"ASHA! ASHA! ASHA!"
Asha snarled as slammed the balcony doors shut. She was trying to relax on the balcony, but not even three hours after she'd warned them not to explore the manor. Why did they never listen to her?
Asha flung the door open, nearly nailing Daniel in the face, very nearly shrieking, "What the hell do you want this late at night?!"
"Okay, we know you're going to be mad when I say we were exploring your house--"
"When I specifically told you not to?" Asha snarled.
"Yeah, yeah, we know," rushed Tim. "But when we were exploring in the first floor gallery--"
Asha shuddered. "Why the hell were you in there? That place is enough to give even me nightmares."
"I know, but we found a secret door leading underground! The first cavern we entered was huge, with a whole bunch of traps everywhere!"
Asha's breathing hitched. "Excuse me," she said, shutting the door, retreating back into her room. She could hear them shouting her name, but distantly. No, Nesryn and Phillip wouldn't have… She was their daughter…
No, Asha realized. They would. They would, because they would do anything to accomplish their real objective. But what is their ultimate motive…?
Asha's eyes were drawn away by a flash of light coming from outside. She rushed to the balcony, throwing the doors open, just as more flashes of light appeared in the sky. Asha grit her teeth. Why? Why now of all times…!
Asha snarled as she threw out her hand, sending an arc of light into the sky, ripping off her gloves and stuffing them into her pocket. Asha brought the pad of her thumb to her lips as her arms started to change to scales, cutting it open with her long canines, before painting a magic circle in her blood at the side of her neck, to control her emotions, so E-1 wouldn't control her.
Asha let the transformation complete, unfurling two huge wings, bat-like, with a velvet-soft black membrane, before launching herself off the balcony and into the sky.
.
"What are we going to do? The King's moved the Red and Orange Clans, and I swear they're going to attack next."
"If they do attack, we're in big trouble. We don't have the forces to combat them right now!"
"If they choose to attack, we're no longer going to be known as the underworld, but we'll be in the underworld!"
"As if! He thinks he can send us to the Underworld? I rule the Underworld!"
"Lunare!"
Lunare walked to the raised platform in the middle of the large room, ankle-length silver hair swishing behind her, eyes covered by the thin black veil going down just below the eyes. "He dares make a move on my people! Well just see if he can!"
"Lunare, what's your plan?" asked J.A.S.O.N D.
Lunare grinned. "He won't dare attack. Not now, when the King's Watchdog is so close. He wants to keep her in the dark, after all. If he attacks now, the Watchdog will get caught up in the fray, and then Artemesa's darkest secrets will be out in the open. The Watchdog is probably one of, if not the strongest, Amroai user on the continent. If she feels the King is doing something wrong, she will not hesitate to destroy him along with the Artemesian aristocracy."
"That's true. What should we do in the meantime? Shall we continue our original plan, or await further instruction?" asked Redain, one of Lunare's chosen Administrators.
"Continue with the plan. Prepare for both the first and second possibilities." Lunare swept her gaze across the room. "Stand strong in the face of danger, knowing what you do is for the people and Amora of Artemesa."
"Yes! For Artemesa!"
Lunare walked off the stage, being joined by J.A.S.O.N D. and Redain.
"Quite the inspiring speech there, Lunare," said Redain.
"Didn't think you had it in you, but good job," agreed J.A.S.O.N.
"Well, I can't let the trivial matters of the Red and Orange Clans ruin my plans, now, can I?" Lunare asked, voice cool and calculated. "The events will happen. Perhaps not the order I told them in, but they will occur. And when they do, we'll be ready for them. Both of them."
.
Asha flew back in her room, jamming the gloves on. Her transformation disappeared, but because the braces had burst last time, there was no way to lock the gloves.
A fierce headache pounded at Asha's temples, making her double over until the intense wave of pain receded. Asha walked back into her room, finding the cadre sitting on the bed. "What are you all…?"
"You left before we could finish," said Amelia.
"Daniel nodded. "We have something to tell you."
"What is it?" asked Asha.
"That passageway connects directly to Casinamora," said Blyke.
Asha just gave a deadly smile. "Does it now?"
The cadre shuddered. They expected shouting, screaming, even her E-1 form, but that smile and calm question was more terrifying than an explosion of Oblivinite.
"C-calm down, Asha," said Tim.
Asha smiled again. "Oh, but I am calm. I never said I wasn't, now, did I? Now, how about we pay Phillip and Nesryn a little visit?"
"Umm, I kind of wanted to sleep…" muttered Tim.
Asha's glare was all the warning she gave him.
"Eep! O-okay. Let's go… pay your parents a… visit, then…"
Blyke wanted to help him out, but to go against Asha would be suicidal.
