[Legacy of a Martyr #2] Liberation from the Masquerades (A Key Keepers novel)

Episode 61

Eni hadn't done much worse than when he threw up in my room yesterday, so that was a win for us. Hopefully, he'd get better soon. It was hard to see him like that. He was at his worst when he initially got sick, but it was still hard.

Anyway, I was in the kitchen right now since Recah convinced me to not eat breakfast in my room. I just had a bit of cereal since I didn't really feel like eating.

"I have something for you." Recah put my bowl in the sink when I was done and put a gift-wrapped box in its place.

I decided to open it because my curiosity got the better of me.

It was a book by Maralin Reine. That was the author of my favorite mystery. She was an Engrad author. How did Recah manage to get her hands on this? I was sure she didn't have it with her when we left.

I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. This copy looked to be signed by the author herself. Just how did Recah manage to get her hands on it? Noelle was here with us...

Recah put her arms around me. "I thought you might like this. You were saying before your brother got sick that you wanted to get a new book. Since you liked her first one so much, I know you'll enjoy this one."

That wasn't even on my mind. Still, Recah knew what I liked. She really was a great girlfriend...

I took the book into my room. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to concentrate on it. I'd thoroughly enjoy it when I could, though.

Noelle was using her healing powers on Eni when I came in.

"Has anything changed?" I asked.

"As far as I can tell, he's mostly over the sickness that he had." Noelle sighed. "He might still be a bit slow and all, but the bigger concern is his powers. They haven't settled yet, so he hasn't had a chance to grow into them yet."

His powers hadn't settled yet? Was there anything we could do about it?

"What do you mean when you say that his powers haven't settled yet?" T asked.

"His fire powers had to have grown for him to be able to create blue flames." I probably looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I was getting terrible headaches after I evolved a couple years ago, because I needed time to get used to my newfound powers."

T tilted her head. "Why were you getting headaches?"

"I can sense people and objects around me through the ripples in the ground. They grew in intensity after I evolved. They grew so much that they were overwhelming me by little changes in environment or if I was in a busy enough place."

"Something similar seems to be happening to your brother. It just caused a temperature spike with a fever adding to it instead of a headache."

If he wasn't sick anymore, would it help him if I took some of those flames more than it had been?

T looked at me. "Does that happen to you?"

"Not a lot," Noelle replied. "When he evolves, his temperature drops. If it spikes, it's because he's adjusting to the flames he took in."

"Why didn't that happen to Phoenix then?" my sister asked.

Noelle shrugged. "That can vary from person to person. KKs also don't have to contend with natural germs."

"I guess that's true..."

Eni slowly opened his eyes. He looked like he was a bit groggy, but that didn't worry me, because that could happen even if he hadn't been battling a cold.

"Breakfast?"

The girls perked up.

"Is there anything special you want?" T asked.

"Just that it's soft."

I ran my fingers through his hair. "Is there a specific reason you want that?"

"Everything hurts."

"A lot or a little?" Noelle asked.

"I dunno..."

I said, "If there's a place that's bugging you more than anywhere else, we could try putting ice on it."

He slid down, so more of him was beneath the blanket. "I don't want that."

"Okay." I smiled at my baby brother. "I just thought I'd ask."

***

Sometime in the afternoon, T and Noelle needed to go outside to get some air, so I was in the room keeping watch over Eni.

I'd had this urge to try to do something to help him, but I knew better than to do it when they were watching. Noelle in particular, wasn't going to be happy about what I was about to do.

She warned against it, but I didn't care. It was more important to help my little brother.

I put my hand on Eni's cheek. His condition had improved dramatically since I carried him into my room a few days ago, but he was still pale. It was easier to see on him since he had more color to him than me or T.

"Everything will be alright soon, Eni." I could barely hear myself speak. "I promise."

I had taken a piece of his flames. Unlike the ember I took, these flames were blue. Truth be told that first ember was about as hot as the flames I could produce at this point.

My first true taste of blue flames was exhilarating. When I took it in, it gave me a static shock. That might not sound fun, but it was more surprising than anything else. It just made the idea of creating blue flames more tantalizing.

Still, of course, my body wasn't used to them.

I had to go outside after the girls came back in. As much as I really wanted to, I couldn't hold onto those flames for very long.

Not surprisingly, though, they followed me outside because Noelle saw right through me.

"What is the matter with you?" Noelle was really punctuating her words. "I told you that was dangerous! It could trigger an evolution, and given everything that's just happened, I don't know how anyone would cope. Knowing how you sleep; you would be worse prepared than you were two years ago."

I looked at the sun. "I doubt it will happen tomorrow. The bulk of my evolutions took place in the winter months."

"My point still stands." Noelle put her hands on her hips. "It could come early. Working KKs evolve once before their final battle comes."

***

Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?

~Shino out!