Towers Page 4

  It wasn’t any wonder that Papa stopped on the edge of town to say goodbye. “Promise me you will have a wonderful time.”

  Romy nodded. “I do promise, Papa. I am not a little girl anymore. You don’t need to worry so much about me.”

  “A Papa always worries,” he scoffed, waving fondly once again and then setting back toward home.

  Romy walked into town as she had many times before. The children and dwellers no longer bothered her, but they weren’t welcoming either. With her limping gait, brand new party dress and old medallion, Romy felt on top of the world.

  She laughed to herself as it crossed her mind that this would be the perfect time for her to burst into song.

  “What are you smiling at?” Leon sneered from behind her.

  Romy stopped quickly and nearly stumbled. After getting her balance back, she turned to Leon. This was the first time he had been openly hostile to her in years. Romy had hoped that they were through with such nonsense.

  “Where is Frieda?” Romy asked with more calm that she was currently feeling.

  “She’s not coming for you,” he said loftily. “It’s disgusting the way you hang off of her. Can’t you see she’s just being nice? You don’t have to be her charity case.”

  “I’m not her charity case,” Romy said, holding her ground. “We are friends, so if you will excuse me?”

  Leon stepping in front of Romy. He was much larger than he had been when they were children. At nearly seventeen, Leon was as tall and broad as a grown man. Suddenly Romy felt very afraid.

  Her mind was screaming at her that something was wrong with Frieda. The fear spiked higher when Leon leaned in to whisper, “I know your secret.”

  Romy stumbled back. Unused to the new dress, she tripped on the hem and fell on her backside.

  Leon took advantage of the opportunity to advance on her. His demeanor changed from threatening to enraged. “Did you honestly think you could hide your magic forever? How pathetic are you? And drugging Frieda’s dad with devil’s breath? That has to be one of the most insane ideas I have ever heard.”

  “You can’t tell anyone,” Romy blurted out. Her heart was thumping wildly, but it still couldn’t keep up with her thoughts. How could Leon know? Had Frieda told him?

  It didn’t matter. Once the magical community found out, she would be taken from Papa. It was rare to be born with magic. If one was found, they were often sent to the king. At any rate, magic holders didn’t live with forest folk. If anything, they would reside with the city dwellers. Romy looked up to see Leon’s sneer. He knew he had her right where he wanted her. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to stay with Papa.

  “What do you want?” she spat.

  “Nothing from the likes of you.” He laughed. “Once everyone knows you have magic, you will be sent far away from here and I will never have to look at your ugly face again.”

  It shouldn’t have hurt. It wasn’t like it was the first or even tenth time he had insulted her. But this time was different. This time Leon was going to do his best to rip apart the only portion of her life that really mattered. She had to do something. Romy had to try.

  “Name your price,” she said thickly.

  “Anything?” Leon’s face broke into a cruel smile.

  A ripple of unease raced down Romy’s spine and she began to feel the amulet heat once more against her skin. Unconsciously, she picked it up, rubbing it between her two fingers.

  Romy nodded miserably. “Anything.”

  “You will stay away from Frieda and this village. If I ever see you come near town again, I will tell everyone.”

  Chapter 8

  FRIEDA CAME RACING up the path and didn’t stop until she had barreled into Leon.

  “Stop!” she cried, her momentum sending both of them to the ground next to Romy.

  Frieda was quick to hop back on her feet, and she pulled Romy up beside her.

  “What did he do?” Frieda asked in an angry voice.

  Romy was frightened. She wasn’t sure if she could answer Frieda honestly. The last thing she wanted was for Leon to hurt Frieda. The secret of her magic would indeed send Romy away. Who would make the devil’s breath? It was a plant that grew far away from their little forest. Who would protect Frieda from her father?

  “What did he say, Romy?” Frieda demanded.

  Romy shook her head and clamped her lips shut.

  “I didn’t say anything she didn’t deserve to hear,” Leon taunted. “Go ahead, Romy, tell her what I know.”

