A Spell of Seven

Chapter 8

 "Where are we?" Falan asked. He choked back his disbelief that Jax had been taken and tried to form rational thoughts.

"I was going to ask you the same question. The portal answers to whatever the user wants it to. The rest of the Order retreated to a preplanned rendezvous point, but I was thinking of anywhere secluded, for we cannot seek shelter with them. I believe you wanted somewhere familiar. We are in an arboretum someplace. Do you recognize it?"

Falan looked around. "Yeah... this is a park near a motel that my family would always stop at on road trips. We're in Missouri." It was midmorning.

"Well. Random enough that no one will find us, at least." Freya then dropped her no-nonsense tone. "I'm sorry, Falan, but we have to start moving. The portal offshoots are going to be the first place the Brotherhood looks. There's a record of recent destinations, if no one thinks to destroy it."

Right. Walking. Falan stood up, though he felt weighed down. Freya stayed beside him. Falan noticed that she was completely bedecked in armor and weapons. "Won't you stand out?" he asked, still trying to push back the grief.

"No. The Order uses illusions to hide unusual equipment. There was a time, however, that I had to use a plane. That almost went over very, very badly." She did not seem to be trying to make a joke; rather, she was simply telling a story for something to say.

The gates of the park loomed ahead, open to admit visitors. Freya strode out onto the street without pause, and to his surprise Falan saw that no one gave her a second glance. Falan did notice that his own shirt had some amount of rock dust and blood upon it, which did attract a few looks. One person asked him what it was all from. Freya smoothly stepped in, saying, "I took a spill in the park, and I'm afraid I got some blood on my cousin here when he helped me up. We're headed home to get it cleaned up now." She clapped a hand to the graze in her shoulder, and it came away red. That had satisfied the man, and they'd left without further questioning.

They had not stopped for lunch, mostly because neither of them had any money. Freya explained that it would be best to keep to the wilderness, where she could hunt for food. By early evening they had passed through a load of busy streets and found a copse of trees amid farms, where they could hide. "Wait here," Freya told him the moment he sat down, and she disappeared.

Waiting was agony. All Falan could think about was Jax's capture. When Freya returned, she had two turkey sandwiches and a broken arrow shaft with her.

Falan's expression asked her what happened. "I took one of my arrowheads to the nearest farmers and told them I found it on the edge of their property, and wondered if they wanted it. I did not refuse their offer of a snack for the road." She tossed him the bag with the sandwiches. "They're all yours."

"You don't want any?"

"I can go several days without food and not lose any strength."

Another bizarre thing about Freya. "Who are you?" Falan asked. "What happened to you that led to all this – to Jax being taken? Because you are superhuman, and you're acting like Jax's capture is your fault, when it's mine."

Freya huffed an incredulous, humorless laugh. "No, it's really mine. I was assigned to protect him, and you, and I failed. And my own history with Alexander began far before yours. I suppose you deserve to know the story, though keep in mind that only a few other members of the Order know as well, and I would ask that you keep it to yourself.

"I was not always 'superhuman,' as I'm sure you've guessed. I was normal, relatively short, blond-haired, and brown-eyed, before. I knew nothing of the Order, or of magic, and I was quite happy with who I was. I was in a good high school, living with my parents in a very normal mortal lifestyle.