Aspasia

Chapter 31

  >Aaron<        

     I was still awake. It had been a day since Quinn died. The air around me was heavy. A dull wind blew through the clearing. It was dark, and rainy, yet the stars were out overhead. I looked over at the candles. Suddenly, they leapt to life. I stood up quietly. Everything was quiet. Then I heard a deep breath. It wasn’t me. I watched as Quinn pushed herself up. Then she stood up. Our eyes met. She smiled widely. Within a flash she was across the clearing, and threw herself into my arms. I held her tight against me. “I thought you were gone,” I whispered into her hair. 

      “It’s a very very very long story,” Quinn replied with a smile. She then collapsed on the ground. I dropped next to her. 

      “What happened,” I asked. She put her arms around me. Then she did the last thing I expected, she cried. I stroked her hair as I tried to soothe her.

      “It’s my fault,” she whispered into my shoulder.

      “What is?” 

      “That Marie is dead,” she sobbed. I pressed her closer against me. I held her for a couple minutes till she stopped crying. I wiped the tears from her eyes. I looked deeply into her beautiful blue eyes. Then very gently I leaned in and kissed her. When I drew back she was smiling. But, then her smile fell. I felt the poke of a sword point against my back.

   “Rise,” Merlock snarled. “Rise and fight me!” I stood quickly and knocked away his sword with my own. Merlock was angry and it showed in his fighting. His thrusts although quick were sloppy and easy to block. He swept at my head, and I ducked underneath. I kicked his legs out from him. Merlock fell onto the ground, as I stood up. I pointed my sword under his chin. He glared at me. Merlock whispered some words, as I stepped back. I went flying back and was pinned against a tree. Merlock picked up the sword he had dropped, and walked toward me. Quinn stood up quickly. She planted herself between us. Merlock whispered words and a blue ball of light shot out of his hands. Quinn raised her hand, and the light slowed. With a flick of her wrist it went flying. Merlock went flying with another wrist flick. He stood up and faced her once again. He sent more blue light which she blocked. The spell had made it so I couldn’t speak. Meanwhile, a vine climbed across the ground. It quickly hooked Quinn’s ankle and lifted her into the air. She hung upside down.  Merlock’s spell had broken and I faced him. I took on the defensive stance and him the offensive. He stabbed at me, and I side stepped. I brought my sword up, and hit Merlock with the hilt of it. He stumbled back his nose bleeding. “This has gone on far enough,” he hissed angrily. The vine threw Quinn onto the ground next to me. “As we speak your little camp is surrounded by my archers. I will kill everyone there, unless Quinn comes with me. Your decision Aaron. Your life-long friends and brother or your girlfriend.” Quinn picked herself off the ground.

       “This is just as much my decision as Aaron’s,” Quinn glared at Merlock.

       “Shut up,” he hissed at Quinn.

       “Oh Merlcok play nice,” she cooed sarcastically. I shot a look at Quinn, and she smiled nicely.

       “How do I know your telling the truth,” I shot at Merlock. I heard a terrified shriek from the forest. “Stop!”

       “I will. Come Quinn.” I opened my mouth I couldn’t lose Quinn again. But, she shot me a look. Merlock turned and walked away. On the other side of the clearing I saw two horses. Quinn slipped into my arms, and planted a kiss on my cheek. She followed Merlock and jumped onto the other horse. They both left the clearing as she looked over her shoulder.

       Seconds later Anna, Sadira, Sam, and James ran into the clearing. “We heard someone scream. We came as fast as we could,” Sadira said worry etched onto her face.

             “That wasn’t you?” I asked.

             “No,” Sam replied. I cursed angrily. “What?”

             “Merlock tricked me to take Quinn.”

            “Start from the top,” Anna said quietly. James put his arm around her for comfort.

             “I woke up, and for some reason Quinn was alive. She was standing there. I touched her she was real. Then Merlock showed up. He said that the camp was surrounded by archers. Then someone screamed so I assumed he was telling the truth. She left. Merlock tricked me and once more he has Quinn!”

          “Quinn’s alive!” Sadira yelled jumping up and down.

           “I’m going after her,” I decided.    

          “That’s an awful idea,” James responded angrily. “I just got my brother back and you’re going to leave again.” 

           “It’s a fantastic idea,” Anna replied smiling. “While Aaron does that we can head back to Algernon. My father is building an army. Balios is doing so as well.  There will be a battle, and someone needs to be there to tell Quinn. Aaron can make sure that Balios doesn’t steal her powers as well.” We agreed on the plan. We would all leave at dawn to our destinations. I knew Merlock would bring Quinn to Krow. The others left me in the clearing. With a flash of white Abrax was standing in front of me. I smiled to myself before setting off into the night.