JOURNEY INTO THE REALM: The Spell Master (Journey into the Realm Series) (9 page)

***

Nathan and I saddled our horses and went on our way through the fields. The day was still as glorious as it had been earlier that morning. The shining sun warmed my skin, and I basked in its soothing glow, allowing my horse to lead me.

“Hey, Ramsey?” Nathan said as we rode.

“Yeah?” I replied.

His grin was mischievous, and I felt myself smiling along with him even though I had no idea what he was thinking. “I know how upset you were about losing to me during fencing today, so I have a way for you to feel better.”

“How?” I asked. “What could
you
possibly do?”

He rolled his eyes and then looked at me seriously. “Race me,” he said.

“What?” I asked, a little shocked by such a forward proposal.

“Race me to Birchwood City. First to the stables wins. If you win, it will even us out a bit. If not, it will prove to you that I am the champion of all things athletic.”

“Wait, just one question: Are you insane?” I asked.

“Just a little bit!” he yelled, and broke into a gallop.

“No fair! Cheater!” I yelled at him as I urged Marigold forward as well.

“Hurry up, Ramsey! You’re going to lose!” he yelled, his words muffled by the wind.

I lifted slightly off my horse to make us go faster. With the wind smacking against my face, I laughed at the wonderful feeling of the race. I held the reins tighter and urged Marigold forward.

Soon I was only a foot or two away from Nathan. I took a deep breath and dug my heels into Marigold. Then she really flew. We were equal with Nathan in an instant. He looked over and his eyes widened.

“Didn’t think I could do it, did you?” I asked over the roar of the rushing wind and the feeling of exhilaration that clouded my head.

“No way!” he cried in response, looking completely bewildered.

I laughed, and Marigold and I left him behind in the dust. I could see the stables approaching, but I didn’t pull back. Nathan could still win. I looked behind and noticed that Nathan was too far behind to catch up with me. I shrieked with delight, knowing I had won. I slowed Marigold down to a trot and threw my hands up into the air in victory.

When I finally reached the stables, I jumped off Marigold and hit the ground with a
thump
. My legs were weak from the hard ride, so I collapsed to the dirt ground almost instantly upon landing. Instead of trying to get up, I stayed lying on the dirt. I didn’t have the energy to move, and I couldn’t stop laughing.

I hadn’t felt this kind of freedom in years. My human sister, Dina, and I used to race when we visited the horse stables in the Human Realm, and we were extremely competitive. I always took pride in beating her because she was naturally gifted in everything else and easily accepted by everyone. Our races ended the moment Dina decided she wasn’t fit for the farm anymore, but I still remembered the sheer joy of riding so fast my eyes lost focus.

Now, my legs wobbly like Jell-O and my head spinning, I realized memories of those races were nothing compared to the adrenaline of what I had just experienced. The rush was intoxicating. If it weren’t for my weak body and my inability to stop laughing, I would be getting back on the horse to race again.

Nathan’s ride didn’t leave him with the same aftereffects. He ran over to me effortlessly, and I could hear his laughter as he approached.

“Need a little help?” he asked.

“I could use some, thanks.”

I put my right hand in the air. Nathan took it and helped me to my feet. I brushed the dirt off my clothes and ran my fingers through my hair, which was now falling out of the tie it had been in earlier. Nathan kept laughing.

“You look great, Ramsey,” he said through his chuckles. “A real enchantress.”

“You think so, loser?” I giggled and looked at him expectantly.

He sighed. “Fine, I’ll admit it. You beat me,” he said, with a quick bow.

“I did! I won! Yes!” I threw my hands in the air once more and found myself falling over again.

Nathan caught me in his arms before I hit the ground. The closeness we shared for the next few moments almost took my breath away.
There it is again
, I thought.
Our connection
. There was something between us, and I didn’t quite understand it. I didn’t think I wanted to, either. The realization that I had some kind of connection to an elf I barely knew – who definitely wasn’t Stellan – scared me far too much to probe my thoughts any further.

But I still couldn’t ignore the fire, the intensity.

Instead of lingering where I was, I looked up at him, careful to avoid his eyes, and smiled, feeling very embarrassed.

“Awkward,” I said quietly.

He helped me stand again. I looked down at the ground.

