Spellbound

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"All this while, you didn't say anything. Why? I mean, were you truly waiting for me to kiss you?" Fascinthia asked, anger and irritation dripping from her every word.

"It's not that - It's just," Orion sighed, "Everything's just happening all at once, nowadays. I mean, spellbinder is on the loose, Clovers getting kidnap-" Orion stopped mid sentence to look at the horror that has seeped into her face. "It's not as bad-"

Fascinthia did t let him finish. "What's happening. Tell me, tell me now."

"It's nothing Fascinthia, really." Orion tried to plead but a cracking sound filled the room and Orion's cheek turned red. His hand caressed his cheek and he looked at Fascinthia.

"Do you not value honesty at all? This isn't just your world, Orion. Not anymore. It's mine too. Okay? When you say Clovers are disappearing, it's not just a threat to you and your friends, it a threat to me too. And I need to know, what exactly is it that we're dealing with. Intellexerunt?"

Orion stared at the tile pattern and nodded slowly. "Good," he heard her say, "You can leave and we can talk about this tomorrow morning. After breakfast perhaps. It's much too late now and moreover, my anger will take the better of me. So it would be a good idea if we talk when I'm calmer. For you and me both, but mostly for the sake of your pretty face."

Orion walked out the room, not looking at Fascinthia even once. He simply walked out and went back to his room. Dropping himself on the bed, he looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and wondered how on earth his life had come to a point where he is either slapped or beaten up by the same girl he rescued, almost everyday. How he had come to a point, where he was slapped for kissing someone. He lied, sure, but it was the plan. Her brother's plan. He shook his head to get rid of he thoughts and closed his eyes, not forgetting to think of his wish. The same wish, day after day. He was an atheist and never really prayed, but he knew the stars, the sun, the moon, the angels around, they bring wishes true.

***

Felix opened the door a little and popped his head inside. He saw Fascinthia scrawled on the bed, covered in blankets. He walked inside, balancing the tray in one hand and stepped closer. He saw her chest move up and down, slowly and rhythmically as she snored. He pushed a strand of her powdery blue hair away from her face and saw her drooling. He smiled to himself as he shook her. Her eyes flew open and she sat up straight, her body jerking to a sitting position and her hand clutched on the drawer. He knew well what was inside - her whip. But he simply stepped back and whispered in a soft voice, "Hey sweet pea. It's just me. It's Felix. Okay? I just got you breakfast."

He saw her grip loosen on the drawer and her back relax. Her retracted shoulders slouched a little forward and she dropped her hands on her lap. She pushed back a strand of her wild bed hair and looked at Felix, her face tinged with tiredness and exhaustion, her energy drained. "I'm sorry. It's just-"

Felix cut her off, "It's alright sweet pea. Here, have something." He pushed the tray towards her, setting up a table with a snap of his fingers. Fascinthia smiled and concentrated on the plate with a doughnut on it. She focused on it and it came closer, drifting through the air. She smiled and bit into it, a satisfied smile plastered on her face. She was done with breakfast a few minutes after Felix left. She kept the tray to the side and removed her whip. She was looping it up, ready to put it on her belt, as she walked, when she saw a man standing outside her room. She could only see his back but it was easy to figure he was in his twenties by his heavy build and height. She straightened out her whip with a jerk and walked towards the guy, taking small, fast, yet soundless steps. She was always an agile person, her walk like that of a cat's. She placed the sword on the man's back. "Don't you dare move," she said, "There's a place on a man's back, where, if you sink the blade, you can severe his spine and pierce his hand. And my blade is right at that point. You make a move," she paused and cleared her throat, so her nervousness didn't seep through, "You make a move and the blade will hit home."

She saw the man nod faintly and replied, "Good. Now announce your name. Full name, please, and the reason you are here. Also, I recommend full honesty. And since I can kill you with a flick of my hand, I suggest you oblige."

"Yes, yes," he said hurriedly, "My name is James. James Augue."

"James?" she asked, her face scrunched up in disgust, "That isn't truly your name, is it?"

"I swear," he half screams in fear, "I swear it is. I swear on my mommy."

Fascinthia stifled back a laugh and replied, "Well, it's a horrid name! James," she paused, grimacing, "What were your parents thinking?" she asked. She shook her head, ready to ask him more questions when she heard a shrill shriek. She looked at a screaming Felix, immense control on the blade and her hand, and screamed, asking for him to stop.

"What do you think you are doing, young lady?" he asked, walking over to the two of them and pushing the blade away. The sword clattered to the floor and turned into a whip on impact. "He's an intruder obviously," she said, a little louder and more irritably than usual.

"No, sweet pea," Felix spoke, his voice soft and gentle, "he's not an intruder. He's James Augue, my boyfriend."

"That's against the laws. You're a guy," she said, confused and terrorised, "which means you can't have a boyfriend." The man shook his head now and spoke, "Oh goodness! Eleptians and their stereotypical mentality."

Felix placed a hand on Fascinthia's shoulder and pushed her down so she was sitting. "Oh, sweet pea. Eleptia was a stereotypical land. Fidnick is a lot more open minded about this kind of stuff. I am gay," he said, pausing after each word, as if he was teaching an ignorant child, "which means, I date boys. You know what dating is, right?" Fascinthia nodded fiercely and Felix continued, "Right. So, since I like boys, and I am a boy, I'm gay. If you're a girl who likes girl, you're a lesbian. And, if you are a boy or girl, who likes both, your own gender and the opposite gender, you're bisexual. People just call that bi, though."

Fascinthia nodded her head, trying to take in the confusing information, "So basically," she began, "No one gets beheaded for being gay?" Felix shook his head and Fascinthia smiled, "Well, that's just great!" she exclaimed, "I saw a few beheadings when people turned out to be gay, and it wasn't very pleasant."

The man, James, spoke now, "Just to be clear, you don't have a problem with gay or bi people?" Fascinthia shook her head, "How does it make a difference to me," she said, absent mindedly, "whether you like a boy or a girl is completely up to you. And the fact that you aren't doing anything illegal for it, is just the icing on a cake. After all, in all the forbidden books I've read, the best ships were gay."

Felix smiled at her understanding nature waved goodbye to her as she grabbed a coat and walked out the door, walking towards the beach in search of Orion, as he muttered to himself, "You guys are straight, and my favourite ship yet."

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A double update as a way to say sorry?