Wicked Power

Chapter Eleven

Chandeliers hang down above me. Crystals hanging from the lights, looking like raindrops frozen in time. I can't help but gaze around at the setting. Warm lighting filling the room.
White wall trim wraps around the room with gold outlines. The lines shimmering from the crystal lights. The walls, white with swirling patterns. Looking as though it's in a museum of old important artifacts.
People are spread around, women with similar dresses to me, men with the same black suits as Alister. Everyone here is at a stop by tables filled with mixes of bread, crackers, and drinks. Luxury's I would have never gotten to eat so freely at home. Do they just get all that for free?
A settle music plays from the corner where an orchestra sits. The music flies through the air. Its nothing like I've heard before. Its beautiful.
The ballroom is bigger than the old abandoned school house Green Harbor would meet in. Add the school house together at least five times.
Al squeezes my hand I now notice that he's been staring at me this entire time.
"Let's go by Alegra. She is with Lucetta and Narissa." He motioned me towards Alegra who looks like a goddess. A black ball gown, filled with glitter, surrounds her. The skirt making a full circle around her. Forrest green accents line the corset and the bottom of the skirt.
"Hi Vanessa," Alegra smiles, waving to me. She looks happier than I have seen her yet.
"I know Alegra seems different right now. Just wait until you see her when coinciding starts. This is her place, she pretty much owns the ballroom." Al whispers, coming up by my side.
Lucetta stand quietly next to Alegra. A flowing green ball gown wrapped around her body. Dark green surrounds the dress with a floral pattern. Making it look like she would perfectly blend into a green scenery. Her ginger hair was now tied up into a perfect bun. One that reminded me of the ballerinas I would see on TV. The few times that our TV at home would actually work. She had gold necklaces and rings that stood out against the green. Looking like glowing stars. The color of her dress was the same color as her eyes.
"If your hungry or thirsty food and drinks are at all these tables," Alegra says, pointing her glass of ivory, sparkling drink at me.
"Alegra, your seventeen. You shouldn't be drinking champagne." Al glares at ten drink in her hand, grabbing one off of a butlers tray that has stacks of the same tray.
"Uh huh, as you grab some yourself. Your supposed to be twenty-one. Your only eighteen." She sneers.
"At least I'm an adult."
"Whatever."
I now notice that Narissa, the healer girl from dinner who fixed my arm, was off to the side of Lucetta. She was wearing a peach colored ball gown that stood out against her tanned skin. The color of her dress matched her hair perfectly. The silver sparkles in her dress matching her silver earrings and necklaces.
"Uh, Alegra, Lucetta, Narissa, you guys look nice." I mutter, too scared to talk to anyone just yet. How am I even sure I can trust these people?
"Speak up, Hun." Narissa waits for me to speak.
"You and Alegra look amazing." I say louder, trying to put more confidence in my voice.
"Thank you doll, you to." Narissa laughs, pulling down my sleeves so they sits correctly. The sleeves that were on my shoulders are now off the shoulder. The lace itching at my arm.
"You look stunning, except for the fact that they gave you the basic floral dress." Alegra looks my dress up and down and then matches Narissa's cheery mood.
"Where is Eva? Usually your with her." Al elbows Alegra causing a glare in return.
"Doing her princess duties." Alegra groans.
"You would only assume. She is going to have to takeover the kingdom eventually." Al suddenly stops and looks down the isle between the tables.
Evaleigh comes strolling down, her hair braided up into a bun. However it's not like a bun I've ever seen before. She has a very light blue colored ball gown. The skirt looks as though real waterfalls are coming out of the corset and trickling down. Wait, is that real water? The corset has an arrange of glittering jewels and glitter. She has similar of the shoulder sleeves as me. Her blue eyes glow matching the colors of her outfit. To make her look even better she has necklaces, rings, earrings, and a sparkling tiara in top of her head.
Everyone near to see that she is here bows down. I follow along doing my best bow.
Evaleigh finds her way to us and she bows down back at our small group. Everyone slowly find their way back upwards.
"Sorry I'm late." Evaleigh puts her hand behind her neck and blushes.
"No need to be embarrassed of being late when you show up looking like that," Alegra beams, staring at Evaleigh. "Your stunning."
"Thank you, your gorgeous as always. Just wait until you get dancing. Then you'll look mystical." Evaleigh smirks, elbowing Alegra in the same spot Al did.
"If one more person elbows me in the rib cage-"
"Bonjour," the guy Kilo grins, coming from the same direction as Evaleigh. He has the same suit on only instead of the orange rose in his pocket its a red rose.
