The sea was truly beautiful, something about seeing the waves lap over themselves was so serene and peaceful to me. I tried to savour those calm moments out on the main deck of the ship overlooking the water, because I knew that peace and tranquility would soon change once we reached Zleigh.
"You can come out Ray." I said, my eyes still focused on the setting sun and sloshing of the tide from side to side.
"Impressive." He slid out of the shadows, adjusting the red silk scarf he always kept around his furry neck, "Not even Corra can sense my presence like that."
I held up my finger, "Magic, remember?"
He leaned on the balcony besides me, the stench of liquor and blood flaring my nostrils, "So, you are going to apologize to Rico aren't you? I mean, that was quite an accusation we all made. I'm glad I was proved wrong."
"Yes," I said, "I suppose so."
We sat in silence for a while, just listening to the sound of the ocean slapping the hull of the boat like the beat of a drum before he spoke again.
"Why were you angry at him Alice?" Ray's tone shifted to be more intimidating.
"I beg your pardon?"
"We obviously weren't thinking of the same thing when Rico snuck into your room that one night."
I sighed, "Who else have you told?"
"Nobody, I don't feel like this is something that needs to be shared." He glanced at my wings from the corner of his dark eyes, "I have just one question for you though... did it hurt?"
I lashed out in anger, reaching to hit his throat but he was fast. In a single swooping motion, Ray had managed to snatch my wrist and give it a firm twist, making me tumble to the wet deck floor in an instant.
He stepped forwards, looking down at my helpless body, "I would advise against that, Alice." Slowly he held out his hand towards me, the leather gloves he always wore still covering his brown paws, "You still have a ways to go. How about we talk about this like civilized people."
I spat the blood from my mouth, "And why would I do that exactly?"
"Because," Ray turned, pulling on his right glove like a doctor would before treating a patient, "I have some information you might want to hear."
After Ray had left, I sat outside for a little while longer, trying to come to terms with my own thoughts and emotions. I was about to turn around and walk back inside, when another voice startled me.
"You do this all the time?" Aria had come back from below deck, her blue hair now braided like one of the warrior princesses mother would read to me about before bed.
"Do what?" I sniffed.
"Never mind." She plopped herself next to me, closing her eyes and sniffing the salty sea breeze, "Look, I apologize."
"For what?"
"Ruining you and your boyfriend's relationship of course."
I stumbled back, shocked by what I had just heard, "No, you've got it all wrong, Rico and I aren't like that at all!"
"Trust me girl," She put her hand around my shoulder, it looked like her fingernails came to points as they got longer, almost like makeshift claws, "I've been with plenty of men in my time. They're all the same."
"But, you're so young."
Aria laughed, "Oh, please. I'm what you would call a Magamis, a magical being that has been around for thousands of years. I've seen and experienced more than you could in your entire life."
"If you're so powerful, then why were you in some gross shop locked in a cage?"
"Ehh," Aria slumped across the railing, "It's a long story, I don't want to bore you."
"Hey!" I was about to continue our conversation, when Rico shouted towards us, his head poking just above the ship deck so we could see, "We're going to be discussing our plans for Zleigh below deck now, it's best you come and listen." Before crawling back to the kitchen, he gave Aria a spiteful glance.
"No no, that's all wrong. You must learn to control yourself."
The sound of the water flowing from the fountain in the backyard where I used to train filled my head. I was back at Cornelius' estate.
I stood up, brushing the grass and dirt off of my soiled knees, "I apologize s-sir," I stuttered, "It's just…"
Cornelius held his finger up to my quivering lips, "Remember what I told you. You must do exactly what I say, when I say. Understand?"
I lowered my head in shame, looking at the wet grass beside my bare feet, "I understand."
"Good. Now, let's try that again, shall we?"
I closed my eyes, trying my best to focus even though distractions like the chirping of the birds and flowing sound of the small creek in the garden were pounding on in my mind.
"Good." He said again, "Now that you're relaxed and focused, I want you to tune out my voice. Put all of your energy into your fingertips and nothing more."
"But how do I know when I've-"
Again he interrupted, scratching his grey goatee with his smooth hands, "It doesn't matter whether you know or not. All you have to do is believe in yourself. Understand?"
I gulped, the sheer thought of relying on myself alone terrified me at the time. Infact, it still does. I tried to think about what Corenlius had told me and about how I had to put all of my energy into my fingertips. But what did he mean by that? I knew nothing, I was nobody. Just some random girl he found on the side of the road beaten and battered. I was nothing.
I opened my eyes, touching the wings on my frail back, their soft feathers always had calmed me down in an odd sort of way. I took a deep breath, trying to focus all my attention on my hands, slowly making my way to the very tips of my battered fingertips.
"Alice, Mommy is going to be going away for quite some time, okay?"
The image was still as clear as day. My mother was crouching down in front of me, the dark black brick building casting a shadow over us like a bird lunging on its prey.
"But why?" I sobbed, rubbing the tears from my eyes with the back of my small hand.
She looked down, her beautiful blue eyes full of shame and disgust, "I'm sorry Alice. You won't understand this now, but I can't deal with this… This burden." She cupped her hands over mine, leaving a golden pendant in the palm of my tear stained hands, "I hope someday you will understand, and forgive me."
My hand began to vibrate as I heard a small crackle like lightning, a burst of electricity bursting out of my finger like a ray of sunshine in a dark hallway. Cornelius cheered but I could barely hear him. I fell to my knees, the burst of electricity emanating from my hand growing even larger as I crumpled, the shockwaves seemingly slicing through my body like ripples in a pond. I let out a scream, waiting for the pain to be over, and then just as it had started, everything went quiet. The electricity fizzled out as I lay flat on the wet grass, barely conscious.
"Interesting, very interesting indeed." Cornelius held out his hand towards me, "However, it's just what I Predicted. Come, we have much work to do."