"Are you excited or nervous?" I asked, enjoying the swaying motion of the swing.
"A little bit of both," Logan admitted as he stared up at the night sky.
Logan had taken me to the fair that was being held at the park on the other side of town. Today was the last day and everyone, both young and old, were excited to spend the end of summer enjoying a good time with friends and loved ones. After having fun at multiple booths and eating a bunch of treats, we went to a fancy restaurant.
Our attire was perfect for the occasion and I kept finding myself staring at Logan who wore black tailored dress pants and a silk red dress shirt. We enjoyed a lovely meal before driving down to this little park where we used to play at when were little. It was always nice to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere as we swung on the swings.
His shoulder-length black hair looked amazing, especially with the new addition of blond highlights he'd got done in preparation for his freshman year at Brighten Academy.
"Have you started planning for university?" Logan asked. I sighed, turning to stare at his curious expression as we swung slightly. He knew I didn't like talking about the topic, but it was only five days before he'd be off to the number one magic school and I'd be left alone.
"I'm looking into it, but they're all so far away. I don't want to leave my mom alone for so long. My neighbor is willing to check on her and she still has many friends to talk to, but I just want to ensure she takes her medication," I confessed.
"The neighbor Alice always steals jewelry from? She's super nice. I'm sure she would check on your mom with no problem," Logan suggested.
"I know. I just..." I trailed off, unsure of how to explain how I was feeling and the numerous thoughts that plagued my mind whenever the topic was brought up.
"You don't want her alone. Even if it's for school," Logan finished.
I gave him an apologetic look. "Yes. She doesn't bring it up, but I know she hates being alone. If I go to school in another town or even country, Alice would have to come with me. She can't be far from me for that long, a few days is fine but not weeks or months. I wish there was a school closer so I could come check on her on weekends."
"We can work something out. I can always come and check on her every weekend," he offered. I stopped the swing and got up to stretch.
"You don't have to. Aren't you planning to stay in a dorm there?" I asked. He smirked, patting his lap for me. I smiled, walking over to to sit on his lap facing him, crossing my arms around his neck. He placed a secure hand around my waist and stared into my eyes with amusement.
"Yes, but your mom is like family to me and I don't want you stressing when you should concentrate on your studies. The dorm has parking so I can easily drive down here and stay with her for a few hours,” he reassured me.
"You don't have to, Logan. It's not your responsibility," I whispered. He leaned up and pressed a tender kiss to my forehead.
"I want to, though."
"Thank you," I acknowledged, wanting him to know how grateful I was to have him in my life. He'd been my rock when Father died and again when I lost Brother.
It was thanks to him that the man who killed my brother, Lark Huntly, had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. His friends were also charged for their involvement and prohibited from attending Brighten again.
I was too distraught at the time to explain what I'd witnessed so Logan took my place and stood in front of the jury to explain what he saw that day. His parents had brought him to the school since Mother had informed them of our plan to celebrate Gabriel's birthday. Logan was approaching me when he noticed the commotion in the top tower. Even though he too, tried to use some type of magic to stop brother's descent, he was too far away to be able to save him.
Since then, he'd stayed with me through thick and thin, and even though he could have gotten into Brighten Magic Academy two years ago, he had waited, wanting me to reach the age to decide which school I wanted to go to before he applied.
"You’re welcome, Jewel. Want to walk back?" he asked.
"Would it be weird for me to say I don't want to go home yet?"
"Who said you're going home?" he asked with a playful grin.
"Am I staying at your place?"
"I'd love for you to," he replied, closing the distance between our lips and giving me a sweet kiss.
For as long as we've been friends, I never thought we'd ever be more than that. Don't get me wrong, Logan's looks alone were like a fresh plate of pancakes with a glorious amount of maple syrup. His sex appeal would make any girl ready to throw themselves at him and with his family name, every girl in our town wanted to date him.
The Cross family had been well-known mage warriors for generations and continued to maintain their reputation to this day. Logan was no exception, having already surpassed his parents in mana level and his casting speed was on par with an adult who'd trained for at least a few years as a mage warrior.
It was only because of me he'd remained in town for this long, ignoring his parents’ constant push to go to Brighten. He was already entering on a full scholarship and only had to take the entrance test because it was a requirement for all students.
Our parents always figured we would eventually date one another but never pushed it. Logan's father was more determined to have him focusing on his future career than on me, but his Mother was supportive of our friendship and the possibility of a relationship. Regardless, his parents had been extremely busy since he was six, which resulted in him growing up alone for a good portion of the year.
That led to him staying with us a lot of the time, especially during the summer when school was out. Mother wasn't diagnosed then and my early teens had some of my fondest memories, with all of us together..
I hopped off Logan's lap and he stood up to stretch, before slipping his hand into mine. "Let's go," he suggested and I nodded. We walked for a while in silence, enjoying the cool evening air. Now that summer was almost over, there weren't as many kids out playing or testing their magic.
"Jewel?"
