Strained

Chapter Sixteen

What a night last night had been. I didn't even know where to begin. After Maverick left, we huddled around Erik. Mir was able to heal him almost completely. He was going to have to go easy on it for a while, but he had lucked out. Everyone, including Mir, thought she was able to heal Erik because it was her baby's powers. I wanted to tell her there was no way it was her unborn child's powers, but not because she wasn't born yet -- because she would never have Witch powers. 

No one in Mir's family ever would.

I sighed and plopped onto my bed. At least, I was home.

"So, tell me all about it," Phantom cooed next to me. I had only been awake for five minutes and Phantom already wanted to hear about the party. He probably already knew from reading my thoughts but was humoring me. I told him to stop reading my mind, knowing he wasn't able to stop. "Come on, you know you want to," he added through a purr.

I groaned and rolled onto my side.

"It was a big mess," then I told him about Maverick and her threat. 

"Oh no! Poor Erik," I narrowed my eyes at him. I was starting to think he was developing a crush on Erik. 

"Yeah, but thankfully Mir was able to heal him." I waited for the gears to turn.

"Healed him? But that isn't her power. Oh! I see you think it advanced but they think it was her baby. Hmm, but you know the truth about how that cannot be. I see, quite troublesome indeed." I rolled my eyes flippantly, but he was right. It was just another pickle I had managed to get myself into.

It was my fault. Well, and the Amulet's but I couldn't blame the necklace. 

"Yes, and on top of it all I feel so guilty about Jamie," I put my hands over my face. I had wanted last night to go so differently. I only invited Jamie because I wanted to spend my birthday with him. Instead, all Hell broke loose and I ended up sending him home early. I still had yet to fully explain what happened. 

"Right, Jamie was there. Did he witness Maverick's temper?" I hadn't mentioned Maverick's temper to him. How had he known and why did he sound like he knew her?

"No, he was at the party. Wait, do you know Maverick?" I sat upright. My mind got a hold of me and thought of the worst-case scenario. Was Phantom on the other side? Had he betrayed me?

"I know her as much as you know her, well in other lives you've crossed paths with her. I'm honestly baffled she didn't recognize your soul. She has this uncanny ability to almost see through people. I assumed she would know it was you, especially after last time." Phantom made a face that used all of his facial muscles. It wasn't a good one. 

"What does that mean?" I wished he would just tell me everything he knew. It was frustrating always being the last to find things out. 

"It means, that you and Maverick are--

He searched for the right word.

"You just have a way of running into the H.C.C. in a sort of treasonous way. It's not a bad thing," he tried to reassure me. It didn't matter. "Anyways, I'm glad she didn't recognize you. What did you tell Jamie?" He tried to change the subject.

I let him.

"Well, I ran into the house to find him and I was wigged out. I told him I needed to go home and he took me, but he was really confused. He kept asking me what had happened, but I was in shock!" I bit my lip. 

"What did you tell him?" Phantom egged.

"Nothing, I never explained. He took me home and I thanked him and left. I think I told him I would call him today. Crap, I still have to," I just wanted to sleep and wake up normal. "And the others want to meet up later and talk. God, everyone always wants to meet up to talk. I just want to sleep." I hadn't meant to say the last part out loud.