~Chapter 4
Michael's apartment was a mess of tensions as the days went on. Victoria felt hostility from Max who shared Michael's apartment, and slept on the couch. She felt hostility from Michael, but far more so something else- something akin to hurt mixed with something else. And Victoria herself, well, she was open to befriend Max and make things right with Michael, but it seemed as if hell would freeze over before that would occur. Max and Michael went to school and work so they were gone a lot. But Victoria got the distinct impression that Michael was being as distant as possible.
Victoria slept on the floor near the kitchen area, but one day Michael woke her up in the middle of the night and made her go to his bedroom. He insisted she sleep there. Victoria protested but it didn't do any good. It was too much to hope that he would sleep there too, but he didn't. He either slept on the floor himself or didn't sleep at all. Sometimes he would come home extremely late or not at all. On top of that, he was pretty quiet in the times that he was at the apartment. He barely said a few words to her and wouldn't even look up at her. Victoria was becoming worried about Michael. Did no one else see his depression? Well, from what she'd seen, away from her he acted totally different. With Maria he was pretty cheerful compared to it and affectionate to Maria. Victoria had the suspicion that it was an act.
No one hardly came to Michael's apartment, most likely because she was there. If someone wanted to see Max or Michael, they'd see the two elsewhere.
The apartment became suffocating with the audible tension. Victoria didn't go back to school to finish her senior year, so she was stuck most of the time at the apartment. She would clean and do all she could to be useful. And with two bachelors in the apartment, the place was pretty messy. She cleaned and tidied and arranged things and made the apartment as good as possible. At first it wasn't easy doing work like that. No one told her to do it, no one told her to do anything or said much to her in any case. But she began experimenting when she was alone in the apartment and taught herself how to clean. She had never lifted a hand to clean or do chores in her life, always having had servants before. But now she wasn't living like 'Princess Winthrop' as people had referred to her as. That girl was dead. And perhaps the better for it. But that girl had had Michael for a while, for a wondrously beautiful time she had had her prince. But reality was quite different now.
One day, Max was sitting at the counter eating breakfast, when Victoria emerged from the room she slept in.
He kept his eyes on her, more wary than anything. She tried to act as if she didn't notice as she walked around the little kitchenette, getting herself some juice. Max clanged his spoon as he put it down in his bowl abruptly. He said, "If you try and manipulate me or anyone else again, it will be the last thing you do, Victoria."
Victoria paused in her task, surprised at the suddenness at what he said and then shook her head and said seriously, "I wouldn't-I won't."
"I have been having dreams." He didn't elaborate on what about, but then he frowned as if thinking of something. "Do you have powers over dreams?"
Victoria nodded, but then said quickly, "But I haven't done anything to you."
He didn't say anything, so she said, "What were the dreams about?"
Instead of answering, Max asked, "You never told us what kind of powers you have. What are they?"
Victoria thought of not answering him, but she felt compelled to do so. "I think some of almost everything."
"What does that mean?" -Max.
"Just that I have some control over dreams, mental manipulation, ability to project images that aren't real, I can make my power tangible and use it in various ways such as defense or offense. I can make it rain- and more, I think, which I haven't explored yet."
"What is your specialty?" Max asked, surprised at the array of things she could do.
Victoria frowned. Max elaborated. "You know like mine is healing, Isabel's is dreams, Michael's is offense- but then you're not exactly like us. Probably not even the same species."
She looked away noncommittally and simply said, "I don't know that I have a specialty, maybe I am capable of all, but master of none."
Max looked at her shrewdly. "That in itself is strange, and I think, suggests a lot of power. The others and I can't do everything, even a little."
"Maybe all of you just haven't explored it or tapped into all of your abilities. I've been using mine all of my life. And even if the others can't - you can. You just don't know." -Victoria.
"What would make you think so?" -Max.
"You're king. The king is the strongest of your line, the most powerful." And then she shrugged and said again, as if it explained all, "You're the king."
"And you believe that I'm a king, that what you've heard about us is true?" -Max.
