Aymee Parker B2 - The Cursed Mark

Chapter 21 : A pattern

"Your brother seems to enjoy causing trouble." Nyssa had said.

At first, Aymee hadn't understood what she meant, but the more hours passed, the more those words took meaning. An alarming meaning.

Strangely, the people she overheard Alabaster talking to all seemed to end up fighting with another camper at some point during the day. There were also all those short conversations he seemed to have with a few specific campers like Loïc, all in enclosed or asides spaces. Not to mention when Alabaster simply disappeared. Sometimes only for a few minutes, other times a whole afternoon.

After three days, Aymee ended up confronting him. She cornered him in the stables while they were on cleaning chores. Aymee's head was throbbing, but she forced herself to go for it since she felt like she wouldn't get another opportunity. Alabaster cocked his head to the side.

"What are you talking about?" he asked her.

"I saw you!" insisted Aymee. "You... You go talk about things over with Loïc or Danielle in a corner and fights fight before and, and..."

Aymee searched for her words. She felt like her brain was running in slow motion. She was talking, but it made no sense. Just saying a word drained energy from her and it wasn't even the word she wanted to say. Aymee leaned against her hay fork to take a deep breath. Her tongue was sticky and she felt dizzy. Alabaster exchanged a worried look with Tannaha, who watched them from across the barn as she dispensed water to the pegasi and horses. Alabaster's attention shifted back to Aymee.

"Are you OK?" he asked her. "You don't look well."

"I... We don't change our word," she forced herself to say. "What are you doing? With Loïc and the others."

Alabaster's eyes flickered from side to side as if searching for what he might have done wrong.

"Am I not allowed to talk to people?"

"Yes, but that's not it. You say wrong."

Alabaster shook his head as if that would help him better understand what Aymee was ranting about.

"Where do you get those idea from?" he asked her. "I'm talking to you and you're not going to go bicker with someone, are you? I'm not a son of Aphrodite, I can't coax people into going to fight."

Aymee took a deep breath to stay focused. She felt her knees wobble. She really had to hold on to her fork to keep standing.

"I'm not alone. Nyssa... They heard you too."

"Nyssa?" repeated Alabaster as if he could not believe his ears. "Nyssa is mad at me for blowing up her bike! You know her, she holds grudges! She would put all the misfortunes of the world on my back if it meant Chiron would punish me as harshly as she wanted. For her, the chore of washing dishes with the harpies that I had to do was not enough. Well, it's true that it's more because I was out than because of the bike, but still! I got my punishment!"

Alabaster tilted his head to try and get an eye contact with Aymee, as if to prove his innocence, but Aymee kept her eyes downcast. She stared at the floor hoping it would stop swaying. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"You know, you really don't look good. You should go see Michael."

Aymee would have liked to contradict him, but she didn't have the strength. Her brain was nothing but a mess. She nodded just before feeling Tannaha put her arm around her in support.

"Come on, that's enough. I'll take you to the infirmary."

Aymee let her older sister lead her to the infirmary. The mere effect of the cool wind on her face already made her feel a lot better. Michael saw them coming from afar. He opened the door for them and Tannaha helped Aymee to sit on the edge of a bed. Will shoved a thermometer in her mouth before she could grumble.