Chapter Ten

Leah felt as if she’d only just fallen asleep before the sounds of her friends talking awoke her. She feigned sleep, her mind still rebelling against the previous night’s horror. Someone shook her blanketed foot.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.”

She recognised Nadeen’s voice but remained still. The voices faded, indicating they were moving towards the washrooms.

Opening her eyes, Leah hurriedly shut them with a small cry. Slowly, she opened them again. All she could see were bright, flashing, streamer-like ribbons of light. They flew around and through her, flaring so brightly like they were about to burst into flame and take her with them. Squeezing her eyes shut again, she held the covers close to her chin, wondering if her mind was unravelling after last night.

Pressing her lips together, she forced her eyes to open. Writhing before her, like four giant serpents, were what appeared to be the largest of the ribbons. They wrapped themselves around her; her head felt like it was about to explode. She was vaguely aware of voices drawing closer.

“Leah. What’s wrong?”

“What is happening?”

Recognising the voices, she tried to call out to Jessalyn and Nadeen, to scream for them to help her but no sound issued from her lips.

“Get a physician.”

Her vision cleared; Leah saw her friends. But their forms shimmered, shifted continually. Nothing seemed solid. The bed, the chair, the table... everything glowed. Moaning, she raised her hands to cover her face. But even her hands no longer possessed definite shape and shimmered slightly instead. Unable to comprehend what she was seeing, unable to take the searing pain in her head, Leah lost consciousness. 

*          *          *          *

“You’re still quite pale,” said Brice, the royal physician. His hand brushed Leah’s brow. “Are you feeling any better?”

“A little. It was a bad headache, sir, that’s all.”

“That’s all? In my experience, it takes more than a bad headache to make a usually healthy child wake up to pain bad enough to make her faint. Not to mention your hair...”

No one could offer a reasonable explanation as to why a swathe of hair on the left side of Leah’s head had turned white overnight.

“I’m not a child.” Leah’s attempts to smile failed. Propped up in a bed at the Sanctuary of Healing, she found herself unable to look the physician in the eye. She was still struggling to get used to perceiving all around her in this strange new way. But thank the goddess no one had discovered those horrible marks on her arms.

“I’ll let you rest now, Highness, I’ll look in on you later.”

Leah realised she wanted her mother by her side, to keep the ‘bad things’ away. Yet she could not deny the part of her that was relieved her mother wasn’t here. Leah felt dirty, not fit to be around good, decent people. She wondered how long she could be allowed to remain in the Sanctuary. Alone.

But at least she now knew what was happening, ever since she’d come to and found herself in the Sanctuary being examined by Brice…

Without warning his voice had deepened as he stood, seemingly frozen.
   “You are now connected to the world power,” said the frighteningly familiar voice from the night before. “Soon magic will be second nature to you. What you saw at the beginning, those were energy patterns. They surround every one of you, but only those with magic are able to perceive them. Already you are superior to other mortals. Already you ‘see’ others differently. The shimmering outline is the aura. You will learn to study a mortal’s aura, feel the energy patterns closest to them. Then you will know their thoughts, gauge their actions... change them to please you. Enjoy the new sensations.”
   A deep, throaty chuckle echoed around her. Then Brice had blinked before shrugging and completing his examination. 

*          *          *          *

Leah heard footsteps approaching and realised she knew who it was. She couldn’t see who was coming; it was more a case of being able to ‘feel’ the person’s outline to build up a mental picture. Excitement made her tremble.

The person hesitated outside her door; Leah could feel his uncertainty. For a second, she considered faking sleep but then sat up and waited.

Slowly the door opened, and Conor peered in. “Is it safe to come in?”

Leah shrugged. “I suppose...” She raised her brow at the small posy of flowers in his hand.

He stared as if seeing them for the first time. “For... I thought you might...” Brandishing them at her, he lay them on the small table. He fidgeted, avoiding eye contact. After an age, he said, “How are you feeling?”

“Better. My head doesn’t hurt so much.”

“What happened? The girls were really scared when they told us.”

“They think I’ve been working too hard... exhaustion.”

He stared. “But your hair–”

“I don’t know what happened to my hair, Conor. No one does.” She dropped her gaze down to her hands, lying on the covers. “I’m surprised you came.”

He sounded hurt when he answered. “You’re still my friend, Leah.”

“I’m not sorry, you know.”

“I didn’t come for an apology. Well, actually, I want to. Apologise, I mean. I didn’t realise... I never meant any harm, Leah. The teasing, it was my way of having fun. And you never seemed to mind before. But I guess I took it too far. Carried it on for too long...”

His sincerity melted her heart. Meeting his gaze, she saw her reflection in his blue eyes and felt herself being drawn in. Her hand rose hesitantly, almost of its own volition, as she was seized by a sudden desire to run her fingers through his hair.

Conor returned her stare, frowning slightly. Then his focus sharpened, his hand rose as if in reply to hers. “Leah...” His voice was no more than a whisper.

Aware of what she was about to do, Leah pulled back and clasped her hands together as if she’d lost all faith in them. She shut her eyes, afraid they might betray her. Afraid they already had. Don’t be nice to me, she begged silently. Please don’t be nice.

He brushed the back of her hand.

I could make you love me, couldn’t I? Love only me and forget her completely; the deliciously forbidden thought crept into her mind. “No,” she cried, instantly denying it.

“What?” He flinched, taking a step back.

Leah stared at him, not knowing if she could trust herself. “Please leave.”

“But can’t we talk?”

“Go.”

Blinking rapidly, he nodded. “I’ll go... if that’s what you want. I came to apologise, and I’ve done that. But if you want to continue to behave like a... a...” He shook his head. “Maybe it’s because you’re unwell, I don’t know. You may not think of me as a friend anymore, but my feelings haven’t changed, Leah. Not one bit.”

And then he was gone, and Leah was left staring at the closed door. “Oh, Conor,” she whispered, “don’t you see? I want your feelings for me to change...” Falling back against her pillow, she covered her face with her arm and gave in to her tears.