JOURNEY INTO THE REALM: The Spell Master (Journey into the Realm Series) (15 page)

***

On the way back from Brielle’s, I stopped by Aaron’s to tell him about Kalani, who was eager to meet her once I introduced her to life outside my house. At the market, I bumped into Aimee as I was buying some meat for my newly hatched dragon. I explained to her that I felt all right and thanked her for taking care of me last night. Bag of raw meat in hand – the aroma not very appreciated – I headed home.

As I neared my house, desperately in need of rest after walking all morning, I felt someone grab my arm. I turned to see Nathan standing before me.

Brielle’s words came rushing back to me. “
Then why is it that whenever I see you look at Nathan, it’s like he is all that matters to you? He is the world, the sun, the stars…everything.”

I suddenly felt extremely embarrassed, as if Nathan had heard those thoughts aloud.

“Hey,” I said, when I finally found my voice.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

His voice was filled with concern. I wanted to reach out to him, assure him that I would be okay as long as he was here with me. I held back, scaring myself more and more every time I admitted these feelings to myself. If what Brielle said was true….

“Everyone has been asking that,” I told him instead. “If I’m okay, I mean.”

“They should, Ramsey. What happened last night was…unnerving, to say the least.
Are you all right?
” he repeated.

“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “Strange things have been happening to me.” My heart began to pound. “I can’t believe I just said that. You’re the first person I’ve admitted that to….”

Again, I couldn’t seem to hide anything from this elf.

“Strange things?” he asked, moving past my lame admission. “Like what?”

I rubbed my eyes, the onset of another headache making me weary and irritable. “I don’t know; they’re just strange. I don’t really want to talk about it right now, Nathan.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be okay.”

“If you need someone to talk to, you can talk to me.”

I almost told him everything right then and there. Instead, I regained my composure and said, “Stop being so nice. It’s not like you.” I covered my remaining emotions with laughter.

He laughed as well, and I relaxed immediately. “Thanks for the interesting compliment.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

“See you,” he said.

I smiled at him and turned away, able to drop the façade because I was out of sight. My face fell, and I couldn’t swallow the lump in my throat. I was drowning in a sea of confusion. Stellan was far away, Zora wasn’t cooperating, and I seriously doubted that my friends would be able to handle Element fairies and secrets and mysterious back pains. Except perhaps Brielle. But she had enough to deal with as the Princess of the Elf Realm.

Nathan was offering his aid and support, but I was turning him away because I felt guilty and afraid of my feelings for him.

What if he was the only one I could trust? The only one who could protect me? How far would I go to ensure my loyalty to Stellan? And could that loyalty ultimately cost me my life?

***

Zora was waiting for me when I walked in the door. She was holding Kalani, but set her down on the floor as I put my shoulder bag on the kitchen table. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and wiped it with a cloth until it was shiny and clean. “How did you find out?” I asked before I took a bite.

“I stopped by Brielle’s to return a book Danica lent me. You had only just departed when I arrived. What’s going on with you?”

I swallowed and put the apple down on the counter, ready to have a real conversation with her. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Strange things have been happening, Zora. I think my secret has something to do with them. Tell me about it,” I suggested casually, trying to keep the bitterness out of my tone.

“You’re wrong,” she declared, and she retreated into the dragon room.

I stormed into the room after her. “You can’t keep it hidden forever! Soon I’ll have to know.”

“That time is not now,” she said sternly, busying herself with tidying up the room.

I grabbed the wad of blankets out of her hands and tossed it in the corner so she would have no choice but to focus on me. “Why not?”

She gripped my wrists, the pressure enough to make me jerk away. “It isn’t safe.”

“I need to know,” I insisted. “Apparently, my secret could end the war. Why won’t you tell me?”

“You would be in too much danger!” she yelled. “A fainting spell is nothing compared to what could happen to you if I were to break my silence. I can’t afford to let anyone know what I know. Not even you.”

