The Tower 49

She had pushed the protection further than the boundaries of the room and I could see the stark difference where the protection ended. The soft, cheerful carpets that used to line the halls suddenly disappeared about two feet from the door.

After a few moments Sareanne joined me at the open doorway. The difference made me shiver with excitement and curiosity.

“Can you do more?” I asked impatiently.

“Not yet,” she breathed.

I looked at her face and realized she was much paler than before. The sheer amount of energy it had taken her to build that circle had exhausted her strength. I put my arm around her shoulders, supporting her weight against my body.

“At this rate it will take me years to uncurse every room,” she added annoyed.

“Can you teach me the words?” I asked.

I highly doubted my ability to produce any kind of magic, but this was a magical land and maybe the rules were different here. Sareanne said she used power from the Gods of the Earth. If they agreed to help me then maybe it would work.

“I can try, but…” I could see her struggle internally.

I put my hand on her arm. “It’s okay, Sareanne. It was just a suggestion. We need to figure out a way to make you stronger.”

I looked out the darkening window. “It’s getting late. We should just stay here for the night. The room is already protected and if we leave it will break the protection,” I said.

She nodded in agreement.

The room was now equipped with a comfortable bed and a soft couch as well as a well-stocked fireplace. I sent Sareanne to the bed knowing she would be too tall for the couch. I spent several minutes at the fireplace before I finally got the tiniest of fires started. Sareanne came over to my side with a grin and helped me get it going strong.

“Don’t you have fireplaces in your world?” she asked curiously.

“No we have heating and air conditioning.” Her expression was total confusion. “You push a button and a…machine makes the house warmer or cooler.”

“These machines can heat a whole castle?” she asked incredulously.

I laughed. “Most people in my world don’t live in castles. We live in cottages or houses that are a little bit bigger than the cottage I stayed in the second night.”

“Oh.”

I could tell she didn’t really believe me. I sent her back to bed and went over to the couch. The tarrange had curled up on the rug next to the hearth and was purring contentedly. The sound, instead of annoying me, relaxed me and after considering the events of the day I fell asleep.