The Pain in My Heart [Completed]

Chapter Seventeen - Crista

There are six things I know I must need. Important things first.

1. My wand

I reach back far under my bed and pull it out. A thick layer of dust covers the wood and I blow it off watching it fall to the floor. I sigh to myself. It's been ten years since I've used this. Eventually, I learned how to conjure magic from myself once I got older, but I remember this piece of wood being my whole world.

Being a young witch, it was much easier to channel my magic through an object instead of just thinking something in my mind. "Your mind can be deceitful," I remember my mother telling me, and because of this, I throw it in my satchel. I don't know where Zaria's mind is at and anything could happen.

2. My spell book

Okay, so maybe I didn't hand over everything to Zaria when I gave her my magic. Right where my wand was, there lies the spell book, although there is a considerably thinner dust layer on top. If there is any way to stop this madness, I might be able to find the answer in this book.

"You've read through it a hundred times. You won't find anything."

I shut out the voice in my head, my own voice. And for once, I really hope I'm wrong.

3. Stardust

The most powerful ingredient in any spell. It holds all the whispered pleas from the broken-hearted and hopeless romantics. It holds both the answered and the unanswered.

Anytime someone wishes on a star, it is held within that blazing ball of fire and burned until it falls to the earth and becomes true or not.

Why is it the most powerful? Unlike any other ingredient that is made or collected from the earth, Stardust's property is all human emotion. The heart of the soul.

I give it a shake and carefully place it in the tiny front pocket. I cannot lose this.

4. My crystal necklace

5. Snacks for Axil

Before I step out of my room, I grab one more thing, and this time I put the hat on. I can feel it's warmth like an embrace and even through all of this, I can feel myself smile.

I turn back around looking at my room for maybe the last time. I should write a note, I think to myself; tell mom where I'm going and that I'll be back soon. But the truth is, if I tell her where I'm going, she will come and stop me. She'll drag me back to the palace and lock me in here to keep me safe. And, I don't know if I'll be coming back soon... if at all.

And with that, I listen to the click of my door closing and I don't turn back.

***

"What are you doing here!" Axil yells through clenched teeth. "Did you not understand me when I told you to stay put?"

I scoff, "Did you not understand yourself when you were talking about control? You can't tell me what to do."

"I command you to stay here," he says sternly, again through his teeth. I can see the sweat glisten on his forehead and I can smell the worry around him. I almost confuse myself.

You can't do that anymore. You can't smell people's emotions.

I snap myself back into my charade. "That's cute. Your command means nothing to me. I'm your cousin and you're not king yet, sooo..." I trail off singing. "It's a little awkward."

"So, help me, Crista. If you walk out of those doors, you can say goodbye to your room in the palace once I'm king."

"You might not become king if I don't come with you." I look at him for real this time, mask down. "And as far as my room, take it," I say. "It doesn't mean much of anything to me anymore."