He’d missed his chance.
He could’ve bit Alex and jumped off the branch. But he didn’t. Another mistake.
They all sat around a fire. Mostly in silence. Alex kept watching him. He finally stopped holding him. Though he’d done as Aria had said.
“What’s wrong with him?” he whispered to Plume. “Why did he fight so much?”
The badger looked at Eddie who only stared into the flames. Watching them dance within themselves. He sighed. And what he said next, Eddie didn’t know. He was too focused on the fire.
Until he felt arms around him again. They pinned his arms to his side.
“There’s nothing wrong with me.” he snapped. “How can you all be so stupid? Seraphina isn’t your downfall. Seraphina will save you all. You idiots. Let me go!”
“Calm down, kid,” Alex spoke. “Plume’s just taking a look.”
“Let me go!” Eddie shouted. “Let go!”
He fought against Alex’s hold violently. The badger wouldn’t go near him unless he was calm unless the kicking stopped.
“Eddie, he’s not going to hurt you,” Alex insisted. “It’s like... going to the doctor, alright? Just act like you’re at the doctor’s and they’re checking your eyes. And he needs you to be completely still.”
Octavia knelt down next to him as he continued to fight. She cast a glance at her older brother whose grip was strong on the younger boy. “Just calm down, they’re not going to hurt you.”
She didn’t think that it’d work. But it did. He stopped fighting. “You should run,” he told her. “They’re more danger than they’re worth.”
Octavia kept her strength, as did the others. His words might have cut deep. But if they were right, they weren’t the words of a boy.
The badger approached Eddie. He looked into his eyes and studied them. “Did you take food from her?” Eddie was being spiteful for not answering. But none care too much about spite. This was about life and death. “Answer me, boy! Or I swear to the heavens...” he stopped himself from being harsh. “Did you take food from the witch?”
“She’s no witch,” Eddie snapped. “Just because someone possesses magic doesn’t mean that they’re bad. She treated me with kindness. When her goblin sought to cut me up and leave me to die, she stopped him. When she saw that I was near frozen, she warmed me. And then she grew fond of me. She promised me a throne out of the kindness of her heart, and all she asked in return were the otherworlders.” Plume sent a nod to Alex who released Eddie. “And the lot of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves for thinking otherwise.” Plume sighed. And a saddened expression breached Peep’s features.
“He’s been touched by the mage,” the badger stated solemnly as he turned away and went back to his place at the other side of the fire. Alex stood up and walked toward the animal.
“And what does that mean?” Alex asked. “You act glum as if there’s no hope. And what are we to do? Give up?”
“You must calm yourself, Alexander,” Peep told him. “There’s hope. Quite a bit of it actually. Plume, you must explain it to him.”
“The witch put her kiss on his forehead,” he spoke with a sigh. “It is not visible to the plain eye. Only if you’ve lived here as long as I.” he paused. “It’s a spell that binds them together. Though only he can track her, it doesn’t work both ways. The hyenas can smell the magic. But with you always being so near, they can’t sense it as well and think it is long passed.” he paused. “It is a spell that can only be broken by Omdrus.” The badger paused again. “And until the spell is broken, he cannot be anything but faithful to the mage. This promise of a throne shows me that in this case, he is not only loyal to her but in love with her.”
“He’s twelve,” Alex reasoned. “There’s no way.”
“Oh, but there is,” Peep spoke. “Edward’s soul is locked away. And the spell has taken over and created this persona. It will remain until the spell is broken.”
Eddie stared into the flames again, knowing that Alex was watching him. Alex had been suspicious of him since the beginning. So had Aria.
And now, everyone knew that they were right.
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