  Romy looked from Frieda to Leon and then back again.

  “Why won’t you stand up for yourself?” Frieda’s tone was laced with scrutiny as she chastised Romy. “He’s just a bully, nothing more.”

  Leon didn’t care about being called a bully. With a snort, he added, “At least I know where I belong. Maybe if Romy had stayed where she belonged, we wouldn’t be having this problem. But then, I suppose that she wasn’t wanted where she’s from.”

  Frieda’s eyes bulged as she listened to the vitriolic words coming from Leon’s mouth. “What is the matter with you? What gives you the right to speak to anyone this way?”

  “Don’t you know that those with magic make the rules? They are the purest, the smartest, and the most blessed of all races.” Then Leon deliberately looked at Romy. “At least, most of them are. I suppose there is always an anomaly here or there that needs to be smashed out of existence.”

  Romy recoiled from him just as Frieda picked up a stick and hurled it at Leon. He easily cast a spell of protection, causing the stick to bounce off of the invisible shield and fall to the ground.

  Then he whipped his hand around twice and the wind began to pick up. A funnel cloud appeared out of nowhere and began to suck Frieda up. The magic couldn’t touch Romy. Therefore, she could reach in and grab onto Frieda’s leg. Holding tight, she turned to Leon. “I ask you again: what do you want? Do you wish me to stay out of the village? Done!”

  “I want you to stay away from Frieda and all of the other village dwellers. I want you to convince your Papa to move far, far away so that I never have to look upon your face again.”

  Romy was just about to agree to Leon’s demands when they heard the familiar sound of a horse’s hooves, clopping against the cobblestones. It sounded as if the rider was headed directly toward them.

  Leon immediately released Frieda, bringing her safely back to the ground.

  The three of them turned to see a large white horse with a handsome stranger in the saddle. Romy’s mouth gaped as she took in the broad shoulders and handsome visage. Leon cursed beneath his breath, his pallor suspiciously light.

  “What are you doing, Leon?”

  “Nobody asked you, Thomas,” Leon replied childishly.

  It was one the first times in recent years when Leon reminded Romy of the horrible child he had once been.

  Thomas was a little older than the others by perhaps a year or two. With golden brown waves and a glowing tan, Thomas was something to behold. Romy had no qualms about staring at the handsome boy. It really didn’t matter anyway. Thomas’ gaze was locked on Frieda.

  It would seem that Frieda was trapped in a similar spell. Her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were bright. She bit her lip and twirled a lock of hair between her fingers.

  “Well, hello,” Thomas said.

  Why is it, when a boy wants to impress a girl, he drops his voice an octave or two? Romy had always thought it was rather silly. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t just heard him speak to Leon.

  “Thank you,” Frieda replied, her ridiculously long lashes brushing the tops of her cheeks. “You saved us.”

  This seemed a bit rich to Romy. Sure, Thomas had good timing and Leon had been in the midst of being a right git. However, they weren’t drowning. He didn’t pull them from the cliff, nor did he slay a savage beast.

  Well, Leon was beastly—but that was beside the point.

  Once Thomas had dismounted, he went directly to Frieda and took
her hand. “I must apologize for my cousin. He has always had trouble controlling his temper.”

  Leon grunted angrily. “What are you doing here, Thomas?”

  Thomas turned and eyed his cousin with barely concealed contempt. “Didn’t you hear? My father has decided to do a grand tour of his kingdom. This is the first stop on our journey.”

  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to put together the clues in Thomas’ statement. If his father had a kingdom, that made him...

  “You are Prince Thomas the brave?” Frieda asked in wonder.

  Romy half expected her to melt right there into a great big puddle of goo. It was more than obvious that Frieda was smitten, and Thomas had the same earmarks about him.

  Leon was fuming. Pacing back and forth, he was muttering things underneath his breath.

  If Thomas was the prince, that meant his father was the king. It also meant that Leon was someone of importance. However, it was clear that Thomas’ station was superior to Leon.

