The Price of Magic

Chapter One-4

SARAH PLACED A PLATE of fruit and sweetbreads on the table as Nicole and Jack entered the kitchen. Sarah’s long scarlet hair was tied back with a ribbon. She no longer wore the long crimson robes of the queen’s sorceress. Instead, she wore the same green leather tunic and skirt as Nicole and most of the Woodland Elf women.

Jordan and Missy finished filling the glasses with milk as Cabal poured a pot of steaming water into a kettle of herbal tea that sat at the center of the table. His black leather tunic and breeches bore the crest of the queen, declaring his title as Prince and heir to the throne of Fortress City. Jack mussed Jordan and Missy’s blue-black hair as the two six-year-olds took their seats on either side of Mikado.

Nicole leaned over the back of Mikado’s chair and wrapped her arms around him. Mikado was only six years old but, due to his troll stature, he sat a head taller in his chair than the twins. His large head, big eyes, and wide mouth gave him almost a doll-like appearance. He shared his father’s blonde hair, but it was streaked with the normal brown hair of the tunnel trolls. Nicole kissed his cheek, and he smiled through shark-like teeth like his father’s. Nicole snatched a napkin from the table and wiped the mucus from under his long nose then lay her hand on his forehead.

“No fever this morning.” She smiled. “That’s very good, Mikado. Are you feeling better?”

“Sari made me noodles with the chicken pieces,” Mikado answered in deep voice. “So good.”

Jack chuckled and sat down next to Cabal. “The ancient remedies always work the best.”

Cabal’s elven form was large in stature. His height and weight equaled Jack’s, who sat beside him. There was nothing petite about the elves in this world. His broad shoulders and tall stature afforded Jack the perfect sparring partner. Cabal’s deep blue eyes frowned at Jack. He glanced at Sarah as she took her seat next to him. She explained, “An old wives’ tale in our world touted that chicken noodle soup was the best thing to speed recovery from an illness.”

Cabal scratched behind one pointed ear and said, “Were the chickens in your world magic?”

“Only to old wives,” Jack answered with a wink at Nicole.

The twins’ blue eyes focused on their father as they asked in unison, “What’s an old wife?”

All three adults responded with, “Nicole...”

Nicole rolled her eyes and sat down next to Jack, adding, “‘Old wives’ tale’ is an expression that means some people long ago believed something was true, even if it really wasn’t.”

Sarah smiled and added, “Nicole, ever the attorney. It sounds like you’re setting up the basis for a legal debate on the validity of chicken noodle soup as a medicine.”

Nicole grinned back at her. “Can we ever truly leave our old lives behind, Dr. Sims? Your magic does most of the healing these days, but I do recall your jumping back into OB-mode while I was giving birth.”

Sarah’s big blue eyes darted to the twins. “It’s hard to believe that was seven years ago. It seems like yesterday.”

Cabal’s hand slipped into hers, drawing her eyes to his. “Seven is a lucky number to elves. We have been as one since the twins were born. I think a celebration is in order.”

“Birthday party!” the twins shouted, jumping from their seats.

Mikado bolted from his chair, caught up in the excitement, but stopped short as a series of deep whooping coughs wracked his body. Sarah rushed to his side as the young troll fell to his knees. She grabbed a napkin from the table and covered his mouth. The napkin came away soaked in blood.

Sarah’s face went pale. She didn’t need to look at Cabal. He was at her side in an instant, sweeping Mikado off his feet. Jack moved quickly toward the short hallway to the bedrooms and said, “Put him in the spare bedroom.”

Nicole went to the stove and put a pot of water on to boil then began to search through the various herbs and roots she had stored in the drawer next to the stove. She called out, “I’ve got eucalyptus... I’ll get a steam bath going.”

Cabal reappeared from the guest room and headed for the door. He glanced at Nicole and offered quickly, “Crasis is in the roundhouse. His healing touch has soothed Mikado’s cough before. I’ll return shortly.”

Jack appeared in the hallway as Nicole stared after Cabal in amazement. She smiled at Jack and said, “Cabal is a prince, heir to the throne of the entire land, and yet there he goes darting out the door without hesitation in search of a healer for the son of his fiancée’s ex-lover. He’s amazing.”

Jack nodded and glanced back down the hallway. “He’s a good man, and he’s scared. I can see it in his eyes. Mikado is getting worse, and no one seems to know why.”

Nicole glanced at the stove. She rubbed the dried eucalyptus leaves in her hands to crush them and added it to the water. “Do you think it has anything to do with the fact we aren’t from this world? Could Hopper's humanity have left his son susceptible to some ancient disease the elves have grown an immunity towards?”

Jack frowned at her. “Niki, that’s way too sci-fi for me. He’s just got a stubborn bug that we haven’t figured out how to beat. It might even be asthma, but Sarah will figure it out. Our kids are fine, so there’s no reason to suspect our past has anything to do with this.”

Nicole took a thick linen towel from a drawer and pulled the pot from the stove, covering the steaming vapors with the towel. “I hope you’re right. But if Crasis can’t heal him, it’s time to ask Ahmity for help.”

Jack followed her down the hall. “Ahmity is a great wizard, but he still hasn’t recovered from the battle at Fortress City. I’m not sure he has the strength...”

Nicole stopped abruptly and turned to face him. She snapped, “We’re running out of options. Mikado has been sick for too long. This illness is going to take a turn very soon. We can’t let it to go in the wrong direction.”

Jack nodded silently. The fear in Nicole’s eyes shook him to his core. He followed her into Mikado’s room, and stood at the end of the bed as the two women created a tent with a linen towel so Mikado could inhale the steam. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming. All he could do was stand there. Jack clenched his fists. Mikado was just a little boy. Yes, he stood taller than Jordan, but he was barely six years old. Jack’s jaw clenched. Hopper should be here. He’d know what to do. Where the hell was he?

Cabal appeared beside him with a young black-haired youth. Crasis had just come of age and was no longer considered an apprentice healer. The tall lanky youth moved to sit on the bed next to Mikado. The young troll smiled and reached out to him.

Crasis grinned back at Mikado and took hold of his hand. “What’s this I hear about you refusing to milk the cow again? How many times have I told you that cows make milk and milk makes sweet cream to pour on your berries?”

“I want frozen cream,” Mikado managed with a raspy cough.

Crasis laughed, “Yes, frozen cream is delicious and would feel good on your sore throat, but I’m not sure your stomach would appreciate it.” He placed his free hand on Mikado’s chest and held it there.

Mikado’s cough grew dry then faded, and the young troll fell asleep. Crasis rose and locked eyes with Cabal, then left the room. The others followed him into the kitchen. Crasis waited until they all had gathered. He looked at Sarah and said, “Every time I heal him is the same as before. I cleanse the infection from his body and it returns. Each time he grows sick earlier than the time before. We are losing this battle. Has he responded to the moldy bread you have given him?”

Sarah’s eyes fell to the floor. “It has no effect. I’m concerned this is beyond simple medicine.” She glanced up at Nicole. “If I could do a CT-scan or x-ray his lungs... but I don’t even have a freaking microscope...” Her voice broke.

Cabal wrapped his arms around her. “We won’t give up,” he whispered.

Nicole’s eyes went to Jack. “I’m going to get Ahmity. Surely there’s something he can do.” She didn’t wait for a response. She rushed for the door, grabbing her cloak off a hook as she left.