"Yes, Logan?" We paused in our movement, only a few feet away from a large cherry blossom tree where a few kids were being adventurous and climbing its enormous branches.
"Are you sure you don't want to try magic school? Or even pursue becoming a mage warrior?" Logan questioned. I bet he didn't like the idea of me wasting my magic, just like Alice and everyone else.
I wanted to avoid the topic, but he turned to face me, his hands resting on my hips. "I'm serious, Jewel. Do you really want to forgo this chance?"
"I..." I trailed off. Logan lifted his hands to cradle my face, forcing me to look directly into his gold eyes.
"I get that what happened to Gabriel will always be embedded in your mind, Jewel, especially when it comes to using magic. I just want to make sure you don't regret this decision. You were so passionate about being a mage warrior when you were younger. Now, you avoid using magic except occasionally to ensure you don't get rusty,” he commented.
I nibbled on the left side of my lip, not wanting to admit he was right. "I'll think about it a bit more," I whispered. He stared at me for another thirty seconds before he took a deep breath, and pulled me into a hug.
"Please, Jewel. Just make a decision that will make you happy. I don't want to pressure you. I just want to be sure you don’t have any regrets in the future. Okay?"
"Okay," I replied, returning his hug. "I wish you wouldn't be so far away, though," I whispered.
He tightened his hold on me and I closed my eyes when his lips pressed gently on the base of my neck. "I know, Jewel. I wish you could come with me. Would have been nice if the school was unisex."
"If you were there, maybe I'd go," I confessed in a hushed tone. He lifted his head to grin at me; the seductive smirk made me want to kiss those lips of his.
"Would you now? We'd make a good team. I heard the entrance test is partnered up. I'd choose you in a heartbeat,” he winked.
I giggled. "We'd cause more chaos together than good."
"The duo of mischief. Those were the good old days," Logan laughed.
"Your parents hated when I came over. We'd always end up breaking something," I added with a chuckle.
"I loved every moment of it,” he confessed, pressing his forehead against mine.
"Get down already! Your gonna hurt yourself!"
We turned our attention to three kids who were crowded around the base of the large tree. They were all looking up and we followed their gaze to see two kids at the highest branch.
"I can do it!" The smaller blond haired kid declared, but his facial expression showed his hesitation. The older kid next to him with ginger hair rolled his eyes.
"We didn't climb all the way up here for you to wimp out. You said you could cast the spell. Here's your chance to prove it,” he huffed.
"Let's just stop and go home. If he gets hurt, we’re gonna be in big trouble!" the kid standing in the middle announced.
"Wimp!" the older kid up in the tree declared, pushing the blond haired kid. He lost his balance and screamed as his body plummeted towards the ground. The younger boys shouted for help. Logan cursed under his breath, opening his mouth to cast a spell but I extended my hand, spreading my fingers out.
"Wind!" I called out the one word that triggered a large gust of wind to appear above the boy as he fell to the ground. The gust of wind doubled in size, catching the boy and kept him hovering in the air. His fear filled eyes met mine and tears ran down his cheeks. Logan left my side, marching straight to the other boys who crawled on the ground to move away from the whirlpool of wind, then scrambled to get up. They immediately stood with their backs straight like Logan was a drill sergeant.
Logan looked up at the ginger-haired boy. "Get down here, NOW!" he snarled and even I was taken back by his sudden anger. Logan was a patient person who normally kept his cool, making this a rare occurance, to say the least.
The boy flinched at Logan's harsh tone and immediately jumped out of the tree, using magic to lower himself safely to the ground. I remained where I was, but urged the wind to calm with my mind while pulling back my magic.
The blond boy lowered to the ground and I completely shut off my magic. I lowered my hand, ignoring how it trembled by slipping my hands into the pockets of my dress. The boy began to sob loudly and the black-haired boy who was standing in the middle of the group went over to console him, asking if he was okay.
"Do you understand what you just did could have got him seriously hurt?! In fact, he could have died if my girlfriend didn't save him!" Logan roared and the boys lowered their heads in shame. The black-haired boy pointed to the ginger kid.
"It's Nathan's fault. He made him climb up and then pushed him."
The ginger-haired boy named Nathan flinched, gritting his teeth as he began to quiver in place. "I...I, he said he could use wind magic! I was just proving that he was lying."
"Maybe he lied because he didn't want to be bullied about what he can and can't do! You guys aren't even old enough to be learning such spells, LET ALONE testing them out without adult supervision. What would you have done if he hit his head and began to bleed out?!" Logan demanded.
The boys remained silent and Nathan's eyes began to pool with tears. "See?! You'd stand there and cry. You would be put in jail for killing someone because they couldn't be 'oh so cool like you' and do a spell none of you are even properly trained to do,” Logan scolded.
They all began apologizing and Nathan moved to the kid and apologized for pressuring and pushing him out of the tree. Logan took a deep breath, crossing his arms.
"I better not see this again, or I'll make sure all your parents are informed. Understood?!"
