Chapter 19
“Why are you even here?” Nathaniel asked with narrow eyes as the man shot a variety of magic towards Aubrey’s door.
Ainsely glanced over his shoulder. “We are not using this time to bond. It is what she wants, for us to become friends.”
“Has she done this to you before?” Slight amusement filled him. Nathaniel already knew the answer, just as he already knew Aubrey. Of course, the woman had done this before; there was no doubt in his mind.
After a couple more minutes of Ainsely attempting to free them, the man let out a sigh. Walking towards the pillows, he plopped down and stared at Nathaniel. “Did you know that we have a similar reputation?”
“No,” Nathaniel answered, wondering where the conversation was going.
“I will give you an example,” Ainsely replied with a cold smile. “Just today, I found out that a particular woman, whose interest we shared, had a brother, who happened to be very strong with magic despite his fragile looks.”
“Must you always talk that way?” Nathaniel mumbled.
Ainsely shrugged. “It is something that I have always done, especially to those I do not care for.”
“Let us be honest with one another,” Nathaniel said as he straightened his spine and waited for an onslaught of insults. “What is it that you do not like about me?”
“It is simple,” Ainsely said with the same cold smile on his face. “You have an interest in my sister, and I have a feeling that she is on her way to sharing it.”
“You hate me because I like Aubrey?”
“No. I do not like you because we have similar reputations.”
Nathaniel shifted in annoyance. “Would you just say it?”
“You want my sister for one thing, and Aubrey cannot handle that any longer. The next man who is with her will be with her for life. I will not have you breaking her heart while you move onto your next conquest.”
“How,” Nathaniel asked through clenched teeth, “do you know I wish to use your sister? Can one not change?”
Ainsely fluffed the pillows beneath his body before settling onto his back with a sigh on contentment. “I am sent here, a place which is considered to be the worse plane out there, because I spent time with a woman.”
“You slept with a lady; her brother was angry and sent you here? Is that what you are saying?”
“Yes,” Ainsely said with a nod. “Would you like to know the difference between the two of us?”
“What?” Nathaniel asked, humoring the man.
Ainsely smiled. “Me, I know the way out, I know the way home, and I know how to use my magic to leave. You, you would be stuck here for quite some time. Oh, it may not be for long in our world. Imagine it though. You will return a changed man while the others stayed the same. Whatever will you do when no one recognizes you any longer?”
Nathaniel kept silent as the man waited for his answers. Once Ainsely realized that Nathaniel would not answer, he shrugged before continuing. “Leave her alone or I will make sure you stay here for a considerable amount of time.”
“How long is a considerable amount of time,” Nathaniel asked, “because I plan to be around your sister for as long as we both wish?”
“Nathaniel, it is not that I dislike you personally. She is my sister. There have been those who have hurt her, and I will not see that happen again.”
“Love,” Nathaniel mumbled with a sigh, “can only be accomplished with a little bit of hurt.”
“Now, you’re getting emotional on me. This is exactly what she wanted,” Ainsely mumbled before sitting up. “Let us talk about your earlier words. Why did you say, ‘Just as I knew that whoever he was, he did not deserve you.’?”
“She’s been hurt; you’ve admitted to as much.”
“But, did she tell you?”
Nathaniel thought briefly about lying. Claiming to know the answer could allow him more insight into Aubrey’s life, but he found, he wanted to learn it from her. He wanted her to tell him the truth behind her actions. “No.”
“Noble of you,” Ainsely mumbled while hopping to his feet. “I would have claimed to know all the details and waited for you to tell me what I wanted to know.”
“You are not me.”
Ainsely walked towards the opening. Reaching his hand out, he let out a short laugh as he bypassed the barrier Aubrey had created moments earlier. “That, I am very aware of,” he said while stepping out of their shelter.
Nathaniel jumped to his feet, following behind the man. It may have been safer for him to stay behind, but he wanted to find Aubrey. He was in the mood for a talk, and he was going to force her to do the same. As soon as he exited the shelter, he wished he had stayed behind. Fire shot at his face. Dodging the flames, he threw his hand out in reflex. To his surprise, a blue barrier surrounded him.
His hand reached out to touch it, only to find that it flexed under his touch. Standing, he began walking towards Ainsely, who was diving behind rocks to keep from being burned. “Need help?” Nathaniel asked, slight arrogance in his voice.
Ainsely glared over at him before shaking his head. “I am going up. It is where Aubrey is. If you would have used your bond, you would know the same.”
“If you would quit being so arrogant,” a voice called out from above them, “you would realize I am right here.”
Nathaniel glanced up, but the only thing he saw was the giant stomach of a very large dragon. Was this creature Daisy? If so, the dragon was larger than he had initially thought.
“Aubrey,” Ainsely said glaring at the little dragons around, which were now scurrying away from Daisy. “I should murder you for locking me in there.”
Daisy’s size shrunk, and Aubrey landed in a kneeling position in front of him. Glancing up, she smiled at him before jumping to her feet and looking towards Ainsely. “You could not kill me. First, you love me. Second, mother and father taught me more than you.”
“Only because my lack of acceptance,” Ainsely mumbled.
Aubrey just shrugged. “That does not change the fact that I am more advanced than you in not only magic but combat too.”
“Who is arrogant?” Ainsely asked in a mocking tone.
“I was stating a fact,” she defended. “Do not forget that I cannot tell a lie.”
For once, Aubrey smiled at her curse, and Nathaniel was glad she had found the humor in the situation. “Aubrey,” he started, “we need to talk.”
Seriousness crossed her face, and she shook her head at him. “No. Right now, we are going home. I know where we need to go now, and there is nothing stopping me from ending this curse.”
“Aubrey-” he tried once more only to be interrupted by her.
“Once we arrive back, you can talk as much as you want. For now, we are leaving.”
“How?” Ainsely asked, stopping their conversation.
Aubrey smiled. “Through the fire of the dragon.”
Confusion hit Nathaniel. What did she mean, through the fire of the dragon? In the next moment, Daisy turned towards Aubrey with a sad expression. Aubrey’s held complete heartbreak as she gazed back at her dragon. “Goodbye, friend,” she mumbled just as Daisy opened her mouth and released a large breath of fire.
Not thinking, Nathaniel dove towards Aubrey. The fire hit them, but instead of burning as he had thought, his body hit the hard ground. Someone screamed, “Wait! Do not sit!” That was when Nathaniel realized where they were. They were back where they had started, back in the room with the bench and back where Alin was staring at him with an annoyed expression.
Aubrey pulled from his grasp and jumped to her feet. Without glancing at either of them, she began walking towards the exit. Stopping at the doorway, she looked over her shoulder. “I am leaving. I know where she is, and I am going there. I think you should both stay behind.” Nathaniel opened his mouth, but she raised a hand to tell him to keep silent. “The bond will be fine if I am only gone for a couple days. Plus, once I remove this curse, I will be able to harness enough power to remove it.”
She turned her head back forward and began walking again. Looking over at Alin, he watched the man roll his eyes. Nathaniel nodded at him. For once, he had to agree with the man. If she thought she was going to be able to leave them behind that easily, she had another thing coming. Jumping to his feet, he followed behind her, and he was exactly where he wanted to be.