Take the Fall
She brought her hands to her face in a stupidly desperate attempt to shield herself from the attack, eyes shut tight. But nothing came. No pain, no being blown to the other side of the room, just silence. All was still except for her rapid breathing and a heart rate that she assumed could be heard for miles. Lowering her hands she peeked through one eye, perhaps she was dead already. The blazing sphere of pure destructive power was inches away from her, sparks of energy flying off it almost touching her face, though it remained unmoving as if frozen in time. And considering the man's abilities, it probably was.
"Balthazar Blake? You're... You're his daughter?" he asked. She looked up, eyes darting from the blue globe and back to him. He seemed utterly disbelieving, eyes wide and his gaze scanning her like some sort of radar.
"Yes," she let out the breath she'd been holding in relief as the energy sphere in front of her dissolved into nothing, "I'm Cassandra Blake, daughter of Veronica and Balthazar."
"Prove it," he commanded nodding toward her expectantly, still seeming not to trust her. She doubted he would trust her even if she offered a blood-vow.
Prove it? How was she supposed to prove her lineage? Then it came to her... "I have their Rings," she said taking out the silver necklace with shaking hands from under her jacket and showing the two elegantly crafted jewelled rings hanging off it.
He took a few steps closer until her was right in front of her, hand reaching out to touch the two magical ornaments hanging off it, "You weren't lying..."
Cassandra just stood there for a few moments, watching the abundant array of expressions cross his face as he looked over the two Rings of her parents. He seemed transfixed with them; questioning their existence, doubting their genuineness.
Cassandra's emotions mixed up horrendously and with much confliction with her common logic. Run. Her entire body was screaming at her to flee from the area, gain as much distance between her and this shop. The less logical part of her seemed to gush and overflow with excitement and anticipation. He must know her parents! Perhaps even where they could be! He could help her! Her quest was good enough as over! Why had she not thought of New York earlier?
"What happened?" the man broke from his trance and let go of the silver chain holding the Rings, taking a few rather dazed steps back from Cassandra, still studying her. It seemed an even more intense inspection than when she had first entered the shop.
"You knew my parents?" she blurted out ignoring his question; it seemed her emotions had taken her logic hostage, padlocked it to a chair and hidden it in a dark corner of her mind.
"Yes, I... knew your parents..." answered slowly, face turning pale and eyes darkening with the same affect storm clouds have on the sky, "What happened?"
"They... well... The police..." Cassandra took a breath swallowing around the tightly constricted knot in her throat, "They were pronounced dead. Their car was found in a ditch by the side of the road and though their bodies weren't found but there was blood so everyone just assumed that they were..." she squeezed her eyes shut and gave her head a small shake in an attempt to dispel the demons, "They're not dead. I know they aren't. Sorcerers just don't die of car crashes. It-it doesn't make sense!"
"Balthazar... he-he's dead?" the man managed to croak out eyes wide, though the grey clouds still hazed his vision.
"No! He's not dead!" she practically yelled then bit her tongue down in fear that the man would snap again. She guessed she wouldn't be as lucky the second time around if another energy blast came her way.
"A car crash?" the dark-haired man murmured under his breath, obviously oblivious to the furious and desperate teenager in front of him.
"No! Just listen to me! They didn't die! Everyone else just said they died. They're out there somewhere, I just know it! They're still alive. You knew them, you should understand how improbable the whole thing sounds," the words broke through her, voice pitched higher, willing the man in front of her to believe her unlike the many others who didn't.
"You honestly still think they survived?" asked the suited man in front of her, his gaze apprehensive. This caused the spinning vortex of doubt to drag her deeper down into its black waters, "Don't you think that if they were alive, they would have found you? How long has it been?"
"Eleven years..." she whispered.
"Then don't you think that in those eleven years your parents would have tried to find you? Try to be with you again? If they were alive, do you honestly think that they would not struggle to find their way back to you?"
This left her in silence. How could he think them dead? She could tell he truly did with that forlorn almost miserable expression in his eyes. He had obviously known Balthazar and Veronica well. How could this man, this sorcerer accept their deaths by a car crash as true? It was insanity! Or maybe it's just you... the wretched thought surfaced to her mind. Maybe you're the one that believes the lie. How can you be right when everyone else believes the opposite?
"You're wrong! They're not dead," she raised her gaze to match his, overcoming the darkness of scepticism. She had met many people like him before. Doubting her beliefs and labelling her hope as a stage of shock. She wasn't a child anymore and she knew the truth. She wasn't about to let some half-whit of a sorcerer tell her otherwise. "How can the two apprentices of Merlin die in something as simple as a car crash with magic on their side? It was something else. Some old enemy of theirs probably decided to kidnap them or something like that!" she narrowed her eyes in a decisive way, banishing the misgiving thoughts in her head, "Balthazar and Veronica are not dead."