"Hello Kilo," Evaleigh seems to light up, getting way happier than she already was. He is defiantly her boyfriend. "Oh by the way, Kilo, Lucetta, my mom wants us to meet here after the ball. In this room. The ball ends at 10:00 and she wants us her by 10:30 ish. Oh she wants Vanessa there to." Evaleigh glances at me then looks at the other two. She wants me?
"If I'd have to guess it's just so new girl can get to know her team." Kilo growls, rolling his eyes at me. I return the favor.
"Be nice Fire Baby." Evaleigh glares at him out of the corner eye and his demeanor immediately changes. Fire Baby? They have to be dating.
"I said stop calling me that." Kilo went from being rude to trying to stand up for himself.
"Then stop acting like a grumpy baby that just got set on fire." She groans like this is a normal occurrence.
"I'm sorry but are you guys dating?" I ask, I'm trying not to talk but now I need to know.
"Oh hell no." Kilo looks stunned, questioning why I would ask such a stupid question.
"We have been best friends for years but we don't see each other like that in any way." Evaleigh reassures.
Then the orchestra enhances, making their music more ball room type music. It must be time to dance because people start finding partners and dancing in the open space.
All the couples dancing together scoot to the sides of the room leaving a massive circle in the middle for someone to dance. They all keep dancing but some of the people who aren't dancing huddle around the circle.
A guy with slicked back black hair makes his way to the middle of the circle and leans down with his hand out. Alegra makes her way to the middle of the circle and the guy takes her hand. The music intensifies, causing everyone to stop in their tracks and watch the middle circle.
The guy wraps his hands around Alegra's waist and hers on his shoulders. They start to dance following each others steps perfectly. Their feet moving in ways I know mine never could. They look as though they are one person merged together, so in sync it looks fake. Her skirt moves around as she twirls around the guy and then right before the song ends shes thrown into the air into a lift.
"She's good isn't she?" Al stares at his sister in awe.
"Amazing." Is all I manage to get out, replaying the performance in my head. "Who is the guy she was dancing with?" Is the next thing I get out.
"Her dancing partner. They have been dancing together for as long as she can remember. Want to dance Principessa?" Al holds out his hand the same way Alegra's dancing partner did. Part of me wants to take his hand and just have fun, the other part of me wants to decline his offer and hide in the corner.
"I don't know."
"Just try."
I take his hand and he pulls me out to where the others are dancing. Blood rushes to my cheeks, blushing as we start to dance around the ballroom. I try my best to follow his steps just as he taught me. My face goes hot and it feels like its just me and him in the room. I feel so safe with his touch I could stay like this forever. I don't care how much of a fool I am for dancing how I am. Having no idea what I'm doing.
"See your doing perfect Principessa." He whispers, bring his lips to my ear.
The song slowly dies out and I know that we are done.
"Want to go get something to eat or drink?"
"Yeah sure," I say, following him back to the tables.
"Want some punch?" A butler asks me, coming out of the shadows of the wall. I jump, where did he come from?
"Uh sure, yes please." I take a glass of the red liquid. The liquid swishes around in the glass before I take a sip.
The taste bites at my tongue, a burning sensation as the liquid fizzes in my mouth. It tastes good but somethings off.
"Nessa..." Al pauses. "That has alcohol."
"What? That explains a lot," I mutter. Wow. I can't believe I accidentally drank alcohol
I now am realizing how big of a sip I took. The once filled glass now is about half way full.
"Feeling any different?" Al asks, putting one of his hands on my shoulder.
"No, I'm thirsty though. Do they have anything that I can actually have?" I set the glass on a table near me.
"You can have that if you want. It is your first time having alcohol I wouldn't waste it." He chuckles, pointing at the drink.
"I guess..." I grab the glass once more and take another sip. The fizzing of the drink burns my tongue. It's like nothing I've had before. "What time is it?" I say through a burning mouth.
"9:30p.m."
"O-Okay," I know I stuttered, but why? Why is this weird feeling going through my body?
"Okay Principessa maybe slow down on the alcohol. You finished that in two sips."
"I feel very...dizzy."
"Probably. If you wouldn't have drank it so fast you wouldn't be dizzy." Al pulls me into his chest. "We should probably head out anyway, you need to get ready to meet your team." He pulls away and motions for me to follow him.
I follow him out of the ballroom, everything feeling like  an out of body experience. He walks down the corridor as I try my best to follow his steps.
Eventually we make it to the next floor and at the door to my room. Al pulls out a key ring filled with different keys and uses one key to unlock my door. He has a key to my room?
He follows me inside as I immediately run into the bathroom and strip off the corset which was starting to make me feel lightheaded. I make sure to carefully take off every layer of the skirt and hang it how it was. I find the nearest bit of clothes I can and throws those on before leaning over the toilet and throwing up whatever was left in my stomach.
It feels like weight was lifted off my shoulders. The world is no longer spinning as much and I don't feel sick.
