The first night he was gone I stayed at the Peterson’s. I couldn’t bear to sleep in the house where I knew my brother wouldn’t come crashing into my room, making requests of me when he knew I was doing something else. Anyway, I stayed in the spare bedroom, which happened to the room next to Alek’s. Caddie brought pajamas and clothes for me. Thank goodness for weekends.
In other news, Alek refused to let me out of his sight. I was constantly by his side. We’d gone public in school, although I wouldn’t let Alek hold my hand in the hallways. He settled for draping his arm over my shoulders. I also spent a lot of time in the supernatural realm, where I spent a lot of time with Isaac, who was a really great person…even though he was a male. His being homosexual made it better for me. Alek had him keep watch over me while he worked around the clock with the March twins. He was still concerned that he couldn’t be with me himself, but it reassured him some that at least Isaac was with me.
.::.~.::.
“Hey, Alek? What happened to your dad?” I asked. We were again sitting with Isaac, who pretended to be focused on something else other than Alek and I.
“My dad? My dad died when I was about six years old,” Alek answered.
“How did he die?”
“Fighting my grandfather. He’s the one who locked him up.” I was silent for a moment. While I didn’t say anything, Alek pulled me into his lap, and I laid my head on his shoulder. Isaac stood and left the room. Good ol’ Isaac.
“Still thinking about Yasuo?” Alek asked. I nodded.
“I’d like to know how he feels. If he’s scared, how he’s being treated, and what’s running through his head. I wonder if he even realizes how much danger he’s in,” I replied just as quietly. Alek sighed.
“It’s all you’ve been thinking about. Sometimes, you’ll start thinking about something else, but after a while your thoughts return always back to him…you know we’re doing everything in our power to get him back, right?”
“I do,” I said. “I just wish I could…help, somehow…Alek?” An idea had come to me. A brilliant idea, in my opinion.
I don’t whether Alek discarded the thought I had, or he just wanted me to say it out loud, because instead of answering my thoughts, he answered what I said. “What is it?” he asked.
“What if he wants me? What if, in exchange for Yasuo, he gets me? Alek, let me go to him.” He sighed heavily, muttering something about ‘I knew it.’
“No.” I looked up at him. Alek’s wonderful brown eyes were clouded by a look I couldn’t decipher, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to.
“Why not, Alek? I’m sure—”
“Of what?” he asked, cutting me off. “Nami, I’m not about to let you get passed around like a…thing. Do you comprehend what could happen if you were given to him? Have you forgotten what I told you? He would make a whore out of you, Nami.”
Of course I remembered, though. And Alek knew that. But it was a chance I was willing to take if it meant Yasuo was safe. His safety was far more important than mine. If I became a prostitute, then I became a prostitute. I would die for Yasuo.
Alek groaned painfully. “Come on, Nami.”
Then, Isaac meandered back into the room, a troubled expression on his face. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of Alek and I.
His next statement initiated an argument. Isaac told Alek to let me go, and Alek roared his protest. It was obvious that he had no intent of letting me go. He argued that he watched his father die, and wasn’t about to let anything happen to me, too. Isaac calmly explained his side. He believed that it may be the only way of getting Yasuo back, and retrieving me would be easier.
The argument ended when I started crying—again—(I’d become so emotional in the past week), repeating over and over how I only wanted my baby brother back. Alek apologized for being so harsh and impetuous, while Isaac sat by, indecisive. Finally, though, he determined that using his magic would be a good idea, and calmed everyone.
After much, much more hesitation, Alek agreed to let me go.
.::.~.::.
Evidently, Alek’s grandfather had broken out of prison and had taken over the castle he was held. This happened months ago, sometime after my birthday.
A nice tidbit of information I’d never been told. Alek justified himself when he told me that I didn’t need to know so that I wouldn’t be worried. Even so, now that I know…I’m still worried.
“Are you sure about this, Nami?” Alek asked for the hundredth time. “And, no, this is only the thirty-second time I’ve asked.” I smiled and nodded, and looked up at him. He was toying with his lip stud again. I took his hand in mine.
“I want Yasuo to be safe,” I said.
“Yeah, but I want you to be safe.” Alek smiled sadly, and I mustered up the best smile I could offer him. He took the ring off his pinky finger and slipped it onto my middle one. “A gift, you could say.” I knew there was something more that he wanted to say, but I stopped myself from asking.
