Chapter 10
Nathan paced back and forth, he really wanted to see Jade again and he could do it too, he could do a spell that could do it. But he wasn't quite sure if he should do it or not. If Jade found out she would most likely be very mad at him. He paced the room for a little while longer before shaking his head and walking quickly over to his workbench. It didn't take long for him to construct the spell and activate it. He looked in the mirror where the picture would show up. The first image he saw was Jade, she looked off, something was wrong. He murmured a few words and the image refocused with a larger view. He noticed there was somebody close and talking to her. With another string of words the image refocused on him. When the image cleared Nathan let out a string of curses.
Jade allowed herself to be taken back to her room, which is where he left her. Jade stumbled into her room and was surprised to see people in there. She couldn't quite focus on who they were.
One of them with blonde hair came running up and asked, "Jade! Are you all right?"
"Who are you?" She asked the stranger.
"Oh, dear." The girl said, "Mage Williams, it is worse than your thought it would be." She said over her shoulder.
An older man looked up from a bubbling pot in the fireplace and said, "Ellen, if you are done with those bracelets please put them on her. Also have her sit down on the couch, please."
Ellen guided Jade over to the couch and had her sit down. Jade then watched as Ellen then walked over to the table and picked up two familiar looking bracelets.
Jade looked down at her own wrist looking for the bracelet that she had that looked like it. She didn't find it, but she could have sworn that she had one on her wrist, but it was bare.
The girl came back over and tied the two bracelets on the wrist that Jade was just looking at. Jade looked at her confused and asked, "What are those supposed to do?"
Ellen looked at her concerned, "Tavis? These don't seem to be working. What does the book say to do now?"
"Don't panic, El. We still need to use the potion, so just be patient until it is finished." The guy reading through a book said without even looking up.
Ellen brought her attention back to Jade, muttering angrily.
"What is happening?" Jade asked her.
Ellen grabbed her hand and said, "Don't worry, honey we are taking care of things."
Jade followed her gaze over the man hovering above the position. "What is he making?" Jade asked her.
"It is for you. Things will make more sense after you have taken it. So just be patient, please." was her reply.
Jade made a face at her, she wasn't quite sure what to do. Should she trust these people or should she refuse to take the potion?
A headache started to throb as she contemplated it. Maybe she should go find Richard and ask him…
She found herself hesitating about that last thought. She wanted to trust these strange people who were in her room, she felt like she had known them for a while. So when the older man called Mage Williams came up to her with a glass full of a frothy blue concoction, she took a sip.
"You have to drink all of it." Mage Williams insisted as he tipped the glass up for her, causing her quickly swallow the drink. Sputtering she spat out, "Why in the world did you feed me such an awful concoction?" She paused and looked up at them and then commented. "Wait… What am I doing here? What are all of you doing here?"
"We came to help you. You seemed to be in some trouble with Richard and after dinner came to ask you about it, only you weren't here and this book was open to the page about a strong love spell. It then all made sense." Ellen filled in.
Memories flashed in Jade's memories of the evening and she moaned to herself, "I have been such a fool."
"Yes, you have." Tavis remarked, "But you couldn't help most of it, so we will forgive you."
"We have pulled you out of it this time, but if he casts it again, I don't know if we can bring you out of it again." Mage William spoke up.
"We need to get you away from him. I am sorry that I put you in this situation, Jade. Your father would be so disappointed in me." Mage Williams apologized.
Jade replied, "I am not sure about that. He seemed to know that this was going to happen. He had a note for me, he had this counter-spell all ready for us to use. It is almost as if he could see the future." She looked up at Mage Williams, who avoided eye contact with her. "Do you know something?"
Mage Williams looked back up at her and smiled sadly, "Your father would have explained somewhere I will leave explaining this up to him. But now we need to discuss how you are going to get out of here."
Making a face, Jade slowly nodded and asked, "So do you have a plan?"
"Not really, my thoughts up to now were to get you out of the grips of that spell.' He admitted.
Ellen jumped in, "I am leaving in a day, what if you go with me then?"
"I could try and distract Richard until then, and you and Ellen could stay in your rooms and stay out of sight until it is time to go." Tavis volunteered.