I was going to yell at her in return. I was going to ask her what she meant about others knowing what she knew. About me knowing what she knew.

But a cracking noise disrupted my thought process. I looked down to see Zora’s egg begin to break apart. Chunks of eggshell fell to the floor as a tiny dragon worked its way out. Kalani fluttered into the room and sat beside the egg. She watched with us as the dragon hatched.

A little red dragon broke out of the shell and flopped to the ground beside Kalani. It gave Kalani a quick sniff and then made a tiny squeak. I backed away so that the dragon would see Zora first. I was still angry, but I knew the dragon had to bond with Zora. The little red dragon wobbled over to her and peered up at her with its tiny black eyes. Its red scales shimmered in the afternoon light.

“Hello,” Zora said quietly.

The dragon replied with a squeak and then nudged her hand.

“It accepts you,” I told her, trying to keep up the pretense of indifference. But it wasn’t easy to watch the adorable creature nestling against the one elfen I wanted to hate at that moment but couldn’t.

“It does?” Zora asked.

“Yes. It’s your dragon now.”

The red dragon wobbled closer to Zora and sat down beside her.

“What will you name it?” I wondered.

“I have to find out if it’s a boy or a girl first,” she reminded me.

I turned to Kalani. “Is the red dragon a boy?” Kalani shook her head. “Then it’s a girl?” I asked. She nodded. “There you have it.”

Zora smiled. “Razi it is, then.”

“What’s the significance?” I asked.

Zora hesitated before replying, “Razi means ‘my secret.’”

I would have reacted strongly were it not for this precious moment. Razi purred and snuggled close to Zora, her sweet disposition already impossible to ignore. Kalani jumped into my arms, demanding attention.

“We have two amazing little creatures, Ramsey.”

“We do,” I agreed.

At that moment, everything was suddenly all right. We were two sisters having fun with each other, enjoying our new dragons. My aching back, the elemental attacks, and the meadow were long gone. My secret was forgotten. Nathan wasn’t an issue. Zora’s lingering feelings for Stellan were nonexistent. Everything was so simple.

But like all happy feelings as of late, I knew the moment wouldn’t last.

A month and a half passed. Every day our dragons grew, and when they were the size of horses, Kalani and Razi were moved outside to the field behind our home. Zora and I soon discovered that each dragon had a certain personality. Razi was sweet, quiet, and shy. Kalani was strong and friendly, but her impatience sometimes led to hostility if left unchecked.

With Aaron’s help, Zora and I learned to understand much of what the dragons said. Kalani and Razi greatly appreciated our efforts, even though our attempts to speak their language were pretty weak.

The dragons were massive jewel hoarders, which we had expected but still disapproved of. We did our best to stop them, but it was the only rule they refused to obey. We woke up every couple of days to find an earring, necklace, or other piece of jewelry missing. In the beginning we were frustrated with their disobedience, but we learned to laugh it off. Sometimes we loved the dragons too much to tell them no.

I was thankful to the dragons for repairing the relationship between Zora and me, but it only worked to a certain degree. We still had our differences. She refused to speak about my secret and limited my time with Nathan outside of school to once a week.

Because of the rule, I couldn’t do my dragon project with him, so I chose Ellie instead. She and I became very close during our time spent recording information for the class, and the dragons enjoyed being around her. She sometimes said strange things and had a temper, but I discovered I could connect easily with her. Like Brielle, Ellie always spoke her mind and never left anything out. She never hesitated to tell me what she thought of my feelings for Nathan, or when she believed Zora was being too hard on me. She wasn’t an emotional elfen, but she wasn’t closed-off either.

When our project ended, we continued to spend time together by having sleepovers at my house, taking turns laughing at ridiculous stories or bickering with each other over the littlest things. She reminded me so much of my human sister Dina that I sometimes had to suck in a deep breath and remind myself that Ellie could never take her place.

