Sun Kissed

7. Questions (EDITED)

7. Questions

"Why didn't you tell me?"

    Her voice echoed throughout the gymnasium hall. The sun filtered through the stained glass dome above and scattered as pale, foggy light. Sofi was back in an unworldly place, her perception tethered to the girl who smelled of citrus. The one whose master called "Maria."

    Citrus had interrupted Master and the Bodyguard while they were in the middle of sparring practice.

    But she didn't particularly care.

    She did, however, bristle when the Bodyguard taunted her.

    "Fly away, little mariposa. We mestres are in the middle of training." He returned to his warm up stance as if she were nothing but a gnat on the wind.

    The Bodyguard had always been this way. He only showed the Master respect. Among the Master's three disciples, he was Citrus's least favorite. Worse still, he rarely left Master's side.

    Master lifted his hand to signal a break and relaxed his stance. The look the Bodyguard gave Citrus could cut glass, but he obediently came out of his stance and left the roda to get a drink of water.

    Master abandoned the combat ring as well. He met Citrus against the far wall where there were benches and towels. He grabbed one before taking a seat. Mopping his brow, he said, "What is it this time, Maria?"

    Citrus fought the urge to yank the towel from him and cast it to the tiled floor.

    "I went to the market for the first time today. Is that where I came from, Master? You simply dropped some coins in the hands of a merchant and bought my loyalty?"

    Master went about drying off as if her shocking revelation was no more common than learning that water was wet.

    "I did not buy you, Maria. I adopted you."

    "From merchants." She spat.

    The Bodyguard approached. "Master, she can't be serious. Where did she think our kind came from all this time?"

    Master regarded him with a familiarity that he only saved for his disciples. "I was going to tell her after her batizado."

    Citrus's anger flared again. "That's another thing. I'm not going to study Capoeira anymore."

    Capoeira. Her clan's sacred martial art. Since her lessons began, her instructor, the Professor, had been kind and patient. Still, she dreaded her training sessions. There was nowhere she could draw up motivation to fight. The only aspect of Capoeira that she could appreciate was meditation. In that, she had absolute discipline.

    The Master sighed. "Maria, we will talk about this later. In the meantime, do not interrupt me and Mestre Carlos again."

    The Bodyguard flashed his fangs. "You heard him, mariposa. Flutter along now."

    Citrus stood her ground. "I saw a human child in the market scream for help. He thought he was drowning in blood. He was going mad and none of the merchants seemed to care."

    Master and the Bodyguard exchanged glances, speaking in their secret mind-language that drove Citrus crazy.

    Master folded his towel across his knees. "It happens sometimes when their memories aren't suppressed successfully. This is why I chose to shield you from the truth of your origins. If your memory had returned at any time during your transition, you would have lost your sanity."