City of Shadows (Magi fanfic; First Book)

~ Eighth Chapter ~

There was another Saturday morning. Nathan woke up but decided not to leave the bed yet. His mother went to work an hour ago. He yawned, thinking about the whole magi thing. For now Emmet was not ghoul attacked while he was with Nathan. And that was great. The bad news was that Mick was officially declared missing. No one has found him yet, neither the police nor the wizards. Avalon told him that Mick had fallen into the ground. Like he never existed.

However, Nathan hoped he will appear. He must be alive and healthy. And he will. Nathan believed that, he believed in him. He closed his eyes briefly to relax and dispel all the bad thoughts from his mind. He took a deep breath. He opened his eyes to the sound of knocking on the window. He frowned and looked at the clock. It was nine o'clock. He got up from the bed slowly and spread the curtain. Avalon stood in the window, white as snow, and tears glittered in her eyes. Nathan quickly opened the window.

"Avalon? What happened? Are you all right?"

She helped her get into her room. She was shocked, her hands were shaking. She was trying to get the air. Taking a deep breath, her chest had tightened. She held her head.

"Nathan, Mick..." she murmurs. "They found him..."

"Where? Is he okay?" he says with the hint of hope.

Still, her voice, her posture spoke differently.

"He... He..." she pauses again.

She shook her hands and sighed.

"They found him crippled in the forest. They think that it did 'animal', which attacks people these days." she shakily explained.

Nathan did not say anything for a moment. He just stood there with his cruel fantasy. As soon as she told him that he was crippled, a lot of the images came to him in the mind. Something told him he was right. That all these images are true. He tightly clenched his hands into fists.

"They did that, didn't they?" he shouted loudly.

His hair covered his eyes so Avalon could not see his face.

"I'm sure of that."

"Damn it!" he shouted and slammed his fist into the wall.

Avalon jumped on it. Now, when she could see his eyes, she saw sorrow and anger in them. He tried to hold tears with all his strength. The Rukh's left him. They were afraid of him at that moment.

She approached him and laid her hand on his fist still leaning against the wall. He looked at her, but she did not raise her eyes from the floor. She took him by the hand and pulled into a slight hug. For a few seconds, Nathan just looked over her shoulder. Then he closed his eyes and put his arm around her. She was warm and gentle. He inhaled deeply her scent.

"It's okay, Nathan." she whispered.

For some time they have remained embraced. She pulled him toward the bed. He lay down, and she sat on the bed next to him. He clutched her hand firmly. He was afraid to let her go. He was afraid that she would end up like that. Although he knew she would not, he could not let her go. All day Avalon stayed with him and talked to him about more happy topics.

~~~

On Monday, the school was quiet. Too quiet for Nathan. No one was talking, jumping or jogging on breaks like they did otherwise. They walked slowly to the classrooms, quietly spent their breaks, and the assignments were done without flattering and questions.

It was terribly depressing at school. The whole school knew that one of the first years was killed in the woods. Or that animal killed him. These two stories were mixed among their peers and seniors. Nobody knew what was true and what was lie. Only Nathan and Avalon knew the truth about his murder, but they were silent. No one would believe them even if they told them the truth.

"Will we go to the cafe?" Harper asked.

Emmet, Harper, Avalon, and Nathan just left school. They turned to look at her.

"Yes, I can." said Nathan.

"I need something to raise my mood." Emmet added.

"Bryan was not in school today?" Avalon asked Harper who shook her head.

"Maybe he's just shaken up about all this." she said, and Avalon nodded.

They walked in cafe talking about happy topics. They got to know better. They arrived there, sat down in a booth and ordered.

"You have a brother?" Avalon asked Emmet.

"Yes, younger."

"How old is he?" said Harper while was eating vanilla doughnut.

"Thirteen. Soon fourteen."

"What's his name?"

"Carlos."

"You are blessed, I'm an only child." Nathan murmured.

"Me, too. I always wanted an older brother." said Avalon.

"The older ones are no better." Harper said pouting. "He poured water on my pads and sometimes I find him how he plays with my bra."

Everyone looked silent, not knowing what to answer.

"He uses them as a slingshot! As a slingshot, Avalon!" she exclaimed desperately.

"Oh my God..." muttered Avalon.

"That's..." Nathan began.

"Hilarious!" Emmet finished.

The two of them burst out laughing. Harper looked at them shocked.

"Oi, Avalon. Can I borrow a bra?" Emmet said through laughter.

"To use it like a slingshot? No way." Avalon snapped.

"Come on, I will not destroy it."

"Bras are expensive, fools!" exclaimed Harper.

"That's right!" added Avalon.

"But they are good slingshot!" Nathan said.

"Idiots!" girls said.

The boys stopped laughing when girls slapped them across the table. They received their cheeks pretending they would start crying. They paid the waiter and went out to the fresh air. They continued to talk walking by the woods. Avalon would turn every few steps. She felt as if they were being followed.

At one point she stopped. She felt... something. Something bad. Her legs seemed to be buried in the ground. And the rest stopped and turned to her. Nathan watched her confused.

"Avalon, let's go." he called.

As if she did not hear him, she threw the bag on the floor and ran toward the forest. Nathan took her bag from the floor. Emmet, Harper and Nathan followed her through the forest trees. Nathan found her standing in front of the big oak.

"Avalon, you..." his words died away.

He looked at the oak in which Avalon looked shocked with tears in her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands to suppress a scream. Bryan was hanging from the tree. His body was scratched, his throat cut.

"Bryan!" said Harper in a shaky voice.

"No, do not go there!" Emmet shouted, and received her around the waist.

She was throwing in his hands and screaming Bryan's name as tears fell down her face. Avalon could not move. Nathan took her by the hand, trying to get away from that place, but failed. She looked at the inscription someone wrote over Bryan's body with blood. It was only one word that made all humans tremble. Death.