I watch him walk out of the dungeon taking pride as I note that even in his exhaustion, he still takes the time to go cautiously to avoid running into anyone. it would not be good if anyone saw him sneaking back up to his room from here in the state, he is currently in.
I am proud of how much progress he made in just forty-five minutes of training. I hope he can keep this up until he is ready for the ruse to drop. He has dropped his fighting level before to some extent while we were on the ship, but this time is different, back then we didn't have much more than a meal and maybe a beating on the line if we messed up when we should have stayed in character. Here and now, we are being faced with a war. Now the choice to stay in character or to break could be the difference between life and death for not only us but those Mitch loves.
Quickly I burn away all evidence of us having been in the dungeon at all and then run up to Mitch's tower room with our weapons and first aid kit. The handy thing about being able to constantly sense everyone within the Island's magic flow inside the castle is I can run without any worry of anyone surprising me.
"Mitch," I call running into his room, "Twenty minutes before we need to be back downstairs. Where are you?"
"Right here Is," Mitch says from behind me where he is walking out of the bathroom. I flinch as I see him. He is once again wearing his pants from last night, but his torso is bare showing his skin covered in cuts, bruises, and scars. Guilt again punches me in the gut as I cannot help but feel responsible.
Most of the scars are from punishments he took with me rather than choosing to denounce me as his sister.
The cuts and bruises are more recent and also my fault. On Tuesday two days before we escaped, I spoke back to one of the managers and Mitch had shared in my punishment because of his connection to me. The only reason the manager was on us in the first place was because Mitch had been a bit slow in responding to an order because he was exhausted. The night before I had kept Mitch up practically all night with my nightmares... since it was my fault Mitch was slow when the manager made a snide comment about how sluggish Mitch was acting, I snapped and told him to mind his own fucking business. The manager then ordered his meanest guard, Ares, to teach me a lesson and of course Mitch being the heroic idiot he is stepped in to take my punishment. I tried to stop the idiot, but he insisted he would take my punishment... Ares dragged me away no matter how much I tried to stop him he still dragged me to a one-way glass window where I could see Mitch getting beat but he couldn't see me... Ares forced me to watch Mitch get beat believing he was saving me while Ares used his belt on me promising Mitch would get tenfold if I made so much as a sound. I couldn't believe how savagely they beat on him for something he didn't do. They rained down what felt like endless kicks and hits while I was powerless to stop it... Powerless because at one point in my life I trusted Ares with one of my biggest secrets... Powerless because at one point I thought he was my friend. Another guilt I carry. I could have actually protected Mitch from the moment he arrived on that ship half-drowned if not for the mistake of trusting Ares. Instead, I was only able to keep him alive, trapped in a life of misery with me.
I gulp struggling to breath around the guilty conscience that is lodging itself in my throat. Now Mitch is injured because of me and will hide his injuries from his family and friends. He will never be able to walk outside truly shirtless without people staring at his scars.
All of this he will endure while fighting an evil witch whose very existence is my fault, and I can't even brave up and tell him the truth about her too selfish and scared to admit that I am the reason his nation is currently in peril.
"Is, it wasn't your fault please stop blaming yourself for everything." Mitch softly calls drawing me out of my head.
I shake my head to refocus it and argue against his statement without starting an argument... it is quite obvious to me it was my fault after all he just doesn't understand that his scars are because of my mistake... I gasp - his scars.
"Mitch, you said TODAY is a BEACH day? as in SWIMSUITS?!"
"Yeah," he says tilting his head in confusion before following my gaze to his bare chest, "Oh! Um we can say we don't have any swimsuits?"
"Dude, You guys are kings, as in rich, as in can buy swimsuits," I counter shaking my head as I refocus on the task at hand and begin to spread medicine on his injuries.
"I can say I'm sick?" Mitch suggests almost hopefully even as I see the slight shake of his head that says he knows that won't work...
"Doctors and if I'm sick it doesn't keep you home..." I respond muttering through my clenched teeth
"I'll just have to wear a shirt I guess... that will work, right?" Mitch shrugs
"I guess it will have to for today," I sigh tracing one of his scars before moving my hand to one of my hidden scars, "I'll try to figure out how to use makeup to coverup the scars for the future but for now... the shirt will just have to work."
"I'm sure it will be fine." Mitch assures me obviously trying to hide his lack of confidence, "How much time do we have left?" He asks redirecting the conversation while pulling his shirt over his head.
"Just about ten minutes before it wears off so we should head back down now, and you should get some more sleep." I respond
"Okay," then as we begin walking downstairs Mitch continues, "I'm just gonna crash on the extra bed in your room."
I sigh. I just want to tell him yes. I want him close by me where I can see he is safe and hear his breathing undistorted by the flow of magic everything in the castle filters through to reach me, I know better though.
"No, Brady Mykayla has to wake up to you where you should be," I sigh again sorry I can't give him the answer he wants.
"You're right, Is, I'm sorry." Mitch comforts stopping to lean over and give me a hug before stepping back and with a half wave returning to his original sleeping spot in the throne room.
I watch him walk away before I return to my room. I take just a moment to replace the first aid kit and weapons in their places before I lay back on the bed. I only last a moment or two before I get antsy and once again leave my room headed for the balcony in the kings' bedroom that overlooks the sea. Upon arriving on the balcony, I climb up to sit on the railing wall, leaning my head back against the exterior of the castle. I gaze out at the ocean stretched out as far as the eye can see enjoying the reprieve being outside brings me from the castle's suffocating magic flow. I can still feel the Island's magic flowing through the stone of the castle but out here it is more of a low hum.
I relax and allowing myself to drift into memories of simpler times when my memories were as young as my body while waiting for the day to truly begin.