by Amanda Churi
“Look,” he tried again. “Different scenarios will always brin’ out slightly different powers, but I need ya to learn to brin’ out any power no matter what the situation may be. If ya can’t do that, ya ain’t stand a chance.”
Daisy diverted her eyes from his. “I’m trying, Cecil… It’s just… Hard.”
“I know,” he said with sympathy, “but ya’ve gotta overcome it. If ya don’t and ya get yaself into too much trouble…” He exhaled deeply. “Never mind that.” He reinserted space between them, taking a relaxed step back. “Let’s try somethin’ new… Say, sparrin’?”
“With you?” Daisy pressed. Cecil nodded, and Daisy couldn’t help but laugh. “No thanks. I want to be left in one piece.”
“Ya caught me off guard once,” he reminded her.
“And you gave it back to me fast,” she put in. “Besides, I don’t… Exactly know what I can do with my powers, unlike you.”
Cecil smirked. He sure did have a long way to go with her… Maybe a fight wasn’t the best way to open up her mind to the possibilities; perhaps she needed to see just what she could do.
“Dear,” he began in a low, muffled tone, shuffling back towards the fire while keeping a watchful eye on Daisy at all times. He hunched forward, holding his arms out beside him in a predator-like stance as Cecil allowed his senses to expand, releasing all restraints on his massive potential. “Perhaps… I should try this strategy.”
For one, he began in his mind, continuing to glide about the room at a slow, stealthy pace; Daisy’s eyes immediately widened when she realized she could hear his thoughts. Ya can break into thoughts—read every part of someone from the inside out. If ya have a strong enough connection, ya can reach them no matter the distance.
How is he in my head? Daisy wondered.
Cecil chuckled. ‘Cause I can be, he sneered, snickering when he saw Daisy cringe.
Cecil’s eyes lit up, his irises lush and dark. The tips of his fingers began to faintly glow, small sparks of rich green sunlight welling up through his skin and shining in his nails. He quickly swiped his hand in Daisy’s direction, her neck involuntarily thrown to the side as her knees buckled, bringing her to the ground. She gasped, able to see Cecil out of the corner of her eye as she lay on the stone floor, writhing and trying to turn and face him, only to find her neck would not listen.
“Breakin’ people,” Cecil snarled in amusement, baring his teeth as he indulged in Daisy’s helplessness.
Daisy whimpered, clawing at the ground and instinctively trying to get up. She knew that he wasn’t trying to hurt her, but nonetheless, fear began to surge through her in waves, crippling her insides as she entered a state of panic. Her faintly glowing eyes began to shine brighter, the strain on the air around Daisy intensifying.
Cecil was pleased, his fingers curling back and allowing movement to return to the small girl’s body. Daisy gasped thankfully when she regained control, but she did not get up. She continued to lie there unsurely as she stared at her mentor, who did not change his stance nor recall the magic that still flowed about his eyes and fingers.
“Breakin’ the environment,” he murmured, whipping his glowing hand out towards the fire and opening his palm. Immediately, a small pocket of flames from the vast fire froze at his command, leaping out of the fireplace and bursting through the ashes. The shard of paralyzed flames landed lightly in his hand, absorbing his magical aura and turning a precarious green. Playfully, he began to throw the stiff fire from one hand to the next, the element bowing to his will and allowing him to do what he pleased.
“Time be our puppet; we can manipulate it to a vast extent, but of course, even we have our limits. We can strike every creation… Petrify and render it helpless until we release it. Water, wind, light, grass…” He winked, unable to resist rattling Daisy’s bones. “And then, yes, people.” With those words, he closed his hand forcefully, the flames crunching like glass. He rotated his hand so that his fist faced the floor, letting his fingers fall and the remnants of fire run free before vanishing into the air.
Daisy could hardly control her breathing. That… That seemed too powerful. They seemed too powerful.
“It is, and we are,” Cecil told her upfront; Daisy grunted in surprise when she once again realized that he could tell what she was thinking. “Elements will regain their natural properties either over time or at our will, but people…?” He huffed, rolling his eyes. “Petrification can be fatal dependin’ on the degree it is used. Take Laelia, for example. Ya only impaired her movements. If ya stopped her heart… Well, it be an instant death. If we done claim a victim entirely with time, there be no goin’ back.”
