Chapter Twenty-Five – A day in Likosa’s world
Chapter Twenty-Five – A day in Likosa’s world
~Shontae~
I woke up hours later in a bed of pink. After Likosa finished with me in the pool, she led me through the door at the back of the cave.
It shocked me to find the coziest home on the other side.
It felt like the door had transported us to a different world, because outside of her windows were snow-covered mountains that reminded me of Cadence’s hideaway.
In the distance, I saw Sire flying freely, her feather lit up with a fire she couldn’t allow to burn freely on Earth.
“She looks so happy,” I whispered.
“I told you she would be okay,” Likosa said as she grabbed my hand, leading me down the hall into her bedroom. There, she handed me a nightgown to wear, and when I slipped it over my head, she kissed my cheek and wrapped a thin blue robe around my shoulders.
“Blue?” I raised a brow.
“It’s your favorite, right?”
“Well, yes.”
“Just because I like pink doesn’t mean I’d force you to wear it.” She patted me on the butt. “Now, come on. I have soup for you.”
She fed me a wonderful soup full of flavors I couldn't describe but that made my insides warm, my mind race, and my heart flutter.
Suddenly, I felt calm. She paired that with a ginger tea, sharp but a perfect combination.
While we ate, we said nothing. We shared occasional glances, but I mostly watched Sire outside the window.
When our soup was done, she led me to the bedroom, where we lay together. It was a soft time, a quiet that my heart needed, and before long, I fell asleep in her arms.
I woke to find Likosa still sleeping beside me.
Her braids looked perfect, and I found myself inspecting the pink and black protective style with a questioning eye.
How the hell did she keep them looking so perfect?
I’d never seen her wrap them or anything, and yet, it looked like she’d just walked out of the braider’s kitchen!
“Did you find what you’re looking for?” she asked, and I froze.
Busted!
“Sorry, I was just admiring your hair.”
“You’ve seen my hair, Shontae. It’s the same as it’s been since I met you.”
“That’s exactly my point! Not a frizz in sight! Does your water magic help with that?”
“I—” She frowned at me. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I feel amazing, but I need your secret. I’ve been thinking of growing my hair out, which would mean braids, but they get so bad with me working out. Hair frizzes up overnight!” I waved my fingers around my head. “Come on, tell me your secrets.”
Likosa laughed as she sat up. “Maybe one day. But right now, I need to know how you are.”
“You mean my power?” I nodded. “Likosa, I feel good. Really. More secure than ever and somehow more at peace, even though I’m in another world. I’m settled inside, and that’s a peace I thought I would never achieve. So, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled.
“Now explain to me what happened in that pool, and what were those watery figures?”
“First, I have to say something. When we first kissed, I believe we swapped some of our energy. I don’t know how it happened, but that was the problem I needed to solve.
Using the waters from my home and the ritual I discovered, I pulled our traded energies into those talismans.
That’s what they were: simple replicas of us.
Through them, what belonged to you returned to you, and what belonged to me returned to me. ”
“I guess that explains why I saw our energy move into the bodies and then blend.” The entire event was a light show! Energy moved in and out of our bodies so much, it was hard to keep track of.
“There is something else. Through my research, I’ve learned how to use the water to tap into people’s true potential and unlock it,” she explained.
“You may find you can do things now that you never have before, or that your existing abilities have been enhanced. Think about how you can change the energy in a room. I believe if you wanted to, you could stretch your abilities across the world. Of course, I may be overestimating because of how infatuated I’ve become with you. ”
“Infatuated?” I blew her a kiss. “I don’t know what this means, honestly, but I do know I feel amazing. I’d stopped trying to stretch my abilities beyond the point of comfort. There were a few things I had discovered along the way that I'd never wanted to do again, so I stopped altogether.”
“Understandably, fear sometimes holds us back from reaching our true potential.” She pulled my hand into hers.
“I thought that only applied to my business.” I laughed as her fingers danced across my palm.
“It applies to all areas of life.”
“What happens now?” I asked, glancing out the window, hoping to see Sire, but she was nowhere to be found.
“If you're up for it, I thought we would spend a little time in my world. I mean, I was on Earth for quite some time, and I'm in no rush to get back. I know you have work to do but, you have to admit, the air is fresher here. I’m sure it will be good for you.”
“Okay,” I flipped her braid over her shoulder. “Not too much on my Earth.”
“Oh, so now it's your Earth. Does it belong to you?” she pondered. “If that is the case, why haven’t you done anything about the pollution?”
“Hey, I recycle!” I defended myself and she laughed.
“Well, I guess I'll apologize if I hurt your feelings, I would like you to spend some time with me here. We can check out the market and explore a little, and then I'll take you home to your smelly world.”
“Are you just trying to keep an eye on me?”
“Isn't that obvious?” Likosa kissed my shoulder before she left the bed. “I’m usually smoother than that.”
“You're asking me to run otherworldly errands with you. I think it's pretty clear, but it's smart. We can use it as a test run to make sure I'm okay for real this time.”
“I’m glad you agree.” She reached into the closet and pulled out a bag, which she handed to me. “You should be able to find something in here you like.”
Once dressed, we exited her home through the cavern, where a horse and a black carriage with pink hardware waited. The carriage was so her, powerful with touches of frill.
“This is how you get around?” I looked at the massive horse and realized it had a horn. “Wait, is this a unicorn?”
“She is. Her name is Veg.” she petted Veg’s long neck. “She was a gift from a dwarf who promised me his life for helping him. I told him I preferred the unicorn, and now, here she is.”
“She’s beautiful.” I looked around. “Where is Sire?”
“Oh, that’s right. One moment.” Likosa stepped back from me, inhaled deeply, and then let out the sharpest whistle I’d ever heard.