Asha stormed out of her room, raging through the house. She gripped the banister on the stairs leading down, and it snapped. She glared at the paintings on the walls, and they burst into shreds of canvas.
Once they reached the locked door leading to her parent's bedroom, Asha just spun on the next step she took, driving her heel into the door and sending it crashing off the hinges, the wood shattering into pieces.
"Good morning, Nesryn, Phillip," Asha said brightly as she strode into the bedroom.
"What do you think you're doing here?" snapped Nesryn, sitting up in bed, one of Phillip's arms around her shoulders.
"I don't know… what do you think you're doing with a direct passage into Casinamora?" Asha shot back.
"How did you…"
"It wasn't me who found it, but these idiots," said Asha, pointing behind her to the cadre. "You know, despite the passageway, there have not been any signs of it being used by you nor your husband for gambling purposes since we made our promise, so I don't have a reason to kill you. Yet. But I want the passage sealed and destroyed."
"That shouldn't be too hard, seeing how Tim demolished the fist room, anyway," said Daniel.
Asha turned her sapphire eyes on Tim. "Impressive," she said, before turning her eyes on her parents again. "If I figure out you have another tunnel or passageway connected to Casinamora, I will not hesitate to kill you for treason to the crown." Asha's smile turned dangerous and wicked. "I am the King's Watchdog, after all. It's my job to protect the King and what the King stands for. I eliminate all obstacles in his way. For Artemesa." Her gaze turns deadly. "Understand?"
Asha waited for their nods before flicking her wrist, the door fixing itself and settling back into the frame. But as she turned toward it, she just kicked it back into splinters, walking away laughing as she heard Nesryn and Phillip swearing at her.
"Blyke," said Amelia, "you are dating one crazy woman."
"I don't really care if she's crazy. I just have to make sure she doesn't go crazy on me."
"All of you, come with me." Asha walked into her bedroom, crossing her arms as the cadre filed in. She nodded to the bed, and they sat on the edge, wary of what was to come.
Asha snapped her fingers, and a rush of Oblivinite shot at the cadre.
"Son of a--" Daniel snarled, but the Oblivinite didn't attack them. Instead, it buzzed around them, evening hair, removing singed pieces of clothing and tailoring them until they looked like normal.
Asha gave a small smile that looked almost sad. "I do have control over it when I have control over my emotions. I had many years to practice, after all. My control may be even better than yours, Daniel. Or at least very close."
Daniel's brows drew together, and he looked conflicted. "Asha--"
But Asha didn't let him finish, instead throwing open her balcony doors and stepping out onto it. She seated herself, balanced on the banister, her left leg crossed over her right. "Now, please explain everything that happened-- in detail."
Asha was silent as she listened to their story. The only sign of her emotions was the increase or decrease in speed of her tapping her finger against her thigh. Once they were done, all Asha did was say "I see," which was more startling than her earlier outburst.
"Is that all you think of the situation? 'I see?'" demanded Amelia.
"Calm down," said Ethelyn. "I'm sure it's not." She turned her eyes on Asha, dark green and gold meeting sapphire. "Is it?"
Asha just smiled slightly. "For someone so hard to read, you do a remarkable job of it." She glanced up as an arc of light shot into the sky. "Everything will be taken care of," she said, jumping down from the rail. "I promise. And I'm not one to break promises, not these ones, at least."
"I think we all agree with that statement," said Tim.
Rosaria let out a bitter laugh, but just stood from the bed and walked to the door. "Now, if you're excuse me, I was dragged around an underground passageway all night. I'd really like to get some sleep before all hell breaks loose tomorrow."
"Smart. I think we'll follow," said Daniel, swiftly ending the slightly awkward conversation. "Good night, Asha. Be sure to let us know what you decide to destroy something, because I want to help."
Asha nodded. "Good night. Be sure not to wander tonight, and this is a much more serious warning than the one I have earlier. You do not want to be caught by the guards. I promise you. And if you are, chances are, I won't be fast enough to save you before you're left in bloody ribbons on the carpets."
"Is it really that bad?" asked Tim.
Asha laughed. "Well, let me put it this way." Her aura changed, from somewhat carefree, if distracted, to commanded, cold, and a bit cruel. "I order you as the Queen of Luminine. You will not leave your quarters tonight for any reason."
The cadre shuddered. For her to use her Queen's privileges over having them stay in their rooms, there really must be something strange about the manor they were staying in.
Asha smiled as they exited. "Have nice dreams," she called, waving.
When the door closed, Asha sighed. She turned her eyes on the sky, watching the patterns. The King had told her to watch for the signals the resistance group sent, and to stop them if possible, but she knew that at least three Color Clans were part of the resistance group. It would be suicide to send herself there alone, even if she was powerful.
