The Cursed

Chapter Fourteen

Lilura

I storm out of Everette's study. He lied to me. He still hasn't explained everything. I have more answers, but they only brought up more questions. I feel like I'm circling, hunting something that's just out if my reach.

I find myself I my room. It's eerily empty. The air feels still, stagnant. The room seems filled with ghosts, their wailing voices dying with every rise and fall of the ship. A knock causes all the whining spirits to quiet. I open the door slowly to reveal Alan. He looks strained.

"Come in," I say coldly. I step back to allow him to enter my room. He stands and his presence seems to almost fill my room completely. "How may I help you?"

"Lilura, Everette only means to help you," Lana begins. I hold up my hand, livid.

"By lying and scheming. I need to know answers. Keeping me in the dark doesn't help! And how do you even know not telling me helps? What if telling me causes me to remember?" I need answers and I know that if they tell me I will remember. I can regain all my memories.

"We don't, but telling you anything without you figuring it out for yourself may mess with dark magic. The magic that may injure you. Keeping silent is our only option we know is safe." His voice is calm and his words make sense. But I don't want understanding, I want answers.

"Please Alan, can I at least know why I was cursed?" He shakes his head, eyes looking at the floor. I scowl. "Then why'd you come in here? To taunt me?"

"No, as you know Everette isn't feeling well-"

"I did not know. I have been on my bed, ill as well. Is he alright?" My stomach jolts at the thought of Everette. They are keeping secrets. His illness, it's not just a cold.

"Well, we were wondering if you might help."

"How? I know no skills or remedies for the ill," I say. Alan looks away from the ground at last. His bright eyes capture mine. I see some emotion swirling in them. He blinks and it vanishes.

"But his illness is connected to you. We're not sure how, but it is. So will you come with me to see him?" I want to help, I do. But a small part of me what's him to suffer. He needs to feel betrayed. I bury that behind a smile.

"Of course," I say. I quickly leave the room and wait outside in the growing darkness for Alan. After several moments he follows. We make our way to Everette's room.

We enter and a low flickering light washes over us. Everette looks pale. His body is dwarfed by his huge bed. He looks immensely worse form when I saw him in his office mere moments ago. How was his illness morphed so quickly.

I rush to Everette's side. He groans quietly in acknowledgment of my presence.

"What can I do to help?" I look desperately between Alan and Everette. Alan shifts uncomfortably. I turn to Everette, but his eyes are shut and slow breathes leave him. He is asleep.

Fear hits me and I shudder. He can't sleep, if he does, he won't wake up. I shake him, but he doesn't seem to wake. I turn to Alan and he looks neutral. He doesn't seem to realize Everette is slipping away.

Before I can do anything else to help Everette, the candles flicker before their flames grow stronger. Alan freezes and looks around. I feel myself lift off the ground and hover in the air. Tingling fills the tips of my fingers and toes. It spreads throughout my body and curls in my chest.

I feel warm. I look around me to see white orbs of light floating and bobbing through the air. They gravitate towards Alan, but I hold out my hand. The orbs slowly shift away and gather around my outstretched palm. I gather them and move my arm to be stretched above Everette. The orbs hand in the air before sinking into Everette's body. They soak into him and he glows.

The room is filled with a bright white light. I shrink away from Everette, the light scorching me. As I do so, the orbs are pulled out. Too early, a voice says. I look at Alan but he's starting, mesmerized, at Everette. He hasn't heard the voice. I go to scream at him, but no sound leaves my mouth. I feel choked. The air thickens and the light grows brighter. I need to pull the orbs out. They're hurting Everette. I feel them burrow I to his heart and mind. I try to scream again. My throat feels raw and sore. I look around the room, my hair whipping round in a sudden wind. I feel myself start to falter in the air. I know once I fall, I won't be able to get the orbs out.

"No, please!" My voice breaks through and I feel the air stop. The wind stops blowing and the light dims slightly. The candle flames that were threatening to lick the walls die down.

"Auferte ista maleductio," I say. My voice sounds warbled as if it came from under water. I feel the orbs lift out of Everette. They float out of him and hang in the air. I blow lightly and they dissipate like smoke. The room is thrown into almost complete darkness and I fall to the floor.

My body crumpled in on itself when I curl into a ball. My limbs are heavy and I feel drained. However, the small part of me that wanted Everette to pay is leaping up and down. I groan at the same time I hear Everette sit up.

"Lilura?" He calls before I sink into a shallow sleep.