Two minutes later, after my ears stopped hurting, I heard Sire’s song, echoing in the distance. Likosa grabbed me by the shoulders to turn me. In the sky, I saw a massive form flying towards us, and I freaked the hell out! I jumped behind Likosa, hoping she could protect us from whatever that was.
I heard the thud of something landing and waited for Likosa to do something.
“Shontae.” She chuckled. “Since when are you afraid of your pet?”
“Pet?” I peeked around her, and my mouth fell open. “How the hell?”
Sire was massive. Her full body was taller than both of us. She spread her wings and sang again, the sound loud and proud.
“Sire?” I frowned, and she clicked at me.
“It’s her.” Likosa stepped aside.
“How?”
“This is how she would have looked in her home world. They really are magnificent. Their world has far surpassed others in advancements, both magical and technological. If Sire had been born there, I have no doubt she would have been one of its leaders.”
“Will she go back to her original size?”
“Yes.” Likosa winked at me. “I told you, I can unlock a being’s true potential. This is just the beginning for Sire. Trust me.”
“You look amazing,” I said to Sire, and she sang. Her larger frame made the sound so deep, it radiated through my body. “Wow.”
“She can heal with her voice now,” Likosa said proudly. “She’ll take to it soon enough. The more time she spends like this, the better.”
“I need to look into moving as soon as we get home.”
“Yes, you do.” Likosa moved to the carriage and opened the door. “For now, we have to get to the market.”
The ride was short, but along the way, I scanned the terrain. I hoped to see more creatures, evidence of the life that existed in the Bane, but all I saw were passing trees and vegetation.
“This is Rembile,” Likosa announced as the carriage came to a stop. “It’s one of the most popular markets, full of tricksters, so stay close to me while we’re inside.”
“Okay.” I nodded.
Despite the open-air layout, the market felt darker when we walked through the entrance. It had an air of tension and deception. Likosa laced her fingers with mine as she led me through the space, and despite the way my body tensed, she remained relaxed.
For someone who claimed to want to leave the Bane, she looked like she belonged there.
Strange beings who looked more alien than I could have ever imagined approached her.
I didn’t know why, but I had the idea that Likosa was an imposing presence in her world.
I expected people would tremble in her presence and be terrified of this strange alien woman who landed on the world, but that wasn't the case.
They damn near cheered for her when she appeared.
Feminine beings walked up to her, giggling and speaking in languages I didn't understand, but I understood certain inflections.
There were enthusiastic greetings, welcoming mannerisms and teasing tones that reminded me of Tayvion and Cadence.
These were her girls—her people—and Likosa beamed as she engaged with them!
Her laugh was full, her shoulders relaxed, her energy amazing and free. I tapped into her and realized she’d let her barrier down so I could feel just how this place affected her.
We moved through the market from one station to the next.
The buildings grew even more worrying the deeper we moved into the market.
They looked like haphazardly stacked building blocks.
I imagined one strong wind would be all it took to knock them over, but the people there navigated the structures like it was nothing.
Likosa left some of the shops with purchases and others without. The places she left empty-handed were the ones where it appeared she just wanted to check in on people who mattered to her. Again, I questioned why she would ever want to leave.
“You should try your ability here,” Likosa said to me after we left a shop where she purchased a bag of moss-covered stones.
“You want me to try to manipulate the emotions of these creatures?” Just then, a beast walked by. It had six legs beneath a slender frame draped in sheer purple fabric. Its face was a sloped mask with two slits for eyes and nothing else. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“Don't say creatures like that. They don't look like you, but at the very core, they're the same. They’re all trying to understand the world around them, trying to survive. That's what nature does. They are a part of nature here, as you are of your world.”
“I'm sorry, I just meant they aren’t like me, so how would my power even work on them? Also, if it does work, what if it does something to me?”
“No better way to figure that out than to try.” She put her hands on my shoulders and whispered in my ear, “I’m here, Shontae.”
“If something goes wrong?” I turned to look her in the eye.
“I’ll be here to make it right.” She smiled. “Now, try something simple. This place is always buzzing with chaotic energy. Frustration and agitation come when you’re trying to find the best bargain. You can help them. Ease their minds, if only for a few moments.”
I took a deep breath and imagined a cool blue blanket in front of me. I chose one target, the masked being, and wrapped it around them. Their orange hue calmed, and I felt a layer of guilt moving out of their body. Their high shoulders relaxed, and I knew it worked.
Likosa massaged my shoulders, encouraging me to continue.
I imagined another blanket in front of me and then stretched it.
I’d done it before, for my classes, but this time, I pushed it as far as I could, shocked at how massive it became.
The sheer field stretched further into the sky, already affecting those who walked through it.
Then, I pushed it forward, laying it like a tent over the market.
With another deep breath, I lowered it and braced myself for what I would feel.
There were hundreds of beings there, and their energy shifted in layers, moving from anger, frustration, sorrow, and passion to settle in a deep calm.
It felt like everyone would fall asleep, so I eased back the intensity until I felt everyone lift into a state of playful happiness.
A moment later, there were drums, singing, and dancing, and I looked back at Likosa, who only smiled.
“It worked!”
“As I knew it would, and I have a feeling that's only the beginning of what you are capable of.”
“I've never stretched one that wide before. But look at them—they’re all happy now.” I frowned. “You said I could blanket a world? Maybe I’ll do that to Earth, lay a blanket of peace over the entire thing so everyone can chill the hell out!”
“Ambitious goals. I think it’s time we get out of here.”
“Don’t you want to join the party?”
“Shontae, parties in the Bane almost always turn into orgies. Is that something you want to see?”
“Absolutely not!” I shook my head as I imagined what the one who looked like a jellyroll wrapped in cellophane would look like when aroused. It was not pretty!