JOURNEY INTO THE REALM: The Spell Master (Journey into the Realm Series) (10 page)

Dear Stellan,

Thank you so much for your letter. You can’t imagine how much I miss you! Things have been so different here without you and Addison. Have you had a chance to write her? I haven’t written to her since you left. I hope she is doing well in Tarlore. I know she misses Cass just as much as I miss you.

I know you are doing a great duty for our Realm, so I try not to be too miserable. I’m also trying to listen to your advice and have a little fun. I’m glad to hear you and Cass are all right, even though these are hard times. I pray that your courage stays strong through this.

School has been great. I learn a lot every day. I have also made many new friends, as well as kept some old ones. Brielle came all the way from Tarlore to go to school with me, which is such a comfort because you know how shy I can be sometimes. I have wonderful teachers and classes, but self-defense isn’t as easy as I had hoped. I can admit I’m not that much of a fencer, but I can at least hold my own for some time. I’m sure I will get better.

Aaliyah misses you very much as well…and so does Zora, I think. The dragon eggs miss you too! They are almost ready to hatch. We are all very excited. I hope that you can read this letter and feel better. You must keep focused if you are to come home to me once your term has ended.

I can’t wait for that day.

Love, Ramsey

I purposely didn’t mention Nathan’s name in the letter. It wouldn’t be beneficial if Stellan started questioning me as well. I folded the letter once the pen ink was dry and sealed it inside an envelope, stamping a seal on top to close it. Then I dropped it into my shoulder bag to give to Aaliyah later.

I walked back to my bed and lay down once again. I was still feeling rotten, despite the deep breathing and letter-writing. Images of Nathan’s face as he walked away repeated behind my closed eyelids.
I hadn’t wanted him to leave
, I realized. I never wanted him to leave. He made me feel like everything could be right in my world. I didn’t understand why; I had known him only a few days. Even so, the feeling remained, despite my own confusion.

Thinking of him was like a double-edged sword, because a part of me always felt guilty, and I didn’t want Zora to be right about taking Stellan’s love for granted.

I’m not doing anything wrong
, I repeated to myself over and over.

I couldn’t lie to myself any more than I could lie to my sister.

I meant to close my eyes for only a moment. I just wanted to clear my head and relax before I faced Zora. I hadn’t had such a heated argument with her before, and I didn’t feel right about it. Fighting with her was just…wrong somehow. I fought with Dina, my human sister, plenty of times throughout my adolescence. Dina and I grew up together. Quarrels were normal for sisters like us. But with Zora, things were different. She wasn’t like Dina. She was kind and gentle, and no one ever had anything bad to say about her. She was the elfen everyone wanted to know.

Did being her sister mean that things had to be different between us as opposed to how she interacted with everyone else? She was aggravatingly protective of me. I knew I should be careful; she was my guardian, the only link I had to my real heritage. She had a right to worry about me. But when it came to the subject of Nathan, I didn’t want Zora’s concern. I just wanted her to stay out of my business.

I was so deep in thought that I forgot to open my eyes. Instead, I fell asleep quickly. Then I dreamt.

I dreamt of a beautiful meadow. It shined in the sun, golden and glorious. Blades of grass fluttered from the cool breeze, and wildflowers swayed. Crystal-clear, sparkling streams glistened in the daylight. Tall trees made a line far beyond the meadow’s fields. The blue sky held only a few wispy white clouds, soft and bright. Small creatures such as rabbits and mice scurried across the ground, running to their holes in search of shade. Birds soared through the air, their wings making hardly any sound as they glided. I felt oddly at peace and a strong sense of accomplishment, as if I had been searching for this place for a long time…

“Ramsey,” a voice called as I was awakened from my dream. “Ramsey, please come out here,” Zora pleaded.

I groaned and sat up, still witnessing images of the incredible dream when I blinked my eyes. I had never witnessed such beauty, such brilliant magic in one place. I wished that the meadow was real, that I was there instead of hiding in my room.

As I finally found the will to get out of bed, I realized it was near four o’clock. The dream felt like seconds, but I had slept for hours.

“Ramsey,” Zora repeated.

“I’m coming,” I said.

I walked over and opened the door. Zora was standing too close and had to take a step back. “I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes tired.

“Me too.”

“What I said was wrong.”

