LOVE & MAGIC

Chapter Seven: Moonlight

Kaze

Something that always amazed me about Emily was how truly gorgeous she could be. It was a characteristic she shared with Carla. I couldn't help to realize how plain I looked next to her – the same way I always thought I looked plain next to my sister – I was, by no means, what you could call a breathtaking beauty. I was alright, you know, for being me but I didn't expect anyone noticing me at the masquerade ball. Which was good, in a way, I didn't want people to notice me.

But when I saw my brother's jaw drop when he saw Carla, I wondered what it felt like to be looked at in that way.

I shoved these envious feelings aside. "Envy is the path that will lead you to hell". That's what my grandmother used to say whenever I complained about anything my siblings had – Emily's looks and charm, Marco's brain – and I had not. My grams always willed me to believe I was good at something, just that I hadn't found it yet. It was hard, but I always remembered that: "Envy is the path that will lead you to hell."

I was hiding in the back of the ballroom. Marco and Carla dancing around. I had just seen Chris made a fool of himself by singing "Fly me to the moon" totally off key, which made me smile since I knew for a fact he could sing better than that. It was almost midnight and I decided I rather go to bed. Kyle had taken the night off but he was expected to present for duty first thing in the morning – I was actually going to do it since Marco said I should stop pushing it – so I went to look for Marco and Carla to tell them I was off for the night and to tell Carla that I would leave the dress in her room before I went to bed.

I had just spotted my brother and his new ladylove – Carla and he were smitten with one another- When I was suddenly grabbed by the arm, "Why don't you sing for us, honey?" To my horror it was Lady Stephanie. You can't say no to Lady Stephanie.

"But,"

"No buts," she said happy and let me there standing next to the piano.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," the piano-man, and old man with all his hair already white, told me. "After what the king sang, anything will sound like angels."

"I only know one song," I blurted out.

"Which one?" He asked and I leaned in to tell him, it was rather embarrassing since I practically didn't know anyone my age who new it, it was so un-fashion. "Oh, I know it!" Sam – I learned that was his name – said smiling. And the tune came, soft and reassuring.

"You must remember this," I sang, I was sure the only reason why they could hear me – if the could hear me at all – was because, very politely, the other guests had shut up –as they had done all night long – when they saw there was someone singing. I was sure they were just going to make fun of me in private.

But still, the song was so close to my heart that I just let go. I didn't care if they made fun of me.

......

Chris

That tune was surprisingly familiar, though I couldn't quite place it till the girl started to sing. It wasn't a particular good voice or anything. Nice, that's what I would define that voice as: nice but not special. And I thought the same could be said for the owner, it was a nice looking girl but not exactly stunning or anything, average.

But there was something. And I couldn't stop watching. Maybe it was because she was singing as if she meant it, as if that song meant something to her.

Moonlight and love songs,

Never out of date.

Hearts full of passion,

Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man.

And a man must have his mate.

To my right I heard, of all people, Marco Lhite singing along, "On this you can relay,"

"Do you know the song?" I asked politely, personally I had only hear half of it before, that day in the river. Lostry's grandmother's favorite song.

"Oh, yes. It's my sister Kaze's favorite," Marco said easily as the melody build up for the end, "Our grandmother taught it her and ever since you can't get Kaz to shut up with that. I'm pretty sure is the only song she knows."

It's still the same old story,

A fight for love and glory

A case of do or die.

The world will always welcome lovers.

As time goes by.

"Must be popular," I said.

"Not really." Marco said with a shrug, clapping now that the song had ended. "Besides Kaz, I don't know anyone who knows it,"

....

Kaze

Not with little embarrassment I walked out the ballroom. I saw Marco and Carla standing next to Chris so I decided I wouldn't approach me. Supposedly I was one of Carla's friends; since Carla had just made Marco it wouldn't make any sense if I went up to them and excused myself. I knew the shortest way to my room was through the interior garden, it was more like one of those mazes, but I had walked it enough times to know the way.

The moon out was so full and bright that I didn't even thought about brining a candle with me to find the way. Just at the heart of the maze was a fountain, I sat down on the edge looking up at the stars.

I heard a sound at my back, coming from the maze.

"Got bored?"

I looked, it was just Chris. Looking rather delectable, if I might add, in his formal evening wear. "Just a little," I said without paying much attention to him. Or pretending I wasn't paying much attention.

"Yeah, these things can get really boring really quickly." He said and, to my surprise, sat next to me, he had taken off his mask I still had it safely on.

We stayed there in silence. And the weird part was that it wasn't really awkward just, you know, quiet. Finally I gave up, the mask had been bothering me all night and now I was getting itchy so I took it off.

