Circe Riddle (Book 3)

Chapter 47

TW: Mentions of death, drinking

(Still Theodore's pov)

Darkness surrounded me and they pulled away as soon as I tried to fight them "Relax" Circe's voice came out of the darkness "It's only me"

She snapped her fingers and I could suddenly see. We were back in the library at her house. "Why did you do that? You can't just do that without warning, I could have hurt you"

She scoffed, her face turned away from me "Please. As for what I did to you, I'm sorry, my mind got the better of me"

"What?"

"I don't have time for this" She turned her head towards me and my expression dropped. "I need your help with something"

"What happened?" Her eyes were dark and the area around her eyes were red almost as if she had been crying or rubbing her eyes. Her expression was tired and she slumped down into the chair behind her.

"Surely you can figure it out on your own" She spoke "Use your eyes"

"Is it- Is this about your- aura changing" I asked slowly

"Slightly" She replied "I don't know what it was, I'm guessing it was the tea" She paused "But I'm back to square one with my siphon powers, I'm having a hard time controlling it" Silence "I don't know if I can keep going in this circle of learning to control them just so something can mess it up again. I have been trying to find something to get rid of it but it's hard and I am getting closer and closer to losing it every day. And the fact that I'm barely getting any sleep doesn't help. Can you help me find something?"

I sighed "Yeah, sure, but there's no guarantees I'm going to find anything and we have been looking for a while"

"Thanks" She replied looking up at me "And what happened to quitting smoking"

"I'm trying, but it's hard, and the stress from the upcoming O.W.L.s is not helping" I looked away

"But there's something else that is bugging you, isn't there? Why did you go to smoke tonight?"

"It's nothing"

"It's something" She argued "Have a seat"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes"

I sat down in the armchair next to hers and just stared at the ground for a couple of minutes before I started "I guess it's Mattheo"

"What about him?"

"We haven't really defined our relationship, and I don't know what he thinks about me, and I don't know how I feel about being in a relationship with him" I stopped "I mean, he's great, but I have never been in a relationship- especially not one with a-" Circe nodded for me continue, she knew what I was trying to say "and I- I don't want to disappoint him, but like, I don't know what I would do if someone found out. It's just all very stressful"

"Well I'm not Mattheo, so I can't answer, but if I know something about Mattheo, you just have to ask him, let him know what you're feeling and he will talk to you and respect you. He won't make you do anything you don't want to do. And if anyone ever found out, they would have to go through me first before they can even think about doing anything to you or Mattheo"

We sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Thomas appeared a little ways away. He was looking in Circe's direction but wouldn't meet her eyes "Father wants to see you" He spoke quietly and his breath sounded unsteady. Circe nodded and got up before nodding to me as if saying goodbye then she disappeared.

Thomas turned to me, his hands shaky at his sides. "Go"

I didn't want to leave him, he didn't seem like he was ok, but I didn't want to argue with him. I went back to the astronomy tower and thought over what Circe had told me. Her words calmed me a little, but there were still many things I was unsure about and even more things that I feared for the future, but for now I just stood overlooking the castle grounds.