The Last Healer

Chapter 32: Ariella

Chapter 32 Ariella

"There is no way I am going to let you slash me!" Michael shouted, jumping up, the chair crashing into the wall behind him. His eyes glared at Shanae, her long blond hair flew behind her as she jumped towards him. Her hand gripped the knife tightly as lashed out at him.

"Oh come on, she needs to practice!" Shanae laughed as she chased him around the garden.

Alexander sat beside me and shook his head. "Is there a reason why it has to be him?" He asked as his eyes glanced over to me.

"This is just Shanae's way to pester her brother." Calida shrugged before pushing herself off the ground, her black hair whipping around her as she turned on her heel. "I'm leaving."

"How come?" Isabella jumped up, her hands latching on to Calida's right arm. "I'm sure Peter will volunteer!"

"That's not the point." Calida grumbled as she jerked her arm away.

"Then what is the problem?" Peter demanded as he shoved himself up, his eyes narrowed darkly. His light brown hair ruffled slightly in the wind as his muscles tightened in irritation.

"We've been at this for two weeks?" Cora sighed, her eyes looking away from me.

"Two weeks and what has been accomplished?" Calida shouted, her fists tightened as her eyes flashed in anger.

"A lot." Alexander growled, his hand tightened around mine.

"I'm s-" Alexander's hand squeezed mine tightly.

"Considering how the training used to be, we're making great timing." Shanae smiled as she skipped towards us, her arm hanging over Calida's shoulders. "It took the Healers years to learn everything and we're asking Ariella to do it quickly. The fact that we've made it halfway through the first book in a couple weeks is remarkable."

"It's not fast enough!" Calida screamed. "Every day someone dies! She has the Power to save them, but we're here playing around, teaching her something she should have learned years ago!"

"Now that's not fair!" Shanae shouted, her voice shrieking in the air.

"No, she's right." My voice was soft as I stood up, slipping my hand away from Alexander's. "I know that there are people dying. I know I have the Power, but I don't know how to use it. I'm trying."

"Trying isn't saving our people!" Calida's eyes narrowed dangerously before she jerked away from Shanae.

"Trying is the best that she can do." Shanae snapped. She jumped in front of Calida, her blond hair flying around her. "We all have people we want Healed, people we want to live, but this isn't something that she can do on her own! Ariella needs us to help her!"

"I-" Once again, Alexander's hand clung onto mine as he jumped up and pulled me closer.

"If this is not going fast enough for you, then you are the one who needs to wake up." He glared at her, his eyes flashing red. "Ariella is fighting a battle that none of you know about! She is trying her hardest to learn, fighting against the pain and years of lies so that she can help our people! None of us learned about our Powers over night! None of us could even if we wanted to! Ariella has to do that with no real teachers!" I stared at Alexander in surprise in horror while the others stared at him in confusion. A moment of silence passed before Alexander set his shoulders, standing up as straight as he could. "We're done for today." His hand tightened around mine as he dragged me behind him and out of the garden.

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The cries from the injured downstairs never ended. They were calling for me to help them, begging for a relief, and mocking me for being unable to help them. Calida's words echoed in my mind. She was right. I had the Power to save them. If I had the knowledge of it, then I would. I wanted to. But I couldn't.

My eyes floated over the empty room.

If I thought my parents were busy before the last attack, I could only imagine how bad it would be now. My arms wrapped around my middle as I curled up on the couch. How often did I read over the book? How often did I try to memorize the steps for each chapter? So why wasn't it enough?  Why couldn't I learn faster?

A loud knock on the door yanked me from my thoughts and I found myself blinking at it in confusion. The knock came again and I sighed as I pulled myself off the couch and walked towards the door. Pulling it open, I stared at Shanae and Isabella, both of them had a small smile on their lips. Isabella carried a small basket with a blanket over the top of it while Shanae held a book in her arms.

"Hello." My cheeks flushed with humiliation as I stared at both of them.

"May we talk?" Shanae asked, giving me a humiliated look.

"O-oh, of course." Stepping out of the way, I motioned for the two of them to walk in. Isabella's hand brushed my cheek as she walked passed before slipping her shoes off beside mine. We walked over to the couches and I sat down on the one facing the door.

"My mother made some cookies so I brought some to eat." Isabella smiled softly as she lifted the blanket off the top.

"I can go make some tea or get some water." I offered as stood up.

"I'll help!" Shanae laughed as she jumped up and fell in step behind me. I led her into the kitchen and I walked over to the cooler, pulling out a small jug of water. Shanae grabbed a few freshly washed glasses from the counter and we walked back out to Isabella.

Carefully, I poured water in the glasses as Isabella passed out a few of the cookies. Moments passed as we sat in silence, nibbling on the chocolate chip cookies, and sipping water. The two of them kept glancing at each other, almost as if they were competing about who should speak first. With every passing second, I grew uncomfortable, worried about what they wanted.

"There's a reason why we came." Isabella smiled sadly, placing her hands in her lap as she broke the silence.

"We wanted to know what Alexander meant." Shanae leaned back on the couch to my right, her eyes staring at me. "You know, when he said you were fighting a battle that we didn't know?"

"And about the pain." Isabella added, her cheeks flushing softly. "It just didn't make sense and we thought it would be best to ask you."

"Plus, I knew where you lived." Shanae smiled as me and I giggled softly. She leaned forward and pulled herself up off the couch and sat next to me. "Please, tell me, what did he mean?"

"He meant a few things." My voice was soft as I spoke, careful to not say too much.

"Will you tell us?" Isabella persisted, her eyes pleading. Shanae's hand slipped into mine and encased it. She smiled encouragingly and I realized that they cared.

First I got a family, then god parents, then I met Alexander, and now I had these two.

A moment passed before I nodded and I told them everything.