The Nation Charmer-Book 1

Chapter 13

Picture of Cedric on the side. :) Another one, I know. :)

Chapter 13

               The car bounced over a pothole and Dahlia jerked awake. She groaned. Every inch of her body ached. Her arms and legs felt stiff and like lead. The back of her neck felt prickly, like ice droplets were running down it. Her hair felt crackly and static to touch, not to mention that her face felt like a block of ice. 

               "Sorry," Cedric said. "I was hoping that you would sleep longer." 

               Dahlia stretched awkwardly. Troy retreated to the other side of the car, glancing at her anxiously like she had nearly died. 

               "How are you feeling?" Troy asked tentatively. 

               "Terrible," Dahlia replied. "I feel like I was frozen in a lump of ice and then the ice melted slowly." 

               "You're lucky to be alive," Luna said severely. "If not for Troy's hot body temperature, you'd be a lump of ice." 

                Luna still looked pale but she looked better than Dahlia felt. Her silver eyes met Dahlia's in the rear-view mirror and she smiled as if she knew what Dahlia was thinking. 

               Dahlia stretched again, realising that certain parts of her body were warm while others were icy. She presumed that the icy parts were places which Troy hadn't heated up. She wondered idly how Troy had saved her and shivered at the thought. 

               Luna smiled again, as if she knew what Dahlia was thinking and said, "Troy saved you, Dahlia. I guess you can say thank you to him." 

               Dahlia and Troy both flushed red at Luna's hint. Cedric laughed, amused by Luna's statement and at Dahlia and Troy's reactions. 

               "Where are we?" Dahlia asked, deliberately changing the subject and also honestly curious. 

               "On the highway," Cedric replied. "You slept while we escaped from the castle and while we fought several magicians. We'll have to walk to Kayla's though. She doesn't like cars." 

               "Why?" Troy asked. 

               "They're just not her thing," Cedric answered. 

               Dahlia glanced out the window and saw cars flashing by, much faster than any other cars she had seen. Then she glanced at the speedometer and gasped. 

                Troy jerked his head up and asked, "What's wrong?" 

               "Cedric's driving at 125 miles an hour!" she gasped.  

               Cedric and Luna laughed in harmony. "Relax, Dahlia," Cedric said, not reducing the speed of his driving. "Now that's funny. She's the charmer and I'm telling her to relax. I won't crash the car. I never do and I always drive this way." 

                "Are you trying to get us killed?" Dahlia demanded. 

                "Dahlia, calm down," Troy said. He looked slightly queasy, like he'd already had this conversation.  

               Cedric laughed again. "I can drive faster and not get in any accidents because of my power. I told you that I have fast reflexes and this is how I use it. A mortal or even you or Troy would get this car in a dozen wrecks but not me. Or Luna for that matter."