Picture of Dahlia on the side. :)

Chapter 29

           Varmer bristled. For the first time since he had set foot inside her room, Dahlia relished that he felt slightly uncomfortable.

          “My dear,” Varmer began. “Would you be so obliged as to join the guard? I have never met a charmer as powerful as you. With the right training, you may have the world under your thumb. The world may be yours to control.”

         “What about you?” Dahlia demanded. “You won’t stand by and let me rule.”

          Varmer paused. “We can be partners. I shall make you immortal and train you until you can rule the world and, in turn, you can help me rule and persuade the magicians to believe that this is the right way for everyone.”

          Those words tipped the scales for Dahlia. All at once, she saw Varmer clearly.

          He wasn’t right in ruling the world. Whatever he had told her before hadn’t made much sense to her but now it did.

          It wasn’t the right way for everyone. There was a way out. All she had to do was to find it.

          Anyway, Varmer was evil. Her memories of Ella’s version of the story came to the surface of her mind. Varmer was not right.

          Varmer just wanted the world to himself. He wouldn’t let her rule anyway. There was still Ellie, Leo and all the other members of the guard.

         Dahlia’s mind raced. She had to come up with a plan to stop Varmer.

         Quickly, she said, smiling, “I would be honoured to join the guard, my lord.”

         Varmer smiled back and said, “An honourable attempt, Dahlia McLean.”

         Then he stepped backwards and made a shoving movement with one hand at her. Dahlia was propelled across the room and smashed into the opposite wall. Varmer stepped out the door and waved his hand.

         The door slammed shut and the locks clicked.

         Dahlia groaned as she felt the welt on her head. She had been knocked on the head twice in a very short time and dizziness was gaining on her.

         Black dots bloomed before her eyes and her vision was swimming. She collapsed in a heap on the bed and welcomed the blackness which only meant unconsciousness.

         Dahlia awoke some time later with an aching head. She lifted one hand to the back of her head. A large lump had grown during the time she had been unconscious.

        She rose stiffly and walked, swaying, to the closet. Inside were a number of old-fashioned clothes, neatly arranged.

       “Gross,” Dahlia muttered.

        She swiftly showered in a small adjoining bathroom which she hadn’t noticed the day before. When she was done, she began rummaging in the wardrobe.

        There was a bunch of old-fashioned clothes. Ankle-length dresses with hoop skirts and lacy petticoats. Knitted shawls with smart button-up shoes. Woollen stockings and thick fleecy coats.

        “Gross,” Dahlia repeated.     

       She had to dig into the back of her wardrobe to find a slightly more sensible outfit. She pulled on a pair of old-fashioned breeches, the kind which men wore.

       Dahlia donned a white blouse and a pair of boots too. Then she slipped on a brown jacket over the other clothes.

       She looked like she had come out of the pages of 'The Little House in the Prairie'.

       Just as she had finished dressing, she heard the scraping of a key being turned in the lock of the door. She glanced up.

       Her jailer entered, bearing a tray with toast buttered with marmalade, a large bowl of creamy porridge and a plateful of eggs and bacon. On the side were a large glass of orange juice and a cup of warm tea.

       Dahlia was starving and her stomach growled almost involuntarily. She longed to attack the food but she knew that this might be her only chance of escape.

       “Thank you, sir,” she said, smiling at him. “It is a pleasure to have such a handsome man being my prison guard.”

        Dahlia knew full well that she was laying the flattery a little too thick but the man didn’t seem to realize that. He puffed out his chest proudly.

        “Oh, yeah,” he said. “What do you need, honey? Anything special?”

        Dahlia smiled what she hoped was a winning smile. “Well, just stay here and pretend that I’m still here, okay?”

       “Oh, yeah,” repeated the man. “Sure.”

       Dahlia grinned to herself as the jailer’s eyes became unfocused and dreamy. She quickly snagged herself a piece of toast and pocketed the keys from the lock of the door.

       Hastily, she slipped out the door, eating her toast. Dahlia hurried down the labyrinth of prison cells with iron-clad doors.

       As Dahlia glanced back at her door, she realized that it was numbered.

       “Prison Cell 1064,” she muttered.

       As she rounded the corridor, Dahlia walked smack into Tia and Zara who were bearing Troy between them.

       Dahlia felt another wave of emotion; this time anger. She inhaled sharply and quickly spoke before Tia could draw her sword.

       “Hello, Tia and Zara. If you would consent to do so, please go to Prison Cell 1064, Cell Block Z,” Dahlia said, spying the name of the cell blocks on a sign above their heads.

       Tia and Zara moved off immediately, their eyes paler and unfocused. Dahlia grinned slightly. The effect of her magic.

       Troy remained on the same spot, staring blankly at their retreating backs. His eyes were as cloudy as Tia’s and Zara’s, if not worse. The irises were flecked with white.

        Dahlia swallowed hard, feeling yet another emotion rising up within her.

       Terror.

       “Troy!” Dahlia said, putting all her charm into her voice. “It’s me, Dahlia. Wake up! Well, um, Troy! Get back your senses!”

