It had been nearly a week of us in the bunker without so much as leaving for fresh air, something I hadn't noticed on that first night in the seemingly small home was the lack of windows. There were none, not a single ray of sunshine had touched my skin in almost a week. It had almost been as bad as when I had been locked in a tower for over eighteen years.
That first night after Ezra had apologized to me, he prepared us a wonderful delicacy, he had called it a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was so wonderful, the grape jelly and the peanut spread mingled on my tongue and mixed to make a delightful medley of subtle and strong flavors that had quickly become my favorite thing to eat.
After I had enjoyed that life changing delicacy, Ezra walked me to the hallways that was across from the dining room, and to the left of the front door, and walked to me to the very end of the hallway.
He had declared that the room to the right was mine and had instructed me to do as follows, "Close your eyes and imagine a safe place, somewhere you can call home, a place you can sleep comfortably at night without any fears."
I had done as instructed and came up with a room almost as intricate as myself.
The door to the room had been a dull brown but once I had done as I was told, it changed to a wonderful gold. Once inside, mostly everything in the room was a shade of dark green.
The walls were a rich forest green, and the trims of the doors and walls were white. There were accents of white and gold almost in every nook you looked at. The room had a wonderful queen-sized bed in the middle of it with a white duvet over top of the mattress, the headboard of the bed was a wonderful metal gold, the golden rods entwined themselves into each other to make a shape that almost resembled a heart with beautiful rubies embedded in the rods at different points.
Off to the left of the room was a walk-in closet at the bottom corner of the room and a bathroom that was all mine to use at the top left of the room. Ezra had explained to me that I could summon anything that I 'd want to wear if I just thought of it before entering the closet and that multiple selections of things would appear for me to choose from. The mechanisms were a bit difficult to work out to begin with, but I had gotten the hang of it.
The same had accrued with the restroom. I had never had a restroom of my own, the toilets were the same as in the palace, but the shower arrangement was entirely different. I hadn't ever bathed myself; my handmaids would do that for me, they'd do everything for me. So, there was a learning curve to what products to use on what body parts, but I think I got the hang of out all on my own, it had been a feat that I was proud of.
I had been sitting on the couch after a refreshing shower, I had chosen a long sleeve lace sundress in a lovely shade of lilac that my mother would always obsess over from my magical closet, and Ezra was on his electronic device, he called a phone. He had been using the piece of metal to somehow communicate with his grandmother, Aida. She was, as Ezra said, our man on the inside. Her last update was of the kingdom recruiting help from the Fairies to scout the forest around the world to find my mother and me.
The updates before that were of my grandparents being unable find the person who took my mother and that no one had any intel on who took me, although most of the kingdom was becoming suspicious of Ezra.
I had been reading a book titled The Raw Truth of Supernatural Philosophy when I took a glance at Ezra, he had been wearing a royal blue sweatshirt that fit him well, his sleeves hadn't been rolled up when I sat down on the couch a few feet from him but when I had glanced at him then, they were rolled all the way to his elbows.
His leg was bouncing up and down as he looked at the device in his hands. He had dark crescents that had started forming under his eyes, he was yawning more consistently throughout the short number of days we had spent together so far. He had been eating enough and was falling asleep on the couch more times than I could count before getting up and heading to his bedroom, which was the first one to the left of the hallway.
"Ezra?" There had been a question in my voice I was too afraid to utter aloud, 'are you okay?'.
He hadn't answered to his name, a habit he'd seemed to have gotten used to, so I closed the book I was reading and placed it to my right on the couch. I scooted closer to my left where he was sitting and placed my left hand on his shoulder.
All of Ezra's movements stopped at once as he tilted his head to look down at me.
"Nothing yet?" There had been an obvious answer to that question, but I couldn't think of anything remotely helpful to say.
He shook his head, his eyes stayed focused on mine as he did so. I had strangely started to miss the slight glow he had in his eyes when he looked into mine, it had stopped on the fourth day in the bunker.
Aida had responded to his messages for three days and then, as Ezra had put it, there was nothing but radio silence. I'm sure the stress must've been getting to him to the point that he was making himself sick.
"She probably doesn't have any updates." It was a lousy lie; she had been messaging him nearly too much to stay inconspicuous, I was sure she had gotten caught and the guilt had made me feel horrible pity for the man who had been treating me so kindly since he'd apologized.
