Chapter Fifteen: Flying Carpets
Russell knocked three times on the dungeon door and waited. "Come in!" Mordred boomed from within.
Russell entered cautiously and ducked for good measure as he stepped into the dingy room. He didn't want to get hit in the face by another bucketful of swamp water.
"Yes, master?" he said obediently.
"Stir this," Mordred ordered absently. He was preoccupied with a book entitled Tryvcrts.
Oh, brother, Russell thought with an inward groan. Tryvcrts were like vampire-werewolves, except they could change form at will and weren't allergic to sunlight or garlic.
If Mordred was planning on turning one of those on Carmen…he shuddered to think. He felt slightly reassured by the fact that they were wild and impossible to tame.
Russell stirred obediently while Mordred paced back and forth, his nose in the book and muttering to himself.
He peered into the murky depths of whatever it was he was stirring and immediately averted his gaze, repulsed.
The contents of the cauldron had the color and consistency of spinach but smelled like rotten eggs.
"What is this, master?" Russell asked. Mordred muttered something unintelligible and Russell didn't press the matter. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know.
"Stop stirring," Mordred ordered presently, shutting the book. Russell stopped and pulled out the stirrer. His eyes widened with shock when he saw the part of the stirrer that had been in the brew was charred, practically burned away.
"Hmmm," Mordred said disapprovingly. He waved his wand and it vibrated violently for a moment in Russell's hands. When it stopped, it was good as new. Russell dropped it and massaged his hands, which were tingling unpleasantly.
"We are going to have to make a little trip, boy," Mordred said. "Or, rather, you are. This potion cannot work against her," Mordred said her, meaning Carmen, with more contempt than Russell had imagined possible, "without some part of her. A strand of hair will do."
Russell swallowed hard. "Can't you just magic it over, master?" he asked, rather desperately.
Mordred gave him the evil eye. "If I could," he said haughtily, "do you think I would be asking you?"
He had a point.
000000000
Two-Bit took his seat next to Carmen that afternoon at debate club. "Hey," he whispered to her. She smiled slightly at him. The dark circles she had had in the morning were gone.
Ms. Wilson took her place in the front of the class. "Okay, everybody, let's begin today's debate."
Two-Bit tuned out. He wondered why he was even in debate club. Oh yeah. He had signed up because he thought Carmen was hot. Well, they knew each other now, so why were they still in debate club?
He glanced over at Carmen. She was staring straight ahead innocently, but Two-Bit knew that look too well. He thought loudly, You were listening in, weren't you?
Carmen thought back, Not my fault. I don't do this on purpose. Ever since I inherited my mother's magic I don't just listen in on people's thoughts. If they think really loud, like you, then I just hear them if they're close enough. It's like they're talking aloud. It actually gets quite annoying.
Two-Bit wondered if there was any way he could think softer. He tried it and looked at Carmen out of the corner of his eye. She shook her head ever so slightly.
They spent the rest of debate club doing that, instead of paying attention to the argument two Socs were having about the draft.
000000000
Two-Bit walked Carmen home, like he did every afternoon, since they lived so near each other.
"You gonna be okay?" he asked quietly when they reached her doorstep.
"Yes, of course," she said unconvincingly. Two-Bit raised an eyebrow at her. She sighed.
"Two-Bit," she said. "I'll be fine. My mom's free." That last word hung in the air.
"Free?" Two-Bit echoed. "It's complicated," Carmen said. "I think there's a chapter on it in your book."
Two-Bit groaned. "Spare me," he moaned. Carmen laughed. "Reading isn't going to kill you."
"Yeah, but you explain it better," Two-Bit insisted like a four-year-old. Carmen took a deep breath and launched into an explanation.
"Oh," he said when she had finished. "So, really there's no point in grieving."
"No, not really," Carmen said. "I miss her, but at least I know she's all right and not smothered six feet under."
"Okay," Two-Bit said. That being said and done, they shuffled in uncomfortable silence on the steps for a minute or so.
"So," Two-Bit said. "So," Carmen said. It was awkward. Carmen stared up at the cerulean sky.
"Carmen," Two-Bit said suddenly. Carmen's gaze met his, and she was surprised to see the color of his eyes. Cerulean. Like the sky.
He was too close for comfort, and coming even closer. She could see her reflection in his eyes. He leaned in and kissed her.
Carmen spent the first couple of seconds figuring out what to do with her nose. After that, it seemed to come so naturally.
Beyond that, the sorcery in her intervened and suddenly Carmen's mind was teeming with everything Two-Bit had ever known. She wondered if he was feeling the same thing.
They broke apart and stared at each other in shock. "Did you—?" Carmen started. "Yeah," said Two-Bit, sounding bemused. "What was that all about?"
"I don't know," Carmen said truthfully. "It was like we were each other for a second…I've never heard of anything like this happening before."
"Maybe it's because I share some of your magic," Two-Bit suggested. Carmen looked up at him. He was gazing back at her seriously.
"Yeah…maybe," Carmen said distractedly. "I just remembered…but maybe it's not…well, it could be…"
"Could you be any more vague?" Two-Bit commented, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Sorry," Carmen said hurriedly. "I have to go look up something. Want to come?"
"Sure…" Two-Bit followed her up into the attic. "What're we doing up here?" he asked. The ceiling was so low he had to stoop to keep from hitting his head. Carmen, on the other hand, could walk upright and barely brush her head against the ceiling.
"Here it is!" Carmen said triumphantly. "Voila!" She unrolled an old rug, sending dust everywhere.
Two-Bit sneezed. When the dust cleared, his eyes widened at the sight before him. It was a magnificent Persian rug. He hardly dared to believe it, but then again, anything was possible with Carmen.
"Come on," she said, sitting cross-legged on it. Two-Bit sat down cautiously and it rose several feet in the air.
"A flying carpet…" he said weakly. "Yeah," Carmen said. "Hold on." Two-Bit held on, and almost flew off anyway when it began zooming.
I've got a bad feeling about this, Two-Bit thought. He shook off the feeling. Probably just nervous. Anyone would be, on this death trap!
He didn't know it then, but he would regret this later.
000000000
More coming later.