Steel Flight [Completed]

Chapter 22: Home

~Skai

Dragon breath, growth formula, sensor parts. . . Where was it? I readjusted the straps of Jack's duffel. Why did he still have this thing, anyway? If it had been up to me, he'd have kept only the necessities and ditched the rest long ago. Then I wouldn't have to carry it for him every time he got injured.

Clock gears in an unlabeled round leather satchel, bottle of Jealousy, neon orange Fear. . . I rubbed my eyes. I must have scanned the contents of over fifty shelves! That might have been a slight exaggeration, but still. Where could it be?

Flax seed, white tiger fangs. . . What?

I stumbled back into a shelf and knocked into a green bottle, only barely catching it before it crashed onto the cinder-block floor. Then I turned back to the front, not believing for a minute that my eyes had really seen him. It just couldn't actually be him.

But no. A man stood before me, grinning his usual evil grin, top hat tilted. Or maybe it was his head that was tilted.

"Skai Nicholson. We meet again."

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

"I'm sure this is quite a surprise, so I shall excuse your poor manners. You see, usually when people greet you, you are expected to do the same. I guess you don't have parents to teach you these things."

My eyes hardened. "Why are you here? And why'd you send us if you were just gonna come anyway?"

The magician shook his head, looking superior, as usual. "Why my dear Skai, I'm not here!"

"But-"

"This is merely a magical representation of me. A magical messenger, if you will."

"Again, if you could just send a magical form of yourself, why make us come up here?"

"Two reasons. One," he reached for a nearby bottle, but his hand sunk right into it, "This form is insubstantial. Useful for relaying messages, but not much else. Two, I could come up here and do it myself, but I've found there is a certain satisfaction that comes from making others do it for you."

I folded my arms. Figures. "So why are you here?"

"As I have told you at least three times now, this magical representative exists for one purpose and one purpose only. To deliver a message."

I massaged my temples. "Well, what is it?" Were all Hoshaldrians this exhausting?

"I know the burden you carry." It was as if with that one phrase the whole world just froze. If there had been one thing he could have said to get my attention, that had been it.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I choked the words out, barely getting enough breath to do even that.

"Oh, I think you do. The Semper is fairly unforgettable, after all. Quite a distinct product of Hoshaldrian magic."

I shifted my weight. "What's your point?"

"See? I knew we understood each other."

I hated his gloating.

"My point is this: You have something I want. I'm sure I could give you what you want. Why not make a trade?"

My laugh was bitter. "I don't think so. My life is messed up enough without a third, thank you very much."

"A third might clean up the mess left from the first two."

"Right."

"Think about it. The Semper gone and your wildest dream made into reality."