Bloody useless magicians.
I waited patiently for more, for a less confusing and enraging answer. A knock sounded on the door, capturing their attention.
“That’s it? That's all you are going to say?” I was beyond frustrated and wanted to leap out of the bed and yell and scream at them, but from what I had overheard about Magicians, there was no point to it.
Darius laughed and opened the door.
Alana waltzed in followed by a young girl no older than myself.
She was tall and slim, with long, dark hair that circled her petite face, her eyes a golden brown, warm in colour. I sensed no tenors of emotion floating around her so I simply assumed that she was not a magician. After all, I had never felt emotions before meeting the magicians.
Our eyes met and in that moment I knew – even though I did not sense her emotions – the girl hated me. Her eyes were narrowed in revulsion, a look of disgust lingering on her fine features.
She looked me up and down, her eyes remaining on my clumped up hair and dirty skin.
I heard her snort in derision.
“Her? She is who will be taking my place?” she asked, her tone full of superiority.
Gareth smiled gently at her, like he was an adoring father and it made me wonder. Who was she?
“Kida… this is Nyssa Strohm,” Gareth said, answering my unasked question.
“Nyssa is very… special to us,” Darius added seriously. “She holds a special gift which is very valuable.”
“And in turn, you are very valuable to us in keeping her safe,” Gareth finished. I got the sense that he just wanted to keep me happy at this moment. The more time I spent watching them all, the more perceptive I seemed to become.
I looked over at Nyssa again, pursing my lips. I couldn’t see anything special about the girl except for her rude manner, which seemed uniquely horrid.
I felt a nudge against my mind and then heard Nyssa’s voice speaking quietly, her tone dangerous.
“You won’t be so valuable when you’re dead.”
I almost jumped out of the bed and ran into the corner furthest away from her.
I tried as hard as I could to not react but I knew my face would give me away. My heart quickened in my chest beating rapidly, like a hummingbird's wings.
The panic I felt tried to overtake me, but I made myself stop and look around at the other people in the room. I tried a little smile and was relieved when Gareth and Darius smiled back. Apparently they weren’t as perceptive about me.
I could still feel Nyssa’s eyes on me. I looked at her and a small smirk played on her lips, obviously pleased with herself.
I wasn’t going to go down that easily.
“What makes you so special?” I asked roughly.
I was pleased to see shock in her eyes at my defiance. Her attempt to scare me away was not going to work. I was tougher than she thought.
“Nyssa has several abilities,” Darius answered for her, smiling at her. She reciprocated with a sweet, innocent smile that made me feel sick. She was playing them all.
“But you, my dear, are going to be her decoy.”
“Her what?”
“Her decoy,” Darius repeated a little louder as though I were deaf. I could see the confusion in his face.
“I don’t know what that means,” I admitted a little sheepishly.
Nyssa’s face contorted into a gleeful smile and I wondered if she and Alana were somehow related. They had one similarity that I could pick immediately – hating me.
“A decoy is someone or something that takes the place of another to trick or deceive,” Blake answered speaking for the first time since Nyssa had come in.
I glanced at Nyssa and analysed her a bit more. Sure, she looked similar to me, but her nose was broader at the base and turned upwards, her hair was darker, but not by much, and obviously her eyes were brown, whereas mine were blue.
But the major difference, was the smirk that played on her lips, and the way it twisted her expression into something ugly. I would never have an expression like that on my face. If you overlooked all of that, we could have almost been twins.
Blake was watching me intently for some reason, so I gave him a little smile, as I locked away the meaning of decoy into my brain.
“So… who are we deceiving?” I let the new word roll slowly over my tongue, memorising the way it sounded and felt to speak. I hated not knowing words that others knew, but that was the price to pay when your schooling was limited.
“The only thing you really need to know, Kida, is that you will be completely safe,” Darius assured me with a smile. “You are to travel east to Callad, where Nyssa is expected to be travelling in just a few days. No one there has met her before and therefore they won’t know the difference between you both. The Master Magician Kenai is waiting for you there and he will host you for a few days. Nyssa is meant to be going there to control her powers, but at this moment, it is… impossible to do so. So everyone will think that you are Nyssa, at least for a few days.”