Cecil inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and taking in the heavy smoke swirling through the room. The greedy light streaming from his fingers and eyes vanished as he collected his thoughts, deciding that his small performance was enough for the time being.
Giddy, Daisy got to her feet, her own powers taking their leave as she faced Cecil. She just couldn’t collect her thoughts; she was scared senseless. Sorcerers, like Kevin, and witches, like Calla, had specific spells or powers they could access. Cecil and Daisy’s potential appeared endless, however, and that definitely left her on edge. Imagine what would happen if someone like Calla was born into whatever chain that they were in?
“Ain’t gotta worry about that,” Cecil reassured her, keeping his distance. “We are only born when deemed fit, and we be specifically molded to fit our cause. It ain’t as random as our relatable counterparts, so it be safe.”
Daisy’s eyes fell to darkness. “Then what’s this about you redeeming yourself?” she argued, her jaw tight and mind locking down. “You obviously didn’t fulfill your cause.”
Her quip startled Cecil. She wasn’t letting one thing slip by her; she was too set on finding out just what he purposely kept her from knowing. Fortunately for him, the menacing glare he received did not have the strength to break into his own thoughts; he could tell that that was exactly what Daisy was trying to achieve.
“Nice try for a first go,” he commended her. “But naw, I ain’t the person to try it on, sweet pea—especially not at yar novice level.”
Both of their eyes were pinned on the other, the two supernaturals so focused on infiltrating and denying that they did not realize the door to the bedroom open. The squeak of hinges snapped Cecil out of his mental battle; his attention shifted to the archway, and he was surprised to see Kevin there, his black eyes ablaze with confusion.
“Sire,” Cecil acknowledged respectfully, bowing.
Kevin did not respond, trying to adequately process the situation. Daisy tried to tell her body to relax; she hoped that her eyes had lost a bit of their hostility when she looked her father’s way so that he did not get a read on what was going on for his own safety.
“Everything alright here?” Kevin asked suspiciously, his warm voice unusually cold and resistive.
“It’s fine… Daddy,” Daisy answered. She knew that he would accept her word much easier than Cecil’s, no matter how much he trusted him, even though he shouldn’t have.
She caught Cecil snap an accusing glare her way, disbelief projected towards her like an avalanche. She tried to stay aloof, but her heart nearly broke through her chest. Gosh, she really had to watch her thoughts now…
Kevin grunted uneasily, but he chose to listen to his daughter. “Alright then…” he responded warily. “Cecil, I was looking for you. We need to talk.”
His request took Cecil by surprise. “Uh, sure.”
“Daisy, why don’t you go to the kitchen and help with dinner?” Kevin suggested firmly, making it clear that he wanted some privacy with his guard.
“Uhm, ok,” Daisy said, uprooting her feet from the concrete and approaching her father. He did not meet her eyes, Daisy’s face contorting painfully as she passed by him. Gripping Sagey with one hand for comfort, she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.
Cecil could tell that something was wron
g by Kevin’s body language. He usually seemed so open and friendly towards him, but at the moment, he was nothing but a shell of his true self.
“Sit,” Kevin instructed bluntly, motioning over to the bed and walking towards it.
Stiff in both body and mind, Cecil followed him with wide eyes. Urgently, he moved his hand behind his back, flicking his wrist and causing the bear that sat on the edge of the mattress to fall to the floor; thankfully, his action went unnoticed. Kevin took a seat on the opposite edge of the bed, keeping his head low, and Cecil sat beside him, anxiously awaiting what he had to say.
“Cecil, do you know anything about… Children?” Kevin began, clearing his throat and slowly looking his comrade in the eye.
“…Uh, pardon?” Cecil urged, confused.
“You know, raising kids—how it’s important for them to form a bond with their parents.” He paused. “I figured you would.”
Cecil blinked. “Uhm, yah, I suppose I do. Why?”
Kevin shook his head, scoffing. “Just… You know, wondering.” Kevin’s eyes veered back to his hands; he squeezed his kneecaps for courage.
