Protector of the Enchanted

One week. It’s been a week and we’ve yet to find a single clue. We’re no closer to finding information of what we need to know than we were when we began. Looking through hundreds of books for even the odd mention of past lives, only to ultimately come up with nothing.

 

Even now, looking through the pages of the thick blue tome in my arms, I can feel a headache forming. There’s only so long you can read through books before you’re unable to focus on the words. Throwing my head back against the cushion behind me, I run a hand through my hair. It’s not the only thing causing a headache.

 

It started off with small things. Gem would linger a few minutes longer than necessary in the door, waiting for someone to arrive. Cylen’s eyes would keep flickering back to me every few minutes. Theo would suddenly come and sit next to me, telling me he got bored from reading.

 

Then, it began to get worse. My time alone started to dwindle, until there weren’t any moments where I could be alone. That wasn’t too bad, I don’t mind their presence. But soon quiet moments alone turned into quiet thoughts said aloud. There was always someone next to me, staying close enough to reach out and touch me.

 

Like I’d disappear if they looked away. Even then, I’d let it go. I’d figured it was a consequence of the shock fading, allowing other emotions to take its place. Processing a lifetime of memories is no easy feat, it needs time. Which is the main reason I’ve been brushing off their excessive worrying the past few days.

 

I thought it would settle. But today, they’re jumping at every sudden sound. The wind brushing through the curtain making their heads snap towards the door and back to me. This is not good. It’s not even anywhere close to it. We’re never going to find a solution if they can’t focus on finding one.

 

Thud! My eyes snap up to see a pile of books has toppled over next to Cylen. It doesn’t land anywhere close to him, but he’s still jumping to his feet as if expecting an attack. I feel a furrow forming between my eyes, lips pursing in thought. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened.

 

It’s been happening a lot today. With a sigh, I snap my book shut, drawing their eyes towards me. Without giving it a thought, I stand up to but the tome back in its place. We’re never going to get anywhere like this.

 

“We need to take a break.” I turn towards them, crossing my arms in front of me. “I don’t know much more of this I can take.” Mira’s attempt to refute the words is halted by the sharp glance I throw her.

 

Her mouth snaps shut, but the even press of her lips tells me she’s not pleased about it. My eyes wander over to the others, lingering on blue before flicking back to my cousin’s grey. With the tension, the silence lingers as well.

 “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” It seems she couldn’t resist after all.

 

I rub a hand down my face as I move to plop myself in the middle of the room, so that the three of them are sat around me. In lieu of an answer, my hand waves around the room, lingering for a second while pointing at each of them before running through my hair.

 

“This.” I huff, “The way all of you have been acting.”

 

And suddenly none of them can meet my eyes, heads turning away as if in practiced unison. Another sigh leaves me as the silence continues. They don’t want to put a label on it. It would make it all the more real.

 

“We…” Determined green eyes gaze at me, before glazing over with hesitation. I can see the conversation playing out in his head before the determined gleam returns. "I suppose we just don’t…” He pauses, eyes furrowing in a way I know means he’s trying to find the right words.

 

“Want to lose you again.” Theo finishes for him. “We don’t want to lose you again.”

 

An olive finger moves to point at him. “And you. She’s not the only one who that applies to.” The words are followed by a meaningful stare before her head turns towards me again. “But yes. That’s exactly it.”

 

“I’m not going to disappear.” My smile feels shakier than I’d like. “You don’t need to be so worried.”

 

“That’s what I thought last time.” A sad half-smile. “Look what happened.”

 

“That’s not going to happen.” Theo’s firm voice cuts in before I can offer the same reassurance. “It’s not going to happen.”

 

“You don’t know that!” Cylen turns to turn an annoyed glare at him, “What if it happens again?”

 

The words echo through the room, rendering us all silent in their wake. The truth within them striking my heart like a dagger to a target. It’s not a foreign thought. I’ve asked myself the same question more times than I would have liked. Apprehension of the unknown creating a buzz underneath my skin.

 

“It’s not going to.” I say with more certainty than I currently feel, a small smile soon following. “Don’t we always find a way?”

 

A frustrated breath leaves his mouth as he stops glaring at Theo long enough to turn my way. His eyes soften as the frustration in his face gives way to tired worry. “I just…”

 

“…Don’t know whether I believe that.” Gem finished when he gets stuck on the words, the same sad smile as he nods in agreement. “I can’t say I disagree.” Her eyes flicker over each of us to settle on me. “I don’t think I’d be able to survive It if I lost you again.” A pause. “Lost any of you.”

