Chapter 16 Everyone knows
To say my weekend was uneventful, would be a terrible lie. It started with Saturday. The girls had returned from Redstone on Friday night and we'd decided to meet up in Hay Lin's basement to celebrate that we were reunited. Which turned into a complete mess. I felt horrible the whole day, with a slight fever trying to push its way through. I think it was because my immune system was practically zero due to the poisoning and me jumping into the cold river. It was a pain. With a heavy head, drugged on medicine I had to also build up the sympathy for Taranee. She clearly needed someone to share her pain with. I tried as best as I could, but between my snivelling and dizzy spells, I barely managed to help her with her situation with Nigel. With me being in such a sorry state, the rest of the day was filled with them telling us their experiences at Redstone. I did notice they left the dryad out of it. But I felt too miserable to point it out.
It helped that I felt a little better on Sunday. I at least wasn't stoned due to medication. My illness changed from a regular flu to a cold. Only every time I sneezed, sparks would fly up. That was enough to blow our cover on Earth. I had to struggle to keep myself from sparking, but every time I did, it hurt. Therefore I was really grateful that my mom decided to go out with Dean and leave me alone with Taranee. At least I could spark all I wanted. It however took me a lot of convincing. She wanted to stay home and take care of me. When I insisted she should have some fun, she tried to insist on calling Serena. It warmed my heart a little. After all, my mother turned terribly sour whenever Serena was mentioned. But to see her consider asking Serena to babysit me, showed how worried she was. It was also clear she trusted Taranee immensely, because the moment I told her she was coming, my mom dropped the subject of calling Serena. She did give Taranee a full explanation on what I should take and when. Taranee dutifully nodded and had the decency not to grin at me when my mother wasn't looking. It didn't stop her from comparing me to my mom the moment Dean came to pick her up.
Taranee and I first broke out the chessboard, something Taranee insisted upon before we started to talk. I didn't mind really. I found it focussed my mind more easily, which I could really use at that moment. We spoke about the things that happened between her and Nigel. She hadn't read his mind yet, which I understood. However, this also meant she truly didn't know what he was thinking. Thus I prompted her to go speak with him. I offered her to text Matt and ask whether he would like to talk to Nigel about it. It could help if Nigel knew his best friend was aware of it. Taranee agreed and I texted Matt, adding for good measure that he shouldn't transform in front of Nigel if he decided to share. That should be done at a later and safer moment.
We also shortly discussed professor Sylla's strange behaviour. According to Taranee he was awfully curious as to what they were doing and terribly courteous in bringing them back to their dorms. Especially as he hadn't done so to other students. It was somewhat concerning. It was already bad enough that Kandrakar could call us during school time. Having a teacher keeping an eye on us would make it even more difficult to keep our secret. Especially now when Nigel was a mystery in how he would take it all. I hated myself for suggesting it. I was certain Taranee hated herself for agreeing. But we decided it was perhaps not a bad idea to look into magical memory wiping.
And thus, as we left the subject of Sylla behind us, I picked up on the power high Taranee had in the forest near Redstone. As I did I could feel a mix of emotions going through me. And judging by the feelings and my conversational partner's reaction, they were most likely Taranee's. She was ashamed when I brought it up. However, as she relayed to me how it felt, those feelings turned to pride and excitement. Her eyes shone much like when she was enjoying herself. I listened enraptured. Cornelia had given me a summary of what happened and how she felt about it. To Cornelia, it had been terrifying to watch Taranee losing herself more and more. She'd been afraid of Taranee turning elemental. She'd been afraid of Taranee.
But when Taranee explained, I realised she hadn't lost control. Not like Cornelia thought she had. I had seen her absorb fire before. But she'd been in Guardian form and it wasn't that much. She said it was similar to that moment. However, she felt how her powers were reaching Guardian like strength. It caused her to be elated to feel that power without transforming. And perhaps a tad more hot-headed. Puns aside, Taranee admitted to feeling a rush she couldn't quite describe. She theorized it was perhaps alike getting high. I guess it's a good thing Taranee never wanted to do drugs. But perhaps this power boost could be useful. As long we could control it. I doubted that teletransporting Taranee to an ocean would help a second time.
Finally it was her turn to question me. I dodged the question whether or not I truly had not used any powers. I didn't really want to hear her lecture me. And she would definitely tell Cornelia, triggering a second lecture. Once again I was glad Irma hadn't mentioned it. I did tell her about the weeks without them here. They were slow. Matt and I seemed to be getting better again. The whole thing of me actually being able to beat him in martial combat subsided. Instead, he'd been there taking care of me when Irma couldn't. And when he wasn't here, he had been practising both on his skills as a Regent as well as with his guitar. So he definitely felt great. Which meant we had no arguments and that made me happy. I did mention him being a tad disgruntled when we went to Meridian. However, I left out how terribly protective he was about me. My poisoning had scared him a lot and it resulted in me getting more texts and calls from him than usual.
Taranee took it all in, nodding but remaining silent. She did fire into a series of questions about Meridian. I told her about my questioning of Frost and Miranda. She shared the same dislike Irma had when I told her about my unconventional way of getting Frost to speak. She mentioned that I perhaps should have postponed it, once I told her that I didn't feel well entering the prison. I didn't elaborate on why I didn't feel well. Emotion sensing was something I had to figure out on my own and I didn't want her to worry. I knew I could control it, because if I didn't I would have gone insane in school. I just needed to figure out how.
I told her about Miranda and she heard my hopes for her even before I told her about confronting Elyon about it. She was not a full supporter, but judging from her reaction to my words, she was not against it either. She decided to go with Elyon's decision and once again told me that I should have waited for all of them to return.
So of course, I told her about Cedric and Phobos. Taranee looked sour during the whole time I spoke. In the end she shook her head.
"Even locked away in Kandrakar, they are dangerous. I trust Irma, but Will that was still dangerous."
"Taranee, the poison is gone and I'm fine!"
A sneeze followed, with sparks flying all around me. Taranee lifted an eyebrow in clear doubt. I sighed.
"Listen. Nothing happened, so no use in telling me I made a mistake. Besides, I'd hoped you were interested in something else."
Taranee's lips pursed. She knew what I was talking about. When I mentioned that Phobos had suggested to look into the history books of Meridian, I'd seen a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. And she knew I knew she wouldn't turn this down. I knew Taranee wanted to know more about Meridian. I also knew she wasn't one to just ask. I wouldn't do it either.
It took a little extra coaxing before I convinced her to go to Meridian to get the books. I had wanted to come along, but she insisted I stayed home. Elyon could fold her back and I was in no state to go dimension hopping. Once she stepped through the fold, I was left alone. Looking at where the fold had been, I felt my stomach turn a bit. A sneeze followed and as sparks flew up a wave of hopelessness befell me. I really screwed up with that banshee. I lost a lot of trust with my miscalculations. Not only that, but I think I shattered their expectations of me. Not even when I had no powers did they treat me so fragile. And I guess, out of all of us, I was the worst candidate to remind them how mortal we are. I was supposed to take their doubts away when we went into battle. How will this affect our teamwork? Were they going to prioritize my safety over our mission? Over my orders? I bit my lip, remembering all too well I'd crashed down in front of Irma in this very room not long ago. Afterwards I felt pity coming from her. That had been the one emotion I did not want them to feel when they regarded me. However, it seemed Irma understood that as well. Over the course of the days afterwards, and our adventure with the undine, her pity waned and maybe a bit of her old trust in me returned. If that meant I had to go on separate missions with each of the girls before I regained even a sliver of trust, I could better just quit be a Guardian. The thing was, I hated giving up. I just had to find another way of regaining that trust. Perhaps show them in training I was still able to fight. Or our trip with Elyon to meet the other royals of Metamoor might help.
