Dark Dance

Leila and I slipped into the royal study. We both looked back at the door and giggled quietly. Father should really invest in some new guards. Mike was so slow, if he was lucky he would realize that Leila sent him on a wild goose chase.

She had walked up to him teary eyed saying that no matter where she looked she couldn’t find Cyrus. Mike was easily fooled and went searching, while we entered the study. If he was worth his pay he would’ve realized that Leila is bonded to Cyrus, she always knows where he is. The guards weren’t the only thing that needed changing.

It took me two second flat to grab the metal handle and force it to unlock. I may not be an expert on metal magic, but I can do simply things. Anything that is metal or has metal will bend to my will, or slightly bend. I can only work with small things, mostly door locks. That was the first thing learned. Now once I have my book back I can start learning how to animate metals.

“Over here,” Leila whispered shouted. She was pointing to a large oak desk positioned close to the back wall. She tried all the draws, all of them opened except the bottom one on the left. “I think they’re in here, but it’s locked.” I hustled over and bent down. The lock was brass. I smiled to myself and pressed my index finger to it. The metal hummed under my finger sending tingles through my hand. I pictured a key sliding in it hitting all the correct tumblers. The lock clicked. I pulled back and low and behold there were my books.

“Let’s get out of here before Mike realizes he’s been duped.” I grabbed my book, closed the draw, locked it and followed Leila out of the room. She slowly closed the door.

“Lock this one too,” she said. I grabbed the handle and willed it to lock.

***

“I thought Ryan would’ve already asked for my hand in marriage, but he hasn’t.” I tried to ignore Savannah as I looked through Metal Magic , but she kept going on and on. If she hadn’t been so distracted with thoughts of Ryan she would still be in cooking class, but she got carried away. She added way too much yeast to the dough and it exploded. If it was normal yeast it would’ve done that but Lady Latasha likes to work with only the best.

So there we were. Savannah pacing the room blabbering on and on about her Ryan, cause she got kicked out of cooking. Leila lying on her bed looking at Warlocks: 12 Princes , cause she was still being punished for her behavior yesterday. As for me I just plan out refused to go to cooking. I had more important things to learn, like learning how to make metal levitate. If I could master that, I would never lose another coin toss against Cortez.

Cortez was a ward from another kingdom. It must have been somewhere exotic because he looked exotic. He was tall, even taller than me; he had smoldering brown eyes, strong cheek bones, lushes lips, black hair and to top it off dark skin. Mmm. Break me off a piece of that.

“Are you two even listening to me? I hate to admit this but I think he is seeing someone else.” Savannahs shrill tone snapped me out of my day dream. I glanced over to her debating if I should show her the picture. She stopped pacing and looked at me. Her eyes were sullen, her skin paler than usual, and she looked thin. I shouldn’t have to be the one to break this to her, but she
needs to know.

“No not really, I’m too engrossed into this book,” Leila mumbled out, not even glancing up.

“I think it’s time you knew.” I closed my book and rolled off my bed.

“What should I know?” Savannah asked with total curiosity. I dug into my pocket and retrieved my phone. I brought up the picture and handed it to her. She stood there squinting, then they grew wide, she cocked her head, and that was it. She handed my phone back. For a few seconds she just stood there.

“That boyfriend stealing, moose munching, slim sucking, meanie!” Savannah shouted. She turned on her heels and bolted from the room slamming the door in the process.

“What just happened?” I glanced at Leila seeing that she had laid down the book to watch the show. I walked over to her and handed her my phone. “Oh man is Margaret going to get it,” she snickered. I nodded my head in agreement then put my phone away. Then I flopped on my bed and continued reading.

Just like willing metal to your will through touch, there has to be a connection when trying to will an object with thought. You have to look at the metal as if it is alive. You have to feel what it is feeling and picture yourself as it. Then and only then will you be able…

“No way! Judith, I think you’re right!” Leila shouted at the top of her lungs making me jump. I lumber to my feet and go to her.

“What I’m I right about?”

“The princes. I think the princes we dance with every night are the princes in this book,” she excitedly reported to me.

“That can’t be possible, I mean I know I was staying this yesterday, but that book is at least a couple centuries old. I was even lucky to get it out of the library, and they only then let me because the book is a fairytale, it’s nothing special,” I said siting down on Leila’s bed.

“Well in that case it makes perfect sense.”

“Excuse me? Explain?”

“The book says the princes were cursed by a good witch. The cursed caused them to never age, until they found their counterpart to balance themselves out.”

“Why would they need to be balanced out?”

“It says here,” she points to a paragraph, “that these were no ordinary princes. They were the warlocks of natural disasters: avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires, floods, tsunamis, blizzards, droughts, hailstorms, heat waves, tornadoes, and epidemics. They were able to somehow escape there ether forms and become solid. They brought chaos and destruction to the world. It was no longer chance if something happened. If they didn’t like something or someone they let their control lax.

“So why aren’t they out wreaking havoc? I mean if they are all powerful then why do they dance with us?”

“The curse stops their growth and in turn stops their control. As for why they dance with us…” We both sat there in silent trying to understand their so called ‘kindness’. I shake my head in disbelief.

“What if they think we are their counterparts? Does it say anything about their counterparts?” I asked.

“No I haven’t gotten that far yet, but if we go back there, there is something we should be wary of.”

“What?” I asked. The more and more information I got the more and more I wanted to shatter the mirror and never go there again.

“The place they were imprisoned was said to be ugly and demeaning.”

“But it’s not.” The place we pass through is gorgeous.

“The witch gave a warning that a century after her death if the princes still had yet to locate their counterparts, the curse would alter. It would no longer be a restriction but a tool. They would be able to make their home as they see fit and be able to control everything in it.” Leila gave me a grim look. We both knew that we would have to go back down there, but the question in our minds was: would we make it out?

***

I danced with Garrett, wary of what he could possibly be. For as long as we have come here to dance we have yet to learn anything besides their names. If they were the warlocks, why would they dance with us? Was it a courting ritual?

“You seem distracted tonight, is something wrong?” Garrett asked his voice was like velvet. He was taller than me by just a few inches, his eyes were a dark green almost black, his hair was an earthy brown and he put out an air of power and control.

“Oh nothing, just thinking that’s all.” There was no way I was going to tell him anything. I never really wanted to dance with him, but he always took me by the hands and led me to the dance floor. I only came to make sure my sisters were safe.

“What you thinking about?” He asked as he swung me around him.

“A book.” He reeled me out then pulled me close.

“You should be thinking about the here and now. You’re with me, let go and have fun.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Then I felt it. He lowered his hand below my lower back to my butt. “Just relax. No harm will come to your sisters.” He sounded sincere but the glint in his eyes made me nervous.

I pulled from him as he leaned towards me for a kiss. That was not going to happen. I stepped out of his embrace.

“Hey girls it’s getting late. We need to start for home.” I heard all my sisters groan, but they had to deal with it. My sisters one by one left their partners, except for Leila. Caleb wouldn’t let go of her, so I helped him. I grabbed Leila and pulled her away. “If we don’t leave now we will be late.” His eyes were dark but he nodded and smiled. As I lead Leila away I kept looking back, there always seemed to be a hot breath on my neck.