Once Upon A Miracle

Chapter 15: Deals with the Devil

Sherry was the first to snap out of the shock. She grabbed Miracle's hand and jostled him towards a rickety staircase that seemed to go down in an endless spiral, while the whispers of the figures faintly followed behind them.

"There's no one here, Maya," a voice said. "Why would anyone be here?"

"It can't be! I knew I heard two voices!" the woman, Maya, answered back and then proceeded to say something else in a different language.

"Who are these people?" Sherry asked, when they were at the bottom of the staircase and were far enough to not be heard. But, strangely enough, she almost sounded relieved by the intrusion.

The duo found themselves at the edge of a long, wide room – half of it almost submerged with the sea water seeping in through holes and leaks. There were some remnants of tables and splintered chair across the width of the room. It might have been a mess hall, at some point of time.

"I don't know. But I think I caught sight of some uniform. I think..." Miracle trailed off, thoughtfully. "Oh! Why didn't it occur to me before? They might be the Maritime forces. They must have come looking for this ship when it popped up in their radars after we broke the sphere. Also, this room is drowning. We need to look for another escape route and go find Warren and Blue."

"If they are the authorities, then we need to get out of here!" snapped Sherry.

"Don't you think I know that?" barked back Miracle, annoyed with her attitude. "Besides, we aren't, technically, in any danger. Those people can't see us anyway. If we keep quiet enough, it would be like we aren't even here. It's Blue who needs to be careful. Which is why, if you'll kindly get out of my way, I'll go find her and take her back home--"

As Miracle moved to go back upstairs, Sherry appeared in front of him, blocking his way.

"Actually," she said nervously, crossing her arms, "that won't be necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"Warren's capable of taking care of Blue. We need to lookout for ourselves. Which is why we need to leave right now--"

Abruptly, that odd feeling of anxiousness reappeared inside of Miracle, as he found himself slowly backing away from Sherry, not even caring as his feet plunged into the submerged floor, the water soaking through his shoes and into his jeans.

"Sherry," he warned. "What are you doing? Get out of my way."

"I can't!" she cried, her voice a desperate plea. "He won't hurt Blue! But can you say the same for my sister? No! I need my sister, Miracle--"

Miracle's mind was spinning with confusion and the singe of betrayal. "What are you talking about?! Who won't hurt Blue--?"

He stopped mid-sentence as he looked at Sherry, incredulous. "Y-You," he stuttered in shock, realisation dawning in him. "You knew who has been doing the kidnappings? All this time, you knew, didn't you? Didn't you?"

"No, not all this time." Sherry swallowed, the guilt emanating from her in waves. "But Warren...figured it out when we were in India."

Miracle took a deep breath, telling himself to remain calm and not to scream in frustration. And Blue! He had let Blue go with that traitor Warren! And to think that mere minutes ago, he was hoping to mend his broken friendship with Wrath and forge some semblance of trust. Foolish.

"W-Who is it?" Miracle asked, trying to keep Sherry's attention while he subtly looked around for anything that he might use as leverage. Damn it, he even left behind his trusted poker!

Sherry snorted. "You don't really think I'll tell you that, do you? That would completely defeat the purpose of our deal."

"Deal?" Miracle echoed. "What deal?"

Sherry avoided his eyes, fidgeting with her fingers. "Blue, in exchange for my sister."

Miracle stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide and his limbs numb with the shock. Or maybe it was the cold water.

"And I can't have you ruining it all for me," she added, her voice laced with regret.

"Don't do this, Sherry," Miracle said, his voice betraying his alarm.

"I don't want to do this, Miracle!" Sherry cried back. "But I have to."

"Where is she?" Miracle asked, afraid his panic would completely consume him any minute now. "Where is Blue?"

"Warren has her," Sherry said. At least, she had the grace to look regretful.

"That's why you separated us, didn't you?" Miracle suddenly asked. A sick feeling twisted his chest when she nodded, shrugging helplessly.

"There was no other way, Miracle," Sherry said, her voice meek. "I'm sorry."

But Miracle could no longer hear her. He was done being hapless. Rage twisted his boyish features, a visceral anger suddenly coursing through him. All he could see was red when he lunged at Sherry.

But Sherry was anticipating his reaction. She was prepared. And much as it broke her heart to do it, she didn't hesitate to raise her palms and direct her concentration at the mucky water flooding the room. A headache already started to pound across her temples as the water rose in a terrifying swirl around Miracle, who could only gawk as it surrounded him, trapped him.

A part of her knew she shouldn't be able to do this. It was unnatural, a perversion of her powers and a blatant disregard to its limitations. She was only Bad Luck. She wasn't supposed to be able to do this. But Wrath had taught her a few tricks of his own. Although, sooner or later, she would have to pay the consequences. But, right now, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Tears pricking her eyes, she shoved her palms forward. Miracle gasped as the tornado of water poured over him in heavy rain and sucked into his skin through his pores and any entrance it could find. Sherry turned her eyes away from his thrashing and writhing form, unable to watch, as the water flooded his body. It would feel a little like drowning, she knew. The water would cut-off his breathing, make his lungs scream and his muscles burn. Until he fainted.

For her sister, Sherry told herself as, finally, Miracle stopped fighting, his form limp on the ground, his mind faraway in the dark realm of unconsciousness.