"Yes, sir!" they all replied quickly, bowing their heads once more.
"Go straight home," Logan ordered.
All of them began to leave but the blond-haired boy stopped, turning around and quickly running up to me. He bowed his head. "Thank you for saving me,” he whispered.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded, giving the best fake smile I could muster. He ran back to his black-haired friend and they both darted off down the path and out of our sight. Logan ruffled his hair, taking another calming breath before glancing my way.
His normally gold eyes were now a bright amber; they usually shifted to orange when he used his magic. My eyes were similar, shifting from their ruby color to a magnificent gold that was brighter than Logan's, making them look like they were glowing.
He approached me slowly and I didn't move, still staring in the direction the boys had gone off in. When the blond boy lost his balance, it was as if I was back at Brighten Magic Academy, watching my brother fall over the edge and plunging to his death.
Even though I'd saved this boy from getting injured, it didn't help the guilt I still felt. I was able to save him but not my own brother.
Logan's hands brushed against my cheeks and his face blocked my view, his amber eyes slowly turning back to their usual golden hue.
"Jewel. Breathe baby,” he soothed; his quiet voice was filled with worry. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until he'd mentioned it and I took a deep breath.
"I'm fine," I stated and Logan gave me a guarded look which meant he wasn't satisfied with my answer. His left hand left my cheek and moved to pull my right hand from my pocket. I glanced away, unable to hide the way it shook from my heightened anxiety.
"Pathetic, right? How am I going to go to a magic school if I panic over something as simple as summoning wind magic," I whimpered, a tear rolling down my cheek.
Logan pulled me into a hug and I squeezed my eyes shut. I wished I could just get over this, move on from my brother's death and live the life I once dreamed of when I was a small child.
"We'll work on it. Okay, my precious?" he reassured me.
"Alright," I replied, pulling back to give him a small smile. He was right. I could work on it. I still wanted time to think about if going to a normal university was the best decision. If I changed my mind, I could always drop out, but it would be a waste of money and time. People already criticized Logan for wasting two years before going to school. I could imagine them treating me the same for my poor decisions, especially in a town as small as Natala.
"Let's go home." He kissed me on the lips and wiped the last of my tears tears from my cheeks. Slipping my hand into his, we walked the rest of the way to his place in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts. We'd have to make the final decision in regard to our futures; I just hoped I made the right choice.
The choice that would lead to a promising future.
"Brother, couldn't I have done something differently?"
Again, I stood before the school tower, watching from above as my brother stared down at me. Those gold eyes I adored looked at me with love and compassion. My dear brother who would do anything to make me laugh and prevent anyone from making me cry. When Father died, Brother was our support, but now there he stood, staring down at me with a sad expression.
"No, Jewel. There's nothing you could have done,” he whispered, closing his eyes and leaning forward, falling off the edge. Every time I watched him fall, I felt just as I did that day.
My fear, shock, and determination to save Gabriel would hit me all at once and I'd outstretch my little hands to stop his fall with my magic. Yet, each time was the same; his body would fall and crash to the ground, my pathetic wind magic doing nothing to prevent his death.
Those gold eyes would fill with tears as blood poured out of his mouth and he'd give me a sad smile.
"I'm sorry, Jewel. I love you."
It didn't matter how hard I ran, my six-year-old legs never reached his side before those golden jewels dulled and his life faded away.
The dream was always the same, leaving me in shock and triggering screams from my throat.
"Jewel! Wake up."
I jolted up, fighting for breath while my body trembled. Cold beads of sweat dripped down the side of my face.
"Jewel."
I slowly turned my head to my right; my eyes landed on Logan who laid next to me with a distressed look on his face. He cautiously reached out, brushing his hand gently against my cheek.
"It's just a dream, Jewel." His quiet tone and soft expression helped me think properly as my heart began to calm. I took a few deep breaths, looking around the dark room. Only the tiny stream of moonlight that peeked through Logan's black curtains helped me to determine that it was still night time.
"Dream?" I mumbled, feeling incredibly exhausted. Logan nodded and pulled me into his arms. I relaxed in his secure hold, the side of my head resting on his bare chest and his hand gently stroking my long hair.
We didn't exchange words; my nightmares had been a regular occurrence during the depths of the night since my brother’s death. It was one of the reasons why I rarely slept alone; either I stayed at Logan's place or Logan stayed at mine. When he wasn't there, Alice always stayed with me, shifting into a white fox and cuddling with me. I didn't know if she used magic on me when I slept during those nights, but I never had nightmares while in her company. With anyone else, however, it didn't matter what spell they put on me, the same nightmare would torment me.
Logan's heartbeat always soothed me during these nights. I hated that it was frantic and beating fast because of his concern for me, but just as my heart rate returned to a calm pace, so did his. The beat of his heart and the way he gently stroked my head always did its trick, inviting the darkness of sleep to claim my mind once more.
I allowed my heavy eyelids to close, and just like that I was fast asleep, dreaming that Logan wouldn't be leaving me.