Indomitable

s.e.v.e.n.t.e.e.n

Desperate to get out of the crowded streets and into the quiet atmosphere of the nearby tea and spice shop, Remi scurried over. A splinter from the old, rickety wooden door of the ship pricked her thumb. After quickly pulling it out, Remi pressed a handkerchief against it to stop the minor bleeding.

At first glance she'd thought the door was painted brown, but now that she looked closely, she saw flecks of pale green and realized most of the paint had simply peeled off the door over the years. The shop must be many years old.

Remi pulled open the creaky door, only to jump in surprise at the bells that chimed ever so cheerfully above her head, letting whoever was working know that someone had come in. She scowled at how merry they sounded.

Near the windows were six or seven tables with chairs, accented by warm, chocolate brown walls and home-made decorations that gave a person warm, fuzzy feelings inside. Remi picked one in the far corner, and screeched the wobbly chair back so that she could sit down. There was only one other person in the building—a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties, dressed in homely attire and crossing her legs comfortably as she reads from the book in her hand and sips her tea.

Remi glances around to try and distract herself from the worry and panic raging in her mind, echoing dismal thoughts.

On the far side was a long, wooden counter, its gloss long since faded into a dull sheen. On the wall behind the counter were many shelves, stacked from the floor to the ceiling, and filled with a variety of teas and spices, as well as a row of pretty, empty glasses.

A plump, old lady waddled in from the back, fiddling with a broken china glass. She frowned deeply and set it down, as if deciding to take a break from it for a while.

When she turned to reposition some of the glasses on the shelf, she finally noticed Remi. Her eyes widened comically, and she thumped on over to her table.

"Sorry miss, didn't see you there!" she grinned genuinely. "The name's Martha. What can I get you today?"

"What would you recommend?" Remi asked, meeting her eyes with a small smile. She couldn't muster up a full smile with Bliss on her mind.

Remi had never drank tea before, and wasn't sure what kind of flavour she'd like. Or if she'd even like tea at all. She'd always wanted to try, though.

Martha hummed in thought. "Hmm. Well, for you, I'd recommend the calming chamomile tea with honey. You look a bit stressed, sweetie."

"I am," Remi replied with a slight frown. "And I'll try that, thank you."

The old waitress winked at her. "Alrighty then, I'll be back in a jiff."

As soon as Martha left, thoughts of Remi's missing cousin came rushing back.

Was she all alone, lost in this crowded marketplace full of corrupt people who were eyeing her up like a prize? Or had someone already grabbed her so that they could use her abilities for their own personal gain?

Thinking of the methods most people would use to force her to cooperate made Remi's scowl twist further down.

She hoped with all her heart that either Killure or Blue had already managed to find Bliss.

But wouldn't they be back already if they had?

Martha came back with a steaming mug in hand and set it before her. Remi blew on the swirling liquid and then brought it to her mouth to taste.

As Remi sat sipping on tea, her cousin was out there all alone. Bliss was probably scared and lost.

Simply sitting around was doing nothing to help find her cousin. If the roles were reversed, Bliss would definitely be out there trying to find her.