  Romy, having never been one for politics, was fascinated by the way that she had once again faded into the background. It appeared that the rage and spitefulness that had once been directed at her was now shifted to Thomas.

  It was also clear that Frieda would not be celebrating Romy’s birthday with her.

  Right before her eyes, Romy watched as Thomas began to lead Frieda away. His horse following along like the faithful subject he doubtlessly was.

  Not wanting to give Leon the chance to remember their previous conversation, Romy picked up her skirts and ran. It wasn’t ladylike or proper. Frieda had tried so hard to make a lady out of Romy.

  But you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, and you certainly couldn’t change one strange magical girl into a lady.

  Thankfully, Romy was able to run most of the way home. By the time she stopped to catch her breath, she had a stitch in her side. The beautiful dress was dirty, and the hem was torn. Romy reached up and felt the medallion underneath the cloth of the dress. At least she still had that.

  A part of Romy’s heart knew that, with the entrance of Thomas into their lives, nothing would ever be the same again.

  Chapter 9

  “DID YOU REALLY SLAY a dragon?” Frieda asked in wonder.

  “Of course, I did!” Thomas puffed his chest out a little further, and Romy fought the urge to gag.

  It had been three months since Thomas had come for a visit. After convincing the king that he needed to stay in the city for a while, the king reluctantly left his eldest son behind as he went on to tour the rest of his kingdom. The king, being a rather indulgent man, knew when his son was besotted and had no desire to bust up a budding relationship.

  It was uncertain who was less pleased by these events: Leon or Romy.

  “Then what happened?” Frieda asked, leaning in just a hair too far to be casual.

  Romy had certainly received an education in flirting since Thomas had come to their fair city. Between Thomas’ tales and Frieda’s flights of fancy, Romy was just about certain that it was better to be alone in the woods.

  “They make me sick,” Leon muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. In the weeks since Thomas had come, Leon hadn’t said a word about Romy’s magic. It was almost as if it didn’t matter to him anymore.

  Romy wasn’t sure if she should be thrilled or terrified that he might one day flip on her again. He knew that they were still spelling Frieda’s father. Instead of gambling all day and drinking all night, he was now working as an accountant for the king’s treasury.

  Frieda couldn’t have been prouder of her father. He looked at least ten years younger. His body was leaner, and his laughter often rang through the air. Romy was able to meet him in his sober state. She was shocked to see how much he reminded Romy of Frieda when he wasn’t being a violent drunk.

  “Let’s go swimming, shall we?” Thomas suggested.

  Leon rolled his eyes. Everyone knew he wasn’t the strongest swimmer. However, he was far from being the worst. Sadly, Romy held that honor. With her misshapen arm, most of the strokes were difficult to perform.

  The Frieda from the past would have remembered this and offered another pastime. However, Frieda in love was nothing like Frieda the best friend. Swimming was one of Thomas’ favorite activities, and therefore it was Frieda’s favorite as well.

  Romy felt like knocking Frieda about the head with a club. Perhaps that would beat some sense into the silly girl.

  “Did you bring your suit?” Frieda asked Romy.

  Romy shook her head. “No, I think I will just wade today. You go ahead though.”

  The others had their suits on under their clothes. It wasn’t long before Thomas and Frieda were splashing into the current. Leon wasn’t far behind, struggling to keep up. Romy sat on the edge of the river and watched them.

  There was something about the way the leaves were changing and the coolness to the breeze that indicated to Romy that changes were coming, and it wasn’t just the seasons. She put her hands into the soft dirt beside her body and took a deep breath.

  Her medallion was warm against her skin. Though it had once frightened her, Romy now knew that it was a sense of protection. She never took it off or went anywhere without it. However, it did seem like something Leon would make fun of, so Romy always kept it out of sight.

  It’s funny how excited she had been on her birthday to show Frieda the jewel, and yet she had never shared it.