I brainstormed for a good 30 minutes more before Taranee finally returned with four books. It had apparently taken her a while to find the books in English, rather than old Meridian. And she had to pledge on the Heart of Metamoor that she returned them. If she didn't Lyonak wouldn't hand them to her. And he could force her into it, as Elyon was in an important meeting to start preparing for the aforementioned meeting of royals. I didn't bring up our previous topic and Taranee didn't seem to be eager to restart that discussion with me. Instead each of us took a book and started reading in silence.
When Taranee finally left, after making me dinner no less, I went to bed. As I did, my mind went over the things we learned from the books. Meridian never had a matriarchal line on the throne. They worked with the first born, unless the Heart chose differently. Before Elyon, her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother had been the firstborns and thus queen. Elyon was the exception, yet the Heart had clearly chosen her over her brother. Then again, the way the Heart had gone from their mother, Queen Weira, to Elyon was strange. Both Taranee and I had read separate books explaining how Phobos came to power. The strange thing was that they gave different accounts and both were vague. Both accounts told us how the Heart went to Princess Weira around the time Phobos was ten. His grandmother, the then Princess Avela, was still alive and well. We assumed this meant that Queens or Kings never remained Queen of King until their death, with notable exceptions. When Phobos took the throne at age twelve, he was mentioned in Taranee's book as the Prince Regent. In mine he was named the Crown Prince. Because this was where the accounts differed. Taranee's stated that Phobos had orchestrated the death of his parents and grandmother upon learning his new sibling was a woman. The child was supposed to be killed as well, but two lieutenants saved her. It felt…terribly out of character for him. Sure, he orchestrated things and used his servants to do his dirty work, but somehow it felt weird for a twelve year old to willingly kill their parents. Taranee did point out that Phobos was willing to kill his sister for power. Even so, she did concede that it seemed rather dark for a twelve year old to do this. She mentioned that perhaps we should find his wet-nurse. Perhaps she could tell us more about his upbringing. My book seemed more likely though, albeit more vague. It spoke of ill fate targeting the royal family, causing the death of the Queen, her Consort and her mother. This forced the young Prince to take the throne while his sister was stolen, along with the Heart of Metamoor. It could have been a propaganda book if it had more information. But it was frustratingly vague on what this ill fate was. I decided to see what Phobos would want to share with me, once my cold had lessened.
Monday rolled on. I still sneezed with sparks and it still hurt, but I didn't look like I was close to harbouring a fever. My mom allowed to me to go, but made me swear that if I didn't feel well, I should either text her or Serena. I was certain she also asked Collins to keep an eye on me. But I guess, it was better than her not caring at all.
Taranee picked me up as her house was close to mine. I told her it wasn't necessary. She told me she wanted to be certain I'd be on time. I knew why she really picked me up, but I also knew that arguing wouldn't help at all. I just had to wait for them to realize I was alright.
Having said that, I realized how irritating it was to have three extra mothers keeping an eye on me. I truly hadn't appreciated Irma's relaxed attitude with me until now. Hay Lin went out of her way to clear mine as inconspicuous as possible. Cornelia didn't even try to reprimand me during class when I was nodding off. Instead she handed me her notes after class, with a pity smile on her face. And Taranee. She kept checking up on me every five minutes. She tried to mask it as asking a question, but those were usually too simple for her to ask. I was certain Cornelia was also giving reports to them when we were separated. I knew, because every time I sneezed, I could see her looking at me in alarm before zoning out shortly. I did not spark in class, I was not that new to my powers. Did it still hurt? Hell yes. But I could suffer through it. I was completely under surveillance at any time of my day. I really, really appreciated my time with just Irma right now. Even now, Irma was the only one who behaved normal. She sometimes popped up with a telepathic message, usually after Taranee came to check in. She mostly asked me what the hell Taranee was asking me this time or just asking me how it was to be mothered by three people younger than me.
When lunch came by, I was saved though. We'd grouped together and were discussing where to have lunch. I wanted to be somewhere away from the masses, so I could just let my sparks fly when I sneezed. A short reprieve, as it were. We had just settled on the band room and were discussing who would get the food when Eric showed up.
"Hey, Hay."
Hay Lin perked up at seeing him. Looking at him, he was a bit apprehensive. However, I could feel a certain excitement radiating from him. I remember that Hay Lin hadn't exactly shared in what we could do. With him looking at us, awe flickered across his face. Hay Lin had said he called her a superhero. I just wished he'd stop thinking we were. Because it was painfully clear he was adding one and one together.
"Hey Eric!" Hay Lin said, kissing him on the cheek.
Oh wow. He was actually blushing. I hadn't seen him do that since the second week that they started dating. He probably guessed something was off, because he cleared his throat and smiled fondly at her.
"So…I was wondering. Could you…Do you have some time to talk some stuff over? You know…"
Okay, maybe he wasn't yet adding one and one together. Or perhaps there were some questions from him that we definitely didn't need to know about. Hay Lin frowned a bit. I could see her look back at me a few times.
"Oh, I'd love to but…."
"But she hasn't gotten her lunch yet!" I said, giving both of them my brightest smile. "Wouldn't want to talk on an empty stomach."
"Just go talk with him. I'll be fine with the others," I added.
I loved Hay Lin. I really did. But I didn't need her semi-guilty care right now. Honestly, I didn't need anyone's guilt and worry. So if I could lessen it to two and a half – Irma's guilt had dropped the past weeks – I'd be happy. Hay Lin looked from me to the others. Irma nodded. Taranee and Cornelia didn't really respond, though a small smile formed on Taranee's lips in the end. That was the last sign Hay Lin needed to nod. She took Eric's hand and pulled him along.
"So…. What do you wanna know?"
I rolled my eyes a bit and turned to the others. Taranee and Cornelia looked a little disgruntled. Understandable, because my three mom team became a two mom team. And they knew they weren't going to win if I had Irma on my side. Before I could restart our conversation on who would get the food, my second salvation came. This time, in the form of Nigel. The best thing of it all, I wasn't the only one who noticed him. Taranee paled a little when he walked up to us. She gave him a shy wave, but refused to look at him. Somewhere I was wondering why I never had this happen to me when Matt learnt of my secret. Both Taranee and Hay Lin were acting like they barely started dating, much like their respective partners. Matt had immediately clung to me. I wondered if it was because we never really were a couple before he learnt.
"H-Hey."
I gave Nigel a once over, before sneezing. This caused everyone around me to jump. For the record, I did not spark, but you'd think I did with their reactions. Looking back up, I could see Nigel look almost ashamed. I could feel it too. Anxiety was heavily mixed with it. I wondered what he was thinking that got him like this. I gave him my most friendly smile.
