The Other Side - A Jamilton Fanfiction

Chapter Thirteen

I fell to the ground, my hands becoming wet with the morning dew. The saliva in my mouth was tainted with the metallic pang of blood. I fought to catch my breath, but it was beginning to feel like an impossible task.

"Up," Thomas said, his voice soft yet steady and unyielding. "Try it again."

I swallowed shakily and pushed myself to my feet. I felt exhausted, drained. I took a deep breath and gathered myself together.

I stared down at the pitiful stem of the plant I was being forced to grow. After several failed attempts, I had gotten nowhere. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and focused on the plant.

I reached out to it, just like Thomas had taught me. I could feel the energy of the small plant pulsing against other, unfamiliar forms of energy that was the sky, the ground, and everything in between. I think. That's what Thomas said it was.

According to Thomas, performing magic was nothing more than the harnessing of this energy. Of pulling it together and bending it to your will. It's just as hard as it sounds.

I pulled at the energy of the plant despite my insides screaming at me to stop due to my exhaustion. If I went any further, I think I would have fainted. I was fully aware of the time it was taking me to do this, and more importantly, of Thomas watching me. I felt a warm bead of sweat trickle down my face, but I kept at it for a while.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and I let go of the plant's energy.

"Well, you didn't do too bad. It grew a little," Thomas said, though by the gentle, non-excited way he said that, I wouldn't be too surprised if it hadn't grown at all.

I struggled to catch my breath, panting heavily. "I can't do this," I said. "I can't do this."

"Alexander—" Thomas began.

"I can't. I'm sorry, Thomas. I can't do this."

"Yes you can! I know you can! You just have to focus, try harder. Do it again."

"What's the point?" I hissed. "I can't do this, Thomas." I let out a sigh and sat down on the ground, holding my face in my hands.

"Alexander, you can't give up," Thomas said. I could feel him sit down next to me and place a hand on my back. Energy surged through my body with the warmth of his touch. I drew in a deep breath of the cold air surrounding us. "You can do this. I believe in you."

"Not having much luck?" sounded a voice behind us.

I turned to see two figures coming towards us on the path that snaked through the forest. The castle was just visible in the distance, mostly obscured by the fog of the early morning. I recognized the two as Lafayette and Angelica.

"What are you two doing out here?" Thomas called, rising to his feet.

Lafayette shrugged while Angelica answered with, "Washington sent us to make sure that there aren't any of the King's men in town."

"Really? Because Migellis is the other way," Thomas returned with a knowing grin, crossing his arms. I assumed Migellis is the town near the castle.

"Is it now?" Lafayette asked passively, uninterested. His eyes rested on me, and he proceeded to smile. "Hello, Alex. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine! I'm just... settling in," I returned, unsure of what else to say. The truth was that I was doing horrible and I wanted to go home, but I wasn't going to say that out loud.

"No luck with the magic?" Angelica asked, frowning sympathetically in an understanding way that somehow made me more frustrated than I already was.