Chapter Five: Cry for Help

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Cecilia heard someone knocking on her bedroom door. She ignored it and emptied the cold water out of the bathtub with the intention of filling it back up with warmer water. When the knocking became louder she stepped out of the claw-foot tub and wrapped herself in a towel. Opening the bathroom door she stepped over her still wet dress.

"What?" she called through the bedroom door. "I'm not dressed!"

"Please put on some clothes," she frowned at the door. "Then please let me in. I need to speak to you before I depart."

Holding back a sigh she went to her drawers and pulled on a nightgown. Her shoulder still ached even after a hot bath, she wondered if she needed to recheck the bandages. Having gallons of water dropped on her probably wasn't good for her shoulder. Against her wishes she walked to the door and unlocked it before going to sit on her bed.

Stephen entered the room. He still looked as stern as he had a few hours ago. Looking around at the clothes she had thrown on the floor and the books she had splayed around the room.

"Did you need something?" she asked. To say she was still angry at him was an understatement. But there was also a twinge of fear. She had screwed up so many times she wouldn't be surprised if he was coming to kick her out. Send her to one of the metahuman prisons that people talked about.

"I need to speak with you." He grabbed her desk chair and sat in it.

She felt her twinge of fear start to build to panic. There was no way she could fight him off if she needed to. He would have her captured in seconds. If he didn't kill her first. She'd had plenty of nightmares about what might happen to her.

There was a long pause.

"You're kicking me out, right?" she asked.

He looked up at her. His gloved hands clenching the arms of her chair.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "Why would you think that?"

Tears began to form in her eyes. God, she was so embarrassed. She had hardly known the man for a week and she was crying because he was going to leave her. "I'm too much trouble. So you're kicking me out. Sending me somewhere else. That's what you came to tell me, right?"

He stared at her. She tried to wipe her eyes as inconspicuously as possible.

"No," he said. He looked horrified. "No, Cecilia. I'm not going to kick you out."

"Why wouldn't you? I've been nothing but trouble." She felt her breath hitch in her chest. She flinched when he stood up and sat next to her. He reached over and pulled a cloth handkerchief from thin air. Taking it she crumpled it in her hand.

"I'm sorry, Cecilia." She looked over at him in shock. "I shouldn't have spoken to you like I did downstairs. You've been through so much this past month and I've been a fool. I thought I could bring you into this world without considering what you have been through. Can you forgive me?"

She had only trusted herself for so long. Could she trust him? Did she dare trust him? Nodding she threw her arms around him. She broke down crying for the first time in months. He held her and spoke gently.

"I want to take you to see a doctor soon," she looked up at him with tears still streaming down her face. "You haven't been to the doctor's in years. We need to make sure you're well. I don't want to force you, so it's your decision."

Doctors. She had grown up not trusting them. They always asked too many questions. Shook their heads when she got up on the scale. Prescribed vitamins and supplements her mother never filled. One of the first things her mother taught her was to never tell them anything. To just stick to what her mother said.

"I don't know," she said. "I'll think about it."

"That's fine," he said. He let her to sit up. "I need to be going. I will return in a few days."

"Where are you going?" Can I come? Was the unasked question. She couldn't hide her curiosity for the things Doctor Strange faced on a regular basis. Cecilia blew her nose on the handkerchief.

"It can't be pronounced," he smiled at her. The cloak drifted into the room before settling on his master's shoulders. "I'll bring something back for you. Wong has plans for your education with him. So you don't spend all your time raiding my library."

She blushed. "I can't help what interests me."

Looking around her room again he said, "You better clean this up before Wong comes up to check on you." He squeezed her uninjured shoulder. "I will be back soon."

X X X

"Why does he keep me around?" Cecilia had given up on lessons and was helping Wong with his daily chores. She was handing him books to shelve. "I mean, there have to be more talented magical girls than me?"

"Magical girls?" Wong looked down at her. Cecilia laughed a little.

"You've never heard of them? Young girls given magical powers by cute familiars and saving the world?" Cecilia sneezed as she riffled through an ancient text. She didn't think some of these books had been opened since the fifteenth century. "They're pretty popular."

"No," Wong looked almost concerned. "Are there demons giving young women powers?"

"Never mind," Cecilia decided that this subject was veering in the wrong direction. "You didn't answer my question, though."

Wong climbed down from his ladder. "He seems to be fond of you. I imagine he has decided to take you as his apprentice is he sees potential in you."

"And you?" Cecilia asked. "I can't imagine he would work with someone you didn't like."