"Hey Nigel, you here for Taranee?"
He nodded slowly. There was some suspicion taking the place of his shame. Probably because he expected us to ignore him after dumping Taranee. I couldn't fault the guy. It was pretty scary to find out your girlfriend gave the term hot a literal meaning. Besides, he hadn't gone and proclaimed Taranee to be a witch. Instead he was clearly gathering his courage to speak.
I gave Taranee a sideways glance. Pain was seeping from her, the same that popped up every time Nigel became a topic of conversation since her return from Redstone. Her hands clenched as she too seemed to look for the courage to look at him.
"I…I spoke to Matt."
I nodded. That explained why he got so scared when I sneezed. I asked Matt not to transform, but he probably didn't think twice about telling Nigel that I and the others had powers as well. If anything, I gained more respect for him. He dared to come and talk to us, after dumping Taranee, knowing full well we could fling any element at him. Not that we would, but how would he know for certain?
"Where is he?" I asked, hoping to find my wayward boyfriend somewhere.
"He.. He is talking to professor Travis about getting into the Heatherfield University. Said it would probably take the whole break and that I had to apologize to you."
My smile wavered a tad. I'd hoped to have him with me. I mean, he would probably side with Taranee and Cornelia in mothering me, but still. I knew he had until the end of summer to get into HU, but he could at least spend a lunch break with me, couldn't he?
"Ah. That's fine, thanks for telling me that. Want to join us for lunch?"
The words were out before I realized what I'd said. Alarm flared up within me. Taranee had decided to give me an obvious look that asked me what the hell I was thinking. I doubt telling her that I wasn't thinking would help the situation.
"Uhm, I was actually hoping if…If I could speak with Taranee. In private?"
If anything, Irma flashed a grin so big it was obvious what she was thinking. Aside from my prophecy, all seem to be true. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I was glad for Taranee that – if Jewel was right – Nigel wished to get back together. But I really didn't want Jewel to be right about me, Matt and Phobos. I still didn't understand how Phobos would cause friction between me and Matt. Matt accepted that I had to question him and Phobos didn't really seem interested in my relationships. So…Maybe Jewel has a 80% success rate?
"You want to speak to me?"
I blinked, surprised. I'd lost the track of the conversation. Taranee was now looking at Nigel, surprised and the hope that was glowing within me was clearly visible on her face. Nigel blushed heavily. It was getting really confusing having two people near me with strong feelings. I could feel Taranee's hope and Nigel's shame. They were taking away my appetite. I grimaced a bit before taking a hold of Taranee's arm. For the moment she looked at me, I felt her hope falter and a sense of responsibility welling up. I really didn't need that. She shouldn't feel responsible for me. I smiled at her. It seemed to do the trick. She shared a short glance with Cornelia, but even Cornelia wouldn't stand in the way of a love story. I was right when she too nodded.
Taranee smiled at Nigel and nodded, taking a step forward.
"You lead the way?"
Her voice was soft. She was really careful in approaching him. It was cute. To his credit, Nigel didn't recoil when she approached. He smiled hopeful at her, before turning around and walking away. As I watched them go, I could only be amazed at the luck I had. My lunch break was actually going to be a very relaxing one. I turned to face Cornelia, who was obviously struggling between her dislike at the current situation and her optimism for Taranee.
"Well, seeing as our number has dwindled considerably, I'd say we just all go get our food and go to the band room?"
The smile that joined Irma's question told me she was as amused about the current flow as I was. Maybe even more so, with Jewel's predictions being right. As there was no argument coming from either of us, we all went and joined the line in the cafeteria. Yan Lin eyed me a tad worried, as she has done in the past few weeks, but she probably saw I was pretty much all okay. She at least smiled encouragingly at me before helping the next student. It improved my mood during our way to the band room. It ended up being quite tricky. The teachers knew us well enough to know we had no musical talent. And it was always suspicious to see a group of students leave the cafeteria with food. It was against the rules to do so anyway. It was a good thing I actually started to get a hang for sensing people. Magical folks were still easiest to spot. At school, I usually had too much input when I tried to focus on sensing others, but right now, with the bulk in the cafeteria, I dared to try it again. You could compare it with hearing a very loud buzzing somewhere. You know what it is, you know where it is and it annoys you to the point of fostering a headache. Yet you could still point out where other buzzes were coming from. Okay, bad comparison but you know what I mean.
We got there with only once dodging a teacher narrowly. First thing I did after closing the door was take a deep breath. I decided to tune out of sensing others, before the buzz would indeed start the headache I have been fighting for the past two days. Second thing I did was sneeze and let it all go. Sparks jumped from me, a drum made a sound and the trumpet was off tune.
"Bless you."
Irma's cheesy smile made me roll my eyes, similar as to what Cornelia did. Nothing was said afterwards. We focussed on our food and for a very short moment, I enjoyed the silence.
"Nigel manned up quickly, didn't he?"
I glanced at Irma, who took another bite out of her lunch. Cornelia had a slender eyebrow quirked.
"I wouldn't say manned up and neither was it quickly. He took nearly a week," she said.
"So? That's pretty quick if you ask me. It wasn't like the guy got thrown into it like Matt or Caleb. If anything, out of everyone so far, he had the healthiest reaction."
I couldn't really argue with Irma about that. It wasn't exactly a nice thing to say. However, I wouldn't say she was wrong. After all, we live in a world were magic is only found in books. Imagine one day walking around and suddenly meeting God in real life. I doubted there would be many people who immediately would bow for Him. They'd either freak out or call him a loon. This was similar. Your girlfriend telling you she can do magic would make you wonder whether she's crazy. Her showing it to you would make you wonder whether you're crazy.
"Maybe Hay Lin and I got the weird ones. The ones who immediately believe it are usually the crazy ones," I said.
"Well, you went for Matt, so you tell us."
I raised an eyebrow while regarding Cornelia. She smiled prettily, but her innocence was not saved by the façade.
"At least I don't go for the boy who had the learn the difference between a car and a feral animal."
Cornelia's cheeks slowly turned pink as an icy glare was directed at me. I smiled in return. I preferred this over the mothering I've been receiving since I walked into school.
"What you reckon did Matt tell him?"
Either Irma was being clever and tried to avoid the banter between me and Cornelia, or – knowing her – she hadn't paid attention to the conversation. I turned to her.
"He didn't transform," I said with a shrug. "But I don't know. He definitely said something to convince Nigel. Maybe showed a little bit of magic?"
"He can do that?"
I shrugged again. For as far as I could remember, Matt never showed any magic abilities in human form. I never asked him either. Perhaps this was the moment to actually ask how his magic worked and whether or not he had some magic as a human or if it only unlocked when he transformed.
My musing was cut short by a terrible nasty and familiar feeling. Another sneeze was coming up, this one stronger than the one before. I moved a little away, to avoid actually damaging the instruments. My head was already up to start the sneeze when voices carried from outside. Shit, I couldn't stop now.
I sneezed and as I did, some sparks escaped my hastily put up defence. The saxophone made a long, dreary wail, but it was accompanied with a shrill shriek and a sharp intake of air. My eyes stopped watering – the sneeze really hurt way more than I'd hoped – and I saw Martin and Alchemy look at me in plain shock. It didn't help that another sneeze followed which caught me by surprise. As a result more sparks flew up and a few more instruments decided to make a dreary solo. Shit.