        “Uh...?” Troy mumbled.

         Dahlia felt desperate. He was so muddled up! She knew that she had to wake him up and quickly! Varmer could be on his way right now.

         So she raised her hand and gave him a sharp slap across the cheek. He looked startled and jerked his body, acquiring control.

        “Ow! What was that for?” Troy complained, rubbing his cheek which now had a red mark.

        “Sorry,” Dahlia apologized. “I had to get you to wake up. Varmer charmed you into a sort of trance or stupor.”

        “Oh...” Troy said, feeling stupid and unable to string a few more words together.

       “Come on,” Dahlia said, pulling him by the hand.

        They ran down the corridors of prison cells, trying to find their way to a staircase. They circled Prison Block Z two times before they realized that there were no stairs at all.

       “Fabulous,” Dahlia muttered, sarcastically.

       She was starting to get annoyed. Her head still ached and she was tired. The toast which she had eaten was all digested up and her stomach felt like it was trying to chew through her shirt.

       “We’ll get out,” Troy promised.

       “How, Troy?” Dahlia demanded. “There’s no way out!”

        “I just had an idea,” Troy said. “I can shadow-travel out!”

         Dahlia stared at him. “That’s brilliant, Troy! It’s fantastic! Why didn’t you think of it before? Why didn’t I think of it? Why didn’t-”

        They both froze as three figures materialised out of thin air before their eyes.

        Dahlia and Troy backed up so fast that they tripped and fell over one another. Ellie, Leo and another girl stepped forward.

       “Oh, the three of you, would you please join Tia and Zara in Prison Cell 1064, Cell Block Z?” Dahlia asked, desperately.

       Ellie flicked her wrist and the same shimmery shield blossomed out of thin air in front of her. Dahlia’s words and charm bounced away.

       Dahlia scrambled to her feet but before she could run away, Ellie had immobilized her in a statue of stone.

       “NO!” Troy roared.

        He launched himself at Ellie but Leo grabbed his arms, twisting and locking him in a tight grip. Troy struggled but Leo was much stronger than Troy himself was.

        “Stay still, Troy Flarehill,” Ellie snapped.

         The other girl extended her staff and placed the lion’s head at Troy’s throat. Troy froze, literally, becoming a glittering ice statue. If Dahlia had been capable of screaming, she most definitely would have shouted her head off.

          The girl winked. “Sorry, Troy,” she said. “But I have extremely sharp ears and a loud voice.”

         Her voice was the one that they had heard at the gate. Troy tried to extend his fiery aura but to no avail.

         Ellie smiled. “Nicely done, Alyce.”

        Alyce smirked. She had auburn hair pinned loosely back and emerald green eyes.  She wore a turquoise dress and had a familiar dagger hanging loosely at her side from a gold cord.

        Leo took Alyce’s hand and Troy the ice statue’s shoulder. Ellie linked arms with Alyce and seized Dahlia’s arm too. They vanished and reappeared in a large circular room.

        The room was empty except for Varmer and Benjamin. They were arguing fiercely.

       “Don’t harm her!” Benjamin begged. “Please!”

        His voice cracked on the last word. He looked desperate.

       “We have visitors!” Varmer snapped, turning to Ellie. “My dear?”

        “They were right there, my lord,” she said. “Right where Alyce said they would be. She can hear things from 100 miles away.”

         Ellie smirked. Varmer smiled and snapped his fingers. The earth crumbled around Dahlia and she almost collapsed. She dashed to the glittering ice statue that was Troy and placed her hands on his face.

       “Klih dlut,” she gasped. (Ice melt)

        Even without her staff, Dahlia could still work magic. It took a lot more concentration and power though. She used the body temperature to absorb the coldness.

        Water trickled down the ice statue and then the ice cracked completely. Troy grabbed Dahlia’s arm as the Magician of Water sagged; completely spent.

       Troy held her upright and then realized that Varmer was there, along with Ellie, Alyce, Leo and Benjamin. Varmer smiled evilly.

        "Take Dahlia back to her cell and free Tia and Zara. Bring them up while I have a word with this fine Magician of Fire,” Varmer instructed Benjamin.

        Benjamin bowed awkwardly. “Yes, my lord.”

        Dahlia clung desperately to the back of Troy’s shirt. She didn’t want to let go. She was terrified of what they might do to her.

        Benjamin flicked his wrist and Dahlia found that her fingers were coming free of Troy’s shirt. All was Benjamin’s doing, of course.

        Leo roughly seized her shoulder and Ellie’s arm. She took Benjamin’s arm and they vanished.

        They reappeared in Prison Cell 1064, Cell Block Z. Benjamin snapped his fingers under Tia and Zara’s noses. They jerked upright, glaring at Dahlia.

         He sent Dahlia flying into her bed and then slammed the door. The locks clicked again.

         Dahlia collapsed on the bed, too mentally and physically exhausted to do anything else. Her vision swam and she fell asleep.