“If Kenai is feeling generous he might train you a little,” Gareth spoke warmly, even giving me a small, encouraging smile.
My mind was whirling around, the gears spinning out of control so quickly. I panicked a little, fearing they had finally realised that I was weird and could sense emotions that people were feeling. What if they thought I could no longer help them and sent me back out onto the street? I could not bear the thought.
“Kenai would not train her,” Darius chimed in with a laugh, as if the thought of me doing the training was preposterous. He sounded just like Alana.
“But why isn’t Nyssa actually going?”
“Well…”
“People have been trying to kill me,” Nyssa interrupted, her voice smug. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear delicately as if the idea of an attempt on her life was nothing major. “Either that or capture me.”
Who would want to be killed I thought to myself. This girl is insane.
“Why? What people?”
“That part really isn’t necessary for you to know,” Darius said sternly.
“I kind of think it is. I want to know.” I was angry now. Here I was, going to be in danger, and they weren’t even going to tell me why. I sat up straighter in the bed, gripping onto the smooth sheets beneath me. “If there are people after her, who I will be pretending to be, then surely they will be after me. I want to know who and why.”
“Alana, take Nyssa to prepare for her trip please,” Darius murmured to her, completely ignoring my outburst.
He waited until the door was closed and then faced me, his eyes alight with an emotion I could not sense, but I was immediately scared of. There was something in his expression, something that was concerning. Whatever they were going to say, they were not going to tell me the whole truth. That much I could figure out.
“We believe that she is the next Spyrit magician.”
“Oh… so she is valuable because of her powers?”
Gareth gave him a pointed look and smiled at me. “Yes, her powers, and because she-”
I felt a lightning bolt of anger pass through me, before realising it was not my own.
“Enough, Gareth,” Darius snapped.
“She needs to know,” Gareth bit back, firmly. His face was determined, his movements stiff. The anger seemed to be his. ‘There are several groups of people out there who would choose to abuse the powers that we have been blessed with and turn them on the innocent. To gain power by any means necessary. It is our job to stop them.”
“The point is, Kida, we believe these people are after Nyssa,” Darius finished. My head was swivelling around as each of them spoke in turn. “She is beginning to display much stronger abilities than even I, something the Spyrit Magician was always capable of.”
“So… she is powerful?” I asked to confirm my confused thoughts.
“Yes,” they all whispered in unison.
“And, just because of that, she is special?”
I could not quite grasp why just because she may or may not be the Spyrit Magician, she was special.
“She seems to be gaining more and more powers as she matures,” Gareth said uneasily. “Most of them are qualities of a Spyrit Magician – sensing others before she sees them, being able to heal, and mind reading.”
“We aren’t sure yet,” I heard Blake whisper to Gareth, barely loud enough for me to hear. “But they are surely going to hunt anyone down with any hint of talent that the new Spyrit Magician would have – if they want power, they are going to need her.”
Darius turned to Blake, his eyes angry, but Blake focussed his attention on me. I gulped, allowing myself to slide down under the sheets. I hadn’t meant to start a war. So many questions lay poised on my lips ready to burst forth. I clenched my teeth together in the hope of holding them in. I could see the magicians were beginning to tire of the conversation.
Finally the tension began to settle, the silence soft and lulling. I could feel my eyes beginning to droop. I fought off the waves of exhaustion that battered against my mind. Maybe they had more to say.
“Get some rest,” Blake told me gently.
I was completely confused by the way his emotions worked. One moment he was like a raging ball of fire, his anger bubbling on the surface. The next he was kind and tender, like a calm ocean.
I could not decide which one I liked better. The nice Blake made me nervous, the way he seemed to analyse me but at least he was being nice. The other Blake was just scary and annoying, his emotions flaring out so easily. At least I knew what to expect with him - the unexpected.
Darius strode out the door with no goodbye whatsoever. Gareth came around beside my bed, sitting down in the other vacant chair across from Blake.
“Don’t worry about all of this,” he said with a gentle smile. He took one of my tiny hands in his giant, soft one and gave it a small squeeze. “Darius is just worried about everything. Nyssa reminds him too much of Axian and it’s hard to lose a close friend.”
