“He’s already been picked up!” the cheery day-care coordinator chirped. I frowned, and walked back out of the center.
“Yasuo isn’t here,” I said to Alek.
“Strange…” he muttered. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. “What are you doing?”
“Calling my mother.”
She picked up on the third ring.
“Irene Silvers, how may I help you?”
“Mother. It’s me, Nami. Do you have Yasuo?” There was a long pause over the phone. I sighed.
“I don’t have him, honey,” Mother finally said when she finished with whatever she was doing.
“Oh. Okay then. Bye.” I hung up the phone and dialed Dad’s number.
He didn’t have Yasuo, either. Nor did Caddie. It was so frustrating to not know where my brother was. I mean, little boys just don’t disappear off the face of the earth, right?
“Where could he be, then?” Alek asked. We were still standing in front of the day-care center. I stared at the door, and then gasped, whirling around to face him.
“Alek, your grandfather!” I exclaimed, and his eyes widened.
“Oh, no, this is not good,” he said. “We have to get to my realm, and we have to get there now. Yasuo could be in serious trouble.”
Does it ever end?
“Isaac, are you here?” He appeared from around some corner, which he always seems to do.
“Yes, yes. What is it, Alek?” I started blubbering.
“Isaac, Yasuo is gone, and we don’t know what happened to him, and we think that Alek’s grandfather might’ve done something to him, and we need your help! We don’t know how to get to him, or who took him, and…and—” I think I started hyperventilating. Alek put his arms around me and sighed.
“Isaac, calm her…please.” Suddenly, I felt a light humming in my ears, as if someone were singing softly to me. Almost instantly, I felt relaxed, even though I tried to fight it. I leaned into Alek.
“What’s going on?” I mumbled.
“Isaac’s magic. It works like green tea…or yoga,” Alek replied.
Isaac smiled.
I tried to scowl, but found I was too mellowed out to. So I settled for sighing.
“Slowly now. What’s happened?” he asked.
“Yasuo has gone missing. Nami thinks that Grandfather has something to do with it, and, quite frankly, I do too,” Alek explained. I looked up at him, then at Isaac and nodded. His brow creased, knitting together. He and Alek stared at each other for what seemed like eternity, having one of their silent conversations. Eventually, my patience meter was starting to run low, and Alek laughed abruptly.
“Don’t let a scowl cloud your pretty face,” he said, smiling. I wanted to smile back at him. But…I wasn’t in the mood for smiling; my baby brother was missing. Both Alek and Isaac knew this, and they’d become serious again. They even verbalized the conversation, so I’d be more a part of it.
“…your friends, Elijah and Damian,” Isaac was saying.
“Yes…Elijah could really help,” Alek pondered. “Do you know where they are? It’s been a while since I last visited them.” Isaac nodded. Alek frowned, and then loosened his face again, and I knew there was a silent transaction going on. I stood with my arms crossed, glaring at the floor.
“Men…” I muttered. Isaac laughed, and walked off. Alek captured me in his arms.
“You’re so impatient,” he said.
“My brother is missing,” I snapped. He sighed.
“I understand. Anyway, Isaac told me where I could find my friends.” He paused waiting for me to answer. When I didn’t say anything, he began to sift through my thoughts.
Are they male? Isaac said ‘Elijah’ and ‘Damian.’ Alek nodded.
“They are. But Nami, they’re the ones who’ll give us the most help,” he said. Are they straight? Again, he nodded. “Don’t worry. They won’t do anything to you.” I sighed, and Alek hugged me tighter.
“Are we leaving now?” I asked aloud.
“Only if you’re ready.” I nodded.
.::.~.::.
We teleported. Alek said it would be much faster than walking. He warned me to behave, and I told him that I always behave rationally.
“Just a pre-warning. Be prepared for anything,” he said.
“Alek!” He sighed.
“Damian!” he called back to the voice, and a boy appeared in front of us. I swear he dropped out of the sky. I looked around and noticed we were standing in front of a house. This boy, ‘Damian,’ must’ve jumped from the open window.
“I sure did,” the boy answered, grinning. I stared at him.
“Magician…” I muttered.
“Actually, he’s only half-magician. Damian and his brother are also half-vampire,” Alek said, also staring at Damian. He grinned.
“Hey now. I wasn’t going to. Just a thought. Let me get Elijah.” Damian cupped his hands over his mouth and turned back to the house. “ELIJAH!!!!”
“What?! Damian, what did you do this time?!” Another boy stuck his head out of a different window, looking angry, and spotted Alek and I. “What did you do to these people?” He jumped, and quite literally floated to the ground.
“I didn’t do anything! And get the sleep out of your eyes! It’s Alek!” Damian protested.
“What about the girl?” Elijah demanded.
“I don’t know!” I cleared my throat, making them both turn to me.
“Nami Silvers. The princess reincarnation. And I find it incredibly rude for you to demand of someone else my name, when you can plainly ask yourself,” I said, my voice as icy as my glare. I caught a hint of a smirk on Alek’s face. Elijah’s eyes widened.
“Princess! Oh, I’m so sorry!” he apologized. Damian laughed.
“He’s upset because I woke him from his nap,” he said. Elijah glared at him. Alek sighed.
