My Fate: From Within

Chapter 7

Enjoy!

^_^

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Morrigan sat on the chair, replaying the scene with Ravel in her head over and over again. She was so engrossed in the scene in her head, she barely heard the knock on the door.

Worried it wasn't China, Morrigan became invisible as she opened the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw China.

Morrigan let her in, locked it again, and made herself visible.

China pointed to the chair and Morrigan obeyed. She sat and China knelt in front of her, dabbing a cold, wet cloth against her face.

"You need to tell me what happened."

Morrigan closed her eyes. She didn't want to picture it again, but she couldn't look China in the eye either.

"So you can have something over me." Morrigan's voice sounded distant, hollow. Like all the life had been drained out of her.

"No." China replied quietly. "I think that whoever did this, needs to learn a lesson. They need to learn that they can't treat you like this. Treat us like this."

Morrigan opened her eyes. "Us?"

"Yes. Us. Whatever they do to one, they do to the other. We are tied together, you and I, whether we like it or not. We need to stick together if we are to survive."

Morrigan still didn't really want to talk about it, but she for once felt relieved she had China on her side. 

She sighed heavily, as though she was breathing her last breath.

"I'll tell you, but let's get this party over with first."

China gently dabbed her bloody lips. "Nearly everyone is here. We won't get another chance to be alone."

Morrigan was quiet while China finished cleaning her face, then started to examine her arms.

"I was in my room getting changed. I don't know why I didn't hear my door, but I didn't. I thought it was Skulduggery or Valkyrie or Anton. It wasn't. It was someone else." She took a deep breath and held it. "I turned around and Erskine Ravel was there. Staring at me."

China blinked at her. "Erskine? He did this to you?"

Morrigan lowered her eyes and nodded.

"I tried to walk away, but he grabbed me." She indicated her arms. "Then he..." Morrigan swallowed her tears and pointed to her lips. They felt swollen now. 

She shuddered as she released her breath. "I kicked him in the stomach and ran."

China shook head slightly. "I didn't think he was capable of something like this."

"It's ok if you don't believe me, China." Morrigan said in that hollow voice. "I barely believe it myself, and it happened to me."

"I believe you. The evidence is here." China slid her hand over the bruises on Morrigan's arms. "Unfortunately, I can't do anything about these."

Morrigan looked at her arms. The bruises had darkened since she first had seen them.

"It's ok. I think I might be able to..." She trailed off as she concentrated. She focused her invisibility on the bruises alone. 

She stood up and looked in the mirror. Her face was mostly back to normal. Her eyes were still red, but not as bad. The tear streaks had gone. Her lips weren't as swollen as they felt, no blood but did look like she had been chewing on them.

Her bruises had disappeared. Morrigan looked from the mirror to her arms. No, the bruises were definitely still there. She could see them, but they didn't show up in the mirror.

Morrigan turned to China.

"Ok. Let's get this over with."

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China escorted Morrigan out of the office, and to where Anton had set up the alcoholic drinks.

Morrigan saw there was small bottles of mixed whiskey and coca-cola, and grabbed one. She definitely needed a drink. 

She opened the bottle and drank fast.

China shook her head, but said nothing.

Morrigan stopped drinking and realized she finished the bottle.

"Oh. That was unintentional." She threw it into a bin that was next to the table and picked up another bottle.

China sighed. "Who do you know that's here?"

Morrigan looked around at the crowd of people.

She couldn't see Skulduggery, Valkyrie or Anton. She couldn't see Ravel either. She saw Fletcher, and pointed to him.

"I know him, but I don't know anyone else."

"You know me."

Morrigan jumped and turned to see Ghastly grinning at her. She grinned back and hugged him.

"You're as bad as Skulduggery doing that, you know." She scolded, pulling away from him.

Ghastly laughed, and looked to China.

"Ghastly."

"China."

Morrigan looked at them, hearing the cold tones, and shook her head.

"I'm not going to ask. Where's the music in this place? I need music. Loud music."

"Aren't you going to talk to people?" Ghastly looked at her with a concerned look. He had seen her scull that bottle.

"Nope. Music first, social later, drink now."

She walked away quickly before he had a chance to ask questions. She looked around for where Anton had put the stereo system.

She finally found it set up a few metres from the front doors, which had been opened. People still slowly flowed in. It seemed like a lot more people than written on a bit of paper.

Morrigan fiddled with the stereo until she found where to turn it on. She needed the music and the drinks. 

She didn't want to think tonight.

She found some music and put it on. 

She felt like she was being watched, but when she turned, there was no one there. She frowned, and then shrugged.

The first song that came on was very upbeat. A newer song, but she was ok with that. It made her want to dance.

Morrigan opened her bottle and had a couple of mouthfuls. She put the lid back on and started to dance.

She closed her eyes, pretended there was no one around and let her feet do what they wanted. She could feel the smile on her face, but didn't open her eyes again until the song had ended.

Morrigan noticed that nobody was staring at her. 

Skulduggery and Valkyrie had evidently arrived while she was dancing, but not even they were paying her any attention.

Good, she thought, last thing I need is for them to notice something is off with me.