I nodded slowly, knowing I would never understand. I had never let anyone close enough to actually feel like I had lost someone.
Blake stood up and said a quick goodbye to Gareth, mumbling about some things he had to prepare for. He left the room only to poke his head around moments later.
“Make sure you get plenty of rest,” he demanded, his voice annoyed again. “Gareth will take you to the baths when you wake, then you must get ready. We will be leaving tomorrow.”
“What if I refuse to help you?” I finally asked.
“Refuse? Why would you refuse? What life do you have here?”
I blanked at the question, unable to think of a response.
“Anyway, I am sure an adventure with Magicians surely wouldn’t be as bad as life in the cells. I expect that would be where they would send you if you refused.”
I swallowed the rising fear that threatened to overwhelm me as Blake’s eyebrow rose delicately as if waiting for a reply.
Once satisfied that I was going to remain silent, he left abruptly, leaving me with an empty swirling pit of fear in my stomach.
I looked at Gareth for some kind of help. I hadn’t even agreed to help them but it seemed I had no choice. A magician’s prisoner – how wonderful!
Gareth smiled at me in a calm, kind way, his expression twisted with concern.
“Like Blake said, get some rest. I will come fetch you in a few hours to get you cleaned up and ready for your trip.”
“I don’t get a choice?”
Gareth met my gaze, his eyebrow raised. “Is there really a choice here?”
I thought about his question for a moment, before realising what he was saying. Of course the choice was easy. I could stay here and live off the street for however long I had left, or I could go with them. I was afraid. Sure, the road ahead was going to be dangerous, but at least I knew I was going somewhere. Either way my life was going to be short and I would have rather it be short and interesting instead of short and pointless. I could make a difference, and Gareth somehow knew that I would feel that way.
“I don’t know if I will be ready,” I said. It meant more than what it appeared but the magician seemed to understand that only too well.
“Don’t worry my dear child, you will do wonderfully,” Gareth whispered, blowing out the candle next to the bed.
The exhaustion I had been battling all day hit me with a force, my eyelids drooping instantly.
I heard the door close with a click, but not before I felt the warm smell of the earth, comforting me enough that I sank into a deep, relaxing sleep.
I was jerked awake when I heard a soft shuffling behind my door, my eyes open and my mind attentive in moments. One of the things I had learnt from living on the streets, you wake up – straight away. If you didn’t, many bad things could happen, like being taken in by the city guards or being attacked by any of the other orphans who had managed to live past the first year on the streets.You had to learn to be quick on your feet and alert at the slightest sound. That’s why I always stayed dressed – not that I exactly had a whole wardrobe to choose between.My eyes narrowed and focussed on the sound behind my door. It was a soft thudding, barely audible, but my ears were attuned to hearing soft sounds.Sliding out of bed as quietly as I could, I moved to grab the heaviest looking thing I could find, a delicate and intricately painted vase that rested on the cupboard beside my bed.I picked it up, feeling the weight of it in my hands
This was how Blake found me, curled in a ball, my body covered in sweat and tears as I tried to fight against the invisible enemy of my own torturous nightmares and fears.He picked me up gently and took my back to the room, his warmth enveloping my body. No questions seemed to want to escape his lips and for that I was grateful. I was not ready for his torturous thoughts. His mouth was a tight line as he watched me eat the food he had placed in the room.I played with it mostly, swirling the mixture around and around as it steamed away, giving off a pleasant scent. I would eat some every now and then so I had a reason to not look at Blake, but by the time he asked, I was only half way through and it was starting to get cold.“What was that about?” he asked suddenly, his tone deathly serious. He cut into my thoughts, distracting me from my stirring.I stuffed a piece of bread in my mouth to avoid his question but his face darkened.&ldq
“Blake, where are we going?” He didn’t even pause, continuing in his horse’s canter, as he rode further and further ahead of Midnight who was being as careful as possible. I held on for dear life, letting the movement of the horse influence my own, but it was still a very uncomfortable ride. I had never sat on a horse before, let alone ridden one while it was moving at speed. To say I was terrified was an understatement. Branches from the trees surrounding us loomed so close. I even had to duck to avoid a few. Soon enough the forest began to clear and we rode out onto an open plain. Nothing could be seen for miles around us apart from a few trees scattered here and there. A smile appeared on my lips - freedom. For so long I had been trapped within a city that did not seem to care much for me. I had never before ventured this far from Verdana, preferring to stay close to what I knew and close to the meagre food that I could scavenge. It was by far the most bea