As to my relationship with Nathan, I started to purposefully forget Ellie’s words of caution and Brielle’s words of encouragement. I still felt guilty at times, but not because I cared about what anyone else thought of our relationship. He made me happy. I made him happy. That was all that mattered to me. Our friendship didn’t have to be complicated and it didn’t have to be wrong.

On the occasions when I
could
spend time with him, we either hung out with the dragons or switched off between horseback riding and fencing, teaching each other skills and techniques. We had recently graduated to using an épée in school, which was heavier than the foil. It took a while to get used to, but our workouts with Lady Brianna conditioned me enough to handle her class without falling over from exhaustion.

Dreams of the meadow continued. I was beginning to feel haunted by its presence. I stopped sleeping to avoid the images, and without Aimee’s healing each morning, I would never have survived each day. As a healer, Aimee was used to the subject of privacy; she never asked why I was losing so much sleep. Nathan was another story. He tried numerous times to get the truth out of me, but I wouldn’t reveal any details. I wanted to tell him, but I still didn’t feel right about betraying Zora’s confidence. I was the only one working to save our relationship; I had risked my life for her, and I wasn’t going to lose her now. Keeping my promises was the only way to avoid ultimate separation.

But the night Nathan came to my house and knocked on my window…something changed. I desperately wanted to tell him the truth about my current situation, and the feeling was stronger than ever.

After recovering from the initial fright caused by the sudden noise, I dressed and met him outside.

“Since we can never hang out when your sister is awake, we should hang out when she isn’t awake,” he suggested.

“You are insane,” I told him.

He snorted. “No, just really smart. Follow me.” He took my hand and pulled me down the street.

I followed out of curiosity, wondering what he was up to. “Where are we going?” I asked.

“You’ll see…and you will love it,” was all he would say. He led me behind my house and across the field, where a vast oak tree stood waiting.

“Whoa,” I exclaimed.

“Welcome to the only tree in Birchwood City that isn’t a birch tree,” he introduced flamboyantly, gesturing with his hands like a game show host.

I looked up in wonder. “It’s huge!”

“It’s even better when you climb it,” he said.

I was startled. He wanted me to climb
that
? That insanely enormous, possibly dangerous, building of a tree?

“Come on.” He propelled me forward and helped me climb. At first, it was hard to find my footing, but with his fingers intertwined in mine, I found the strength to pull myself up and regain my balance.

Even in the dark, I was able to see for miles. The green leaves blocked the chilly fall night air, so I was nice and warm.

“This is so cool,” I remarked.

“Told you,” he said, still holding my hand.

I smiled at him and looked up at the beautiful stars. The desire to tell him everything had reached a height taller and larger than the tree.

***

I didn’t start confessing anything involving Finn or my dreams right away. For a while, I just wanted to enjoy nights when I didn’t have nightmares. Yeah, I wasn’t sleeping, so I technically couldn’t have nightmares, but it was still a relief. I wasn’t any more exhausted than before because nightmares were just as tiring as not sleeping.

Nathan and I visited the tree each night, talking and sharing our stories. We even brought the dragons along. They were allowed so long as they promised not to say a word in Dragon Tongue to Zora.

I always enjoyed my time with Nathan in the tree. I loved gazing at the stars and just being with him. When I didn’t want to talk, he talked for me. When I wanted to talk, he listened. Being with him made me feel relaxed, as if there were no fairies after me, no secret to figure out, no problems. There was only Nathan and I, stargazing in a tree that felt like home.

That’s why it was so hard to tell him anything substantial. I didn’t want to disturb the peace.

One night Nathan asked me what it was like living in the Human Realm. We often brought up random things we didn’t know about each other. It was another way to bring us closer. Another way for us to form an unbreakable bond.

Yet this question was different. It was
real
, deeper somehow, because it was so personal. But I was ready.

“People were…afraid of me,” I told him. “Not scary Element fairy afraid, but afraid of how different I was. My uniqueness unnerved them, unsettled them. In response to this, most people called me names and refused to be near me unless absolutely necessary.”

