Fractured Soul

Chapter 26: Answers Spelled Out

Roxas grabbed the edge of the table. He hated when Rin did this. Sometimes he wondered if his parents knew about Rin and her obsessions with curses. They definitely didn’t know about Mella’s curse…well…

Roxas could tell that Rin was pissed. She had been attacking Mella the entire time, the sunburst-shaped mark glowing bright then dimming, never fully going out. Not even a memory made the magic stop, Roxas thought as he left the library. It was probably why he started to feel the effects of his own curse. He looked down at his left wrist, where a spider-shaped mark was darkening. Roxas was running out of time.

He finally reached Rin’s rooms and barged in.

“Rin this has to stop! Enough with the curses.”

Rin set down the book she had been reading and stood. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. And so nice of you to knock too.”

Roxas glowered at her. “Cut the crap and grow up. You can’t keep taking your feelings out on people, and you won’t keep controlling me.”

Rin laughed coldly. “And I suppose you’ll be the one to stop me? You can barely control your own actions right now. You’re just a powerful puppet under my control.” She touched the pendant around her neck. His hand burned in response.

Roxas looked at his wrist again. I hate it when she’s right. “Fine, but leave Mella out of this. She doesn’t need to be a part of your power hunt. She gets that enough from Mom and Dad.”

Rin’s eyes narrowed. “Are you getting feelings for her? Have you forgotten that this is all happening because of her? Who’s side are you on?”

“I don’t have feelings for…for the fragment.” Roxas said gruffly. “I’m on your guys’ side, of course, and I know this is all happening because of it. But you, you heard Father. You aren’t supposed to mess with her like that.”

Rin sighed exasperatedly. “Fine, I’ll leave her be, but I’m still going to ‘train’ with her. Now go away. There’s only a couple more weeks until our next chance to fix things, and I need to make sure I can remember all this.” The rest of her words were harsh and rough sounding. Roxas felt a weird prickling sensation as the spider left his wrist.

Roxas left, feeling dread form in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t stand any more of this…

♥          ♥          ♥          ♥          ♥          ♥

How could he think this book is boring?

Mella had spent the rest of the afternoon and a good portion of the evening reading the book she had grabbed. It actually had been really helpful. Mella had learned a lot more about fire and water magic. She hadn’t been able to practice it for hours, as Rin continued to torment her through the mark on her shoulder.

Some things still didn’t make sense: what had happened with Roxas? He had been fine up until she had asked about Ivadona. What had even happened in Ivadona? She knew there was an attack on a temple, but that was about it.

Mella finished the section on water healing and turned the page:

Air

Wait…maybe Anya knows.  Mella shut the book and walked stiffly downstairs. Not even the things she knew and the spells from the book had completely healed the stab wounds form Rin. She passed the table where she and Roxas had been sitting. It was empty, except for a single book, marked in one place with a blue bookmark.

“‘Blue bookmarks lead to answers.’” Mella whispered to herself, and then went to pick it up. It was the book Rin had been reading the first day. Mella made a sound of disgust. “This isn’t helpful, highness.”