Sasha looked from Elias to his parents. She was happy the king had been able to save him and she felt real shame when she thought of just how stupid she had been. The ground magic was not just life, it was the eternal circle, all of it. She had drawn an awful lot of magic thinking that would help recover the tree. Instead she had done what she did best, she had taken life’s. She had played in the other end of the circle. In a graveyard life had meant the tree and Elias.

“I’m so sorry Elias”, she said.

“Moulding back those stick to a tree was a really stupid idea. I should have known better.”

He pushed himself up on the elbows. The colour of his face was still looking more like the gravestones than anything else.

“Care to give me some help?” Elias said and sighed.

“Sure you shouldn’t just rest a bit?”

“Just keep quit and stay with me will you? Or are you keen on taking the punishment?”

Sasha gulped and looked towards the royal couple. She knew now why Elias had kissed her. He was trying to save the day, being her all mighty knight covered in gold dust. And if anything, the look in the kings eyes said that she really needed the help.

She had passed a line she shouldn’t have. Putting Elias in obvious danger probably made her rising to the top of the queens list of enemies. If choosing between blood and water the queen would choose water. She would not hold the king back this time. She would probably encourage him.

“Where to?” she asked, wetting her lips and feeling sick to her stomach.

Sasha helped Elias to stand up. He was leaning heavily on her.

“The stable. We need to lay low for a while.”

The queen was sobbing against the kings chest. Sasha looked away, not comfortable with their obvious closeness.

“Where are you going?” The king asked. “You are not in a shape to go somewhere.”

“We will just go to the kitchen and grab some food. I need to heal father”, Elias said. “See you there.”

“Well, we see you later then”, the king answered and continued to pat the queen.

Sasha smiled and walked slowly with Elias hanging on her side. The king just stared at her. A promise of revenge in the lethal smile.

The path towards the gate of the churchyard felt endless.

“You have to rest a bit Elias. Lets sit down on the bench for a while.” She bit on her lips, taking a glance backwards but deciding they had to take the risk. Elias would not cope with more, his skin was turning greyer again.

“If I am sitting down I will faint darling. Lets continue”, Elias said through gritted teeth’s.

He walked slower and slower. Sasha wanted to do something, and she was thinking of getting some extra help from the wind, but she probably had done enough.

Elias was hanging on the gate and the walk towards the castle kitchen seemed impossible. The walk to the stable was totally out of reach. A cool breeze was felt in the previous still air. Sasha felt comfort in it, as if the wind was hugging her.

“I suppose you are not strong enough for magic?” Sasha asked. “You could use the wind to help us transfer.”

“I am doing all I can to heal”, Elias said.

“Maybe I could?”

“No. You seldom use your magic. I forgot just how strong a witch that you are. And a strong witch with no control? No thanks, I cant afford another one of these.”

“Maybe you will not need one?” A mockery voice was heard in the air.

“Denise?” Sasha said. She looked around, and in the middle of the breeze she could see the transparent form of a dragon take form.

“A little bird told me you might need me?”

“You are a sight for soar eyes”, Sasha exhaled, her shoulders slumbered. Ivy had known. “Can you take us away from here? The sooner the better?”

“Off course”, Denise smiled and swooshed them up on her back with help of her long black tail.

Sasha held close around Elias back. She was not going to drop him now. She could feel the freedom in her mouth and the taste was sweet.

“Take us to her mother”, Elias said.

“To Ella it is”, Denise said, and she took off.

They had not more than left the ground before Elias body went limb. Sasha thanked her lucky sister and held Elias firm. She let him drop down a bit and got his body resting towards hers. He would need the rest.

To land in the forest was not the easiest thing for a dragon the size of Denise.

“There is nowhere suitable to drop you off here”, Denise said as she circled the area for the ninth time.

“How did you do last time?”

“Then I shrank. Remember? I am big now just to be able to give you two a ride.”

“He is still sleeping” Sasha said. “Can you swim?”

“The lake, off course.” Denise let out some smoke and turned around. “I should have thought of it.”

Denise slowly floated through the air, her body coming closer and closer to the three tops as she headed for the small marsh.

They landed with a big splash in the lake, Denise slowly swimming towards shore.