"I was starting to wonder when you would do that," Chris said smiling without looking at me, just waving his hand in the general direction of the mask in my hand. "They itch, don't they? Masks I mean." I didn't answer. Just stared to the sky, "You know that you were the only person in the ball that kept his or her mask all night long?"

"You were really bored, weren't you?"

"I like to people watch. I thought you were hiding something,"

"I'm hiding a lot of things, but none of them are of your concern."

"You say that and it leads me to thing that there is something of my concern among the things you hide," he was teasing; I could tell by his playful tone, it was the same he had used on Kyle that day in the river.

"And that leads me to think that you're really self-absorbed." I answered thinking that I just might end up in that fountain.

"I've been called worst," he said with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

Snap out of it already, Kaze Lhite, he looks good, we already knew that. I swear I'll kill both of us if you start to act stupid. "If I didn't know better I could think you're flirting," I said to quite down the voice in my head.

"If you didn't know better? What do you know? I just might be flirting,"

"I'm too ugly for someone to flirt with me."

Then he turned to look at me for the first time since he had sat next to me, "You got pretty eyes,"

"That's what guys say when they can't find another feature on a woman's body to their liking."

"I would have to get a closer look to your body to make that assessment,"

"Lewd," I said. "How nice."

"You asked,"

"I did not,"

And then conversation flowed. It was a bit weird because he wasn't talking to me as he did with other women. I had heard him talking to women, and Chris acted like the ultimate Lothario, all gallant and stuff when the only thing he was doing was looking at the breasts of the woman in turn. He hadn't look at my breasts, not even once. Not that it was a surprise, guys never looked at me that way - mostly because most guys I knew were Marco's friends and they always thought of my as the five-year-old-little-Kaz. Anyway, Chris was talking as if he considered me intelligent enough to understand something that wasn't related to fashion or parties, kind of as if we were friends and had known each other for a long time.

It was kind of funny too that he didn't ask my name or offered his.

Two hours later I decided it was time to go. We exchanged goodbyes as the church clock announced it was two in the morning. Just as I was leaving he asked for my name.

I told Chris my name was Kaz, only that I said it as if it was spelled Cass... let him believe my name was Cassandra, is not like he would ever see me again. I couldn't take risks. It was bad enough I though he was attractive; I couldn't take the risk of falling in love.

I had made an oath. And oaths aren't a something to be toyed with when you have magic like I do for your magic will hold you to your oaths; first it will go against you till you almost die then against what you love the most because everyone know you never go for death when you can go for pain.

"Hey, I'm Chris, by the way!" He yelled as I disappeared though the maze, "Maybe we'll see each other around."

I couldn't help myself and I yelled "Maybe!"

I sneaked back into my room. Changed clothes and put my pendant back on. I heard some voices in the hallway and I opened my door only to see Carla and Marco laughing – you could tell they had tried to keep it down but had forgotten already – they really seamed to like each other. I was happy for them.

I decided I wasn't going to interrupt them, who knew? They might be already kissing or something that is equally gross when it's about your brother. I looked out of my window, the moon was bathing everything with a silver glow and I saw Chris walk out of the maze, he seemed to have no other worry in the world.

I was smiling at the sight of him, feeling completely happy, which made no sense at all since all we had done was talk. But I don't know. Still, I could hear the alarm horn going off in my head, that's why I started to look up for that list, the one I had made weeks before when I first had moved to Windam Valley. But just as I went through the drawers I remembered I had burned down that one.

So I sat down and came up with another list.

TOP FIVE RESONS WHY YOU, KAZE LHITE, HAVE TO STOP THINKING ABOUT CHRIS RIGHT NOW!!!!

5. - Remember a little thing called an oath?

4. - Remember that most men are scummy rats? Remember what happened with The RAT (a. k. a. Adam Circe)

3. - You can seriously not compete with his past women.

2. - He thinks your someone else!

AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY YOU HAVE TO STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM IS:

1. He doesn't even likes you that way, you tart!!

...

Notes:

I'm having a MCBC withdraw syndrome!!!!!

The boards are down.

Anyway! Thanks for reading.

I gotta run since technically I was doing my homework! I got to go and finish that!

I promise to answer the reviews next time (I did read them!), now I have a Lab Practice to write all down.

SCHOOL SUCKS; COLLEGE SUCKS

I need chocolate....

.... And more caffeine with my coffee.

Please, read and Review, Go ahead, make my day! Reviews are the only thing that keeps me going through the hell of Hidrobiologic Methods I (which means I have to take the II).

Love,

Alex.