He just stood there and watched her for a few moments, a scrutinizing look on his face, summing her up as he looked back at her, "I guess hope dies last in the entire Blake family..."
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm the tempest of anger inside her. Swallowing down her overgrown sense of pride and immovable stubbornness, she looked up to him, speaking in a barely controlled tone.
"Look, I need your help. It seems as if you knew my parents well, so you should also know some of their enemies. Could you give me a clue, or a pointer to where they could be? Where they could be trapped? Perhaps someone captured them in a relic of some sort. I hear sorcerers are known to do that a lot."
"Is that what you were looking for when you came in?" he asked a hint of realisation in his eyes.
"Yes," she nodded hesitantly, "Do you have something of the sort? Or could you direct me to a hide out or something of one of their past adversaries?"
He gave out a short laugh. She bristled in offence, muscles tensing up. What could this man find the least bit funny in this conversation?
"I doubt that you'd be able to go ten meters near one of your parents' foes without turning into a pile of sizzling ashes. Do you do any magic at all?" the question seemed almost genuine.
"Yes," she stood a bit straighter earning a doubtful look from the man, "Well not everything," the frown deepened and her bravado disappeared, "Only a little bit, alright? There wasn't exactly anyone around to teach me this stuff! Look, all I want to do is find my parents. Please! Just-just tell me what you can and I'll be out of your hair."
The man looked her over, as if deep in thought, her pleading eyes seeming to make his inner struggle even more difficult. After several minutes of standing there in a desperate heap waiting for a response, Cassandra saw him sigh and close his eyes as if in realisation of a painful truth.
"Come with me," he spoke solemnly and turned away from her to start walking.
Spirits lifting like they never had before, Cassandra rushed to follow, corners of her mouth lifting involuntarily. He was going to help her! He was actually going to help her find her parents! This was a most brilliant breakthrough!
Her expression shifted to one of confusion as her led her out of the store and to the opposite end of the sidewalk. What were they doing here? Rummaging through his pockets for a second the sorcerer pulled out a set of keys. Sauntering up to a smooth, black sports car he unlocked it and then turned to look expectantly at her.
"Are you serious? You want me to get in the car? I thought you were suppose to help me find-"
"Your parents, yes, I know. And that is precisely what I'm doing. Now do you want my help or not?" he asked impatiently, motioning to the sleek ride.
Grumbling something unrecognisable under her breath she moved forward to the passenger side. If this was going to help her, then a ride in a pretty sports car it was. Trying not to slam the door behind her she sat down, looking over the inside of the car. Her eyes almost popped when she caught side of the logo placed on the steering wheel.
"You can afford to drive an Aston Martin? How much does that shop supply you with, anyway?" she asked as he took a seat beside her.
He scoffed at the question, a crooked smile on his lips, "Who says I bought it?" he answered staring the car and diving into the sea of traffic.
Cassandra opened her mouth to reply but then shut it in realisation. She gave herself a mental shake. Think, Cassandra, think! He's a sorcerer for crying out loud! her conscience reprimanded. For all she knew this whole thing could just be a transformed tricycle.
"Open your mind, Cassandra. You're playing with the big boys now."
"Who are you?" she finally asked, the question had been bothering her since he sent that flying ball of energy at her.
"I'm surprised your parents never mentioned me," he spoke casually.
"They probably thought you would be too scary to talk about in front of a child," her cocky grin disappeared at his stern gaze, "Sorry."
"I'm your father's Apprentice, or was anyway," he answered simply.
"My father's Apprentice? But my father's Apprentice was..." her mind felt like it had been hit with a cinder block, "You?" she yelped, looking him over again.
"Me, what?" he asked almost lazily, but she didn't miss the smug glint in his eye.
"You are the Prime Merlinian? The one who holds the Dragon Ring? The one who defeated Morgana? The one who saved my father's life? You?"
His grin finally broke out, "Yes, me."
"But-but... My father used to tell me stories about you. How you started out as this nerdy teen then ended up saving the whole world. Your battle with Morgana used to be one of my favourite bedtime stories..." she slumped into the seat, shaking her head in disbelief, "What the hell happened to you?"
"That is none of your concern," he deadpanned roughly.
She flinched at the harshness of his voice and the sudden change of character. It must have been bad-whatever had happened-to get him to be like this. She remembered a totally different person when she thought of the great Prime Merlinian and his adventurous tales alongside the brilliant Balthazar.
Silence overwhelmed the car as the uncomfortable end to their conversation hung in the air like smog. She found the quiet too much to bear after a few minutes.
"So, Dave, where are we going exactly?"
He cocked an eyebrow at the address but answered anyway, "An old subway turnaround."
"The same one you and dad trained at?" she couldn't help the excitement from showing in her voice.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it has plenty of space, nothing too fragile and no one will know that we are down there."
