Previous | Chapter Index | Next

?What the hell happened?? Sera asked when Ophelia and Sera reappeared in her room. ?You look terrible!?

?Ophelia shattered that weird spar thing,? Kira said. ?But the guard got off a lucky shot while she was doing it.?

?Shit!? Sera helped Kira sit Ophelia down on the bed. When Ophelia nodded Sera looked over at Kira with narrowed eyes. ?Will she? You said it was venomous??

?I’ll be okay.? Ophelia massaged her temples to try and sooth the developing headache. ?Someone gave me the antidote, which was strange.?

?Strange how?? Sera asked.

?Strange doesn’t even begin to cover it if you ask me,? Kira said. ?Alsia-ida appeared and gave us the antidote.?

?Once she moved Kira out of the way,? Ophelia added. ?She can be as stubborn as you, Sera.?

?Well, excuse me!? Kira didn’t really sound offended. ?I thought she was there to kill you. I still don’t understand why she saved you.?

?And we were right about her being the one who knocked me and Kira out the night before last as well,? Ophelia said.

?So we were right that she wasn’t trying to kill you.? Sera sounded thoughtful. ?Any idea what she wants yet??

?Not a clue,? Ophelia said.

?She’s weird,? Kira said. ?She told dad to just call her Alsia which is a huge breach of protocol. It’s a massive insult to address someone without their honorific unless you’re a friend. Not that we’d care about offending her but she honestly didn’t seem to care.?

?Hey! She saved my life,? Ophelia said. ?Being polite would hardly be a strain in return.?

?I suppose,? Kira conceded. ?But she didn’t seem to expect it. She said everyone calls her Alsia. She’s not at all what I expected. I almost like her.?

?The Key likes her,? Ophelia said.

?What do you mean?? Kira asked.

?Just that.?

?Well it as an opinion on everything doesn’t it?? Sera said.

?Yeah,? Kira said. ?It does. It’s odd because it never did before. It mostly just did its job and never had much to say on the issue.?

?I see.? Ophelia pulled on her pyjamas with effort. She wanted to ask what Kira meant by mostly but the pounding in her head was getting worse. She looked over at the camp bed but it seemed a very long way away. ?Could you help me to the bed please? My legs still won’t support me.?

?Of course.? Kira lopped an arm around Ophelia’s shoulders and helped her the few steps to the bed. Ophelia collapsed on it with a relieved groan.

?My head aches.?

?You’re still sick,? Kira said. ?Dad says it’ll last a day or so. I don’t think you should come to school in this state. They’ll think you’re contagious.?

?It feels like a bad bout of flu,? Ophelia agreed. ?But I don’t want to worry my mother. She’s not well.?

?She’ll be more worried if you collapse at school, Phelia.? Sera turned to Kira. ?You’d better hide. I’m going to wake mum and tell her Phelia is sick.?

Previous | Chapter Index | Next