"You should try to call your magic again." His voice was dismissive and so was the blank look in his eyes.
He had tried to teach me how to call my Elven magic so I could use spells to protect myself, but I had failed tremendously. Ezra had been sent across the living room and into the table that held all of Sunshine's treats and snacks on it. It had looked so painful that I had sworn that I felt the blow myself.
I had been trying to practice calling to my magic away from Ezra when I was in my room so as to not hurt him. I had managed to break the bathroom sink, the closet doors, and my bed frame a good number of times.
"Okay, I could use the practice. Although, I don't think I'm anywhere near close enough to try spells again," My voice had been sheepishly small. I scooted away from him understanding that he didn't want to bring his fears to light and that he'd rather avoid them with the most chaotic thing around him. Me.
Ezra had placed his phone down between us on the couch, facing up.
"Try feel the energy around you and let it lay on your skin this time, don't absorb it right away." Ezra's eyes were focused on me, his arms were crossed, and he leaned into the soft cushion of the couch pillows.
I nodded my understanding to him and closed my eyes to focus on all the energy and magic around me. Being part Vampire meant that my skin naturally repelled the energy and magic of the world around me, so I had to put real effort from my Elven half to lift my magic repelling safety blanket off and allow the almost stinging feeling of it all to take over my senses.
A shiver had run down my spine as my skin tingled and almost itched to be exposed to magic that wasn't my own.
"Okay, let yourself get used to the feeling and slowly pull the magic in." Ezra had spoken softly, presumably to not startle me, I had felt the couch shift a bit. I had assumed at the time it was to move away from me and keep himself safe.
I held in a deep breath and felt goosebumps all over as an almost electric sensation seep into my skin, it burned almost instantly.
"Hold it, Princess please," Ezra had spoken urgently, his voice almost sounded fearful.
The last time I tried to pull in energy instead of pulling it from within myself, I flung Ezra across the room, so it had been understandable why he was maybe a tad fearful.
That time, I inhaled and exhaled in rhythmic pattern. I had rolled my shoulders back and rolled my head around in circles. The quantity of magic that was still pouring into my skin was immense. Too much.
"Try to move the magic from one part of you to the other. Like your right hand to you left." Ezra's voice seemed a bit more focused now, less concerned.
I had let out a shudder that felt like an electrical shock all over.
"Try to focus taking the energy in from just your righthand." Ezra had elaborated his previous directions, which I tried instantly.
At first it hadn't worked but then I had started to feel all the energy burning to my fingertips, my right hand started to tremble. I had gulped hard at the inferno burning itself through my hand. I had made a shocked sound in the back of my throat at the near unbearable pain.
"Just breath, you're doing it. Try to carefully move it through yourself and to your other hand." His voice was smooth, almost confident. The tilt in his tone had sent a reassuring breath over me, washing away some of the burning somehow.
I imagined the burning moving through me from one point to the other, which it had, at a treacherous crawl up my wrist, past my elbow, up my forearm, burning and sizzling past my shoulder, sliding past my collar bone, and reaching my other shoulder where it fell at a slow trickle down my entire left arm.
"That was impressive." He had sounded apprehensive, but there was a tilt of awe in his tone that made my heart start to thump hard. "Now open your hand and try to pass the energy to me."
His voice sounded more in awe as he finished speaking, his hand gently fell into mine. I had jolted a little at his touch, he hadn't grabbed my hand since before we had gotten to the bunker six days ago.
My fingertips were a blaze with the electricity of the magic. Our palms had been facing each other. I had focused the energy to my palm and put all my will power into releasing all the energy of it to him, I had felt it trickle from my skin like a cool relieving mist.
My fingers had felt so relaxed that the rest of my body felt relief. I opened my eyes slowly to see Ezra staring down at me, his gaze was set on face looking, looking me over.
The feeling of my stomach flips had come back tenfold at the look in his eyes.
His eyes were much darker than I had seen before and the dark crescents that were under his eyes had gone. The top of his cheeks looked much pinker, the color had returned to his face, his caramel skin tone looking vibrant as ever.
