Divulgence (Song of Sophangence Book 2)

by E. I. McAllistair

  “Change isn’t necessarily bad. It may be uncomfortable, but most changes, at least that I have experienced, have made me better in the long run.”

  “Well either way it is exciting! You are number 7 in the school Maggie! The entire school! I feel like I am surrounded by amazing people and I just keep falling further behind. The dynamic duo power couple of Phavian and Anaar hold the top spots, with Sophia just behind them. Then there is you at number 7. I need whatever you got girl!”

  Smiling broadly, her dazzling white teeth complimenting her smile so that the light scar on her lip she had since childhood was more of a unique compliment rather than a detractor, she finds herself feeling that love and support she wanted from her parents the night before, that they simply could not understand. It made her exceedingly happy to know she had people in her life that appreciated her efforts. Hearing Stefani’s words though, she realized that she herself had been lacking in her responsibility to her friends’ success, and wanted to amend that.

  “Well if you want what I have, then I guess we have work to do right? I think you are so gorgeous Stef. Don’t get me wrong, I love who I am, but your mixture of Ghanaian, Indonesian, and Swiss is just to die for! You dress so well, and you actually take time to do your hair in cute styles. Maybe that is where were can make an exchange. You can help me be more girly, and I can help you train more! Ripp has done wonders for you over the months, but soon she will be gone. We should start working out together.”

  Smiling nervously, definitely appreciating the lofty praise, but afraid of what Maggie might have in mind, “Are you going to be as hard on me as Sophia? I agree she has done wonders for my figure, but she is just downright scary sometimes!”

  “Only if I need to be! Though you have come a long way, you could stand to be more physically fit. I don’t think aesthetically you look bad, especially with the shaping you have been doing over the past few months, but I feel we are both really weak in up close and personal situations. Neither one of us know any martial arts, even though it is a requirement. That puts us at a serious disadvantage.”

  “Actually…”

  Almost choking on her food, she looks at Stefani with surprise. “Stef! When did you start training?! Everyone is completely leaving me behind in this!”

  Suddenly feeling terrible as she had never known Maggie had insecurities about her own abilities, thus had never thought to bring it up, Stefani drops her head slightly in shame. “It hasn’t been terribly long, I promise! You are number 3 in our class! I just assumed you already had your own regimen! I have nothing to defend myself with. With Anaar’s and Sophia’s help, I have been gradually become more comfortable with exploring these things.”

  “Anaar knows about this?! Oh just wait until I see him… One thing is for sure, if you need to tell someone something without worrying it will get out, just tell him. He is like a vault, and you don’t even need to request his discretion!”

  “You two spend so much time together though. If you don’t talk about us, what do you talk about?”

  Throwing up her hands defeated, “Well I certainly talk about us! Now that you mention it, Dan singlehandedly credits Anaar for the bulk of his success, but Anaar never mentions much about it outside of the fact that they work together so much. I suppose I never needed to ask because Dan fills me in himself, painting a more complete picture, but none of the information actually comes from Anaar.”

  “Well, he is an extremely private person after all. Look at his music. Did you know he still practices the violin tirelessly, and even composes new music?! It has only been a couple of months! I found out by walking in on him the day of the Junior Melee.”

  “I knew he liked the violin, but he has never asked me to listen to anything he has made! We are starting a new transparency campaign with him.”

  “Right?! Here I am struggling to find people who enjoy music the way I do, and I have someone this close to me that has not only the interest but the talent.”

  They both laugh as they share scraps of their experiences with their lovable, but secretive giant, shocking one another about just how little they really knew about him as a whole. Though Stefani enjoyed their little exchange about Anaar, and it was indeed illuminating. She was much more focused on Maggie’s interest in changing aspects of her image.

  As much as Maggie doted on her for her more exotic looks thanks to her mixed heritage, Stefani had always dreamed of being able to work with someone as beautiful as Maggie. Though music was her passion, her mother’s business of fashion and beauty was definitely close to her heart. The rest of the conversation consisted of ways she could get the now backpedaling Maggie to become her personal model.

  Feeling in much higher spirits after getting in some time with Stefani, despite the potential can of worms she may have opened, Maggie made her way to a place that she realized she should have gone to much more often. As she travelled on the shuttle, she realized though she would indubitably consider Anaar her best friend, there were just some things that you needed to talk through with people of the same sex.

  Ana, though available, had shown she was definitely not quite cut out for the type of relationship Stefani boasted with Ripp, so Stefani and Codi had grown to be her female support squad. Since the Melee, people like Ryn and Zenia had also become prominent figures in her circle, but there was nothing like the two women who had been with her from the beginning.

  Making her way to the door, ringing the doorbell, she is met by the smiling, yet concerned face of her best friend, who though far less obvious, was giving her a similar examination with his eyes as Stefani had done earlier. Accepting his invitation to enter, they made their way to his Entertainment Room, where she sank into the gloriously plush sofa, almost not hearing when he asked if she wanted anything.

