Magics: Escape (Book 2)

Chapter Twelve

It was late in the afternoon when Linda stood up and faced everyone that was in the room with a triumphant and determined look. Her gaze sliced through the tension as she announced a sudden plan:

"I don't care how far I can make my telepathy reach," she said boldly. "I'm going to try to reach as far as I can. If I can't reach him at first, Chase will use that Light tracking spell until I can find his mind. We'll keep advancing with each day. Pack up some camping things and anything else you might want or need. We leave tomorrow, first thing in the morning. If we have to fight off Darks or Moon in the process of getting Shintaro back to us, so be it." She threw her arms out at her sides to prove her point. "I'll contact Gabriel and tell him to meet us as the town's entrance tomorrow." 

Nanami nodded her head furiously, clutching her pink cat closer to her. She wanted in on the plan, but Kai felt that she shouldn't come. Something like this would be far too dangerous for a child her age. Kai knew that he was ten when he went through far worse (though, who was comparing?), but he knew that Nanami wouldn't be able to handle it.

Unless she could, one side of Kai's mind argued. She's a tough girl. Just a few days ago, her parents died, and look at her now. He realized that he was smiling at the young girl and forced himself to look away. He didn't want her to get hurt. Even though she'd been with them for a day and a half, maybe more, she already felt like a little sister to him, and he couldn't risk losing any more family.

Falte thankfully took care of that situation quickly. "Nanami, I don't think you should come. It's far too dangerous. You could get hurt." 

"No," Nanami said so sharply that even Linda flinched a little. "I'm going. I'm helping you get Taro back." She crossed her arms over her stuffed cat and gave Falte a steely glare.

Kai's father didn't back down. "Nanami... You could get really hurt. This is something that the older ones should take care of, okay? Don't worry, Shintaro will be back soon. Please stay here, with ... Ruby, maybe?"

Nanami perked up a little at the mention of Ruby, but she quickly fixed that with another scowl at Falte. "I'm coming with you!" She suddenly jumped off the couch and dashed to Kai. She threw her arms around him and gave him a pleading look. "I wanna go with you, Kai..." 

"I'm sorry, Nanami," Kai said to her sadly. "I truly am, but I think it would be best if you stayed here, okay? I don't want you to get hurt. That would hurt me, too." He lifted a hand and touched his heart, realized how cheesy he sounded and looked, and let his hand drop again. 

Nanami clasped it into her own, her green eyes never leaving his brown ones. "Please! I want to help too! I won't get hurt, I promise. I have you there to protect me, Kai. All of you. None of you will let anything hurt me; I know that now." 

Kai felt touched that Nanami trusted him that much, but he forced himself to shake his head. "Nanami, I don't-" 

"Stop protesting!" the young girl suddenly yelled. "I'm going with you, no matter what! I! WANT! TO! HELP! TARO! SO! LET! ME!" Kai realized that as she spoke, a small accent was peeking through her words. 

Kai glanced up at his father, feeling defeated. Falte shook his head with a sigh, then mouthed I suppose we could let her. Kai didn't like the idea, but he couldn't argue with Falte, so he looked back down at Nanami and smiled at her. 

"Alright, fine," he said. "But you have to do everything we tell you, no matter how confusing it sounds, okay?" He knew for a fact that things would get very confusing or intense, knowing that it was Moon they were up against, and possibly someone else, like more Darks. 

"Okay!" Nanami cheerily replied, leaping away from Kai and running to pack up her things. Kai watched her scurry around with a small smile on his face. She threw clothes in her bag, grabbed her pink cat and a few books, then set them in a pile behind the couch. 

Linda was already packing up some of her things, too, using a medium sized pack. Chase had heard the plan and was filling water bottles for everyone. Abby was packing her own back, while Falte was fumbling around for food. Kai was happy that everyone agreed that getting Shintaro back was the most important thing at the moment. He was happy that, like himself, his friends would stop at nothing to have Shintaro return to them.

~

Kai was ready to leave as soon as he finished packing his bag, but he knew they had to wait until the next morning. He threw his pack next to his mattress so he could grab it as soon as he woke up, while Chase laid his next to the bed. Kai found himself longingly looking at the lower bed and snapped his eyes away. There wasn't any room for grief anymore. Anger had pushed every other emotion aside as of now. 

When Kai walked into the living room for dinner, everyone was looking determined, confused, angry, upset, or lost in thought. Falte was pacing around the kitchen absentmindedly. He had a few bags of food and a backpack near the table, but it didn't look like he was looking for anything in particular anymore. Linda wasn't wrapped around a book - for once - and was running through a list of things to pack with Nanami with a grim expression. Chase was sitting on the couch with his sister, having already finished his packing. Abby had a backpack on her lap and was stuffing her things inside of it neatly. 

Kai sighed and turned back around to go back into the room. He wasn't hungry... Then again, he had to eat to save energy. With another sigh, he turned around again and walked into the kitchen. His father didn't notice him, just kept pacing around the kitchen with his hand on his chin.

Kai decided not to say anything to Falte and opened the fridge to find something small to eat. Seeing the fridge almost empty like this made his stomach twist in panic - they were really doing this - but he pushed it aside and grabbed an apple. He straightened and turned back around to face his father. 

Falte had stopped walking around in a circle. Now he was looking at the floor with his hand still on his chin and his other hand resting on his hip. Kai sighed at his distraught father and shook his head. He started to walk out of the room, but a slam and a loud clatter behind him stopped him in his tracks. 

Kai whipped around, checking to see if his father was alright, and found Falte struggling to keep a pan from falling off the counter while the pan's cover rolled across the floor towards Kai's feet. He bent down, picked it up, and walked back over to his father.

"You okay?" he asked gently. 

"Fine," Falte said back, pushing the pan back onto the counter. One of his hands was clenched into a fist on the counter, and Kai realized that Falte had slammed his fist down on the counter and almost knocked the pan down.

"No, you're not," Kai corrected him, even though he knew he shouldn't have. "Look, Dad, I know you're worried, but please try to calm down. Shintaro's a -" 

"I'm very aware that he's a tough guy," Falte interrupted. "I still can't help but worry about him, alright? He's a Light, Moon's a Dark. Whatever she has planned doesn't sound good. I mean, think of what she did to you last time." 

Kai almost flinched at the memory, but fought it back and sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm worried too. But we will get him back." 

"I know we will," Falte said quietly. "There's no doubt about that." He pushed the pan to the back of the counter and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Kai alone to eat his apple.

I'm sorry, Dad, he thought solemnly. I'm the reason you're worrying like this. I'm the reason he's not here with us right now. I'm the reason Moon got away with him. I'm the reason you should be worried. I'm at fault for most of this. You can blame me.

"No one is blaming you, Kai," Linda snapped inside his head suddenly, almost making him drop his apple. "Please stop thinking like that."  

I can't help it when it truly is my fault, Linda, Kai thought back. What else was he supposed to think? Moon was at fault as well, and yes, he was extremely angry at her, but he was to blame for this mess, too. But... he could deal with that later. All that mattered now was Shintaro coming back.

"Exactly."  

~

Chapter twelve!!! 

I'm super excited for this, you guys! New characters are coming and I think you all will like them!! I can't wait to write about them, too. They're all amazing, and one of them ... maybe more... was my sister's idea!! I hope you guys like this!! :D

Until the next chapter!!! 

Peace!~~~