spellbound | book #1 | completed

X I I I

[edited: 11/07/2017]

Remy was surprised to find that food didn't taste much different in Astracia. Her chips were round rather than rectangular, but they were still made of potato, still crisp and golden just the way she liked them—so much so that her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled in satisfaction upon her first bite.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, straightening up from where she had been leaning on the street corner to avoid any unwanted attention in the restaurant. "I'm glad you wizards still have chips."

"Warlocks," Maksim corrected, although Remy knew by now what he was and had only taken it upon herself to call him a wizard because she knew it irritated him. His hands were placed in his pockets, and he shuffled awkwardly above the cobbles as though he had something to say but could not say it.

Remy frowned expectantly. "What?"

"Nothing, I just ..." he trailed off, shaking his head and then looking at her again, which made Remy considerably uncomfortable being as she was stuffing her face with chips. She was too hungry to do the polite thing, which would be to stop eating whilst Maksim was talking to her. "I should not have said the things I did before. I was cruel."

She sighed, making eye contact with him and regretting it immediately. They were bluer than she had ever seen them, reminding her of the way the ocean looked on a particularly sunny day, and she could almost feel their sharpness as they pierced into her painfully. "Is this you apologising?"

"I do not apologise," he responded calmly, and then hesitated. "I suppose this is just me trying not to be exactly like my mother, which I realise is not turning out very well."

Remy nodded slowly. She had not been expecting him to say anything the least bit regretful about their earlier argument, so she was taken aback now. Still, the reminder of his harsh words brought back another wave of anger, and she had to distract herself by gazing at the view of the dark pink sky, which was fragmented by orange sun rays that stretched infinitely above her, and the tall pointed buildings of Astracia that reflected the light so blindingly that Remy's eyes stung after a few moments of looking at them.

He glanced at his wristwatch with hooded eyes, his emerald ring glinting on his thumb. Remy still remembered the way that same ring had felt against her chest. "We should get going. My mother will be home for lunch soon, and if she finds out that we have left, we will both have to suffer her wrath. I would rather not have her nagging me again."

Remy agreed quietly and trailed after him, her hood bouncing as she walked over the uneven path. It was not long before the street—if one could call somewhere without roads a street—that Maksim lived on came into view, and she found the shimmering house between two buildings: one that was sculpted intricately with unrecognisable patterns and another smaller one made of glass so clear that Remy could make out the furniture inside without having to squint. By the time they got inside, Maksim producing a single white spark at the door rather than using a key, Remy had finished her chips and felt much better.

Maksim apparently did not, and she followed his gaze to a green armchair where Annika sat cross-legged. "Annika. Do you just invite yourself into my home now?" he questioned, his tone cold and his jaw tensed.

"Where have you been?" Annika stood up, her golden eyes hovering first over Maksim, and then over Remy, who pulled her hood down and drew the cloak off quickly. "Your mother told me that you would be here."

"Oh, of course this was my mother's idea," Maksim scoffed, and as he grew closer to Annika, Remy realised just how tall he was; he towered over Annika even though her legs were ridiculously long. She wondered how she didn't have to crane her neck to look at him properly, or perhaps she did and she just hadn't noticed. "What does she want now?"

"Well, she wanted you to help out at the Central Hall, so she sent me here to look after Remy."

"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself," Remy snapped, surprising even herself. She hadn't even meant to talk, but the words had tumbled out before she could stop them. She shrugged when Maksim raised an eyebrow at her as if to say, really?

"Is there something specific that she needs me to do?" Maksim questioned. "Or is she simply trying to make my life more difficult than it has to be the way she usually does?"

Annika looked uncomfortable, and Remy was glad. She had decided that she did not like the witch, though she wasn't sure she knew why yet. Perhaps it was because she never really made eye contact, or it might have been her innocent act, which consisted of puppy dog eyes each time she looked at Maksim and an irritatingly high–pitched voice. She wouldn't be surprised if Annika fluttered her eyelashes next.

"She wishes for you to join a group of warlocks in another search party," she said finally, clasping her hands together. "They are leaving for Astrakane this afternoon and they will not be back until at least tomorrow, depending on what they find there."

"Why Astrakane? I thought they were near Cam Lake this morning."

"My father detected dark magic there a few hours ago. It was only a small amount, but it was enough to raise his suspicions. Besides, they were on their way north, and Astrakane is the next town up from Cam Lake."

Maksim nodded, though his eyebrows remained knitted together as though he was not convinced. "I cannot leave the mortal girl. My mother knows that."

"Do not worry, Maksim." Annika smiled at Remy, and Remy glanced at Maksim cautiously. As much as she did not like the warlock, she would much rather be trapped in a strange house with him than the witch, who she thought was false and sickly sweet. Her voice reminded her of metal scraping against metal. "I shall watch her until Hilda finishes up at the Central Hall."

Maksim hesitated, his eyes calculating as he looked at Remy.

"Don't worry." Remy rolled her eyes, feeling like a small child who needed to be babysat. Usually she was the one doing the babysitting, and she hated feeling like she could not be trusted. "I'm an adult. I'm sure I can look after myself for a few hours."

"Yes, well, one would think," Maksim muttered under his breath, loud enough so that Remy could hear, "but then again, one would also think that you could walk around your own little mortal world without getting yourself into life threatening trouble, and that did not turn out so well, either."

She glared at him coldly and plonked herself onto the couch in front of her, too tired to care that she had not asked permission. "What trouble can I get myself into here? It's not like I want to go out there and introduce myself to all your weird friends."

"In this world, it is you who is weird, Mortal Girl."

"I saw a man with bright orange hair on the way back," she argued, scoffing. It was not a lie. "That was weird."

"You are in no position to talk." Maksim eyed Remy with a look of disgust crossing his features. "You are all yellow and short."

"Maksim," Annika interrupted as though reminding the two that she was still stood there. "You really should get going."

Maksim huffed scornfully and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Do not let her," he pointed at Remy, "out of your sight."

"I won't," Annika held the door open for Maksim, and Maksim cast one final cagey glance at Remy before he left, the door swinging shut behind him.

Annika turned to her and smiled uncomfortably, her golden eyes twinkling with something that Remy could not decipher. She was glad when the black cat appeared, hopping up on the sofa and brushing against her chest so that the cold metal of her necklace, which was hidden beneath her shirt, slipped against her skin. She pulled it out and traced the outline of the key to distract herself. 

 She needed any distraction that she could get.