"Aren't you going to answer any of my questions?"
Soraya kept her expression blank and unreadable, like Rhys had taught her. It was imperative that the girl hide what she was thinking, especially with Ms. Whispers snooping around and gathering information on her and her friends.
Norma tapped the top of the desk with her slender fingers, her icy, blue stare boring into the girl's eyes. "Well?"
"I already did," the girl said without emotion.
"Care to expand on your explanations?"
"No."
Soraya's eyes flitted to the clock on the wall. Thirteen twenty-seven. Just three more minutes until I'm free...
The past twenty-seven minutes had been excruciating for the girl. Norma had attempted various methods of getting her to open up and talk about herself and her friends. She had tried being nice and befriending Soraya for about ten minutes before losing patience and handing her a list of questions to fill out. Soraya had dawdled by doodling on the pages and giving one word answers, which only made Ms. Whispers even more irate.
Norma followed the girl's gaze and frowned at the time. "I'll ask Mr. Demarko to double our sessions to an hour starting next Solis."
"And I'll ask the principal to find me a new therapist!" Soraya blurted aloud, much to her dismay. I wonder if I've picked up Jacquelle's attitude by fusing with her...
Ms. Whispers stood up, her slender figure towering over the desk. "That's it! I've had it with you!" she hissed. "You wouldn't want anything happening to your Shadelkin friends now, would you?"
Soraya blinked. "Pardon?"
"You heard me!" the therapist's ruby painted lips stretched into a sharp fanged grin. "I know one of them must have used magic, but I don't know which. They're the only two kids who have cat ears in Matumi, and I want that ₾50,000."
The image of the wanted poster Soraya had seen in Matumi flashed in her mind's eye. Is she actually a spy from MagiCorp, or is she only interested in Lari?
"I'm confident you know which one did it," Norma's clacking heels echoed around them as she approached the girl like a predator hunting its prey, her pupils dilated so wide they looked like tunnels leading straight into the pits of Hell.
"But they didn't do anything!" Soraya cried, beads of sweat building up on her forehead, but she didn't dare wipe them off for fear of looking guilty under Norma's scrutinizing gaze. "And they don't even have magic! Where would they get it from?"
"I'll find out," Norma's eyes narrowed into snake-like slits. "They could have dyed their hair or worn a wig, and maybe gotten a hold of different colored contacts, which is also illegal."
She pointed a bony finger at Soraya's face. "If you tell Mr. Demarko or anyone else what I said, I will hurt your friends. Got it?"
I won't let you! Soraya clenched her fists as she glared at the woman before her. I could stop her here and now, but what would the consequences be for using Apollryük spells?
Another thought popped into her head. Jon! I can ask him for help tomorrow night, after I deal with Mülock again.
"Time's up," Norma's sudden sweet smile sent shivers down the girl's spine. "Give me actual information to work with next weekend, or something rather unfortunate will befall one of your friends," she said, then strutted over to the office door and held it open. "I always keep my promises. See you next Solis, Ms. Thenayu."
Norma watched in silence as Soraya walked down the long hall in long strides. When the girl rounded the corner, something sharp brushed against the sides of her white leggings. When she looked down, the girl gasped. Her nails were long, like Rhys' whenever he unsheathed his claws.
I hope she didn't see that!
Soraya relaxed her hands, and the nails retracted back into her fingers. This is bad... don't panic, Norma might not have noticed... or did she? I don't know!
* * *
"Ms. Whispers is evil."
It the middle of the night on Lunas. The half moon hovering above Darkwood Academy was shrouded by dark, billowing clouds heavy with rain.
The rest of Solis had been a peaceful, uneventful day, despite Norma's threat. Zaruna had also gotten back to Ujuu and filled him in on Ayla's conversation with the therapist.
"I know," Rhys frowned. "Now it makes sense why she interrogated mom. Ujuu and I are the only Shadelkin kids in this community, and we don't have any relatives that remotely look close to the poster drawing other than our dad, but he's too old to fit the descriptions."
Although everyone wore a jacket over their pajamas, they still shivered in the icy wind.
"How do we get her to go away?" Soraya asked. "I'm powerful enough to protect us, but what happens if I use my powers and others find out what I can do?"
Rhys bit his lower lip. "We'll think of a plan, but let's focus on keeping Mülock from possessing you tonight first," the Shadelkin boy said, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Maybe your idea of asking Jon for advice would work, but don't worry about that right now. One disaster at a time."
Soraya melted in her boyfriend's arms. He smelled like cloudberry tea, and it soothed her anxious soul. "Alright, you're right, as usual," she said and stood up on her tiptoes, pecking Rhys' cheek with her lips. "I'll be back soon."
