Tendrils of fear laced around my spine, crawling into my nerves and setting the hairs on my skin at attention. Magic was real. It did exist. It was here, and there was no denying a single thing about it.

My hands struggled furtively against the invisible forces that bond me to the chair, hoping and waiting for the moment that they would somehow lose their strength and give me a release.

"That's not gonna do anything, you know?" Jason stated. He was still calm, still reading through the comic book without a care in the world.

Although preventing me from speaking, the glue didn't keep me from moving my lips, and I was determined to make my thoughts known. What came out was unintelligible as well as inaudible. I alone knew what was being said because I was the one saying it, "Please let me go! I don't want to die."

I continued to mumble through my supernaturally quieted lips until Jason threw up a finger in the air. 

My breath caught, fear once again controlling my actions. Immediately, I thought of what he was going to do to me next. Blow off an arm. Pop my eyeball out. The horrific thoughts raced through my mind while I stared helplessly at him.

The fearful finger remained extended a few seconds longer before suddenly rejoining the rest of them. My eyes followed the movement of his hand as it went to Jason's face, subsequently wiping his eyes. He released a heavy breath as he leaned back into the chair, "Oh my god. I can't believe that's how he ended this volume. That was absolutely thrilling. Granted, it would've been a lot more exciting if he'd had Mikasa get eaten instead of Eren, but you know, whatever drives the plot."

Jason's eyes met mine. The deep blue irises piercing into me, igniting more flames of fear that only sought to consume my insides. "Right. You have to promise not to scream when I undo this curse, okay?"

Curse? What curse was he talking about? Was I cursed? Did he curse me?

Feeling no other option was suitable, I quickly nodded in agreement. I wouldn't scream, at least not while I was close enough to be bound to this chair again. 

Jason smiled in acknowledgment of my agreeance. He nodded once, and almost immediately, a feeling of freedom quickly swept over my lips.

I twisted my jaw continuously, checking that I indeed had use of my entire mouth again. Even knowing that what was done to me was intentional, I couldn't help but smile as my jaw moved around freely. My tongue danced around, touching my outer lips and my inner cheek. It likened itself to a blind man who had just received sight, touching everything without reservation.

"Better?" Jason inquired, looking at my face as I continued to move around my mouth.

Ironically enough, I didn't give him an audible answer. I nodded again and swallowed a breath. This was really happening. It wasn't a dream. Portal masters. Magicians. Magic.

"Should I explain?" Jason's voice boomed over, cutting through my thoughts. Again, I found myself nodding instead of offering an intellectual response. "Well, Dreya. I'm here to protect, educate, and court you. But that last one is more of a loose topic, so no need to discuss it right now. My real purpose is to protect you at all costs while I get you acquainted with the magical world."

He paused, staring at me for a few short seconds, before once again filling the space with his voice. "Right, since you understand that much," he assumed, "I'll keep going. You are a magician. A powerful one who comes from a rather ancient royal bloodline." 'Bullshit!' "You've lived your entire life in the human world for only one reason, protection." 'Even more bullshit.' "Anyways, you're kind of a big deal, and when you turn 20 in the next few months, you're expected to step up kinda and take the throne." 'Does he really expect me to believe any of this?'' I'm guessing this is where you'll have a question."

I didn't. I didn't have a single question. I didn't come from any Royal ancient bloodline. My family was a pair of nerds who'd met when they both tied for first place in a game coding competition. In the beginning, they hated each other, but after a few more meetings, they fell in love, eloped, and had me. I was the child that they coveted, especially after suffering the losses of the subsequent three. There was nothing extraordinary about my life except that I had an amazing girlfriend who didn't care who my family was.

My tongue licked at my lips as they became drier from the movement. Jason furrowed his brows, leaning forward over the table at me. I could see his eyes even clearer now; without the glasses blocking them, you could make out the silver lines that lay just in the shadow of his pupil.

The lump in my throat bobbed. "One question. . ." I whispered.

My companion seemed to perk up, enthusiastic that I was no longer mute even if he was the one who had rendered me so in the first place. "Go ahead. I'm at your disposal."

I leaned forward as much as the invisible bindings would allow. "What are those silver lines in your eyes?"

My question seemed to kill his enthusiasm. Jason sighed heavily and pulled his head back with closed eyes. "That-" he stated curtly, "That was your question?" He stood, eyes still closed, and came around to my side of the table. "They are called the Magician's mark, and I can assure you that you'll see yours once you awaken your powers."

Jason leaned into my personal space, face barely five inches away from my own. He opened his eyes, and those deep blue irises were suddenly a radiant silver, glowing so brightly that I had to look away. My breath caught at how beautiful and unexpected they were. When I looked back, the glow was gone.

"Wait a minute, what was that? How did you do that?" Overcome with excitement; I pushed myself further from my bounds. A tiny squeak erupted from my lips as the pain from my movement forced me back.

"Easy, you're still under arrest," Jason said calmly.

Within a split second, I felt the invisible bounds slip away. I could move again. No longer bound to the chair, I stood, still fixated on the glowing eyes I'd seen. "What was that?"

