She didn’t want to think about that. She focuses on the door. One step in front of the other. Her wrists burn. There are new scars that ache on her body, but she does not pay attention to them.
Her back smashes against the bed behind her and falls to her knees. The room is not empty. There are 6 guards veiled and watching her from the corners of the room. They are all visible now and have their hands ready with caution. Ready to cast another spell if they need to.
“Get back into the bed.” One of them commands. Astrid’s body is aching from the impact, but she obliges and lifts herself back into bed.
“I’m going to get Doric.” A voice from the crowd of twinning guards states. The smallest man in the group exits with his eyes glued on Astrid. Not letting his back face her.
“Do not do that again, we warn you.” The man in the middle of the crowd states. His voice feigning confidence.
“Do what? One of you threw me down,” Astrid replies breathlessly. Her back is pulsing with pain against the stiff bed she lays on.
“You shouldn’t be able to move.” The first guard states. Hands shaking in front of him.
“Look it’s burning!” The guard to his left frantically whispers.
“Stop it right now!!” The first guard yells. Fear glowing in his eyes.
These guards are a blur of suits that are getting under her skin. Astrid winces and looks down at her wrists. The bracelets are glowing red. As they did before but there is no vision to accompany this burning.
“I can promise you I do not know what is going on. I’d stop it if I could.” Her eyes start welling up with tears.
“Shall I go see what’s taking so long with Doric?” A quivering voice asks from the back of the crowd.
“Do not be a coward. You will stay right here.” An equally afraid guard commands.
“You need to stop.” The first guard barks out at her.
“I’m really not doing anything,” Astrid says weakly. The bracelets burn into her flesh more than they did before. It feels as though it could burn down to the bone.
“You set the hallways on fire and almost murdered an entire classroom full of students.” One of the guards yells at her. Fear leads his actions as his hands twist causing her stomach to lurch in pain. “You burnt off your bracelet then just as you are doing right now.”
“We command you to stop it!” Another guard yells out.
“You’re hurting me.” Astrid tries to scream out, but it escapes her lips as a gasp. Her eyes scan the crowd of guards. “I swear I didn’t do it.”
The fire is lost in her mind–the second the vision took over her– the real world slipped away. All she remembers is the smell of firewood and mint.
“We might need to inject her again.” One of them states in a low whisper.
“That’s dangerous since it may be the cause of her death.”
“So what?”
The sounds of the guards speaking fade away as tears stream down Astrid’s face as she hunches over on the bed. The spell he has cast on her feels as though she is being stabbed repeatedly. This is a phantom pain used to torture prisoners into confession without leaving an external mark. She’d learnt about this as a young girl but never dreamt of experiencing it.
“What’s going on in here?” A strong voice booms through the room.
“Doric–we were just–”
“We can’t control her!”
“We were subduing the girl since she is trying to break free again.”
The guards all make sounds of agreement as Doric steps through the crowd. A small guard stands in his shadow.
“You may stop now. There’s a better way to get answers without hurting her.” Doric directs them back to their posts and has them veil themselves once more.
Astrid sits up as the pain completely disappears. The bracelets are cracking at this point. Doric keeps his distance from her but turns to shut the door to give them a sense of privacy. She glares at him through teary eyes.
“These bracelets are meant to ensure that the beliefs of this school are withheld and that the students themselves do not falter. The iron itself, from what I’ve heard, is forged with magic to ensure that nothing can puncture it. Nothing can remove that magic.” Doric watches Astrid as she gives him a confused nod. “What we, the school, the guards, and the people who make the bracelets are concerned about is how you managed to break the bracelet. Not only did you break it. You burnt down a portion of the school.”
“I know that the bracelet broke, but I don’t know how. I didn’t do it on purpose. I also don’t know what happened with the fire. The guards were accusing me of that, but I don’t know.” Astrid replies. Her eyes lock on the bracelets as they dim.