"We'll be here waiting," Moiya said while patting Soraya's shoulder. "Don't listen to Mülock, no matter what he says."
"Demons lie," Ujuu added. "He's a jerk who just wants to take advantage of you."
"Right," Soraya stared down at the courtyard below, digging her hands into her pockets for additional warmth. It's weather like this that makes me miss having Water and Air Magic.
She thought back to their last visit at a Thousand Steps Beach, when she decided to attempt breathing underwater to finish off the last bit of Water Magic she had in her possession. It had worked for ten minutes, which she found incredible, before she had to swim up for air.
"Soraya?"
The girl turned to meet Jacquelle's worried gaze. The blond was fidgeting with her ring. "Be careful, okay?"
"I will," Soraya flashed a smile, then closed her eyes and summoned the Apollryük spell for turning into a shadow. "Shygerü."
The girl's body sank into the shingles of the roof, her perspective shifting from the courtyard below to the sky above in her two-dimensional form. I don't have to stay like this too long, I just need to get down to the ground. I don't want another headache.
Though the forest of trees lay far below, the girl slid down the wall with ease. She felt a burning within her chest slowly spreading out across her body like the previous time. After landing on the grass, Soraya attempted to inhale air despite not having a mouth. After several failed attempts, she sucked through where her teeth would be as powerfully as she could muster, and her body finally rose from the ground, resuming her normal self.
Ha! I figured out how to better control it!
The girl gazed up at the roof and spotted the silhouettes of her friend's heads peering over the side.
"Telpathia," Soraya breathed. The vision in her left eye became pitch black like the time before, while her right continued taking in her surroundings like normal. When she stared up at her friends, her left eye saw orbs encased in flames. She reached out her hand for one engulfed in crimson fire, and it flew towards her outstretched palm, hovering just above her fingertips.
"Rhys, can you hear me?" she whispered into it.
"Jai," Rhys was staring down at her, so she waved at him. The girl in the orb moved her hand at the same time.
"It's like looking into a weird mirror," Soraya mused loud enough for Rhys to hear her.
"Is it possible to see Mülock with that spell?" Rhys asked. "Maybe that could help you know when he's coming."
Soraya spun herself around in a circle, scanning everywhere for him. "I can see Jon's soul, though it's a bit far away and hovering beyond the stone wall of the school," she replied, then focused her attention onto the orb with blue, red, and green fire and beckoned it to fly towards her.
It hardly moved at all.
I might have to get closer to reach him, like when I was at the beach.
"Don't stray too far," Rhys warned. "I know we're all wearing our blessed rings and the purified land is close by, but you still need to be careful."
"Right. I'll head over to the grass and wait there to be safe," Soraya was about to walk away from the orb, when she turned back and added, "I love you."
"Love you too."
Soraya heard muffled giggles and awes from the roof, despite standing on the ground far below her friends. She walked into the mist covered forest with a huge grin on her face, confident Rhys had turned the same color as his eyes.
As she trekked deeper into the thick fog, the girl spun around, looking in every direction possible as she inched closer to her sanctuary, but Mülock was still nowhere to be seen.
Is he coming tonight? It would be nice if he didn't, but I can't risk falling asleep until later in the morning, just in case.
Soraya glanced once more at the orb over the wall and stopped in her tracks. A huge, raging, multicolored fire in the shape of a man was speeding towards Jonathan Marlot's small, fiery sphere.
That must be Mülock!
Soraya stopped at the healed grass and trees, her thoughts racing as she wondered how Jon was going to fight back against the demon.
How can I help him? the girl thought, holding out her hand once more, focusing her full attention on Jonathan's soul. Come on, fly over to me! I need to know if you're okay!
The orb budged slightly, hovering a few feet towards her, but stopped again.
I need to get closer.
Soraya sprinted to the brick wall surrounding the school, the grass rustling beneath her with each step she took.
"Shygerü!"
She sank into the ground, gliding up and over the obstacle, then breathed in, rising back to her feet once more, and continued running. Darkwood Academy sat on the top of a large, steep hill overlooking the Valtic Ocean. Soraya reached the edge of the cliff and looked out over the dark, brooding sea. Hovering in the air above was Jonathan's fiery sphere, completely surrounded by Mülock's harvested souls.
"Jon!" Soraya shouted, reaching out her arm to grab a hold of the orb hanging just a few feet away from her. The fiery sphere, as if on command, floated into the palm of her hand.
"You must kill her!" Mülock's multiple voices roared like thunder inside the orb.
