In Exchange for Magic

"Take off your helmet," Prince Jude told Ez.

He had a way of making a command that wasn't bossy. It was like... It was like you almost wanted to do it.

"Look, I'd love to," Ez babbled nervously. "But we've really got to get going. We're going to be late for... The... Uh..."

We started shuffling forwards, with Ez's arms secured around our shoulders. He tested his legs on the ground and found that he could stand a little on his own. He gasped in surprise and triumph and told us in a feverish whisper.

As we slowly moved towards the exit, we gradually let Ez begin to walk by himself. His knees knocked together and he was wobbling like he was standing on the deck of a ship.

Prince Jude easily walked in front of us. He withdrew his sword and pointed it a Ez's neck. Ez's eyes widened. Anger and a hint of jealousy swirled in his face. Defiantly, he withdrew his own sword. Well, it was actually the guard's sword and, in his weak state, it put him incredibly off balance.

Prince Jude looked at Ez's weapon, and calmly flicked his own sword to point to the elf girl.

"No!" Ez cried.
"He's pointing his sword at me!" she breathed excitedly.
"Oh, shut up!" I told her.

The Cyan's gaze darted to me for a second and, before I knew it, the tip of another sword was at my throat.

Ez sighed and dropped his sword. It clattered to the ground at Prince Jude's feet.
"If I had my old belt back, you'd be in big trouble."
"I'm sure I would."
"Please stop threatening my friends."
"Okay, I will... As soon as you take off your helmet."

"Don't do it, Ez!" I cried.

But he wouldn't listen to me. When does he ever? He tugged off the helmet and looked at Prince Jude's forehead instead of his eyes - a habit he formed out of nervousness.

"Fangs... And elf ears," the Prince muttered to himself.
"I'm sorry, you guys," Ez whispered to the elf girl and I. "Maybe if I turn myself in, you'll be able to-"
"Half-Breed," Prince Jude addressed Ez. "You're a Half-Breed."
Ez winced, but remained silent.
"You're supposed to be dead."

Ez bowed his head.

"Look, I understand that I must be killed... But my friends here didn't do anything. Can you find it in your heart to let them go? You could tell your father-"
"My father?"
"The... The King?" I reminded him timidly.
Prince Jude snickered. "My father isn't going to know about this!"

Ez, the elf girl, and I all silently shot each other looks. We wouldn't admit it, but we were all wondering if Prince Jude was in the process of falling off his rocker...

"By the way," he said. "Escaping through the kitchens? Bad idea."
My heart skipped a beat.
"That window right over there would be a much better bet."

"What are you doing?" Ez asked, slightly suspicious.
Prince Jude shrugged. "Pissing off my father. This is the first time I've ever gotten the chance to stop an execution... And that's what I plan to do. So hurry!"

Without a backwards glance, we all ran towards the window... Well, minus Ez. He wobbled on his feet like a newborn calf, and held his hand out to Prince Jude.

"Thanks," he said sincerely.
"Anytime."
Ez rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I know it's probably none of my business... But... Are you having girl problems?"
Prince Jude laughed. "You could say that... Elaine is being... Well, she's in one of her moods..."
"You love her?"
"Yeah. Of course."
"Then tell her."
"But, I-"
"Trust me," Ez assured him. "It works every time."

Jude nodded and tried to hide a smile as Ez shimmied back to us. I caught a hold on his shoulder to steady him.

Then, as easy and one, two, and three... We were out of the window and into the flower garden.

-_-_-_-

"I can do it," Ez said confidentially as we all rushed towards the woods near the back of the Palace. "I can do it by myself."

He continued to hobble along, still feeling a little shaky on his legs, but unwilling to accept help. My heart was thudding somewhere in my stomach, and I felt an odd urge to scream. We were sweaty and, in some cases, covered with silver blood - but we were ecstatic.

I was amazed that we'd never been found out. I mean, how many minutes had passed between my knocking out the guard and our escape? Twenty? Thirty?

It didn't seem like much, but surely it was enough for us to be discovered?

We pressed onwards, now fully covered by trees... But still feeling like we weren't in the clear. Every rustle of a leaf or snap of a twig sounded like an army. Every raggedly drawn breath felt like daggers in our throats.

It was at least an hour of stumbling and running later that we finally collapsed onto the ground. Ez looked as if he'd taken the running the hardest, but he was trying not to show it.

The elf girl looked more annoyed than tired. She could probably sprint all day if she wanted to... But, even though the sun was going down, it was hot and humid.

The heels of my shoes had broken off miles ago. My toes felt numb and I could see that they were swollen. I didn't have it as bad as Ez, though. He didn't have any shoes.

"Do you think it's safe to stop?" Ez asked us.
The elf girl shrugged and I nodded, trying to be reassuring.

Ez laid back, resting his head on the cool earth. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Hey, Rose?" he asked.
"Yeah?"
"Can I hold it?"

I unbuttoned the front pocket of my dress and slipped the book out. Ez stretched his hands out eagerly, but was too tired to get up off the ground. I tossed it to him. He ran his fingers over the leather-bound spine and traced the peeling gold letters.

"A History of Magical Deformities and the Mixing of Breeds..." he whispered. "Do you guys think I'm a magical deformity?"
"Yeah," the elf girl teased.
"Hey!" Ez shouted half-heartedly. "I can't get no respect around here..."
I laughed.

"We should start walking again," Ez sighed, lovingly tucking the book up under his shirt. "If we get an early start, we could still make it back in time for my birthday."
"Birthday?" the elf girl asked, "What's-"
"It's a human thing," Ez explained knowingly. "They celebrate the weirdest shit."

I rolled my eyes.

Ez hauled himself up from the ground and then began walking slowly but surely away from us. Lacking the strength to turn around or to even call out, he beckoned us after him with a lazy sweep of his arm.

I groaned and the elf girl sighed, but we got up and followed him. Before the first mile was over, I'd already decided that no shoes were better than my de-heeled stilettos. I kicked them off and was pleasantly surprised when I found that my feet were so numb that I couldn't feel the rocks and briars bury themselves into my toes.

We walked on.

That's all I can think to describe it. We just walked. There was no energy, at least in mine and Ez's case, for conversation - and I don't think the elf girl wanted to talk to us anyway.

Shortly after twilight, even the elf girl was beginning to tire. The only reason Ez stopped was because she stubbornly sat down in the middle of the clearing and refused to move an inch.

He was haggard. He looked torn and beaten... Which he was. Death, and twenty miles - all in one day. This has not been a good one for Ez.

"Okay, fine," he muttered grumpily. "But we're getting up early tomorrow."

The elf girl and I sighed with relief and sank down to the moist earth. I instantly started to drift off, more from exhaustion than for want of sleep. Before I escaped into slumber, I caught a glimpse of Ez pulling the book out from under his shirt. He opened it, wincing when one of the yellow pages cracked off into his lap.

He hunched over and began to read.