 

Knowing her as I do, I hear the words she’s left unsaid as well. She doesn’t think she’d be able to survive it because they barely did the first time. And even then…No. Focus on the present. I feel exhaustion sinking into my bones as the next sigh leaves my mouth, even as I force a smile on my face.

 

“You’re not going to.” That’s a promise I’m determined to keep. “We’re going to find a way to undo whatever she did and we’re going to win.” All three faces have the exasperated look I remember them throwing at me when they think I’m being too optimistic. I ignore it as I continue.

 

“We are.” I state again. “There is no other outcome.” Not one that would be acceptable. “All we need is time, and we have that. Besides,” I give each of them a pointed look, “The way we’re going now isn’t going to fix anything.”

 

As apprehensive as I am, I know the statement to be true. “We’ll never get anywhere if we let fear get in our way.”

 

“I know.” Theo sighs, a hand running through his hair as he floats the books into piles. “That doesn’t really make it any easier.”

 

“No, it does not.” Mira laughs in commiseration.

 

Cylen falls flat on his back. “Definitely not.”

 

A small laugh erupts from me even as I feel my eyes getting a little teary. It definitely does not make it any easier. But the way things have been the past few days cannot keep going.

 

“I know.” I say instead. “I don’t really know how to make It all better…” My lips press into a thin line. “Maybe…Maybe taking a break from all of this research to talk about it or,” I pause, “Maybe doing something fun instead would help, even if it’s only a little.”

 

“It’s certainly better than this.” Theo sighs, hand ruffling his hair again.

 

Gem looks contemplative. Cylen takes his hands away from his face to lift it up to look into my eyes. Whatever he sees there makes him sit back up again, nodding his agreement.

 

“I vote for doing something fun.”

 

“But what?” Gem tilts her head.

 

Before I can suggest something, or even process what’s going on, a soft projectile is hitting my face. It makes me fall back with surprise. My eyes narrow on amused blue as I immediately throw the cushion back at him, before taking another to throw towards Cylen.

 

Theo manages to dodge it, but Cylen is caught off guard, sputtering as feathers spill out. Now it’s my turn to grin as he throws me glare. Only for it to fade when two cushions are thrown towards me, hitting me from both sides.

 

Sputtering under the sudden avalanche of feathers, my eyes narrow on grey. The traitor. Then, a grin starts to spread. I throw one towards my cousin before immediately jumping to my feet to avoid the one thrown from Theo’s direction. And the next one from Cylen, before lifting them to throw back at them.

 

Soon there’s a continuous stream of cushions being propelled in all different directions. Sometimes they hit their targets and sometimes they don’t. Somewhere along the way, it turned into a competition. Teasing taunts being thrown as cushions miss and even more so when they hit their target.

 

Near the end, I’ve lost track of who’s winning. I don’t even care. I’m too busy laughing at Theo’s face when he’s hit from both directions, feathers getting stuck in his hair. His annoyance fades in its wake, a smile taking its place.

 

A pillow fight was exactly what we needed to lighten the mood. My laughter doubles as I take in the state of the room. There’re feathers everywhere. In our hair, sticking to our clothes, even on top of the books. My stomach hurts, my knees hitting the ground as I try to get it under control.

 

My attempts are proven futile when the others start laughing as well. And we’re all sprawled across the floor in a heap. With my eyes closed, I can’t see their expressions. But I can feel the grin spreading on my face as the laughter starts to subside.

 

We’re going to be just fine.

 

“What the fuck are you doing awake?” The green-eyed man exclaimed as he walked into the room.

 

His nose wrinkled when he didn’t get a response from the dead-eyed man. There were dark circles under his eyes, and even from where he was standing, his hands were trembling. As if ready to attack at the first sign of danger.

 

A sigh left his mouth as he walked up to the idiot. He always did this. Whenever there was even the hint of danger lurking in the air, he’d stay awake for ungodly hours to keep alert. His lips pressed into a line.

 

What the dumbass failed to remember is that a lack of sleep is just asking to make rubbish decisions. It would do no one any good. Not the man in question and not the people who were working with him. They’d taken this request from Mira because it was dangerous.

