Enchantress (Rewritten)

Three Peas in a Pod

When I finally made my way downstairs, I found Chase sitting on the stool besides the kitchen countertop like usual. It was the person who was sitting besides him that I was surprised to see.

"What is he doing here?" I asked Chase, looking at Xavier with my hands stuck onto my hips. 

"I was wondering the exact same thing..." Chase muttered. I noticed how his fists were curled and his bottom lip quivered. 

"I'd like to get a chance to properly introduce myself to you. If you still want me to leave afterwards, I will respect your wishes." Xavier pleaded his case. "Can I get a second chance?" 

I blew out air of my nose in frustration and answered, "You have about thirty seconds to change my mind."

"I'm Xavier." He smiled, showing of the two dimples on either side of his cheeks. "I'm a Protector, like Chase is for you. My Enchantress was killed by the Lawless a year ago, and ever since then I've been working for the Elders and helping them train new Protectors. I guess you could say I'm sort of like a guidance counselor." He chuckled, ruffing his fingers through Chase's hair like a nagging older brother. 

Chase shoved him off of him and stood up. "Valerie already has me to protect her. She doesn't need--"

"What she needs is someone to teach her how to use her powers, not someone who allows her to get drunk at parties." Xavier cut him off. 

"But the Elders--" 

"The Elders want what is best for Valerie." Xavier cut in again before Chase could finish his sentence. 

"What about what I want?" I interrupted, and they both fell silent. "Don't I get any say in this?"

"Well, what do you want Valerie? Do you want me as a Protector? Or Chase?" Xavier asked. The two of them stood before me, silently waiting for an answer. 

I didn't know what I wanted. All I knew was that I had a lot of questions that were still yet to be answered, and I still hadn't the slightest idea of what I was still capable of. What I really needed was my parents, but I knew that was never going to happen. "I want to be able to defend myself. I don't want to have to rely on either of you to protect me. Okay?" I begged and they both nodded. "Okay." I sighed slowly. "Then let's do this."

****

"You're scrunching your face too much." Chase told me, holding my hands in his. We were standing in an open grassy field nearby a park in the middle of my neighborhood. We were far enough from the children playing around on the swings, that if any of their parents were to look over at us, they'd just think we were a bunch of teens messing around. 

"What kind of face am I supposed to be making?" I rolled my eyes at him. Xavier was lying in the grass, his face pointed towards the hot sun, trying not to laugh as I tried--for what seemed like the hundredth time--to move a rock with my mind. "How do you know that I can even do this?" I threw my hands up into the air in desperation. 

"Again." Chase urged me, squeezing me by the shoulders.

I exhaled deeply, narrowed my eyes, and lifted up my palms in the direction of the rock. That stupid, ugly rock. I hated that rock. I had been staring at that rock for an hour now, and it hadn't moved an inch. My hatred for the rock interfered with my ability to focus on the task at hand. I squeezed my hands into fist, digging my nails into my skin. "She's turning purple!" Xavier laughed, and I relaxed my muscles, giving up.

"Maybe I'm one of the Enchantresses that can manipulate water." I suggested, placing my hands firmly on my hips.

Chase shook his head. "There's no way you would've been able to toss one of the Lawless across a parking garage if you were an Enchantress of water." 

"Then why isn't this working?" 

"You're trying too hard." Xavier said plainly.

I raised my eyebrows. "Would you prefer it if I didn't try?" 

"You're doing it all wrong."

"Just try again." Chase told me.

Xavier stood up and brushed the pellets of grass off his jeans. "Fine, don't listen to me." He shrugged. "Good luck fighting the Lawless if you can't even move a rock." 

"Come on." Chase turned me back around.

"Wait." I called after Xavier. "Show me what you would do differently."

A smirk played across his face and he walked towards me. "Step aside." He told Chase. 

Xavier placed his hand over my scar--which I had forgotten to coverup with makeup this morning. Then, he guided my own hand underneath his shirt. "What are you doing?" Chase objected. 

Xavier shushed him, and placed my hand over his scar which was just above his hip bone, exactly like Chase's. "Do you feel that?" Xavier whispered, his eyes staring directly into mine. I could feel a pulsating energy underneath my fingertips. I could hear Xavier's heart beat echoing in my ears. It was as if the scars bonded us to each other. I felt as if I was experiencing life through his eyes and he was through mine. Suddenly, my scar started to glow, but there wasn't any pain that followed. I could feel my powers radiating through my scar and it filled my body with warmth. "What you're feeling right now is exactly what you should be feeling when you try to use your powers." Xavier told me, his hand still pressed against my scar. "You have extraordinary power within you Valerie. You just have to believe in it." He said, pushing aside a stray hair that blew in front of my face. Xavier pulled away from me, disconnecting us from each other. "Now." He said, readjusting my position. He lifted my hands up so that my palms face outward. "Move the rock."