by L. M. Fry
With one final look back, Julia saw Lawly still inside the relic room, arguing with Professor Scrod. Julia thought it odd, but kept it to herself. She may not have a handle on her powers yet, but she was still the strongest of the three. In the end, she’d be the one to protect Valera and Theo. She helped Theo to her room.
“I’ll just lay down for a little while,” Theo murmured.
“If you need me holler. I’m just going to hang out in my room for a while,” Julia said. Their time in the lab had taken a toll on her as well as Theo. Before leaving, she added, “Good job in there.”
Theo smiled, and Julia went to her room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she bathed herself in aether. Theo had shown her just how powerful they all were, and now all she needed to do was tap into that power. She just needed practice. If Theo and Valera could do it, then so could she. She was as intelligent as Theo and Valera – regardless of what Lawly thought.
She focused on aether and waved her hands around. Her breath came out in puffy white steam. The room cooled.
“Ice… Ice… Ice…” she chanted.
The tips of her fingers turned an iridescent blue. She was doing it. Redoubling her efforts, she envisioned icicles. A small crystal of ice grew out of her hand. She squealed and nearly lost her concentration. Then, her doorknob turned and Eli burst into the room.
“Hey there… whoa it’s freezing in here!”
The ice fizzled into nothing. Angry, she threw a pillow at him. He caught it.
“You just ruined everything!”
“Chill, I didn’t mean to interrupt… whatever this was.” He smirked.
He thought he was so witty. He was an egomaniacal dimwit.
“Do you always just burst into people’s rooms? Who do you think you are?” She ranted.
He shut the door. “Parmelia told me to keep an eye on you, remember?” He shrugged, “Besides I heard that you had some trouble in the lab. I just came to give you a message.”
“Who told you that? I didn’t have any trouble.” She sat up and crossed her arms. “Well? What’s the message?”
“Dr. Lawless wants to see you in the ballroom in twenty minutes. He said you need extra help.”
She was tired of Dr. Lawless. He made her feel so… pathetic. Besides, she was doing better alone in her room. And who was Eli to Dr. Lawless? She thought Parmelia sent him, but now he’s all buddy-buddy with Lawly? Her suspicions were on full alert.
“What, are you Dr. Lawless’ lackey now?”
Eli sighed and crossed his arms. “I’m not anyone’s lackey. Are you always this stubborn?”
Julia gripped the bed covers and clenched her jaw. She refused to answer his insulting question. If he wanted to play games, then fine. She was above such childishness.
“Well, I’m not feeling well. I’ll have to miss the meeting,” Julia feigned, flopping back on the bed and pulling a cover over her.
“Nice try. You’re going,” Eli stated. “I’m not going to be the one to tell Dr. Lawless you’re too pigheaded to go.”
Julia glared at him. “Don’t you have anything better to do than hover around me all the time. Go bug one of the batty-eyed girls in the lobby.”
She knew that needling him was a mistake, when that annoying smirk returned. He plopped on the bed, smushing the mattress and forcing her to roll toward him. She shuffled away from his side. He grabbed a corner of the blanket, acting as if it held some interest.
“Of course, I have better things to do than watch a spoiled brat, but I’ve been ordered to protect your petulant fanny. Not many could handle the task, that’s for sure. I drew the short stick.” He stood suddenly, taking the blanket with him. “So up you get. Time to train.”
Even though she was fully clothed under the covers, she suddenly felt very vulnerable. She yanked the blanket back, but he had a solid grip on it. They ended up in a one-sided tug-of-war.
“Come on it’s not fair…” she whined. “I’ll do better practicing in here by myself.”
Eli didn’t even struggle. With one yank, he could pull her right off the bed. He held tight to the blanket and laughed.
“Why do you care if I go? You know if you did me the favor and tell him I’m sick, I’ll do you a favor in return.” She gave up the fight and released the blanket.
“Are you flirting with me? Julia, I’m shocked,” Eli quipped.