The second sneeze was enough to scare Alchemy away. I wasn't certain – for the instruments drowned out most of what she said – but I think she called me a witch? While I'd love to point out that in no way am I a witch, I lack a general knowledge of making potions and casting curses, I was more concerned about her running away. I looked at Martin for a short moment, but his eyes were bulging like a kid's in a toy store. We could deal with him. But first Alchemy. I looked at Cornelia, who was still very much in shock. Irma too was looking with at me in the same surprised stupor.
"Cornelia, go after her. We solve this."
She didn't react like I wanted. She slowly looked at me, her mouth already opening to say something. I didn't care. We had little time as it was and with every second she was wasting here, was a second longer for Alchemy to run into a teacher and tell them what she saw. Whether or not she was believed, it was still our secret being exposed.
"Now!"
Cornelia snapped to attention. There was a certain determination in her eyes I recognized as one she'd show during our Guardian missions. Good to know she was focused. She took off, striding past Martin with a grace only she could pull off. Martin, to his credit, had yet to speak. Irma probably sensed what I wanted to happen. She pulled him in the room, checked the corridor and closed the door behind him. Martin still looked at me in awe.
"What now? I can make him think he saw something else?"
I looked at Irma, who finally allowed some panic to slip through. She looked from him to me. I was touched she'd ask me first. I remember her being a little more direct in using her powers, so I appreciated that she wanted to know my opinion. It only puzzled me she would suggest it. Didn't she want to tell Martin about all of this?
"Why?" I said.
"Cause he saw you spark? And made the instruments play you a solo without touching them?"
"I know what he saw. But didn't you want him to you know. Know?"
Irma cocked her head in confusion. I would have done the same if Martin hadn't finally started to move.
"Did you do that? Was that real lightning? Did those instruments play because of that?"
I gave Irma a look. I was not going to admit or deny it unless she made it clear what she wanted with Martin. And she better be quick. She gave me almost the same look in return. I raised my eyebrows, we could discuss this telepathically but I needed her to make a decision now. Martin saw my look and turned to Irma, who was now visibly trying to subdue her panic.
"You know about this? Can you do it too?"
"Now or never," I said to Irma.
The glare she gave me was one she usually reserved for Cornelia during a foul fight. She really didn't like me putting her on the spot like this. But this was her decision.
"Yes…Yes Martin. I knew. I can't do that…but I can do something else."
This was feeling like a set-up for her suggestion powers. I sat back and watched as Martin cocked his head. However, instead of making him forget or make him think he saw something else, Irma started to explain her and mine powers to him. She started at the beginning after making a small show of her powers. I watched the display with some mixed amusement and confusion. Irma implied she didn't mean Martin when she said she wanted to tell someone. Then who would it be?
My musing was cut short when I noticed Cornelia's telepathic message.
"Will? Good news and bad news."
I didn't prod. A few seconds later, Cornelia gave it to me. I didn't know whether I wanted it, but it was too important to shut her out.
"I found Alchemy and calmed her down. Bad news is that she was with Sylla when I found her. He told me what she told him. I tried to downplay it, saying you were awfully static today, but I doubt he believed me. He didn't look like he did. But I got her away. I have to tell her though. I can't leave her like this and I certainly don't want Irma messing with her. Her parents are very strict Christians. I can't have her think I am associating with Satan or her being so whacked up from Irma's suggestion that she might act strangely."
This was clearly not up for debate. I knew when Cornelia was adamant about something. The part about Alchemy's parents being strict Christians was something that surprised me. I'd never taken her to be the religious type, but I guess she never taken me to be the lightning sneezing type either. I sighed heavily and decided that we had to do something about all of this.
"Fine. Tell her. Ask her to come with you to the Silver Dragon after school if she wants proof. I'll tell the others."
With that I cut Cornelia off. A tad irritated about all that happened today, I created a connection with Hay Lin and Taranee.
"Sorry to disturb you, but I think it might be for the better if you two invited your boyfriends to the Silver Dragon after school. For some more information, some displays of our powers and so they know who knows what. Alchemy and Martin just saw me spark and Irma and Cornelia are busy defusing the situation. Still, I think it would be for the best if we showed them together."
"Martin and Alchemy? Will, did you really?"
"Great! I'll tell grandma!"
I loved Hay Lin for cutting off Taranee. It wasn't like I had planned on doing this. Even better was that she didn't question me. Could be because Eric was asking her attention. I decided to cut them off. Taranee could haunt me afterwards, she probably would. Right now I fished out my phone from my jacket and texted Matt with the news that we would gather at the Silver Dragon. As I waited for his reply, I decided to cut into Irma's story.
"So Martin, how about you come with us to the Silver Dragon after school?"
With all of that happening, the rest of my day was surprisingly quiet. Then again, even I wasn't in the mind to pay attention to school. All I did was think about how I….how we were going to explain all this to four people who before today were blissfully unaware of magic. Or well, that much counted for Martin and Alchemy. Eric and Nigel both had a few days to entertain the whole idea. And now we had exactly until the end of the school day to think of a way to not only explain everything, but also make it believable.
I didn't feel like we should show them another world. Folding to Meridian was out of the question. Just like transforming in the basement of the Silver Dragon. It was not that I didn't want to show them our Guardian forms. I just never liked transforming on Earth unless we had absolutely no other choice. And seeing as no one is trying to destroy Earth, or us, it seemed to be out of the question. Besides, transforming in a basement of a fairly busy restaurant sounded like a bad idea. So maybe a small example of our powers might suffice? Oh! We were planning on spending our whole Spring break in Meridian. Maybe they wanted to come along in the last week? We first finish the meeting of Royals and then just pick them up! That is…If they believe us, trust us and if Alchemy doesn't decide her parents' teachings are correct and we are the new embodiment of the anti-Christ. Yeah….
I relayed my idea of bringing them to Meridian during Spring break, something everyone was excited for. Well, Hay Lin and Irma were. Taranee and Cornelia had their reservations. Taranee would love to show Nigel another world and Cornelia wanted to reunite Alchemy and Elyon. But it all depended on how they would react.
Our school day ended, surprisingly without Sylla hounding us. I mean, he might have been paying a little more attention to Cornelia and I during class, but aside from that I didn't see him. Maybe he really wrote Alchemy's confession off as some prank? It felt naïve to believe that, but it felt as the better option. I didn't want to think of what he might do if he believed her. As we waited at the bike stall, I could sense the overall concern. Taranee and Hay Lin seemed more at ease, even perhaps glad to be able to get it all out. Cornelia and Irma were however a little on edge. I had to break up three fights between them while we waited, two of which somehow revolved back to my health. It was tiring and I didn't like to be reminded yet again. I was glad to see our friends approach. It stopped a fourth fight from breaking out.