The doorbell rang. Cecilia looked around the library. She didn't even know that they had a doorbell. No one had visited since she had arrived. Was Stephen coming home early? She couldn't imagine him doing something so mundane. Wong looked toward the front door.

"I need you to stay in here," he said. "The door typically dissuades guests. It must still be malfunctioning."

Cecilia watched him leave the room. His back was stiff and she felt the air change in the house. Peering around the edge of the door she could see part of the front of the house. Wong opened the door and a tall man dressed in green robes stepped into the entryway. He was speaking so quietly that Cecilia couldn't hear him, but Wong spoke in a clear and firm tone.

She realized why the air in the house had changed. Wong was afraid. The man peered around the house, she ducked back behind the door, she didn't dare look out of it again. Carefully she walked out of the library and to the hallway. She could better see the man.

"Tell him that my actions are none of his concern. Just that he should be wise about who he takes into his nest. Some wild animals bite." He briefly caught her eye. Cecilia ducked behind a small desk. "I don't suppose I would be allowed to enter for a brief repast?"

"I'm afraid not." Wong had his body in front of the door. Preventing his entrance. "Leave before I set something rather unpleasant on you. I have not forgotten how much you despise fire."

The man smiled. As he left the door closed behind him. Wong spun around to see Cecilia peering from behind her hiding place.

"Do you not listen to anyone?" Cecilia flinched at the look on his face. A mixture of fear and anger. "Must I cast a spell to prevent you from going where you shouldn't? I do not ask much of you, but I must implore you to listen to what I ask of you!"

Cecilia nodded. "I'm sorry." A pause. "But who was that guy? How did he know I was here?"

"That is not your concern!" Wong was growing increasingly furious. "Go to your chambers. I must contact our master. There is never a peaceful moment in this place." He muttered his last words under his breath.

She didn't argue. Looking as apologetic as she could she walked to her room. She knew when she'd screwed up. Hopefully Wong wouldn't serve her something particularly unpleasant for lunch. If she even got fed, she thought as she closed the door behind her.

That wasn't before a small creature slipped in behind her. It was a black cat. Its green eyes peered up at her as she turned to look over it more carefully. Her head started to ache as she continued to look at it. Shutting her eyes and looking back at it the pain in her skull only increased. It began to grow and its form changed shape. It shifted between a cat, a dog and a bull.

Backing up to her bed she tried to think of a spell. Cyttorak Fire Dance? No, she wasn't supposed to summon any demons in the house. The Mists of Ikthalon? She didn't have any turtles. Thinking fast she jumped onto her bed. The bull began to paw at the ground. Where was the cloak when she needed it?

"Wong!" she called. The bull charged and she jumped out of the way. As she turned she saw it had transfigured into a large wolf, black fur and red eyes. "Wong!" Grabbing one of the heavier books of her desk she threw it at the animal. Ducking out of her room she ran down the hallway. When she reached the edge of the stairs she turned around. Where was it?

She focused on drawing her flames into the palm of her hand. Even though she had trained hard earlier she managed to draw the fire around her hand and lower arm. With her free hand she backed down the stairs, eyes kept on her bedroom. Her back bumped into something wet. She threw her arms in front of her and she saw the giant snake that was wrapped around the handrail. Its tongue flitting across her injured arm.

Pushing her flames forward she aimed for the eyes. The snake hissed and withdrew. She had made a nasty burn on its left eye. Looking at her with its uninjured eye it dove at her. Falling on her ass she managed to avoid getting her body ripped in half. She was sure that it could eat her and still have room to have Wong for dessert.

I'm scared. She could feel her heart in her throat. I'm scared. She felt the flames begin to burn the stairs beside her. I'm going to live. She met the creature's eyes and jumped. Crushing her burning arm into its face. It screeched and she fell with it down the steps. She narrowly avoided being crushed by its bulk.

She was thrown against the front door. She turned the knob and threw herself onto the front stoop. The snake was still on the marble floor. She stood and felt her flames begin to go out.

"Are you alright?"

There was a hand on her shoulder. Letting out a shout of pain she was turned forcibly. The man from earlier was eyeing her with interest. She couldn't speak. Every part of her body was aching. The man's dark eyes flashed with anger.

"That was a rather nasty fall you took. It would be a shame if you were hurt further by ignoring me."

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Author's Note:

Dundundun. I wonder who that could be ... I also wonder where Wong is... Mystery... Also I wonder what Wong would have done to our mystery villain? I'll leave that to your imaginations.

Also, I watch a lot of anime.