JOURNEY INTO THE REALM: The Spell Master (Journey into the Realm Series) (22 page)

Relieved that both dragons were out hunting, Nathan and I arrived home eager to use the key. We dropped our schoolbags on the floor, not caring enough to make sure they landed in a suitable place, and headed into my room. I claimed a spot on my bed nearest the trunk and moved to hand the key to Nathan. But I couldn’t let it out of my grasp.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Ramsey?”

“I’m scared, all right?” I said. I could feel my stomach churn as my gaze rested on the wooden trunk.

Nathan turned my chin, looking at me with an expression of utter sincerity. “You don’t have to be. I’m here.”

“Will you stay even after I learn my secret?” I wondered. “What if it’s something terrible?”

“I will stay…even if we find out you really are an elf.”

I slapped his hand with the key as he began to laugh. “Are you ever serious?” I asked.

“I’m serious about staying, Ramsey,” he said, this time with no trace of a smile across his lips. “I won’t leave.”

“I’ve heard that kind of promise before,” I reminded him.

From Stellan.

“I know…,” he said. “But not from me.”

I nodded and released my grip on the key, exhaling slowly. I looked down at my hand. Red indents were left where the key once lay, further proof of my overwhelming anxiety. Nathan took a deep breath.

“Still want me to do this?” he asked.

“Yes,” I whispered, although it was barely audible over my frantic breathing.

He took another couple of breaths, held the key with both hands, and pointed it toward the lock. I could see a kind of electric current between the two objects. I heard a sound like a mosquito buzzing, which irritated me because it was number one on my list of annoying noises. But I held my breath and refrained from making any snide comments.

He closed his eyes and waited for a moment before he finally spoke. “Unlock!” he called out, in a voice that sounded very much unlike the Nathan I knew, and more like the Spell Master who rarely surfaced.

I watched in amazement as the lock on the trunk caught on fire, the contact of the flames on iron causing the metal to sizzle and spark like tiny firecrackers, and then the lock disappeared altogether into nothing but a foul-smelling dust. Nathan set the brass key on Zora’s bed and sat down. I could tell he was more than just exhausted. His head drooped and his shoulders sagged. He had hardly any energy left.

I ran to the kitchen to get him a glass of water. It was weird how normal I could act even though my secret was waiting for me inside the open trunk.

“Thanks,” he said after drinking.

“No, thank you,” I replied. My voice was a little shaky.

“I can leave now if you prefer. I don’t have to know your secret,” he reminded me.

“I don’t want to be alone for this,” I admitted. “I want you to be here.”

I couldn’t believe how reassured I felt by saying the words aloud.

“Then I won’t leave,” he said.

I took his hand and smiled, comforted by his presence.

“Are you going to open it?”

“Yes,” I said, all too quickly.

Silence stretched between us.

“Today?” he asked.

I glared at him. “
Yes
.”

He raised a pale eyebrow. “Then you had better do it before Zora comes home from Tarlore and reprimands you for destroying such a lovely antique lock.”

“What a swell idea. How did you ever think of it?” I asked sarcastically.

Nathan laughed. “Now, I may not be from the Human Realm, but I’m pretty sure the word
swell
is a bit outdated.” After receiving another glare, he sighed lightheartedly and pointed to the trunk. “Go ahead,” he told me, like a parent guiding his child to the school bus on the first day of kindergarten.

I nodded and unsteadily stepped forward, kneeling before the wooden trunk, my knees shaking so hard that my entire body trembled. My hands were clammy, and I wondered briefly if it would hinder my ability to open the trunk easily.

Then a thought came to me. What if my secret wasn’t inside? What if it was nothing but a trunk that contained family heirlooms or documents like birth certificates, if elves even had those.

What if this was a waste of time? What if I had gone through all this work for nothing? I could picture Zora when she returned after the solstice, laughing at my pathetic attempts to outsmart her.

After much deliberation, I finally shook the thought away. No, my secret had to be inside that trunk. Otherwise, my father wouldn’t have locked it this way. Zora would have wanted it open as well, if it contained only family treasures.

