by Amanda Churi
“When I first held ya in my arms… I knew ya were mine—maybe not biologically, but certainly inside. The way ya looked at me and smiled…” He sighed deeply, shaking his head.
“I could sense that ya were different… I tried to keep ya hidden. Just like now, ya grew fast. Anyone who noticed would be suspicious. Besides… I couldn’t let anythin’ bad happen to ya.” His speech momentarily ceased, his eyes overshadowed by dark memories. “It’s why I couldn’t let her have ya…”
Daisy leaned her head to the side. She could hear the dark undercurrent of Cecil’s words, hostility and spitefulness infecting both his body and speech. “Her? You mean my mommy?” Daisy asked uncomfortably, lurching backward when Cecil snapped his vicious eyes to her.
“She wasn’t fit to take care of ya, Daisy,” he spat hatefully. “Elizabeth had a carefree lifestyle. I ain’t sayin’ she didn’t love ya; she was just always distracted by things other than responsibilities. She had a good heart, but in the head, she wasn’t quite straight. I practically raised ya on my own; yar father didn’t even show his face unless it was to have some fun with yar mother. The only reason I didn’t care was ‘cause I fell in love with ya, and I had to keep ya safe at all costs… And I knew she wouldn’t be a good influence on such a pure child.” He bunched his hands into fists in a vainful effort to control his anger. “It went on for a few months like that. Ya already had the appearance of a four-year-old, but everythin’ was fine… Fine until yar mother decided to press her luck.”
Daisy did not speak, letting her hand lightly grab Cecil’s for comfort. Her mother definitely did not seem like someone she should have missed, let alone want to know… She neglected her, but still, the way this story was turning… “What did you do, Cecil?”
Cecil grunted, giving his head a firm shake and yanking his hand away from his foster child. He pressed his forehead into the palms of his hands, slamming his eyes shut.
“She found out what I was and wanted me outta yar life… I fought to keep ya with me, but she wouldn’t allow it. I did not respect her decision; I was furious, but what could I do? Instead of continuin’ to holler, I took a walk—a long walk, tryin’ to think of a way to snatch ya; if I didn’t, ya would be ruined. By the time I came back… Quite frankly, ready to use deadly force if I had to… I saw the flames and smoke…” Cecil took a shaky breath.
“There was nothin’ left!” he sobbed uncontrollably. “Both yar biological parents were dead, and although they didn’t find yar body, ya were presumed dead as well. I felt like I lost everythin’… I’d been used to bein’ alone, but when I lost ya, I just… I just broke. It was like losin’ Ezri all over again.”
“Cecil…” Daisy cooed, resting a hand on his back.
“I waited… And waited… I ain’t know what for, but somethin’ told me to not leave Phantome, no matter how badly I wanted to. Then, months later, I met Kevin… And then saw yar precious face again that night at the tavern…” He lifted his face, his shy grin returning. “I needed to stand by yar side and help ya—protect ya from harm. I wouldn’t let the opportunity slip by.”
Daisy did remember the first time she met him… Perhaps that was why she almost immediately trusted him. But it also raised another question.
“At the tavern, Lexi said something about your daughter not being revived—only Sam. You two had Ezri together…?”
Cecil grunted. “Yah… Guess I have poor taste in women…” His speech was dropping in volume, and he struggled to project his thoughts out of his mouth. “Ezri… She didn’t deserve to be brought into this world; I only gave her a death wish from her first breath. Ain’t… Matter if I really loved her mother or not. Not… Sam… Not Ezri… Neither of them should have allowed their fates to intercept mine. As hard as I tried to be a father… A husband… I wasn’t allowed to be. We ain’t allowed to be, Daisy; it’s a rule of our species. And I paid for it… I lost them both…” He hung his head once more. “Sam miraculously came back, but I had sealed that part of my life away by then. Didn’t wanna even associate with her, but… I couldn’t help it. Still, me bein’ weak… Me givin’ in… It screwed up my life. It was best to just keep ya and her outta each other’s business—to avoid makin’ my two lives clash. We ain’t need more of a mess…”
Daisy couldn’t help but laugh in spite of his injured heart, trying to lift the atmosphere and distract Cecil from his losses. “Ha… We? You’re saying we? What does that mean?”
