lose his courage if he allowed himself to look away.
“Well, well. Look who's got the guts to show his face again. It's the village freak.” Kraven dropped Kaitlyn and stepped toward Arion. He twitched at the insult, but held his resolve. He glanced at Kaitlyn lying on the ground, and the bruise that was already forming on her arm fueled his anger. He dug his fingernails into his palms for control.