My secret had to be here.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and all my tension slipped away.

I put both hands onto the trunk and lifted slowly. My eyes were shut tightly. I didn’t know when I would open them, when I would finally be ready.

“If you don’t open your eyes,” appeared Nathan’s voice, waking me from my trance, “I’m going to push you out of the way and take a look for myself.”

The humorous edge to his tone made me smile ruefully, even though I knew he couldn’t see. I took another breath and opened my eyes.

Lying inside the trunk was a large envelope addressed to me, what looked to be a map, and a journal-like book. I picked up the envelope, my hands shaking so much that I nearly dropped it, opening it carefully so I wouldn’t tear anything inside. Before I could get to the letter, a golden ring fell onto my palm. As I inspected the piece closely, I realized the ring was decorated with intricate designs of flowers and outlines of what looked like suns. The letters “G” and “F” were clearly inscribed on the inside.

Suddenly I realized I already knew what the letter said.

I unfolded the note:

My dearest Ramsey,

I do not know the age at which you are reading this letter, but I hope you are old enough to understand what I am about to tell you. I never meant for you to go into the Human Realm. Believe me, I never wanted to lose you. However, I knew that you were not safe in the Elf Realm. You are most likely not safe as of now either. Until the war is over, you probably never will be. But at least as you grow older you will be more equipped to protect yourself from the evil that haunts you.

To me, your secret is astonishing. It shows how much of myself is inside of you. I never thought we would have any kind of resemblance to each other. If it were a time other than this, your secret would be a magical and wonderful gift, a blessing.

But to others, your secret can be used against you, to threaten and harm you. As you probably already know, the Element fairies would kill to possess you…or just to stop you.

Before I say any more, I want to tell you that I love you. I wish I could be there reading this letter with you. I wish I could be there to help. However, after those few years without you, we knew that we were not safe here either. Soon someone would figure us out. Soon someone would question why we took you away from Birchwood City. We could not let that happen. We had to leave.

Therefore, I found this trunk and I placed in it the few things that would help you understand your secret and yourself. I had your father place a spell on it, and I made sure the key would not be found until the time was right. If you are reading this, it must be the right time.

In the journal, you can read everything about who you are. I have written down as much information as I could in order to assist your understanding. I hope it is enough. The map is where your father and I, hopefully, are living today. If you ever get the chance, come find us. There you will learn about your heritage. I know it will feel like home to you.

Now I must cease my attempts to stall and be completely honest with you.

Ramsey, I am not the mother you think I am. I am not Alanna, mother of Zora and Ramsey. I am not the elfen who has the ability to heal. I do not have black hair or green eyes. I do not come from this Realm and I do not travel by foot.

I am your mother, but
your
mother only. My real name is Rosina. I met your father after Zora’s mother, Alanna, died because of complications resulting from your sister’s birth. Your father and I fell in love when we met. He was my soul mate and I was his. However, I knew I could not be my true self in Birchwood City because of the war. Therefore, he placed a spell on me to make me look and seem like Alanna was still alive and breathing.

It was easy to fool the elves. And although I always wished to be myself around your father and the others in Birchwood, I knew it was for the best that I hide. The best for the both of us, and ultimately, the best for you.

I have amber eyes, golden hair, and the power to use spells and countless other abilities. When I want to travel somewhere, I fly.

Ramsey, you are the daughter of a fairy.

I dropped the letter, watching it sway until it reached the bedroom floor. Hugging myself tightly, I lowered myself to the ground and leaned against my bed. I felt so dizzy that I was afraid I would become sick at any moment. The whole room was spinning. Nothing was right. My senses were leaving me.

Everything I knew about myself was gone, had left me the instant I read the last line of my mother’s letter. I wasn’t me anymore. I was someone – some
thing
– entirely different.

My mother was a fairy. That was my secret. I was half-fairy. A Golden fairy. The most beautiful kind of fae. The most royal and respected of all the fairies. But I didn’t feel royal or beautiful right now. I felt lost.