He smirked, turning to her with a challenging glint. “Guess it’s time to show ya.”
Cecil grabbed both of Daisy’s wrists in a deadlock, the child’s eyes lighting up in fear as he quickly pulled her towards him and slammed her down on the bed. Daisy screamed, Cecil climbing on top of her and sitting down on her stomach, keeping her firm against the mattress.
“What-what are you doing?!” she gasped fearfully, trying to lash out at him with her pinned fists. “Get off of me!”
“Make me,” he retorted sneakily.
“H-huh?”
“Overtake me!” he demanded. “Pretend I’m an enemy! Try to release yar powers!”
Daisy certainly didn’t have to try. Even though it was what he wanted, the urge to protect herself was too overpowering, and she couldn’t help herself, feeling her control slip away just as it always seemed to.
Teeming with energy and terror, her eyes flashed a bright pink as her Eyla was activated. Her wrists snapped upwards with such strength that her small hands locked around Cecil’s large, broad wrists. Cecil tensed, their arms shaking as each of them attempted to gain dominance over the other.
“Get OFF!” Daisy shouted angrily as her pink eyes released a bright pulse of magic. Immediately, Cecil’s body became enveloped in a pink cocoon of wizardry, and before Daisy even knew what she was doing, a push from her eyes sent Cecil flying through the air, slamming him into the pit of her fireplace.
Daisy screamed upon realizing what she had done, scrambling off of her bed as the flames wrapped around Cecil. He sharply grunted in a collage of surprise and angst as he attempted to scramble to his feet, the flames slithering up his face and swirling around his body.
“Cecil!” Daisy cried, bolting towards him.
Cecil closed his eyes as he continued to struggle, cringing before, at once, the flames stopped their advance. The air around him became deadly still, the embers and arms of Death petrified. Their bodies glistened like glass as they froze in midair, suspended by an unknown force.
Daisy slowed down, her heartbeat loud and shallow as she came to a halt, staring ahead in disbelief.
Cecil gradually opened his eyes, a ravishing, sinister spark twinkling in the darkest depths of his pupils. He smirked, the skin over his bones rippling like water until a vibrant, potent green light began to emanate from his pores. His dull irises flashed a blinding neon green in the dark room as suddenly, the flames responded to his call for power, flickering momentarily before their red and orange hues gave way to whites and greens, but they never so much as moved, remaining tight in his malevolent clutch.
Frightened, Daisy took a step back as Cecil powerfully rose to his feet, his hands curled and fingers hooked like claws as the flames climbed around him, sharp and stiff like daggers. His hair spun with a lively, dominating green sheen, a miniature windstorm twirling the wondrous energy around him like a ribbon. He looked terrifying, but at the same time, beautiful… And the flames did not radiate violent energy, rather a power in one of its most pure, yet dangerous, forms.
“Not bad,” Cecil approved as he slowly advanced towards the child, the army of stunned flames loyally following their king. “But ya can do so much more if ya would just learn.”
“What… Are you?” she squeaked like a mouse, tiptoeing backward until she was up against the bed.
A smile enfolded his face. “Ya don’t recognize yaself havin’ done somethin’ similar a good time ago? I think I do.”
She swallowed back her fear, knowing very well what he referenced.
She placed her body in his shoes, remembering her mystical, gravity defying hair, the pink hue that possessed every fraction of her skin, and the grass… The many blades that she tore from the soil and manipulated, attempting to bring the spoiled princess to ruin.
Cecil flashed her a quirky glare. “Nice recollection.”
“W-what’s that supposed to mean?” Daisy demanded irritably, holding her arms out beside her. “Just tell me what you are!”
He aimed his green palm at Daisy, the intense sheen and minion-like flames swirling around him as his hold on the magic became stronger. “Well, since ya done asked so nicely, I’ll let ya in on a l’il secret; this ain’t my first time on the job. Only difference is that I actually have a challenge this time.”
“That doesn’t tell me any—!”