 

Flicking over the man’s rigid form, he had a feeling that there was perhaps more danger than what they’d anticipated. For some reason he had an uncanny ability to smell the danger in the air. He’d doubted at first, but now had simply accepted that as fact.

 

A small chuckle left his mouth at the mention of danger. Speaking of which. For someone who could sense the danger in the air, Theo seemed to ignore it when it concerned her. And it could be argued that Amara was a danger all on her own.

 

Fondness intertwined with amusement at the thought. He should have known she was trouble. Even at their first meeting, she was too eager for a fight, and it was a characteristic that had yet to change. He was never certain whether he wanted it too.

 

It had given him some of the most exciting experiences of his life. And he knew she was more than capable of handling any danger that came her way. It didn’t stop them from trying to protect her just the same. For all that she was wise, she was just as much rash.

 

Shaking his head to dispel the track his mind was determined to take him on, he instead focused on the situation at hand. The moron staring blankly through the window. There was no way for anyone to get through it. Or anywhere near the inn without alerting someone. He’d already checked.

Whatever trouble Theo was sensing, they’d be able to handle it. But they’d have a much better chance of it if they got some rest. So, sighing in half-annoyance and half-fondness, he moved to grab the cuff of his shirt and dragged him to his bed. Paying no attention to the struggling man as he threw him a blanket and a pillow.

 

“Get some sleep.” Whatever protest he was going to retort with was halted by the hard edge in the man’s green eyes.

 

It’s a little better now. At least I think that it has gotten better. I don’t think all of the paranoia has gone away, but enough of it has been released that they’re not so on edge anymore. Well. I suppose it’s better to say most of us is not as on edge any longer.

 

“Why are you always this stupid!” I hear the loud exclamation moments before it’s followed by Theo being dragged into the room.

 

We’d turned it into a makeshift sleeping room on the first day. It’s easier to get back into research with the books close by. My eyes follow hid hand down to meet bemused blue eyes. Before they’re flicking up to see the tired resignation in Gem’s face. Along with a touch of amusement.

 

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” The deadpan of his tone conveys that very well.

 

It only makes Cylen turn to throw him a glare, never faltering in his stride. “You always do this.” A frustrated exhale. “When was the last time you slept?”

 

“Or ate for that matter.” Mira adds on.

 

What? He hasn’t been eating too? Why the hell didn’t I notice? My eyes wander down to the tome on my lap, a hand going to rub at my eyes. I guess they aren’t the only ones who need to get some rest.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The words are made pointless by the yawn that follows them. I join Cylen and Gem in throwing him a pointed look.

 

He throws his hand up in the air and surrenders to his fate. Cylen comes to a stop at the foot of his makeshift bed. Letting go of his collar to turn and stare him down. Feeling the weight of our gazes, he complies with the request. It causes a satisfied grin to bloom on Cylen’s face.

 

“Now that that’s settled,” Gem begins, “I think I’ve found something.”

 

“You have?”

 

“Yes. But I don’t think any of us are in any state to look over the clues at this point.” Her gaze is heavy on me as a yawn of my own escapes my mouth. I suppose she does have a point.

 

“Still…” A thought strikes me, my eyes wandering to Theo, “We should eat something before we sleep.”

 

Now that my head is not buried in a book, I notice the same thing Cylen did. He looks terrible. It was harder to tell this morning because I just thought it was something to do with worry and he distracted me with pillows. But now that I’m looking, the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes are obvious.

 

A pang of regret hits me at not noticing. I push it away as I stand up and walk towards the corner. Since we’re all so exhausted from the day’s events, it would be better to eat leftovers than make something now. Besides, the heating charm on the basket always keeps it at the optimum temperature.

 

I love magic. Agreeing with the thought, a smile spreads on my face.

 

What I love more is the content look on my friends’ faces as they dig into the food. Cylen poking at Theo to make him eat, while Gem watches on with an amused smile. It’s one I echo as I take in the arguing boys.

 

As far as days go, this one hasn’t been too bad. Gem has even managed to find a clue that can help us outsmart the witch who started this. I never thought I would get sick of books, but being buried in them for so long makes me not want to look at one for a week at the least.

 

The smile turns into a laugh when Ryan flips him off, one that’s soon echoed by Gem. Cylen just shakes his head and lets out a long-suffering sigh, but the smile tugging at his lips gives him away.

 

I suppose that clue can wait a little longer.