“Well, if ya need advice or somethin’—”
“Cecil, I don’t need it,” Kevin said quickly, his words crashing into one another. “You are dismissed.”
Cecil’s heart skipped a beat. “What… What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I want you out of the castle,” Kevin reiterated, his words stronger this time around.
Cecil’s eyes narrowed, the energy from his skull skimming over Kevin’s brain, trying to locate the piece he was searching for. “Why?”
“Look, it’s nothing against you personally,” he elaborated, “but when I allowed you to be our guard, it meant that you were supposed to watch over all of us. Not just Daisy. Maybe I’ve been distracted, but I’ve been sharpening my eye as of late, and you… You’re always with her; I don’t like it, and neither does she. You are overstepping your boundaries; you’re practically stalking her.”
Cecil had nothing to say for a moment as Daisy’s voice echoed in Kevin’s head—the plea to her father to give Cecil the boot.
What happiness he felt minutes ago was swept away at twice the speed whence it came. He was Daisy’s guardian… He wouldn’t just give that up, and it absolutely infuriated Cecil that she had reached out for help. She had made a grave error…
“No,” Cecil refused sharply. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“Cecil,” Kevin interrupted. “You are my best friend, but even so, you are becoming too involved with this family. It is my job to protect them, not yours.”
“Well, ya’re doin’ a purty petty job!” Cecil snapped. “I ain’t seen ya hardly look at yar gal for the past while now! Excuse me for tryin’ to step up and be there for her—”
“Daisy is NOT Ezri!” Kevin argued viciously, the sheer anger in his voice causing Cecil to lurch back in surprise as the name of his deceased child struck a very dark place in his heart. “She is not your daughter, and she never will be, no matter how close you get! She is mine! Go enjoy time with your own family; this is getting ridiculous!”
“But Sam ain’t—”
“I don’t care about the history between the two of you!” Kevin spat. “Whatever happened, get over it, and move on!”
A storm brewed in Cecil’s eyes—a terrible, evil, destructive storm. “So… After all this time… Ya just want me to bite my tongue and accept the fact that I should just pretend I ain’t yar friend? That I ain’t have a place here?”
“No,” Kevin clarified. “I’m demoting you to a knight. I still value both your friendship and service greatly, but I don’t need you watching us round the clock any longer.”
Cecil huffed, heatedly standing up and folding his arms behind his head as he stared up at the high ceilings. “Of course,” he exclaimed in bewilderment. “Of course this would happen. Why wouldn’t it? When do things ever go my way?”
Kevin eyed him suspiciously. “Cecil, what are you talking about? I’m only doing this because… Well, family is the most important thing… And I think it would be best for all of us in the long run.”
“No, no it ain’t, Kevin,” Cecil assured him, unwilling to hear his defense. “I thought I was family too? I thought we were best friends? And ya have the audacity to try and take that beautiful child from my fingers and stab me in the back?”
Kevin didn’t understand, his red flags rising as Cecil’s true colors began to show. “Cecil, you need to calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Cecil bellowed, hardly able to hold his frustration back. “Why are yall always tryin’ to take what’s important away from me? Kevin, ya have no idea how much that l’il gal of yars means to me! I-I just—no!” He put his head into his palms, squatting and trying to pin down his powers. He had thousands of years to practice patience and tolerance, but it had failed him once, and that’s what got him into this mess.
“Cecil…” Kevin tried again, watching every movement he made.
“No, I don’t wanna hear it,” he hissed bitterly, bringing his bloodshot eyes up to meet Kevin’s face. “Ya’re just another Returned… I ain’t never had a good feelin’ about them, none, and this only confirms my suspicion that they cannot be trusted.”
“Hold up!” Kevin snarled. “What have I done? What have any of us done? Why wouldn’t you trust us? Heck, Sam is one herself!”
“She done changed,” he growled angrily, standing up and taking a bold step towards Kevin. “We’ve never been too happy with one another. I ain’t see nothin’ wrong at first, but there is somethin’ terrible happenin’ within yall… The Returned never were screwed too tight when they came back, but it’s gettin’ worse.”