I exit the bathroom and find myself in the walk in closet looking for a cleaner pair of clothes than the small robe I found in the bathroom.
"Are you okay, Principessa?" Al wanders into the closer meeting me at the spinning clothes rack.
"Yeah fine now. What do I need to wear?" I say, rummaging through the clothes, still feeling slightly dizzy.
"Maybe just some training clothes in case she wants you to practice something." He suggests so that's what I pick.
He finds his way out of the room so I can get changed.

❈❈❈

Before I know it it's 10:25 and Al is here to walk me down to the ball room once more.
I meet Al outside and we start to make our way to the ballroom.
"Are you feel better?" He asks, breaking the awkward silence. He must be worried that I'd be acting stupid in front of he queen.
"Yes, I'll be fine. Are we 100% sure about this being just so I can meet my team?"
"Well no. You can never be that sure on something. If I had to guess its that. If not she might eb giving you guys a practice quest in case you ever need to go on a big quest." He answers as honestly as he can.
"Whats a big quest? What qualities would that have?"
"Well, a big quest you would put together a team that will help your main team. You will most likely travel all around (I don't know what to name this world yet) to figure out what you need to do. People on your team will mist likely die to beat the quest." We sit in silence as horror rips through my body. I might have to do one of those? "But! You most likely won't ever get put on a quest." He adds on, reassuring me.
"Oh, okay." Is all I can think to say.
The silence stays until we are almost there.
"What would a practice quest be like?" My mind wanders, it can't be anything like a real quest can it?
"Aphphira would probably just send you to Green harbor or Persian Orange for a week and have you disguise yourselves. I have been on one, only it was a real quest and that was getting you. It's not that bad." He answers my question with a perfect answer.
We make our way to the ball room and open the door to Aphphira standing in the middle waiting for me to join her. Evaleigh sits next to her mother, Kilo and Lucetta on her side.
"Bye Principessa," Al says as he starts walking backwards towards the door.
"Wait, Al stay." Aphphira booms towards him. "We might need you later."
"Uh, yes of course." Al leans against the wall.
"Hello Vanessa, now that everyone is here I want you all to know each other and your powers.
"We already know powers except for Vanessa's." Evaleigh looks at her mom, waiting for a different response.
"I have found mine. I can put people in a Nightmare, maybe a dream to, I'm not sure." I try my best to speak up.
"Great." Kilo huffs. He doesn't seem to like me but that's okay because I don't like him too much either. He seems like he would only ever care about himself. Like he would betray you in seconds.
"Okay, now I need you guys to listen and know this old story and why I need you to do what I'm going to say." Aphphira shivers, like she regrets saying what shes going to say before it came out of her mouth.
"Yes mom. Just say it already." Evaleigh snaps.
"Okay, so long ago before I had you, me and your dad had another kid." Aphphira gets cut off by Evaleigh.
"I have a sibling?" Evaleigh yells, she never knew about this until now. "Why are you just now telling me?" She cries.
"Eva, just listen. His name was Damion Everglow, he was the original new heir of the crown. One day he went missing, kidnapped by the Whisps. His ability was extremely powerful and he could control people as though they were puppets." Aphphira sounds sad, like she feels like shes been hiding so much for so long.
"Wait, sorry Whisps?" I question, what are those?
"Those are the evil powerful beings that are our rival kingdom. They have the ability to enter peoples minds, control them and so much more. They are evil." Evaleigh fills in, still somewhat yelling out of anger.
"Okay, thank you." I mutter, the awkward silence suffocating me.
"Continuing, we need to find him, bring him back home. The Whisps have too much power with him being held captive there. He has been there too long and who knows how much damage has already been done. I need a team that I can trust to go on this quest." Aphphira mumbles the last part.
"So your sending your daughter into our enemies territory to find her brother she never knew about? Putting your daughter in danger just so you can get a better heir to the crown?" Evaleigh cries, I feel how much this is breaking her.
"Eva don't be this way-"
"Go to hell mom!" Evaleigh screams, running out of the ballroom. Footsteps echoing around the open space.
"I-I-" Aphphira stops. She takes a break to think and then continues, "I need you guys to pick who you want to join you. You can pick three people. Alister, mind manipulation. Alegra, invisibility. Reina, weather manipulation. Narissa, healing. And Fraise, telekinesis."
"Not Fraise. She is only thirteen. I'm not putting her through that." Kilo barks.
"Alegra might be helpful," Lucetta mumbles. I can see Al flinch in the corner of my eye.
"Reina's powers aren't very good but she wanted to be an option so I let her." Aphphira tells us.
"So not her." Kilo states. "Also, Narissa's power would be extremely useful."
"Anyone you for sure want on your team?" Aphphira says sternly.
"Alister." I blurt before my mind can stop it.