Spellcaster series #4: The Virtuoso

End of an Era

HEIDI

"Which way?"

A slight pause before Vicky responded, "Right."

I tried not to inhale too much. Dust and cobwebs resided in the air and on the surface of the metallic vents. We crawled through them, scurrying our way through an endless maze with Vicky's one-worded direction; left...right...left...

"Here," she spoke again, interrupting my thoughts. I peeked through the vent cover under my hands and an unpleasant smell greeted us.

I couldn't see her face—because it was dark and the space was confined—so I let her guess my reaction from my tone.

"Please tell me you're joking, Vick."

I crawled forward and let her break open the vent cover. She dropped down first before I did. As I landed on the floor of the sewer, I heard a splash and a squish under my white prison shoes. I cringed.

"I know," Vicky said and she led me past the revolting, grimy walls, "but this is the safest way."

"Where are you taking me, anyway?" I asked.

We finally met a gated exit. A forest was on the other side.

"You ask too many questions, Heidi," she laughed. She took a step back and turned to me. "Now, freeze the gate so I can break it."

I raised an eyebrow. "How? If you hadn't noticed, this place is protected from magic."

"Not here," Vicky's red eyes scanned the area around us, "it's why I brought you here."

I sighed. I channeled my energy and held out my palm towards the lock on the rusty gate. "Frozium!"

Vicky booted it and it broke open easily. She took my hand and we jogged out into the fresh forest of white and green and crispy cold air. We were deep into winter and the jumpsuit was not keeping me warm.

"We'll have to move fast," she said and we ducked as we made our way into the forest in case there were guards at our blindspots.

"Where are we going, Vick?"

"You'll see!"

Soon we reached a clearing. I was about to ask again but that was when I saw him. He stood in the middle of the clearing in a black overcoat that ended at his knees, a pair of trousers and his boots. What happened to his red coat? His brown curls were peppered with falling snow. Without a word, he approached me and pulled me into him. Then he pulled away and looked me in the eyes.

"We don't have much time."

He opened a portal and the three of us stepped through it, warmth embracing me and I heaved a sigh of relief. We were in my dorm room at the Academy.

"Change out of your clothes and pack your things," he instructed and I did as told. Tristan shouldered a leather sling bag. Did he pack too?

Vicky handed me fresh clothes—my Green Day t-shirt and a pair of red jeans. Tristan took the blue prison jumpsuit and lit it on fire with Arsonion. Butters meowed at my feet so loudly but I had to ignore him. I needed to pack.

I changed in the bathroom and came back out to put on my boots. Vicky and Tristan were like clockwork; they went through my identification papers and passport, as well as other documents they could find and packed them in my duffle bag. They even put in my wand and my dagger as well while I laced my boots. When all was done and ready, I scooped Butters into my arms.

Tristan turned to Vicky. "You have the coordinates?"

She pulled out a map from her pocket. She extended an ivory finger onto one part of it, somewhere between two towns. One was Orchidville, the other was another town I had never heard of.

"I marked it with an 'X'," she said. "You sure you can summon it?"

I tried to keep up but didn't ask questions. Butters purred in my chest. Was he getting heavier? What had Tristan been feeding him?

Tristan pulled out a wand—it looked different from his usual one—and summoned a portal. A hole tore through the material world and revealed a green forest that was not snowing. That didn't look like Orchidville anymore.

"This is it," Vicky said, tears welling in her eyes.

I stared at her. "This is...what?"

"We part ways from everyone," Tristan explained in his velvety voice. He took Butters from my arms. "I'm taking you somewhere we don't have to deal with all of this."

"I don't understand." I shook my head and turned to Vicky, "You can still drop by, right? I mean, we're just a portal away!"

Vicky shook her head. "For your safety, I can't. No one must know of this."

I wrapped my arms around her and she did the same. Hot tears were streaming down and I still had a lot to digest.

"You'll always be my sister, Heidi," she whispered into my hair.

She pulled away first. I knew we didn't have much time.

"Thank you for everything, Victoria," Tristan spoke and they shook hands. "You will give my letters to the Sages?"

"Of course," she nodded. "Take care of her, okay?"

Tristan nodded. We turned to the portal and walked through it. It closed behind us immediately.

The sun shone above, its light filtering through tall trees that surrounded us. Dried leaves crunched underneath our boots as we walked to a cabin in front of us. We ascended the steps of a wooden porch and stood in front of the door.

"This used to be Lord Voltaire's," Tristan said. "He used to come here for a retreat, according to Vicky."

He shut his eyes and chanted something under his breath. He placed his palm on the door and a rune carved into it.

"It's a protection rune," he explained like he read my mind. His green eyes bore on me as he did.

He unlocked the door and swung it open. I entered the cabin with Butters in my arms and a duffle bag over my shoulder.

I released Butters into the living area. Tristan shut the door behind us and placed his bag onto a two-seater sofa that was facing a small fire place. He stood in front of the door, arms loose by his sides and his face open. Then he moved towards me and held my face between his hands, a feeling I had not had in too long.

"Are you ready to start our whole lives together?" He asked with a curl on his lips.

"Born ready."

I woke up that morning thinking about my execution date. I was prepared to meet my family on the other side. I did not think I would be this close to Tristan ever again.

But there we were. We could start over.

Without any further hesitation, he leaned in and we kissed the way we did the first time under the stars of Magic realm. But this time, we were isolated deep in a forest where no one could find us except Vicky, whom we would not see for a very long time—perhaps ever. My heart fluttered in my chest with the warmth of his energy inside me, alive and euphoric.

~ END ~