"Is there any particular reason why those are necessary factors for the location?"
"You ask too many questions," he sighed in frustration, taking a left and slowing down, "We're here," he said, parking.
Cassandra let her mind race for a minute. Thousands of curious questions and plenty of excited thoughts crossed and overfilled her mind. She didn't answer or stress about them but just let them swarm in her mind, waiting for the storm of words and question marks to subside into a tolerable hum of anticipation.
Dave exited the car as soon as he killed the engine, shutting the door behind him. She followed his lead and looked up at the ancient-looking building in front of her. Unable to sight-see for long due to her guide's rushed strides, she continued on into the building to be greeted by a rusted staircase.
"Nice place..." she mumbled looking around the tall brick walls and curving ceilings. Funny, she had imagined it differently when her dad told her the story; bigger, brighter and definitely less cluttered. The whole place was filled with discarded wires, ruined furniture and worn out cleaning supplies. "How long has it been since you were last down here?"
"Long enough," he replied. With a quick swish of his hand the objects seemed to come alive. The clutter moved out of the way and re-arranged itself into a more habitable layout.
Cassandra found herself marvelling at the wonder of it all. It should have been a simple thing for a girl raised by two of Merlin's Apprentices but it had been a long time since Cassandra had been anywhere near magic. It was like being introduced to the mystical art all over again.
"Now I'm going to offer you a choice," Dave spoke in a serious tone, snapping her attention to him, "Become my Apprentice or move on with your life and forget about magic like you did before. I'll be willing to teach you if you would be willing to learn."
"A-Apprentice? But you said-"
"I know what I said, and I am keeping to my promise. If I were to teach you magic, you would be able to learn spells that could aid you in your search for your parents. That is what you want isn't it?" he asked.
"Why?" she asked, astounded by the offer. Astounded by the even mention of the offer.
"Because," he took in a deep breath, suddenly looking like he had been living for centuries. The creases on his face seemed to deepen, the black circles under his eyes darken and eyes cloud over like they had done in the store. His gaze seemed to look beyond her, to another time, another place. "Your father was my Master and the least I can do to pay him back for all he did for me is to take you in." His attention focused back on her, a sorrowfully honest look in his eyes, "But is this what you want?"
"Of course," she answered solemnly, "I'll do anything to see them again."
He seemed to give her an almost sympathetic look. Then moving to the centre of the room, the Prime Merlinian closed his eyes in concentration. He slowly raised his hands and Cassandra took a step back as the entire place started to shake, lights flashing overhead. With a quick motion, he jerked his hands downward, making the entire room burst with light from the wicked green flames erupting from the ground. Cassandra couldn't help the surprised cry that broke out from her as the flames surrounded the sorcerer in a perfect circle. Dave swept his arms around him as if drawing in the air, the same shapes reflected in the floor as the green fire burned the designs into the brick. As soon as the flames had decreased to a flickering ember he opened his eyes again and turned to her.
"This is the Merlin's circle, I'm sure you've seen it before."
A slow nod from Cassandra answered his question as she examined the fantastical creation in front of her. She had seen one, yes, but never the creation of one. I wonder if I'll be able to do that someday... she tried to push away the thought. She wouldn't need to learn that much. She'd just stay until she found out a spell that could show her a person's location or an incantation that could lead her to what she desired most.
"You understand that if you enter this circle, you shall be remerged into the world of sorcery? And that there is no going back?" he asked earnestly.
"Yes."
"And you are ready and willing to become my Apprentice under those conditions?"
"This is starting to sound a lot like a contract..."
"Answer the question," he spoke sharply.
"Yes."
He gave a contented sigh and nodded, motioning for her to step forward into the circle. And leave everything else behind. Moving lightly, she ignored the flames, feeling nothing when they crackled and snapped at her heels. She stood in front of him, chin held up and a determined expression on her face.
"I am David Stutler, Prime Merlinian, and you are my Apprentice."
Well this is going to this is certainly going to be an interesting adventure! I hope... This chapter was mostly inspired by 'Spotlight' by Mute Math (hence the title). Search it up! It really is a great song.
A very big, big, big, big, BIG thanks to all of you who reviewed! You guys are really the best ever! fussbudget: Many thanks for pointing out that (most embarrassing) error! The book I had been reading at the time had a character with that name and guess I sort of got it mixed into the writing. It has been fixed, thanks to your sharp eyes.
Also, (I know you just want me to shut-up but please listen to one more thing) I have started school again (yuck!) so my updating will be getting very slow from now on. I'll try to get something up every week but no guarantees. If you need someone to blame, point your fingers at my teachers and their ludicrous assignments.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll try to get the next one up soon! Reviews are greatly appretiated and desired!
Sincerely,
AncientQuill
