Magic's Mark

Chapter 17

I stared into their faces, feeling like all the things I wanted to say was locked tightly behind my lips.

Before I had a chance to say anything the woman spoke, "So how do I know you didn't kill my son using his magic like that?"

Her eyes were a contradictory mixture of concerned and suspicious.

"It'll take a lot more than that to kill Taylor," I huffed out, before think about what I had said.

King Grimstaw's deep belly laugh echoed through the room, his dark eyes sparkled in the dim light.

"You clearly know my son," he focused in on me.

"How did you know who I was?" I replied. My eyes searching him for any clue. He might have saved me from the court, but I still don't know him and he is still a warlock.

"He told me he had sworn his oath to a Vortex, a red haired girl named Cara," he smiled for a second.

"I'm Anastasia," the woman reached her hand out to me.

I grasped it, "Cara."

She nodded gently back at me, "This is Jasper."

I nodded curtly at King Grimstaw and he very subtlety nodded back at me.

"We have to get out of here before anyone talks to you," he added.

"Why?"

"Because you are not a Grimstaw warrior, you know nothing of our traditions and you are in our most sacred place. There are so many thing you could do to slip up," he sighed, "and we can't afford that."

Anastasia held a long deep purple gown in her arms, "Pull this over your clothes."

I nodded, staying silent and pulling the rich, heavy fabric over my head. I still don't trust them completely. But if they are willing to help me out of here, I guess I am better off going with them.

King Jasper closed the door soundlessly behind us and I followed Anastasia's lead walking down the corridor. The heavy stone walls felt like they were moving towards us, as if the walls of the building would collapse at any point. I threw a sideways glace at her, "Why does it feel like we could die in an earthquake?"

She looked over at me, "The castle has looked like this for centuries. I assure you that we have more pressing things to worry about than the solidness of the walls."

She locked her arm into mine, as if we were best friends walking down a perfectly normal shopping street, chatting. For a second we both ignored the fact that we were strangers and allowed the familiarity of a mutual goal to align us, no matter how flimsy that might be.

"Where are we going?" I breathed.

"Out of here," she breathed almost as silently.

We turned the corner of the corridor, I spotted the silhouette of a tall man approaching us in the dark hallway. A few flickering torches on the wall shun some light on his face. His cold harsh features told me that he was looking for any reason to question me. In the small flicker of the burning flame I saw the emblem on his pin, a sweet butterfly. But something about its wings made me think of a bird of prey.

I felt Anastasia's arm tense next to mine, as we came to a halt in front of the man.

"Good evening," her voice was cool.

"Queen," he greeted her begrudgingly.

"Nice to meet you, warrior," King Jasper added. Something in his voice made me tick, he was acting politely but something in his voice reminded me of Taylor.