Forgotten Magic

Chapter 46

"Savannah! Get out here!"

I jumped and rushed outside to find a stern guard, an acting lady-in-waiting, and a little white cat with a bell around her neck.

"Do you want to explain this?" Nickolas demanded.

I blinked a few times. "You think I...had something to do with this?"

He groaned. "Who else?"

"Hey," Cassandra interrupted. "It's just a cat. What's the big deal?"

"Oh just a cat," he snapped. "A cat who stowed away for over a month without being found."

Shadows had jumped down and padded over to me in that time. I dropped to my knees and she hopped onto my shoulders, nuzzling my cheek. I didn't think anyone was watching, so I let myself smile and laugh. Unfortunately, someone was watching.

Nickolas sighed. "Alright...Fine. I mean she does look happy..."

I looked up, and sure enough, they were both looking at me. I awkwardly got to my feet. "Thanks..."

"No problem." And he smiled at me. He didn't even comment on the fact that I'd left the shackles in the caravan.

I started to wonder about Adira's nickname choice again. Guard Dog. Why? What could he be guarding? And once again...why? I started thinking about her hint. It was similar to Eugene's reason for being Fish Skin. A friend. I just didn't understand.

~ ~ ~

Alright, back to Taylor!

~ ~ ~

I had been successful with Varian the first time. He'd trusted me once. So...you can guess where I found myself a few weeks from then.

I was surprised the two guards recognized me. I wish I'd learned their names, now that I think about it. But they saw me, nodded, and walked to the entrance. I was thankful.

I set a hand on one of the bars. "Varian?"

He didn't move from his little ball on the edge of the cell cot. "What are you doing here?"

I kind of hesitated. "I...uh...I wanted to make sure...the same thing didn't happen again."

He looked up, eyebrows knit together in what I assumed was distrust. And he moved towards the bars just enough for me to see...

I audibly gasped, a hand over my mouth. "What happened?" I moved to reach a hand through the bars, but hesitated.

He averted his gaze and whispered "I...I don't..."

"O-Oh, you don't have to tell me," I said quickly. "Can I come in? I can-"

He nods his head ever so slightly.

I reach for the keys and let myself in, gently disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. I didn't watch him at all, but I knew he was watching me. Just watching me.

When I was done, I didn't move from sitting on the other end of the cold, hard, prison cell cot. I kept my eyes on the wall or the floor or the bars of the cell. I wanted to wait...like last time.

Finally, he did say something. Sort of quietly and as if he didn't want them to come out. "Do you want to come here?"

It startled me. "U-u-um...I...hmmm..." I pressed my fingertips together. "Well...I won't lie. I don't know if I want to. In some way, I have no choice in the matter. But, you seem alright. So I'll enjoy it, I suppose."

"How would-...never mind. I...um..."

I wasn't really sure what to say. So I said the first thing that came to mind. "I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Taylor S. Chance, the, uh, Royal Medic."

I glanced at him. His eyes were wide and he was looking at me with what looked like...disbelief?

"No...it couldn't be...I-I know you."

I wanted to smile. "Glad to know you remember," I laughed.

"W-Wait!" He sat straight up, eyes still wide. "Sarah. Your mother...I...I'm so sorry..."

He knew? I mean...I supposed I wasn't that surprised. I suppose the thought that ran through my head, as much as I tried to suppress it, was he cares? "You-I...It's okay..."

He grinned. "You didn't think I'd care?"

"What?" I hurriedly shook my head. "N-no. I...I didn't think...I didn't think you-whatever..."

"I'm really sorry," he added quietly. "She was a really great person. I'm sorry we didn't get to pay her that respect."

Now, I was surprised. "Wait. She didn't-"

He shook his head, matted hair swinging over his eyes. "No. The black rocks were tearing the village apart when it happened... It was early morning too. My dad was trying to comfort him...but-but I think he was angry that-that my father hadn't done anything about the rocks. He carried her off. I'd like to think he buried her. And I think he did...but..."

"Wow...I..." I took a deep breath and smiled. "That's the most I've ever heard you talk. Keep it up."

He laughed. "Don't count on it." A question was obviously nagging at him. He was fidgeting and his eyes were darting from me to the small window near the ceiling. Finally, he asked. "What happened to your father? I heard...things..."

I shivered. "Um..."

"You-you don't have to ta-"

"It's alright. It's alright. He uh...he's gone. The rocks..." Tears pricked at my eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all-"

"Was it..." he pointed at himself, eyes wide with understanding, "my fault?"

I shook my head. "No! No no no, of course it wasn't."

And to my surprise, he burst out laughing.

"What? What is it?" I couldn't help smiling, myself.

"Everyone else pretends I did everything," he said once he'd recovered. "It's all my fault. And only my fault. But-but you, you're saying I didn't do it." He smiled. "I did attack the princess in Old Corona. I did try to kill the royal family."

It surprised me how much he accepted it. The confident way he said he did do those terrible things. I just looked at him for a long moment, wondering how someone merely 14 or 15 could react like...like that.

And then he said something else that surprised me. "You weren't at that fight...were you?"

"Huh? The...the one in Old Corona, no. How would-"

He kind of shrugged and averted his eyes. "Just a thought..." Another question was bugging him. He seemed to have quite a lot of those. "Why weren't you?"

I thought about this for a long time. Maybe because I'd never questioned it, myself. It just felt right not to be there. So I wasn't. "Well...I'm not exactly the type to ambush one of my childhood friends," I joked. "Honestly...I dunno. It just didn't feel right to do it."

He nodded and whispered "Thanks."