Owen Changes His Mind

3. Danger 2/4

"Magic, there you are. I need to talk to you. Please," Graecie was not above begging. Luckily, she didn't have to.

Magic hopped up from the chair. "Oh hi, Graecie! What do you need to talk about?" Graecie glanced pointedly at Ayngel and Bek, the two other people in the clubhouse. Magic got the hint. "Let's, ah, let's go to headquarters." Graecie sighed in relief.

"I'll just, stay here then!" Bek interjected.

"Yeah, keep me company," Ayngel said, calling Bek's attention.

Graecie hightailed it out of there, taking advantage of Bek's distraction. As she ran, Magic noticed the tears in Graecie's shirt, some still oozing blood. "Graecie?" She asked, but Graecie didn't respond. It was as if she was on autopilot, all the way to HQ. Once there, Magic was in full care mindset. "Sit down and drink some water," she ordered Graecie. "Let me have a look at your back." Magic was quiet for a moment, peeling back Graecie's clothes and looking at the damage. Two tiny punctures and eight jagged scrapes adorned her shoulder blades, five on each side. Magic reached for a clean cloth to dab the cuts clean. "What- How did this happen?"

"Rasbi," Graecie murmured, and Magic paused. "I don't think she was aware of what she was doing. She was- um," Magic gently washed Graecie's back, pausing whenever Graecie winced. "I think she remembered something while she was talking to me. We were- I thought hugging her would be a good idea." Graecie twisted to meet Magic's gaze. "Magic, she was crying. I think Owen really did something to her, or else she's a really good actor. And the way she ran off, I have no idea where Rasbi could be now."

Magic frowned. "Where could she have gone?"

"I have no idea," Graecie sighed.

Magic found some bandages and started applying them. "Well, do you want to talk about it?"

Graecie's expression twisted into a grimace of anguish, then smoothed out. "She just seemed so distressed! She said she had memories before the maze."

"Oh, that's great! Isn't it? Is it good?" Graecie shrugged, winced. "Don't move your shoulders," Magic reminded her.

"She said- she and Owen are from the same district, did you know that? I think Apo is from that district too, I'm not sure. Maybe that's why they became friends. But anyway, Rasbi said Owen killed her sister, that Owen kills demons. But that doesn't make any sense, because as far as I know, Owen's only friends are demons-"

Graecie stopped abruptly, thinking.

"Why would his only friends be demons if he kills them? I'm sorry, it just seems a little farfetched. And besides that, Apo lied- what if Rasbi is lying?"

"I don't think she is," Graecie worked out slowly. "That was real emotion. More emotion than I've ever seen Rasbi show. She was like a different person- focused. But maybe she's mistaken?"

"But Rasbi was saying the same things Apo was saying. As much as I don't believe Apo, you said she was verifying his claims."

Graecie turned to face Magic. "She had more specifics than Apo. She said her sister was going to make peace and marry the human prince, before Owen killed her. Actually- actually, I think she remembered some of it while she was crying on my shoulder."

Magic shook her head. "I'm not convinced."

Graecie put her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook once, twice. Magic put a hand on Graecie's back, between the bandages, and rubbed while Graecie sobbed. "I don't know what to do," Graecie wailed softly.