The sun was beginning to rise as Blake finally woke. At first he was just a lump of materials wriggling around, but then he emerged from his bed, his hair ruffed up all over the place. If I was true to myself I could admit that this look was completely adorable, but right now I was angry. Not particularly with just Blake, but the entire set up that I had been dropped into. I had been trailing after Blake for days now heading to some place I had no knowledge of, to fulfil some plan that I knew nothing about. I was infuriated; therefore my silent treatment towards Blake was no surprise to him. I had begun my silence after that first night. He hadn’t really noticed it at the time as he had taken off with Blaze as soon as we had saddled up, leaving me behind again. When we stopped though, my frustrated silence became more obvious. I had hoped to annoy him, but it only seemed to amuse him, which made my anger bubble and roil. When he said something nasty it hit my
A loud crack ripped me from my pleasant dreams, as I lay shocked into stillness, my heart hammering in my chest. Darkness blanketed everything so I could see no further than the end of my nose. At some point in the night the fire must have gone out, leaving the night to press it’s darkness around us. My body was alert, my ears straining to hear the slightest of sounds and my eyes working furiously to adjust to the darkness. A moment later I was jerked up as a hand was curled around my mouth and I was pulled roughly from my bed. Shocked, I tried to scream but the hand gripped tighter over my face, blocking my nose and mouth. I squirmed in the strong grip that held my hands at the back of my body, frantically hoping my eyes would adjust quicker to the darkness. Escape was all my mind could comprehend at this time. A shiver ran through my muscles, paralysing them. This was all too familiar. But something felt wrong. My mind was sluggish almost, as
It seemed an age before we stopped and he dragged me off the exhausted horse. I kicked and screamed the entire way, trying to fight him off. His strong arms held onto me tightly, never releasing, never yielding to my pressure. The panic I had felt earlier, was now surging with full force, rising in my chest sure and fast. This was not how I envisioned my life. In fact it was no way near. I had to fight. I had to get away. I had to do anything to not let this happen.I had fought off the Mason all those years ago, but a rogue? A rogue was a completely different story. He was so much stronger and with his ability to change into his beast at any time, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself against his wolf.The man half dragged, half carried me to a small deserted hut that was hidden behind a large grouping of trees. Even though it seemed that no one had lived there in a long time, the place still looked neat and tidy. A small garden was blooming to the south of
I awoke to a sharp sunlight piercing into my eyes when they snapped open. The memories of the rogue’s touch and sound of his voice felt so real as if he was no longer just in my dreams. My breathing was rapid and my heart was hammering in my chest. I could have sworn he was right there, the dreams had been so real, as if he had stood above me only moments ago, ready to rape me.To the east, the sun had almost finished poking its head up over the horizon. I rolled over wearily and saw that Blake was lying on his bed, his slow, and steady breathing a good sign that he was still sleeping.In that moment, looking at him and at the ruin behind him, all I could feel was my body screaming at me, my mind beating away inside my head telling me to run. I had to get away.The feeling was so strong I was up and out of bed before I had realised what I was doing.My stomach curled with disgust and fear, grabbing at my body and leaving my heart to beat so lo
I awoke to the sun beaming directly in my face from the middle of the sky, and a still sullen Blake packing up noisily.“Wake up, time to go,” he growled menacingly. “We have slept for far too long.”He didn’t even look at me, but I noticed the dark bags that hung beneath his eyes. It sent a ping of guilt through me. He was still recovering from almost dying. Was I being completely ridiculous and selfish?He shot me a glare, his eyebrow raised at me and it quickly banished the guilty feeling within me. Nope, he was being ridiculous.With a sigh and a roll of my eyes, I forced my aching body up and packed what was left – my bed and bag. I had resigned myself to the fact that he was cold and heartless. I now felt a burning rage towards him that simmered just under the surface.He packed up the horses and we set off towards Callad.“How much longer?” I asked, gritting my teeth.With a wry s