So, I swear this story isn't abandoned. I've just been going through a writer's block or whatever. Your positive reviews motivated me to get back writing. I really hope you enjoy this chapter.
I was woken up by Annalise, who, from my perspective, had good and bad news. The good ones were that today would be my day-off from the attempts to activate my dormant power. I was almost happy enough to not mind that I had to spend my day at Enzo's side, observing the Queen's Guard candidates train.
Annalise helped me into the dress Enzo had chosen for me. It was made out of a dark green fabric that started at a silver choker around my neck and ended at my toes. It could be considered modest if it wasn't for the cut that ended around mid-thigh and for my fully exposed back. Not modest, but nothing close to what I wore to Alex's Βalls.
Enzo was already seated when I entered the training hall. And so was Alex. "Good morning." I said politely, sitting down at the chair to Alex's left.
"Hello, love." Enzo offered me a smile while Alex ignored me completely.
The training had already started and young men spared in pairs, using both their abilities and fists. I quickly spotted Larry, who was currently using his flame against his opponent. "This one has much potential." Enzo pointed out, his eyes fixated on the bright flames coming out of Larry's hands.
"I already have a fire-user." Alex deadpanned, her eyes cold and emotionless.
"There is always room for more if you ask me. Fire is a common gift, but such a useful one." He told her just as Larry's opponent fell on the ground, hissing in pain as fire melted his skin. Wasting no time, a girl rushed to his side and in no time, the burn marks were healed and he was all good to go. Even after experiencing magical healing myself, I still found it to be such an extraordinary thing.
We observed training for around an hour and it seemed that Larry won each spar and while Enzo looked at him with fascination, his performance only earned him deathly glares from the Queen. Especially each time I cheered for him.
"Stop." She commanded and everybody froze. "It's been proven that the fire-user is better than all of you." Despite knowing his name, she chose to not call him by it, perhaps to prove a point. "But-" She smirked dangerously. "Let's see just how good he is."
"It would be an honor, your Majesty." Larry bowed down and to his credit, didn't let his fear show.
"Alex, please." I whispered as she rose. "Don't."
The Queen snickered at me and made her way to the middle of the room.
"A-aren't you going to change into a more fitting attire, your Grace?" He asked, eyeing her tight dress that made it almost impossible for her to move.
"It won't be a problem since you won't even be able to land a single hit on me." Before Larry could reply, Alex flashed him a predatory smile. "Ready or not…"
Larry wasn't ready for the assault that followed. I didn't know what Alex made him see but judging from the pure fear in his eyes, it was probably something worse than hell itself. It didn't take long before he was lying on the floor screaming his lungs out.
STOP!
It was as if nobody heard my scream. Nobody but Alex, who turned her head to look at me, more surprised than I have ever seen her be. At once she broke Larry's hallucination, like a child that got bored with its toy and now was looking for a new one. I would be that toy. If it meant her leaving Larry alone, I would be her toy.
"Your mind is too weak," Alex said as if nothing had happened. What the hell had happened? "You should practice some self-control, boy."
"I will, my Queen." He replied in a broken voice and remained on the floor, shattered.
"I'm bored." She announced to no one in particular. "Have my pet delivered at my room and waste no time." All this time I spent with Alex made me oh so foolishly believe that I was something more than her belonging. But in reality, I was nothing more than her plaything. Expendable.
"Yes, your Majesty." Two servants said in unison, each taking an arm of mine.
….
"What do you want?" I asked after the servants left me alone with her in her bedroom. I was in no mood for unnecessary pleasantries.
"Does Lorenzo know?"
"Know what?"
I expected an eye roll or at least a scoff, but she her features remained dead serious. "That your powers have started to develop."
"What?"
"When did you activate it?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, looking at her as if she had lost her mind.
"Piper," Alex said calmly. "When you shouted to me to stop hurting your boy, you got into my mind, or more accurate pushed a thought there."
That's why nobody had responded but her. I had used my powers. I didn't feel any different as if I was the same Piper I had always been. But I wasn't. Because in order for me to be able to sent thoughts, I had done unspeakable things. And if I wanted to master my gift, this was only the start. "I don't know." I whispered.
"You don't know what?"
"When I activated it." I had changed so much, yet I didn't know when. Maybe I had always been like that. Maybe my dark side stayed hidden inside of me, patiently waiting for a door to open. Now it was out to play.
"That's okay. It can be overwhelming." She took a deep breath as if remembering the moment she used her power for the first time. "I know you might feel as if you don't recognize yourself or-"
"I don't feel any different." I cut her off. The frown on her face told me that it wasn't something good. Before she could ask, I said, "It feels like a part of me that I knew I had, but could never access."
"That's very rare…" Alex murmured to herself.
"Why don't we ask Enzo? I mean, isn't he the head of this place?"
"No. God, no. Not a single word about this to Lorenzo." The panic in her voice suggested that my idea was a horrible one.
"What? Why not?" I asked, still terribly confused by pretty much everything.
"Just promise me." She took my hands in her own; I had forgotten how soft they were. "Your activating your power will stay between us."
The sincere concern in her eyes compelled me to say, "Okay. I promise." Alex was a little bit surprised by my quick answer as if she doubted the control she had over me. "But, I need answers."
"You will get them." She promised, squeezing my hands. "Do you trust me?"
I sighed. "Yes." I shouldn't. But I did. "How could I not?" I was hers. In more than one way.