  Remembering that his butler, who he regarded as his uncle with surprising affection, was a tea lover himself, she asked for the most exotic tea he had, stifling a grin as she watched the cute, dumbfounded expression on his face. Accompanying him to the kitchen, she found many things she was interested in, taking note of others she would like to try later. Once they were back seated comfortably, she wasted no time with pleasantries, as this had been rumbling around in her spirit for the greater part of a day.

  “I would say congrats, but we both know you let Phavian win, and there was no other option than you being at the top, so it seems cheap to me. We know each other too well, as far as you are concerned, to act like anything else was expected. I’m going to ask you a series of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions because there is something I need to know. More like some things, plural, but specifically something has been burning me up.”

  Looking at her with a mixture of calm stoicism, with underlying concern, and curiosity, Anaar nods his head. “I didn’t think this was a random social call, especially considering you wanted to meet me here alone. I don’t want to make it seem like I thought less of you after your little speech, but I will say congratulations to you. You continue to make me proud.”

  “Thank you, but your slick words aren’t getting you out of this one buddy.”

  “Can’t blame me for trying.”

  “I know, and you are quite successful when you do so normally. First question: Have you ever lied to me?”

  Staggered by such an immediate opening blow, he commits to exchange as he can tell that she is serious. “No.”

  “Do you consider omission lying?”

  “No.”

  “As I thought… Do you love me?”

  “With all my heart. Err… Yes.”

  “Was that love ever something of a romantic nature?”

  “No.” Noticing her attempts to keep herself composed, he decides to clarify. “That came out colder than expected. You were the first person I ever had feelings for outside of my mom. You are as premium as they come Maggie, the total package. I did initially wonder if I had those kinds of feelings for you, just because I couldn’t make sense of such a new experience. It soon became c
lear that you were part of my family, and I don’t think that will ever change. I have a weird family now…”

  “Ok. I accept that, and I appreciate the explanation. Moving right along, and remember I need straight answers.”

  Oh shit, that wasn’t it?! What else could she possibly-

  “Did you heal me yesterday?”

  Oh fuck. Busted. “Yes.”

  “Are there more facets to your abilities that you keep hidden?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you a Fire Affinity?”

  “No.”

  “Are you a Water Affinity?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why have you been pretending to be a Fire Affinity then?!”

  “That isn’t really a yes or no-”

  Giving him a little shove, “Just answer the question!”

  “Without the boring parts, I never pretended to be anything. Technically my affinity can’t be classified, so people just assign me what is convenient. Life is much easier allowing them to hold on to their perceptions and conveniences.”

  “So about not being able to be classified, besides being a Medic, and apparently a good one. How do you know you are a Water Affinity?”

  Holding up his hand, it shifts into its aqueous form, eliciting a sharp gasp from Maggie.

  Assaulting him with a flurry of slaps on his shoulder, “You are True Water Quintessence and you just never told me! Who else knows about this?!”

  “Now including you, just Hobb, Ixnes, Phavian, and Master Shin.”

  “Ixnes? Since when are you on a first name basis with the Headmistress?! And it came out so casually too! This is something you say often! Why do they know and I don’t?! Wait, your mom doesn’t know? She’s your mom though, how doesn’t she know?”

  “If it makes you feel any better, they didn’t know, well Master Shin did, until a few weeks ago.”

  Lost for words, Anaar decides given his recent knack for divulging secrets to people that he had kept his entire life, he tells her to get cozy, and not interrupt, as he recounts his tale to one of the most important people in his life. Once he was completely finished with the entire story, bringing her up to speed, he was surprised that she had kept her composure until the end, because when he was done, she burst into tears, lunging at him, knocking him over into the soft sofa, embracing him. He was not sure if she was crying for him, or because of him. Once she had finally gotten everything out, she sat up, eyes red and puffy, fixing her cap that was hanging in place by her bushy ponytail.

  “How have you been through so much pain by yourself, and never let me in? Actually, why did you heal me in the first place when the medical team could have taken care of me?”

  Giving her a shrug, “I don’t know. Though I knew they wouldn’t let you die, I couldn’t let you suffer. I love you more than my secret, and with the state you were in, I didn’t think you would notice. If I am being honest, I think I wanted you to find out. I didn’t have the heart to just tell you myself, even though others finally knew. Old habits die hard, and this is one I don’t plan on letting die anyway. Everyone else found out due to certain circumstances that gave me away. Maybe I felt that the only way I could possibly bring you into the fold was to allow those circumstances to happen.”

  “Now I get why you are so secretive. It is almost like constant practice to keep you from doing things in public that would give you away. After showing me all you can do, I would go insane knowing I was keeping myself from using even one ability! Well, I only have one, but you get the point. So that is why you are never injured. How did we never notice that?”

  “You did, but you weren’t given any reason to think something as extreme as I was a weird super regenerative True Water. We make excuses and reason through things we can’t explain. That is why I am so interested in affinity studies. I want to know why True Quintessences exist and have the abilities they do. Right now we make excuses because we don’t have the facts to compose the truth.”