  Squawks from the sky indicated that birds were flying over. Romy looked up and saw a murder of crows flying by. They were majestic, ominous, and lovely. Papa would say that they were just like Romy, but she held no illusions as to the person she had grown into.

  Happily ever afters weren’t meant for raven girls. They were meant for ladies with golden curls who could curtsy like a goddess, sing like a nightingale, and collect the heart of a handsome prince.

  “Help!” Leon screamed.

  At first, Romy wondered if he was faking. Romy couldn’t see Leon’s position very well; he had floated farther down than Thomas and Frieda. His head kept dipping underwater. Romy sat up on the bank and then stood. This time when Leon went down, he didn’t come up.

  “Frieda!” Romy exclaimed. “Leon is in trouble!”

  Frieda hadn’t even been aware of the trouble. She and Thomas immediately went to Leon’s aid, but they couldn’t find him. As the seconds ticked by, they seemed like minutes. As much as Romy disliked Leon, she didn’t want harm to come to him.

  “There!” Thomas called out. “By the falls!”

  Leon’s shirt was caught by a branch on the edge of the falls about one hundred and fifty yards from where Frieda and Leon had been swimming. There was no way for them to get close to him without putting themselves in danger.

  It was also obvious that Leon wasn’t conscious.

  “Cast a spell to save him!” Frieda screamed.

  Thomas looked dumbstruck. It was clear by his expression that he was frozen into inaction.

  Frieda’s gaze turned to Romy, asking the one thing that she really couldn’t do. “Romy, you have to do something! He will die!”

  Indecision plagued Romy. Of course she didn’t want Leon to die. As horrible as Leon had been in the past, she was no killer. However, would it be her fault if nature took its course? Magic was a tricky thing. It wouldn’t interfere with life or death unless it wasn’t meant to happen. It wasn’t as if she could do magic in front of Thomas. How could she possibly use magic in a way that Thomas wouldn’t find out, all the while praying that she wasn’t breaking the rules by saving Leon?

  What if it depleted her magic?

  What if she grew ill or even died herself?

  “Romy!” Frieda pleaded again.

  Romy knew that these moments weren’t ones that she should be taking to think. Every infinitesimal second was a step closer to Leon’s demise. With a sigh, Romy put her hands into the water and began to chant. For a moment, it seemed as if her idea had failed.

&nb
sp; Then the water began to slow and stop.

  “What’s going on here?” Thomas demanded.

  Frieda wasn’t even listening to Thomas. After seeing what Romy was doing, Frieda began to swim furiously for the falls. If the flow of water was stopped long enough, Frieda and Thomas could pull Leon to safety.

  Sweat began to pool on Romy’s brow and upper lip. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold the stream still. The currents were beating against her arms, the power radiating from somewhere deep inside.

  “I’ve got him!” Frieda cheered.

  Thomas helped Frieda drag Leon to the shore. As soon as the group was on dry land, Romy released the water and she fell back against the bank, darkness playing at the corners of her vision.

  “You saved him, Romy!” Frieda cried as they turned Leon on his side and watched him retch half the water from the stream.

  The entire time, Romy fought for consciousness. It seemed that her body had expended more of its life force than she had anticipated. As Frieda rushed about frantically, trying to get the water out of Leon’s lungs, Romy slipped into the inky darkness.

  Chapter 10

  “SHE CANNOT BE ALLOWED to live with the forest folk, Frieda. The laws are clear about where the magical may live.”

  Romy could hear a heated, whispered conversation in the next room over. Clinging to her medallion, she went over the situation again and again in her mind. But every outcome was always the same. She had to save him, even if it meant exposing her magic.

  “You don’t understand, Thomas. Romy...she’s not like other magical people.”

  Great, Romy thought to herself, now Frieda is making excuses for me.

  Rather than sit there and listen, Romy decided to take matters into her own hands. It didn’t sit well with her that Leon, Thomas, and Frieda were discussing her fate. It also hurt more than Romy cared to admit that Thomas was acting this way after she had saved his cousin.