The Enchantments: Book 4 - The Key of Mulastef

Chapter 28: Reflections

The sound of the surf rolling across the rocks and the warmth of the sun on her skin allowed Marlanda to come down from a dangerous place she had never been to before. The power she had discovered she possessed both scared her and exhilarated her at the same time. She sat with her eyes closed feeling the sun refresh and the power emanating through her veins making her feel strong, invincible. A slight smile crossed her beautiful face as her mind filled with a thousand questions she knew must be answered.

Opening her eyes, she waited for a moment waiting for her eyes to adjust to the brightness. When objects began to appear naturally, she looked over at the other rock across from her at the concerned face of Shawn peering back at her.

"What happened?" He asked her, the tone in his voice reflecting back the distress on his face.

"I don't know what you mean." She said icily back.

Shawn hesitated a moment his eyes following hers. "Arian said you did something, but he can't explain what he saw."

"He saw nothing." She forced back.

"Marlanda," Shawn whispered. "What is going on with you?"

Marlanda stood her eyes boring into Shawn. "There is nothing going on with me!" She snapped. Marlanda whirled from him as she began a steady walk away from the group back towards the shoreline. She had never wanted to get away from people than she did right now. They didn't understand what she was going through at that moment. The fight raging through her mind about what they were trying to do and the contradictions she was feeling about it all. She needed to be by herself so she could go through those emotions and try and figure them out, but their infernal questions began to grate on her like sandpaper. She didn't know what to do, but if they left her alone she could figure it out, she knew she could.

"Marlanda?" Shawn was running down the grade towards her.

She turned to face him again. "Shawn please would you just leave me alone>" She snapped.

"Pardon?" He stepped back in shock.

"I need to figure some things out." Her fingers are slowly closing into fists.

"We've always been honest with each other," he pleaded." Why won't you let me in?"

Her demeanor cracked. "Let you in! What the hell do you think I've been doing the last year?"

"I don't understand." He whispered.

"Of course you don't understand!" She snapped. "You and all the other members of our group have been concentrating on one thing, you help little miss perfect get her parents back and to so called save the world. Have you ever stopped and thought about whether we're even capable of making a difference? Ever since we've met her, we've been following her blindly into more and more dangerous situations, for what? Because she says so?"

Marlanda shook her head as wicked smile crossing her face. "Well, I'm tired of following a false prophet. Everything we do for her brings us one step closer to our destruction."

"Everything we do is not for Simeneon; it's for the world today, the world tomorrow," Shawn growled. "If these creatures take over the world life as we know it will change for the worse."

"How do we know that?" She asked, her arms wide for emphasis. "How do we know if these creatures take over the world there won't be lasting peace between everyone?"

"You think that?" He asked angrily.

"How do we know?" She paused looking around. "We've never stopped long enough to ask them."