Rose

Ch.13

     Show Your Hand

When I finished he pulled my chair out for me and held his elbow out for me to support myself on. I smile at his consideration. I stand up and he leads me slowly out of my room and down the hall.

"Where are we going this time, your highness?" I smirk to myself at the title usage and look down to hide it from his gaze. He scoffs playfully but ignores the title.

"We are heading to a place I typically go alone to use my magic." He states as he guides me through the almost midnight lit hallway. Squinting, I try to gaze at my surrounding but give up with a huff.

"How can you see?" I inquire exasperatedly. There's no way I could ever hope to get around this castle with this curse of low light. It was an impossible ask.

"My eyes have changed and adjusted from the curse. Most of us in Noxspire have heightened vision such as this." He explained with a sparing glance towards me, his emerald eyes seemed to glow in the darkness and I was mesmerized. He suddenly stopped us and turned to me.

"I apologize, but, can I carry you to the location? It will be much faster I assure you." He admitted with his head bowing in politeness. I nod and I make no sound of protest.

"Of course. I am sorry for slowing you down, Percival." I agreed and released his arm from my hold. He nods as He steps towards me and hoists me in a bridal carry.

I look around and we are standing outside on a large balcony over looking miles and miles of rolling hills. I gasp and stumble forward to lean against the railing. He snickers at me and steps up to my side.

"It's beautiful!" I gasp breathily and turn to him with the hugest smile on my face. He stares blankly at me and nods.

"It was." He states before leaving my side. I felt my excitement drop slightly and turn to look at him, I readied to change the subject. Way to kill a mood.

"So? Magic?" I remark as I lean my back against the railing. I turns from the center of the platform.

"Of course." He starts, "Magic makes up our society, even yours has been influenced by it. This realm used to thrive on it, now I don't believe a babe has been born in a couple centuries." He finishes with a grimace as he raises his hand, with a snap i see a wave of silver flow from his body, his veins glowing slightly, and the wave flying over the landscape. I furrow my brow and turn back to him.

"And what did that do?" I ask him curiously and he only smirks before stepping towards me.

"I stopped time." He boasted, my eyes widen and I let out a chuckle.

    "You must be joking," I laugh and turn around only to quiet myself when I see crows in the air not moving. I slowly turn back to him and cautiously glance him over. He wore a proud smirk and his mask was barely hiding the mischievous glimmer in his eyes. He stood relaxed with his hands in his pockets.

   "I most certainly am joking, of course." He remarks and steps forward, "I'm obviously known for not taking things seriously." He sarcastically joked.

   "What else can you do? How does this even work?" I inquire stepping forward a smidge, I was so curious to know more to learn from him. He was kind to oblige me this much knowledge.

   "Most people here descend down a lineage, each branch of this has a form of magic they weld. The De Silva's have welded time magic since the first century. Others can have Fire, earth, water, emotion, illusion, etc." he explains as he clasps his hands behind his back and paces to the railing by me. "There's more deviations from each of those I've told you, mine for instance is all of time, I was cursed to pause, reverse, and forward time. Everyone says it's a blessing but it's truly not." He finishes his thought before turning to me. His dark green eyes gazing into my slate eyes wildly.

    "That's incredible. So everyone can have this amazing abilities? That's incredible! It makes everyone here so special and unique." I exclaim smiling. "I wish it was the same for my realm, there everyone has to play the social game. I was never to good at it, my Mama was always explaining that I was special and that I could do incredible things with my creative brain. But, she was just reassuring me so I didn't become sad. She was truly a wonderful person." I say reminiscing on my mother with a faraway look and a soft smile.

    "Your world gives people here who have been ridiculed, a chance to escape. There they're not chopped up to ability." He tells me softly in hopes of getting me to appreciate my realm.

    "I don't think I could ever see it that way. My realm is truly not a safe place. At least, for me anyways." I explain while leaning against his side. He was looking at me I could tell from my peripheral.

    "You'll be safe here." He pronounced quietly as he grabs hold of my arm to escort me back inside.

Before we entered the grand glass doors he snaps again and a green wave flows around us and I gasp at the glow. I give him a big a smile at the fluttery feeling his magic leaves around us, "I promise you that, Angeletta." He reveals.