The purple fabric of my dress shone in the sunshine as I stepped out of the car. The air felt fresh against my face, I relished the moment, the constant staying indoors waiting for this game of who will be king to play out was really getting to me.
"Are you ready?" Taylor's soft voice brought me out of the moment. He nodded towards the seemingly ordinary alleyway, where King Jaspar and Queen Anastasia has just disappeared out of view. The cold lump spread across my stomach.
"Sure," I replied, hearing the uncertainty in my own voice. Don't freak out now. We have been over this. You just have to get through these matches and then it's over. The thought brought on a mixture of fear and relief. Whatever happens, at least it'll be over.
My fingers rested against the dark wood banister as we descended down into the arena. This experience was like night and day compared to my first visit. The vast space practically vibrated with the tension in the air, along the walls torches were burning brightly, small flickers of magic exuding into the air. I breathed in deeply, holding onto Taylor's hand as we followed behind his parents. My skin felt as if it was itching from ants running across it, as the sheer amount of magic in the space around me rushed through the air.
"Stay calm," Taylor whispered into my ear.
I took another deep breath and tried to focus on anything but the magic vibrating around me in the air. Somewhere distantly, I heard an announcer shout out our names as we approached the wooden bleachers wrapping themselves around the spherical arena. My eyes locked onto the giant purple lion, the banner draped the section of the bleachers as we approached. The lion turned its head towards us and let out a silent roar before turning back to strike the pose on the Grimstaw family crest. As we climbed the stairs I could feel the magic vibrate out from the banner. Some kind of spell...
I looked straight ahead, through the glass globe I could clearly see the Brownlow family moving up to their rows on the opposite side. Their pink robes sparkled even through the glass and from a distance. Taylor steered us to the front row, closest to the middle of the globe.
As the seats below and above us started to fill up, my eyes scanned the rows looking at their faces. Taylor had told me that the higher and lowers seats where filled by warriors and smaller warlock families – leaving the middle section closest to the globe centre to the royal families. Absentmindedly, I squeezed Taylor's hand as my eyes swept across the middle row of seats. The clothes changes colour from purple to blue, to pink, to red, to green. A rainbow of different colours, showing the allegiance to the five royal families. My hand automatically smoothed down the purple shiny fabric of my dress. Why do I feel like such an imposter?
"Look it's about to start," Taylor breathed, squeezing my hand lightly.
I looked down into the globe, spotting the small opening at its base. I saw Marcus Mortimer, wearing his satin green outfit, it looked like something a judo fighter would wear when competing, as he stepped into the globe. He was followed by his mother, the Queen, her dress looked more like the traditional formal wear I had seen at the initiation dinner. Marcus walked over to the edge of the circle, his feet tilting forward as he stepped back as far up the incline of the glass globe as he could go. My eyes were drawn to the opening of the globe as I spotted a flash of pink. Olivia Brownlow stepped in, her hair beautifully curled and tied up in a bouncy ponytail. The bright pink satin sparkled as the skirt she was wearing swayed with her movements. She mirrored Marcus stance, opposite him in the globe, backing up against the glass as far as she could go. I couldn't help but think the lowest sweats at the floor must be able to see more than they bargained for up the short skirt of her tennis outfit like get up.
"Let's begin," Queen Magdalene's voice billowed out through the glass, as she stood by the entrance of the globe.
She gestured towards her son, who looked paler than normal, and towards Olivia.
"Match One. Heir Mortimer versus heir Brownlow," as soon as she has spoken the words she stepped out of the globe. The glass sliding into place and locking both of the heirs into the globe. I looked down at them, Olivia was moving forward slightly but her movement where so slight it was hard to detect them. It felt as if the whole arena where holding their breathe collectively, waiting for something to happen. I watched the heirs as they slowly started towards the middle, both acting as if their movements were moves in a game of chess. A flash of pink lightning burst through the air, catching me by surprise with its viciousness. My breath caught in my throat as I could sense the intent behind the attack. Marcus jumped to the right, out of reach from Olivia's burst. The pink lightning bounced against the glass and shot back towards Olivia, who moved her hand in a fast circle creating a force field shield in front of herself. The pink lightning bounced against it and shot back towards Marcus. This time he was prepared, his green magic flowing out of his hand like a lance cutting the pink streak away. As the small burst of pink exploded like a firework across the top of the globe before rushing back down towards the heirs, it finally clicked – the magic would be kept in play until the match was over. Marcus was now holding a shield of his own, protecting himself from the meteor rain of pink bearing down on them both. Olivia, holding her shield like an umbrella over her head with her left arm, flicked out her right arm, opening the palm of her hand. The cannon of power that rushed was so fast I barely caught sight of it. But I could feel where it was heading, I had to bite down on my lip to not cry out, as I could see the impact before it had even happened. Marcus barely managed to get his shield forward, but as he did so, trying to hold off the barrage of power barrelling down at him the rain of residual magic from the first attack was hitting him from above and behind. I could sense him trying to get a second shield up with his free hand, but the effort of holding off the direct hit was too much. My fingernails dug into Taylor's hand as I squeezed it, holding my breath.
