*POV* Cassy Iris Aleera
Meditation had to wait when I saw the extent of Vivian's self sustaining home. She had a garden with a small stream flowing down from the mountains that surrounded it.
Sunlight streamed through thick forest trees, Vivian's dwelling on the side of a cliff looking down on a small village. "Where are we?" I asked as I looked down at the village below.
Vivian shrugged. "Not sure." She smiled and turned us about, we passed over a little bridge that went over a fish pond with bright colored fishes swimming about.
We walked into the forest a bit until we entered a clearing, in the middle sat four stones, in a square placed about 2 feet apart. She placed me gently down on one, then sat across from me with a swish from her golden orange robes.
"Now straighten up. Shoulders back and hands on your knees." She instructed as she went through the motions. I followed her lead and watched her closely.
"Now take a deep breath and clear your mind." I wasn't sure how clearing my mind would help but I decided to try it.
'Cough! Cough! Cough." My first deep breath sent me right into a coughing fit, I hunched over as the coughing continued, trying to catch my breath.
"Oh dear." Vivian sighed and moved to hold me up until I no longer was gasping for breath. "We will have to work on that." She smiled at me, and I tried to return it.
"Come let's go back to the house, maybe I can rummage through my old things and find you something you can wear."
She helped me to my feet and we started back for the house. Once there we entered her spotless kitchen, for all the other rooms being messy her kitchen remained clean.
"Don't mind the mess." She smiled as she left me on a chair and went to the stove to pour hot water into a mug.
She plopped something into it, and brought it with a spoon over to the wooden table that sat against the wall, with 4 chairs around it. She sat across from me and sat the mixture in front of me.
"Here dear, drink this." I looked at her questioningly. She grinned. "Don't worry dear, it's just a healing elixir." The pink liquid in front of me reminded me of the stuff I had put into the bucket of water Maricela had told me to put together for her foot.
I mixed it slowly as Vivian started to talk about healing elixirs. I took a small sip as the liquid flowed down my throat. All of my body began to tingle all the way down to my toes.
I shivered and Vivian stopped to watch me closely, all of a sudden all my skin began to tingle. My eyes widened as I remembered what my mother had always repeated to me. "Cassy, never use a healing elixir! Never ever!"
I stared at Vivian in horror. "Help me!" I cried, as my throat began to close up. "Oh dear!" Vivian's chair flew backwards as she grabbed me as I began to lose all control of my body.
And my vision started to blur. "What have I done!" Vivian yelled as she held onto my face and rocked my body back and forth, then all went black.
I awoke with a cough, Vivian sat on a chair beside me chewing at her fingernails, and tapping her foot.
As soon as she saw my eyes open she jumped to her feet and rushed from the room. I heard muffled voices from down the hall before a tall man with light brown hair and brown eyes came into the room.
He strolled in with a thick book in hand, as Vivian clung to his arm with anxiety. "I am glad to see you awoke Cassy." The man said with a small reassuring smile.
He moved over to the bed. "I am Richard and I will need to check you over, is that alright." He asked as he took the chair Vivian had been sitting in. I gave a small nod.
I watched Vivian worry and fret as the man checked on my heart rate and in my mouth and my eyes. After a pretty thorough examination, he nodded and turned to Vivian.
"You should have called me sooner. She has a serious cough." He turned back to me. "You should be okay, but I advise you never to use a healing elixir again."
"Thank you." He jumped and Vivian quickly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks Richard for your help." He got to his feet. "Well anything for your Vivian. Tell Jamia hi." Their voices dwindled out as they disappeared through the door.
She returned. "Well it seems like a couple more days of bed rest for you." She smiled. And placed a bowl of soup on the bedside table. "Is that.?" She laughed.
"Don't worry dear, I don't always eat frozen jello bars." I was wondering if maybe she wasn't as crazy as she seemed. She helped me eat before leaving me to rest.
Left alone I settled into the comfort of the bed and watched as the sky began to turn colors as the sun began to set.
"You scared me there for a second." Monique's voice quietly entered my mind. I sighed. "I really should have listened to my mother. She really did know best."
She grinned. "You will be fine, Cassy. Once you learn how to control your power you will be unstoppable." I wasn't sure I wanted to be unstoppable and closed my eyes.
"Power uses you while you use the power." Monique reminded me. "You will be great, and I am starting to wonder if there is more going on in this world than just forbidden spells."
I started to wonder too, and what part I played in this messed up game.