“That must have been rough. I wonder how one of those humans would feel if they came to our Realm and realized how weird they were compared to us. I mean, people without pointy ears just aren’t cool.”

I grinned. “You used my human word,” I pointed out, loving that he could always make me smile.

“Yeah, it’s sort of rubbing off on me,” he admitted. “What about your parents? What were they like?”

“My human parents were great. They loved me, and they raised me as best they could. I know it was difficult for them when other parents commented about my ears and canceled play dates when they realized how weird I looked. But they never took it out on me. They defended me and comforted me whenever I was down. They were parents.” I swallowed and averted my gaze.

“You miss them,” Nathan guessed.

“Every day,” I replied without hesitation. “I made a choice when I left them to rescue Zora, a choice I don’t regret. I had to leave. But I still miss them, just like I miss my sister, Dina. She never made fun of me, and if her friends ever did, she always stood up for me. She even broke up with her first boyfriend because he told her I was a freak.” I smiled, remembering Dina’s obsession with boys. “But she
was
a little crazy.”

“Just how crazy was she, exactly?” Nathan asked.

I laughed. “What, do you want me to rate her level of craziness or something?”

“Yeah. One being…Aimee…and ten being…Zora.”

I burst into laughter. “Nathan! She’s not
that
crazy.”

“Oh, come on, Ramsey. She watches us fence so we aren’t alone, she limits our time together like a mother mandates a play date for a child…and, she named her dragon Razi, which incidentally means ‘my secret.’ You don’t think that’s crazy enough for her to be a ten?” he asked, laughing so hard that his face was beginning to turn red.

I was laughing too, so much so that I could barely breathe.

“Okay, fine. You’re right. My sister is crazy,” I admitted.

“Thank you for finally facing the truth,” he said. “So, back to my earlier question. How crazy was Dina?”

“Maybe a five. She was pretty obsessive about things. The opposite sex, money, clothes. Typical teenager crazy.”

“I must be crazy too, then,” Nathan said, winking at me.

I giggled. “Too bad none of those obsessions work for you.”

Nathan shook his head. “That hurts, Ramsey. It really hurts.”

“The truth hurts, Nathan, but you’ve got to face it sometime,” I replied, almost unable to finish the sentence because I was laughing again.

He reached over and lightly shoved me. I grabbed onto the tree branch, still laughing, to keep from falling. “You’re just jealous.”

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you to play nice, Nathan?” I asked, regaining my balance. “And what’s there to be jealous of?”

“Everything,” he said. “Except for the fact that I’m not as pretty as you. I could never pull off long hair.”

I smiled. “That’s so sweet of you…in a weird, disturbing sort of way.”

“You’re welcome. I’m always great with compliments; I just don’t hand them out very often.”

“Uh-huh, great,” I replied sarcastically.

“Here we go again…so jealous…,” Nathan said.

I shook my head. “You fascinate me, Nathan. You really do.”

“I always try,” he replied, smiling and attempting a bow even though he was sitting in a tree.

“No, seriously. You fascinate me. You are an amazing Spell Master, a great friend, and completely immature all at the same time. How in the Realm do you pull off all three?” I asked.

“I have a secret to my success,” he admitted.

“Yeah? What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s a secret, so I have to whisper it to you.”

I giggled. “There’s no one here,” I reminded him, gesturing around with my hands to prove my point.

“You never know,” Nathan replied.

“Fine,” I said, leaning toward him so I could hear.

Then he whispered, “My secret is….” He paused. “I was just born this incredible.”

I rolled my eyes, he laughed, and I had never been happier to be in a tree in the middle of the night.

