The Immortal's Gamble

Chapter 21 Updates

"What the heck?" I shouted, startling the pair, one looked guilty the other looked as though I offended her ancestors. 

"What is wrong with this- Oh my gosh." She let go of Arden and walked towards Bri, Soren and me. She stuck a finger in my face and turned back to the brothers. "They're mortals! Alex, how dare you let Arden fraternize with these lowly people." Blondie started and stalked towards Alex. 

"Well?" 

"She's that girl. The one we grew up with." He sighed then came closer to me, "She thinks I belong to her." He whispered. Well hell, of course,  she thinks he belongs to her, he isn't doing anything to discourage that. 

"Enough Penelope." Alex grew louder, coupled with a hard stare which she matched evenly despite the difference in height. 

"Arden, look your brother is being an ass." She pulled back whining and clung onto Arden even more, effectively pulling him away from me. The red haze just doubled and all I wanted to do was pull her hair out. 

"Look here you whining woman. Get your hands off of him, or I will personally pin you to the wall." Bri stood in front of me and snarled at her. All the red haze dissipated, replaced by surprise, I guess training helped her confidence. 

"Okay, enough children." Alastor sighed and stepped in, "I heard what happened, Alex told me that a messenger was sent to Laura, but give me more details." He brushed past her and came to me. "Hello my love, I hope you're better now." He took my hand and gave it a kiss. 

"Come now, let's head to your house," Alastor commanded, and we all followed him through the kitchen door, only to see Arden's living room and not the pots and pans that I was used to seeing. 

"Close your mouth brown eyes, it's a normal occurrence," Arden whispered but when greeted by my blank stare he winced.

We gathered in the meeting room that held everyone, I wanted so much to sit next to Arden and snuggle with him after all that has happened, and seeing Penelope sit next to him was enough to throw me off. I opted to sit in between Bri and Alex instead. 

"Catch me up to date." Alastor started, and thus began the storytelling, until the part where Alex held my hand and disappeared. 

"I held her hand to check for any missing traces, and sure enough it was there. In between cleaning the cafe and having her attack, there was a huge gap, like a distortion. Whoever done this spell was an amateur. Although I was able to sense it, I'm not powerful enough to undo it. So I called you." Alex spoke seriously, but as his eyes averted slightly he let out a huge sigh "but why did you bring her?" He rubbed his temples, and Alastor grimaced in apology, Penelope just lets out a huff of air at what Alex said.

"I'll undo the spell. She's my, ah, understudy for the moment." He offered and Alex rolled his eyes. He then walked over to my seat, facing me he held my hand.

"Laura, I want you to close your eyes and listen to my voice. I need you to go back to the time when you were cleaning the cafe." 

As I closed my eyes, the image easily came to mind. Following Alastor's instructions, I could see myself cleaning, almost like an out of body experience I looked at the clock, 9:55 pm. I was cleaning, then it turned black and lying in front of me was my body convulsing during the attack and my eyes opened just as I took in a lungful of air. 

"Calm down Laura. Breathe. It's okay. Can you continue?" Alastor kept a firm hand on my shoulder, I swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay, I need you to go back there, it'll be okay, I'm here. I want you to go back to 9:55 pm." He instructed again and I slipped back into the scene. 

"Think of 9:58, what was happening?" Alastor's soothing voice continued once I reached 9:55. 

9:58pm

The bell of the cafe sounded, someone entered.. A hooded figure..

I let out a gasp and bolted upright again. 

Everything returned to me. 

"I see.." Alastor hummed, his face turned rigid and I knew that he saw Annalise's face in the scene. 

"What? What do you see? No, Penelope." Arden asked then turned to the woman in question and pried her hands off of him. My inner conscience was doing a happy dance, he was finally doing something. 

"Arden, can you sit next to me?" I patted the seat next to me, much to Alastor's amusement, "Penny stand next to me." Alastor followed my line of thought. I looked at our connecting hands and realized that he was still in tune with my thoughts and I chided him in my thoughts much to his amusement to which he apologised. I watched as the pair separated, one with disdain the other with relief. 

"Thank you," Arden whispered and held my other hand, which Alastor soon smacked off. 

"So, Alex, it was not just any other amateur. It was Annalise. She shouldn't have been able to handle spells in the first place, she has yet to learn anything. Also, Laura seems to have a list of things she wants to talk to you guys about." Alastor mused.

"Mortals can perform spells too if under the right guidance. Soren is able to do it, although it took a huge toll on him. I don't see why Anna can't learn given her advanced age and knowledge. But who taught her and who is she helping?" Alex added his input, which put Alastor into a thoughtful look. They didn't seem as enraged as before when they found out that Anna was doing such things, almost as though they expected her to do so.

"What is going on here? Mortals performing spells? They are just mortals, why are all of you being so protective of them. You all know that it's illegal." Penelope scoffed and strode over to Arden and me, taking his hands off mine. "Alastor, why don't I show you my gift. I think now is the right time." She smirked and lifted a hand and grabbed my chin. 

"Penny, no-" Arden shouted, but I held a hand up to stop him, holding onto her wrist. I stood up to my full height and stared at her. The pink haze shrouded my vision and all I saw was her face. 

"Oh damn." Arden whispered. He could feel the pink haze. 

"You ignorant wimp. You come here and think you own the place. I am not beneath you nor above you. Do you understand?" My voice didn't even sound like my own. It was higher and softer but somehow stronger, and I enjoyed the haze that took over. 

"Wha- Take your hands off." She screamed, her ideals of being an upper class being only fueled my anger. Her screams got louder and louder as smoke permeates the air. 

"She's burning me! Get her off me!" Penelope started screeching even louder, but it only made me tighten my hold, blue flames started to spread across my body with a tingling sensation. I watched as her eyes bulge at the sight of me and her struggling became more frantic. A new feeling started spreading like warmth in my chest; pure enjoyment. 

"Laura, release her," Arden commanded, his manipulation making it's way to me and the pink haze retreated. My grasp loosened and she yanked her hand away, falling to the ground. 

"Who the hell are you?" Penelope demanded, eyes darting around us. Alastor had his thoughtful look again, one that was very becoming of him, while Arden had a strange look.

"Don't you know? She's the halfling that everyone is talking about up there." Alastor quipped, and I took satisfaction in watching her pale.