Tracey saw her. Tracey saw Makenna on a surfboard, and the people carrying her moved quickly. He saw flashing lights, heard ambulance sirens, and then an evil laugh—Peter Nelson.
He gestured for the people carrying the surfboard to climb into his car, and they did.
The car began to speed, and an ambulance followed it, along with a police car.
However, Peter and someone else threw something at the tires of both the ambulance and the police car, causing them to go flat. The last thing Tracey saw was the Ashley River, and something falling toward it.
His golden-brown eyes snapped open, and he asked, “Where am I?” in a groggy voice. It was Friday morning, around 8:00, the day of the Spirit Week Dance. It had been a week since Makenna was sent home from school early due to her unusual powers. A lot had happened in just one week, and something told Tracey that a lot more would happen that day.
For a moment, his vision was blurry. It then cleared, and Tracey saw Gina hovering before him. “Gina,” softly spoke Merlin’s apprentice. Since his magic level was back at base level, he no longer wore the fairy oxygen mask, but his wings remained the same. “My wings,” Tracey mumbled. “What happened to my wings?” He didn’t remember a lot, and he still didn’t feel all that well.
Suddenly, Tracey heard Merlin. “Tracey!”
Tracey struggled to a sitting position and saw Merlin hurrying toward his bed. He stopped at its side and grinned. “You’re awake! Oh, we were so worried about you! But you’re awake!”
“What happened, Master?” Tracey searched the area. “How did I get here?” The mark of the Octopus Man had finally vanished from his arm, but it didn’t mean he was no longer under the spell.
Merlin looked Tracey in the eyes and explained, “We carried you here by stretcher yesterday morning—Makenna and I. You two got caught in a storm, and unfortunately, my young apprentice, the storm broke your wings. I have you on some pretty strong pain medicines, so you’re going to feel a little strange for a couple of days.”
“My wings are broken, Sensei?” mumbled Tracey. “No, they can’t be.” His mind returned to Makenna and the premonition. How would Tracey save her if he couldn’t fly? A lump formed in his throat.
“I’m so sorry, kid,” Merlin said, “but it’s the truth.”
“Will they ever heal?” Tracey choked out. “Please tell me they will!” He felt the lump growing.
Merlin hesitated. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, he said, “Tracey, I know how you feel, but the thing is, you’re a pure magical being. You’re not like Makenna. Since she’s half human, her wings are strong, well stronger, like arms and legs.”
Tracey now really began choking up. The premonition replayed itself in his brain over and over again. “I’ve got to go after Makenna,” he said after a bit. “Please, Master, I’ve got to protect her from Peter Nelson. I’ve got a terrible feeling. I need to let her know that it was not her fault that this happened.”
He tried getting out of bed, but Merlin said, “No,” and grabbed his arms.
Tracey flinched. He tried pulling away, but Merlin held him tight and added, “I’m not going to let you leave like last time. You need to take it easy. You just broke your wings. I want you to stay in bed for a couple of days. I will then teach you to walk.”
“But, Makenna...” Tracey groaned. Closing his eyes, his head fell backward. Sitting up too long made him a little dizzy.
Merlin lay him back down and said in a stern voice, “Take it easy, Tracey. You shouldn’t have left in the first place, not after just waking up from a magic coma. It takes about a week to recover fully. I was worried about you.”
Tracey gulped. “Am I in trouble?”
“No, no,” Merlin spoke. “Of course not. Just don’t do that again, okay? I do not want you to leave, Tracey. I don’t think you understand how serious broken wings are. Here...” He reached over to Tracey’s dresser and picked up the pain medicines. “You need to take these. Do you want something to eat first, though?”
“I’m not very hungry,” Tracey whimpered. Gina landed beside him, and Tracey rubbed her back.
“You’ve got to eat something,” Merlin said. “How about I just get you some soup? I know you’ve lost your appetite, son, but please.”
“No, Master,” moaned Tracey. He feebly shook his head. “I don’t want anything to eat.” He continued to pet Gina.
“I’m getting you something to eat, my young apprentice,” voiced Merlin. “And no, if you think that I’ll release you if you eat something, you'd better rethink that. You are not leaving, not in your condition. You need to rest. Understand?” He had raised his voice a bit. “Understand?” Merlin asked again.
“Yes, Master,” Tracey softly spoke, shivering. “I am in trouble.”
“No, you’re not,” Merlin countered. “Don’t think that. I’m just stating facts. The doctor’s coming in later, and he’s going to decide whether to send you to the Coutarine Fairy Hospital or not. All right, I’m going to get your soup.” Merlin patted Tracey’s shoulder and slipped out of his room.
Left behind, Tracey began sobbing. “My wings,” he moaned, rubbing his eyes. “Why did it have to be my wings? I can’t just lie here, though. I’ve got to go to Makenna. She’s in danger. If I don’t get to her as soon as possible, her life will end!”
“Merlin told you to stay here!” Gina snapped at him. “And this time, if you sneak away, I’m not going to let you off clean like I did last time! Merlin will ground you from using magic if you do this again!”
