A Flutter of the Soul
3 3
Daisy has never taken pleasure in visiting the infirmary, and she finds it worse when she’s required to stay overnight for safekeeping.
The medicine administered made her incredibly woozy, along with the ample amount of blood taken from her veins.
Blinking herself awake, still slightly lightheaded, Daisy turns to the other side of her bed where Clarence is asleep in an armchair. His face is pushed up against the arm, and a tiny amount of spit is dribbling out from the corner of his mouth.
“Clarence.” Daisy hisses out.
He moves in his seat but doesn’t open his eyes. More like he’s just readjusting himself to get more comfortable in his sleep.
Daisy moves closer to the edge of the bed. “Clarence, wake up.”
Reaching out her arm, she shakes him awake.
His head thrashes from side to side with alarm before landing on her. He leans forward in the seat, holding onto her hand. “You’re awake, finally.”
“What do you mean, finally?” Daisy questions him.
Clarence pulls out his pocket watch to check the time. “It’s almost evening. You have been out for nearly an entire day.”
“An entire day,” she echoes softly, “I remember my blood being taken and father gave me something for the pain and it made me so drowsy. ”
Clarence nods, looking at her arm, which remains wrapped up in a bandage. “May I?” nodding to it.
Nodding, Clarence removes the wrapping to see that her cut has completely healed. Daisy sighs in relief when she sees. “I guess you can leave now, if you are feeling well enough.”
“I am,” nodding enthusiastically, “I don’t want to stay in here a second longer than I need to.”
“Come on, then.”
Clarence gets her out of the bed and Daisy dresses into a change of clothes her mother had left for her earlier this afternoon. It’s a basic cream coloured blouse and navy skirt.
She follows Clarence out of the Ascendancy. Dusk coats the streets as they step out, and wintry air stings at her flesh. Feeling his hand take hers, Clarence guides her away from the familiar building towards the city.
“Did you go to the docks just to have my amulet made?” she looks to him for his answer.
Clarence strides close to her, his gaze focused ahead. “I did,” sucking in a low breath, “Kora went for a different reason.”
Two lines appear between Daisy’s brows. “What was that reason? She didn’t tell me anything.”
Clarence drops his voice slightly. “She went to speak with an Augur and found out that she’s a descendant of Uriel, hence why she has heightened abilities.”
“That’s why she’s always been so different to us. So much more advanced.”
Clarence nods to her. “She also found out about her twin brother, Colton. Our parents told me Colton died at three weeks of age, but I don’t think that’s true anymore.”
Daisy’s mouth drops open. “A twin.” Her head shaking in disbelief. “How come I didn’t know about any of this?”
“I never told Kora. Will said not to, so we kept it a secret. ”
Her shoulders sink. “You kept that from her. Clarence, she should have known.”
“I know. I know, I should have told her. But I just want to keep her safe. And now all she is thinking about is Colton and Uriel. It’s consuming her in the way I always thought it would if she found out.”
She glances at him sideways. “I know you want to protect her, but she’s strong and capable.”
He looks across at her, meeting her gaze. “She is.”
“So, why did she go to see an Augur after all this time?”
“Jordan wounded her during training.” Mutters Clarence.
Daisy’s eyes widen in response. “He managed to injure her. He must be just as skilled. Either that or Kora was distracted somehow.”
“Distracted? I don’t think anything is strong enough to distract Kora when she is training. I’ve seen her look of determination when I’m training with her. It’s strong enough to wound someone on its own.”
Daisy scoffs. “Everyone is distracted by something, especially a handsome-looking boy.” And she winks at him.
Clarence smirks, chuckling lightly. “I have never thought about Kora falling for anyone. In my eyes, she will always be my little sister.”
“She’s still that, but she’s not a child anymore. Us ladies have our eyes set on men majority of the time. That’s just our feminine nature.”
“I need to stop thinking she’s still a little girl, then.” Clarence murmurs beside her.
Nodding at him, Daisy agrees, “I think you should. She seems very capable of handling herself now.”
The rest of their walk is filled with light chatter and Clarence pointing out mundane things like the architecture of certain buildings or the best sweets to buy from the confectionery store.
Daisy tries her best to seem as intrigued as Clarence is, but her mind keeps wandering back to Kora. How could she not have told her what was happening? Hiding how she has hidden abilities and special blood from her for all these years. It’s the fact that Jordan knew before her is what stings Daisy’s heart the most.
* ? * ? *
“Another gin?” Matthew asks Kora as they sit around the wobbly wooden table. The Sage is buzzing this evening. Crowded with all sorts of Marked kinds, voices shout over the musical instruments playing from the corner of the room, glasses clink together while more drinks are being poured. The sticky smell of alcohol fills the air. It’s chaotic in the best kind of way.
She nods to Matthew as he stands and swipes her empty glass. Lewis asked for them all to meet here this evening, so she, Alice, Matthew and Jordan left the Ascendancy together after training. Kora knows she’ll need to contact Uriel soon, but the thought makes her nerves hum with anxiety. What if she finds out something she doesn’t want to know? It’s the unknown that is making her gut roil uneasily.
