Sparks

♕ Chapter 5 ♕

I took a shower to freshen up, since I hadn’t had a shower in days and felt dirty. I hummed a bit, then remembered that Alex was sleeping and I should let him get his rest. I didn’t know how long he had been awake, but it seemed like me being in a coma made him feel as if he should stay awake as long as I was asleep.

It really was nice of him to watch over me. I wondered where my sister was. I frowned as I thought of Olivia. Maybe she had visited me, but I had missed her. I could ask Alex later, I reasoned with myself. I reached out for a towel and wrapped it around myself. I dried off and put on a purple silk dress that was cool and soothing against my skin. It felt like water, slipping and sliding through my fingers.

After I brushed my teeth and combed my hair until it shined, I was feeling much more humane. A shower could do wonders. I stepped outside of the washroom and noticed that Alex was still sleeping. I wondered what I could do to pass the time. As I looked around, I realized that there were a few books on the table Alex was sleeping next to. He had probably been reading them to pass the time, too.

I picked up the book on the top of the pile and began to read. The pages were well worn, which surprised me. I didn't see Alex as the type of guy to read at all. But then again, it didn't seem like there was a library in the palace either. All I had explored were the other four wings, so I could have been wrong.

I was whisked away to a place full of dragons and dashing knights. Danger was around every corner and the main goal was to rescue a princess who had been captured. Cliché, I know, but the author spun the story so well that it felt like I was actually a character in the book, wanting to save the world.

When I was finished with that book, I started the next one. A genius teenager had to save the world from evil, which he slowly did, by defeating aliens and foes. In the end, he saved the whole world and was deemed a hero.

I picked up the next book and read the back of the cover. It was also about someone who had to face the odds and survive, although this one was in a game that the President created to control all 13 Districts. I could guess that in the end, the protagonist stopped all evil and lived a happy life.

In all the stories, the main characters had to face the odds and save the world from evil. I looked at Alex, who was still sleeping peacefully. Was that what he wanted to do? Save the world from the Queen of Magick? I understood why he felt that people who could use Spirit were discriminated against against, but he didn't know if the future queen would follow in her footsteps, did he?

I didn't know. And I couldn't say that he was wrong. I probably would have been afraid of people who could use Spirit, too, because I didn't know any better. But now that I was here, could I truly say that everyone was evil? No. I hadn't met many people, but Alex wasn't a bad person and neither was Olivia. They just wanted justice.

Maybe I could meet some people, I thought. Alex had said that there were other soldiers and servants, and I had seen them around. If I went to their quarters, I could make more friends and maybe if I told them that I was supposed to be the future queen, they'd see that I could help them. I decided to wait for Alex to wake up before I went there, just in case it was actually a bad idea. Besides, I didn't know where the servants' quarters were, but Alex had to.

I must have dozed off, because I had the strangest dream. I heard voices arguing in low whispers. It sounded like Olivia and Alex. Olivia sounded mad that he had fallen asleep when he was supposed to be "watching me". "You had one job, and that was to watch her every move." He argued back that he had been awake for two days watching me, but I hadn't done anything out of the ordinary.

"I was sleep deprived! What did you expect me to do?" he asked.

"She's my sister! If anything happened to her or she ran away, what would I do? She is the last family member I have left, and I'm not about to lose her, too!" her voice rose, then fell again.