"Go to Hell!" Jonathan shouted back, sounding more irritated than anything else. From what Soraya could see, Marlot was standing on a wooden deck surrounded by clouds. Far below was a city glowing from lit lampposts and lights from various windows.
Is he on a sky ship?
"Soraya can possess you like me, don't you want to get rid of her?" Mülock asked, rage seething through his double layered fangs. Before Jon stood the six eyed demon she had seen during her last encounter. Several grotesque, bloody faces covered in thick blue veins poked out of the demon's inky black skin, their jaws wide with silent screams.
"Of course not! She's just a sweet kid for Gods' sake!"
"Jon?" Soraya whispered.
"Hey," Marlot laughed in surprise. "We were just talking about you. Welcome to the party."
"She can contact you?" Mülock growled, his eyeballs twitching.
"Yes, and she's probably far more powerful than you," Jon taunted.
Mülock threw his head back and roared, his beastly howls piercing through the air, causing both Soraya and Jon's ears to ring.
"Shut up!" Marlot barked.
With lightning speed, Jon decked the demon full in the face, his gloved fist smashing into Mülock's forehead with a loud smack, blue flames bursting from the impact and disappearing within seconds. Soraya let out a small gasp as Mülock recoiled from the punch, his six eyes rolling around, blinking in bewilderment.
"You're going to regret that, pathetic half-breed!"
"Oh, I'll cherish that moment forever," Soraya could hear the grin in Jonathan's voice. "Along with this one."
Marlot's leg shot through the air, kicking Mülock square in the chest. Several skulls covering the demon's upper body cracked and squished under Jon's boot as the impact sent the demon flying to the other side of the ship. Soraya expected a loud crash to follow, but Mülock's body disappeared into the floorboards instead.
"It turns out you can hurt demons if you wear blessed objects," Jon looked down so the girl could see the various rings decorating his gloved hands. "I thought I'd give your idea a try, and, well, you saw the outcome of that."
Soraya glanced down at the ring on her finger. "That's really good to know."
"Being fused with several other souls has also kept him from possessing me, which really ticked him off," Jon added while unsheathing a long, thin sword. "I had this blessed by a priest, so I'm wondering if it'll slice through him."
Both waited with bated breath for Mülock to reappear, but he didn't.
"Kid, can you see where he's at?" Jon asked, his voice calm like the cold wind blowing through the sails of the ship he was on.
The rainbow-colored flames encased around a dark silhouetted figure had completely vanished from Soraya's sight in her left eye.
"I don't see him anymore," Soraya frowned.
"He's probably left to go find you," Jon breathed. "You'd better run to that safe spot of yours, he really wants you dead."
As Soraya pulled her face away from Jon's orb, she heard a faint call of her name. "Yes?" she asked, leaning into the fiery sphere again.
"I'll meet up with you soon. Let's chat over tea, make a plan for finding Tishva and Yosef, and destroying this stupid demon once and for all."
"I have more update news for you-" Soraya began, but Jon interrupted.
"Save it for when we meet up. Focus on surviving tonight, don't let Mülock murder you, I'd be rather upset if that happened."
Soraya ran back to the outer wall of Darkwood Academy, her heart pounding in her ears as she kept glancing over her shoulders to make sure Mülock wasn't sneaking up behind her.
I got this, I just need to stay in the purified patch of grass, and he can't hurt me.
Soraya turned into a shadow once more, sliding her way up and over the wall, back to the school grounds below.
Almost there.
Her left eye was focusing on her surroundings again, like her right. Her vision was a little blurry, but Mülock was still nowhere to be found.
"Stupid plants!"
Soraya paused and cocked her head. Someone was cursing under their breath a few feet away.
Who is that? she thought, tip toeing her way across the dew covered grass, careful not to make any loud or sudden noises. She peeked behind a tall oak tree and spotted Ms. Whispers kneeling down in the purified grass, her hand glowing green with Earth Magic.
"Why won't you tell me more information on that brat?" the woman hissed under her breath. "It wasn't an angel, it was a student, and I want to know who!"
Soraya cupped one hand over her mouth and slunk back into the shadows, praying to the Gods that the woman wouldn't discover her.
"Hello, child..."
The skin running up Soraya's spine prickled in fear as the voice crept up in the back of her head. Not only had Mülock found her, but Norma Whispers was interrogating the healed grass, blocking her only sanctuary from the demon.
"My, what a predicament you're in."
Soraya could see Mülock's glistening fangs widening. His silhouetted figure stood on the dirt road just a few feet behind the therapist, who was completely oblivious to his presence.
Do I run back to my friends for safety, or do I deal with Norma?
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