That made her smile slightly. "Good. I want you to meet me in the training room when it gets dark. Wear comfortable clothes."
"Am I allowed to ask why?"
I could see the hope in her eyes as she told me, "Enzo keeps trying to force the power out of you. I will try to lead it."
….
I kept staring out my window, hoping that my persistent look would make the sun go down quicker. When it gets dark, Alex had said. It was still pretty early; what could I do to make time pass quicker? The excitement that Alex's mysterious words had caused me didn't make the wait any easier.
Two knocks on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. "Come in." I said, not bothering to take my eyes off the window.
"Hello, dear." Enzo walked in my room, his back inhumanly straight and his head high. "I was hoping we could talk."
"We are talking." I deadpanned having my back turned to him.
"Come sit." He made it sound as an invite, but both of us knew that it really was a command.
With a soft sigh, I sat down next to him on my bed. "What is the meaning of your visit?" I cut right to the chase.
"You watched all those young men use their powers today." I nodded despite it not being a question. "Did you feel anything?"
"Awe?" I asked as innocently as possible.
Enzo narrowed his eyes, clearly not impressed by my joke. "Did you feel any flicker of your power?"
"No." I did my best too look disappointed and sad. "Maybe there is something wrong with me." I told him in a low voice, looking down as if I was too ashamed to look at him in the eyes.
"Oh, no, love. You are perfectly fine." He rested his hand on my shoulder and I pretended to appreciate his touch. "From tomorrow, we will start trying to awaken your power again. In no time, you will be like them. Like us."
I smiled and nodded, a part of me wondering since when lying had become so easy for me.
…
Dressed in a plain leather tunic and matching boots I made my way to the training room. The halls were awfully quiet this time of the day; the only sound being my steps and uneven breathing. How the hell was Alex going to lead the power out of me?
"Catch." She said instead of a greeting, throwing me a spear before I had even closed the doors behind me.
"Nice to see you too." I scoffed, picking up the spear from the ground.
Completely ignoring my comment, she said, "We should work on your reflexives." Alex shifted her own spear in between hands. "We don't have all the time in the world. Let's start."
"Start what?" I asked, testing my weapon, getting used to its shape and weight.
"I'm hoping that if I train your body, I will also train your brain at the same time." She explained. "I want you to get into my mind and see my move before I make it."
"That's absurd." I protested. The only thing that earned me was a blow I nearly dodged.
"Don't let me hit you too much." Alex told me with a cocky smile.
She started making her way towards me, her spear moving in dangerous maneuvers, threatening to slice me open any time. But I couldn't even try to counter the attack. Alex was not human, as she moved with such speed and grace. Alex was fury. With her raven-black hair up in tight ponytail, Alex was perfection.
The wooden part of the spear hit me at my ribs and I let out a hiss of pain. "That was terrible." She shook her head in disappointment. "Focus, Piper."
After an hour or so of practice, I could counter or dodge most of her hits but was far from being able to attack her. Ever muscle in my body ached as if it was on fire. "Can we take a break?" I asked, short of breath.
"Let's make a promise." Alex wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead. "I will let you go rest if you manage to get into my brain."
"But, I can't." I whined. We had tried several times and failed.
"Yes, you can." She handed me the spear again. "I believe in you, Pipes."
I took the weapon with a sigh and got into a defensive position. "Can't you just be happy that I learned so much in combat today?"
"I am." She attacked and I dodged. "I just want to see if my theory is right." Another attack that I countered. "It could change everything."
And just like that, time slowed down. I was so overwhelmed by it, that I had to force my eyes shut. I was in Alex's mind. I saw her attack me and I flinched despite knowing it wasn't real; at least not yet.
Before I could register what had happened I was back to reality and Alex was about to perform the exact attack I had witnessed seconds ago. It left her face vulnerable. She was so sure I wouldn't dodge it, that she didn't bother guarding it.
My hands moved on their own, swinging the spear and aiming for her beautiful face. My hit caught her completely off guard, so she had no time to try and block it. It sliced her bottom lip and a part of her jaw open.
"I'm so sorry." I exclaimed, throwing the spear on the ground and making my way to her.
"Are you kidding?" Alex laughed joyously. "You got in my brain, didn't you?"
I nodded hesitantly. "I hurt you." I mumbled.
"This?" She touched her lip. "It's nothing."
Despite her reassuring words, I remained unconvinced. Without thinking much about it, I run my thumb at the length of the slice.
"We may have found a loophole." Alex said and her lips moved against my thumb. "You may not need Enzo anymore. You may not have to commit all these horrible acts. Pipes, we-"
She was talking about very important things, and I should have really been paying attention, but all I could focus on was her lips and how much I wanted her. I used my hands and pulled her face closer to mine, our lips colliding, silencing her. The kiss was hungry, like most times, but there was also a certain kind of melancholy. Like we knew that what we had between us was way tοo complicated for it to work. But I didn't care. Not when her lips tasted so damn good.
"I probably shouldn't have done that." I admitted when we broke apart and common sense returned back to me.
"In the contrary, I'm positive that it was the smartest thing you have done in a while." Alex wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me for another kiss that took my breath away. I could do this forever. I wanted to do this forever. "We need to keep this private." That was all I needed to come crashing down from cloud nine. "Enzo must remain in the dark."
"We will." I reassured her, crashing our lips together one last time for tonight. There was another way, but we had to go behind Enzo's back. We would make this work, I told myself. We had to.
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