Asha sat on the rail again, tilting backward until she was hanging from the railing, knees wrapped around the railing, eyes gazing toward the waning moon. She wished that her life could go back to what it was, before she was sold off, before she even knew the burden that came with her last name.
∽
"Hey-- Blyke? I have something I want to talk to you about," said Amelia.
Blyke turned to find her walking toward him. "What is it?" he asked. He was curious as to what made her come to him first.
"It's about Asha. Come here."
Blyke walked just down the hallway, out of earshot of the rest, who where whispering in the hallway between their rooms. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked, tilting his head.
Amelia glanced at the others before turning back to Blyke. "I have a question, first. Will you answer it honestly?"
Blyke frowned, but nodded. "Go on."
"What do you think of Asha, now that she's not the same arrogant person she was before. Now that she seems human, with flaws, yet not human at all?"
"Why do you want to know this?" Blyke asked.
"I'm a woman like she is. And, I care more about her heart than some petty grudge about her being more powerful than me. I may not like any of you, but I sure as hell don't hate you."
"Well, I think it's complicated. I mean, she was once the most powerful I'd ever met, yet now she's powerful and off the rails. She seems like she could snap at any time, and I'd rather not go poof because her Oblivinite went out of control. I mean, it's difficult to give up on someone not even a week after you confessed."
"I recommend you choose quickly, Blyke," said Amelia.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"That girl has issues, I'll be the first to agree. But I think what she really needs right now is someone who accepts her for who she is. She lost someone important to her, and he was important to her because he loved her even though she was flawed, though she had E-1 lurking under her skin. And once he was gone, because of her, she thought she was another monster." Amelia sighed. "Listen, Blyke. I'm not any friend of hers, but I will be the one to point out that Asha does a lot of stuff we don't know. However, I do know with absolute certainty, she hides stuff from us because she doesn't want us getting hurt. I know she defends the school quite often on her own, and I even saw her walking patrols at night, almost every night. She takes everything upon herself.
"Asha's like a cup held under a dripping faucet, the water being danger, with us-- maybe all of Artemesa, even-- under the cup. She resolutely carries all of the water that drips, but eventually, the water is going to fill to the brim. Yet she still stays there, refusing to let a drop of water spill. You remember what Rosaria showed us once, right?"
Blyke did.
One day, Rosaria had demonstrated her control over the water element, which had progressed so much she could actually compress the molecules so she could fit more water in a space.
Rosaria had brought a glass cup, which she filled with water, before compressing it and filling it up further. She'd stopped at one point and showed everyone what looked like a normal cup of water.
"Do any of you know why I stopped?" she asked.
Asha raised her hand.
Rosaria sighed. "How disappointing." She snapped her fingers, saying she was going to add one molecule more to the cup.
The cup exploded, sending water flying twenty feet, and much more than what everyone had seen in the cup.
"Control isn't just getting more power," she'd said. "Control is also knowing when to stop drawing power, before whatever is channeling that power shatters into nothingness. There are two possible ways to keep that from happening. Who knows?"
Asha raised her hand yet again.
This time, Rosaria let Asha answer.
"You can either find a bigger cup, or just dump out the water," Asha replied.
"Correct. What happens if you don't?"
Asha had smiled her usual cocky smile, but something lurked underneath. "Then both you and your cup with shatter, beyond the point of return."
Blyke looked directly at Amelia. "What about it?"
"Well, Asha continues to compress the water, to make room for more. Now, we don't know what her limit is, but in the end, if someone doesn't siphon the water and dump some out, or give her something to channel it into, so her tolerance expands, then she'd going to break, and everything she's been bottling up will come spilling out on us. And I have a feeling you do not want to know what she's been doing all those times she's snuck out."
Blyke ran a hand through his hair. "Was there a reason you told me all these, other than to accuse me?"
Amelia smiled slightly. "Yes. I just wanted to remind you of something."
Blyke gestures for her to go on.
"Remember, Blyke. Asha is just a girl. No matter if she has strange powers, or is even completely different than she was before. Even if she grew another head, she would still just be a girl who was lost. Someone who needs guidance." Amelia smiled completely. "Just remember that. Because I have a feeling she'll listen to you."
Blyke watched Amelia vanish into her room, standing in the hallway until the rest of the cadre filed into their quarters, thinking. He wished all of this would just settle itself, but he firmly believed that no such luck would appear.
Instead, he felt like this was just the opening move in a game that included them all, and many more shadowed players, but who was the puppet master?
Blyke shook his head as he walked into his room. But as he fell asleep that night, he couldn't help but think this was all just a first move, a prelude, for something much more sinister.
∽