The next few days and nights weren't going well for Jade. She recoiled back into the same position she had been in when Draco had left her. She neither wanted to be inside nor outside the castle. She had no idea where to go. Jade took time for herself, working and relaxing in the oratory. She was relieved that Annabelle had been spending most of her time with Peter. Jade didn't want to kill Annabelle's mood because of what happened between her and Robert, Jade wanted at least someone to be happy. Whenever Annabelle would come to see Jade, Jade put on a bright smile for Annabelle and acted as if everything were normal. Jade weaved through the cloth and roughly yanked the needle and it ended up poking her finger.
"SHIT!" Jade yelled as the echoes mimicked her words from the walls of the oratory. There was a small 'tsk' and Jade turned to see Merthin standing in the corner of the room, covering his mouth from laughing. Jade twisted her mouth and looked away angrily, throwing the needle as far as she could.
"Now, now, what if someone had gotten hurt?" Merthin asked, summoning the needle back. The needle landed in his palm and he sat next to Jade, showing the needle to her.
"Go on, touch it." He said seeing her shrug his hand away. Merthin chuckled and picked up the needle.
"You are angry, that is understandable. You are angry at the needle, that is stupid." Merthin said. Jade shot Merthin a look.
"You don't understand." Jade said. Merthin took a deep breath and released it quickly.
"I am afraid you do not understand Jade. You should be angry at yourself, not the needle." He said.
"Cripes, I thought we crossed that bridge ages ago!" Jade said seeing Merthin shake his head.
"You do not even have a bridge." He said. Jade was starting to feel incredibly irritated in his vague talk about needles and bridges. Just what on earth did they have to pertain in the present world?
"You're stranger than Dumbledore." Jade said. Merthin's eyes lit up and he sat up excitedly.
"Dumbledore! That is a name I have not heard in a while!" Merthin said.
"I don't understand why you're so happy to hear about him. You wanted to kill him and Grindelwald." Jade said.
"Yes but I am very happy I did not. Although I envied their sharp minds and their extraordinary talent in magic. Both possessed a uniqueness that I could not describe in both talent and wit." Merthin said.
"And what about us? What did you think when we first stepped foot in Castile?" Jade asked. Merthin laughed aloud, offending Jade.
"Please do not take this personally but you and your friend are the most gullible and indecisive people I have ever seen…and I have seen many in my life." Merthin said.
"Why, thank you Merthin…this is the nicest thing you've said about me since I've been here." Jade said dryly.
"Oh do not be discouraged. Honestly, I am surprised myself that you have made it this far." Merthin said. Jade hung her head and looked back at her tapestries.
"Just on pure luck and mercy. Besides, the Queen is waiting for my child to be born otherwise I wouldn't have been so lucky. At least Draco's going to stay alive to see-"
"Don't you dare. This will not happen, not for as long as I live. I will defeat her and take you back to your world." Merthin promised.
"Merthin…why don't you come back with us? We all can go back to Hogwarts together. What's the use of staying here? We'll escape and destroy the Portkey." Jade said. Merthin gave her a long stare before responding.
"It sounds so simple and easy, but it is much more complicated than that. How will you convince these people to leave their home for you? These people love what they do and how their lives are governed every day, how will you convince them to give everything up and come to your world?" Merthin asked.
"What do you mean? My world is better, healthier and they don't have to break their backs, fielding and laundering. They have machines for that in my world." Jade said. Merthin seemed interested in the machines that Jade mentioned but he ignored it and tried to bring his point across.
"I do not think you understand because you are being biased. You love your world because you have been born and raised there; throughout your whole life. You are not accustomed to any other world at all. If I had transported myself into your world and we became to be good friends. Would you be able to leave everything behind for good?" Merthin asked. Jade sat in silence realizing that Merthin was right. She would give anything to go back home, even if it was in Snape's Potions classroom.
"I was being selfish wasn't I?" Jade asked softly.
"My child, you did not have any ill intentions. You truly care about these people and at times we sometimes decide what is best for the ones we love because it comforts us." He said.
Jade nodded, her eyes still fixed on the tapestry. She felt a sharp prick on her arm and she shrieked, rubbing her arm vigorously.
"What in the world was that for?!" Jade asked, looking at Merthin as if he were some retarded alien from another planet.
"Are you mad at the needle or me?" Merthin asked, holding the needle up.
"You of course! What are you raving mad?!" Jade asked moving away from him. Merthin went to poke Jade again but she grabbed his arm firmly and pushed him back. She felt horrible for manhandling an old man but he was poking her with a needle! She had no other option left!
"Merthin have you gone nutters?!" Jade asked, seeing him twirl the needle in his fingers.
"No, but your reflexes seem to be slow." Merthin said retracting back. Jade scooted away farther away from him, watching him very carefully. She couldn't believe he was doing this to her. When Merthin made a move towards her, Jade sharply went in for his hand but the needle went flying out of his hand before she went to touch him.
"Are you trying to be funny? I'm not having a great time you know. There are a lot of things bothering me and I don't need someone to stick needles in me to make my life even more depressing as it is." Jade said. Merthin grinned, revealing his long sharp teeth.
"You my child have just performed your first spell without the use of a wand or your voice." Merthin said. Jade felt her eyes widen.
"What? Me?" Jade asked seeing him nod.
"For wizards who practice, they are the ones that sharpen their skills in nonverbal spells without a wand. It is incredibly difficult when you first start, especially when you're expecting it. Feel as if I'm standing right behind you with a needle, ready to dig it into your flesh. You need that rush, that charge to activate the spell, only then can you succeed." Merthin said.
There was a heavy set of footsteps and Jade looked up to see Silvia walking into the oratory.
"Get up, someone needs to distribute food among the builders for their afternoon lunch." Silvia said.
Jade's heart sank as she thought of herself to be in front of Robert. It had been two weeks since she had last seen him and going to see him now wasn't something she was hoping for.
"I'll be there." Jade said. She turned to her side to see Merthin off but was surprised to see that he wasn't there.