“This is what they tell me happened; Bonnie went to class–”
“Bronwyn?”
“Oh, yes. Bronwyn went to class and waited for the teacher to let her speak–I heard she was quite polite. She told the teacher that you were in pain on the way to class and were in the hallway. It took some time, but that teacher got two of the office attendants to check on you. They had thorns with them to sedate you with. When they got to you, they stupidly did not stick the thorn in you immediately. You know what the thorn is right?” He looks at her again and Astrid shakes her head no. “They are filled with a, let's call it a liquid, that–obviously–causes people to become very relaxed. Whatever is causing them pain goes away. Unfortunately, you broke the bracelet, and you went off like dry pine needles on a hot day. There are scorch marks where they found you. In a perfect half circle, encasing your body. Everything around that half-circle went up in flames immediately after your bracelet fell off your wrist. It’s been a week since the incident and multiple students are being treated for burns. The office attendants, who have spells and charms to ensure no harm comes to them, have also been hurt. I heard you say you didn’t do anything.” Doric steps closer with his palms up. “I believe you. I believe that you don’t know what happened. But I also believe that you are capable of harming a lot of people. There’s a reason you’re here right? Another fire. Back at a village market. The reason there’s a scar running down your body.”
2 years ago, Arkane and Astrid’s mother sent them ahead of her into the market. They were the first set of twins born in that village in centuries. Every time they came into the market the villagers were so excited to see them. Especially since Astrid was the first in a long time to be born with power. Arkane was always too shy to reveal his powers–even their mother did not know. There was not a single person who didn’t know of her fire powers. It was not unusual for the villagers to then request Astrid to use her magic in front of them. Since the winter began they’ve requested she light the sky up for them with fireflies. Being young and proud, she’d use it happily. That night they ran through the market as the sun set fast behind dark clouds. Shadows eating up the crowds with ease. A rough voice asked for fireflies to light the market. More voices agreed, some saying it was hard to see what they were looking for in the dark. Some complained that the torches were not enough. Arkane even slowed down to watch Astrid as her arms raised and small flames flew out of her fingertips. They floated in the softly glowing air. Within seconds the market was up in flames. Astrid immediately called back her flames, but these flames were not hers, so they blazed away. Arkane ran behind a barrel to get away from the flames, but he hadn’t read the sign. They were oil and Astrid ran with her hands out towards him–sending Arkane far away from harm’s way–the first time something other than flames came out of her magic. The fire still ate the barrels hungrily. She felt the left side of her body burn as the fire grew a taste for flesh. Not even a month later she was at this school. The village villain.
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There was no way she set the market and village on fire but this one might be all her. A creeping guilt sat on her chest. Pounding–demanding to be felt.
“Whatever happened was not my fault.” Astrid can feel her lip quivering. Her brother sent the vision. It was because of his pain and fear that made the bracelet crack. More bodies are being blamed on her. The frustration and grief she never got to feel in the past 2 years all bubble up in her.
Doric stares blankly at her. He tried to be kind to her. He heard the guards hurting her, yelling with fear, so he came in with the hopes that she would open up if he was nice. His open palms shut into fists that he shoves down. Astrid's body goes rigid as a result. Some people need thorns to paralyze and sedate but Doric only needs his willpower and magic. He was requested to get information out of her before she’s taken home.
“Tell me what you know then.” He states in a cold tone.
“What are you doing to me?” Astrid asks weakly. One second, he is helping her understand the situation and the next second–torturing her.
“Who was it? Was it another student? Was it Bronwyn?” Doric asks. “I’m not trying to upset you, Astrid. We just need to know what happened since people almost died because of you.” His voice drips with sadistic pleasure.
Astrid squirms under the pressure of his magic. It feels as though every limb is being pressed down by weights.
“I didn’t ask for it.. A vision came and I couldn’t shake it off! That’s why I was at that wall! Bronwyn was helping me.” Her voice desperate as the pressure increases on her body with every breath.