“You two lovers ready?” Isaac asked. We were standing at the gates of the enormous castle, and just its size alone intimidated me. Alek and I looked at each other, at the ring on my finger, then back to Isaac and nodded. He began chanting in an ancient language until a man in a guard’s uniform shimmered in front of us.
“State your name and your business,” the phantom man croaked.
“Alekzander Mordecai Margendon, Prince of Inae’ach’iad. I wish to speak with Grandfather,” Alek answered in an official tone. He looked stern and authoritative, even with his messy hair and piercings. Isaac and I went after Alek. I sounded nowhere as official as Alek did, but the phantom man opened the gates and let us in.
“Prince?!” I whispered fiercely. Alek grinned down at me.
“I thought I mentioned it before,” he deliberated. I shook my head. “Well, I had every intention of doing so. Sorry I didn’t before.” I sighed heavily. Another surprise. I should be used to them by now and not be so…well, surprised.
I noticed that Isaac and Alek weren’t trying to use their magic. When I asked why, they told met that Alek’s grandfather, aka Nicholae, had magic that was like a sponge. He could absorb other’s powers and use them as his own. However, that could only happen if they were using their powers. So as long as they didn’t use them, it was all good.
When we finally did get inside, Alek’s grandfather was more intimidating than the castle outside.
“All hail King Nicholae of Inae’ach’iad,” the phantom man croaked, and disappeared. Alek muttered something under his breath, and then became silent. The three of us stood there, Alek, Isaac, and I, while Nicholae stared down at us. His old green eyes flashed angrily.
“What do you three want?” he boomed, making me jump. Alek took my hand again and squeezed it gently.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, then, louder, “We want the Prince.” Nicholae raised his eyebrows, and laughed. Alek’s grip tightened on my hand, almost to the point where it hurt. I looked up at him, and he was glaring at Nicholae, who continued to laugh like a hyena.
“The Pr-Prince?” he stammered after his episode ended, and wiped at his eyes. He grinned. “Have you already forgotten what I told you last time? Did you think a mere human girl would change my mind?” Alek glanced painfully at me before speaking. “It’s almost a wonder you haven’t noticed by now. This is Princess Nami Renée Silvers, sister to Prince Yasuo Nathaniel Silvers,” he made known to him. This time, Nicholae’s brows raised in interest. He sat forward in his chair, looking me up and down. He rubbed his chin and grinned again.
“Ah, Princess. This is wonderful! Why have you been brought here?” he said, sounding friendlier to me. I started to speak, but Isaac put his hand out, stopping me. He smiled, and turned to Nicholae.
“We’d like to offer a trade. The Prince for the Princess,” he declared.
“Uncle, you make this sound as if this is a trading card game,” Alek muttered. He pulled me closer to him, as if I was already gone and he was missing me.
Isaac and Nicholae continued to discuss the “trade.” Alek and I were on standby, listening intently to the conversation. Soon, though, I got tired of listening and stopped paying attention. I leaned into Alek, and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders, hugging me even closer, if that was possible. I was content in his arms, and I was positive that Alek was just as content holding me.
Unfortunately, it ended all too soon. Then again, it always does. Reluctantly, it seemed, Nicholae would give Yasuo for me. With a snap of his fingers, a woman appeared, Yasuo holding her hand. He looked pale and dirty, but his face brightened considerably when he spotted me.
“Nami, Nami!” he exclaimed, trying to run toward me. I fell out of Alek’s arms and onto my knees, holding my arms open. My baby brother. He was right there. He tugged against the woman’s grip, fighting to break free. The look on his face was a mixture of joy and frustration.
And then the unimaginable happened.
With a glance at Nicholae, who nodded, the woman roughly yanked on Yasuo’s arm, causing him to fall back, but not before a sickening pop filled the air. Yasuo sat, stunned, the woman still holding onto him.
And then he shrieked. If I hadn’t already been on my knees, the sound of Yasuo’s tortured cry would’ve done it. His scream turned into a wail, and he began kicking his legs, the way he always did when he was hurt. He tried to comfort himself by wrapping his uninjured arm around the one that was, but as he touched it, he screamed again.
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” I screeched at Nicholae, half-rising, half-crawling toward Yasuo.
“My, my, such a temper,” Nicholae mused, grinning. I was beyond furious. Behind me, Isaac was yelling at Alek. He’d gotten to Nicholae, using his magic, no doubt, and had him seized by the collar.
