Princess of the night

Chapter three

Asha pov:

A few weeks later:

"Perhaps you should turn to your right Alex" I point my finger. "It's easier to film the movement then" Alex nods as he goes to stand again. "Zayne if you will run from the trees over there..." I point to a group of trees behind us. I see a black raven flying towards us "the book in your left hand" "will do Asha" he rushes to the trees. I hold up my fingers and count down from three. Starting the video at the 2 second count. Once started I film how Zayne rushes to Alex. Holding up a book crying out: "oh honourable knight! Safe us! Safe us from this doom!" Alex turns to the right, holding out his sword, "again such black magic made its way to us, what is it peasant?" He holds his head high, Zayne drops to his knees: "this magic! It has numbers and letters!" He throws their math book on the ground, it falls open on chapter three. Alex looks down on it, with disgust on his face. "The mathecionus! Real black magic!" "Oh honourable knight! Have mercy on me!" "Perhaps only this once!" He points his sword to the book, saying in a dangerously low voice: "this book should be burned...to safe us all" "and done!" I stop the filming and we burst out laughing. "This will be amazing" Alex puts his sword back in his sword holder. "I bet our math teacher won't laugh about it tho" Zayne grabs the book standing up. "No but the art teacher will laugh about it" I close the iPad cover. Putting it in my bag. "Did we film everything?" Alex nods. "Talked about all the things we had to talk about?" He nods again "Good...I'll edit the videos tonight and send it to you two." "Thanks Asha" Zayne puts the book in his bag. "Of course...let's take a walk to the waterfall...we can have our little picknick there" "sure thing" we start to walk, getting into a conversation about the knights Templar. The raven flies past us. It looks like the raven from my dream...but don't all ravens look a like? Is it following us? That's not possible right?

"Perhaps we could go to a LARP festival?" Alex polishes his sword carefully. Zayne laughs: "I would really like that, but I want to go as a sorcerer" "yes and I can go as a princess knight! The one from our story!" "Yea we can just play out our story" I grab a sandwich "anyone else?" "Yea, one with cheese!" Alex makes grabbing hand. "The cheese of truth" "no just cheese...you're really spending to much time on TikTok Zayne" Alex takes the sandwich from my hand as I burst out laughing. "He?! You're joking surely" "no actually I've been spending more time on TikTok" "damn Zayne...we're really have effect on you" "oh shut up Asha" Alex and I laugh softly. "Did you know that on TikTok I can get twice as much information about topics that I like in a shorter amount of time" "yea we do...that's why we call it...wait do we even have a nickname for it?" Alex looks at me questionable "no we don't Alex" he smiles nodding "ohwwww I knew that" "sure you did" Zayne grabs the last sandwich. "So Asha...still seeing the man in your dreams?" Alex crosses his legs. Zayne watches me carefully. "Not since that last dream I've told you about" it's been a few weeks now. My dreams are scarier then before. And I finally told my friends about it. Zayne frowns: "perhaps it's over now?" "Perhaps it is" I watch the water fall to the ground. We're on top of the place where the waterfall is. On the right side is a tree. A raven sits on one of the branches. Perhaps I am going crazy, but isn't that the same bird that I've been seeing this past week? "I want to visit that new witchy store" Alex takes a bite from the sandwich "I promise you don't" Zayne answers. But I'm not really listening. I'm watching the raven, it seems like he's watching us, is that even possible? Why would a raven follow us? "Asha?" Zayne shakes my shoulder softly. I look over to him "yea?" "You were kind of in a trance" I frown a little looking back to the tree, "there was a raven..." I inspect the tree as I point to it, but the raven is gone. "There was nothing there, just a tree" I shake my head "that's impossible...there was a Raven...just like the raven while we were filming" "what raven?" Alex asks "the one coming from the trees! You seriously didn't see it?" I turn to look at him. He shakes his head, his face is full of concern. Didn't they see the black feathered raven? Am I going crazy? "Are you feeling alright Asha?" Zayne's voice Is filled with concern "yea I am" I meet his eyes "what do you know about ravens following people?" "Asha there was no raven" "answer me!" He shares a look with Alex before answering carefully: "I know a few things...it can for example mean you're in danger or- "nice word choice man" Alex glares at him. "Go on" "or about loss or death but they also are a symbol of wisdom and- "I'm not asking about symbols...why do ravens follow people?" "Maybe you fed one? They are smart animals" "mhm no...." I look back to the tree "never mind". Atleast I don't remember feeding one... but he also said about being in danger...the man...my mom...my dad.....the curse? "I think we should pack our things up" Zayne stands up, Alex follows his example, I look up to them. "Why?" "You're not acting like yourself Asha...I wouldn't want to ta- "I'm fine" I keep sitting "don't worry about it.." "Asha you are seeing things that aren't there...whether you believe in magic or not...that's not good" I bite my lip. I hate his tone and how right he is. I've known the two boys as long as I can remember. We grew up together, in church, in school...in everything. I stand up still watching the tree. "Fine..." I see the boys smile a little before sharing a look.

