Morph
33. Storage

Gemini rubs the pads of his thumbs over my hand, breathing in and out with me just like my coach does but I can’t. I feel my blood fighting with my skin, begging to be let out and I hear at least thirty conversations mixed together about nonsense in my head. I whimper, closing my eyes and squeezing his hands tightly, he winces when my nails dig into his skin and I retreat my hands, grabbing clumps of my hair again instead and rushing out the way I came, they don’t need to see me like this.

They’re seeing me at my lowest, they’ll think I’m a weak queen, they’ll think- my heart beat fastens cutting off every anxious thought I can muster and Libra tells everyone to stay put and stay calm before rushing to me. I mutter for the morphers to shut up as if they can hear me, pushing Libra away when he tries to touch me. Hurt flashes through his eyes but I can’t, I don’t want to be touched right now, there’s nothing he can do to stop the inevitable and he needs to see that. “My blood is banging against my skin, it feels like it doesn’t even belong there I.. Libra I really will blow.”

“No!” He harshly grabs my face, forcing me to look at him. “You will not blow, this is not how you die. I’ll have you massaged maybe your just swollen I- Gemini will call Satchel. I know there’s something to slow this down or a chant to let you store the power elsewhere I know it love.” I stare into his depths, admiring the way they shimmer, it seems to be the only constant in my life.

“Promise me, you’ll save yourself if I don’t make it.” My hands shake more as they reach up to trace his jawline. He dips his head down, leaving a slight kiss on the side of my lip.

“Your my salvation, you don’t know it yet but you are and tomorrow when I’m taking you out you’ll see that you, love, are the greatest queen the morphers have ever had in the making, come on.” Libra leaves another kiss on the other side of my lips, and one on my nose. He turns after and I do the same, my chest fluttering and taking my mind off the shaking, the voices, the pulsing for a slight second. Gemini looks away once we see him, like he’d been watching us the entire time and I shy away as we walk toward him, not use to people seeing Libra and I be so affectionate toward one another, not even use to the affection myself.

We haven’t talked about it, its just natural and feels like the most right thing ever, there hasn’t been time to clarify what we are exactly and where we’ll go from here. Gemini looks briefly at me as if he’s scared to look at me and barely looks at Libra even when he starts speaking. “We need to call Satchel, see if there’s any way for her to store the power in something just until everyone’s here.”

“There is a storage chant, Satchel can do it over the intercom it should work. Have her pick an object but she has to have some attachment to it for it to work then you can both meet me in my study.” His words are soft and he still doesn’t look at either of us as he walks off.

“I know you all must have many questions, I’m not well now so I can’t answer them but if all goes well I’ll be glad to.” I smile and even that shakes. “Delaware, can you please show them to the kitchen.” I snap him the memory of the kitchen and he nods, smiling while already having a conversation with one of them. “Everyone please stay put there until the others arrive.” I nod once, making way to my room with Libra following behind.

Once we’re there I think of any and everything I could put the power in, ripping my room apart in attempt to replace anything. Libra suggests the crown but I decline, throwing it off my head and onto the bed, it just doesn’t feel like its mine if that makes sense. I didn’t take anything sentimental here, I took nothing here honestly except the clothes I had on my back when a Trilan decided to pay me a visit. My clothes, I’ll put it in them, they symbolize my life turning upside down, me replaceing my true self and I have attachment to that. I tear my dressers apart for the creme long sleeved shirt, he only mentioned me needing one object. “Turn around please.” I say shyly, my face burning when Libra smirks a knowing smirk, turning around while I discard my shirt and trade it for the shirt that started it all.

We rush to Gemini’s study, I look around for the intercom- looking for a microphone like object, the ones we have in the offices at school but I replace none. Gemini holds up a clear plate of sorts and starts to call Satchel’s name until his face shows up in thin air, I don’t question this because its not the craziest thing I’ve seen here. “I’m sorry to ask so much of you but Serenity is dying and a storage chant wouldn’t hurt.” Gemini speaks to his friend.

“How is she dying?” Satchel asks, his voice alert. Gemini turns the plate and Satchel faces me, taking in every pink blotch on my skin and every vein that pokes out in a gasp. “Gorgeous whats wrong?” He asks, blue eyes wide in horror. Libra scoffs at the harmless name but I pay it no mind, coming use to Satchel calling me that.