  “Wow, here I was having my own breakdowns about my feelings about you, which if I’m honest I’m still not completely over but I’m much better now. You had an entire love story with Phavian, straight out of a romance novel.” There is a pause, as all of the information was finally catching up to her brain, and tears start to well up in her eyes again. “All those people… How did you…”

  The two of them sit in a somber, teary silence as Maggie contemplates the fact that she now not only knew the person responsible for thousands of deaths, but that this was a person she loved deeply. Conflicted, she could not understand why she refused to see Anaar as the monster he believed himself to be, and could only pity him for having to shoulder so much alone. She called herself his best friend, but it seemed in all the times he actually needed her, she had never been there, which devastated her. She had not been there because she had been focused on her own desires, and what was convenient for herself, instead of following all the now obvious signs.

  Grabbing his face, she turns his head to her, drawing so close they could feel one another’s breath as their eyes were locked. “I have failed you as your best friend. I actually have no right to call myself your best friend, but I am going to make up for it starting from now. Going forward, anything, everything, you call on me. I understand secrets, especially given your situations, I understand the need to keep them now. I am positive there are still more you are keeping from me, but as I have been such a failure, I want to show you that I am worthy of your trust, and standing by your side. I don’t think I have felt something more deeply in my life. I know now to do that, just being able to keep a secret isn’t good enough. Hearing what happened to poor Phavian, I know I have to get even stronger so you don’t have to worry if I can shoulder your secrets with you.” She finishes out her statement by resting her forehead on his for a long while.

  When she finally pulls away, she is able to see the streaks of tears that had run down his face. What shocked her though is what happened once she had pulled away. He reached back over and pulled her close, hugging her tightly. In all the things that she thought she knew, in all the things they had shared, this was the first time he had ever embraced her when she was not in some dire situation. From this moment she felt their relationship had finally opened up into what they had been pretending it was all these months, and felt like a new beginning.

  Letting her go, Anaar looks at her with a smile, then it changes to a frown. “Phavian is mad at me.”

  Giving a guffaw as she throws up her hands, “You two seriously only have two modes, madly in love, or trying to kill one another! There needs to be more balance.”

  “Tell me about it. He knows I let him win.”

  “Well duh! I knew you let him win, and that was before I knew about all the crazy things you can do!” She pauses, turning her head to the side, before a grin spreads across her face. “Wait. Does this mean that JaMarkus hates you so much, and he doesn’t even know that you are everything he is but just infinitely better?!”

  “Why does everyone say that? Phavian said the exact same thing!”

  “You can’t see how hilarious that is?! He hates you because he thinks he is better than you in every way. Little does he know it is the exact opposite! With the Headmistress’ patronage, you even technically fall into the same social class as him now! Please, if there is ever a moment you reveal any of this to the world, make sure he has a front row seat and I have a clear view of him!”

  “Wow, you are evil!” he says laughing.

  “He treats women so badly! He just treats everyone badly I guess, but then he goes out of his way to hurt you, and he really makes Dan feel like he is less than, which gets under my skin so much! I feel like I work so hard on his confidence and self-esteem, no doubt you do too from what he says, and every time he deals with JaMarkus, it just wilts like his paper.”

  “I know, I really hate what he does to Dan too. He is like the sweetest guy on the planet.”

  “Right?! He could use some serious work on his c
leanliness, his room is atrocious, but he is so sweet, and his little accent is so cute! He doesn’t deserve the things he gets.”

  “Well if you are enrolling people in housekeeping courses, make sure you sign Phavian up. I really hate sleeping over. I think one of these days I’m just going to go over and clean up, and threaten to waterboard him if he lets it get that bad again.”

  The two laugh raucously at the thought of Anaar waterboarding his boyfriend to get him to do his chores, leading Maggie to begin throwing out other people who might be candidates for the punishment. From a conversation that started with the utmost severity, resulting in the revealing of secrets and the promises of greater devotion to one another, Maggie and Anaar spend most of the day together, skipping the Cafeteria for some of Anaar’s homecooked meals. Looking forward to the future, they talk about what should happen to get him and Phavian back on track, and hopefully not remain in their constant states of extremes in the fairly new relationship.

  21

  With Maggie leaving for the night, Anaar knew there was business in which he needed to attend. Though he had offered for her to stay over since the whole day had gone by, she let him know she needed to finish some schoolwork, and he needed to go talk to Phavian. With a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek, Maggie leaves, allowing Anaar to prepare for battle. Once he had gotten his preparations done, he messaged Codi to make sure Phavian was not still there. When he only received ‘That mopey fucker was killing my mood,’ in response, he was sure he could find Phavian in his room.

  Marching over to Phavian’s room, he enters to find he at least no longer seemed to be binge drinking. When he feels himself immediately begin to drop in temperature as Phavian had exited from his bedroom, he was shocked he was actually on the receiving end of his boyfriend’s abilities.

  Two can play that game.

  A sphere of water immediately coalesces around Phavian’s head, causing his eyes to open wide from shock. Watching the bubbles rise in the sphere, Phavian clearly screaming out, he feels the encroaching chill stop, and Phavian began flailing his arms, finally giving a signal for ‘timeout.’ The water dome bursts, drenching him, and the floor, as he gasps for air pointing his finger accusingly.