I'm putting the last things in the bag, Alex and Zayne run around. I close the bag when Zayne taps my shoulder, I look up, seeing him stare at something, his face pale, like he saw a ghost, he whispers: "You're being watched" I stand up straight. "That's not funny Zayne..." "no he's serious...a man is watching you" Alex stands next to Zayne pointing in the direction of the tree, I turn to look to the place that Alex points to. I feel my heart skip a beat as I meet the eerily familiar eyes of the man from my dreams. He stands there unmoved a black raven on his shoulder. "We have to run" my voice is nothing but a whisper. "What?" Alex tries to meets my eyes, his face full of concern. "We have to run" I repeat still observing the man. He is once again dressed in all black. Yet this time his coat a little shorter. The raven sits on his shoulder. It looks like he's talking to the man. "Grab the bag Alex..." my voice sounds like a child, scared of a spider, begging the parents to take it "please" he does what I'm asking. "C-can you run with it?" "Why are you whispering" Zayne observes me. He's concerned. I can't tell him... "run..." we turn around, all three of us start to run. I didn't even wait for Alex's reaction yet he runs. He's a kind soul. I feel my heart beating louder, and my belly fills with fear. My eyesight gets more blurry with each step that I take. My dreams are coming alive...and I do not like it. "Asha!" I look up seeing Zayne look back to me. I hate the look of concern "where to run?!" "Our bikes!" "I don't think he's following us..." "no I don't care...Zayne please" he nods turning back again. Why are my dreams coming alive? Does this have to do with the curse?

We're all turning right, we're cycling underneath the highway and then into the quiet street. "That was absolutely crazy, what was that?!" Alex looks at me while we're crossing a bridge. "You don't want to know..." "we do Asha! We ran from a person that was clearly watching you" Zayne glares at me. I feel my heart beating harder, sweat falls from my head. "No you don't" we turn right. "Alex do you still want to see the witchy store?" "Yes of course but you are not answering- "then we will go to there now!" I interrupt them while I pass them. That woman said she would always want to help me when it came down to magic...let's see if she spoke the truth. I hear the boys yell, but I can't answer them. I have to get to the store...I have to go there. I need answers! We cycle for a bit until we arrive at the store. I jump from my bike, putting it against a wall I lock it. The boys follow my example and soon we're standing in front of the door. "Do not speak" I order them. I know I shouldn't but I don't want to endanger them, not more then I've already done. The boys nod. Alex opens the door, and we're all stepping in. There's not one customer. And no one at the register. "Just look around" I tell the boys before walking towards the register. "No I'm staying with you" Alex follows me. "Me as well, I want answers Asha" Zayne walks on my right side. Once we reach the counter a door opens, walking from it is the same woman from a few weeks ago. Her eyes light up once she sees us. She meets my eyes. "Hello Asha...you've brought friends" "yea eh I need answers...and I-I...think you can help me"