Chapter 21

Susan moved up the mountain, out of sight from anyone. She laid herself down on the rocks, clearing pebbles out of her way. She propped herself up against a rock and closed her eyes. She gritted her teeth and slipped softly into the spell. A gentle purple glow enveloped her and she felt the spell attack her energy. Susan opened her eyes and turned her head towards the battle. She blinked and when her lids came up her eyes glowed purple. She looked over the battlefield, picking out the Calormens and Telmarines. She blinked again and her mind sent out feelers, probing into the enemies mind. She raked over their memories, slipped through their darkest secrets. She opened her minds, finding and bringing what she had found back to her in the second it took her to blink. She sifted through it, picking out what she wanted, then she stood and scrambled nearer to the battlefield. She stared at the writhing mass of battle. It was hard to tell who was who. A soft smile graced her lips and she swallowed, before she screamed as she sent out the secrets. Down below Calormens and Telmarines screamed with her, their heads invaded by secrets and terror. Susan gripped the rocky grass beneath her figures, her breath coming out it ragged gasps. She looked down to the battlefield and winced as she saw the Perak recover, shaking their heads like a dog ridding itself of water. She bit her lip and reached inside their secrets and pulled out a few and she shrieked as she felt the pain of her spell rip through her body. She closed her eyes and looked out of one of the Perak's. She saw the Narians turn into terrible people, dressed in black armour and she knew them to be the trainers of the Perak. She retreated back to her own mind and sought out Peter's. She frowned finding nothing. Susan looked down on the battlefield. She gasped in horror as she saw the Archenlanders still fighting against the Telmarines. Susan closed her eyes and the glow around her intensified and she dropped against the mountain in too much pain to scream. The spell racked through her body, tearing through her soul, the spell ripping the secrets she sheltered in her head, tearing her soul from her body. She supported herself on her hands, gasping, tears rolling down her face. Her hands gripped into the side of the mountain, digging into the dirt, shedding blood as her finger scraped against a sharp rock. Down below her the Archenlanders and Narnians were left standing over the writhing, screaming Calormens and Telmarines. Susan felt her body tingle from the force of the spell, she felt like screaming from shear exhaustion. She turned over and lay on her back. She closed her eyes and sought out Peter and found him. She slipped in, unnoticed and rifled through his secrets. She took more time and found what she wanted, then left. Susan sat up and shifted further up the wall of rocks. She breathed in deeply and held it for a couple of seconds, then let it out, closing her eyes. From deep inside her came dark secrets, secrets that put a man into hell and gave him the nightmares that you couldn't wake up from; the ones that were so real that when you did wake up you woke up trying to convince yourself that the place you now were was real. The force blasted through her body and she shook and howled in agony. And then it stopped as the spell did what she had asked of it. Susan sat there a while, eyes closed as the purple glow faded and seeped back into her. She opened her eyes and all there was were her normal eyes. She sat up and looked about her. She turned her head cautiously and smiled. Everything was going to plan Susan turned her head as she heard scrambling and the tumble of rocks. She gasped as she saw Peter stumble his way to the top, a wild look in his eyes. She stood up, hurriedly and gripped the little dagger she had on her belt. Peter swung round and glared at her.

"Get out of my head." he said, his face twisted with hate.

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Edmund looked up into the most beautiful face he had ever seen. He smiled.

"Lucy." he whispered and she smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Hello sleepy head." she giggled. Edmund frowned.

"You've been crying." he said, reaching up and wiping away a tear from her cheek. She laughed a little.

"I thought you had died!" she said, sniffing and trying to hold back her tears.

"Die? When I knew that I would leave the most amazing woman behind me? Never!" Edmund protested and leaned up and kissed her.

"Oh Lucy. I will never leave you. I promise." he said, looking into her caring eyes. She nodded and held him to her.

"Who one?" he asked, looking around the battlefield.

"Us. Thanks to Susan." Lucy said, recognising her sister's work.

"Susan?" Edmund said, frowning.

"She used her power. A lot. She used a lot of energy for us, Edmund." she said. "She'll be very weak."

"You're not after you use yours." Edmund protested.

"But Susan's is more destructive. And she's better at being unnoticed. That uses a lot of energy." Lucy replied, her worry showing on her face.

"Don't worry Luce. She's a fighter."

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Susan swallowed as the crazed looking boy came towards her.

"Get out." he said again and Susan blinked and withdrew a little. Peter gasped and looked back up at Susan, his eyes less wild.

"How did you find me?" Susan asked and the boy pointed down the mountain.

"I followed the trail." he said, breathing heavily. Susan nodded as she saw the purple residue left from her spell.

"But only the gifted can see the spell." Susan said, frowning. Peter snorted.

"You're like Edmund, he's special too-" Susan said, but Peter interrupted, his face furious.

"Oh no! I'm not like Edmund! He doesn't have to try: he just can do it! I have to try and try! I had to train to be able to do this! I had to struggle against my fears, to the right to think in my own head! I bet Edmund wouldn't even be out of breath." he spat and Susan looked at him.

"Why are you doing this Peter?" she asked. Peter looked at her.

"Who cares? Why not?"