He dashed away and a second later, Aspen started to run after him. Her legs had somehow become stronger since the previous day, and her chest wasn’t tight from the exercise. The feeling was incredible and she sprinted with abandon.
She caught up with Dylan and shrieked when he increased his speed. The two touched the pole of the road sign at exactly the same time, though, and the metal zinged with power. They burst out laughing together. Aspen wasn’t out of breath at all.
“Wow, this is amazing! What a birthday gift.”
“Great, isn’t it?”
“You didn’t tell me that I would get any other abilities.”
“How do you think you’ll be able to fight the Chancellors if you aren’t strong enough? We need you in fighting form, Princess.”
Aspen smiled at his new nickname for her. “So I’m Princess now?”
Dylan reached out and stroked her cheek softly. “You’ll always be my princess.”
Tiny butterflies fluttered around in her stomach, and she pulled away in embarrassment. “That’s my house over there. I guess I’ll see you tonight.”
Dylan chuckled and handed her backpack to her. “See you later, Princess.”
Aspen could feel his stare burning into her back as she ran to the house.
Chapter 11
Chancellors
“Hey, Aspen.”
Aspen opened her eyes to see Sandy and Ginny standing together in a lime-green field. “Hey, yourself. Were you waiting for me?”
“Of course,” Ginny said. “You took forever to fall asleep, Princess.” Her braided blond hair bobbed up and down as she bent her head.
Aspen let out a little snort. “Cut that out. You don’t have to bow to me.”
Ginny shrugged her shoulders. “Okay.”
She was as pretty as Sandy, but her face was more rounded and feminine. She wore snow-white clothing with a soft flowing skirt and white leggings underneath, and her blouse was made from the finest lace.
Aspen thought that the thick soles of her boots ruined the outfit, though. She wondered if she could introduce prettier clothing to the Power clan. She’d have to find out where they had their clothes made and make some suggestions.
Sandy pointed them toward the village of Lanta. “Come on, let’s go shopping. We can practice a bit later.”
“Ooh, I wondered when you did normal things.”
Sandy grinned. “First work, then play, but we’ll make an exception today.”
“We need to get you something more suitable to wear, Princess.” Ginny touched the skirt that Aspen wore. “This must be uncomfortable when you run. Look, my outfit allows me to run, but yours will make you fall.” Reaching around her waist, she ripped the skirt off in a smooth motion. “We have a special material that fastens without stitching, and it can come off easily.”
“Is it like Velcro?” Aspen asked.
“Very similar, but we can’t make that here, so Demothi has made a spell that he casts on each piece of material to make them special.”
She grimaced. “Can he do something about the boots?”
“Relax, kid,” Sandy said as they walked toward the village. “Those boots come in handy when we fight. Any stray bolts get deflected when we’re on rubber.”
Aspen could only see one road leading into the village, which she assumed was for protection. She followed Ginny and Sandy along it, chatting as they walked.
When they reached the town, Aspen was delighted to see Lanta’s shops huddled together like seals on a rock, bathed in a soft lemon light. The scene was as pretty as a picture.
“What happens when it’s Lavendula?” she asked. “Do the shops close?”
Ginny answered her. “The shopkeepers stay inside. They don’t fight the Chancellors. Shops get locked and there are magical charms written around the door frames that stop intruders from entering. The charms keep the store owners and shoppers safe, but the doors must be sealed to make the spells effective.”
Aspen walked into the main street and thought about what Ginny had said.
“Look, that’s my favorite store.” Ginny pointed at a cheerful clothing shop with colorful advertisements decorating its windows. The three girls headed for the entrance. A bell tingled and heralded their presence as they pushed the wooden door open and crowded into the entrance.
“Ooh. They have so many things,” Aspen cooed. She noticed a fine black script inked on the door frame as she looked over her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be safe,” Sandy teased. “It’s time to shop.”
Ginny grinned. “Just look at the racks at the back.”
Clothes were hung on hangers that clung close together on waist-high metal rails in every imaginable space around the shop. The girls had to squeeze between the layers of material draped everywhere.
A small lady with mocha-colored skin smiled at them from behind the counter. Her hair was braided in a long, thick plait, and high cheekbones and slanted brown eyes gave her a distinct Native American look. Grinning at the girls, she waved a slender hand across the store as she invited them to look at the merchandise.