Eric and Martin were heavily in debate. I picked up a few words, which made me think they were discussing the several ways our powers could be used. Nigel and Alchemy however were still a tad pale, while Matt was definitely trying to calm them. Upon seeing us, Eric enthusiastically greeted Hay Lin, before pulling Martin along to ask her in what measure she could control the weather. Martin was just in time to pull Irma with him – thus stopping the fourth fight – to hear her opinion on the matter. Taranee awkwardly walked up to Nigel, who blushed and said his greeting. The two at least were back at holding hands as they followed the group. Alchemy and Cornelia regarded one another. Alchemy gave a shy smile, which Cornelia returned as confident as possible. Finally Matt and I walked in the back, which somehow made me feel ill at ease. Matt had been terribly protective ever since my poisoning and the way his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, told me he wasn't all too happy with what we were planning.
"That's quite a lot."
I didn't need to ask an explanation. It was painfully obvious, as he nodded at Cornelia and Alchemy who were now awkwardly discussing fashion.
"I texted you the details," I couldn't stop myself from becoming defensive. "It happened by accident."
"Will, you know how dangerous this is."
This was the moment I realized that today had already been too much for me. The anger that rose up inside me came way too quick. I snapped my head to him. What the hell was that? I told him that back then and who came in running at Cedric without any experience? Who got his head nearly blown off by annihilators? WHO GOT KIDNAPPED?
I took a deep, long shuddering breath. I couldn't start arguing now on the streets. I had to show that everything was alright. I didn't want to scare the people we were going to explain all of this to. I don't think Taranee or Cornelia would forgive me for it. I realized I was biting my lip without really answering him. I stopped before I started bleeding. Instead I took a new deep breath.
"Yes, I know," I said, perhaps with a tad more irritation than I wanted. The way Matt's eyebrow twitched, told me he noticed. Well that and the feeling of anger bubbling up within me. Which was not mine, because I'd pushed mine back down. "And you know I didn't alert them on purpose. Only Eric and Nigel were supposed to know now. And I assumed Martin at a later point."
"But you did Will. And who knows what might have happened! This wouldn't have happened if…"
"What?" I bit. I knew what he wanted to say. If I'd told him about our mission in Arkhanta with all the details, he would've stopped the banshee from nearly killing me. If I'd just included him more. And I didn't for the exact same reason he just mentioned. Because it was dangerous. There was no guarantee he would have saved me from the banshee either. I even felt like that with how things were going now, our mission would have probably been in more danger if he'd come along.
Matt turned to me, halting as he did. No, I didn't want that. I just wanted to get to the Silver Dragon. We could argue later. Or preferably not at all.
"Hey Matt, can I borrow Will for a moment? Also, Eric and Martin want your opinion on a few matters."
I turned my head and found Hay Lin smiling at us. I stole a glance at Matt, who scowled at the intrusion. However, he decided not to press the issue. He took a short sprint to the front, where an exasperated Irma was busy explaining something to the two boys. I flashed Hay Lin a grateful smile as we resumed our walk.
"Thanks," I muttered.
Hay Lin shook her head.
"Cornelia noticed you two were getting into a heated discussion, but neither she nor Taranee could get away. So here I am!"
I looked at Cornelia, who was now clearly explaining why what Bess had been wearing was three seasons ago considered retro. As she did, she discreetly looked over her shoulder to me. I nodded and she turned away, not giving me any indication if she'd noticed. I might have been irritated by their mothering, but I decided that it wasn't that bad right now.
"Irma didn't want to escape whatever the two boys were talking about?" I said.
Hay Lin rolled her eyes. "Ha, she was way too engrossed in the possibilities they were mentioning to even notice Cornelia's call. Or she might have ignored it because it was about you and she's rather peevish about that."
A shy smile formed on my lips. I've said it plenty of times, but I would do it again. I was grateful for Irma not making a drama out of my illness. For having faith in me that I will at least get well without the help of others. Still, this time Cornelia had been right to call out.
"Besides, I wanted to ask you something before we arrived."
I cocked my head a little and observed Hay Lin. There was the worry, which hadn't left her the moment I'd regained consciousness weeks ago, but I could see that was not what motivated whatever question she had in mind for me. It was more something akin of curiosity that I felt bubble within me. I had a hard time discerning whether it was mine or hers I felt. Maybe both.
"How come Martin is here?"
I frowned. I'd explained what had happened before. And I knew Hay Lin did not have such a short memory span. My surprise at the question was obvious, as Hay Lin continued.
"I mean, I know why he is here but how come he gets to know?"
My confusion remained. Out of everyone, I'd assumed that Irma had told Hay Lin about who she wanted to include in our little group of knowing friends.
"Because….Irma has been wanting to tell him?"
Now it was Hay Lin's turn to look surprised. "What?" I said
"When did she tell you that? She told me she wanted to tell Andrew and that you were okay with it!"
I blinked confused. "She never asked me about Andrew."
Hay Lin turned pensive. Her eyes flitted from me to Irma, who was now smiling as Martin was in deep discussion with Matt, who loudly groaned.
"She said you talked about it before the whole jumping of a bridge thing."
I frowned. I very, very faintly remembered what we were talking about. She was uncertain whether or not she should tell someone. I think. Though I was certain she never mentioned Andrew by name. I just assumed she meant….Martin.
"She never said his name!" I hissed, glancing now at Irma as well. "I thought she was talking about him! Besides, I told her she had the choice of telling him. If she didn't want to, she could have made him forget."
I pointed at Martin, right at the moment Irma laughed fondly at him. A grin was spreading on Hay Lin's face. She gave me a conspiratorial look.
"I've been trying for years to get her to see him as more than a nuisance. Especially after the Hermuta beast, remember?" I nodded as she continued. "But you definitely managed to do more than I did."
"Hay Lin, I didn't do anything. She had to make a choice at short notice. And you're implying too much."
"But wouldn't they be cute together though?"
I rolled my eyes, smiling as I looked over our little group. In the past two years we all landed a guy. All except for Irma, who'd been pining after a guy who was, in my humble opinion, perhaps a bit too old for her. To see her this at ease with Martin was a positive change. Who knew, perhaps more could grow out of this now that he knew. One thing was certain. Martin would probably be around us a whole lot more. Hopefully he possessed more tact than he was showing now, as he was almost screaming in excitement. I didn't catch what Irma admitted, but she seemed awfully pleased with herself in response to his reaction.
Shortly after we arrived at the Silver Dragon. It wasn't busy at this time of day, with only a few people taking up the tables. Most were probably tourists. We greeted Hay Lin's parents and while we herded everyone to the basement, Hay Lin went to inform her grandmother and get us all something to drink. This lead to the basement being slightly overcrowded, with little room to sit. The couch we placed was occupied by Nigel, Eric and Alchemy, the two chairs with Matt and Martin. And we were left standing in the middle, though Irma had claimed a spot on Caleb's old bed. What followed were perhaps the most awkward minutes of my life. We all stared at each other. Eric and Martin seemed to be waiting for something, Nigel and Alchemy both looked rather uncertain of whether they wanted to be here or not. And us? We avoided eye contact as much as possible. Until Hay Lin burst in with a tray full of drinks.
"What did I miss?" she said.
