Worlds Collide: Chapter 26 High Priestess

Juan and I spin around, guilt plastered on our faces like naughty school children. I take in the beautiful woman standing before me. She is old enough to be a grandmother, but she doesn’t look it, she carries herself well and is well presented, not a single silver hair out of place in her tight bun.
She looks at a us pointedly and Juan collapses to the floor. I groan in frustration, cursing the ease at which the witches can render him incapacitated.
“Interesting… you are immune. I had planned to throw you both back across the border, but now my curiosity has piqued. Please allow me to save you the trouble of barging around the palace and follow me to my office.” She says looking at me like I’m a guinea pig in some kind of experiment.
“I’m not going anywhere without my friend” I say crossing my arms over my chest.
“Very well, you may carry her with you.” She says dismissively and starts walking away.
I gather Juan from the floor and scoop him up, wishing again that he had just become a fly or anything a little easier to carry. I follow the woman to a lift and we travel up the building in silence. She guides me to a beautiful, but simple office, far less ornate than the rest of the building, but the views from the open balcony definitely make up for it.
“Please sit. What do you want with the high priestess?” She asks bluntly, as I lay Juan down on a chaise lounge and I sit in a leather arm chair.
“I just want her help. I want to go home, but I don’t know how to, so please can I speak to her?” I ask.
“You already are, I’m Esme, high priestess and ruler of Malifa.” She states proudly.
“Oh shit! Sorry, I didn’t know, should I bow or anything?” I ask
“Well considering I just heard you plotting to force your way in here, I did not expect any formalities.” She says
“I really don’t want to hurt you, but I was attacked on my way here so you can understand my abrupt actions.” I explain.
“Well there are several simple spells that will send you home and out of my way soon enough. What interests me though is why my spell didn’t work on you like it did your friend there.” She says eying me up and down.
“That I don’t know, I think it has something to do with the dress. I made it myself, but with materials bought in Vladra, maybe there is some kind of anti-magic material? Look, if you help me go home, then I will leave the dress with you to investigate” I offer.
“An interesting proposition. If you want to go home so badly why come here? Why leave Vladra in the first place?” Esme asks.
“I’m not from Vladra. I stumbled upon Vladra and Loria while searching for answers and honestly looking for an escape. When I tried to go back the way I came, it was closed. I’m from Edinburgh, but if you can get me anywhere in my world I can fly home.” I explain.
Esme’s cool composure falters at my statement, shock and fear pass over her features before she recovers. “How did you get through the barrier?” She demands with a venom that would scare lesser women.
“I swam through an intricate cave network that came out under a waterfall in Loria, but when I tried to swim back it was gone. Professor Vladimire explained that this world was sealed off by witches and that you might be able to get me home.” I say calmly.
“What are you?” She shouts, slamming her hands on her desk
“I’m a lot of things, a friend, a student, a lover, but I think the one you care about is that I’m a water dragon.” I say nonchalantly
“This shouldn’t be possible! The barrier has some access points, but none that allow dragons through.” She says horrified and backing away from me.
“Relax! I’m not here to attack, I’m not a scout or a warrior or anything sinister. Even if you take me home, I wouldn’t know how to get back here. I know everyone here seems to hate dragons, but we are not the villains you fear” I say.
“I would need assurances of this. I will not put my people in danger.” She says firmly.
“I swear by blood oath that I do not mean your people any harm and I will keep this place a secret.” I say making a small cut on my hand with my dagger and offering it to her to shake.
She takes my hand and relaxes a little. “Very well, I will help you. What are you names?” She asks
“This is Juan and I’m Rain” I say and she freezes, shock clear on her face.
After a moment, she recovers, but she looks at me with a different curiosity from before.
“Is Rain a common name where you are from?” She asks.
“No, it’s quite unusual, I have never met another person with the same name.” I shrug.
“Is it a family name?” She asks
“I’m not sure, my parents died when I was young, I barely remember their names.” I say, trying not to let the sadness show in my voice.
“What were their names?” She asks gently.
“Jacob and Ruby, its strange using their names though, to me they were just mummy and daddy” I answer
Esme’s breath catches in her throat and then the strangest thing happens, this untouchable, hostile woman rushes towards me and pulls me into a hug.
“Em, don’t worry, it was a long time ago, I’m used to talking about it.” I say trying to escape the awkward hug.
“You don’t understand. Your mother, do you remember her?” She asks.
I nod, looking at her with confusion and not wanting to explain that most of what I remember is her murder.
“Did she look like this?” She asks, handing me a framed portrait
My body goes limp with shock, I drop the photo and it smashes to the ground. I scramble to pick it up, not caring about the broken glass stabbing me. I stroke it fondly, grateful to have an image of my mothers face not contorted in pain.
“Why do you have this?” I ask not looking away from the image.
“Its my daughter, my Ruby” She says, her voice chocked with emotion.
I look between her and the photo, noticing the similarities, her features are sharper than mine and my mothers, but there is a familiarity to her face that I can’t deny. “So you are my grandmother?” I question, my brain still catching up with what my eyes have confirmed.
She nods. “Would you… would you stay a while? I know this must be strange and I’m just a stranger to you, but I have so many questions. I can arrange rooms for you and your friend.” She offers.
I’d be lying if I didn’t have a million questions myself, and it has been a long day already and I need some time to get my head straight. “If you promise to help and not to hurt us, we will stay.” I agree.
“Of course, you will both be under my protection. Please wait here, I will have some refreshments sent up while I arrange rooms for you.” She says and gets up to leave, stopping briefly at the door to wake Juan up.
Juan blots upright and jumps off the chair, fists raised and ready to fight.
“Relax! Let me explain what you missed” I say and he slowly sits back down.