“Nami, meet Damian and Elijah March. Twins, and my two best friends,” he introduced. Damian grinned at me. “Careful of him, Nami. He’s one of the biggest flirts you’ll ever meet. Don’t worry about Elijah, though. There’s already a special lady in his life.”
“Whom he was dreaming of,” Damian added.
“I was not!” Elijah protested.
“L’Anna, L’Anna! Oh, L’Anna, how I love you!” Alek laughed. I looked back forth between them, not quite sure what to say. So I asked the only rational thing that came to mind.
“What is your magic?” I blurted.
“Fire,” Damian answered immediately. He snapped his fingers, and a small flame appeared above his fingertips.
“Time travel and flight,” Elijah said. “You noticed when I floated from the window.” I nodded, and glanced at Alek.
“Really, Elijah is the most use to us, but without Damian, it’s just not fun,” he commented.
“So true!” Damian agreed, throwing his fist in the air.
“I wonder how L’Anna is….” Elijah muttered.
“L’Anna Solnis is Elijah’s mate, and she’s an Elf. We can’t hear the minds of the Elvish,” Alek explained to me.
“Elvish,” I repeated. Alek nodded.
“Told you to be prepared.” He turned to the March twins.
“Nami’s brother, the Prince, has gone missing, and we have valid reason to believe that he’s been kidnapped by my grandfather. Elijah, we need your help, because you’re the one who can go back to the time when the Prince went missing.”
“How long has he been missing?” Elijah asked.
“Just since this afternoon,” I answered.
“Should be easy enough, then.”
“And what about me?” Damian asked.
“You’re coming for entertainment,” Alek and Elijah said simultaneously.
“Right on!”
“Can we go now?” I asked. Damian immediately flitted to my side, and Alek pulled me away.
“Back off,” he hissed.
“I’m not going to do anything!” Damian objected.
“I’m not a rag doll, Alek. Please don’t pull me around like one.” The look that flashed across his face nearly broke my heart. Elijah and Damian glanced at me. Alek composed himself quickly and let go of my hand.
“Right,” he said, “let’s get back.”
“Ready, Nami?” Elijah asked. I nodded, glancing at Alek. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and he glared at the ground. I looked back to Elijah. He smiled. “Apologize. He only does what he thinks is protecting you, even if it’s from my idiot brother.” I peeked at Alek. He sighed, his face contorting into one more heartbreaking. I wanted to cry.
“Go,” Elijah said. “Talk to him. Damian and I can wait.” I was still looking sadly at Alek. I nodded, and walked over to him. I placed my hand on his arm.
“Alek?” He stopped staring at the ground to glance at me. “I’m sorry, Alek,” I said quietly. This time, he held my gaze. “Forgive me?” He smiled softly.
“Always,” he whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips against mine. When he pulled away, he twined our fingers. “Let’s go.”
.::.~.::.
When we got back to the daycare, Yasuo was still missing. Not that it would change…
“Alright, Elijah, do your stuff,” Alek said. Elijah closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply, as if he were meditating.
“Wait!” I exclaimed. Elijah opened his eyes, and he and Alek gave me confused looks. Damian flitted around, bored.
“What is it, Nami?” Alek asked.
“I’d like to go,” I said.
“There may be things you wouldn’t want to see, Princess,” Elijah warned.
“I think finding out what happened to my brother is more important than my own sanity.” Alek and Damian laughed. I kept staring at Elijah, but nudged Alek in his ribs.
“Elijah says you’re stubborn without sounding whiny. It amazes him, but it’s one of the things I love about you,” he clarified.
“My mother says I have a strong head on my shoulders,” I said, not taking my eyes from Elijah. “May I go or not?” Elijah glanced over my head to Alek, who merely nodded. How I hated those silent conversations. Alek hugged me tightly and kissed the top of my head.
“Be careful,” he whispered.
“What’s there to worry about?” I answered. He let go of me, and Elijah took my hand.
“Just close your eyes and let me do the rest,” he instructed. I nodded and obeyed, closing my eyes tightly.
“Hey, Yasuo, time for you to get picked up!” I opened my eyes. It was the cheery coordinator again. My brother frowned at the woman.
“But it’s too early for Nami to come get me,” he said calmly turning back to what he was doing.“It’s your uncle!” the woman persisted. Her nametag read ‘Kim.’
“Oh! Okay!” Yasuo agreed instantly after she said that, and got to his feet. He followed Kim to where his ‘uncle’ was.
He looked just like the guy from the alley. I reached out for Yasuo, but my arms wrapped around air.
“No, Yasuo, no! We don’t have relatives in Indiana!” I vainly tried again.
“He can’t hear you, Princess. Nor can he see you. No one can, we’re ghostlike here,” Elijah said to me. “Besides, I think our work here is done. Let’s get back to the others, shall we?” I sighed, nodding. Elijah took us back.
“What did you see?” Damian asked.
“The Prince was taken by one of those scumbags, alright,” Elijah muttered. In a fluid motion, Alek was by my side. I collapsed into him.
“Go ahead,” he said softly. I looked up at him. “Let it out.”
And I burst into tears. I clutched Alek’s shirt, taking short, choppy breaths with every sob I heaved. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly.
“We’ll get him back, Nami. I promise.”
Well, there you have it! Sorry that it took so long to get to you guys. Oi, and this chapter was five pages on Word. -sighs- Why do I write such long chapters...? Anyway, hope you enjoyed!