"Why shouldn't I? And besides, I'm living proof that there is more than humanity. Plus, there are just some things that I know is true. Seeing you I can tell you're royal - or feel it- both, I believe." -Victoria.
"And what do you know of our royalty? You don't even know about your kind." -Max.
When Victoria was silent, Max added, "Do you?"
She sighed. "You know that I know more than I say, Max Evans."
Max was frustrated now. "Tell me all you know."
"I would like to unburden myself, but I just can't right now. That is what you don't know." -Victoria.
Max was frustrated and a bit angry at her not divulging all she knew, but she was being more forth-coming at least, than she had ever been, so he asked instead some specifics, "Can you read minds or hear people's thoughts?"
"Some." -Victoria.
"Make objects move?" -Max
"Sometimes." -Victoria.
"Make people think things that aren't true?" -Max
Victoria nodded affirmatively.
"You've been doing that all along to us haven't you?" Max said, his temper starting to rise.
"No. I only did things like that when Adam made me." -Victoria.
Max fired another question. "What do you mean about all of these 'some's' and 'sometimes'?"
"When I use powers, it saps my energy. If I used it all the time, I would go around perpetually near-collapse. Besides, it's harder to use powers on those that aren't human. You should know that. If you don't, that's a lesson. And unless I made one of you forget completely, I couldn't first make you think something that wasn't true. I'm not able to do that, as far as I know." -Victoria explained.
"How is your abilities more advanced and comprehensive than ours?" -Max.
"Adam always made me train with them and use them. Over time, I managed to do more and more. But I still think I have not learned all. You three seem to use yours trivially for the most part."
"We just don't go around manipulating people. If that's trivial to you-" -Max.
"That's not what I mean. You seem scared of who and what you are. You don't embrace it." -Victoria.
"You don't know what you're talking about. And you don't know me." -Max.
Victoria turned away without comment.
Max stared at her back as she retreated into the other room. Something about her made him wary and something else made him intrigued. She knew a lot more than she was saying and he would find out.
Michael's apartment was a mess of tensions as the days went on. Victoria felt hostility from Max who shared Michael's apartment, and slept on the couch. She felt hostility from Michael, but far more so something else- something akin to hurt mixed with something else. And Victoria herself, well, she was open to befriend Max and make things right with Michael, but it seemed as if hell would freeze over before that would occur. Max and Michael went to school and work so they were gone a lot. But Victoria got the distinct impression that Michael was being as distant as possible.
Victoria slept on the floor near the kitchen area, but one day Michael woke her up in the middle of the night and made her go to his bedroom. He insisted she sleep there. Victoria protested but it didn't do any good. It was too much to hope that he would sleep there too, but he didn't. He either slept on the floor himself or didn't sleep at all. Sometimes he would come home extremely late or not at all. On top of that, he was pretty quiet in the times that he was at the apartment. He barely said a few words to her and wouldn't even look up at her. Victoria was becoming worried about Michael. Did no one else see his depression? Well, from what she'd seen, away from her he acted totally different. With Maria he was pretty cheerful compared to it and affectionate to Maria. Victoria had the suspicion that it was an act.
No one hardly came to Michael's apartment, most likely because she was there. If someone wanted to see Max or Michael, they'd see the two elsewhere.
The apartment became suffocating with the audible tension. Victoria didn't go back to school to finish her senior year, so she was stuck most of the time at the apartment. She would clean and do all she could to be useful. And with two bachelors in the apartment, the place was pretty messy. She cleaned and tidied and arranged things and made the apartment as good as possible. At first it wasn't easy doing work like that. No one told her to do it, no one told her to do anything or said much to her in any case. But she began experimenting when she was alone in the apartment and taught herself how to clean. She had never lifted a hand to clean or do chores in her life, always having had servants before. But now she wasn't living like 'Princess Winthrop' as people had referred to her as. That girl was dead. And perhaps the better for it. But that girl had had Michael for a while, for a wondrously beautiful time she had had her prince. But reality was quite different now.