"I don't appreciate repetition, Dreya. That was a Magician's tell. You use it to let another Magician know you are active. Like I said, once you come into your powers. . ."

I cut him off. "Yeah, screw that. I heard everything you said. I'm more concerned about why you think I'm this person. To be honest, it was getting a little hard buying time in that damn chair. Know that I don't believe any of the bullshit that you just told me, well, most of it anyway. This just seems like some prank from Magical Studies. Is this supposed to be a test that was assigned by Professor Luna?"

Jason scoffed, sitting down on the edge of the table. "Professor Luna?" He started, arms folded across his chest, "You mean Drayana? That old shapeshifter couldn't get it up for this kind of magic if you paid her." He looked away, chuckling. "Okay, since you don't believe me, then I'll drop the cloaking spell. It's already served its purpose anyway. Right now, I guess I'll just let you judge the truth since you seem to be forgetting what made you choose to run away in the first place."

His fingers instantly twisted, constructing strange invisible shapes before ending with a snap. I was anticipating fireworks, at least, but nothing happened. Jason pushed a finger to his lips with a lifted eyebrow, "Shh," he mouthed inaudibly.

I waited for a minute. When nothing happened, when Jason's leering gaze remained fixed on me, I spoke. "This is stupid. I'm leaving. You can tell professor Luna that I didn't fall for it. Let her know that I must be lacking in the temp -" 

I could say I regret saying those words, but if I did, I would've never known anything. I would've still been a non-believer trapped in a world where I apparently didn't belong.

The first roar came directly from the restricted employee area, behind the door where I'd seen Stephanie with her gaping laser mouth. It occurred to me then, and how did I even forget it. The creep in the back room that had started this whole thing. My fingers covered my lips, but it was already too late. The door flew open, a gust of wind blowing so heavily that the cafe table flipped over. Chairs were thrown across the room, crashing into the opposite wall so hard that they left dents and scratches on the surface.

My heart galloped along. Beside me, Jason laughed maniacally with his head tilted backward. I could barely hear myself think with the sound of blood rushing through my ears. We were both probably going to die, and he was laughing. 

Instinctually, I wanted to head for the door just like I'd done before, but I couldn't get my legs to move.

Not a single part of me was obeying my mind.

The monster that appeared from the blown open door was ravenous, large, and draconic. I found myself staring mutely at the beast. This was no longer sweet Stephanie, who gave me extra low-calorie sweetener. This thing. . . it was dangerous. I shivered as the beast sniffed around, looking over at us sharply as her nose pinpointed where we were. Where I was. I turned to my left, and Jason was gone. I was alone, getting ready to face off with an otherworldly beast that could rip me apart in mere seconds.

My throat tightened. Tears forced their way through my eyes almost instantly as the beast mode Stephanie walked toward me, snarling, spewing her murderous intent around the room. I didn't dare move, swallow. I was even too scared to breathe, but I had no choice; it was involuntary.

The sound her talons made as it scratched the surface of the wooden floor sent chills racing through my chest with shockwaves attacking my heart the closer she got.

I tried to move again. This time hoping that even the smallest of fingers would be free from whatever had captivated me—no such luck. I was trapped as the beast formerly known as Stephanie continued to approach me.

'This is it! I'm gonna die!'

Thoughts swam around my mind at 100 miles an hour. What had started as a peaceful and uneventful day had quickly turned terrible. One moment I was looking forward to life with Shannon, dreaming of times I'd wrap my arms around her and inhale the scent of her fiery hair. 

The next, I was getting ready to meet my maker. Smell some incense. Push some daisies

Stephanie was barely 5 feet away now. I watched as she lifted her right arm as a hitter would in baseball. She was ready to deliver the killing blow. Hit a home run and win the game. That would've been great if I wasn't the ball, and she wasn't a 300-pound killing monster.

I braced myself as best I could for death and watched the scaled appendage coming toward me. The impact was on a countdown timer in my mind. Three seconds and I would be dead.

One: I'm sorry about not listening to you, Mom.

Two: Shannon, I hope you find someone who's at least a little bit better than me.

Three: I wished I'd made it to twen. . .

"How was that for a 'test'? Huh." Jason stood at the opposite end of my Dorm room, looking over at me with a smirk as wide as the Atlantic on his face. "Come on; you still don't believe me?"

Those tears that had marked themselves for ejection spilled forth. I crumbled to my knees in a pathetic heap with such relief that I didn't care how much I ugly cried or who saw. Gratitude overflowed from me. I was alive. Trick or no trick, I was still breathing and not slaughtered by the nice girl who made my coffee for the last year.

"Hello? Dreya?" Jason called to me. 

I looked up briefly, continuing to wail and soaking my face in unforgiving tears. 

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" 

I looked away, trying to stop the tears as they continued to flow. I needed a minute before I was actually able to have a conversation.