Perhaps a good thing Hay Lin was so eager, because it gave us a way to start the conversation. For when Hay Lin burst in, she tripped down the last step of the stairs. What followed was a complete automatic reaction from three of us. Hay Lin used her magic to avoid crashing into the floor, hovering an inch above it. Cornelia used her telekinesis to stop the tray and glasses from falling. Irma was quick to control the drinks, carefully sending them back to their glasses once those were upright on the tray. Hay Lin stood up and took the tray when she saw Cornelia holding it up for her, grinning sheepishly at the rest of us.
The reactions to this were mixed, though I had to admit somewhat funny. At first, they winced back, awaiting the crash to happen. When that didn't follow, eyes widened in surprise and shock as the girls acted quickly. Excitement started to bubble along with curiosity. The fear, which had been smouldering in Nigel and Alchemy seemed nearly gone as they too looked engrossed in how we worked to avoid a household disaster. All eyes followed Hay Lin as she placed the tray on the table.
"Nothing yet," Irma said in response to Hay Lin's earlier question. "But I think we've showed a lot."
She gave me a sideway glance, as if she was expecting me to say something. I shrugged and looked at the group.
"Any questions?" I said sheepishly.
For a moment, all was quiet. Then a bomb exploded and questions were shot at us from all directions.
"How long have you been able to do that?"
"When did you know you could do that?"
"What else can you do?"
"Why do you have those powers?"
"What have you been doing with them?"
And more. It took us a while to calm them down, as we all patiently started to answer all questions. We told them when it started, how we saved a few worlds – they were horrified when they learned Heatherfield got nearly destroyed by a skyscraper tall snake – and how Matt and Caleb factored into all this. We deliberately avoided mentioning Elyon, as all of us decided it was a better surprise for Alchemy to learn about this when we would visit Meridian. At least, if she was willing to come along. The final thing we touched upon were our powers. Which tied into Matt's explanation of how he was involved.
"So, let me get this straight. You are allowed the hold the power of the magical source of Earth?" Nigel said.
Matt nodded and I saw an extremely satisfied grin form on his lips.
"Well, until Lillian is old enough to wield them herself," Cornelia said.
It was faint, but I felt a small spike of anger and fear. Or maybe not. It wouldn't make sense for me to sense that from Matt. He knew this.
"What can you do?" Eric asked.
"Well, as a human I can teletransport – he proved the point by disappearing in a flash of green light and reappearing on the other side of the room – and make illusions we call glamour."
At least he didn't do that. Showing off was fine and all, but we had to keep in mind that we were still in the basement of a restaurant that was steadily growing busier as time ticked by. The short teleportation trick already elicited shouts of surprise. I really didn't want someone come down to check on us.
"But when I transform, I'm stronger, I have wings and I can shoot beams from my eyes. And my illusions are a lot stronger."
"Transform?" Martin said.
It had been the one thing I avoided. Simply because I didn't want to show it now. And it hadn't occurred to them that we could. I took a step forward, ready to explain when Matt took the spotlight.
"Yeah, like this," he said.
I yelled out a 'No!', but it was too late. Green light enveloped him and he grew into his Shagon form. He stood tall and flexed his arms and wings, causing Alchemy to shriek. Oh yeah. A dark angel was definitely not helping with our 'we are not the anti-Christ' gig. Eric, Nigel and Alchemy all crawled into one another, as far away from Matt as possible. Martin nearly fell backward with his chair. A door swung open and Mr. Lin came down a few steps. No, no, no! We really couldn't add Hay Lin's parents to this secret!
"Everything alright here?" he said and I waited for him to scream in terror as well.
"Everything is fine, Mr. Lin. Alchemy reacted badly to a plot of a horror movie I was explaining," Matt said.
I looked back at him, surprised he'd transformed back so quickly. That surprise dimmed the moment I noticed his shadow rustling his wings. He got bonus points for quick thinking. But he still had a damn lot to explain.
"Alright, just keep it down. I don't want the customers to think we have rats or something that would make them scream."
"Sure dad," Hay Lin said, obviously as confused as I'd been.
Mr. Lin walked back up and closed the door. A collective sigh escaped us as we all looked back at Matt. I was seething. A green ring was forming again around him, revealing he'd indeed hidden behind a glamour. And right now I wasn't in the mood of holding back.
"What? Were? You? Thinking?" I said, hitting him hard on his arm with every word.
There was a small part of me that felt satisfaction to see him try to block my punches and wince when they made contact. A few sparks flew off of me as I sneezed in between but really, I felt like I should be sending a few bolts through him. Our secret was nearly blown because he had to show off!
"Nothing happened!" He said, his voice once again held its metallic echo.
"It could have, Matt," Cornelia stated coldly. "Besides you could have given them more of a heads-up. Alchemy nearly fainted!"
At this, I glanced shortly at Alchemy, who was still extremely pale. She wasn't the only one though. Nigel wasn't looking too good either. Martin and Eric had managed to regain themselves and were now near star-struck at seeing him.
"Damn dude, you look ripped!" Eric said.
"How does magic work to give you that form? Did you choose it?" Martin asked.
The rest, however, wasn't sharing their enthusiasm. Cornelia was over with Alchemy, whispering to her and placing a calming hand on her arm, while Alchemy stared in silent fear. Cornelia threw a glare into his direction, which he skillfully ignored. Taranee was with Nigel, who was clearly in between shock and amazement. Perhaps if I'd been in another mindset than angry, I might even have sensed some jealousy.
"Matt, maybe you should just turn back," Hay Lin said, anxiously eyeing the door.
"Yes, Matt," Cornelia said, the venom clear.
Matt to his credit ignored them, clearly pleased with the attention two of his friends were giving him. He even went as far as explain exactly how he got his powers. When he started to answer Martin's question, I interrupted. I didn't need them to know that there was a chance that our enemies might go after them. It would spark even more fear and stress.
"Transform back or so help me," I told him. "You don't want me riled up because I'm ill. Don't make me."
Matt couldn't scowl as Shagon, but the sentiment was clear. He felt angered, misunderstood and ridiculed. His scowl appeared when he turned back.
"For the record, we do not become musclebound hulks with wings and masks when we transform," Irma added, her focus back on the others.
This of course caused everyone to look expectantly at us. I rubbed my temples. Why had everyone's sense of tact decided to take a leave today? I turned my glare to Irma, who'd already realized she'd said too much. I huffed and looked at the others. My question was clear. Should we?
It was Cornelia who decided for us. "Our transformations help us in our missions. Our powers increase. We all get wings, similar coloured clothing and look a tad older…"
"Please, by now it's almost only a haircut for half of us," Irma interjected. "When this gig started though, trust me that was a surprise."
Her Cheshire grin remained and the emotions I was picking up from the boys wasn't something I really needed. It didn't help that Matt felt incredibly proud in that moment. A blush stained my cheeks. I was happy I wasn't reading minds right now. I stole a glance at Taranee, who seemed more focussed on the wall behind the others than was strictly necessary. A very small blush was on her cheeks, receding as I watched. I cracked a grin.
Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Well, we can't transform on our own. Will has to do it with the Heart, the pink jewel she always wears."
"Isn't that incredibly dangerous?" Martin said. "If only one of you can transform you and thus give you access to stronger powers, you'd only have to get rid of the one who can do that, right?"
I nodded. I felt the eyes of the girls on me and once again, concern bubbled up from them. I felt it bore into me. I pulled up my shoulders, trying avoid the stares.