Cecil flicked his wrist towards the sky to hush her. His green light was her enemy—a whirlpool of radiant emerald particles and stiff fragments of fire encasing her skin. Her muscles felt as though they collapsed inwards, unable to answer her call as she stared at Cecil with enlarged eyes.
“Ya’ll be able to hold this world in the palm of yar hand!” he exclaimed enthusiastically as he swiped his hand to the side, throwing Daisy’s paralyzed body through the air and slamming her into the wall with a sickening clunk. She shrieked painfully as she hit the rock face-first, the witchery surrounding her dying away and throwing her to the floor on her stomach. God, what the heck was with this guy?! She couldn’t figure him out!
In a blur of green light, Cecil rushed over to Daisy, placing a foot on her back and holding her down. A sluggish trickle of blood flowed from her lip as she stared up at not only her second foster father, but her apparent mentor and, at this moment, enemy.
“Like I said,” he continued ominously, neither breaking eye contact. “Ya’re special. I’ve been immortal for thousands of years, and I could only dream of holdin’ the abilities ya do. And by golly, gal, I’m gonna be around to make sure ya make it far enough to discover yar full potential. Got it?”
Shaking, Daisy nodded the best that she could.
Cecil smiled in satisfaction, retracting his foot as Daisy exhaled in relief, the pink light in her eyes immediately dying. She panted wildly, rolling over onto her back and staring at Cecil, whose superior display of powers decided to come to an end as well. His eyes gradually dimmed, while the luminance surrounding him was pulled back into his skin. The immobile flames were freed, briefly regaining their natural shades before they evaporated into the air. Within a few seconds, the room was calm, and Cecil was nothing more than a normal peasant.
Did she get much of an answer to anything? No. And while everything Cecil had just both shown and told her had left her numb inside, deep within, she felt an aura of security settle into her soul. She didn’t understand much now, but she would. Cecil would teach her what she needed to know, and in time, she knew that he would explain the full situation.
And if he wouldn’t willingly, then she would make him.
Slowly, Cecil crouched down so that he was staring at his apprentice with stern eyes—his natural, sea-green eyes. “We’ll begin our trainin’ as soon as possible,” he told her. “We’ll get ya ready for Reeve. I promise.”
“R-Reeve?!” Daisy squealed. Her versus the legendary ice spirit?! How on Earth could she win a battle like that? And why the heck did it have to be her; wasn’t that the Receiver’s job? “No way! Y-you don’t know how strong she is!”
Cecil rolled his eyes. “Yah, I do,” he countered. “I have connections.”
“Then why don’t you just blow her head off instead of me?! You’re obviously stronger than I am!”
He brought his finger down to Daisy’s lip, cleaning up her blood. “Somethin’ tells me that my normal tactics ain’t gonna work too well on a legendary, riled up spirit; it would greatly help if I had someone else to aid me… Someone who obviously ain’t weak at all, because if I got the story right, she apparently saved a demon’s life from Reeve herself with nothin’ more than an orb, hm?”
He’s right…! she recalled as her mind imploded with surprise. I did!
“But she was really weak then…” she argued aloud, sitting up.
“And ya couldn’t do nothin’ but phase,” he retorted. “Look where ya be gettin’ in such short time.” He stood up, turning his back on her and shifting his sharp eyes towards the windows. “I have high hopes for ya, my dear,” he said, carrying himself to the panes and staring down at the town. “This place is in need of some severe savin’… The whole world is. I promise, ya and me together… We will gain redemption.”
He lost her. “Cecil… What do I have to redeem myself for?”
His green eyes shifted to a gentle, caressing blue, indicating his readiness to phase as he faced his apprentice. “I have to be goin’,” he said sternly, closing the subject and refusing to answer her question.
“Wait!” Daisy quickly exclaimed before he could disappear. “Can-can I tell Daddy about our training…? He knows all about magic! He might be able to help with—”
“No,” he replied sharply. “If yall want to come outta this alive, ya keep yar family in the dark. With more knowin’, more attention comes our way… Besides, I would prefer that the Returned remain blind to this as a whole.” He looked away once again, this time, determined to not turn back. “Yar father has enough comin’ for him as it is.”