Jordan sips on a glass of brew while speaking with Levi and Melody.
They’re talking about Levi’s latest assignment he was sent on this morning to speak with a Spellcaster coven about selling enchantments illegally registered at the docks. Supposedly they had deathly side effects for Shifters. Alice sits quietly in her seat, her emerald eyes wide as she takes in the tavern scene for the very first time.
Kora isn’t concentrating enough to listen to the full story, her mind wandering elsewhere, so she gets up from the table and follows Matthew over to the bar where Violet is filling their glasses.
“Thank you, darling.” Matthew says, winking to Violet as she hands him two drinks filled to the brim.
“Anything for you, my love.” The barmaid chimes in a sultry tone and sashays to the other side of the bar to wait on another man .
Kora looks at Matthew, who is grinning widely. “You are such a sweet talker.” Grabbing her gin off the timber bar top and downing a gulp.
“I can’t help it. The ladies adore me.” He answers proudly.
Kora just rolls her eyes before sipping more of her drink. Matthew does the same with his lemonade. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up to his elbows, and Kora catches sight of the pink scar running along his forearm. She’s never seen it before. She’d remember if she did, and their bodies don’t normally scar since they heal fast enough.
Setting her glass down, Kora’s fingers lightly graze the imperfection and Matthew pulls away, frowning at her. “What are you doing, Kora?”
“You have a scar.” Her voice sounding both curious and concerned.
She tries looking again, but he hastily rolls his sleeve down, concealing it from her eyes. “It’s nothing.”
“What did you do? I haven’t seen that before.”
“Training.” He answers quickly. Too quickly .
Kora’s eyes narrow onto his as Matthew sips on his drink again, his gaze clearly avoiding hers. “Was it your father?” her voice is hushed now.
Matthew bites his bottom lip nervously, eyes searching the space surrounding them. “Don’t say anything, Kora.” He grits out lowly. His jaw clamped so tight his teeth might snap in half.
“Matthew…” she breathes out, her heart sinking in her chest.
His head falls forward, as if in defeat. Longer brown hair dangles down his forehead and temples. “He was going to hurt Alice. I had to stop him, but the glass cut my arm.”
“Glass!”
“Shh.” Matthew hisses at her, his emerald eyes glacial, telling her to keep her voice down. “It happened days ago. I’m fine. She’s fine. It’s nothing you need to worry about.”
“I worry because you’re my friend,” Kora whispers back to him .
“I know, but it’s not your problem, Kora.”
“But if he’s hurting you,”
“I said I’m fine. I’m handling it right now.”
He pulls away from the bar, but Kora grabs a hold of him, halting Matthew in his tracks, “You told me that if it was bad, you’d tell me. This is bad, Matthew.”
His eyes don’t meet hers. They’re focused on the ground as water prickles them. He blinks the tears away, not wanting to be overcome with his emotions in front of everyone. “I’ll never forgive myself if he does something to her. She’s too young and fragile. She’s all that I have left. I need to protect from all of this. One of us should at least have a painless upbringing, and I want it to be her.”
Kora swallows the lump in her throat, her own eyes blurring back at his. “If he does it again, please tell me. You shouldn’t have to deal with this either. It’s not fair on you.”
Matthew nods slowly, drinking more of his drink. His gaze focused on his little sister sitting timidly as Jordan and Melody talk with her. He’s grateful for all of his friends, even though most of them don’t see what he’s dealing with each time he steps into his home.
“Thank you, Kora. I don’t deserve you.” He murmurs quietly.
Her hand is still on his arm, and she squeezes it tightly. “You deserve happiness and safety, Matthew. Everyone does. Come on, let’s sit with our friends and forget about everything for a few minutes. My mind could use a break as well.”
They go to return to their table when Kora catches sight of her brother and Daisy walking into the Sage.
She pushes through the crowd to run into Daisy’s arms. “You’re awake.”
“I am,” Daisy bristles in her arms, “and you better start talking.”
Kora rears back to look up into her friend’s familiar frown. “About what?” her tone sharpening.
“I’ll be over there.” Clarence tells them and disappears before Kora can question him .
She looks back at Daisy, who has a dark brow arched up at her. “What?”
“You didn’t tell me about your twin brother. About your abilities.”
Kora feels all of her blood draining from her face. Her head is suddenly feeling dizzier. Her eyes flick between Daisy’s garnet ones as she laces their hands together and pulls Daisy into the storeroom of the bar.
They come in here when they want to have a private, undisturbed conversation. The barmaids don’t use it often enough.
Daisy crosses her arms, waiting for Kora to explain as she shuts the door. It’s tight in here and there’s only a small window which barely illuminates the room enough to show the entirety of Daisy’s irritated expression. “I didn’t tell anyone. Only Clarence knows.”
“And Jordan…” Daisy blanches.
