Secrets at Sea

Chapter 26

"Kepner, I need you to shut up!" I snap. He's been blabbering on for the last twenty minutes about how amazing it was to see Viella and what the guys at base will think when he gets back to Gencryte. I see the hurt in Kepner's eyes, but I don't apologize. "We're still on a ship with people trying to kill us, so I need you to keep your mouth shut, unless you see someone coming." I feel like since the roof I've taken over role as leader of our little two person group. Now that Mason's abandoned us it's easier to maneuver the ship and hide in the shadows when a psycho does appear.

"How are you not freaking out?" Kepner asks, he's practically bouncing off the ground. "You just met the Queen of the Goddesses! Viella is the most powerful Goddess that has ever existed!"

"Shhh!" I look around to make sure we're still safe and no one is rushing towards us. "Five hours ago I didn't even know that Goddesses were real, I'm having a hard time processing things as is. You weren't the one to get their insides baked and have their head practically explode from all the powers she dumped into me."

"She didn't dump anything into you. She was merely releasing the power that was already inside you."

"Oh yeah, that really eases the headache now that you've clarified." I roll my eyes. "Whatever she did to me, I don't want it. I have too much to worry about already and this extra discomfort really isn't making my vacation any better." I lift my hands up to my temples and begin massaging them. It took about three minutes before my head really started feeling the energy rush, and it's slowly feeling worse the longer we walk.

"Well you were blessed with a gift, whether you see that or not. You'll realize sooner than later how important and powerful you are Goddess of the Forests." He bows his head as he says that and I shake my head.

"Don't call me that. I'm no Goddess. I'm just an ordinary girl who had some powerful being give me energy that I can't control." I sigh and fan myself with the bottom of my shirt.

He walks in front of me and stops me in my tracks. We're down one of the side corridors that allows you to view the ocean even though you're below deck. "Have you tried controlling it?" Kepner asks. I shake my head no and his eyebrows raise in curiosity. "How haven't you? That would have been the first thing that I did!"

I shrug, the pounding in my head increasing as I do. "I'm just too distracted by all the pain to even consider it." I wince as another wave of heat erupts in my gut.

"Why don't you try willing the pain to go away? That could be the first test of your powers." He offers and I think for a moment. All I had been doing was allowing the pain in my head and stomach to overwhelm me. Any normal person can't will their discomfort away, so it hadn't even crossed my mind that I might be able to stop it now that I'm imbued with magical energy.

"Okay." I nod and focus on my breathing. I imagine my breath bringing in cool, calming air and breathing out hot pain. After a few breaths of doing this I begin to feel my core cool down a bit and my pounding migraine turning into a dull throb in my head. "Holy shit." I whisper, my eyes still closed as I take in another deep breath and push out all the pain from my body. I feel light and free now, my body in my control.

"Did it work?" Kepner asks softly and I nod my head. I open my eyes and see a silly smirk on his scruffy face. "That's amazing!" He gives a quiet cheer and I chuckle.

"I've never been able to will my headaches away before, this is crazy!" I say, "I'm worried it might be a fluke though, you know, begins luck?" I look around at our surroundings and spot down the hall an inflatable inner tube tucked behind a fake plant. I stare at it, intent on making the tube move. A gust of wind sweeps across the corridor and knocks the plastic duck donut careening towards Kepner and me.

Focus. I think, and in an instant the bright yellow ducky screeches to a halt a few inches from Kepner's face. It takes us both a moment to realize what's just happened, our eyes still transfixed on the plastic child's companion.

"Did you just..."

"Yeah..."

"With your mind?"

"Yup."

"Wow..." He says and pokes the ducky. I lift the inner tube in my mind and it follows suit. I begin waving the poor flotation device around so much when the next gust of wind comes it smacks into the corridor wall to our left.

"Well that was fun." I can't think of anything else to say, because it was in fact fun. "Are you down?" I ask as casually as possible. I want to see how difficult this will be and there's no better time than now to do this.

"Down for what?" He asks hesitantly.

"Being my test dummy." I wink at him and his eyes light up with excitement.

"Bring it!" He widens his stance, bracing himself for what's to come.

"Okay." I reply halfheartedly, my mind already focused on the task at hand. I picture Kepner levitating off the ground and with a bit more effort I watch as his feet lift slightly off the ground.

"Oh my Goddesses!" He exclaims and falls forward, he tucks his head just before impact and spins around into the fetal position. He's like a human cannon ball just hovering higher and higher into the air. "What do I do?" His voice is full of worry.

"My best guess is to outstretch your limbs, otherwise you'll keep spinning like you are." I offer, my attempt to straighten him out myself only slows his rolling a little bit.

"Okay." He stretches his arms out and slows down even more. He finally lets his legs extend and he comes to a complete stop. "Okay, now what?"

"See if you can move around?" I ask, unsure of what he can control or if I'm the only one in power. "I'm only levitating you, so if you move it's all on you." He nods and I can feel the power within him move. He moves about a foot forward before stopping.

"I can't do this." His voice sad and defeated. He starts to descend even as I try to will is body back into the air.

"Kepner, focus! I think the only way for me to give you power is if you're willing to accept it, so put on your game face and lets practice my powers." I scold him and just before his feet touch the ground he stops falling. "I need your help, you're the one telling me I should appreciate what I've been given, so this is me trying to do that. Why do you think all those Goddesses celebrated solstices and gatherings with their human followers? Because they needed the people's energy just as much as the people need the Goddesses'. I'm stronger with your belief and support. I can't do this without you." I plea, fully accepting now that I am in fact a Goddess.

"You're right, Chelsea, I need you just as much as you need me. Let's get some practicing in so we can destroy these psychos!"