Her jaw went limp. She wasn’t flirting… was she? He was the most detestable, obnoxious, cretin she’d ever met. Besides, she didn’t flirt. Somehow the ability to speak clearly escaped her.
“No… of course not… you’re so not my type… you’re like the opposite of my type… you’re so… so… not…”
“Uh, huh,” he smirked. “Whatever you say.”
“Danu’s ass! You’re so annoying!”
“Language, Julia. What would your parent’s think?” He laughed.
The mention of her parents stung. Clearly, no one bothered to mention to him who her parents were. All of this training and running around had made her soft. Tears stung her eyes. Her shoulders slumped. She stared at her hands, trying to keep her cool. The last thing she needed was for Eli to see her weakness.
“You okay?” His voice softened.
Julia took a deep breath. “Yeah.”
For such an oaf, he was well tuned-in to her emotions. She felt his hand on her shoulder. He dropped the blanket and knelt down in front of her. She was surprised that he seemed genuinely concerned about her.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say something offensive.”
Julia scoffed. “When have my feelings ever stopped you?”
“Seriously, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she sighed. “How are you supposed to know? No one told you about my parents.”
She didn’t know why she was still talking to him. She should kick him out of her room. She should condemn him for butting into her personal life. She should yell and scream and curse at him, but something in his brown eyes made her want to talk. He sat beside her.
“I wasn’t told anything. Things must be pretty bad though. With your parents, I mean.”
She nodded. “They’re both dead. My father… he was not a good person.”
Eli tensed up. “Sorry. I know how that is. My parents are dead too. They died when I was little. The Elders took me in and raised me. As you can imagine, it was loads of fun,” he grunted.
She smiled. “I was raised in the academy of the Azure Serpents… loads of fun.”
“Whoa, Azure Serpents, that’s formidable. You must be a real rogue, then.” He nudged her side, making her grin. “Was that an actual smile? I must be growing on you.”
“Yeah, like a fungus.”
“But an extremely good-looking fungus.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Julia punched his arm and got out of bed. Their conversation was making her nervous. The last thing she needed was to get muddled up with a guy like Eli. As much as she didn’t want to, she had to go see Dr. Lawless. She had to prove that she was just as good as Theo and Valera. She also wanted a chance to prod Lawly for more information and to see what his real intentions were. Eli escorted her down to the ballroom, where Dr. Lawless waited for her by the door. He frowned when he saw Eli close behind her.
“You may go now. She’s in good hands,” Dr. Lawless grit through his teeth.
Eli didn’t move. He smiled at Julia and leaned against the wall outside the door. “I’ll wait here for you.”
She nodded to him. Dr. Lawless grumbled and ushered Julia inside the room before closing the door on Eli. Julia sat in the same chair as before. Lawly plopped down across from her.
“It’s good to see you, my little ice queen,” Dr. Lawless quipped.
She cringed. She was not an ice queen, and especially not his ice queen. She questioned his game. He meant to put her in a place of discomfort. She squinted at him. Okay, I’ll play it your way.
“Hello, Lawly,” she said, drawing out the nickname so she sounded like a c
owboy.
His brows dropped. Julia could get under his skin too. She smiled. She tapped her fingernails on the table. He stood up and paced the room.
“I’d like you to tell me about the dream you girls have been experiencing. Valera told me you’ve been having nightmares.”
Julia shifted in her seat. Even though they’d agreed on telling him about the dreams, she didn’t like talking about them. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the vision of Danu ensnared by snakes. She saw him smile out of the corner of her eye. This was all part of his game. Bold move, Doc.
“It’s the same thing every night. Danu is being squeezed by snakes. She calls for help. I wake up.”
At the mention of Danu’s name, he rubbed his temples and shuddered. The dreams seemed to agitate him as much as it did her, but she didn’t understand his reaction. Julia stood up, needing to move.
“She’s suffering… suffering…” he whispered under his breath.