Kora groans, rubbing her forehead. “I didn’t plan on that happening. He hurt me in training. He found out because he saw it himself. I didn’t tell you because Clarence told me not to tell anyone.”
“I’m your best friend, you should have told me!” She snaps.
“I know, all right. I know we don’t keep things from each other.”
A flicker of something crosses Daisy’s face. Guilt possibly? Hurt maybe? Kora can’t quite understand what it is. “I can keep a secret, you know.” Daisy breathes out.
Kora nods. “I know you can. I’m sorry.”
Daisy licks her lips, nodding in response before embracing her once more, this time harder, like she’s trying to swallow Kora whole. Her gaze studies the golden blade sheathed behind her, the gilded hilt gleaming despite the dimness of the storeroom. Its energy is overpowering.
Kora pulls away, and Daisy manages a sly smile. “So, how did he distract you?”
“How do you know he distracted me?” Kora asks, her cheeks pinking .
Daisy’s smile broadens. “Because I know you. You fight like nothing I’ve seen before. Your focus is unmatched. And you’re more skilled than anyone else, so somehow, Jordan distracted you.”
Kora bites the corner of her mouth while smirking. “He was shirtless.” Her voice is barely audible.
Daisy’s chuckle is so loud and bubbly it forces Kora to laugh as well. Her friend slings an arm around her shoulders. “I knew it. You fancy him.”
“Possibly.”
Daisy giggles, pushing the door open to the boisterous tavern again. Lewis and Valarie must have arrived while the two of them were in there talking.
“For what it’s worth, I think he fancies you too,” Daisy whispers, winking down at Kora before they head back over to their friends.
“All right, so why did you ask us all to come here tonight, Lewis?” Matthew questions once Kora and Daisy join everyone at the table.
Lewis looks almost nervous, biting the inside of his lip impatiently as his eyes scour the room. “All right. Everyone out the back. I have something to show you.”
Looking at each other questioningly, Daisy and Kora follow the others past the bar, through the narrow hallway leading to the back of the tavern. In all of their years of coming to the Sage, Kora never knew there was a back part.
A battered old door swings open to the small, intimate garden. Stone seats carved amongst the flowerless plants. Candles scattered around the space, alight and flickering gently. There isn’t much of a breeze tonight, which Lewis is grateful for. Violet was kind enough to help him set up the area, using her powers to light the wicks all at once.
“What are we doing out here, Lewis?” Melody asks on behalf of everyone.
Gulping, Lewis tells them all to sit as he stands in front of them, his knee bouncing as he waits for them to settle .
Kora swears she can see sweat sliding down his face he’s that stricken with nerves.
“Thank you all for coming.” Lewis begins, clearing his throat as his golden eyes scan the confused faces of his friends. His gaze stops on Jordan’s, whose arms are crossed, and a brow is raised on his forehead. He already knows why Lewis wanted them all to come.
Swallowing the growing lump in his throat, Lewis holds his hand out for Valarie to join him.
She jumps off the stone seat to stand in front of him, her younger face lit up with excitement. He’s not entirely sure she’s aware of his plan. Taking a moment to focus solely on her, Lewis grins, his leg stilling as he takes her hand in his. It’s soft and small, yet perfectly fits into his rough one.
“Ari. I still remember when I first laid eyes on you at the Oxford Ascendancy. In the library, in fact. I strolled in, needing a moment to myself after spending the entire morning listening to Matthew complain about how bumpy the carriage ride was from London…”
“You were complaining as well!” Matthew calls out from his seat. Clarence shakes his head in his direction, a smile threatening to spread across his face.
Lewis shoots him a glare, but Matthew just smirks at him encouragingly.
“I saw you in there, reading quietly to yourself beside the fireplace. The first thing that caught my eye was your fiery hair.” His fingers reach up, twirling some of her golden-red stands around, enthralled in its silkiness. “I didn’t want to bother you, so I went to the shelves, pulling off a book about herbal medicines and sat on the floor, leaning against the bookcases. You must have heard me, because you called out, telling me to join you on the lounge.
“I sat beside you and couldn’t help but think you were the most exquisite thing I’d ever seen. Your deep blue eyes. Your golden skin and puffy pink lips that smiled at me so pleasantly. And so, we read beside each other for hours until you finished your book .
“And I just knew at that moment I needed to learn everything I could about you. And I’m so glad that I did, Valarie, because I think you are the best person I’ve found in my life.”
He reaches into his trouser pocket as Daisy grabs onto Kora’s arm, gasping softly.
Lewis pulls out the small golden ring that shines in the evening light.
Kora bites her bottom lip as her mouth curls upwards into an unabashed smile, her single dimple showing.
Valarie’s gaze follows his down, her delicate hand covering the bottom half of her angular face, eyes glassing over as Lewis holds out the delicate emerald gilded ring between his fingers.
Lewis clears his throat, his words shaking with nerves as he asks her, “Valarie Carter. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife and making me an incredibly happy man?”