Dead King's Sword (Old Draft)

38. A Grizzly Bear Catches Fire

Princess Anne

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A few minutes before Erin was apprehended, I broke into Mitzy's room. If I had remembered, I would have checked for cameras, but the thought slipped my mind. 

Mitzy's bed was neatly made, and a collection of red cloaks with gold trimmings rested on the wall hooks at the back. A volcano had been painted on the wall near her bed, lava flowed down its sides, and smoke curled upwards, moving towards the ceiling. The room was hot, over thirty-five degrees Celsius; the cause was a glowing red heat stone in the centre of the room.

Mitzy had no roommate, so there was only one study desk for herself.

I felt like I had stridden into a dragon's den.

If I had been more aware and practiced as a detective, I would have pondered the lack of guards. The openness of everything. But I didn't. I dropped to my knees and checked under the bed, where I discovered a locked box. Thinking myself lucky, I used a small explosion to destroy the lock and checked inside. Resting on a velvet cloth were six black opal stones, with blue, green, and red tongues of flame stuck within the glass. Opals were one of the critical ingredients for a demon summoning spell, just one of these gemstones was valued at over five thousand dollars. I took a picture of the opals with my phone, healed the lock, and closed the box before returning it to its place. Then, I rose and went over to Mitzy's study desk, sifted through her ivory jewellery box, searching for some other clues.

My chest tightened as I realized that the door could open at any moment. If Mitzy found me, we would be forced to fight. I had never fought another student before and had never had any quarrel with Mitzy prior to the murders. We had gone to the same elementary school and had gotten along fairly well. However, if she were the villain involved in human trafficking and the girls' murder, I would catch her. Returning to my search, I trusted Erin to alert me if Mitzy abandoned her station. That way, I would have time to flee or apprehend my target.

My hand froze, coming across a dolphin pendant with a spear through its head. I had seen it before, but I couldn't remember from where. Deciding to look into the matter later, I slipped the chain into my pocket and planned to ask my brother or Kite if they recognized it. Some part of me did, but whatever memory it was had been carefully locked away though I couldn't remember why.

The door opened quietly, and I didn't notice her until she asked, "Who's in here?" Fire swirled around her hands; her eyes glowed amber as the door closed. She raised her hands and fired two fast fireballs. One hit me in the chest, scorching my skin before I could summon a shield. Her files said she had a size six-core, but her activation time for spells was faster than it should be. She probably had an item to boost her magic or had lied about her core size and was around the same as me.

My invisibility rune faltered and faded as I diverted magic to heal my burns.

"You." Mitzy smiled. "You really don't know how to mind your own business, do you? I was going to kill your aunt, but I guess I'll deal with you instead since she escaped." She raised her left hand, a silver ring glittering on her middle finger. Mitzy paused then added, "So, did you find anything?"

A chill ran through me. For the first time, I realized how close I was to the grave. How dangerous my actions had been. I bit my lower lip. My half-brother might have been right about leaving the investigation to the professionals.

There was a knock on the door. "Did someone order pizza?"

The voice belonged to Zeren. So, Erin had lost track of Mitzy. I sighed. What little help they were to me.

Some of the tension dissolved as Mitzy turned to the door.

Zeren said, "I've got some pizza here for a Mitzy Trent. Mitzy, we know what you've done, so come on out. We caught your doppelganger, and your guards are quite upset, and so is Principal Bast."

"What the fuck is she talking about?" asked Mitzy, her brows knitted together. She considered her options. If no one answered soon, my guards would blow the door off its hinges. Zeren was probably talking to me; Erin had been caught. And at some point in the night, Mitzy had slipped her surveillance.

Mitzy said, "Here's what'll happen. I'm leaving this school, and I'm taking Princess Anne with me. If anyone bursts through this door, I'll kill her."

Principal Bast said, "What are you talking about, Mitzy? Open the door. You're not in any trouble; we're here to collect the princess who seems to have gotten it in her head that you're behind the murders of Sasha and Victoria, but don't worry, the murderer has been found and killed. Princess Anne, however, is in quite a bit of trouble, so if she could come out now, that would be appreciated."

Mitzy glanced at me, clenched her jaw, and whispered, "Start working on a transportation rune for the dukedom of Trent."

The doorknob jiggled as someone tried to force it open.

"I don't know the coordinates."

She told me the coordinates, then added, "Hurry." A cold sweat ran down my neck as I searched for an escape. Aside from the door, there were no other exits. No windows. I could blast a hole into the wall or floor....

Mitzy pointed a finger at me, and I froze in fear. "Start drawing now," she ordered.

I wanted to live, so I removed the rune chalk, a glowing white stick, from my pocket and began drawing a large circle.

Mitzy shouted at the door. "If anyone breaks into here, Princess Anne dies. I don't care if she's in trouble or whatever nonsense Zeren was talking about. This is my final decision; do not enter. I'm leaving, and she's coming with me. If you do as I say, I'll let her live." The door opened slowly, and someone stepped in wearing a grizzly bear costume.

The bear looked around, and from its mouth came Zeren's voice, "This... does... not... look good."

Mitzy narrowed her eyes; flames gathered around her palm.

"Get down!" I yelled.

I created a shield around Zeren, but it cracked under the weight of the flames, and her grizzly suit caught on fire. I watched in horror as Zeren burned. My guards and Principal Bast stormed inside; a few stopped to help Zeren, while the rest came to me. Mitzy got to me first and placed a blue Lemuric crystal on the floor. The stone in position, the teleportation rune activated, and a blue light swallowed us. The room and the surprised faces of the guards and principal vanished as Mitzy and I were yanked through space, travelling through a black tunnel where neither of us would be able to see, hear, move, or breathe until we were deposited on the other side.

***

A/N: Call me Edan lol. No mother names their child Author, and no human names themselves Author :)