“I don’t care!” Tracey painfully spoke. He clenched his teeth. “Makenna’s life is in danger! I’m going, and you and Merlin can’t stop me!” Tracey bravely pulled off the covers and removed the wet towel from his forehead. With clenched teeth, he shakily rose to his hands and knees, but he slipped, fell, and rolled off the bed. Unfortunately, he slammed down on his back, and Tracey yelled, “Ow!” He turned onto his side and buried his face in his right arm. He snatched his wings with his left hand and repeated, “Ow.”
“Tracey, stop!” Gina grabbed another tuft of his hair and tugged it. Tracey forcibly shook her off, and the tern crashed into the ground. “Bee boop,” she spoke, toppling over.
Tracey lifted his head from his injured arm and weakly said, “I’m going. Makenna needs me.” He struggled to his feet, still holding his wings, and stumbled toward his room’s exit. At one point, he tripped over his foot and crashed into the ground again.
“Tracey!” Gina yelled behind him. “Tracey, the reason why you’re in so much pain right now is because you haven’t taken the medicine. It’s been a while since you last took it.”
“I don’t need medicine,” Tracey grumbled, struggling to his feet. “All I need is my confidence and willpower. Selene told me so. She told me I have just started a brand-new chapter of my story, and rescuing Makenna will be part of it. I’m a ninja, Gina, and ninjas never stop themselves from accomplishing a mission, all because they’re banged up. I’m a ninja, and I’m Merlin’s apprentice.”
Gina stopped behind him and sighed. She doubted she would be able to stop her friend. He was so desperate to rescue Makenna. However, she did not want to leave him alone, so Gina chased after him.
Tracey soon stepped into the corridor just outside his room and stumbled toward a back entrance of the cave. He swayed, though, because of the insane pain. However, did Tracey stop? No. He carried on with his expedition through the cave and thought about Makenna the entire time, repeatedly saying to himself, “I can do anything. I can do anything.”
***
Makenna was in school, sitting in Mrs. Hector’s homeroom classroom. She had brought Raeven and had hidden him inside her desk.
Raeven came along because he wanted to know who Peter Nelson was and to get a feel for Makenna’s school.
Makenna tried her best to keep him quiet so he wouldn’t be discovered, but it was difficult because Raeven was such a loudmouth.
Jimmy and Jessica, both sitting behind her, stared at the Metamorphic Fairy.
Nudging Jimmy, Jessica whispered, “What’s she doing?”
“I’m not sure,” Jimmy whispered back.
Mrs. Hector stood at the front of the room, explaining the day's schedule. “All right, students, today’s the big day. Today is the last day of Spirit Week, and it is also likely the most enjoyable. It’s great to see that most of you have dressed up today.”
It was Color Wars Day at Makenna’s school. Each grade level had been assigned a specific color to wear that day: freshmen wore red, sophomores wore blue, juniors wore white, and seniors wore all three colors of the American flag. Makenna, Jessica, Jimmy, and one more girl, Natalie, the girl who had called Tracey Romeo before, were the only ones not dressed out.
Makenna was dressed in her usual attire, the blue and white-striped top, etc. The entire time Mrs. Hector spoke, her hands were in her desk, and she felt around for Raeven’s muzzle.
At the front of the room, Mrs. Hector continued: “We have a shortened schedule today so we can have the pep rally, and then tonight, starting at six, will be the Spirit Week Dance. I’m sure you’re all excited for it. Am I right?”
“Yes, ma’am!” announced the students, except Makenna.
“Yes, ma’am!” suddenly yelled Raeven from inside her desk. “We’ll be there, no doubt about it!”
“Huh?” asked Mrs. Hector. “Who said that?”
All heads turned toward Makenna.
“Shh!” she whispered. Finally finding Raeven’s muzzle, Makenna grabbed it. “Sorry, Mrs. Hector, I must have fallen asleep and started sleep-talking.”
“Well, you made your voice mighty deep, Miss Delling,” Mrs. Hector told her. “For a moment, I thought somebody else was talking. Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes! After eighth period, everybody will meet back here in their homeroom, and we’ll escort you to the courtyard, where we’ll have the pep rally for the last hour of school. You’ll then go home, and all of y’all coming to the dance can get ready. Does that sound like a fun day?”
“Yes, ma’am!” the students announced again, including Makenna that time.
She blushed, and an image of Peter Nelson reentered her head. “I have a date,” she whispered to herself. “I have a date with Peter Nelson! Oh, this is going to be so much fun! Something tells me that tonight is going to be one of the best nights of my entire life!” Makenna brought her hands to her lips and squealed into them.
Inside her desk, Raeven rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Women. Men will never understand them. Personally, I think bats are better at love than humans are.”
“Shh!” Makenna snapped, snatching his muzzle again.
Jimmy and Jessica continued to stare.
Makenna peered back at them and chuckled nervously. “I’m just practicing my acting.”
“Since when do you act?” Jessica questioned.
Makenna didn’t.
ns216.73.216.103da2
and then Add to home screen.