Chapter 7
Rosa had called in sick for work. She didn't want to, but she didn't know what else to do. They would expect her to after the accident. But she would have gone if she felt like she had the strength.
She felt so strange, as if her body was fighting a passive war. She needed the magic, but she hated the magic.
She was staring at the wall, trying to get her strength up when she saw her front door open.
She jumped about four feet in the air, afraid. If someone was coming to rob her, they were going to discover quite quickly that there was nothing to rob. Perhaps they would get angry and hurt her. She couldn't defend herself, and she didn't want to die this way.
But to her surprise, the person coming through the door meant no harm.
“My Lord,” she said, trying to look dignified. Cole stood there, a grin on face. He came and went as he pleased, asking for magical advice whenever it suited him.
“I caught you at a bad time?” he said. “I was in the area, so I thought I'd pop in.”
“You thought you'd pop in?” she raised an eyebrow. “Right.”
“Okay, I need something,” he grinned. “How are you?”
“I'm uh…,” she remembered who she was talking to. “Having problems with magic.”
“So, I figured,” he said. “There was an interesting topic brought up at dinner last night, so I thought I'd come and see you. After all, who is the oldest witch clan in history?”
“Me,” she said. “But I'm currently a singular force, so….”
“And you're experiencing a magical drain. Do you think it has to with the Other dropping?” He leaned against her wall.
“Uh…,” she paused. “I don't know. I don't know what's going on, to be honest.”
Cole's brow furrowed. “Rosa?” he asked, moving forward.
Her reaction was to get up, to pretend everything was normal. It was such a strong reaction that she forgot her legs didn't work. She fell back onto the bed.
He was beside her an instant, his moves lightning fast.
“Damn. You are in bad shape,” he said.
She couldn't hold in her emotion any more. “I'm a Halloway,” she said. “We already have such problems living with our magic. If the world is taking it from me sooner, it's just cruel!”
He was taken aback by this sudden emotion.
“Rosa,” he said as he touched her. He was alarmed at how little magic was under her skin. “Oh, my God.”
“I don't know what to do,” she said. “I don't know what to do. I don't want to die.”
The tears flowed down her face, and he felt pity for this poor girl. He was about to say something comforting when the door opened again.
Rosa's head snapped toward it, her eyes wide.
There stood Nicholas, equally shocked. “Brother?” he asked Cole. Rosa looked between the two of them in a panic.
“Nicholas,” Cole said. “Do you know Rosa Halloway?”
“I–” Nicholas said. This was it, they were caught. Rosa dropped her head. “Yes.”
Rosa was dying anyway, he figured. This was their last chance.
“We know each other quite well.”
“Cool,” Cole said. “We have to get her to Umora.”
“Sorry?” Nicholas said. “What?”
“You know that Earth has more trouble supporting magic,” Cole said. “Her magic is fading. She'll have a little longer if we could get to Umora.”
“But….” Nicholas sputtered. “Rosa is protected by witch covens who–”
“Who I am in charge of,” Cole pointed out. “If they have a problem with it, they can answer to me. Do you want to help me?”
Nicholas looked to Rosa, trying to stay calm. It was hard not to swoop her up in his arms and just run away. He didn't want her to feel an iota of sadness, let alone these tears. “Rosa, you know what this means.”
“I don't know what else to do,” she cried. “I can't take this anymore.”
“I will take care of you,” he assured her, looking her straight in the eyes. “I promise you, my love. I will take care of you no matter what.”
Silently, she nodded, holding out her hands.
“Please,” she whispered, meeting his eyes. “If these are my last moments, then let them be with you.”
Nicholas reached out to her, the magic swirling already. He was prepared to take her as far away from this hell as he could. He could transport her in an instant.
What he didn't expect was his magic to be blocked.
“Ah,” he cried, almost in pain. His head whipped around, and his heart dropped. To his horror, there was a dark shadow in the doorway. As it advanced, he gritted his teeth. Rosa groaned, and he knew she was being drained.
Standing in the doorway in human form stood King Richard. The limp body of a carapace, with shocking red hair that reminded him of Ariel, dropped to the ground. Killing a carapace released their magic like a flower with pollen, and Nicholas felt himself start to go weak.
“Boy,” Richard looked to Cole. “If you know what is good for you, you'll step away from that witch and hand her over.”
“Ha,” Cole said. “Like I'm that easily convinced. I owe you nothing.”
“I will kill you both,” Richard said. “As a human, here and now. I have no issues with that, I'm stronger than you.”
“You will not lay a hand on her,” Nicholas growled. The carapace’s energy was still in the room, and he couldn't transform. He didn't care, though. He would kill his father with his bare hands if he even thought about hurting Rosa.
