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StLQ Chapter 15 - Kidnapper
🕑 Added 2025-08-11 17:58:47 +0000 UTC“Uhm,” Luna said with her eyes pointing awkwardly at my feet. “Mother is a nice person. There’s no reason to… not live with her?”
“Yeah, she’s definitely not,” I said. “I know your mom uses mind control magic. She’s currently being investigated for her crimes. She’ll be taken away. In the meantime, I’ll take you somewhere away from her.”
Luna’s head flinched up, mouth open. “You… know? She’s been caught?”
I nodded. “She’s caught with a spotlight on her head, Luna. Everything will work out.”
“You haven’t told anyone, have you?” Luna asked. “Mother will kill you if she finds out! Oh, no… No!” She pressed her hands against her face, as if trying to erase her memory.
“Your mother is not omnipotent,” I said. “She is a powerful mage. But she does not control you. Higher authorities are investigating her right now. She will be caught for her crimes. You won’t have to live with her again.”
Something about my words didn’t seem to register in Luna’s head. It took her a long while to process. Eventually, she said, “The child protectors have come many times. They always fail… If they don’t… Mother controls them as well.”
“This time, someone actually competent is visiting,” I said. “You will be safe. I’ll make sure of that. You won’t have to go back to that home again.”
“You said my life is in danger…” Luna said. “What did you overhear?”
Your mother is planning on turning you a lich, I thought. She is most likely the culprit behind this whole thing.
“Honestly, I don’t think you would like to know,” I said. “What matters is that your mother will never control you again.”
Luna’s eyes pointed at her feet.
“While your mother is being investigated,” I said, “I need to make sure she can’t do anything stupid, or to try to take you as a hostage.” I smiled at her. “Would you, um, like to be kidnapped?”
“Kidnapped?” Luna asked.
“You’ll be fed loads of pancakes,” I said. “With either syrup or strawberry jam. Probably jam; we’re always out of syrup. There’s also a comfy guest bed. The floor hasn’t been renovated, but we have a fireplace and blankets.”
Luna’s head seemed to malfunction. She stared at me blankly.
“That is to say,” I clarified, “would you like to spend the night at my house? Away from your mother?”
Her head tried to wander back down. “Mother will kill me…”
I placed my hands on her shoulders, making her flinch.
“Luna, your mother is scary,” I said. “I know that. I’ve seen her. But do you think she’s strong enough to fight the headmaster? What about the strongest mages in the world? Will she defeat all of them?”
Luna bit her lip.
“She will be caught,” I said. “You won’t have to see her again.”
“You aren’t lying to me?” Luna asked. “Can I trust you?”
“I’m serious.”
“I really won’t have to go home?”
“You won’t. You’ll never see your mom again. You’ll get a new home.”
Luna’s fist was clenched. She said nothing, head remaining low, until she suddenly said, “Then kidnap me.”
The fear and nervousness spread to me in the form of determination to help her out of this. I nodded. “Let’s go.”
I grabbed Luna’s hand and headed outside. The sun hadn’t yet fully disappeared. There was enough light to see even without street lamps. Not the best weather for a kidnapping, but it would have to do.
I picked a path through detours and side-paths in hopes of not meeting people. We were still spotted by at least a few students. If Luna went missing, a half-decent investigator would quickly learn that I was the last person that spoke to Luna before her disappearance.
I wasn’t concerned about truly hiding Luna from the world. She just had to be away from her mom for a day or two until the situation was sorted out.
The trip was silent. I’d never seen Luna so nervous. She was doubtful of this ordeal, but she placed her trust in me. I had to make this work.
We entered our home street from the opposite direction of Luna’s house. I sneaked into my backyard through the snowy bushes, away from any of the windows Luna’s house had. Her mom was most likely asleep, but if we were spotted, it was over.
I unlocked the back door. Warmth escaped from inside. The fireplace crackled. Nelly slept beside it with my textbooks sprawled around her. Hearing the door, Nelly lifted her head.
“Kai!” she called.
I stepped in. I took off my boots and jacket. Nelly’s usual enthusiasm turned confused as she spotted a visitor. Luna hid behind me. Her every movement was stiff as if any sudden movements would make her explode. She took off her boots and jacket.
“Nelly, say hello to Luna,” I said with a smile.
“Oooh!” Nelly said, excited. “Moooom! Kai has a girl!”
Nelly ran to mom’s office.
I smiled, shaking my head, and I carried my boots to the front door, where I'd normally enter. Luna followed me nervously, repeating everything I did.
Mom’s head peeked out from her workroom, hearing Nelly’s little uproar. Seeing Luna, her eyes rose, suddenly looking less tired. “Oh, hello.”
Luna panicked to take the red jacket off. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, as if looking for an escape route.
Mom straightened her sweater and walked over. She had lumps under her eyes, but her smile was still warm. “Luna? Welcome. Coming for a visit?”
Luna she bowed deep and held out her arms with my mom’s red jacket. “Thank you Mo… Miss, for the jacket! I am grateful. Very grateful!”
Mom laughed lightly, accepting the jacket. Luna stayed bowed for five more seconds before raising her head ever so slightly.
Mom lowered her head as well. “Thanks for taking care of it. My jacket has been without use for the last week. It’s good that the jacket doesn’t get lonely.”
“Um, yes,” Luna said. “Thank you?”
I couldn’t help but smile. This is the nicest mom you’ll ever meet, Luna. Wait until she prepares pancakes.
