JOURNEY INTO THE REALM: The Spell Master (Journey into the Realm Series) (23 page)

I opened my eyes and found myself on top of my bed. I wasn’t covered, but it seemed as if I had gone to sleep willingly. I turned my head, still a little dizzy from the dream, to see Nathan sitting on Zora’s bed. His eyes stared attentively at mine. I could tell that he knew my secret. I could see it. I could
feel
it.

My face was wet from crying in my sleep. I drew my hands to my cheeks, rubbing them until they were dry. I observed Nathan’s face. He didn’t look angry or afraid. He looked worried. Worried about what? I didn’t know.

“You read it, didn’t you?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he caved. “Yes. I’m sorry. When you fainted, I felt I had no choice but to know,” he said somberly. “I was worried.”

“It’s all right. I was going to tell you anyway,” I said nonchalantly.

For a moment, I thought he would cry as well. I could see his hands trembling over his lap. I sat up in bed, my dizziness gone, and went to sit next to him. I didn’t know what to say, what to do. How could I, if I didn’t know what he was feeling?

“Do you know what this means, Ramsey?” he asked.

“What? That I’m more of a freak than I was before?” I snorted and shook my head.

“No,” he said tensely. “It means that you are the city’s enemy. Even though you aren’t an Element fairy, you are still part fairy. If they find out about you… I don’t even want to think about it. If you aren’t protected…I want to protect you, but….”

His entire body shuddered. I finally knew the extent of his concern. He was worried about
me
. He didn’t want me getting hurt. He was still my friend. I found myself grinning despite the bleak situation we were facing.

“Why are you smiling?” he asked.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t…like me anymore,” I admitted.

He turned to me and he looked horrified. “That would never happen. I told you it wouldn’t. How could you even think like that?”

“A reflex, I guess.”

He sighed. “Don’t trust those.”

I bit my lip and nodded. “I believe you now.”

“I want you to be safe, Ramsey,” he said.

“I know.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” he added.

“You won’t, as long as you stay,” I said.

His eyes met mine, two pairs of emerald looking at one another.

Then something happened between us that I wouldn’t have been able to stop even if I had tried.

Our connection was back, and in full force. We had been in friend mode for so long that the sudden change almost swept me off my feet. But it was here – the strange electricity, the complete and utter understanding of one another. As if our very souls were connected.

I remembered what my mother had said about she and my father being soul mates.

I held my breath, not knowing what to do, what to say, how to break the silence.

The truth is…I didn’t want to.

“Ah, Ramsey?”

The silence ended. I was a little disappointed, and a little guilty for feeling disappointed. I tried to remember Stellan, but I couldn’t. My thoughts were filled with my secret and Nathan.

“Ramsey?”

“Yeah?” I asked, finally coming back to reality.

“You’re sort of…glowing,” Nathan told me.

“What? Seriously?” I asked.

“Look at your skin,” he said, gesturing toward me.

I looked down at my arms. Nathan was right. I had an outline of light surrounding every part of me. I panicked right away, not even stopping to revel in the amazing thing that was happening to me, that was a part of me. What if someone walked in and saw me? Elves weren’t big on knocking, so there was always a chance someone would pop in at any given moment.

“What do I do to make it stop?” I asked frantically, jumping up and brushing my skin like the glow would rub off.

Nathan shrugged. “I don’t know! I’m not the fairy.”

“Don’t be so loud! What if someone’s listening?” I asked.

Fortunately, the glowing light surrounding me dulled after a few moments until I was just me again, whoever that was.

“That was a close one,” I said.

“Let’s just hope you don’t randomly flare up like a candle in the middle of class,” he murmured.

I shot him a look and rested my gaze on my arms, wondering if the glow would return. Why had I glowed in the first place? Had it been because of my connection with Nathan? Or was that just a coincidence? Would I glow again in the future? How could I prepare for something like that?

I took a deep breath, deciding to save those details for later. “So you really don’t care that I’m part fairy?” I asked.

“Of course not.”

“Elves don’t like fairies,” I protested.