Julia stepped away from him. He was losing it. “Did you say something, Doc?”
“No… no… I’d…” he mumbled.
She decided to switch topics. His muttering was unnerving. “I managed to make an icicle in my room,” she chirped.
“Well done, uh… I think… we’re done for today, Julia. You may leave.”
Her time in the Academy hadn’t prepared her for this. She couldn’t figure out his plan. First, he called her down to train. She didn’t want to come, but she did. And now he dismissed her as if she were a child. She put her hands on her hips. She was done playing.
“I thought you were going to help me?”
“Tomorrow perhaps.”
“No, not tomorrow… Now.”
He spun around and charged at her, stopping inches from her face. Julia stood her ground, but fear bubbled inside her. The intensity in his eyes felt accusatory and dangerous. She could smell fish on his breath and the sweat on his skin. She clenched her fists and the hair on her arms spiked.
“I say when and where you train,” he hissed. “Go back to your room.”
An intense iron taste filled her mouth. Aether oozed into her pores. He had no right to treat her this way. She was one of the Trinity. She straightened her backbone, ready to lash out at him. His eyes widened, and he stumbled back a few steps. Suddenly, the door opened and Slammy Magee entered the room with a host of white robes.
“Remove her from the room,” he ordered one of his men.
Two white robes stalked toward her. She remembered one of them from when Parmelia came to her cell. His swollen eye looked painful. A sly smile spread on his face. She prepared to fight. Before they reached her, Eli trotted through the door. He approached her and touched her arm.
“You heard the man.” He winked. “Let’s go.”
The bruised man exhaled like a balloon losing its air, and his leer was replaced by a frown. She followed Eli out. Another white robe, slammed the door behind them. Instead of leaving, she stayed behind and put her ear to the door. Eli kept watch.
“I’ve been informed that you let the girls speak with Professor Scrod, and that those… deviants touched the relics. What were you thinking?” Slammy yelled at Dr. Lawless.
Eli touched her elbow. “We shouldn’t linger.”
“One minute,” she whispered, holding up her palm
Before Dr. Lawless could answer, Slammy continued, “Do you know what they could do with those relics? It would be the end of us! We have to control them until it’s time—
Eli took hold of her elbow. “Someone’s coming.”
This time she nodded, and they headed straight for Theo’s room. Julia stormed into the room, fuming. Eli slipped in behind her and shut the door. Julia’s nerves were on fire. She walked around the room, cracking her knuckles.
“What happened?” Theo asked from the bed.
“He asked me about the dream. I told him, and then he got all… creepy. He dismissed me and threatened me when I questioned him. Then, Slammy came into the room and ordered me out. I don’t know, you guys… this seems to be getting weird. Lawless really freaked me out, and Slammy seems pretty pissed that we were in the labs,” Julia railed. “He said they had to control us.”
“What does that mean?” Valera asked from the chair, startling Julia. “Why is it so cold in here?”
Julia hadn’t realized Valera was in the room, or that she was still holding aether. Eli wrapped his arms around his body and breathed out mist.
“Okay, okay, Julia, ease up. I’m turning into an ice cube,” Eli chattered through his teeth.
Julia smiled, but released the cold.
Valera bit her nails. “What if we can’t get back into the lab? I barely had a chance to study Aeda’s Sextant.”
“I have an idea. We should sneak downstairs at night, so you can use the relics on your own,” Eli suggested.
Julia raised an eyebrow at him and grinned. “Aren’t you supposed to keep us out of trouble?”
He laughed. “I figure it’s better to help you learn to control your power, than to end up an icicle.”
Theo and Valera giggled. Julia couldn’t find words to express her feelings. No one had ever made her feel so confused before. She could feel her cheeks burning.
“I, uh… He’s right. We need to practice on our own. What do you say?” Julia blurted.
“Let’s do it,” Theo nodded.
“Tonight,” Valera said.