Before the child could pester him with any more questions, Cecil let his lost soul slip away; Daisy was hardly able to capture the change before he vanished completely, leaving her to wonder just where he disappeared to.
Instinctively, she let her eyes drift over to her hands. She frowned in disappointment, her fingers trembling as she looked back at the empty pocket of air that Cecil once stood in. Species… she thought to herself. I’m… What he is. He is what I am.
She looked over her shoulder, staring at the bear resting on her pillows. But… What is he…? He can’t possibly be a sorcerer…
She shifted her gorgeous blue eyes to the window, watching the torches of Phantome flicker below—a town that was apparently about to be in need of some terrible help.
And if he’s not a sorcerer… Then I’m not a sorceress.
So… What am I?
Twenty-one
Destiny Bond
I lay in my bed, not saying a word as I stared at the stone wall across my small bedroom. The room was almost entirely dark, a holographic, blue screen mounted on the stone, flickering in the dark. The current time was projected onto the granite wall; a small hum of static came from the contraption, constantly pawing at my ears and threatening to drive me insane.
The numbers changed, and the new hour of one in the morning came forth—four hours of lying here like a corpse and sleep had still eluded me.
Mabel slept soundly above me in her metal bunk, probably dreaming of her old life in Phantome—happy, free, and being the warrior she had always strived to be… The life I stole when I convinced her to come to this hellhole.
I grunted in confliction, pressing my hands to my forehead and rolling over onto my back. I ran my fingers through my hair restlessly, staring at the metal bars several feet above me, which kept Mabel’s thin mattress suspended. I felt so lost; I didn’t know what I was even doing here—not only in this world but with my life.
I wanted answers; I wanted to know just what I had to do to fix the future, but as Seek told me, “it is something you have to discover yourself, deep within the depths of your heart.”
My heart? Psh, was it even a heart anymore? Wasn’t it just the command base for the demons inside of me, who would not shut the hell up about how weak I was—how I deserved to die? That was what I thought more or less. Really, though, if she expected me to solve this puzzle on my own, then she was stupid on every level.
I was slow enough to not even realize that there was a chance that I was part of the legendary prophecy until recently, and I was supposed to come up with a solution on how to do a renovation of
this screwed up world? If I had endless time, an endless budget, and endless power, ok, I could do something. But I knew what I was, and I could not see myself flipping this place; I couldn’t see myself doing anything other than destroying it all the more.
Nearly two weeks had gone by since we became the Encryption’s prisoners in disguise. I still had not seen Laelia, Griffin, or Sybil. Frankly, Kaitlyn and Seek were the only two we were allowed to see. Only they fetched us from our room for training—training, which had been nothing more than terrible mind games.
Physically, my body felt drained nearly every hour of the day. Since my incident the very first day here, meal cubes, water, and blood were the only things that went into my stomach. At first, other than being ill in my mind at the thought of drinking blood, I felt fine; I actually enjoyed the taste, oddly enough, which only further proved how much stronger my demonic side was becoming. After a week, though, Pinion ordered that the meal cubes be saved for their original purposes: missions—not some demon who had trouble controlling his hunger. Ever since her stupid order was enacted, blood and water were my fuel, and with each passing day, I could feel it doing less and less for me. The blood kept me content at first, but over the last few days, I had been feeling fuzzy in the head and shaky in my limbs. My stomach was full, but my second side did not like this new diet, and they made that clear.
While my physical state was slowly degrading, my mind was becoming sharper, though that was a lot harder than simply eating. Training, for Mabel and me, was solely mental. While Seek and Kaitlyn did not tell us much more about our destiny or the world we now called home, they definitely pushed our minds to the limit. They tested our triggers to see what brought out our second halves. They forced us to sit there for long periods of time, trying to meditate—concentrate on being able to shift forms without these triggers, which so far had been a complete waste of time. The only time either of us seemed to react in a supernatural way was if they threatened the person beside us or ourselves. Taunting worked as well, but that was more or less for me only.