Page 21 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
Felix laughed. “Fair. Go on, then.”
Her eyes sparkled as she made a show of carefully considering what she would ask him. “Oh, I know!” she said finally. “What is your earliest memory?”
“Couldn’t ask a simple question, could you? My favourite food?” He stared ahead into the trees for a moment, sifting through memories. “The streets of the East Quarter,” he answered eventually. “I ran with a group of kids for years, trying to survive. Odd jobs, scavenging, stealing food. You know.”
Isolde was looking at him oddly, with something like sympathy. “You don’t remember your parents at all?”
“Not even a little.”
She made a humming sound. “Well, as for magic,” she continued, blessedly changing the subject, “magic users have a set amount of magic inside of them. Like… a vase. It’s part of a magical person’s life force, like your blood or your heart. A powerful mage has a large vase, and someone with minor abilities has a small vase. The vase can fill up with magic, but it has a limited capacity.”
“But you don’t have a vase,” Felix said, glancing at her.
“No… I don’t think so. But I’m not sure…”
“And ley lines? What do they do?”
She considered his question before she answered. “Some theories say magic flows through them, like blood flows through our veins. Magic is stronger closer to a ley line. And the Nexus is the centre of all of them…” her voice drifted off. A small frown creased her forehead.
Felix thought about what she’d said before. If draining the ‘vase’ of other magic users killed them, that would obviously make her unpredictable and dangerous – if she couldn’t control it. But if she could…
“Do something else,” he said.
She looked at him, surprised. “What do you mean?”
“Do more magic,” he said, his eyes scanning the path ahead. He pointed at a sheep-sized boulder by the side of the trail. “I bet you can lift that rock.”
Isolde hesitated, biting her lower lip. “I don’t know… I’ve only practised with small things.”
“You threw me, Garren, and Luella halfway across the forest. You can manage one little rock.”
She glanced from Felix to the boulder, her uncertainty giving way to determination. Nodding to herself, she extended her hand toward it. Felix watched, with a mix of fascination and nervousness knotting his stomach.
Initially, nothing happened. The strain showed on her face and Felix was about to tell her it was fine to stop and try another time when the boulder rose – slowly at first, then higher and higher. It floated above them, impossibly, like a strange, grey sun. Isolde sat rigid in her saddle, her whole body tense with effort, her horse still beneath her, as if it sensed the danger of moving now.
With a deafening crack, the rock shattered, sending shards of stone flying in all directions. Felix attempted to shield them, but it all happened too fast, and Isolde was too far. The debris pelted them, but worse, the sudden chaos spooked their horses.
Both mounts reared and bolted in blind panic. They stormed off down the trail, stumbling on the uneven terrain, rushing past a startled Luella and Garren. Felix fought to stay in the saddle, lunging for the reins with his free hand while holding on to the horse’s mane with the other. His heart pounding, he leaned low over Ranger’s neck, his eyes fixed on Isolde’s figure ahead, her hair streaming like a dark banner behind her.
He gathered his weight into his stirrups, leaning back enough to put some pressure on the reins. It wasn’t immediate, but Ranger responded – his gallop shifting from panic to something more manageable. Shadow was still in full flight, her panicked strides showing no sign of slowing down. Isolde’s knuckles were white with strain as she held onto her saddle.
He urged Ranger alongside Isolde’s mare. Felix reached across, making a grab for the flying reins. He clutched them, his hands guiding the frightened horse’s head until her pace faltered, her gallop turning into a canter, then finally a trot.
Isolde exhaled, her whole body shaking as she looked at Felix with wide eyes. He grinned, breathless. “Not one of my brightest ideas,” he admitted. “You alright?”
Before Isolde could respond, Garren and Luella appeared, galloping up behind them. Luella was shouting questions before she even reached them. “What happened? We heard a noise – are those cuts?” She pulled her horse to a halt beside Felix, eyes scanning him and Isolde.
“Looks like a rock… cracked,” Felix said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Maybe from the heat. We were just passing by.”
Isolde shot him a quick glance, but said nothing. Luella’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, darting between them.
“A rock crackedout of nowhere and showered you in debris?” she said incredulously.
“Look, I don’t know. I’m not a rock expert,” Felix said, irritated. “We’re fine. Let’s keep moving.”
Garren had dismounted and was helping Isolde dust herself off, wiping the grime from her hands and face. He helped her back into the saddle as Luella gave Felix one last suspicious look before turning her horse back onto the trail. Isolde guided her horse next to Garren’s, but as they moved on, she threw Felix a small smile, mouthing a 'thank you.'
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