"I yield!" Marcus words echoed across the arena. As soon as he had spoken, it was as if someone had pulled out the plug for magic in the globe. I could sense it being sucked into the glass, instantly.
Marcus was on his knees, looking ashen, as the Mortimer warriors rushed in, propping him up and moving him out.
Olivia, her ponytail looking a bit worse for wear, strutted into the middle of the globe raising her hands triumphantly above her head. Queen Magdalene appeared again, walking up to Olivia, her hands holding a golden chest.
It was hard to tell from up here but I was pretty certain that it was the same chest the Queen had had during the initiation dinner.
Queen Magdalene gave Olivia a polite but strained smiled, "Congratulations heir Brownlow." She opened the chest, pulling out a piece of paper, "In the second match heir Brownlow will face heir Grimstaw." The whispers that went through the crowd sounded like leaves rustling in the wind, instantly I was acutely aware of all the eyes, fixed on Taylor and I. I looked at him, as he smiled and nodded.
"Until the next match," Queen Magdalene's voice seemed to break the spell. I could see how warlocks across the rows started to get up, making their way towards the stairs down. Taylor rose, the light touch on my elbow ushering me to rise with him. Keeping my head high and eyes fixed straight ahead, I followed Taylor as we exited the arena, ignoring the curious stares.
Even as we moved with the steam of warlocks out of the arena, I could sense all of the eyes fixed on us, fixed on Taylor. The crowd was examining him, probably making a decision in their mind about whether he could take that vicious Brownlow girl. In my mind there was no question, he had too. We climbed the last of the stairs and moved through the corridors, taking us up to the ground level. I felt a chill move through my body and it wasn't because of the cold air in the underground corridor.
~*~
My fingers traced across the shiny purple fabric on the dress as it hung in my wardrobe, before picking out a wool cardigan. The Grimstaw mansion was slightly cold in that early evening moment when the warmth of the gentle spring sun had faded but before the maid had come round to light the fireplace. I looked over at it, shaking my head of the old timey vibe of the place. Maids and wood fireplaces, it's like we were in a different century. I walked over to the armchair which had become my reading chair in here. I was about to curl up with my book when my phone flashed up, Tanya's name flashed across the screen and instinctively answered before the phone would make any noise.
"Hello?" as I spoke all I could hear was Tanya sobbing down the line to me.
"Why would he do that?" Tanya pushed out through her sobs. From the street noises in the background and her breathing, I could tell she was rushing down a street.
"Are you okay? Is someone chasing you?" My body felt frozen, as I clung to every identifying noise I could hear. I would guess that she was in central London, I hear the distinct sound of a street light turning to the green man.
"No I'm not okay," she took a shaky breathe trying to control her voice, "Taylor is such a dick."
The frozen fear in my stomach was opening up to blooms of fire.
"What did he do?" I was trying to keep my voice neutral. As I was listening to her reply, my body was searching the low hum of magic surrounding me in the Grimstaw residency, trying to confirm the location of Taylor's unique low rolling waves of magic.
"I ran in to him on the street and he acted like he didn't know me. So I called his name to get his attention...," Tanya continued before starting to cry again.
There was plenty of Grimstaw magic in the mansion but not Taylor, my mind reeled as I was trying to piece together the chain of events.
"Did you meet him just now? Where are you?"
"I'm walking down to Southbank now. I was walking down, so I cut through Chinatown and there's where we bumped into each other."
My body fired up, I grabbed my coat. If Taylor can walk around outside of the mansion's protection and on top of that make Tanya cry...
"You know that pub, on the side street close to Waterloo?"
"Yeah, I think so," Tanya sniffled in reply.
"Meet you there in 30 minutes? You can tell me all about it?"
Her voice brightened at my suggestion, "Sure that would be great."
I ended the call, putting the phone down into my pocket. For a second looking between my bedroom door and the window facing the garden. Now how do I get out of here without causing any attention?
Author's Note: Do let me know what you think of this chapter. I need some inspiration for this one - so I would love to hear your predictions/thoughts about which direction this novel should take.