The Risen | ✅

Chapter Sixteen

Hailey stopped abruptly at a door that looked...fairly normal to me. "This is where Tasha sleeps?" I asked warily.

"Yes." Hailey said simply, knocking on the door rather roughly.

We both remained silent as we heard stirring within the room and waited patiently until a lean Asian woman with long brown hair and bright brown eyes opened the door. She gasped as soon as she saw Hailey's face and kneeled down to Hailey's level, cupping her face within her hands.

"Hailey? What happened to you? Was it the mission?!"

Hailey opened her mouth to, no doubt, say something snappy, but Tasha shot to her feet and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh no...What would your mother say?! Oh she would hate me!"

"Tasha! We're not here to talk about my eye or my mother!" Hailey said harshly.

Tasha stopped the pacing she was doing and turned to us. It seemed as though it was then that she noticed me because she asked, "Is this about your friend?"

"She's not my friend! But...Yes. This is sort of about her..."

Tasha's eyes widened and she slowly leaned down so she was whispering in Hailey's ear. "Do I need to wipe her memory?" She asked staring at me still, with widen eyes.

Hailey gave her a weird look. "What? No! No, Tasha! I just...I wanted to show her something. I...I can't explain it with words. It's better if she relive it, herself."

Tasha frowned at her. "Are you sure? Its looks like it did a number on you...Do you think-"

"She's ready, okay? If I can take it, so can she! Circe isn't weak!" Hailey snapped.

I felt something rise up inside of me. Was this Hailey's odd way of forming a...compliment?

Hailey seemed to catch onto her words as well, because she straightened up and took a deep breath. "Look, Tasha. Can this just be a onetime favor? No strings attached and no questions asked? Please?"

Tasha's eyes traveled between me and Hailey, Mostly me. She seemed to be analyzing me. And with her abilities, she probably was.

Finally, with a sigh, she caved. Alright. Both of you, lay down on the floor, vertically, one of you facing North, the other facing South."

I saw a quick hint of a smile cross Hailey's face before she quickly did as she was told and I followed suit.

"Cross one arm across your chest and use the other to hold each other's hands."

Hailey and I shared one brief look before I held out my hand for her to take.

"Okay, now close your eyes and let me take care of the rest. If it's too much for you, then say something. Sometimes, memory sharing can get a bit...sticky." Tasha chuckled awkwardly and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and held her hands out over us. I quickly shut my eyes and held my breath.

I suddenly felt as though my head was being shoved under some thick mass. I tried to open my eyes, but it was as though they were glued shut. My heart began to speed up and quicken in its pace. Hailey must've sensed my tenseness because from my subconscious state, I felt her grasp my hand a bit tighter. She was letting me know that t was fine.

That I was strong.

Suddenly, I heard muddled sounds and distant voices. Slowly, my eyesight began to return. I could make out blurry forms surrounding me and a few people at my side.

"It's such a shame that the whole gang couldn't make it." A familiar silky voice commented. The forms in front of me slowly became clear and I almost gasped as I was standing face to face with Dorian Grey once again. I tried to scramble backwards, but it felt as though my feet were cemented to the ground.

I looked down as realized I was wearing a bright pink mission suit in oppose to my usual dark mint green. "Circe must be afraid to face me, after our last encounter. That was a hard time for her, wasn't it? She was just inching her way into her new life." Dorian continued.

"She wouldn't have had to inch into shit if you hadn't fucked up her life in the first place!"

Turned around and saw Alex glaring at Dorian fiercely. Evanora and Victor stood proudly beside him, eyes blazing with fury.

"Alex!" I hissed. But the voice wasn't mine...it was-

"Hailey, Florence, I suggest you contain your rather...barbaric comrades, least I get my men to do it for you." As if to prove his point, a few of Doran's men pulled out tasers sparking with bright orange electrical currents.

"Alex, calm down." Hailey hissed, holding up her hand, as if she could tell the men to stop.

Dorian smirked at her and fixed his suit dramatically. "Anyway, as I was saying, it's such a shame that Ms. Lewis isn't here. I had such big plans for her." He shook his head. "She's special, you know. I can tell. She's like me. Powerful. So very powerful, but misunderstood."

"Circe is nothing like you!" I heard Hailey seethe.

Dorian's previous cocky smile melted as it melted into a frown. Using my peripheral vision, I could see him flex his fingers.

"You see, Ms. Florence, that's where you're wrong. She doesn't have to be like me, just yet. She just has to be in the correct state to be trained."

"She won't want to be trained by you. She's way to smart to-"

The next events happened in a blur. Dorian was no longer calm. It was like he was a completely different person. He launched his fist at Hailey's face and I felt the quick shock of pain before I shot upward in Tasha's room, gasping and scrambling to my feet, holding my eye.

Tasha rushed over to me and gently pulled me close. "You're fine! You're okay! It's all right! You're here! You're safe!" She rushed, pulling me close to her chest.

"He...I...I was..."

"Shh. Its fine."

I stepped away from Tasha and tried to calm myself. It was then I remembered Hailey's presence. I turned around quickly and saw her staring at me with a hand on her hip.

"What did he mean?" I asked. "He said I had to be in the correct state to be trained, what was he talking about?"

"Are you seriously asking me this question? Circe, he punched me in the face! He didn't whisper all his ugly truths in my ear! I have no clue what he means."

I cursed under my breath and began to pace. I needed answers. Dorian wanted to use me as some sort of puppet. Some, right hand woman. And I needed to know why. Suddenly, I remembered what Keith said.

"The announcement!" I exclaimed, snapping my fingers.

"The what?" Hailey asked.

"Is she always like thisafter she gets scared?" Tasha asked pointing at me as I rushed out of the room.