In the farthest part of my mind, I believe I had known this all along, noticed the signs, or at least wondered at the notion. Now the once slight possibility was a reality, and I just didn’t know how to deal with that.

My mind was spinning but every muscle felt heavy. I no longer had control over my body. Sleep suddenly pulled at me and I surrendered, despite Nathan’s useless attempts to keep me awake.

I found myself back in the familiar meadow, but I felt no emotion upon noticing this. I was hollowed out, a shadow. I wasn’t Ramsey anymore. I didn’t see anything the same way. I didn’t know what to call myself. I felt like I didn’t even exist, like I was some drifting apparition.

A figure fluttered before me. Last time, I hadn’t noticed her delicate golden wings. Last time, I didn’t know her. Now I did. I knew the fairy before me was my mother, Rosina.

She flew toward me and used her soft hand to brush the tears off my cheeks. I just cried more. She cupped my face with her hands and looked into my eyes. Hers changed to emerald, like mine – a further sign that confirmed her relation to me. We were the same, even though we didn’t look very much alike. Her own amber eyes returned.

“Mother,” I was able to say.

“I will only send you this last dream, Ramsey. Then you must find yourself on your own. I cannot guide you. You must guide yourself. You must choose what path you would like to take,” she said.

I nodded, unable to speak as in the dreams before this one.

“I have many abilities. One of them is the ability to send dreams and messages. I have been sending you this dream for the past few months, trying to help you understand your secret. The meadow we are standing in is a representation of both worlds that now share a part of you. It is your responsibility to either choose one, or find a balance. I trust that you will make the decision that best fits your desires.

“My daughter, you are about to go through a drastic change. It will be explained more in the journal I wrote for you. However, be prepared for difficult times ahead. The Element fairies want you because you are both fairy and elfen. You are both sides. You may be able to end this war because of your mixed heritage. How? That I cannot tell you. You will have to figure out how you want to work with this new knowledge and how to use it to benefit your Realm and the others.

“The Element fairies know about you because of your father and I. When we left Birchwood City, we planned to travel to the Golden Fairy Realm. I would be able to protect your father there. He was willing to become a Golden fairy just to be with me. We traveled to a secluded spot in the woods surrounding Birchwood. We couldn’t allow anyone to witness your father’s transition.

Just as I was readying myself for the ritual, Element fairies found our location. They wanted to know why an elf and a fairy were together out in the woods. They didn’t like it. They knew we had something to hide. Your father sacrificed his life for mine. He told me to leave, to return home. He loved me so much, Ramsey; I didn’t want to lose him. However, I had to respect his wishes. We knew that one of us had to live. One of us had to live for
you
. Therefore, I crossed into my Realm. I know he did not survive. I’ve never made peace with that, although leaving in order to protect you was the right choice.

“King Vortigern has his most favored team of fairies after you, skilled in the acts of murder and entrapment. Their leader, Finn, will not cease in his hunt for you until you are dead. Do not give him that chance.”

Her eyes, which were alight with fire as she warned me of Finn’s intentions, now softened. “I love you, Ramsey. I hope that one day you can understand what I have done and why, what everyone has done in their efforts to protect you.” She surprised me by shedding a few tears of her own. They were like droplets of liquid sunshine, shimmering under the glow of the golden sun.

“Don’t go,” I whispered.

“I must. This is only a dream. Your time is now, Ramsey. Be safe, be careful, be who you are.” She kissed my cheek and began to fade away. She was the phantom now, leaving me a hollow form standing in an imaginary meadow of longing and magic.

I cried out for her to stay. I begged. But nothing would prevent her from leaving me again. I was alone in the meadow. How could I be who I was if I didn’t know what that meant? How could I be myself when everything I knew had changed? How could I survive this if I had no idea what to do? How could I stop this war without guidance? I couldn’t do it alone.

Then I realized I wasn’t alone. If I told Nathan my secret and he accepted me, I knew he would be there, supporting every one of my endeavors. I had to hold on to that. I had to remember that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to get through this.