Adrie

I didn’t start feeling dizzy until we reached the inn, a pleasant place Tyler had pointed out called The Dragons’ Wing. All at once the ground began to wobble, and nothing around me seemed to be standing still. A quick look around told me that no one else noticed.

I mentioned to Mi’ta that I wasn’t feeling well, and he took me up to one of the two rooms we’d paid for and performed a medical examination, which mostly consisted of me sitting on the bed and him waving the glowing orb of his staff over me. He cast some sort of spell that he said was a barrier to keep Damaen’s poison from spreading through my body.

“There’s nothing else I can do,” he told me reluctantly. “You just need to get a lot of rest. We’ll keep looking for Lily, so try to relax, all right?” With that and a gentle smile, he left.

An hour later, I still wasn’t able to sleep. I laid on my bed, staring at the wooden ceiling and trying to resist the urge to scratch the burning spot on my neck, where Damaen had licked me.

Eventually I sighed and got out of bed, but there was really nowhere else to go. The room was small, containing only two beds and a small wooden table with two chairs. A thick candle stood on the table, melted wax gluing it to the surface. A small pack of what looked like matches rested beside it.

I took one of the matches and carefully lit the candle; it was still bright outside, but I was bored. I put out the match and sat at the table, folding my arms on the surface and resting my chin on my forearms.

I had always liked fire. The flickering flames, the tiny crackle of the wick burning, the warmth it gave off, the smell of the smoke… it soothed me, and for a few moments I didn’t have to think about Mi’ta’s barrier being the only protection I had against Damaen’s poison.

I held out a hand, letting the smoke drift and dance between my fingers. It curled lazily around my hand, floating on the air and gradually disappearing from view, dissipating to nothing. It was an oddly pleasing sight, and I could almost feel the thin trail of smoke brushing across my skin, a small but appreciated comfort.

My head lolled a little to one side as the fatigue that came with several nights without sleep finally caught up with me. I yawned and continued to watch the smoke, growing thicker and coiling around my fingers like thin black snakes. The flame grew until it tickled my palm, but strangely, it didn’t burn. I was too overcome with lethargy that I didn’t react when the flame began to dance with the smoke around my hand, red and yellow curling with black. Gradually, the fire broke into several smaller sparks, forming tiny women with wide dresses. Tendrils of smoke became miniature men, and the miniscule people partnered up as they waltzed across the back of my hand. I giggled at the slight tickle of the ladies dresses. Still snickering a little, I closed my eyes, rested my hand on the table, and finally fell asleep.

 

When I opened my eyes again, I was laying on the floor, having fallen out of my chair. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, using the table for support as I pulled myself to my feet. Through the window I could see that it was dark out, but both beds were empty; Tyler and the Hunters hadn’t returned.

I looked to the table, my eyes resting on the candle, which was still burning. The flame was tall and the smoke thick, coiling almost anxiously in the air.

Behind me, the door creaked open. I turned, expecting Noah, and instead found six small, bone-thin creatures that seemed to be made of a smoky blackness. They scurried into the room, and at first I was a little frightened, but as they approached me I realized there was no need to be. They were my friends.

The six of them gathered around me, giggling like children and reaching for my hands with tiny fingers. I reached for them, but my left hand wouldn’t move from its spot on the table. I looked back to find the fire and smoke curled around my arm, holding me back.

I shook the flame away and turned back to my new friends. They captured my sleeves playfully and tugged me toward the door.

Instead of the hallway I’d been expecting, we ended up in an open field. Blue sky stretched from horizon to horizon, and all around me was emerald grass coated with small purple and blue flowers. It was beautiful, and I wanted to say so, but when I opened my mouth no words would come.

My friends led me across the field, dancing around and pulling at my hands, sleeves and pants. I could feel a strong wind blowing against me, almost as though it was trying to push me backward, but I pressed on with my friends.

We continued across the field, climbing a steep hill toward some trees. My friends laughed and danced around me and between the trees, one of them always holding my hand.