“If you’ve got a problem with the Returned, then you’ve got a problem being under my rule period,” Kevin retorted bitterly, standing up and poking Cecil aggressively in the chest. “I will protect them no matter what you say. I will protect us! Guess that just further shows why it’s not a good idea for you to be here anymore!”
“Fine, whatever!” Cecil cried angrily, throwing his hands up and stepping back. “Ya’re the king; I can’t stop ya! But if ya were wise, ya’d get yar head outta yar pants and open yar eyes! Somethin’ terrible is gonna happen, and trust me, everyone is gonna be after yar daughter! They’ll find out she ain’t mortal soon enough, and when they do, she’s done, and her blood will be on yar hands!”
All of the blood in Kevin’s body stopped circulating. His eyes bulged, and his heart fell into the pit of his stomach as he processed just what he heard. Cecil… Knew?
Almost immediately, Cecil noticed his error. It didn’t matter if he was kicked out of the nobility or not; now, there was no way he could stay here—even stay in Phantome! Kevin wanted his head; Cecil could see it in his eyes.
“You bastard!” Kevin roared ferociously, throwing himself at Cecil and plowing him into the floor. Cecil grunted painfully as his spine collided with the stone, hardly expecting such anger from his king. Kevin shoved his knees into Cecil’s gut, fear dominating every pore of his body as he repeatedly bashed Cecil in the face with powerful, swift, enraged punches. He wouldn’t allow his family to be broken apart! He wouldn’t lose them!
“GET OFF!” Cecil howled as the blood gushed down his face, feeling the black recesses of his soul turn over. Gathering strength in his chiseled arms, Cecil locked his hands around Kevin’s shoulders, his fingers releasing an electrified pulse of green light into Kevin’s bloodstream. Kevin screamed in agony; his muscles contracted at the speed of light as he fell like a rock off of Cecil and onto his side, unable to move anything besides the muscles on his face.
Panicking, Cecil stood up, knowing that Time lurked behind him as all of his sins and treasons finally began to catch up with him.
“KNIGHTS!” Kevin screamed, twitching violently on the floor as he desperately tried to regain mobility.
Cecil took a quivering step back. “I’m sorry, Kevin
,” he apologized in a rush. “But I can’t let ya take me away from Daisy. I can’t fail again. I hope ya can forgive me someday for what I’m about to do.”
“YOU LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!”
“Unfortunately, she’s been in it since the beginnin’ of time,” he growled. “I’ve just had to wait, and now that I have her, she ain’t escapin’.”
With that, Cecil threw open the door, bolting down the hallway and towards the staircase. Kevin continued to scream and cry for help, for Cecil to be stopped, but Cecil wouldn’t allow that. No one could stop him… Not now, not ever.
Many knights, hearing their king’s cry of distress, raced up the spiralway just as Cecil exited the hall. He skid to a halt on the staircase, his head spinning as they rapidly closed in, looking for a way out.
A large group of peasants and knights were gathered in the foyer, looking up in recognition to the king’s cries, but they remained where they stood. Why are so many people here? What’s wrong?
Cecil took a deep breath, the potent smell of blood and salty tears flooding his nostrils. His sharp eyes quickly evaluated the crowd, his mouth trembling when he realized that Daisy was nowhere to be seen.
The knights were mere feet from him, and Cecil, in his act of desperation, knew what he had to do. He grabbed the rail of the staircase, locking eyes with the knight at the head of the raid before, in a large burst of energy, he hurled himself onto and over the railing, falling dozens of feet through the air towards the concrete floor.
Muffled cries of terror filtered through his ears as many watched him approach his death, but of course, Cecil knew that such would not be his fate. He wouldn’t let it.
His eyes flared up, his body becoming enshrouded in a harsh green glare. He bared his teeth, tightening his muscles and letting his instincts take over. He didn’t care what they thought of him; he would get what he desired at all costs.
He collided feet first with the floor, the green light flowing around him serving as a force field and taking the force of the impact rather than his body. The newly refurbished stone shattered around him as he hit the ground, his eyes barreling in the direction of the peasants as they scattered, desperate to stay out of his wake. In a bolt of green light, he shot forward, following his terror and burning nose. He shoved those who did not move to the floor, and with the scent of blood growing stronger, he raced into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.