ENCHANTED Book 1: Witch's Dawn

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MORTAL REALM: TÖRLÊM

"Hey, you doing okay?" Veronica asked her best friend worriedly. "You don't look so hot, and have you lost some weight?"

Helen gave her a small smile and shook her head slightly. "It's nothing serious. I just haven't been sleeping well recently." The nightmares had started to occur more often and had become more realistic, making it hard for her to close her eyes at night.

"Ooh... Insomnia's the worst," she sympathized. "Have you checked it out at the hospital?"

Helen nodded. "Yeah. I'm on mild sleeping pills right now, but I think I may need a stronger prescription."

Ronnie looked at her comfortingly. "So sorry hon, wish there was something I could do to help." Her eyes suddenly lit up in excitement. "Maybe there is something I can do! Movie night,  your place, this saturday. And I'll sleep over too. Having me with you could help you sleep better."

She was so excited that Helen didn't have the heart to refuse her, so she nodded her head instead. She let out a small squeal in celebration and proceeded to hug her. "We're going to have so much fun."

"What's this I hear about a movie and fun?" Ryan asked amused as he joined their conversation.

Ronnie rolled her eyes and gave him a cheeky smile (a far cry from her reaction to him a month ago). "Hey there Romeo."

"Juliet," he answered back pleasantly. It had sort of become their thing since Ryan got recognized unofficially as the hottest guy in school. 

He was always swarmed by members of the opposite sex everywhere he went, and also, he seemed to be keeping his contact with her to the bare minimum required to qualify as her friend. Helen didn't like it. She also didn't like all the female attention he was getting -especially the ones from Ashley and her posse- but she kept her opinions to herself. She had too much on her plate already with the nightmares and her insomnia, she didn't want to add boy trouble to all of it; no matter how much it hurt.

"So, movie?" He asked again absentmindedly moving closer to Helen and casually putting his arm around her shoulders.

Helen tried not to show how unsettled she was by his actions. It was the little things like these that made her heart skip a beat for him and also made her the unspoken enemy of almost every girl in school. But the culprit in question seemed oblivious.

"We're having movie night over at Helen's on Saturday to help her relax and feel better," Ronnie finally answered his question.

Ryan suddenly turned to scrutinize her thoroughly. "You okay?" He asked gently, making her heart and her face heat up.

"Yeah," she mumbled ducking her head in embarrassment. "Just a little insomnia."

"Hmm..." He hummed speculatively. "This party exclusive?" He asked Ronnie with a suggestive grin. And she laughed when she noticed Helen stiffen slightly.

"Of course not," she drawled wickedly, "the more the merrier."

"Cool. It's a date then," Ryan said satisfied and stood to leave them. "Ladies if you'll excuse me now, I have something that requires my attention." He gave them a final grin and walked away.

Helen groaned out loud as soon as he was out of earshot. To think her heart leapt pathetically in her chest at the word 'date'. She was really a goner.

"You should see your face," Veronica giggled. "You've totally got the hots for him and I don't blame you. He's totally swoon worthy."

Helen hid her face in her hands. "Ronnie not now. It doesn't matter how I feel if he doesn't feel the same way."

"Hmm... I don't think so though?" Helen glared at her and she raised her hand in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll drop it. But I still think you should tell him how you feel. It's obvious he cares about you."

"As a friend," she said firmly. "And let's leave it at that."

"If you say so," Ronnie relented with a sigh.

"Yes," she replied quietly. It wasn't what she wanted but she didn't want to jeopardize the relationship they had right now if her feelings turned out to be one-sided. Something in her told her she wouldn't be able to bear losing him, so she'd rather have him in her life as a friend than not at all.

MORTAL REALM: POLONIA

"Gazar. It has been a while since you asked for my permission to locate the remnants of the royal family." Delterzard started telepathically. "Why is it that I am yet to receive any report from you?"

Gazar trembled slightly when he heard his master's voice in his head. "Your majesty, procuring the warriors meant to track them is proving more difficult than I anticipated."

"What?!" He roared in outrage. "Who dares to defy me? Do they not know of my might?"

"My Lord, these warriors are immune to the magic of many. So, they are not so easily intimidated," He replied meekly.

"Bring them to the castle, Gazar," Delterzard commanded darkly. "They may be immune to magic, but they are not immune to torture."

Gazar swallowed physically at the evil promise dripping out of his master's every word. How could he tell him that even doing that would be a great challenge? He had served the Dark lord for decades and he knew how deadly  his rage could be. He also knew that distance would not be an obstacle if his master decided to punish him right now. He was that terrifying.

"I expect them here by noon, Gazar. Be sure not to fail me, or you know the consequences," he warned and cut the connection.

Gazar looked around the camp at the five -out of twenty- soldiers that remained with him, and prepared himself mentally for the worst. As he fell gradually into despair, an idea came to him; giving him a glimmer of hope. Seduction. It worked once, it could work again. But this time his target would be the youngest of the group, since she knew the least about him.

He grinned to himself and, with the idea buzzing in his mind, he disappeared from the camp.

*** At this point I'm a bit anxious about a lot of things, but here's to hoping that it'll all work out somehow...>.< ***