The Mystical Knights: The Sword of Dreams Read Free

some breakfast if you’re interested.”
                  Nia’s stomach tightened.  She squeezed the amulet lightly.  “Dad,” she said, smiling feebly.  “Thanks for cooking—but you really didn’t have to.  I—I usually don’t eat in the morning.  Makes me nauseous.  You know that.”
                  “Ah,” he said, “that’s alright.”  Sam shifted his weight uncomfortably. 
                  “But if you want,” Nia rambled on, her tongue lashing fast than her brain could think, “you can save it—we’ll have breakfast for dinner!  Mom and I—” Nia took a sharp intake of breath, her chest flaring with hurt.  It hurt like a thousand knives driving into her flesh, peeling it back and splashing it with sea salt.  She's dead, she thought disapprovingly, mentally reaching out to regain control before the dam behind her eyes could break.  You watched her die.  
                  “Hey.”
                  She was hardly aware of Sam's outstretched hand.  Sam’s thumb moved in slow circles along her cheek, pushing a few strands of hair from her eyes.  She had been sure her father’s hands would be calloused and rough from fairing the seas, but they were strangely soft. “It’s alright.  We can have breakfast for some other meal.  Don’t you worry about it.”
                  Nia pulled her head away before the feeling of his comforting hand could become real. She walked past him into the living room, wringing her fingers with one hand, her head buzzing like a stir of whispers.  She clenched her teeth behind her closed lips, seeking some sense of control.  She knew remembering would hurt, but the pain she had imagined felt like tickles compared to what it felt.
                  As her mind began to calmly refocus, Sam cleared his throat.  “Here’s some lunch money then,” he said, handing Nia a crinkled five dollar bill over her shoulder.  “Make—make sure you eat something today, alright?  No need for you to go hungry.”
                  Nia took the money and looked at him, feeling sane and stable once again.  "Thanks Dad." 
                  "You're very welcome." 
                  Nia shoved the crinkled bill into her pocket and caught sight of her sneakered feet as she looked at the floor.  “It feels weird going to school in something other than my old uniform,” she said absently, smoothing out the fabric of her skirt and looked back up into Sam's watchful gaze. 
                  Warmth.  Familiar.  Concentrate. 
                  Sam let out a small chuckle as he grabbed Nia’s jacket off of one of the coat holders.  “We’ll go this weekend and buy you some new clothes.  And maybe, since you’re gonna be around, I’ll get cable for the television.  And for now you’ll have to use the school computers or go to the library in town to use a computer,” Sam went on, slinging on his coat and opening the door, “at least until I get our computer up and running.”
                  “That’s fine with me.”  Nia slung her new bag over her shoulder and followed her father out the door.
     
     
                  As they pulled up in front of Willow Creek High School, Nia’s stomach felt as though it had been invaded by carnivorous butterflies that were flapping and chewing their way through the inner lining.  Kids were arriving by bus or walking up to the large, brick building that was surrounded by at least twenty white portable classrooms.
                  “Why does my school look like a trailer park?” Nia wondered out loud, watching as a group of giggling girls entered one of the many trailers that were set up as classrooms.
                  “It’s going to get a new building some day,” Sam explained.  “It’s on the list—number twenty or something.  Right