“It was,” I agreed.

“That’s not the best way to accept an apology, Ramsey,” she said, irritation showing in her emerald eyes.

“I know, but what you said really hurt me,” I disclosed.

“I was wrong, and you know that.”

“Yes, and if anyone else had said those things, it wouldn’t have mattered. It’s different coming from you,” I admitted.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because you are so
good
, Zora,” I stressed, walking past her and to the kitchen. I started washing my hands without knowing why. I guess it was just something for me to do while we spoke. “You are gentle and caring and generally peaceful. When you get angry like that it makes me feel terrible…because you
never
get angry like that.”

Zora sighed. “I never meant to become so upset.”

“I know.”

“I just think you need to remember the elves in your home life as well as your school friends.”

“No. I need to remember the elves other than Nathan,” I corrected, shaking my head. “It’s okay, Zora. I understand how you feel. I get it. But I don’t want to have this conversation again. I can take care of things on my own.”

Zora nodded. “All right. I’ll leave it alone. Just be careful.”

I didn’t answer her. Instead, I headed for the dragon room. Before I went inside, I turned to look back at her.

“
You
should be the careful one, Zora. I’m sorry, but I know I was right about your feelings for Stellan. You still love him. Think about what you say from now on, or
that
conversation will happen again.”

“I’ll meet you at Aaliyah’s for dinner at seven,” she said without hesitation.

“Okay,” I replied quietly.

Then I went into the dragon room without looking back again.

***

Dinner that night was semi-enjoyable only because Brielle and Danica stopped by. I kept my attention on them and did my best not to talk to Zora. Our fight, even though we had both apologized, was still fresh in my mind. Brielle seemed to take no notice. I was thankful. I didn’t want either of us to explain our argument; it would not make pleasant dinner conversation.

I kept myself busy by asking Danica about married life and her plans for the future – if she would always remain with Queen Taryn at the palace, if she was planning on having children, etc. She said it would be a while before anything changed. She and Thane were still very committed to their service.

Elves usually didn’t get married. It just wasn’t a big deal. They found love, but marriage wasn’t a priority, except in cases such as Danica and Thane’s. They were guards and wanted to stay on the same service. Being married gave them security because, from now on, if one of the two were transferred to another position, the other would follow automatically. They wouldn’t be separated.

To me, marriage was more than that. Even though I knew that here it wasn’t the elfin custom, I planned on honoring my Christian beliefs while incorporating elfin ones. I wondered what Stellan would say to that. I stopped wondering before another elf’s name could pop into my head.

“Ramsey, I can tell something is bothering you,” Aaliyah remarked after tea.

I had hoped she wouldn’t notice anything wrong. But if anyone would, I knew it would be Aaliyah. Sometimes it seemed like she knew everything. I shrugged and helped her carry the teacups to the counter.

“Just a little worn out. School was rough today,” I explained.

“If there’s anything else on your mind, you can feel free to tell me about it,” she offered.

I nodded. “Thanks, Aaliyah,” I said, but I didn’t go any further with the conversation.

What was with everyone trying to talk to me? They wanted me to share my feelings, but if I did, I would be betraying Zora. She didn’t want me blabbing about the trunk or Finn to anyone. I didn’t know how I would continue to resist talking under all this pressure from everyone. I clenched my fists in frustration. Keeping silent was especially difficult around Nathan because being near him made me want to pour my heart out.

Once everything was cleaned up, Zora and I said goodbye to everyone and left the house. I was anxious to be alone. Isolation meant security. I wouldn’t be tempted to share anything about Finn if no one was there to hear me.

Mere moments after we departed, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Brielle running toward me. Her pace slowed when she realized I was waiting for her to catch up.

“Something wrong?” Zora asked.

“No. Go on home, Zora. I just need to speak with Ramsey for a moment,” Brielle insisted.

“All right,” my sister said, eyeing Brielle curiously. “Come home soon, Ramsey.”

“I will,” I assured her.

When Zora was too far away to hear us, I looked back at Brielle. “What is it?” I asked.

“It’s Ellie. I didn’t want to mention it at dinner, but, Ramsey, there is something about her…I can’t explain it, but she’s unique. She’s like you.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Some of the things she says…they tell me that she has a past. One that could be more like yours than mine.”