"An astute observation," Taranee said, but somehow it sounded as if she was reprimanding me.
"Tell me about it. When this started, Will had no powers. You have no idea how problematic that was," Cornelia added.
I looked up at her, glowering. "Powerless or not, I went in to save the four of you along with Caleb once. And let's not forget when you decided to take the Heart."
Now Cornelia's cheeks tinged with red. She looked at me, clearly not wanting me to talk back. But I knew she was too smart to bring up my poisoning now. Not if she wanted Alchemy to still like her.
"Besides, Will kicks butt now. I mean, you should have seen her when the two of us took out Zibowsky and his friends!"
As the ambiance had gone to something awkward when Taranee and Cornelia were once again reprimanding me so subtly, it shifted immediately after Irma spoke. Martin and Nigel responded, surprised and impressed that we'd taken out Zibowsky. Alchemy chimed in, asking if we weren't afraid. Irma of course rebuked that, proudly stating that we'd seen worse. And that we'd done it without transforming. So there was no reason for them to worry about us, because according to Irma we could kick ass anywhere, anyplace and anytime.
"And are we allowed to see these transformations?" Eric asked.
I squirmed. I really didn't want to do it here. And after the stunt Matt pulled, I was even more determined to not transform. Or glamour. I shook my head. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a mixed reaction from the girls. I could feel it too. Relief, surprise and disappointment coursed through me. I had to struggle to not cave to those feelings. It became worse when the disappointment of the others joined in.
"We won't transform here. We've had one too many close calls for that. Only in emergency situations will you see us transformed here on Earth," I said. "However, – and they perked up as I continued – we train often in a world of a friend of ours. The one Caleb comes from? And we were planning on spending Spring break there. We could ask if you could join us? I'm certain our friend would love it."
I looked them over. It had been a perfect bridge to our invitation. Martin and Eric were both completely sold. Going to another world was probably a dream come true for the two of them. Nigel was obviously still in doubt. I couldn't blame him, he was only just now coming round to the idea that his girlfriend fought monsters in her downtime. The other worlds part was probably a tad hard to swallow. Alchemy too seemed to be at a loss. Couldn't blame her either. Matt just turned into a dark angel – tail and all. I was certain the religious teachings of her parents were currently fighting her trust in us.
Cornelia was the first to respond to her doubts. She went to Alchemy, who to her credit remained in her spot, and whispered something in her ear. Alchemy's eyes widened and the two went into a whispered conversation. A pang of relief flared within me as I watched them.
"What are you telling her?" I asked.
"I think just telling her that our friend in Meridian is royalty and that I will be with her the entire time. Plus that we can bring her home anytime she wants."
I nodded. It explained that the feelings I felt were most likely not mine. I took another deep breath. This was getting a bit out of hand. I kept feeling everyone's emotions and it was certainly becoming a bit too much for me. I shook my head for a moment and felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked back to see Irma looking at me in concern.
"Is…Is it the same as in the prison?"
She'd whispered it, though I doubted even Hay Lin would have heard it with all the excited chatter around us. I nodded. She handed me a glass of water and silently guided me to a chair. I thanked her and watched how Hay Lin described several plants and animals of Metamoor to Martin and Eric, who listened enraptured. Taranee had been trying to convince Nigel, but he seemed still doubtful. That changed when Matt joined in. I picked up that he'd go too and that it was definitely worth it to see us transformed. I nearly choked on my water and Taranee too was developing a strong blush. Nigel looked away, a blush forming on his cheeks as well. In the end he would come along, provided Matt would be there. He didn't mention his wish to see the transformation but the heat I felt every time he glanced shortly at Taranee made me think otherwise.
In the end, everyone was on board. Alchemy was, according to Cornelia, interested enough to go. Though Cornelia had to swear to stay close to her and make me promise to return her when she asked. The others chimed in, understanding our desire to keep this a secret but also understanding why we decided to share with them. We needed some normalcy in our lives, which they provided. And now that they knew about our other life, there'd be more understanding and trust between us all.
All in all, the conversation went a lot better than I'd expected, especially given that it hadn't been planned beforehand. The only hick-up was Matt, who had to show off. It was the reason why the two of us had yet another argument before he left. An argument we hadn't resolved. Nothing had happened, he said. The fact that he'd given Alchemy a heart attack and that Hay Lin's dad could've seen him weren't important. In the end everything went alright. That was what he kept repeating, refusing to see the danger he had put us in. He even called me chicken for not transforming. At that point the girls had jumped in, which was probably a very good idea. Because I was incredibly close to either shouting and crying, or jumping him. Nigel took Matt along at Taranee's insistence. The rest went along, which left me alone with Irma.
"I mean, I was a bit disappointed, but you had a good point. You're not chicken. Also, did you know I voted for not butting in? Cause I was certain you'd show him exactly what a chicken could do. You can be incredibly terrifying when you're angry, you know that?"
I didn't know how, but I managed a weak smile. Out of everyone, I was glad Irma was here with me. Because rather than telling me not to get so heated up, she'd just joke. I shrugged. I took a few deep breaths. Arguments were worse than before. Matt's emotions were as strong as mine and I felt how it was just adding up. I was so close to exploding. I really needed to find a way to keep control.
But that would be something for later. Right now I needed something I could focus on. Something to get my mind off of this. I fished the Heart from around my neck and looked at Irma.
"I'm off," I said.
Irma frowned. "Where to?"
"Phobos. I need to get this out of my system."
Irma huffed a laugh. "And you're going to pummel him? That's a bit cruel, don't you think? I mean, he deserves it, but it is so out of character for you."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to question him again, not pummel. I don't need to vent. I just need something to focus on."
A deep groan came from Irma. "And you decided that questioning that brat would do you any better than arguing with Matt?"
I puffed my cheeks. I almost wanted to tell her my reasoning behind my drive to question Phobos. However, I was certain she'd think me insane. And I did not have the energy to argue. So instead of answering, I created the fold. I was almost completely through when I felt Irma's hand around my wrist. Rather than have her pull me back, I pulled her along. It caused her to lose her balance for a moment. I caught her from falling into Kandrakar.
"You didn't need to come along, you know?" I said as the fold closed.
Irma snorted. "I couldn't argue you out of it, but I will be killed if I let you go alone."
Note to self. Next time first go home, then fold. I didn't want Irma with me when I talked to Phobos. Not now. She'd been helpful the previous round. But I felt I could get more out of him if she wasn't there. Still I nodded and transformed us, not willing to risk being told off again.
"Fine, but could you stay outside while I talk to him?"
Irma raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"
"It's just. I think he'll say more if he doesn't have to prove himself better than two of us. With just me, his ego is easily stroked. You tend to have a knack for breaking egos down. I need his intact."
It was clear Irma was quite proud of her talent. And I might have used it to get her to agree with me. Which she did. We flew to the Tower of Mists. It was a terrifying building. I took Cavigor over this bloated rook piece any time. Cavigor at least gave you the impression that it was meant to punish. That the people locked there were meant to suffer. The Tower did not give that vibe. Instead it looked almost like a pristine addition to the fortress, where people would go to contemplate the mysteries of the universe or something like that. But being locked in here was worse. There was no comfort in the cells and the robes that tied the occupants? Those things leeched energy. I'd felt uncomfortable the moment we'd entered, but it was worse when I saw Cedric and Phobos. Those things took their magic, but also their life. I couldn't tell Irma about it. Or any of the other girls. There was no need to make them feel more uncomfortable with Kandrakar than they already were.