We neared the crest of the hill, and the sound of rushing water reached my ears. We finally climbed to the top of the hill, and the wind continued to swirl around me, stronger than ever. We were standing at the edge of a cliff, only two or three feet above a shimmering river. The clear water flowed quickly, sunlight sparkling on the surface.

As I watched the water, I could feel a tugging on my senses; someone was calling my name. I couldn’t hear it, but I could feel it, a voice running over my skin like a hand, gentle and friendly. I turned to find something following us up the hill; a tall black figure with large round eyes, shining and evil.

My friends noticed the being and became angry. It was something dangerous, they were sure, and it was intruding onto our fun. Three of my little creatures went to shoo it away, while the others pulled my attention back to the river.

A school of fish darted by, their scales glittering like a living rainbow. I smiled and wanted to join them, but I wasn’t a strong swimmer.

‘It’s okay,’ a voice told me. It seemed to be in my head, warm and soothing. ‘The water isn’t very deep, and we’re here to keep you safe.’

I relaxed, not bothering to wonder how they had known what I was thinking. I merely nodded.

The hand on my senses became stronger, more urgent, and my vision began to swim in front of me. The river ran faster until it was nothing but a streak of blue. It was dangerous, threatening to tear me away if I so much as set foot in the churning water.

I stepped back and almost lost my balance. My friends caught me and helped me stay on my feet.

“Jai!”

I could hear it not, no longer just a tug on my subconscious. Someone was calling me.

I looked down at my friends and found myself surrounded by little monsters. Their skin was like ink, black and dripping on the blurred brown that had once been grass. Beady red eyes burned at me, their wide mouths open in huge grins that revealed rows of tiny, razor-sharp teeth.

“Jai!” the voice called, almost desperately. “Don’t move!”

I looked over my shoulder. The hill had changed, forming a staircase in the earth. The three monsters were still grappling with the strange figure, who I determined to be the one calling me. As I watched them, I saw that what I had thought were shining eyes were actually glasses.

Mi’ta?

The monsters tugged sharply on my hands and I looked forward. The river had disappeared, as had the trees around us. In their place was several yards of open air before the cobblestone street below. I was balanced on the railing of a balcony on what appeared to be the third floor of the Dragons Wing. The strange ink-creatures still gripped my hands in their claws and tried to pull me over the edge.

I screamed and pulled against them, wobbling dangerously on the slim wooden railing. A strong wind swirled around me, and though I didn’t know if it was Mi’ta’s magic or nature, I could tell it was trying to keep me in place.

Small, clawed hands pressed against my shoulder blades, the sharp talons ripping my shirt and digging into my skin. I fought back, trying not to think of how far away the ground looked, how small the people were, how several voices were calling my name and one of them might have been Tyler and I didn’t want him to see me fall from such a merciless distance -

The claws in my back were yanked away. Large hands grabbed my waist and pulled me back while the wind knocked the two creatures away. Before they could be blown very far, however, the ugly things sprouted small skeletal wings from their backs. They were joined by their four companions, and shrieked something at us in a hideous language before darting away, carefully dodging bullets as Tyler and Alec shot at them from the ground.

I was lifted from the railing and placed on my feet, but my knees were shaking too much for me to stand, and I grabbed onto one of the hands to keep from falling. I stumbled a little, leaning against the body behind me.

Wide arms caught me and held me up without hesitation. “There, there,” said a voice I didn’t recognize. “You’re safe now.”

I paused, gradually noticing that the person I was clinging to wasn’t as tall as I expected. Coming to a delayed realization, I yelped and pulled away from the person who definitely wasn’t Mi’ta. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t balance properly and ended up falling to the floor, my sore back pressed against the balcony banister.

Standing before me was the thief Noah had been chasing earlier that day. He watched me, an eyebrow raised and an amused smirk crossing his face.

“Who are you?” I demanded, but a clatter from the staircase distracted me. I turned to find Mi’ta coming out of the narrow hallway where the stairs were. Part of his robe was torn and his glasses were askew, a splatter of what looked like ink staining his cheek. He spotted me and relief flashed in his eyes.

“Jai,” he said, staggering toward me.