“Don’t forget that you are quite unusual yourself, Princess.” I grinned, remembering my wild time in Tarlore with Brielle.

“That may be, but I still wonder about her,” she said. “She’s a mystery.”

“Like me,” I retorted.

“Yes, the cool kind,” Brielle said. “The kind that will one day end a war or something heroic like that.”

I wanted to laugh, but refrained and shook my head instead. Ever since Brielle had heard
cool
, one of my “human words,” she had started saying it herself. She was always up for trying something new.

“I’m not accusing her of anything. I’m just overly cautious since the incident in the barn. We almost died that day. If Ellie’s hiding something, whether it’s good or bad, you of all elfens could figure it out.”

“Because we’re both mysteries,” I assumed.

“Exactly. See, I knew you would understand. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.” Brielle gave me a hug and left to join Danica, who was waiting for her at Aaliyah’s doorstep.

I turned and resumed my journey home. On the way, I contemplated what Brielle had said. Sure, Ellie said a few things that were peculiar, but that didn’t necessarily mean she had secrets. I couldn’t judge her so quickly before really getting to know her. After being judged so much in the Human Realm, I knew the horrors, and I didn’t ever want to be that kind of elfen to anyone.

Anyway, I had other things to deal with than Ellie’s strange moods and qualities. Like Zora, for instance.

I walked into the house and headed straight to the dragon room. I saw Zora already in her bed as I walked past. I couldn’t tell if she was sleeping or not. I gave each egg a rub and then got ready for bed myself. I changed and slipped under my covers.

“Zora?” There was no reply. I shut my eyes tightly for a moment, wondering if something had changed between us that could never be repaired. “Good night,” I whispered finally, closing my eyes. Soon I was asleep and dreaming for the second time that day.

It was the same meadow, but even lovelier than the first time. Still no living things, other than tiny creatures, occupied the space. Once again, I didn’t feel like I was there at all. I wasn’t
in
the dream, simply watching.

Everywhere I looked there was beauty. I could find nothing wrong with the meadow. Again, I wished that it was a real place. I wished that I could actually be there. Everything was so peaceful and serene. With the sun shining, birds singing, and water flowing, it was like a dream sanctuary. There was no other place I would rather be. How could I compare anything else to this place? It was breathtaking. I felt that I could just watch the meadow forever.

I woke up at dawn the next morning. Six a.m. I had never slept so long in my life. Was something wrong with me? I put the blame on my disagreement with Zora. I was stressed and dead tired from fencing. I nodded to myself as I dressed. That had to be the reason.

A note on the table told me that Zora had already left for the orchard. At the bottom was another apology. She wanted this to be over with. Did I want that? Did I want to forget what she had said? I had never been keen on holding grudges, but her words still stung me. I couldn’t get them out of my head:
“Listen to yourself! You are running around with another elf while Stellan is fighting for you and the rest of the Realm.”

I hadn’t thought that I took him for granted. Now, I doubted myself. Was I taking this war situation too lightly? Ever since I had found out about Stellan and Zora, things hadn’t been the same between us. Stellan and I were close, but not as close as we
could
have been. At first, I thought our problems had made us stronger in the aftermath, but I wasn’t so sure anymore, especially since he was so far away from me, and Nathan was so close….

But I still loved Stellan. I knew that for sure. No one, not even Zora, could tell me that I didn’t.

I went in to check on the eggs and squealed with joy when I saw a small cracked line down one side of my egg. I saw one similar, but a bit smaller, on Zora’s. The eggs would hatch soon! I said goodbye to each of them by giving them a small rub and then went into the kitchen to eat a few pieces of fruit. Afterward, I set off for school.

As I walked down the roads, I felt a rush of wind blow my way. It was odd because it wasn’t a windy day. There were no clouds in the sky and the sun shone bright. Where had the wind come from? It was gone now.

I continued to walk until I heard the wind pick up again. The last time wind howled in my ears like that, an air fairy had been the source. I whipped my head around, but like always with these kinds of situations, nothing was there.

I had no reason to believe that this occurrence was anything more than my imagination. I was tired and stressed, and wind wasn’t a phenomenon. Air fairies weren’t responsible for every breeze.

But the water in the field and now this? Strange elemental encounters were piling up. What was next? Earth?

Or fire?