Forgiveness (Under revision)

Chapter Sixteen

"That isn't very good," I mumbled under my breath. His face softened. Slightly.

"It really isn't, is it?" he whispered, as his eyes trailed off into the distance. They held a look that said he just realized something. And maybe he did? Maybe he realized violence wasn't the best thing. A grin spread along my lips. Maybe he finally realized-

When his eyes came back to normal, he shook his head. Hunter was standing in the corner looking about to cry. I sat there on my bed. Weak. Defeated. This stress was getting to me.

"Can you guys please give me alone?" I asked them. I needed time to think. 

"Yes," is all Hunter said before walking out quickly, rubbing his eyes. Finn took one last look at me before he followed Hunter out of my room.

Once they were gone I collapse on my bed. Living with the Anathema was incredibly hard. Incredibly frustrating. I took a deep breath in. My sheets smelled intoxicatingly like a cleaned hotel room.

I sat up and took a deep breath. I went across the room to the bathroom, and opened a window. Fresh air slipped into the room. I took in a deep breath, this time of fresh air.

I went over to the piano. I am just about to play when a gust of wind blew a piece of paper of the piano bench. I picked up the tiny slip of paper. Another note. Of course. I knew who was giving them to me now. Vanessa was the last one to sit on the bench. She had to be the one giving me the notes.

I turned the paper over. I'd memorized the light weight, textured paper by now. When I turned the note around the words were there again.

Beware of the Curse

Beware who you trust

Beware of your Friends

My friends? Who did she mean? Hunter? Finn? Everest? Brooklyn? Who could it be that she wanted me to beware of? Possibly all of them?

I turned the note over in my hands. I couldn't find the answers to this riddle. I let out a frustrated sigh. I placed the paper into the bedside table and returned to the piano bench. I played random pieces, trying to calm myself, using the music as a remedy to my broken soul. Things had gone to far. I needed answers.

And I still had to remember.

Everest and Liam were both at war. I had to remember my plan. I would somehow escape the Anathema. I would escape. I would join Aurum. I would help save Everest. I hopped off to my bed.

Next thing I knew I'd fallen asleep again.

When I awoke, I felt the slightest bit better. I entered the bathroom, gazing at the slightly opened window. Light shone through. It looked like it was afternoon. How long did I sleep?

I made my way out the door. Finn sat in a chair. He didn't look up. He just sat there staring at his folded hands in his lap.

"Good afternoon," he spoke as I sat beside him.

"How long did I sleep?"

"You slept from yesterday to this afternoon."

"You should've woken me."

"You looked so peaceful in sleep though. I didn't want to wake you. Besides, you needed the sleep. You deserved it," Finn looked at me with a blank expression. I sighed and shook my head. He just sat and continues staring at his hands.

"Don't you have to teach class?" I ask him.

"No. We were under attack while you were asleep so we all have the day off," he explained.  

Oh. An attack.

We sat in silence together, until Brookyn enters from her room.

"Oh you're awake!" Brooklyn looked relieved at she made her way to sit with us.

"Who did the curse come after tonight?" I asked. Brooklyn frowned but still answered.

"You."

Me? But I already had my attack of the month. That didn't seem right. Finn sighed, noticing my confused expression.

"We don't know why but nobody has been getting attacked. Nobody except you. I was supposed to be attacked three days ago. I wasn't though," Finn explained. That made me even more confused. I shouldn't be though. Monarch Vanessa told me I was heavily cursed. Maybe this is what she meant? I hoped not. I didn't like being different.

"Oh," was all I said.

The next few days were the same as usual. I didn't feel weak anymore, although everybody insisted that I stayed in the medic's office for an hour everyday. I was also not allowed to train in physical combat for a few weeks. A few days after I went unconscious I went back to physical combat and Evalyn went extra hard on me, resulting in a sprained ankle.

And I didn't know how long Finn would keep me sitting on a bench every day at special weapon training.

So far I was only allowed to go to meals, advanced shooting, the medic's, and my room. I was trapped. I didn't know why though. I no longer felt weak, and my ankle was healed. They were just being over protective.

I'd never felt more trapped in my life. My whole life was full of choices. I could choose whether or not I worked a shift at the antique shop. I could choose the food I wanted for dinner. I could choose which path I wanted to take in the woods. My life had never been this controlled before.

Nobody had ever said: You can't go here, only here. You must eat this, not this. You have to wear this, not this.

It was beginning to be too much. I had to escape. And that's what I would do. I would escape the Anathema, and go to join the war between Aurum and Benile. I would save Everest before it was too late.

I smiled at the thought. I would just have to figure out a way to get out of the anathema. As  far as I knew, we are underground. There had to be a way out.

My mind drifted off to the fountain that Vanessa had shown me. The same one that I jumped into to get here. It had to be a portal to the outside.

I would have to find a way to get into her office, which was a much harder task than it should've been.

First off, I was pretty sure that it would be locked. Second, I didn't know exactly which hallways I would take to get there, I wasn't paying much attention last time I visited.

Third, everybody was watching me like hawks.

Everybody.

Vanessa, Finn, Audrey, Brooklyn, Hunter, Evalyn, Meredith, you name them.

There were probably cameras watching my every move as well.

Everybody had been pretty shaken sense I was unconscious. I had to find a way to get away. Excusing myself to the bathroom was my best bet. Nobody would follow me there, right?

"Eila, come on the bell rang," Brooklyn pulled at my arm. I jumped up. While I was planning my escape I hadn't noticed that the dining hall was cleared. I got up from my seat and followed Brooklyn through the crowds. Soon we split up, leaving me by myself. I got break after lunch now that I no longer had physical strength training.

I honestly didn't think that the fifth elemental really needed to train. I thought it was just something they had us do to keep us busy.

I headed back to the room. Now would be a good time to escape, but there were cameras watching. And I came to the conclusion that Vanessa was in the throne room after lunch. It wouldn't be the best to try to sneak in while she was inside the room.

So I sat there, savoring my last moments of being safe. Was I really doing this? Was I really escaping from safety of the Anathema?

The answer was simple.

Yes. Yes I was escaping. And for a good reason. I was going to save my friend. I was going to keep him alive, because that is what he would do if he were in my situation.

He probably would've left sooner to get to me.

He would do anything to protect me, and so would I.