Chapter 19

After Thomas finished cleaning up from breakfast, he came back to the living room. He motioned that he wanted to sit on the sofa so that he could be close to me, hold me as I rested. I let him, I always felt safer when he was touching me. I was honestly scared right now of what my sister might do, and I had no clue if my grandmother was allowing this or if it was against her will that Emma was attacking me before I was able to defend myself. Why would grandmother let her do this to me, if she did know. I was so unsure of everything right now. I looked up into Thomas’ face, looking for answers I think, though I didn’t see any as he flipped through the channels settling on a football game. It had never been my favorite sport, I didn’t really understand it all, to me it was a bunch of guys in purple and white, beating up on a bunch of guys in green and white, while the guys in green and white were trying to hold on to this egg shaped ball. I knew in the back of my mind it was more then that, Thomas had played football in High School, I’d gone to all his games, I just didn’t understand all the scoring that went with it. I’d really only gone to be there for him.

“Thomas?” I looked up at him, hoping that I could at least get equal billing with the football game. “Can you start teaching me how to defend myself?” He looked down at me thoughtfully.

“I’m not sure, I really think we need more room than we have here in the apartment.” He looked around as if he was measuring the room with his eyes. “There just isn’t enough room for us to move around in here, it’s too cramped.”

“But there must be something we can do, some magic or something?” I argued, giving him my best hurt look, hoping that he’d give in to me. Thomas was quiet for a long time, watching the game on the television, as he thought about it.

“I might be able to teach you some more basic magic,” he finally said. “But, we have to be careful, there isn’t much room in here for you to accidentally misdirect it, possibly bouncing it off of someone else’s wall or through their wall for that matter.” I smiled and knew that was as much of a concession I was going to get for the moment, at least he was willing to give it a try with the magic.

Thomas jumped up off the sofa, shouting at the television, I’m not sure why. I guess his team did something wrong, or an official made a wrong call, all I knew was he was suddenly upset with the purple and white team.

“You guys really need to get your act together!” he shouted at the television. I couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“You know they can’t hear you?” I said giggling like a young girl. It earned me a cross look and a Hrmmph from him, as he sat back down, again reaching for me to be in his arms. Though it was the one place I wanted to be most, I had decided that until the game was over, it was going to be more work than it was worth to have Thomas hold me. I got up off the sofa, and headed over towards the bed.

I climbed into the bed, the cotton sheets felt strange, I was so used to the silk sheets that were always there, the cotton wasn’t near as comfortable to me. I sat in the middle of the bed, staring at the window, I could see the runes that Thomas had traced in the air, they seemed to glow faintly as I studied them trying to understand how these were going to protect me from my nightmares. I turned to Thomas, “Would you toss me my pillow?” I asked him, he picked it up giving it a small throw, enough to make it to the bed, but not to me, so I had to stretch to reach it. I winced, letting out a small sound of pain as I reached for the pillow. Thomas turned to look at me, “Are you ok?” he asked.

“I’m fine, just starting to ache a bit again that’s all.” I answered, settling myself in on my side of the bed.

“Amy?” Thomas asked, as if seeing if I was still awake. “ How would you feel about taking a martial arts class to learn the basics of defending yourself in combat?” Honestly, I hadn’t considered it. It seemed like it would be so different than fighting my sister underwater, but maybe his idea had merit.

“If you think it will help….” I said as I started to fall asleep again, my body must have needed the rest to heal it’s self.

Thomas finished the football game, I must have stirred, because I remember him getting loud once more before the apartment got quiet. It was the quiet that eventually woke me, I was used to hearing everything outside my window, the cars on the street below, the sounds of the city, but it was quiet. The only sound to be heard, if you listened close enough was the hum of magic, as it hung on the window above me.

I looked for Thomas, but I didn’t see him. I stood alone and naked in the middle of my apartment, no sound save for the hum of magic all around me, my heart caught in my throat. I was sure that I was in the middle of yet another of the nightmares created by my sister, when a woman appeared seemingly from no where. I was unable to look upon her completely, her image wavered, she was the most beautiful of us I had ever seen. She was young, tall, her auburn hair fell to the floor in luxurious glowing curls, she had firm full breasts, she was slender at the waist with hips that made her appear to be hourglass in shape. She held in her hand a trident that seemed to be made of pure light, her arms were long and graceful as she reached a hand towards me as if reaching for my own. I was unable to resist, I offered my hand, as she placed her hand on mine, I could feel the sizzle of magic against my skin, and then she spoke to me.

“When the two armies collided in ancient times, there was such power that the sky turned red, the color of dark, dried blood.” Her face was serious, though I wasn’t sure I understood. “ The black clouds rode the sky, bringing the destruction of all that was ours.” She drew a breath, letting the smallest sigh escape her lips, a sound of disappointment, though I am certain it wasn’t in me. “My children once destroyed the very thing they loved in a quest for power and control.” She looked into my face, I tried to hold her gaze but had to turn my head for her beauty and light were befuddling to me. “ The whole world shook, as though it would fly apart, when the seas retreated, and the world became calm once more, it was gone.” She let my hand drop and held her hands to the sky. I looked up, I could see the sun high in the sky, the blueness of a warm summer’s day, I could feel the breeze blowing through my hair, a slight smell of ocean carrying on it. “The ocean took back what was given in love, because my children turned from me, from everything that they had been taught, Are you willing to be taught?” I could feel her eyes upon me, as though they were burning through to my very soul.

“Yes, Divine Mother, I am willing to be taught.” I held my head down, unable to gaze upon her brilliance in that moment.

“Then so shall it be!” with that she was gone, I looked over to see myself lying sleeping peacefully on the bed, starting to stir as if awakening.

I woke up to the smell of honeysuckle filling the apartment. It was my favorite scent, I could almost taste them on my tongue, I looked around, Thomas was on the Sofa, with the Sunday Times in front of him on the table, working the crossword from what I could tell. There was a basket with neatly folded clothing and linens near the door, he must have done the laundry while I was sleeping. I sat, for a while on the bed, just watching Thomas, trying to understand what She had meant by what She had told me. I had no desire for power, or control, I only wanted to be with Thomas, he was what I loved most in the world. I didn’t want to lose or destroy him in this quest to win him, because without him, I felt there was no purpose for me to compete for the throne. I let out a small sigh.

“Sleeping beauty awakens.” He chided, a small laugh coming from his lips. I smiled at him.

“Yes, I’m awake, as for being sleeping beauty, I guess that would be in the eye of the beholder.” I giggled, as I made my way to the edge of the bed, I stepped on to the floor, and knelt beside the bed, to find myself something to wear in the platform dress below it. I found myself a swim team sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, a sports bra, and a blue thong. I got dressed, bent down grabbed a pair of socks out of my drawer, and went to the sofa to sit down and pull them on. I turned my attention again to Thomas.

“So what did you want to do this afternoon?” I asked playfully knowing he’d said something about shopping. This earned me a questioning look, he was still worried about my wounds from the night before, but honestly, I’d never felt better.