Beyond the Glow

Chapter 21

Regaining consciousness wasn't as easy as I had hoped. I struggled, knocking away the final wisps of the memory that kept surfacing. That night hadn't been my favorite, and I preferred to keep it locked in the back of my mind where I could ignore it. 

I struggled, and managed to sit up, noticing I was still in the sound bubble I had created, at least it hadn't dissolved when I blacked out. I pull my mask down, gasping for breath. The fabric had made it difficult to breathe, and in my knocked out state, I hadn't been able to do much about it. A glance around showed me that I wasn't alone, Amita was quivering in the corner, throwing halfhearted hits at the wall every so often. 

I guess my spell didn't backfire after all then. 

Amita's outfit had me taking a double take though. Her maids uniform had been replaced with startlingly bright white clothing, not unlike mine. The only differences in her outfit other than the white were that she had a cloak, black knee high boots, and no mask. 

I also spotted my lamp a little ways away from where I had fallen, a little dirt clung to the side, but it was otherwise un-damaged. I reached for it, clasping my fingers around the handle, and relaxing as I fell my injuries automatically begin to heal. I stood up uncertainly, touching the invisible wall when I needed support. Amita's head turned when she sensed the movement, eyes widening when she saw me. 

"I- I'm so sorry!" My head snaps up, startled, when I hear her sudden outburst. Amita looks crestfallen, staring at the ground as if I would burn her alive if she dared to raise her head. Her eyes pool with tears, a few stray ones dripping into the grass below. "I don't know what happened." She mutters. 

"What are you talking about?" I ask. The last thing I remember was that blast of light. "Did you blast me?" Amita nods, still looking at the ground. I walk over to her, taking her hand and lifting her to her feet. "You didn't do anything wrong," I start, "As long as it was unintentional, I forgive you." 

Amita sniffled again. "But I did it on purpose. I was scared, I didn't know what was happening, and then this, this, feeling came out of nowhere. I wanted to protect myself. I didn't know what was happening." She shudders. "Then all the sudden, I'm here, and you're knocked out in the corner." 

I smile, "It's fine. I probably would have done the same thing if someone teleported me without my permission. It sounds like I woke up your powers though." 

Amita blinked, "I guess you did. I didn't realize they were gone until I got them back. It was weird. My parents always told me...." She sniffled again. I stiffened at the mention of her parents, sounds like whatever had her powers was holding her memories too. Interesting. So they truly didn't know what happened to them. 

"What do you remember?" I ask insistently. Sitting us down in the grass so we faced each other. 

Amita frowned, "Why does it matter? Besides, you promised me answers first. Although, now that I see the lamp, it's kind of obvious you're a genie." I grimace, I hate being reminded of how easy it is to recognize my kind. I'm lucky the necklace is inconspicuous enough to escape most peoples notice. 

"Yes. I am a genie." I sigh. "And you're right, I did promise answers first. But the fact you're a White Witch means I need more answers, and we need to disguise you too. There are questions I need to ask now." Amita slumps when I mention the White witch bit, apparently having her identity out in the open is just as undesirable for her as it is to me. 

"How'd you figure that out so quickly?" She says dryly. "The white outfit, or the giant blast of white light?" 

"I little bit of both." I admit. "But I guess we can start with me." The next few minutes, I give her the rundown of the turns my life has taken ever since leaving Cynthia's house. Amita remains silent and watchful throughout the entire thing. When I'm done, she sits, thinking.