 | For the next couple of days, my fourth magic was not useful. It constantly disrupting me any time I tried to use my other powers and I grew more and more desperate. Then one day I asked Numair, "Is there anything, anything, you can do?" Numair said hesitantly, "I can put a barriar between your Elemental Magic and the other. It would prevent the Element magic from disrupting the opthers." "I wish we knew what the magic was," I sighed. "So do I, Charmed One," Numair murmured. I glanced at him, startled. "What did you call me?" I asked. "Charmed One," Numair answered. "It just came into my head. I won't if you want." "Nah, it's okay," I answered. "It's nice to have a nickname anyway. It was impossible to get anyone to talk to me back home." "Did everyone think you were different?" Numair asked me. I nodded. "No one would talk to me, apart from my family. But even there I was the black sheep. Now I know. I mean I have magic for God's sake!" "That's nothing to be ashamed off," Numair said. "You don't understand," I sighed. "In my world people aren't supposed to have magic." "I see," Numair said slowly. Then a scream erupted and perced the air like a knife. "What was that?" I yelped. "That sounded like Thayet," Numair said. "Come on!" I didn't meet her often but anytime I did, she was nice to me, so I liked her. Thayet was standing in the middle of the throne room, her face white and her eyes wide. She was staring at a dark figure a few feet away from her. Seconds later Jonathan and Alanna rushed in. "What's happening?" Jonathan asked, his face white with worry. Well it was his wife after all. Then Alanna saw the thing Thayet had been staring at. Her eyes widened. "Chitral," she whispered. "What are you doing here?" "IS IT ILLEGAL TO SEE SOMEONE?" Chitral demanded angrily. I knew about Chitral all right. He had been the Kepper of the Domainion Jewel, when Alanna had battled him for it. He was in the guise I recognised: a Winged ape with an axe. Then Chitral saw me. I swore I saw love in those eyes, when I remember. Then he spoke that word I 'll never forget: "DAUGHTER." "What?" I asked. I hadn't been listening. "Chitral, you're her father?" Alanna asked. Chitral nodded. "YOU WERE BORN OF A HUMAN MOTHER. YOU RECEIVED THE GIFT FROM HER, THE OTHERS YOU RECEIVED FROM ME. YOUR MOTHER IS NOW DEAD, I'M SORRY TO SAY." "But why did you send me to another world?" I asked. "Why?" I was on the verge of hysteria, but I didn't care. "I DIDN'T," Chitral said sadly. "YOU SEE A POWERFUL SORCERER TOOK YOU AND SENT YOU TO A DIFFERENT WORLD AND HE KILLED YOUR MOTHER IN THE PROCESS. I COULDN'T FIND YOU AND IN THE END I JUST CONVINCED MYSELF YOU HAD DIED AND IN THE END I BELIEVED IT MYSELF." "Who was the Sorcerer?" Alanna asked him. "YOU MAY KNOW HiM," Chitral told the others. "ROGER OF CONTÈ." Alanna, Jonathan, Numair and Thayet went dead white and I felt faint. Roger had touched me? I felt like there was bugs crawling over me, you know the feeling you get when you touch something and later learn it was disgusting? Well, I was having that kind of feeling. "Mithros help us," Jonathan whispered. "My cousin has come back again." "Doesn't he ever stay dead?" Alanna grumbled. Thayet and Numair were looking at them blankly. "Who is this Roger?" Numair asked. "They don't know," I reminded them. "They weren't here when Alanna killed Roger." "Another thing your Tamora Pierce thought up?" Alanna asked. I think she was mad I knew how she had killed Roger. She and the others had finally come to terms with the fact that in my world a woman had thought them all up. But even I had to admit I couldn't blame them for being freaked. Imagine that a woman had thought you up and knew your every secret? I'd be freaked..... "Roger is..... was..... my cousin," Jonathan explained slowly. "Alanna killed him because he was trying to kill me and my parents. He was that desperate to be King of Tortall. And then he rose from the dead, because Alanna's twin brother.. now deceased, brought him back. Alanna then killed him again, and we thought it was for