From Grief to Colour| ✓

XVIII- CrystalCloud Ball (Deception) pt 2

    Just like I would with Delaney. The trick is to nick parts of the stem horizontally so the lilies can slide in place, and use strips of banana leaves to tie them together. By now though I can use magic to stitch them together.

    "Are you and your sister close?"

    "Yes, like any other sibling would be with theirs. Always protective, wanting to see the best for their own blood." She looks at me in the eyes. I see a young face, but her eyes screaming age and wisdom...and a dark hold of something incredibly twisted.

     I hum back to her, "Yes, yes we would."

    I look away to face the moon. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see her smiling happily, though I'm unsure of her intention to. To her, I hope it looks like I'm devastated, reminded by my twin, but instead I'm hoping I'm actually buying time for myself to think.

    What does she want with me? Why pry open cured wounds?

     Then it hit me. Her descriptions are identical to my childhood. She wants something.

    I ready my right hand, hidden from her view and concealed in the swirls of my dress, and I curl my hand to produce a magical fireball-one that grows as soon as I turn around to face her.

    "What do you want?" I ask carefully, turning my head over my shoulder to look at her.
    "Excuse me?" She asks.

    I sigh, "I said, what do you want?" I spin around to direct the fireball at her- which seems to caught her by surprise to my delight- but she easily recovers and catches it in her palm, the golden fire turning into a sickly purple. She laughs an equally sinister laugh as she watches my face crumble at the sight of her magic, her fingers stroking the fire.

    "How? How do you have magic?" I speak through my teeth. No-one in this realm uses magic, unless they are fae, born with magic or cursed by it. Some can be lucky to be able to teach themselves to do magic but it requires the immense strength and belief of light or dark, and it's rare to see them happen anymore.

    She laughs again, "Why, I was born with it, like you." She blew out the fire like to was nothing.

    My confusion gives her even more the reason to laugh at my demise. "What? Are you scared, Your Majesty? Honestly, I never understood why you never display them at your events. You would be a ruler that draws attention. But then again, your people doesn't often see magic around in these parts, though the mystery and mystical nature of Avalem and it's natural vicinity draws travelers far and wide. Your people trust you enough." She states, striding back and forth.

    "Why are you doing this?" I ask, preparing myself to lunge at her, silently magicking the windows to hide any onlookers from inside the ballroom to see us out here.

    "To see if you truly have what it takes to be queen. After all, be careful with who you trust or your walls shall go down."

I freeze. No one- not even Trevor- knows the exact words inside those letters the Omissionary sent me, and something tells me she didn't say those words exactly.

    "Dahlia, 'Dahlia' isn't your true name is it?" I circle around her, and she picks up the move too.

    "Of course it isn't. I knew you would know that. Your sister have taught you well."

    "Do you know her?"

She pauses before answering, "Of course I did: after all  I was the one to kill her."

    No, no no no.

    "No..."

    "Yes. I did."

    Fury raged inside me as I produce a fireball larger than my last and I lunge at her with my hand ready to slam it down on her head, who grabs my wrist and mutters an incantation to snuff it out.

    My jaw must have dropped as I stand bewildered by her show of magic, she who notices my reaction gives out a quick cackle, "How?"

    "Why, Deidra, you should know by now I'm not someone to be reckoned with."

    I grit my teeth as I steel myself with my answer although something seems familiar with the way she said my name, "How dare you address me by name, as if  you were my familiar. Don't you know respect?"

    "Like what you're doing to me now? I bet you didn't care if your General Trevor call you by name. He does it often does he?"

Now my mind is screeching in frustration, "How do you know his name?"

    She laughs at a mocking tone, "My dear, I know everything."

    I try to release myself from her grip but it's too strong as realization dawns on me, "No."

    She grins a Cheshire smile, confirming my fears, "Yes."

    I shake my head, now even more eager to get away from this maniac, "That moniker of yours. You're the-"

    "-Omissionary. Yes, that's right. I'm the Omissionary."