What if...

Chapter Twenty-Two~

For four days strait I had been looked up in the room. The first two days I had read books with a quiz after every chapter. Sometimes I passed, sometimes I didn't. On the times that I didn't, I was forced to try until I did.

On the third and fourth days, Kadi had taught me verbally, teaching me tips and tricks on how to preform magic.

Today was day five. We had just eaten breakfast and Kadi was teaching me about magic safety.

"Stone is the best defence against magic," she explained. "Iron works just as well if not better, though."

"Then why isn't the room made out of iron?" I questioned.

"Because iron sucks the magic out of you, and your body reacts like it's burning," Kadi explained. "You have to have a barrier between you and the metal."

"What about steel?"

Kadi shook her head. "Nope. You can touch steel."

I slowly nodded. "Okay..."

She eyed me. "Don't get any funny ideas... You do live with me, you know..."

"I could jump out the window and run to Inallika's or Germany's," I retorted. "Or even Kiana's."

She shrugged. "It's a small world."

I deadpanned at her pun. "Har har."

Her mouth quirked in a smirk. "I thought so myself."

"Whatever. Can we get back on track?"

"Right." She sat up, walked over to a shelf, selected a book, and sat back down again. "Here's a reference book. If ever you have any questions, there you go."

I took it in my hands and studied it. "Oh... Kay...?"

"No quiz. Just read for fun, you book worm."

I raised a brow at that. "Hey, you're a book worm, too."

She grinned, punching my arm. "Yeah, yeah. Now off you go. You've had enough drilling for a while. Let what you learned sink into your head. Go ahead and practice, too."

"You mean.. I can leave...?" I asked, hopeful, not hiding my excitement one bit.

"One second..." Kadi murmured, standing and taking a few steps back. "Yes, you may," she relented.

"Yahoo!" I whooped, launching myself at the brunette and tackling her to the floor. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"Get off me!" she growled, shoving.

I scrambled up, grabbed the book, and darted to my room, cheering and calling as I ran.

~*~

Rome was in the kitchen cooking when he heard thundering footsteps and loud noises. As the sound got louder, he could make out what she was saying.

"...ee! Free at last! Ohhh, it feels so good! I think I'll run around the world a couple of times! Oh, I wonder how Gupta is doing? Or Gilbert! I haven't seen Gilbert in forever! I should go crash at the German's house! Or even jog over to America's house and play video games! Oh! I should--"

A loud CRASH! was heard. A moment later the rattling continued.

"--Stupid chair--swing by Japan's house and have him play games with us! Who else would like to play? Nali, maybe? Kadi, yes, but after what she did to me she doesn't deserve to play with us--Hi, Romulus, watcha makin? Pasta? Don't mind if I do!--So it's settled, I'm going to kidnap Nali and Kiku and then bombard Al's house, BYE!!!"

The Roman Empire looked down at his now half-gone bowl of pasta and then up at the firmly shut door.

"What... Just happened...?" Cleo asked, copying Rome.