One day, Max was sitting at the counter eating breakfast, when Victoria emerged from the room she slept in.
He kept his eyes on her, more wary than anything. She tried to act as if she didn't notice as she walked around the little kitchenette, getting herself some juice. Max clanged his spoon as he put it down in his bowl abruptly. He said, "If you try and manipulate me or anyone else again, it will be the last thing you do, Victoria."
Victoria paused in her task, surprised at the suddenness at what he said and then shook her head and said seriously, "I wouldn't-I won't."
"I have been having dreams." He didn't elaborate on what about, but then he frowned as if thinking of something. "Do you have powers over dreams?"
Victoria nodded, but then said quickly, "But I haven't done anything to you."
He didn't say anything, so she said, "What were the dreams about?"
Instead of answering, Max asked, "You never told us what kind of powers you have. What are they?"
Victoria thought of not answering him, but she felt compelled to do so. "I think some of almost everything."
"What does that mean?" -Max.
"Just that I have some control over dreams, mental manipulation, ability to project images that aren't real, I can make my power tangible and use it in various ways such as defense or offense. I can make it rain- and more, I think, which I haven't explored yet."
"What is your specialty?" Max asked, surprised at the array of things she could do.
Victoria frowned. Max elaborated. "You know like mine is healing, Isabel's is dreams, Michael's is offense- but then you're not exactly like us. Probably not even the same species."
She looked away noncommittally and simply said, "I don't know that I have a specialty, maybe I am capable of all, but master of none."
Max looked at her shrewdly. "That in itself is strange, and I think, suggests a lot of power. The others and I can't do everything, even a little."
"Maybe all of you just haven't explored it or tapped into all of your abilities. I've been using mine all of my life. And even if the others can't - you can. You just don't know." -Victoria.
"What would make you think so?" -Max.
"You're king. The king is the strongest of your line, the most powerful." And then she shrugged and said again, as if it explained all, "You're the king."
"And you believe that I'm a king, that what you've heard about us is true?" -Max.
"Why shouldn't I? And besides, I'm living proof that there is more than humanity. Plus, there are just some things that I know is true. Seeing you I can tell you're royal - or feel it- both, I believe." -Victoria.
"And what do you know of our royalty? You don't even know about your kind." -Max.
When Victoria was silent, Max added, "Do you?"
She sighed. "You know that I know more than I say, Max Evans."
Max was frustrated now. "Tell me all you know."
"I would like to unburden myself, but I just can't right now. That is what you don't know." -Victoria.
Max was frustrated and a bit angry at her not divulging all she knew, but she was being more forth-coming at least, than she had ever been, so he asked instead some specifics, "Can you read minds or hear people's thoughts?"
"Some." -Victoria.
"Make objects move?" -Max
"Sometimes." -Victoria.
"Make people think things that aren't true?" -Max
Victoria nodded affirmatively.
"You've been doing that all along to us haven't you?" Max said, his temper starting to rise.
"No. I only did things like that when Adam made me." -Victoria.
Max fired another question. "What do you mean about all of these 'some's' and 'sometimes'?"
"When I use powers, it saps my energy. If I used it all the time, I would go around perpetually near-collapse. Besides, it's harder to use powers on those that aren't human. You should know that. If you don't, that's a lesson. And unless I made one of you forget completely, I couldn't first make you think something that wasn't true. I'm not able to do that, as far as I know." -Victoria explained.
"How is your abilities more advanced and comprehensive than ours?" -Max.
"Adam always made me train with them and use them. Over time, I managed to do more and more. But I still think I have not learned all. You three seem to use yours trivially for the most part."
"We just don't go around manipulating people. If that's trivial to you-" -Max.
"That's not what I mean. You seem scared of who and what you are. You don't embrace it." -Victoria.
"You don't know what you're talking about. And you don't know me." -Max.
Victoria turned away without comment.
Max stared at her back as she retreated into the other room. Something about her made him wary and something else made him intrigued. She knew a lot more than she was saying and he would find out.