With that, Julia escaped to her room. She tried to stay awake to avoid the bad dreams. She practiced holding and releasing aether, but her thoughts drifted to Eli and his insufferable smirk. She refocused on ice and cold air. Her eyes stung from fatigue. She yawned, closing her eyes for just a moment.
Danu was there, calling out to her. Julia felt her pain. She was aware of everything around her. She tried to wake up, but was pulled deeper into the nightmare.
“Wake up, Sleepy,” Eli whispered, gently tugging on her arm.
Groggy, she wiped her eyes and peered into the dark. A small light appeared in front of her. Eli hovered over her, grinning.
“How long was I out?” she asked.
“A few hours. I think we’re good to go. I checked the halls, and everyone seems to have gone away.”
Julia’s body protested her late night wakeup. She reconsidered their midnight practice session, but had little choice. Eli took both her hands and hauled her to her feet. She groaned and followed him out the door. Theo and Valera waited in the hall. They slipped down the empty corridors, avoided the few straggling night owls, and snuck into the labs. The scientists had left the lab open, but had locked the relic room.
“Damnit,” Julia huffed.
Eli just grinned and moved the four dials. With a bow, he pulled the lever and the door creaked open. Julia clapped.
“I happen to be a very observant person with an excellent memory. Not to mention, Professor Scrod doesn’t exactly keep the combination secret. After a drink or two, her technicians get chatty.”
Theo and Valera clapped. Julia groaned. Why did they have to encourage him? It was bad enough he was boasting about taking technicians out on dates. Not that Julia was jealous. Valera gave Julia a nudge into the room. Ealga’s Sword of Ice was still laying on the table. Before touching it, Julia opened herself to aether. The room grew cold.
“You can do this, Julia,” Theo said.
“I should have worn a coat,” Eli teased.
“Shush, I’m focusing.”
She waved her hand over the blade of the sword and felt a tingling sensation. It was a start. She gripped the worn leather hilt and converged all of her energy into the sword. Although, nothing spectacular happened, she could feel a bond with the weapon. It wanted her to pick it up. Theo, Valera, and Eli shivered in the corner.
“Maybe work with something else without a blade. See if you can control your power before trying to use the sword.” Steam rose from Valera’s mouth as she spoke.
Julia didn’t want to release the relic, but Valera was righ
t. She needed to conquer aether before wielding Ealga’s sword. Replacing the blade on the table, she faced the others. In her mind, she formed an ice mound. Holding her arms in front of her, she centered aether in one spot on the floor. When she opened her eyes, a knee-high blob of snow sat in front of her. She stomped her foot, and the pile melted into a puddle.
“This is not what I pictured in my head. I don’t understand.”
“Try to relax a little,” Theo suggested. “You’re so tense.”
“Yeah, let aether flow. Don’t force it,” Valera added.
Their advice frustrated her even more. She knew she was tense. Her jaw ached because she was so tense. How could she not be tense? Eli came out of the corner and touched her shoulders. Theo and Valera suddenly disappeared into the background as if they weren’t even there.
“You can do this,” he whispered.
She looked into his soft brown eyes. The air swirled around them and grew frigid. The puddle froze beneath her feet. The urge to be closer to him moved her forward, but her foot slipped on her icy creation. She stumbled forward. Unable to steady herself, she ploughed into Eli’s body. With an oomph, they both crashed to the ground, Julia landing on top of him. The ice melted under their bodies. Mortified, Julia shifted, trying to stand. Her foot slipped in the water, and she slammed back into him – hard.
“For Danu’s sake, stop,” Eli moaned.
Julia stilled. Theo and Valera started laughing, making her even more self-conscious. Julia rolled off him and covered her face. Eli grabbed his ribs where she’d crushed him.
Theo took Valera’s arm. “Um, we’re going to go look around at the other artifacts.”
They bolted out of the room. Julia’s cheeks could have melted the sun. She couldn’t look at Eli, so she lay on her back, trying to hide her embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she murmured.