“There’s a bit of a problem.” I smile faintly. “Emilia put the power she conserved inside me, now if I don’t get it out of me.. it’ll get itself out.”

“A chant won’t work over an intercom.” He says softly. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do it even with the power I have its impossible.” My mouth goes dry.

“There must be something you can do, Satchel she is going to blow up any minute.” Libra seethes. I hold a hand on his chest, shaking my head lightly.

“Thank you anyway Satchel, you’ve been a big help and a great friend.” I tell him.

“General!” He calls, a woman appearing next to him on instant.

“Yes, lord?” She asks.

“I need you to report to the depth manor and do a chant for a friend of mine, her name is Serenity and she needs a storage chant, now.” Satchel says, nodding once at me as Carlotta disappears again. “Glad I could help, and honored as always, that you consider me a friend.” Satchel smiles at me, a smile I return full-heartedly. “You’ll live, I’m sure of it. Until next time gorgeous.” A smirk plays on his lips.

“Until next time Frost.” I reply. He vanishes and in his place, comes the voice of Dorraine.

“General Carlotta of the Xen manor my lords.” She drawls out, Gemini demands she be let in and shown to his study at once, and in seconds she stands in the entrance. I’m reminded of Aisha as she stands certain of herself of herself, strong, her head hung high and her stare final, like a butterfly I once knew.

“Serenity?” She asks, I nod. “Come, the lord has requested you a storage chant, what will you be storing and where?” I walk to her, feeling sort of stiff from the way my skin is trying so hard to keep my blood in.

“I need to store some power, in my shirt.” She nods, sitting on Gemini’s couch and I sit on side of her. She takes one of my hands in hers, and grips her free hand tightly around the material of my shirt.

“The power you hold is of many, I feel it radiating off you, see it trying to leave you. This might hurt, a lot.” Carlotta says simply. “No matter how much this hurts if you scream so much as once, these lands will be hell and confusion.” Her words trigger the shaking I just jumped for getting rid of. “So don’t scream.” Libra reaches for my hand put she points his a painted look. “You can’t touch her during this, unless you plan to take some of the power.” He hesitantly lets me go and with that, she closes her eyes, grips my shirt in a death hold and my hand just as tight and begins to chant in that ancient language the way Satchel does.

I thought my mouth was dry before, but with the first few words she utters my throat goes dry and soon I struggle to breath as it begins to close up. She chants and chants, every few seconds I’m able to gasp just enough air to not pass out but soon that’s not the problem, soon I feel an excruciating pain in my lower arms, my veins. They don’t bang against my skin anymore but now they seem to shrink and shrivel up inside of me. I grit my teeth, the feeling become overwhelming to the point where I zone out from everything around me. Don’t scream, don’t scream, don’t scream, the grit of my teeth and me gripping Carlotta’s hand is the only thing that keeps me from it.

A blur of voices sound in my head and one by one they leave me, I’m ever too grateful for that but its what comes with each on leaving, a pain shoots through my entire body like I’ve been tazed, over and over and over and over I flinch each time, battling with my mouth to stay closed but it has other plans as it opens and I start gasping. The gasps are an alternative to screaming but it gives little relief as relief starts in my arms and legs. The veins slowly let up as my shirt begins to flutter, I whimper lightly, shutting my eyes. The pain little by little starts to leave after all the voices do and I tune back in to Carlotta’s chanting, which has gotten lower.

My shirt flutters on my skin, I hear Libra pacing the floor as my skin starts to feel like my skin again. A few mutters later and all symptoms stop with Carlotta’s chants, I open my eyes to see a light as bright as the ball of animation forest glows from my shirt. Carlotta lets it go, dropping my hands as well. “It is done.” Carlotta bows her head briefly, disappearing a few mutters later. I tell her shadow thank you, meaning it with everything in me.

I stand, stumbling slightly now feeling a drained feeling like a part of me has been stripped from me. Libra grabs me, harsher than intended but he doesn’t let me go, holding me tighter if anything while letting out a shaky breath that lasts for so long I know he’s been holding it a while. I say nothing, only wrap my arms around his neck in silence, we both know what the embrace means, assurance. Everything leads back to me assuring him I’m here, hat I’m really here and here to stay, Gemini however darts from his own study in seconds, he leaves.