“What vision?” Doric asks with a cocked smile.
“A vision of some forest came to me but I can’t even remember it. Something bad was happening. It was terrifying and I wanted it to stop so badly. I remember hearing people coming closer to me and I was so excited. I was hoping they’d save me but the bracelet broke, I didn’t even realize it at the moment since I was unconscious. I was swallowed whole by that vision.” Astrid spoke fast–trying to get every word out before the next mountain of pressure hits her. Of course, she was lying. Doric doesn’t need to know that, but he is getting vital information regardless.
“What kind of forest? What kind of ‘bad thing.’” He asks while removing most of the pressure off of her body.
“It was some mountain. The valley below could be seen through the trees.” She lies smoothly. Thankful that the pressure is gone. Telling him about Arkane might cause more harm than good right now. If she tells him then Arkane might end up here. The iron bracelets would be upgraded and they would walk past each other without ever realizing who the other was. The worst-case scenario keeps spiralling in her mind. “The bad thing was death. People were camping in the forest. Someone had torn through them.”
She let herself trail off. Tried to look distraught. Body parts being torn through? How could she describe it to him in a way that made sense?
“In response to seeing some dead people you chose to burn the school?” Doric's eyebrow raises in condescension. Making him believe this would be hard.
“I’m not sure why the fire thing happened. I just remember I wanted it all to stop. It felt like the pain and the vision all came from the bracelet. Maybe something imprinted on me?” She feigned confusion and fear. Looking up at him with furrowed brows and a cocked head as if to say ‘You believe me right?’
“You think something imprinted on you?” Doric contemplated this as an option. There were creatures out there that did this. With one look a person might end up forever haunted by the nightmares that the creature bestows upon them. Or even the maker of the iron bracelet could have chosen to curse the wearer.
“It could be a believable option.” Astrid states calmly. Within a second her body is pressed against the bed. Unable to breathe.
“Believable option?” Doric scoffs. His fists clenched. He almost believed her for a moment. “Tell me what actually happened. Do it by choice or I can just stick you with a truth bug. Your choice. I can't promise that the bug won't burrow.”
Astrid can feel herself slowly slipping again. Doric is using his magic to press down so hard that she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t speak out and tell him the truth. Her body fought against his magic hard. Her palms stretch out and grip the bedsheets out of pain. 10 loud cracks sound through the room like dominos falling.
Astrid's eyes are wide open in agony as the whole room lights up in flames. This fire she witnesses. Coming out of her as though she is made of it. Doric screams and takes the pressure off of her body as he attempts to protect himself. Everything glows brighter as the flames claim every inch of the room. Fire licks at Doric but does not cause him harm. His spells and charms keep him safe. The guards at the corners of the room fall to their knees in fetal position. Also unharmed. This feels cathartic–Astrid begins to sob as the flames burst larger before receding into her.
“Is everyone okay?” She cries out, trying to catch glimmers of life in the guards’ bodies. Astrid feels embarrassed for crying but is worried that more people might have been harmed because of her.
Doric steps forward and jabs her in the head with his elbow. Immediately knocking her out.
Astrid wakes up within an hour. Sitting inside a carriage. Everything blurry around her.
“Every 12 hours make her eat this. We will send you home with enough for a week but once you are back home, ensure that you find a potion maker. A competent one since you absolutely do not want your daughter trying to kill everyone in sight again.” She can faintly hear Doric speaking to someone as she fades in and out of consciousness.
“Make sure we never see her again. She’s old enough to be treated like an adult. Next time people won’t be so kind to her... outbursts.” This voice she recognizes as the headmaster.
“Thank you for this. I wish I didn’t have to take her home. Are you sure nowhere else will take her?” Her mother says. Her mother. The one who would rather have her dead than have her back home. Memories of her mother’s week-long rampage are still fresh in her mind even though it was technically 2 years ago.
After a few moments, her mother enters the carriage. Fear in her eyes when she notices Astrid awake.
