Restricted Magic - Arc 2: The Competition

Chapter 3

Erin woke up with a pounding headache. She slowly opened her eyes, wincing when she saw two concerned faces hanging over her bed. Forcing a smile, she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Hey guys, how's it going?"

Olivia didn't smile back. "Who hurt you?"

Sighing, Erin's face fell. "It doesn't matter."

"The hell it doesn't!" Olivia grabbed her hand, and Erin was surprised to find the other girl's hands were shaking with rage. "Tell me who did this and where to find them so I can stomp them into the ground! I healed you, but you were seriously injured!" She wiped her eyes, glaring angrily through her tears. "You were almost killed! So don't bother protecting them..."

"I'm not protecting them." Erin smiled sadly. "It was my father and one of his protégé's. We fought. I lost."

"But...but..." Olivia turned towards the silent boy in the room. "Gerald what's wrong with you? Why aren't you angry?"

Gerald looked at Erin, his eyes filled with sorrow. "You were expecting this outcome when you left me behind, weren't you?" his voice was a whisper. Erin reached out with her other hand, gently touching his face.

"This is not new, it only feels like it to you two." She shook her head. "This is not the first time my father's made a point this way."

Leaning into the contact against her hand, Gerald smiled bitterly. "You shouldn't be used to this."

"I shouldn't." Erin agreed.

"I want to kill him."

"Join the club."

Gerald paused, then looked back carefully into her eyes. "What did you mean when you said you were engaged?"

"..." An awkward silence settled down.

"Umm... I'm going to let you two talk this out." Olivia backed out of the room slowly. "I'll come check on you later, Erin. We'll talk then." With that, she was out the door, and they were alone. Erin looked down at her lap, avoiding eye contact.

"Erin, you don't have to tell me..." He began to say, but she cut him off.

"No, it's better that you understand." Erin then proceeded to describe in a slow, emotionless tone the events from her arrival at her father's office, onward. Feeling slightly better after finishing, she glanced up at him. "Are you angry?"

A wry smile bloomed across Gerald's face. "Let me ask you something instead... Did you ask your father to engage you to someone else?"

Erin shook her head.

"Did you lie to me when you said I could be your boyfriend?"

She again gestured a negative response.

"Do you want to marry this official or whoever your father has arranged for you?"

"No!"

He reached out, gathering her in his arms and pulling Erin gently against his chest. "Then everything will be okay."

"But what about..." She tried to argue, but he simply hugged her tighter.

"Nope. If you don't want to get married to him, you won't. You're strong, stronger than even your father knows. Plus you have me." He chuckled. "I'll help you burn the place down before you're forced to do something you don't want."

"You don't understand, my father... when he wants something to happen, nothing, absolutely nothing can stop it." Erin rested her head against his shoulder. "I hate him so much. He's destroyed everything I loved, and he's not even satisfied with stopping there and is coming back to stomp on what little happiness I've managed to salvage since then." She pulled away, staring directly at Gerald to make sure he understood. "But as much as I hate him, he's still the most powerful man in the country, probably the world. He's destroyed nations, killed thousands. The resistance from his daughter means nothing to him..." she laughed, "even if you add the help from a certain determined prince."