“You’re still an elfen,” he said, almost as though he was willing me to believe the same, “and I don’t have anything against fairies, except for the Element ones, and I know you aren’t an Element fairy. You’re too golden for that, literally.”

I nodded slowly. It was good to hear Nathan confirm the fact that my being half-fairy wasn’t so horrible.

“Ramsey?”

“Yeah?” I asked.

“I know other elves may not understand your secret…but I do. And I think you’re still Ramsey, still beautiful, just the way you are, no matter what kind of genes you have.”

His words were so sincere, so honest and caring, that I felt warmth rush to my heart. “Thank you, Nathan. Thank you for saying that…and meaning it.”

He smiled at me, and just like that I was completely happy to be who I was. I knew it wouldn’t be easy all the time, but right now it was as simple as sunshine because Nathan was here and had helped me to realize that I was still Ramsey, no matter how much things had changed.

I sat back on the bed, and he took me into his arms. For the longest time he held me close, and I knew that from then on, things wouldn’t be different just for me.

They would be different for
us
.

***

“We need to figure out some kind of plan,” Nathan suggested later.

We had spent most of the time after learning my secret just being with each other. We needed time to process all that we had learned.

He released me from his arms and stood up. “We have to find a way for this to work.”

“Work?” I asked.

“Well, we need to find a way to keep your secret safe. Your hair is already turning gold, you’re having dreams, and there’s a strong possibility that you could start to glow again. You’re making some kind of change.”

“Into a Golden fairy?”

“Yes. For some reason, the fairy side of you refrained from showing until after the age of sixteen.” Nathan began to pace back and forth across my wooden floor. “It’s probably because your elfen side matured first. It takes sixteen years for that to happen, so now that you have matured as an elfen, you must also be able to show your fairy side.”

“That does sound logical enough,” I agreed.

“The question is how much fairy will show? Will you completely transform, or will part of you still remain an elfen? That’s what we must figure out.”

“Do you know if there have been others like me?” I asked.

“No, but it’s a possibility – probably not since the war began, but almost certainly before the fighting erupted, when fairies and elves lived in happiness and harmony and whatnot. I don’t have any idea if those kinds of creatures would still be alive though.”

“Why not?”

Nathan’s voice quieted. “Once the war started, I don’t think they would have been allowed to live. Both sides probably wanted them gone. Beings with interests on both sides are dangerous because no one can know which side they will choose,” he said gravely.

I stood up and faced him, tilting my chin up, challenging him. “Do you trust me?”

“That isn’t even a sensible question,” he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. I looked over at where his palm lay on my skin, thinking for a moment of the way his touch felt, both fiery and comforting.

“Good,” I replied, not looking away.

Nathan’s hand dropped to his side, and he paused to think before finally speaking again. “I can use a spell to cover up the gold in your hair. That’s one problem solved.”

“You can actually do that?”

“I think so. It’s a cover-up spell, so I need a lock of your golden hair because that’s what I mean to hide.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

Although spells confused me, I didn’t waste time trying to figure out the details. I grabbed a knife from the kitchen and cut off a few strands of golden hair. Not enough for anyone to notice, but enough to see clearly on my palms. I went back into my room and handed the hair to Nathan. He had found a blanket and was now placing it over my head.

“This is just part of the spell,” he informed me.

“Weird,” I murmured.

“Well that’s Spell Masters for you,” he replied. “I need something to represent the spell I’m using.”

“Yeah, but using hair is still weird.” I giggled. “It’s like you’re a witch or voodoo master or something.”

I heard Nathan sigh, but I could tell he was smiling too. “Witches aren’t real,” he said.

“Just like fairies and elves?” I asked, smirking even though I knew he couldn’t tell.

“You have a point there,” he agreed. I heard him inhale and exhale three times. “Cloak.”

A few moments passed, then he lifted the blanket from my head. I saw him smile.

“Did it work?” I asked.

“I had my doubts, but everything worked fine,” he said confidently, an air of smugness to his tone that I wished I could chase away but didn’t because it was so attractive on him.

“You are very talented,” I said, deciding to play along.

He grinned, showing more of an ego. I nearly swooned just observing his poise. “Thanks.”

“What next?” I asked.

