The Island Princess

Chapter 16. Sad and scared

{Location: Chen's island}(Skylor's POV)

My eyes open to my room's ceiling. I growl lowly under my breath as I roll out of bed. It's been a few days since my last fight. And I have no idea how Sam's doing. I shuffle my feet to Clouse's study. I sit down, leaning against the door.

Across the hall, Clover stumbles out of his room. Missing his shirt as he trips over himself. He manages to stand up and come over to me, "Sleep ok?"

"Well, I found myself in bed," I look down, getting comfortable as I can on a hard wooden floor, "Which I don't remember going to last night."

Clover's face shifts to stoic, "You have been in that spot-"

"For a very good reason."

"Besides the point," He puts his hands on his hips, "You can't spend your life waiting for Clouse to appear with a magical solution and save-"

I get on my slipperless feet, "That's not why I'm here. I am not hiding from anything. I just need to know she's ok."

"Yeah but your father-"

"Screw him," I don't care what he thinks about me now. I don't care about him or whatever he might threaten me with. "What if it was me in there? How long would you wait for an answer? Even if my condition was bad, you'd still be waiting." My eyes release these weird drops of water. Tears? I only have cried when I got hurt from father in our 'correction' time. But I can't seem to control these ones even if they are hard to see, "It's better to know anything then nothing."

Clover exhales deeply, "You're stubborn."

"And you're a worrywart." I sit back down. "You can't make me leave. I'll keep coming back until I know something about how she's doing."

"Fine. I guess that means I'm grabbing you breakfast after I head out for a search party on a recent escapee." Clover's gentle smile returns, "What do you want?"

"Pancakes, oranges and yogurt." I lean my head back against the door.

Clover heads downstairs, "You're getting oyster crackers, and milk."

I don't respond. Just wait for what seems like a while until I can feel the door trying to open behind me. Clouse sighs as he stops pulling on the door, "Skylor-"

"I'm not leaving," I fold my arms.

"I thought that your father wanted you downstairs for breakfast." Clouse moans. He's been staying up a lot longer at night the normal, "Please leave."

"No." I rub my eyes, "I got kicked out last night but I won't leave until you tell me what you're doing with my friend." I haven't gotten anything for three days, I've stayed on this floor with only Clover delivering me food and messages from my Mom and Father. "Is she still alive? I just need to know if-"

Clouse grones loudly, "I mean leave as in getting off the door so I can let you in."

"Oh," Well that was easy. I stand up as the door swings open. I bite my lower lip, "Sorry."

Clouse's normal deep purple bags under his eyes are far bigger now, his low ponytail is gone, replaced with frizzy hair, his face, on the other hand, has a lot more stress lines than the last time I saw him. Clouse covers his mouth, "Well? Are you coming?" He turns on his heel. Inside his study, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I've never liked it in here, it's just creepy in here. Where his book stand is, a yellow glow covered by a sheet in the shape of a young woman lays there instead. Clouse extends his hands over her but they shake from exertion, "Samantha is alive. Bearly."

I breathe out a tight stress ball that even I didn't know I was carrying.

"But my dark magic doesn't work too well," he makes a face like he swallowed a lemon, "with healing magic. Eather Ninjagoin or otherwise."