"Do you really think that you can keep him distracted?" Jade asked. "What if he tries to confuse you with a spell?"
"Well, Ellen can make me one of those bracelets which should deflect any small spells. We just need to make sure that you stay out of his way tomorrow so you can leave with Ellen the next day." Tavis said.
Mage Williams nodded, "I will help Tavis. I have some spells that need working on, it will help that Richard will still think you are under his spell, he won't have to worry about you."
Nodding her consent, Jade replied, "Alright then, I just wish I knew why he was doing this."
"I don't know. It maybe because he wants access to your castle or maybe he just wants you." Mage Williams remarked.
"The castle isn't mine anymore, it's the new High Mage's. And I have a hard time believing the other reason." Jade commented.
Everyone stood in silence for a long moment before Tavis said, "It is getting late, I think I am going to go to bed."
"Good idea Tavis," Mage Williams added, "I will head that way myself. Remember Jade, you need to stay in this room, don't leave for anybody."
Jade nodded and said good night to the two men as they left. Ellen turned to Jade and said, "I will be right back. I am going to go grab some clothes and things." Ellen then stepped out the door leaving Jade alone with her spinning thoughts.
She sat down at her desk, thinking about what happened. She saw a book that she didn't recognize in the corner. Confused she picked it up and read the title. Underneath the Monster. Where had this book come from? Jade wondered. She then vaguely remembered Mage Williams giving her a book when she had gone to the library earlier. She opened the cover and read the summary, which told her this book was about Busenats. How had Mage Williams known she was looking for this? Jade flipped through the book in wonder, to become even more surprised when she found a letter in the back.
Opening it up she found that it was written by her father to her.
Jade,
I know you have many questions right now. Among them is the question is how I know this. It will be a while before you have the answer to that question. Hopefully this book will answer most of your other questions. Pay close attention to chapter six.
With love,
Your father
Jade just stared at the letter, How in the world did her father know this? How could he have written this? Her curiosity about the book finally had her put the letter away and go back to the front of the book to start reading. She had forgotten all about Ellen until the door closing caused her to jump.
"Sorry to startle you." Ellen apologized, "What are you reading that is so interesting?"
"It is a book Mage Williams gave me earlier. It is a book on some high level spells." Jade replied distracted.
"You and your books. I don't know how you can read them so much." Ellen complained. "I am going to go to sleep now, Please don't read all night."
Jade nodded absently already reading again. The book was quite descriptive about what was needed to cast the Busenat spell. Jade read it through several times. "Nathan couldn't have cast this spell. At fifteen he wouldn't have grown into his full power yet and would not have had enough skill or power to cast this spell. Then how did he become a Busenat?" Jade muttered to herself.
It was past three when Jade finished Chapter five. Mind muddled with everything she had read and the need for sleep, Jade decided to finish the book in the morning.
Ellen woke her up the next morning, "Wake up, sleepy head. Breakfast is here. How late were you up?"
Jade didn't really want to admit that to Ellen so she just shrugged her shoulders and muttered something about it being late.
"Hmm." Ellen said looking at Jade. "That book must have been terribly interesting. What was it about?"
Jade gave her answer again about it having High level spells in it. "I really don't know what you see in reading about spells. But then I really am not interested in all those spells like you are." Ellen finished as she sat down at the breakfast laden table.
Jade smiled at her and got ready. As Ellen chatted through breakfast Jade had a hard time concentrating on her instead of her book. Her father had written to pay attention to chapter six, which to pay attention to chapter six, which she hadn't read yet. Would it hold the answer to how Nathan became a Busenat?
"Jade!" Ellen said insistently. "Are you even listening to me?"
"huh… Sorry, El. What did you say?" Jade said sorry.
"You are thinking about that book aren't you?" Ellen asked.
Jade grimaced and nodded her head.
"Go read it then, I will catch up on my embroidery."
"Thanks Ellen." Jade excused herself from the table, and went over to the couch and her book.
Author's note- The story is coming along nicely, I must say. I hope you are enjoying reading it.
Thank you Fell4 and savethemadscientest for the reviews I love reading them. Tell me what you think of this chapter!