Girl of Iron and Magic

27.

27.

PRESENT DAY

DANGER! read the signs posted every few feet along the wire fence. UNSTABLE MAGIC AHEAD. CROSSING CAN RESULT IN DEATH.

The land beyond the fence was flat, wide and empty. There weren't any hills, nor valleys; just a great expanse of yellowing grass and a dark mass of trees in the distance.

Even though the land was in its barren winter state, it was not how Lotte imagined the wastes.

A herd of deer raised a cloud of dirt as they ran in the distance, birds squawked overhead. The sky was a aero blue without a single cloud in sight.

"Well, this is it," Maloru said, treading forward. The fence was made out of iron wires, but like anything that could bring him harm, it was pushed away by his natural barriers as he approached.

The rusted fence caved back against the weight of his magic until it snapped, an opening appearing.

"Nice," said Rowan, arm twined with Lotte's as she led her through the hole Maloru created.

It took them five days of stolen cars and sleeping at roadsides to get here. They were never caught—at least not in their current timeline.

Future Rowans warned them left and right of when cars needed changing and troubles ahead.

The ground below their feet was incredibly soft. There was a hush in the air, despite the fact that this place was full of life. After a few minutes of walking, Lotte turned around to look at the fence they left behind. Beyond it, the sky was overcast and a light rain had begun falling.

"Do any of you know what the Rugar looks like?" Rowan asked.

"No one who saw the Rugar lived to tell the tale," Maloru said.

Lotte remembered what Blue had told her about the Dragon King keeping the Rugar at bay. "In the books I've read, it was as tall as the sky with big groping hands that could crush a grown man with just two fingers."

"Then it'll be no problem to spot it," Rowan said. "Hopefully we'll not run into it, but if we will, we'll just find the right time to sneak past."

"I'm so glad we found you," Maloru said. "We'd never be able to do this if you weren't here."

"We wouldn't be alive if Rowan wasn't here," Lotte said.

Rowan face turned red. "I like it when you sing my praises, but please stop."

"Why?" Lotte asked.

Rowan rubbed the back of her neck. "Compliments make me uncomfortable."

Lotte didn't know what she meant by that, though her days of being complimented ended when she was eight.

Maloru slowed his step to walk beside Lotte, his eyes round with concern. "How're you feeling?"

"You know..." Lotte said weakly. "Still dying."

Lotte wasn't sure what dying should feel like. At times she felt completely herself, and other times she was as weak as an elderly grandma. At night, she slept like she was already dead and never dreamt.

Blue wasn't summoning her and she couldn't reach him.

In fact, she couldn't enchant anything. Her magic was too busy fighting her humanity.

She didn't know how long this could go on, but what would Serades do with a useless half elf? The Dragon King who had invited her had done so on the assumption that she was an enchantress. What was she now that she couldn't be that?