“I think you rode a little too hard,” he observed.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” I said, as I pulled away and stood up straight.

“Have you ever ridden like that before?” he asked.

“No,” I admitted, shifting my feet in the dirt and focusing my eyes on anything but his. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I have never seen someone ride that well before. You were amazing.”

I blushed. “Thanks.”

“But I do advise that you take it easy for a while,” he added.

“I totally agree,” I said.

“Are you going to be okay getting home?” he wondered, and I knew if I were to look up at him I would see the same serious concern I had grown accustomed to noticing.

My throat was dry, but I managed a meager response. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

He nodded and led our horses to the stable master. After they were settled, Nathan and I walked into the city. Instead of following the path to his own home, he continued in step with me.

“I said I would be fine,” I reminded him.

“I know. But I don’t believe you.” He winked.

I nodded, but Nathan was the unbelievable one. Even if I hadn’t given him such a dramatic display after getting off my horse, he would probably still be walking me home. He was using my embarrassing collapse as an excuse.

I indulged him, even though we both knew I was fine. I joked with him about his lack of riding skills, and he did the same to me about fencing.

“I guess I’ll have to teach you about riding,” I suggested.

“And I can teach you how to properly fence.”

“I think you used a spell to make yourself so good,” I said, even though it was a crazy thought.

“Maybe I did.”

I looked at him and my jaw dropped.

“I was kidding, Ramsey. It’s called a joke.”

I sighed with relief. “Good. I didn’t want you to be a cheater twice.”

“I never cheated!” he protested.

“You did too!” I cried. “You started the race ahead of me.”

“Yes, but you still won,” he pointed out.

I grinned. “That’s only because of my wonderful skills and talents.”

“Or you were just lucky,” he said, ruining my moment of glory.

I hit him playfully. The tension from earlier had dissipated, leaving only the exchange of smiles and witty banter. I could get used to this. I could get used to him.

“Maybe I was lucky. I don’t care. I still kicked your butt,” I said, shaking my head to chase away sinful thoughts.

“True,” he said with a nod.

We were at my doorstep a few minutes later. I knew Zora wasn’t home yet because there was no fire lit in the living room.

“Want to see the eggs?” I asked, knowing now was the perfect time.

“That would be great,” he replied.

“Come on in then,” I told him, as I walked through the doorway.

He followed me through the main room and into the dragon room. The fireplace in there was always lit, another benefit of elfin magic – an old classmate of Zora’s was a Charm Weaver. They were like Spell Masters, only they performed their magic through charms rather than spells. I didn’t completely understand the difference, but apparently Spell Masters created, while Charm Weavers worked with changing and preserving what was already made, which explained the never-ending fire.

The welcoming warmth provided by the flames spread through me as I stepped over the threshold. I beckoned Nathan to join me by the eggs. I knelt down and gave each one a small rub. Nathan sat down beside me and lifted his right hand.

“May I?”

“Of course,” I assured him.

He reached over and put his hand on each of the eggs. “They’re so warm,” he whispered.

“That’s good. They have to be warm to survive,” I told him.

“Which egg is yours?” he asked.

I pointed to each one as I explained. “The one with rubies is Zora’s; mine is the one with sapphires.”

“I like yours,” he said.

I grinned. “Thank you. But who knows what it will act like when it finally hatches?”

He laughed. “Well, with you to take care of it, it will probably burn the entire city down. Then you will be really popular with the elves.”

“Now that wasn’t nice!” I reprimanded.

“Don’t raise your voice, Mommy; your babies might hear you.”

“Then let’s take this outside.” I stood and rolled up my sleeves. Then I ran from the room and out the door.

Nathan followed closely behind, and soon he caught up to me outside and grabbed me around the waist. The shock of his touch paralyzed me for a moment, but then I was able to regain my voice. I squealed and tried to break away from his grasp, but he was too strong for me.

“Let me go! Let me go!” I pleaded. My words were probably choppy because I was laughing so hard.

“What do you say?” he asked teasingly.

“Please!” Fortunately, I knew how to play that game.

He was about to reply when I heard someone clear her throat behind us. I gasped and turned to see Zora watching us with wide, suspicious eyes. I gently pulled Nathan’s arms from around my waist. He cautiously dropped them to his sides.