There was a small smile playing at the corner of his lips and his eyes started to glow their wonderful golden hue. I had been taken aback, not enough to have Ezra thrown across the room again, but enough to accidentally send the rest of the magic out all at once. It had sent a zap up my arm and seeing how Ezra recoiled his hands away, I'm sure he had gotten zapped as well.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I had exclaimed as I held my hand to my chest and rubbed it, "Are you okay?"
His answer had come in the form of a nod, he held his right hand to his lap and cradled it. His eyes had been on me for a second before looking around us, brows raised. I followed his curios gaze around the room and gasped.
There was a think green mist everywhere in the room, it was so thick that it was like a fog around us. It was if we had a small circle of space around us that hadn't been filled with the thick fog. I remember thinking that maybe it had been Ezra putting a shield around us.
"You should reel that in princess, you expelled some of your magic when you let go of the energy you borrowed." Ezra sounded apprehensive once more, a tilt in his voice that should he was off put by something.
All I had done was nod in response, I spared the shimmering green fog one last look before closing my eyes and reaching inside of myself to call to the fog. I could feel it all wash over my being, climbing through myself made barrier and seeping into my skin, only this time the magic was familiar and so eagerly wanted, craved.
I pulled and pulled at all my magic that was left to be gathered and pulled that into myself as well. In that moment I was surprised, the fog had been thick, but I hadn't thought there was so much of it in the room.
I had furrowed my brows when I pulled enough to feel lax, I must've taken from the energy in the room again without having intended to. I had been ready to stop pulling, and I did, but I felt something else. It was a different kind of pull than the one I had always felt when I was calling my magic back to me, it was a strong feeling, strong enough to make my head spin with my eyes closed.
I had opened my eyes and let go of all the energy I had been holding on to the moment it felt like too much to be in the same presence as that other energy. Ezra had been looking me over when my eyes came to focus, his face showed concern.
"Was that too much energy for you to channel?" His voice only amplified the look of concern on his features, confirming that he was more worried about me than himself. I had been worried just looking at him, the bags under his eyes had come back and the vibrant glow of his eyes had gone completely, his skin looking pale and blotchy the way it had before.
When I hadn't answered his previous question, he spoke again, "You look disorientated, do you need water?"
"Do you? You look," I hadn't wanted to hurt his pride, "Tired." My voice came out small, worry dripping from my words.
His gaze had fallen away from my own and then every which way, avoiding me. "I guess I could use some. I'll get us bottles," Ezra had stood up to make his way to the kitchen starting off with a large stride, I had stood up along with him and grabbed at his left arm before he could walk too far.
"No, I'll get us some water. Why don't you go lay down for a moment? And I'll bring it to you." I hadn't been sure where the eagerness in the matter came from, but it had taken me by surprise in the moment, I was sure that my voice had shared that obvious concern with Ezra.
He hadn't turned fully toward me, but his head was peaking down at me from over his shoulder, his brows nearly reaching his hairline and his eyes blown wide. His glaze had darted to where my hand was firmly grabbing his bicep, and then quickly flew to lock with my gaze.
I had let go sheepishly and mumbled a pathetic apology to Ezra.
"I just mean that, I've been here just as long as you have and you've done nearly everything for me, and now I want to repay you somehow." I had resisted the gnawing urge to tell him right then and there that he looked about ready to faint.
"All due respect your Royal Highness, it isn't expected of you to do anything for me." Ezra had fully turned to face me and was looking at me wearily as he spoke.
"I am aware Ezra. I want to do this for you, all you must do is let me." My voice had come out softly, as I looked up at his eyes. They held no depth the way they once had, the sight was gut wrenching. "I've watched you well enough these past few days to know where the water bottles are, and I know how to retrieve the glass cups and the ice for you if you'd like some now with your water."
Ezra had nodded his head in answer to my question regarding the ice and then his shoulders had slumped, I hadn't noticed before that he was tense, but it had seemed that his posture deflated as he gave up and let me take care of him for a brief change of pace. His features were soft now, not a single trace left of the former protest that had been plastered all over his face.
Even his eyes had seemed vulnerable as they stared into mine for what felt like many long seconds before he finally nodded his reluctant approval to let me help him. His tired figure hadn't moved even after he nodded, so I spoke then, "Go on, I'll only be a few minutes."
Ezra had seemed in a daze as he processed what I'd said to him but moved to his room without more than a subtle glance my way.