Render Me Starless

♛ | Chapter 5 - "magic wand personified"

My head. I groan. My head.

I tighten my closed eyes, feeling around with my hands. Silk. I had half a brain cell left to realise I was back in the room, on that blessing of a bed.

My arm felt so heavy as I lift it to my head. Why did it hurt so bad? I force my eyes open. The room was darker than it had been before and as I look to the balcony, the curtains were all fully closed.

"You have a bad habit of falling asleep."

My head snaps to my right, the migraine flaming. Orion sits on a chair near me. "Well I suppose in this case, you have a bad habit of falling. And fainting," he adds.

I scowl at him, "your voice is annoying me. Be quiet."

The Stick Man hums in thought. "I'm surprised you haven't attacked me yet."
I place my arm back over my eyes, "that's makes the two of us."
"In all honesty, I didn't think you would react so lightly. I was expecting a very human melt down," he says almost mockingly.
"React?" I murmur out, confused. React to what?

Like an old movie, the memories start playing.
The obsidian pathway. The flowers. The child. The father.

The father.

I remember now. The inky smoke prancing away from the man's palm. I remember as the phantom air chased the little girl. I remember as she squealed. I remember the equally as dark spots that clouded my vision. I remember Orion's luring smirk

"Magic."

I remember.

My breathes were coming out in short gasps now. No, it couldn't be.

"There was no way it could be humanly possible," I mumble, my mind screaming, my heart reeling.
"Now that is where you are right, Maria. It is not humanly possible," Orion says and I look up just in time to see his eyes flash gold.
His words repeat over and over. Not humanly possible. Humanly. Oh gosh. "What are you?" I gasp, sitting up as quick as I can and plastering myself onto the headboard, as far away from him as I could get. My head scorches but I push the pain away. Now was not the time.

"We're called mages; beings that wield magic that manifests based on which Throne you are born into."

Orion stands up in his chair, bringing my heart lurching into my throat. Mages? "Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh," I repeat the mantra over and over again.
The not so human being sighs, as if I were a hindrance to him. "Calm down, Maria."
I gape at the magic wand personified. "Calm down? CALM DOWN?" I shriek. "You're telling me you're not human and expect me to be calm about it. Oh my fu- you're going to kill me, aren't you?" I was near hyperventilation at this point. The contents of my stomach was clawing at my throat, wanting to join this unhinged party.

The image of my body sprawled in the middle of a hexagon comes to mind. A hexagon drawn in blood, possibly my blood.
Sweat coats my body like a second skin, the chill in the air doing nothing to shed it.
I had to get away. I had get away from Orion and his sparkly castle. I needed to leave. Now.

As quickly as I could, I topple off the bed, on the opposite side to Orion. "Whatever it is you're about to do is a stupid idea," he says from opposite me, eyeing me.
"I can't do this. I refuse to die. I'm too young to die!" I say, albeit a tad deliriously, picturing my head on a spike. It was not a pretty picture.
"I'm not going to kill you," Orion states, crossing his arms.
"That's what they all say, you fucking psycho!" I shout before grabbing a gold pillow and launching it at him.

I don't think, I run. I curse the luxury space that the suite had, making me run through so many doors. I reach the door that led out, glancing back to not find Orion behind me. I throw the doors open and my heart lurches from my throat to the bottom of my stomach.
Max stares at me with wide eyes, only to give me a small smile once he sees it's me. "How are you feeling?"
Before I can reply, someone else does.