Chapter 6 #2
“What are you sensing?” Scarlett demanded, seeming uneasy as she cut me a glance from the corner of her eyes.
“Not sure yet. But I’m sure it’ll come to light soon enough,” Valik stated with a shrug before turning his attention to Talitha again. “Shall we find Nell? I’m sure she’ll barely be able to contain her excitement to see me again.”
Talitha rolled her eyes. “You’ll be lucky if you leave the Hive with your toes intact, you fucking twat.”
Talitha managed to convince Valik to stay behind so as not to agitate Nell, which I greatly appreciated before she began doing…whatever it was she planned to do to me. Scarlett reluctantly agreed to stay behind with Valik, complaining she would have to babysit him.
Talitha scoffed. “No amount of babysitting that ancient man-child would stop him from causing mass destruction. But thank you for having respect for our home,” she said before glaring at Valik again. “Unlike some fuckbirds around here.”
Valik clutched his chest in mock offense. “Oh, my heart…”
Talitha rubbed her brow with her forefinger and thumb as she gestured to me to enter Nell’s office with her other hand, ignoring Valik as we filtered inside.
“Since you aren’t gifted with any elements, Nell and I believe it’s sensible to bring you right to her instead of one of the healing floors,” Talitha said in a hushed tone as she gripped the doorknob to Nell’s office. “Just do your best to relax your mind. Nell means you no harm.”
Anytime those words had been spoken to me, they were soon followed by some form of harm, so my guard immediately went up as I hesitantly followed Talitha inside.
As we entered, I gasped at the stunning space.
Nell’s “office” was huge, filled with each of the elements in literal form.
There was a small waterfall against the wall that crashed onto large stones, where the water collected into a small pool.
Large flames brought warm light from glass chandeliers up above, while natural light filtered in through the south-facing window.
I imagined that at night, it offered a beautiful view of the night sky where the stars were prominent.
A miniature oak tree sat in the back corner opposite the waterfall, about the size of a houseplant.
And once again, the peculiar calm energy seeped beneath my skin, relaxing me. It felt more potent here than anywhere else I’d visited in Arcadia. What was it?
In the center of the room perched a wooden desk, unpolished but smooth, with several different shades of wood grain on display. Behind it sat a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties, her pitch-black hair pulled halfway up, leaving her soft features exposed.
“This is Nell, our High Healer,” Talitha said as she took a seat on the opposite side of the desk, pointing to the chair beside her for me to take. “Nell, meet Cotton, a Kinetic from Terraguard.”
Nell offered a warm smile, her stunning green eyes beaming against her light brown skin.
A gentle, feminine voice spoke in my mind. “It’s my honor. Having you and your companion here brings us one step closer to defeating Celanea, which we cannot do without Queen Gray. We hope we can get her here soon.”
I jumped in my seat, then looked at Talitha, who chuckled at my reaction. “She’s a telepath. One of the benefits of her secondary gift,” she explained.
Nell chuckled. “No need to fear. Unfortunately, since your tongue has been severed for quite some time now, there is no way to regrow an organ that has been permanently damaged. Our previous guest informed us that your kind is able to self-heal through your magic. Am I correct?”
I nodded.
“That’s what I thought. However, there are ways to prevent healing?”
I nodded again.
“Is that what happened to you?”
Another nod.
“Bless your soul,” she said, shaking her head to herself. Suddenly, I felt a warmth within my chest, much like being wrapped in a blanket. It began to radiate throughout me, bringing a sense of comfort to my body that I hadn’t felt since my mom lived.
“That’s Tali’s ability. She’s an empath.”
I shifted my attention to Talitha, studying her as she brought me an abundance of tranquility, imparting an awkward smile in thanks.
“Now,” Nell began, “since we’re unable to give you your tongue back, I’d like to try to teach you how to communicate telepathically.”
My eyes widened, and I pointed to myself in confusion. I had no ability to communicate through people’s minds. I’d tried many times over the years.
Nell grinned. “Yes, you, Cotton of Terraguard. It won’t be easy, but I think your Kinetic energy will be able to lend a hand with the proper instruction. Is that something you’d be interested in?”
I thought about it for a moment, dropping my gaze to my lap as I imagined what it would be like to speak with others around me. I had no idea if it was something I’d even be capable of doing. But I was willing to try. Looking up at Nell, I nodded.
Nell’s grin widened. “Oh, wonderful.” She sat back in her seat and continued.
“It will take some time to learn how to manipulate the aether here in a way that will work with your magic. But I believe it can be done. Until then, there is someone here who can teach you sign language, which you can pass along to those around you who desire to learn.”
Sign language. Something so simple that King Forest had refused me. Something that could’ve made my life exponentially easier over the years. Now, I had the opportunity. The genuine kindness cracked something in my chest. A staunch, hard wall I’d crafted years ago after my mother’s death.
I exhaled, nodding to Nell.
Nell rose from her seat behind her desk and walked to meet me, grabbing my hands in hers. “Welcome, Cotton. I look forward to working with you, my dear.”
I desperately wanted to respond to express my gratitude, but I doubted the conversation would work coming from my end.
So far, the mental connection had only been one-sided, yet I wanted to try, anyway.
“Likewise. Thank you for your kindness,” I said mentally, feeling foolish. Of course no one would hear it.
Nell beamed, her eyes lighting up in excitement. I straightened my spine at her response. She’d heard me.
Looking between Talitha and Nell, I decided to add, “You mentioned your people are trying to get Gray to join us here. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Nell turned and faced Talitha. I assumed she conveyed my question telepathically to her.
Returning their focus on me, the two women smiled kindly, but it was Talitha who responded.
“Not right now, unfortunately. All we can do is keep an eye on her and her people through our Seers.” When she spotted my disappointment, she went on.
“At the moment, you and Scarlett should simply focus on yourselves. I have a feeling there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye, Cotton. ”