“Welcome home, Ramsey,” Zora said stiffly.

“Uh, thanks.” I gulped. “Zora…this is Nathan. He’s a friend…from school.” I slowly sidestepped away from him, just to make sure Zora wouldn’t notice how comfortable I was being close to him. However, I could tell that Zora had noticed
something
, for her lips were in a tight line and she had both hands on her slender hips.

“Hello, Nathan. I’m Ramsey’s sister, Zora. I see you two are having some fun after school.”

“I was just showing Nathan the eggs,” I told her.

She wasn’t very convinced. “Outside?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

“Um….” I looked down at my feet.

“We just finished looking at the eggs…and I was just going home,” Nathan said. “See you tomorrow, Ramsey. It was nice meeting you, Zora.” He waved and walked down the street before either of us could stop him.

“Ramsey, go inside.
Now
,” Zora instructed, once he was out of earshot.

I sadly watched Nathan walk away. It was rude of Zora to act so hostile to him. Was she right to be suspicious? Was I acting the wrong way around Nathan? We were just friends; we hardly knew each other. But I couldn’t deny our connection. And I couldn’t deny how much I already liked him.

Did this mean I wanted to be with him instead of Stellan?
No
. Leaving Stellan for Nathan would be just as foolish as fighting an Element fairy without any weapons. Plain suicide.

Still, I hung my head low and walked slowly to the door. Zora waited impatiently for me to enter the house. I sighed.

“Really, Zora?” I asked.

This was ridiculous. Zora was my sister, not my mother. She didn’t have the right to make me do anything. I listened because I loved her, and I knew she cared about me.

But if she was going to act like this all the time, I didn’t know how long it would be before I stopped listening.

“Ramsey, what were you doing out there?” Zora asked when I finally walked into the cottage.

I rolled my eyes and sighed dramatically. I knew how to play “angered teen” after so many years watching Dina, but this was more than just an act. I was genuinely pissed off. “Having fun, Zora. I was having a good time.”

“With an elf.”

“With
Nathan
,” I corrected, pronouncing his name slowly so she would understand.

Her emerald eyes narrowed. “He is still an elf.”

“So?” I probed, crossing my arms in defiance.

“Stellan is at war, Ramsey. I thought you understood that.”

“You don’t need to tell me that, Zora. I know he is at war. I know he is in danger every day. But that doesn’t mean
I
can’t have fun. I deserve to have a life!” I cried, clenching my fists to show how angry I was.

“Listen to yourself! You’re running around with another elf while Stellan is fighting for you and the rest of the Realm. I didn’t think you would take your relationship with him for granted.” She threw her hands up in the air with frustration. “That’s why I chose to support your relationship. I’m beginning to have my doubts.”

I sneered. “I see what you’re getting at, Zora. I know you’re still upset about him being with me and not you. I can see it. No matter how much you try to hide it. And now you’re punishing me for his mistakes!”

“That’s not true,” she said quietly, her expression suddenly gentle and young.

“You don’t fool me, Zora,” I said, refusing to pity her. I went into our room and slammed the door behind me, reminding myself of the way Dina would slam her door after a fight with my human parents. I felt like a rebellious teenager, but this situation was completely different...right?

I was fuming as I sat on my bed and buried my face in my pillow. I wasn’t doing anything wrong! Stellan told me in his letter to have a life. I was living! I had friends and great classes at school. What was wrong with that?

I knew the only thing wrong with it was that Nathan was an elf. If I was having fun with an elfen like Janie or Ellie, Zora wouldn’t be so upset. I was right about her and Stellan. She was jealous. She still cared about him, and I knew in her heart that she wanted him back. She put up a front, but I saw right through it.

I usually never became this heated, but Zora’s accusations had shaken me and made me doubt my commitment to Stellan. Was I really taking him for granted?

Thinking about Stellan reminded me of the letter I had yet to write to him. Still feeling frustrated and confused, I rose from my bed and traveled the short steps to my vanity, hoping a break from family conflict would help me clear my head. Taking a deep breath to lower my rapid heart rate, I removed some paper and a pen and then brought them over to my newly purchased desk. Other than the dining table, there hadn’t been a place for me to write, so I thought it was a good buy.

I sat down at the desk and began: