One Soul

Chapter Nine: The Working of Minds

When Calypso woke up from her faint, she was lying in her bed in her mother's home with Sol waiting at the foot. When he saw she had awoken, his face bore an unreadable expression. Happy? Dreadful? Anxious? "Oh good, you're awake. We need to get to Norene. Her grandmother was relocated to a medic tent while we were gone...she's not okay."

Without another word the two stalked down the hallways, near running but not quite sprinting so Calypso wouldn't get another headache. She had just fainted, after all. All she could think about was Norene's grandmother...and how she failed. I couldn't find the cure, I wasn't right, the Graces... her thoughts were rushed and frenzied and she didn't seem to notice the weird cool jelly on Sol's skin or the mint green mark on his forehead.

~-~

When they arrived in the tent, a few medics made hasty bows before returning to their work. Calypso dashes over to her friend, who was clinging to her grandmother's hand. The elderly woman's eyes were closed but she could still see a faint line of dark blackish blood from underneath, causing her stomach to twist. Norene's grandmother's skin-the exposed skin on her hand that wasn't covered by a thick white blanket-was deathly pale and lined with cracks and scabs.

"Bibi, please say something," Norene repeated over and over, her own eyes dripping tired tears. "Please..."

"She shouldn't be here, she wouldn't have made the all to be taken to a medic tent. The medicine does nothing, they're just studying the disease for a hope of the cure. Bibi never wanted to be a lab rat," Norene's tone took on a sharp, brittle edge. "Someone else made the call for her...someone who knew I wouldn't be home to stop them last night."

"But, no one knew, I swear this plan was just us!" Calypso wailed. "How?!"

Norene frowned, her eyes hard like stone. "I trust you. But after what they did to my house? I don't trust the other Avians."

"But none of them could've known!"

"Someone might've seen us sneaking out, we should check the security feeds on the street. Only we knew about them, so whoever saw us would still be in them."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Calypso agreed, and the trio rushed off to the palace guard where the security feeds from the night lights. Solomon was admittedly a little lost but knew they were his best bet on an entirely foreign world.

~-~

When they arrived at the stone stronghold, they reached another problem. "I'm your princess!" Calypso pled. "Please, this is for the good of Ouránia! You need to let me see the security feeds!"

"Only the king and queen may have access to them, and a very strict list of officials they've approved," the guard growled.

"I'm their daughter, I think I should be approved," Calypso frowned. "Shall I go get a permission slip from them?"

The guard nodded, to Calypso's chagrin. "But even so, only you. Not your two little friends...especially not the wingless human."

"I'm wingless too," Calypso grumbled as she stormed up to her father's palace, which was closer to the royal stronghold.

"He's only doing his job," Solomon pointed out, though he felt a little stung from the experience. He stuck out like a sore thumb and didn't have the royal blood to cover it up.

"Yeah, I guess..." Calypso knocked on the broad doors made of dark carved wood. It swung open to her father's main attendant, Ashton. She was tall and broad-shouldered with piercing gray eyes and tanny hair slicked back in a boyish cut.

"Oh, princess! What a nice surprise," Ashton smiled brightly and led the group inside. "And friends, no less. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Calypso, Norene, and Sol were led to the King Andrian's main hall where he was talking boredly to an advisor...Calypso could only hear bits and pieces about getting a new stableboy. When he saw her, he lit up in a big grin. "Cal! I'm so sorry, Sir Damian, but my daughter is if my utmost priority." He hastily shooed away the advisor and gave his daughter a big hug. He clearly wasn't sorry at all.