We went to the Tower, where Irma spoke up again.
"Will, not to be a total buzzkill. But Endarno had a fancy bracelet that let us in previously. Don't you think we need him for it?"
I also didn't want to inform Kandrakar what I was doing. They'd certainly would stop me at some point. Instead I summoned the Heart. It had the Seal of Phobos within it. That thing was supposed to be able to open everything. Could it?
"Will? Hello?"
I ignored Irma. Instead I held the Heart in front of the Tower and willed it to open the way. And to my delight it did. The same door appeared before us. Irma stopped talking. Or at least trying to grab my attention. Instead she started to mumble to herself, but followed me regardless. Now all I needed to do was find Phobos' cell. Which was almost impossible. The halls were bright white and the walls had no indications of the cells behind them. I went on memory, which got me to the cell of Cedric. After that, it was as if the Heart had picked up on my intentions. I could feel it tuck at me. I let it guide me through the halls, with Irma close behind asking me whether I even knew where to go. I gave her a doubtful smile as an answer, which was obviously not enough for her. It was enough for me though.
Finally we came upon Phobos' cell. Here I looked at Irma, who looked a tad surprised. Then a soft 'ah' followed and she nodded. She placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Ten minutes. Or what I think ten minutes are. After that I'm coming to get you. And I don't want any argument from you."
I raised my hands in defeat with a smile. Assuring her I'd be safe and quick, Irma finally nodded and leaned against the wall. I used the Heart again and willed the door to appear and to open. Once again I was not disappointed. The door appeared and I nodded at Irma one last time before going in.
Phobos was sitting at the same place as the previous time I'd entered. He looked surprised to see me, before a satisfied smirk followed. However there was a certain curiosity he emanated that made me a bit uneasy.
"Guardian, welcome again. Alone this time?"
"I thought that a one on one conversation would be more comfortable for you."
He smiled and bowed his head. He once again waved at the blocks that stood around. "Please, have a seat. You seem like you need it."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
He shrugged, almost as if he didn't care. "You seem. How would I call it? Ah, weaker, than usual. Just like the last time, though I did not wish to embarrass you when your subordinate was there. By your appearance I wouldn't say you've fought a fearsome enemy. So what happened to turn you into….this?"
I stiffened. I didn't want to show it. Irma didn't seem to notice. She would have stopped me if she'd noticed. Then what was he seeing? He couldn't know I felt a bit stretched thin. Why now? I was fine. He didn't need to know my story.
"This?"
I shouldn't have, but I couldn't stop myself. I needed to know what he saw.
He gestured at me lazily. "I am certain I've faced a warrior. Not the child I had once kidnapped."
I gritted my teeth. No. I wasn't going to give in. I wasn't rising to his bait. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he was right. That lately I did feel a tad off. I'd accounted it to my poisoning, but I knew it was more. And for some godforsaken reason he could see it. And if he did, than our enemies would too. Shit.
I squared my shoulders. "Well, good thing I'm not here to talk about me. I'm here to talk about your favourite subject, you."
The sneer wasn't necessary. But he'd come too close too fast. Phobos chuckled and allowed himself to get off his windowsill. He came a tad closer and sat on one of the blocks not too far away from me. He leaned his back to another block and managed to create a resemblance of a throne. I hated to admit it, but he managed to make me feel a bit smaller. He hadn't managed to do that since the first time we met. And by the way he smiled, I was certain he noticed as well.
"I have the books you mentioned," I said. "However I hoped you could tell me why you've done what you've done."
If I could have been any vaguer, I could probably apply for the position of Oracle. Phobos seemed amused. He stroked his goatee, appearing to be thinking. His eyes betrayed he was enjoying this.
"Mhm. I did what I did to avoid becoming weak. I'm certain you can understand. Once others think you are weak, you will be. Since you've read up on my history, you will understand why I rather became feared than weak."
That was on me. I should have been more precise. Yet somehow I was certain he wouldn't have answered me then. I tried to ignore his comparison. We were nothing alike. No matter what his delusional mind was telling him.
"Was that why you broke your promise?"
He chuckled. He had the audacity to chuckle. I knew it sounded a bit childish, but damnit. I was being serious. He shook his head at me.
"Oh Guardian. I broke it simply because you gave me the keys to the universe for free."
I pursed my lips. Yes, well I hadn't expected him to know of more than one world. And in hindsight, that vow had indeed too many loopholes which he expertly used. Why would he care that the rebellion was on Kandrakar? We couldn't do anything against him. And he knew it.
"Then why still face the consequences? You almost walked in willingly."
He stared at me, a smile on his lips. The light that lit this cell caused shadows to cascade over his features. His face became less frightening and more…. Friendly? His deep grey eyes gave way to an intricate thinking process. I felt myself heating up a little under his stare. And an urge. I needed him to answer me. To see me. To tell me I wasn't insane for thinking there was something more.
"You don't think I'm arrogant?"
A shiver ran down my spine as he whispered. I took a step closer. I squinted at him.
"You are. But you are too clever to allow a sixteen year old to trick you."
Yes, fine. I gave him a compliment. But his ego needed to be greased. I was close. I was certain.
He leaned a bit forward now, closing the distance between us a little more. I realized he wasn't as tall as I remembered. Or perhaps my Guardian form was taller than I thought. He was perhaps an inch taller than Cornelia in Guardian form. At this distance, I could notice that his goatee had a reddish sheen in it. I'd never known that. The corner of his mouth went up.
"Sixteen?"
"Now seventeen, but still. You're at least ten years older. You should have outsmarted me."
"And what if I did?" He took another step forward.
"Then why attack Kandrakar?" I stood my ground.
We were now facing each other. His chest rose and fell at the same rhythm as mine. His robes, which had been dirty in his prison on Meridian, were now as clean and pristine as I remembered. And the scent of roses once again hang around him. He cocked his head to the side.
"Will! Time's up! And what the hell are you doing?"
A growl came from my lips. I glared at Phobos, who seemed to be more amused by Irma's interruption than I. He took a few steps away, leaving me alone as Irma flew up next to me. She glared daggers at him before pushing me a step back as well.
"It seems our conversation is at an end," Phobos said.
"The hell Will? What kind of information is that important that you get that close to him? You looked like you two were going to kiss."
I shivered. No. I wasn't. We weren't. I became aware that I wasn't sending my excuses to Irma. Instead I was somehow short circuiting. I looked at her in proper horror. Irma to her credit didn't say anything. Instead she pushed me out. I let her. We weren't that close. Irma was exaggerating.
"Ah. Remember Guardian. You can only regain that what you've lost by showing those who weaken you your true power. I'd like to meet with the proper you the next time you return."
[A/N] Sorry for the long wait! The motivation to finish chapter 17 was a little empty and thus I didn't want to post 16. 17 is finished, though like half of this chapter. so enjoy it while I'm off with chapter 18!
Also, happy new year, Jumanji and all that shit.