Times in the tree gave me a new insight. Nathan kept me smiling, distracting me from every horrible memory, every tough situation. He made me appreciate life in a different way. He showed me what it was like to just let go and enjoy myself for a change, instead of worrying all the time. Nathan lived in the present, something I had never been able to accomplish on my own. I was always looking toward the future. I began to realize that the more time I spent with him, the more his outlook on life rubbed off on me. He was so carefree, a breath of fresh air. I inhaled as much of that fresh air as I could.

So I found myself in October, things going smoothly thus far. But there was one event coming up that I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid without a few ripples: Halloween. It always had its way of sneaking up on me.

In the Human Realm, Trick or Treat was easy for me. I didn’t even have to dress up. With my pointy ears and pale skin, I was already wearing a costume. I never really participated in the holiday. Not because I disliked sweets; in fact, quite the contrary. Not because I wasn’t invited, because I was. Dina and Carmen always tried to make me join them.

I never went because Halloween felt too real for me. It was when people dressed up as freaks, and I already was a freak.

Even so, when the elves of Birchwood City started making noise about their own October 31
^st
traditions – a few days before the actual event – I was mildly interested.

So I asked Nathan about it in the tree one night.

“Ooh, this is a scary subject for nighttime,” he teased.

“Shut up and tell me what it’s all about,” I told him.

He sighed. “Fine, have it your way. But if you’re lying in bed later, unable to get scary images out of your head, don’t come crying to
me
.”

“I think I’ll take my chances,” I assured him.

“All right, then I’ll start with what we call it. Here, it’s not Halloween. It’s All Hallow’s Eve.”

“That sounds fancy,” I commented sarcastically.

“It is, but don’t interrupt,” he replied with a mock scowl. “Anyway, All Hallow’s Eve is when elves dress up as what they think is evil and parade their city streets with burning candles –”

“Why?” I asked, interrupting him.

“Let me finish,” he said, giving me a stern look.

“Sorry,” I replied, putting on my best sad face.

“Frowning doesn’t suit you,” Nathan warned.

I sighed and crossed my arms. “Fine, keep going.”

“Anyway, when midnight comes, everyone takes off their costumes and blows out their candles. It symbolizes the defeat and rejection of evil, evil manifested in others and in themselves – leaving everyone pure and whole.”

“Wow, that’s deep,” I said.

“It sure is,” he replied. “Elves do not take these occasions lightly.”

“And no candy?” I asked.

“No candy,” he replied. “We have feasts afterward, though, and lots of music.”

“Yeah, we’re talking about elves here. There has to be music,” I remarked. “So what evil will you embody?”

“Well…I was thinking maybe Zora.”

“Oh my God, Nathan, stop comparing my sister to evil!” I cried, smacking him on the shoulder.

He laughed. “Aw, come on, you know it’s always funny.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

Nathan sighed, all traces of humor vanishing with that one release of breath. “The thing is, ever since the war, everyone’s dressed up as the same thing.”

My shoulders sagged, and right away I realized what he meant. “All the elves dress up as Element fairies.”

Nathan nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

I shook my head bitterly. “I’m
so
not dressing up then.”

“Why not?” he asked, but not in a way that was patronizing or rude. He genuinely cared.

“Hey, it’s not like I have an aversion to elfin traditions, but there’s no way I’m dressing up as an Element fairy,” I said, shivering at the thought. “It’s too real for me.”

Nathan nodded, although he looked a little dejected. “I understand. You don’t have to dress up, but can you at least be a part of the festivities?”

“Why?” I wondered.

“All of our other friends are going, and it won’t be as fun for me unless you’re there.”

“But you just said our other friends will be there,” I reminded him.

“Yeah, but it’s really not the same,” he admitted.

Nathan truly considered me an important part of his life. For a moment, I was giddy with the feeling, forgetting again that it wasn’t right for me to feel this way about someone I should consider a friend and nothing more. But I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t too keen on having anything to do with Element fairies, costumes or no, but if it was important to Nathan, my
friend
, then it was important to me.

“What, do you want me to carry a candle or something?” I wondered.

“Sure,” Nathan decided. “Just carry a candle.”