Sasha jumped off the snakes back when Denise got closer to land. She carefully draw Elias down from the dragons back. His feet’s splash into the water. Denise put her head underneath Elias legs and helped her getting him up on land.

“We put him here in the moss for a while. I think he just needs to rest for a while.” Denise said. “He is a strong healer after all.”

“Are you sure? He doesn’t looks like he is healing?”

“He does. You keep watch and I tell Ella she got visitors.”

Elias didn’t move. Sasha had to check that he actually breathed, a bit afraid he somehow had swallowed water when she pulled him up. Then she had to check again, afraid the pouring rain somehow had managed to do the same.

“Elias?”

There was no answer, not that she had thought so. She laid down close to him, looking at his breast slowly rising and deflating. Today had been the first time in a very long time she had been feeling totally helpless. She didn’t knew when it had happened, and she was not happy about it, but she cared. Lucky for her the rain made her tears vanish.

“You will never be mine”, Sasha whispered.

She placed a kiss on his forehead. The things she would do for what was right.

“The best boyfriend I have ever had was Isaak”, she said out loud. How pathetic wasn’t that?

“Sasha?”

“Elias!” She smiled, the teardrops that blended with the rain now filled with joy. “How are you?”

“Hungry?” Elias groaned. “Where are we?”

“At the lake at my mothers. We really got away.”

“Off course we did”, Elias snorted. “I always excel.”

“And I always mess up.”

“Rebel you don’t”, Elias raised up and stroke her chin. “You just do all you do with intense. I like that about you.”

“You do?” Sasha said. “So, about that. You kissed me to save me from the wrath of your parents?”

“They are not as bad as they seem”, Elias started, but then he sighed heavily and stopped. “Yeah, I kissed you to stop my parents from killing you and it is precisely as bad as it seems.”

“I guessed so. Care to tell me?”

“Father has always killed anyone disappointing the queen, and you hurt her. I had to ensure he would know that killing you would really upset the queen. He cares for no one else.”

“And mother might hate me, but she cares for you”, Sasha finished the sentence for him.

Elias shrugged.

“It’s not that bad.”

“Yes it is Elias”, Sasha said.

“Yeah, you are right.”

Elias head fell down on the ground. He looked up at the sky and licked the raindrops away.

“You know, I like it here. All the trees seems perfectly solid.”

They had been laying on the ground, silently looking at the trees for a while when Sasha heard footsteps. Just a moment later Sasha saw Ella walk out of the forest.

“Denise told me I could find you two here”, Ella said.

She had a basket at her arm. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving”, Elias said and rose. “How could you know?” He went forward and hugged his mother forcefully. “It is a good day for a picnic isn’t it?”

Sasha looked at them. One might think Elias had suddenly grown soft towards his birth mother. Ella obviously thought so, but Sasha knew better. She saw the light humour, and she saw the mask he used. She saw how much each of those step cost him.

“Well, let’s eat then shall we?” Sasha said.

Elias got hold of an apple. Sasha looked down in the basket. There were bread, egg, fruit and something to drink.

“Maybe we shall eat at home?” Ella said and looked at Elias. “It is rather rough weather.”

“Well, off course”, Elias said and started to walk.

Sasha got hold of his arm, raising a brow.

“Need any help?” Sasha asked.

“No. Its fine”, Elias said, walking ahead of her. Sasha shook her head. He could pretend to be strong, but she knew better.

Elias hadn’t eating much before he had disappeared into Sasha’s room.

“How is he?” Ella asked. “Denise didn’t say much more than to bring food before she took off.”

“Denise is wise”, Sasha sighed. “She is off to protect my sister, and hopefully Isaak, I think they might need it.”

Ella looked confused. Sasha took some bread and a bottle of apple juice from the table.

“You know”, Sasha said, “We had some issues and ran off from the castle. Are you sure the king does not know of this hideout?”

“No one does, and the forest will not allow trespassers”, Ella nodded. “Now, what happened?”

“Some magic got a bit out of hand. I really owe the story to Elias”, Sasha said and raised from the kitchen chair. “We talk later, ok?”

“You take care of him, will you?” Ella said.

Sasha nodded. Yeah, she would take care of him.