For a moment, the only sounds heard in the vast hall were Yasuo’s cries.
“Nami, Nami, it hurts! Nami, why can’t I move my arm?” he wailed, hiccupping. The woman that was with Yasuo had vanished.
Lucky her. I would’ve taken her out of the game, had I gotten to her.
I finished crossing the distance between us, and pulled him into my lap, stroking his hair and being careful not to touch his arm.
“It’ll be okay. Alek will take us home and get you all fixed up,” I whispered. I didn’t mention that he would be going home first, and I later, but his cries subsided.
I looked at Alek, still face-to-face with Nicholae.
“I don’t care how the hell you get it done, but you are going to fix whatever you just did to him. I know for a fact there are magicians here specialized in healing. You’ll get them here now,” Alek hissed fiercely. Nicholae continued to smirk.
“You never specified how you wanted the boy,” he said. Alek scowled.
“I’m taking them both with me. Screw the trade.” Nicholae raised his hand, forming it to make it look as if he were about to snap his fingers.
“I’d have them both dead before you could try. I don’t care if they’ll one day rule over Aleiidyion, I will kill them both. Now, I know you don’t want that. So why not let me go, back away, and take the boy? Then leave,” he said slowly. Alek shoved him back and stepped away. By the time he reached Yasuo and I, his face altered, so that he looked like he was in pain.
“I am, Nami. I am,” he whispered, kneeling. I started to say something, but Alek pressed his finger to my lips. “You’ll wake him.” I looked down at Yasuo, sleeping in my arms. He whimpered once, then sighed. I looked back to Alek, staring intently into his brown eyes.
“I promise,” he said, and gently lifted Yasuo from my arms. He stood, and I after him.
He crossed the hall, with I following, and placed Yasuo in Isaac’s arms. I kissed his forehead, silently vowing to come home soon.
Tears were stinging my eyes as Alek turned and kissed me.
“I’m so sorry, Nami, I’m so, so sorry,” he whispered, holding my face in his hands.
“No, Alek. It’s not your fault. I decided I wanted to come here. Don’t blame yourself,” I said sternly. It was a moment before he nodded. Then, he started speaking quickly.
“I have things to tell you. Important things. First, the most important. Nami Renée Silvers, I love you. One day, I swear it, I’ll give you my name. That ring on your finger is a promise to it. It’s on your middle finger, because I know it wouldn’t fit on any of your other slender fingers.” I was at a loss of words. Alek chuckled sadly, let go of my face, took my hands and kissed my fingers before continuing. “Nicholae is a special type of magician, like I told you. But he can’t read minds. We think it’s because of the special type of power he has. Think whatever you want at him. And if he tries anything funny, anything at all, scream. You have no idea what kind of power your screaming has. One more thing. All of his assistants are men, except a few. You can probably manipulate them any way you want to just by smiling. Keep your chin up for me. You’re a beautifully strong-willed girl, and I could go on and on about your amazing qualities, but I have to cut it short because Nicholae is about to interrupt.” He pressed his lips to my forehead before turning.
“Are you quite finished?” Nicholae boomed. Alek glared. “Very well, then.”
Nicholae snapped his fingers, and two men in guards’ uniforms appeared beside me, taking up my arms. He snapped again, and I was across the hall. I struggled in the arms of the men.
“Stop squirming, lest you want to end up like your brother,” Nicholae said. I grunted, and settled for glaring at the floor. “Now, my dear boy, if you want to ensure the safety of your precious princess, you’ll leave. Now.” I looked to where Alek was. He mouthed the words; I’ll be back for you, and vanished with Isaac and Yasuo.
It was silent for the span of three seconds.
I stomped on the foot of one of the guards, and as he yelped in pain and let me go, I kneed the other in the groin. He went down easily. Perfect.
I made a run for it. I ran toward the door that I’d come in. It was about 50 yards away, and I prayed my legs would serve me well and carry me that distance before I was caught.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Just as I reached the door, I was jerked back by my arm. Luckily, my joints were stronger than Yasuo’s.
“We can’t have you escaping, now can we, Princess?” the voice of Nicholae breathed down my neck. The guards were at my sides again, restraining me. Nicholae smirked, looking me up and down again.
“Take her to a cellar. Don’t chain her—not yet. And get her a…nice change of clothes.”
Hope you guys liked it! Another long chapter. SIX pages on Word.
Oh, and I lost the game.