good however." Numair cocked an eyebrow. "No one can bring someone back from the Black God." "Thom could and he did," Alanna said quietly. "He was a Master when he was barely in his twenties." Nuamir uttered a strangled gasp of amazement. "And now Roger's back again," I said slowly. "For me?" "Wait," Alanna said. "How come we haven't known before now? I think we would have heard if the man trying to kill the Royal family had come back from the dead a second time." "HE HAS BEEN IN HIDING," Chitral said. I jumped. I'd forgotten he was there. Funny, I'd forgotten my own father had been in the room. But well, he didn't look like a normal father, that's for sure. Life is getting complicated, I moaned to myself. "For how long?" Alanna asked him. Chitral shook his head. "I DO NOT KNOW," he said. "BUT I WILL KILL HIM." "If I don't beat you to him first," I heard Alanna mutter. Numair sighed and said, "Jon, I think we better do something. Before Roger decides to make himself known." Jon nodded and he, Numair and Alanna went off somewhere. Thayet went off to check with Buri over something concerning the riders. Chitral and I were left alone. I fidgeted, feeling awkward. "I WILL LEAVE YOU," Chitral said abruptly. I looked up. "Uh, okay," I said. I wondered if he would be back. "I WILL BE BACK," Chitral said. I wondered if he had read my mind. "I SAID I WOULD KILL THE PEOPLE WHO HAD TAKEN YOU FROM ME. I KEEP MY PROMISES." "Uh okay," I said again. Then I flung my hands up in front of my eyes, as a blinding flash appeared where Chitral was standing. When the light faded and I brought my hands down, Chitral was gone. I sighed and then jumped as a hand landed on my shoulder. I whirled around and came face to face with Alanna. "Oh hi." "Hello," Alanna said, studying me. "Are you all right?" "Yeah," I said. Seeing her look at me, I sighed and said, "No." Alanna settled into a chair. "What's on your mind?" I sat in another chair. "It's just.. well whenever I picture my father, Chitral doesn't exactly come to mind." Alanna smiled. "It will take some getting used to." Then she said, changing the subject. "It's almost time for us to take the new riders to the Summer Training camp. " "Really?" I asked. "Where?" Alanna smiled. "We're going to my home, Pirate's Swoop again." My jaw dropped. "Wow! Can I come?" Alanna laughed. "I was hoping you'd say that! Numair's coming as well and we agreed, it would be better to have him near you, so you can keep studying." "Great," I said dryly. Alanna laughed again. "Come on. I have to see some of the squires. Come with me?" Seeing my face, she added, "You need a break from Numair sometime." "And Numair certainly needs a break from me," I said, causing Alanna to laugh again. I followed her out of the room. ***** I instantly recognised the two squires who met Alanna. Kel, the very first girl who had decided to become a knight. I decided she looked kind of like I imagined she would. The second one was Neal, Duke Baird's son. He was in his final year as a squire and was preparing to become a knight, as was Kel. They both glanced at me curiously, then realising it was only me, returned their attentions back to Alanna. I'd become a familair sight at the palace and nearly everyone had come to accept me. I listened quietly to the meeting between the three of them, not saying anything. But all the time, I was uncomfortably aware that Neal kept taking glances at me. Finally the meeting came to an end. I gratefully followed Alanna out of the room. She wasn't blunt. "Neal likes you," she said, as we walked down the hall. "I already know," I said. "I'm not blind you know." "You don't like it do you?" Alanna said. I shook my head. "No, I don't." "Why?" I sighed. "It's just back home every boy, avoided me like I was a plague. To get male attention now, would be... uncomfortable." Alanna sighed. "This is your home now. In a year or so, you might feel differently." I shook my head. "No way," I said firmly, but I could sense Alanna didn't
believe me.
 
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