Smoke and Mirrors (17)

Seventeen

A Matter of Sneezing

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It had been a week since Seraphina’s arrest. No sign of the unicorn horn. The guards from all around the kingdoms had searched the Weeping Stones, and even the Fire Lands. Not a clue to its location was found.

Seraphina was being held in special dungeons that were run by a combination of shadow, winter, and water guards to make sure it was difficult for her to use her powers. The cell, according to Father, was mostly filled with water and ice.

“Why are the shadow guards there?” I asked.

“Extra prevention,” he replied.

“How do shadows help anything?”

He glanced at me and looked back at the document he was signing--something about keeping his guards at Seraphina’s prison. “The shadow people have a way of paralyzing a victim by using the shadows inside us. The stronger a shadow Talent is, the more they can do. Some can even control movement, like a puppeteer.”

I shivered in my throne, which was fixed beside his. It was new, and built from shimmering blue gems and jagged crystals. At the top, as if it was a dooming reminder of my fate, was Sterling’s twisted, bird-like family crest. It was as if I would always be forced to live under his shadow. Too bad I couldn’t control shadows.

I stood up and began to boredly pace the floor. Suddenly, a sneeze tore itself from my lips.

Father raised an eyebrow. “Excuse you.”

I ducked my head, unsure of how to respond. “Thanks. . . ?”

Suddenly. I sneezed again.

Water shot out around me like a thousand rain droplets piercing the air. They splashed against the glass walls of the room and dripped down like rain.

I blinked and looked at father. Why did he spray me?!

He dropped his pen and it clattered hollowly against the marble desk. His mouth went slack as he watched me, then it formed into a grin. “You--you did it! You used Water!”

This time, it was my turn to drop my mouth. “I did?!” I sneezed again and fire burst in waves of heat around me.

His eyes widened and he shrunk back. “You--um--you did.” He squinted at me, as if I was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out. “We need to get that checked out.” He raised a finger and shot a stream of water at a curtain hanging on the wall, which I hadn’t realised had just caught fire.

I swallowed.

***

“Well, she seems to be in perfect health.” The doctor stood from his chair. He was a thin man, dressed in a cape instead of a doctor’s coat like I was familiar with. He had a slight sheen of silvery whiskers over his chin that shined when they hit the light. Oh, and his clinic in the castle smelled like cloves. “There is one problem though.”

I swung my legs and jumped down from the observation table I’d been sitting on.

Father raised his bushy eyebrows. “Well? What is it?”

He pursed his lips and ran his long fingers over a series of bottles. Some sparkled with an orb of light inside, some hummed quietly, and some looked like normal pills. I was curious about what they were. “Her powers are growing stronger.” His grey eyes shimmered with an undetectable emotion as he eyed me. “Both of them.”

I inhaled sharply. What did that mean?

Father voiced my question. “What does that mean? Will she be okay?”

He shrugged. “Yes, your Highness. Nothing to worry about as far as she goes, but the people may. . .”--He threw a worried glance at me and looked away--”May fear her.” He looked back at me. “Young Princess, have you. . . well, how long ago did you start using your power? Can you remember?”

I thought back to when I’d blasted Sterling’s guards with fire. “A little over a week ago, Sir.”

He hummed in thought. “That would do it. The average Talented child has this kind of thing when they’re young. Some are through with this phase before they’re considered a toddler. But if you’ve never used your power all this time. . .” He trailed off and shook his head. “There’s really no telling how strong you could be once this is all done. Sneezing is just your Talent’s way of developing itself.”

I looked at father, scanning his face--which was starting to wrinkle, especially in the forehead--for a reaction.

“The people won’t understand,” he whispered softly, almost to himself.

The doctor nodded gravely. “In my opinion, it’s best that you get this problem fixed immediately.”

I winced at being called a problem. I knew what he meant, but it still stung a bit. What made it worse was the way he kept quickly glancing at me, as if I was going to lash out with both of my powers at any moment.

--Which actually might have happened because I had to sneeze again.

I quickly ran from the room and sneezed, which shot a wave of water into the hallway. It surged forward until it hit the end of the hall, then it smacked against the glass and rolled back towards me, where it settled in a puddle of water on the floor. Well, the puddle was nearly up to my ankles, so maybe it was slightly more than a puddle, but still.

I needed to get better at holding sneezes in.

The doctor stayed noticeably behind my father when I entered the room again. I sighed. “Is there something I can take to control this? Just for a while?”

The doctor shook his head and slowly stepped out from behind father. “No, your Highness. I’m sorry. This is a natural thing that must be left to do it’s own thing until you can get your Talent sorted out.”

I groaned. “Which I can’t do until I get that stupid horn back.”

When father and I returned to the throne room without any real answers, I hugged myself and sat on my throne.

Father might not have wanted me to search for the horn myself, but something had to be done, and I couldn’t help feeling that Seraphina was the best place to start. Plus, I knew where they were holding her prisoner. It was a little ways away from us though, and if I forgot the pathway I’d need a guide.

Light from the fixtures in the ceiling shimmered on the sea of glass and water before our thrones.

Soon, I would have a little talk with my aunt.

I sneezed again and melted the pen on father’s desk. Ink dribbled down the pristine, white marble and dripped onto the floor, bleeding into the water I’d left before and fading into a lighter color.

“Sorry, Father.”

Actually, I’d have to have that talk with Seraphina tomorrow.