“We need to learn more about this,” he said.

“Why don’t we read my journal? My mother said it would help me,” I reminded him.

“I forgot about that. Read it,” he urged.

I walked over to the open trunk and reached inside for the journal and the map. “Take a look at this map. My mother said it was where she was living.” I tossed the folded paper to Nathan.

He opened it and immediately gasped, his eyes widening.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Yesmar,” He whispered.

“Yesmar?” I questioned, immediately confused.

“This is a map of a Fairy Realm. Yesmar, the capital, is circled. Your mother must live there.”

“So?”

“Think about your name Ramsey. Then think about Yesmar.”

It probably took me longer to see because I wasn’t looking at Yesmar spelled out on paper. But as I went over the letters, I realized what Nathan was trying to tell me. Ramsey was Yesmar spelled backward.

“It was a sign,” I said, mystified.

“It must have been. In a way, your mother was naming you after your heritage. She was giving you a fairy name without anyone else noticing it.” He shook his head in amazement. “Look at all the different signs she laid out for you: the trunk, the name, the disappearance, sending you to the Human Realm, the dreams…She took so many risks. Anyone could have figured this out before you did.”

“I’m glad no one did,” I said.

“Especially the Element fairies,” he added grimly.

Nathan seemed to know more about fairy subjects than I, so I placed the golden ring in his palm. “Know anything about this?” I wondered. “My mother didn’t say anything about it during the dream.”

Nathan examined the ring closely. “Ramsey, you have no idea what this means.”

“Obviously not, because I’m asking you about it right now,” I replied sarcastically.

“No, that’s not what I mean. This isn’t just some sentimental trinket. This ring means you’re royal,” he told me.

“I thought all Golden fairies were royal?”

“Yes, but not like this. What you have is a Golden Sun ring. It’s what Golden fairies who are related to Queen Titania wear. Everyone related to her has one. Your mother probably gave you hers because you couldn’t get your own.”

I was completely dumbfounded. “I’m related to Queen Titania?”

“It seems so.”

“How related am I?” I asked, staring at the tiny golden circle in wonder.

“I have no idea. Titania has a fairly extended family.”

“Is there any way we can find out? Maybe Lord Asher would know,” I suggested.

“It’s too risky for you to be asking, but I’ll try. And you might not want to wear the ring in public. We still don’t know what others will think if they find out your secret,” Nathan advised.

“Oh, right. Good thinking.” I returned the ring to the envelope and dropped it into the trunk. “I’ll keep it in there for now with the letter and map.” I took the map of Yesmar from Nathan and put it away with the other things. I was left holding only the journal. “Let’s read.”

I opened up the journal and began to read aloud, “
The Book of Fairy Spells and Other Assorted Information,
by Rosina: Golden fairy of Yesmar. This is it. All the knowledge she’s left for me in one, tiny journal.” I paused and looked up at Nathan, who was urging me to continue reading. I did as he suggested and turned the page:

Introduction:

There are three areas of expertise for fairies: spells, potions, and charms. Spells are the easiest and by far the most useful, so this journal will explain in great detail how to perform various spells. Fairy spells are very different from elfin spells. Instead of using an object that represents the spell, fairies use hand signals to cast their spells. It is described as a kind of sign language. For instance, if you want to create a spell that moves something without touching it, you must say the command, which in this case would be “move,” then put your hands low to the ground and raise them up to the sky. If you want to create an unlocking spell, you must say “unlock” and then twist your right hand to signal opening the lock with a key…and so on. Fairy spells can be complicated, especially if you cannot remember the hand signs, but after practice you will be amazed with what you can accomplish. And after mastering a spell, especially the simpler ones, you won’t even need to say a thing; just use the hand motion.

To even think about casting a fairy spell, you must first be prepared mentally. That means centering your mind on the spell you want to use with no disturbances. You must have absolute concentration in the beginning and keep your mind free of distractions. After you have mastered spells, you won’t need to concentrate as hard. But for starters, you should think only about the spell and its intentions. Thinking about the spell means thinking about what you want to accomplish. For example, if you want to perform an unlocking spell, think about the lock being unlocked while you do so.