At the sight of him and the worry I’d glimpsed in his eyes, my resolve cracked a little. My heart was racing in my chest, my legs shaking too badly to stand. Wordlessly, I reached for him.

Instead of trying to pick me up, Mi’ta knelt in front of me and gathered me in his arms. Enveloped in his wide sleeves, I couldn’t help relaxing, slumping against his chest and closing my eyes.

“Are you hurt?” he asked quietly. I could feel his heart against my cheek, racing in his chest.

“No.” He had a strange scent on him, but it was sweet, and oddly soothing. “I’m fine.”

He nodded and pulled away a little, his hands moving to my upper arms. “What happened?” he asked, looking down at me.

“I don’t know.” Awkwardly I reached up to fix his glasses for him. “I fell asleep, and I thought I was dreaming, but I guess I wasn’t.”

“Sleep walking?” the thief guessed, lingering to the side.

We looked at him and Mi’ta frowned. “Who are you?” he asked. “What do you want?”

The thief pouted a little. “You’re so rude, and after I came to save your woman for you.” He sighed and shrugged.

“She’s not my woman,” Mi’ta argued, a faint blush coloring his pale face.

The thief ignored him. “Anyway, my name is Adrie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He gave a bow and winked at me. “Though I suppose we’ve already met.”

“What did you do to make Noah so angry?” I asked, curious about what would have had her chasing him through the streets.

“I suppose Noah is the angry woman with blue hair,” Adrie said mildly, and shrugged. “I kissed her.”

“It’s a wonder you’re still breathing,” Mi’ta said flatly.

“I probably wouldn’t be if not for this little darling getting in her way,” the thief said, grinning at me.

I scowled. “I didn’t get in her way, you ran her into me,” I protested.

“Jai! Mi’ta!” Voices followed by footsteps came up the stairs, announcing the arrival of Tyler and the Hunters before they appeared, Fio hanging from Tyler’s shoulder.

Mi’ta released me, giving Tyler room. My brother all but tackled me, hugging me tightly while Fio rubbed the top of his head against my cheek.

“What happened?” Noah demanded. “What the hell were you doing, Jai?”

“It wasn’t her,” Mi’ta said, standing and accepting his staff from Alec. “The poison is affecting her mind.”

“My mind?” I looked up at him, alarmed. “What’s it doing to my mind?”

“Attempting to alter your perception of reality,” the magician explained. “Like making you think you’re dreaming while you’re awake.”

“But what about those black things?” Tyler asked, looking up at the Hunters, his arms still around my neck.

Alec sighed. “Demons,” he said. “Probably some of Damaen’s minions. I’m surprised they waited this long to come after the two of you.”

“They aren’t going to be the only ones, either,” Noah said grimly, watching us. “You’ll be safer if you go home and let us find Lily. Are you sure you want to continue traveling with us?”

Tyler and I looked at each other, and I hesitated, considering. I wanted to find Lily, but we were in a kind of danger that I’d never imagined, and it was only going to get worse. This concern was quickly overtaken by the thought of my sister, who I’d taken care of for most of my life and all of hers. I’d always protected her from Mom and Dad, or at least I’d done my best. If I just left because it was scary, I knew I’d never forgive myself. Looking at Tyler and seeing the determination in his eyes, I knew he felt the same.

“We’re sure,” I confirmed, looking up at Noah. “We want to find Lily.”

Noah studied us, then gave a satisfied smile. “Good,” she said. “We’d better start your training, than.”

Tyler helped me up, and as we went inside, I realized belatedly that Adrie was gone.

X X X

Noah took Tyler and I from the Dragons Wing and led us to a small field behind the inn to teach us swordsmanship. Mi’ta followed us to watch, claiming that he wanted to be around just in case I was hypnotized again.

Noah took turns with Tyler and I, since we had two different swords and needed to learn two different styles of fighting. She taught me a maneuver and left me to practice as soon as I got the hang of it. Then she taught Tyler something, before coming back to check on me. It was a surprisingly fast method of learning, and it wasn’t long before I became comfortable handling the sword, dueling with invisible enemies as though the blade was an extension of my arm instead of a tool, as Noah put it. Though it was a little distracting whenever I glanced toward Mi’ta and caught him staring.