Mother deliberately places her bag between the two of them before sitting down. Then nervously removes her bag and places Astrids in between them instead. Unable to choose a comfortable position.
Astrid wants to speak but can’t find the words. She feels like a passenger in her own body. Witnessing the world in a blurry out-of-touch manner. Completely distorted. When Doric said she was heading home he genuinely meant that it would be immediately. Was the bag next to her filled with everything that is hers? Astrid wonders who packed it. She wants to look through it but can’t move. Her eyes can look around but she has no control over anything else. Panic rises in her chest. Making breathing difficult and shallow in her chest.
“They told me to only give it to you every 12 hours, but I might give you more if you don’t stop whatever fit you’re having right now.” Her mother threatens her. “I wish they gave me this when you were younger. It would have prevented everything. Maybe you could have been normal.”
That echoes back in her mind. Could have been normal. Some parents wish their children had powers. Most kids would be sent to educational schools that help them master their powers instead of attempting to remove and sedate them.
For the rest of the ride home, it is silent as Astrid slides in and out of a fitful sleep. It is a whole day's ride from the school to get back to the village. They stop once to give the horses a boost, which is magic-laced food and water to keep their energy up and to get Astrid to eat the sedation biscuit that the headmaster gave her mother. It doesn’t taste like a biscuit, but it looks as if it was meant to be. She tries to fake eat it, but her mother forces her to prove that she swallowed it all. The idea of throwing up did come to mind but there were more of those biscuits. Constantly puking did not sound appealing to Astrid.
In her sedated state she dreams of all of the people she hurt. The students, the office attendants, the guards, the kids at the market, the adults trying to make a living, and herself. She felt sorry for everyone except for herself. A tear slides down her cheek. Her mother looks over and watches as the tear follows down the sharp curves of Astrid’s face. Down the neck and into her shirt. Her mother looks away, disgust and frustration burning in her–unable to sleep out of fear of what her daughter might do.
Astrid’s mother was never outwardly loving to her daughter. She dreamt of having a son for years and only wanted one child. Arkane came first, blessing their family, and Astrid was a complete surprise to them. Twins were never in either bloodline. When Astrid and Arkane were born, their father was away on a hunting trip. Their mother gave birth, alone, with just the midwife to guide her through it. Astrid’s mother contemplated leaving her outside that night, but the midwife was so happy that there were twins. Their parents could not afford to have twins. It spread quickly that the Vyne family gave birth to twins and the village celebrated. Presents poured in and Astrid was kept as a treasure. Their father loved both equally but grew closer to Astrid as the years went by. Arkane was the most perfect trophy for their mother to show off–shy, timid, dimple-cheeked, and charming. Astrid was difficult to tame and stubborn. As her powers grew stronger, the more her mother held no power over her. The usual discipline that Astrid received could not strike complacency in her. This made Astrid louder. This made Arkane more loved by their parents.
When they arrive home Astrid's mother leaves her in the carriage. Telling her to come inside when the magic wears off. Deep inside she hopes that Astrid will run away. Will leave. Go into town and be recognized. Maybe be killed by the crowd. Mother goes to sleep in her bedroom with the door locked.
Astrid exits the carriage with both their bags. Body aching from being stiff for so long. The house stands the same as when she had last seen it. Dark warped wood holds it together. A large window sits on the left of the front door and a small window sits to the right of it. Eerie in the darkness of early dawn. More overgrown by nature and weathered by storms. Or maybe she is too used to the spotlessness of the school that she has forgotten how messy home is. A strong wind rustles through the forest behind the house–lifting the scent of mint off the leaves from the back garden. They engulf Astrid. Waking her up. Arkane is in that forest somewhere. Completely helpless. Hoping that Astrid told someone, but she is here instead and she must do something. Astrid gets inside and drops the bags by the door. If she wants to leave before her mother wakes up, she has to start packing now.