Magical Studies wasn't looking like some fun, easy course anymore. My heart was sore from the turmoil. In less than 10 minutes, I'd steeled myself to die three times. Was that how magic worked? Is Adrenaline constantly rushing through your body? Your mind always on alert and running with thoughts and ways to aid in your survival. Just this short experience made me want to forget that I even knew how to spell the word magic.

The bean chair in my room never felt comfier than it did at that point. I was curled up like a child seeking comfort from its mother. Jason had remained quiet, observing me while he looked around the room and touched things that I wished he wouldn't. After some time, I'd found the will in me to speak again.

"Things are always like this?" I'd asked.

Jason flipped his hands back and forth. "Depends on who you are, to be honest." He paused, tapping at his chin. "In your case, I guess this will become the norm pretty soon. Your status and potential power that has yet to be discovered makes you someone that is desired by all sides, which means you'll be courted, continuously approached by certain undesirables. There will no doubt be a hefty number of assassination attempts." He paused as my mouth gaped. "Oh, and your training is pretty dangerous, too, but that pales in comparison to the others."

Hello, my name is Dorothy, and I'd like to return to Kansas.

Unfortunately, my name wasn't Dorothy, and this was Upstate New York.

Jason walked over, resting on my bed and picking up the stuffed giraffe I had used as decor. "I did tell you that you were powerful. You didn't think this was something like Harry Potter, did you? Far from it, Dreya. You're Royalty, and Magicians like you are born, not made."

I looked down at my hands. They looked empty, small, useless. Being told that you were something great when all you'd known was a mediocre life with a mediocre outlook was confusing, but maybe it was what I needed to get out of where I was. Always accepting things the way they were.

I wiped my face one last time, clapping my hands on my cheeks to wake myself up. "You sure I'm the one you're looking for?"

"You are literally the only Dreya Hargroves in the world." He spoke matter of factly.

"So my parents aren't my parents?" I couldn't bear the thought of it, but I pushed on. I would have to get the answers soon enough, especially if what he was saying was true.

Jason put the giraffe down and leaned over, "Your parents will always be your parents. They're the ones who've raised you since you were a baby. Taken you to every Doctor's appointment, been to every PTA, signed every report card, and celebrated every birthday." He took a deep breath before continuing. "But no, they aren't the ones who gave birth to you. Henrietta and Samuel are your protectors. They are some of the few select humans that know the hidden magical realms. And I know you have more questions about who your real parents are but let's leave that for later on."

No one ever said to leave good news for later. In fact, the good news was always swiftly delivered, leading me to believe one thing that my birth parents were dead. I scoffed at the thought. Add orphan to the lists of things that had ultimately screwed up the good day I'd been having.

"Should we talk about something else?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I need to see Shannon." I moved to stand, but Jason stopped me.

"Right, there is something else."

I paused, "What is it?"

"You have to stop seeing her."

I lightly chuckled. "Why? Is being a lesbian against the rules of royalty?"

"Oh, no. Actually," Jason said solemnly, "Shannon isn't exactly human."

Something deep inside me broke. He was pushing it too far. Taking his new ownership over what I knew to a height that I really didn't want to explore. This was on the list of things I definitely couldn't accept because it was impossible, right?

"What does that mean? Why isn't she human?" I almost screamed at Jason because somehow Shannon, not being human, was worse than me being royal and my parents being dead.

He held up his hands in a defensive fashion. "Don't kill the messenger, Dreya. She's half-human, half-succubus. Honestly, I'm surprised she's lasted this long without trying to kill you, especially since there aren't that many vendors nearby."

"What the. . . what are you saying?" More painful words were being hurled at me.

"Your girlfriend's species preys on magical energy," he folded his arms once again, "Of course, the way humans tell it, they're all about killing human men or using them as mating partners or whatever. None of that is actually true. Succubi feed on the magical energy from other magical beings. Basically, any kind or type they don't have a preference. But in Shannon's case, since she is half-human, it would be easier for her to get it from a vendor, and since I know there are only a few, I'm sure she should've tried to kill you by now."

Stuttering, I declared, "Shannon doesn't want to kill me."

Jason's contemplated for a second. "I mean, if she wanted to kill you, you would be dead. So that leaves us with two options. Either she has a source we don't know about and visits them regularly, or she simply hasn't been able to detect your energy as of yet. Though I don't see how that last one would be possible, I sensed it the minute I could close enough to share the same air as you."

I sat frozen while Jason thought for a bit. "Does she have any strange habits?"

Shaking myself free of my slump, I nodded vigorously. "She likes scents."

Jason's smile widened, "Well, now we know why you're not dead. You've been substituting pretty well without any training; good job." He proceeded to clap loudly, startling me to the point that I jumped, causing goosebumps to race up and down my arm. "Now stay away from her. . . because she will kill you. Especially now that your magician's mark is gonna start growing."

A/n

Thank you once again for reading. I'm again quite proud of this story, so be sure to let me know what you think about it in the comments below. 

Some questions

1)What do you think of Jason? Do you think he had ulterior motives towards Dreya? Do you think he's telling the truth and being completely honest? Or do you feel like he's hiding something at this point?

2) What would you like to happen next?