“Don't you want to live forever, Nicholas?” Richard said, and then he launched forward.
Rosa screamed and dove backward as fast as she could. She put her hands over her head because she didn't know what else to do. It wasn't as if she could fight or protect either of them.
She felt air whoosh over them, and she heard crashes and grunts. Her heart beat rose ridiculously high, and her breathing became ragged.
“Please,” she whispered, to a god she wasn't sure she believed in. “Please, help me. Help us.”
Suddenly, she felt magic flood her. She screamed, unsure whose it was. And then she was on a cold marble floor, trembling and bruised.
“Rosa! Rosa!” Nicholas scrambled over to put his hand on her back. “Are you hurt, my love?”
She rolled over, blinking.
His face was bleeding, and his cheeks were filled with color, but he was all right. His eyes were bright, and his hands were gripping hers.
A quick look to her right saw Cole also sitting on the floor, looking rather proud of himself. There was no trace of Richard.
“No,” she said, shell-shocked. “What happened?”
“As soon as the carapace magic faded enough, I got us out of there,” Cole said. “He didn't follow. Although, it wouldn't take a genius to know we would come here.”
“Where are we?” she asked, as Nicholas helped her sit up.
“We're in my palace, my love,” he said softly. “You're safe. At least for now.”
“In the palace?” She looked into his eyes. “But, Nicholas–”
“I know,” he said. “But we have no choice. We are no longer safe apart, my love. We made that choice.”
She leaned her head into his chest, trying to calm her breathing. She felt weak, although that wasn't a surprise with a carapace suddenly spewing every bit of magic they had. What surprised her, though, was how she didn't feel completely incapacitated. She was feeling better every moment she sat here.
“Magic works better here,” Cole said, reading her mind as he stood up. Despite looking a bit rough, he didn't seem at all bothered by the fact that his father had just threatened his life. “You should be able to stand.”
“How did you know?”
“I'm a witch. I know all things.” He winked at her. “Go on, try,” he said.
She looked at Nicholas who gently helped her up. Although her legs were shaky, she found more strength than she had in days. She leaned into him.
“Should we hide me?”
“No, love,” he said. “You're here now. I'm going to make sure to you are taken care of.”
“Why are you–” Suddenly, the door to the antechamber opened. Rosa felt it before she knew what was happening.
She recognized Nicholas’ sister-in-law, Ariel, standing in the doorway. With high heels and a green dress that brought out her eyes, Rosa immediately felt inadequate at her beauty. She also realized that she felt dizzy at her very presence.
She stumbled against Nicholas who put his arm around her.
“Ariel, get out!” he screamed. “To the other side of the palace. OUT!”
“What the?” She obeyed him, although she was clearly confused and annoyed by it. Rosa panted, trying to regain what she had only moments ago.
“Oh, my God,” she gasped, as Nicholas held her tight. “That's–”
“That's why she is their queen,” Nicholas said softly.
“Well, she's going to be mad,” Cole put in. “I'm going to talk to her before she breaths fire.”
“She can't,” Nicholas said, and Cole grinned.
“Can't she? Go settle your lady love in,” Cole said. “I'll just fix the world, per usual.”
Cole left them alone, and Nicholas looked down at Rosa, who lifted her head from his chest.
“Are you all right now?” he asked. “I'm going to take you to my room, where you can settle in.”
“We can share your room?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course, my love,” he said, as they began to walk. He was cautious, on guard, in case Ariel was anywhere nearby.
Rosa tried to smile.
“Like a princess,” she said, and he chuckled.
“You've always been a princess.”
“Nicholas,” she said softly as their footsteps echoed in the hallway. “What did your father mean? About living forever?”
“I…” he was about to say he didn't know, but then he remembered the book and the conversation he had with Cole. “I think he was trying to steal your power.”
“My power?” she said, surprised.
“Did you know the Halloways were just as hunted as carapaces once?” he asked. “They are the most powerful of all witches, and I think that your power can give him immortality. If not immortality, a very long life.”
“But dragons already have a ridiculously long life,” she said. “Why does he need mine?”
“It may be easier to take since you are the only one,” he replied. “I don't know. We still don't fully understand what is happening with the supernaturals who returned from the Other, but what we do know is that magic in this universe is changing, and possibly fading.”
“That would make sense,” she said, as he let her into his room. She gasped at the vastness and the beauty. “Oh, my goodness, you really are a prince.”
He laughed, helping her on the bed.
“Did you not believe me?”
“I didn't dare to dream,” she whispered, as he leaned in to kiss her.