“Did you come to study?” mom asked. Then she glanced at me. “How long does Luna plan on staying? Should I prepare food for the both of you?”
“We’re staying the night,” I said.
Mom’s gaze was suspicious. She saw deeper into my words. She was aware of Luna’s household already. She said nothing, however, and asked Luna, “Syrup or jam? I believe we have apple and strawberry jam.”
Luna’s mouth was frozen ajar, as if the question had been asked in a foreign language.
“I doubt we have anything but strawberry jam, mom,” I said.
“Really?” mom asked. “Let me check.”
I grinned at Luna. She still looked terrified, afraid to take a single step in case something went wrong. Poor girl.
“Luna!” Nelly said. “Is that your name? Luna?”
Luna blinked. “Yes. I’m Luna.”
Nelly’s smile was wider than mine. She ran forward and, without warning, hugged Luna from the waist, pressing her face against Luna’s uniform.
“Girl unifom!” Nelly said. “Pwincess Luna!”
“Nelly, don’t smear your nose on her uniform,” I said with a laugh. I grabbed Nelly from the shoulders, lifting her up. “This is Nelly. My sister. She’s four. And she’s an enthusiast of magic. Correct?”
“I like magic!” Nelly said.
“And this is Princess Luna,” I said. “She’s my classmate. She’s amazing. Luna is the best mage in the whole school.”
“Your classmate is a pwincess?” Nelly gushed with sparkles in her eyes.
“Of course,” I said. “Maybe she’ll teach you magic if you ask nicely.”
Nelly’s breath caught. She began stuttering, “Luna... Teach me… magic? Please?”
Luna was momentarily paralyzed, not knowing how to deal with my sister. Then she bowed. “Yes, I’ll teach you magic! Miss… Nelly?”
Nelly’s mouth hung open in utter awe.
I chuckled. “Luna, there’s no need to bow. Nelly is not a miss yet. She’s not quite a junior either. In fact, she has yet to learn any spells at all.”
“Kaiii!” Nelly called. She started punching me. “I am a mage!”
Mom came back from the kitchen. “You were right. There’s only strawberry jam. That will have to do.”
“Your pancakes would taste amazing just by themselves, mom.”
Mom smiled at Luna, but the expression lowered as she turned to me. She spoke softly. “Kai, I need to talk to you for a moment.”
“Yes,” I said, already knowing what mom would say.
Before leaving with her, I spoke to Luna. “I’ll be back in a minute. Feel free to get comfortable. Nelly, will you show Luna around the house? How about you show her your toys?”
“Yes!” Nelly said. “Luna, follow!”
A hint of concern was still visible in Luna’s eyes, as if I’d given her a survival mission. She hesitantly followed Nelly to her room.
And I followed mom to her workroom. She closed the door behind us and spoke to me with a concerned expression. “Kai… Does Luna’s mother know she’s here?”
I bit my lip. Hearing Luna’s mother made me envision the woman in my head, and that image made me uncontrollably irritated. I stayed calm, however. “Luna’s mom is being investigated for abuse and black magic right now.”
“You found out as well?” mom asked.
I nodded. “And a lot of other people found out as well. She’s being investigated for truly horrible crimes. Casting mind control on her own daughter.”
“Mind… control?” mom asked, horrified. “That exists?”
“Unfortunately,” I said. “The child protectors, and a bunch of other people will be visiting.”
“That’s good,” mom said. She paused to think. “And what is Luna doing here?”
“I asked her to come,” I said. “I could not let her go home. Not after knowing what her mother is like. Her mom is being investigated right now anyway.”
“We can’t just hide her here, you know,” mom said. “Abuse or not, we have no right to take Luna away from her mother.”
I clenched my fists. “I’m fourteen years old. As long as I don’t murder anyone or blatantly ruin someone’s life, any crime I commit will be chalked down to young age. Kidnapping Luna, out of her own volition, considering the situation, is a perfectly acceptable crime for me to make.”
“I might get blamed in your stead,” mom said.
“You’re free to blame ignorance,” I said. “I won’t accept sending Luna to her home. Mind control magic is horrific. The worst there is. No matter what you tell me, what anyone tells me, I will keep Luna away from her mother. Luna will not live another night with her mom.”
Mom watched me beyond the lumps under her eyes. She looked so tired, yet she somehow always had energy for compassion.
“You’ve sounded mature lately,” mom said.
“You know about Luna’s situation as well. It’s much worse than you think, but it’s getting fixed. Luna just has to stay with us for a day.”
Mom sighed and sat down. She took a sip of her half-drunk water bottle. “She does look like she could use a few pancakes.”
I said nothing, waiting for an answer.
“Luna can stay as long as nobody comes asking for her,” Mom said. “Otherwise, we are kidnappers. If her mother knocks, I’ll have to admit she was here. And you… if you really want to keep Luna away, you’ll have to escape through the back.”
“Sure,” I said. I smiled. “Thank you.”
We were silent for a moment. I glimpsed at mom’s workstation, filled with endless stacks of papers and bottles of ink. She had a typewriter and pens, but she still did a lot of work with a quill and parchment.
“It seems I’ll have to end today’s work early,” mom said. She stretched, stood up, then stretched some more. “You’ve done the right thing, Kai. Luna definitely needs help. Do you know which foods she prefers? Any sweets?”
“I’m pretty sure she prefers any food at all,” I said.
Mom’s smile fell. “I’ll get cooking.”
