Broken But Unburnt

Chapter 39 - Calliope

Chapter 39: Calliope

The Duke of Vidura's Estate on the Northern Coast of Delos

"Again. Focus this time."

"I was focusing before," Calliope argued, narrowing her gaze at Aditya who stood on the other side of the small garden. Her red hair blew in the faint breeze, her dark eyes sharp as they remained on Calliope, narrowing at her growing frustration.

"It isn't going to come naturally," Aditya warned. "Your power is not about creation. It isn't about making things happen. It's about stopping them. You cannot think of what you want. You have to think of absence, a void, emptiness."

"Pleasant," Calliope quipped and Aditya's jaw tensed the way it did when she was annoyed. Calliope was finding it easier and easier to annoy her nowadays.

Aditya didn't like being away from the finery of the palace, that was obvious. And when Maverick had left her here with Calliope days ago, ordering her to keep her safe and help her practice, it was clear that Aditya viewed the mission as a demotion, a babysitting job if nothing else. And she was starting to resent both Calliope and Maverick for her time here. She was restless. She tried to appear wise and patient but she was just as anxious as Calliope was to leave this place.

Not that it wasn't nice here as well. The Duke of Vidura, Kael his name was, had a phenomenal estate on the northern coast. His grounds sat atop enormous cliffs, a white-capped foamy sea raging against the rocks below. The view was beautiful, the air was fresh, and the location was safe. Calliope should have been satisfied. She should have been grateful. But ever since she had tapped into the power that had been dwelling within her for so long, she had become a well of boundless energy and lazing about on a lovely estate day in and day out wasn't fulfilling her need to use her newfound magic. Neither was training with Aditya.

"Make a fist," Aditya said now. "Good. Clench hard. Harder. Think about that time in the forest when the Chaos had us pinned down. Those fireballs that he was hurling at us, the one that burnt Sebastian. Think about what he said to Maverick, how he was going to kill him, how he was going to kill all of us, how— how— Calliope—"

Calliope's eyes snapped open. She hadn't even realized she'd closed them. But Aditya was turning purple, gasping for air and crumbling to her knees.

"Let... go..." she wheezed and Calliope did, her chest deflating as she released her fists, staring down at Aditya with wide eyes.

Aditya fell to her hands and knees, breathing deeply to fill her lungs. Calliope knelt to help her but she held up a hand and waved her away. Calliope backed off and waited for Aditya to rise to her feet again of her own accord.

"Good," she spoke, her voice still strained, and sputtered a cough. "Your turn, Zephyr."

The soldier nearby stood from the bench he had been sitting on, sharpening his sword, and sauntered over to relieve her.

"As much as I enjoy spending all day squeezing the magic from you two," Calliope said with a sigh, "isn't there something more important we should be doing?"

"Maverick will come for us if and when he needs us," Zephyr reminded her for the hundredth time.

"I know but—"

"How's the training going?" A familiar voice called out and they all turned to see Kael making his way down to the garden, a smile on his face and hands clasped in front of him in a friendly manner. Aditya frowned his way and strode off to rest on the bench. She had been suspicious of him ever since they'd arrived. Calliope wasn't sure why. He'd been the picture of hospitality since they'd arrived on his doorstep unannounced. But Aditya seemed to have her reasons and, if she didn't trust him, Calliope wasn't so certain that she should either.