“All right,” Noah said finally after the sun had almost set. “That’s enough for today. You two are doing very well.”

“Thank you for teaching us,” I said, sheathing my sword. Fio, who had been munching on leaves in a tree, scampered to Tyler and climbed onto his shoulder.

Noah nodded. “You’re welcome,” she said absently. “We’ll continue tomorrow, so get some sleep.” With that, she returned to the inn.

“She doesn’t seem very enthusiastic anymore,” Tyler said, scratching Fio under the chin, making the creature purr.

“She’s hiding it,” Mi’ta said, coming to stand with us. “She’s very proud of your progress.” He looked at me thoughtfully, chewing on the nail of his left thumb for a moment. “Jai, can I talk to you?”

I blinked, then shrugged. “Sure,” I said, glancing to Tyler. He stared at me, then smiled faintly and went back to the inn.

“Before you were hypnotized,” Mi’ta began slowly. “What were you doing?”

That struck me as a strange question, but I answered anyway. “I tried to sleep after you left, but I couldn’t. So I went to sit at the table and lit the candle.”

“Why?”

“I was bored, and I like watching the flame.”

“I see. What happened then?”

I thought back, frowning. “I guess that was when the poison started to take effect. I was watching the fire, and it started dancing.”

He blinked at me. “Dancing?”

“Yeah. Do you remember in Corenth, when you showed me that spell with the little dancing people? It was just like that, except the people were made of fire and smoke.”

Mi’ta was silent for a moment, gazing at me. The sky was a deep red, painting his hair orange as the sun set almost completely behind the trees that encircled Altaire. A small flock of birds flitted by, presumably returning to their nests for the evening.

“Why?” I asked finally, unnerved in the quiet. “Is that bad?”

He stirred as though waking from sleep. “Bad? No,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “What happened after the dancing?”

I told him about the rest of my dream, from the creatures entering my room to waking up on the balcony railing. I did my best to remember every detail, including seeing Mi’ta as some strange evil creature. That didn’t bother him, or at least not as much as the fire coiling around my arm or the wind trying to push me back did.

“I don’t think that was part of the poisons effects,” he said slowly. “The demons seemed to be trying to make everything as peaceful as possible, but the fire and the wind trying to hold you back made it tense.”

“What else would it be, though?” I asked uneasily. “I thought the wind was you.”

He shook his head, watching me. “I think you’ve got some kind of control over the elements.”

“But you said I don’t have magic,” I said, alarmed.

“I didn’t sense any,” he corrected. “But elemental magic is one of the most difficult to master, and is often too powerful for magicians to even sense.” He stopped to consider. “But than, it doesn’t sound like you’re controlling them. It sounds more like they’re taking it upon themselves to serve you.”

“But why?” I frowned, confused.

“I don’t know,” Mi’ta admitted. “Maybe you have something they want.”

I wanted to protest that I couldn’t possibly have anything that elements would want, especially considering that I hadn’t known elements could want anything, but I paused, considering. My fingers moved to my waist and touched the belt that I’d been so inexplicably drawn to, with the tacky gems that looked, now that I thought about it, like representations of the elements. I quickly unbuckled the belt and slid it off, showing it to Mi’ta. “Maybe this?”

He looked at it, and his eyes widened behind his glasses. Slowly, he took the belt and looked it over, running his fingers over the gems. He started to speak, then stopped, biting his lip. He shook his head and handed it back. “No, that’s not it.”

“Oh.” I couldn’t help feeling a small amount of disappointment as I returned the belt to my waist. “I don’t know what else they’d want.”

“We’ll have to research elemental magic,” he said, an odd look in his eyes. “I don’t know much about it.” He gave a faint smile. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” He patted my shoulder, and a small jolt went through me as he passed. A thought went through my mind, one that wasn’t mine; Don’t mention the belt again. Damaen will hear.

I turned to call after Mi’ta, but he gave me a silencing look before continuing into the inn. I stared after him, then sighed. Great. He could get into my mind, too.