Lost at Sea Bk. 02 Ch. 19

"It is called a tumor," Jack said. "And no. You didn't. You'd failed how many times? Four? Five? You really think the sixth one worked?"

"Yes!" Bella said. "Obviously, yes!"

"And it just so happens that you succeeded on the exact same day that I was doing something to save you?" Jack asked pointedly.

"I guess we will never know," Bella said flaty.

"I know, Bella. That's what I tried to tell you," Jack sighed. "You refused to listen. You still do."

"How do you know?" Bella demanded.

"I can't tell you," Jack shook her head. "It's part of how I know. Please just let it lie."

"I hate this so much. I keep getting drawn in closer, and thinking I'm feeling better, and then all this comes rising back up again. Your past actions are hard enough to deal with, and this secrecy doesn't help. I can ignore it most of the time, we are going to have to deal with it completely before we can start to heal from all this," Bella said sadly.

Jack took Bella's hand in hers. "I'll do what I can to help that happen. I might not be able to give you the answers you want, but I can apologize."

"Such a rare thing from you," Bella said with a forced smile.

"That should tell you how important this is to me," Jack agreed. "I might learn slowly, but I do learn. You were right. I handled things poorly. I'd really like to make amends now."

"Well, I guess all this has been a good start," Bella said, squeezing Jack's hand. "Even if it hurts, it's still better than it was."

Jack folded her arms around Bella. "That's usually the way healing works."

The dark haired witch laid her cheek against Jack's shoulder and tried to let go of the pain and frustration. It felt good to be held like this again, and Jack's bare skin was smooth and warm. She felt a tear spill from her eye and roll down her cheek, and wiped her eyes. "I need to draw on you."

"Feel free," Jack said, letting her go and putting her hands on her hips.

Bella's churning feeling turned in an instant, the grief and frustration giving way to lust as she looked down Jack's body again. She had a moment of hesitation, but she was never one to shy away from lust. She reached for Jack's belt.

Jack leaned back a bit. "I thought we were waiting?"

"Oh, we are," Bella said. "That doesn't mean we can't make the wait a bit enjoyable."

Jack looked confused, but slowly smiled. "You are a confusing woman."

"Good," Bella said with a small glare. "We can confuse each other then." She tugged Jack's belt free and unbuttoned her trousers, opening them wide to reveal the smooth lines of Jack's lower stomach muscles, and the top of a light brown patch of hair.

Jack simply stood there, not wanting to do the wrong thing and send Bella back into negativity again. Bella pulled out her grease pencil and started slowly drawing on Jack's breastbone. "Perfect. Don't move."

Bella took her time, using her other hand to pull Jack's skin taut, making sure to brush Jack's nipples with her wrist, breathing out slowly to tickle her skin, occasionally casting her eyes up with small smiles, enjoying when she caught Jack looking down her blouse. When she was done she traced her fingertips down Jack's stomach again, and knelt. She tugged Jack's trousers a little lower and a little more open, showing off more of her mons and the light hair that covered it. She traced the grease pencil across Jack's skin, just above the hairline.

"I could position this better if you were hairless,' Bella said with a small smirk.

Jack rolled her eyes. "Like you?"

"Exactly," Bella nodded. "You said you were going to let me shave you sometime."

"I don't remember saying that," Jack tilted her head.

"I do," Bella said firmly as she drew. "I remember because I'd just showed you how much fun sex can be with a little magic. You said you wanted to try more. I said you'd needed bare skin down here." She traced her finger through Jack's hair. "You seemed excited at the time."

"I had just orgasmed. I'm not sure I was thinking clearly," Jack protested. "I admit, it does sound interesting though."

"Something for later then," Bella smiled.

"You and your incentives," Jack chuckled.

"You'd prefer the stick to the carrot?" Bella asked.

"No," Jack said firmly. "I am not that sort of woman."

"Honestly, I'm not either," Bella admitted. "Hence the incentives."

She finished the second sigil, and blew on it to make sure the greasepaint was dry.

Jack's skin prickled and she bit her lip. "Gods, I'm sopping. I'd forgotten how good you are at this."

"At what?" Bella asked with feigned innocence. "I'm just an honest witch doing witchy things."

"Of course," Jack said, playing along. "This is all business."

Bella stood up and gave Jack a quick kiss. "Well, not all."

Jack smirked. "Good."

"Have fun with your big green man," Bella grinned. Then she slipped out of the tent leaving Jack feeling dazed by the sheer number of emotions and sensations Bella had dragged her through in such a short time.

___________________________

"I need you to use the Sight on me," Caine said, chewing out the words like they tasted terrible in his mouth.

"You made me swear never to do that," Prelate Alexandra was genuinely surprised, which was rare for her.

"Yeah, well, consider this a one time thing, so get a good look," Caine said bitterly.

"What am I looking for?" Alexandra asked, wondering where this was going.

"There's a new Binding. Here," Caine said, tapping his chest. "Bella was working a ritual, and something happened. Now I have a Binding that shouldn't be there. I'm trying to figure out what it is."

"Bella? You mean Belladonna Fortuna? Is she back?" Alexandra prided herself on keeping track of the comings and goings of magical practitioners in her territory. The idea that Belladonna might have successfully smuggled herself back to her island was troubling.

"No, she made a viewing mirror before she left. I was helping her work a spell through it," Caine explained.

"You?" Alexandra scoffed. "Didn't you once tell me that you didn't know the first thing about magical rituals, and you intend to keep it that way?"

"That ain't changed. I was, uh, a font. She was drawing energy from me, through the mirror," Caine explained, hoping Alexandra didn't press further.

"I have asked you to allow the Church to use you as a font a dozen times. You've always said no," Alexandra shook her head, surprised and amused. "She must be special."

"She's a good person," Caine said flatly.

"And I am not? The Church is full of good people," Alexandra asked pointedly.

"No, you aren't. And no, it isn't," Caine said flatly.

"Of course, I forgot, none of us live up to the lofty moral standards of... who are you now? A drunken bouncer in a whore house?" Alexandra asked sweetly.

"Yup. Sure says something, don't it," Caine deadpanned.

Prelate Alexandra raised an eyebrow. "As curious as I am, I'm feeling somewhat disinclined to help."

"I'll consider us even," Caine said.

Alexandra considered, then nodded. She looked down, and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again each of her pupils split and separated, creating two nearly touching circles in each eye. Her irises brightened to a glowing gold that wound around her twinned pupils in a sideways figure eight, the ancient symbol of the infinite.

The hidden world was revealed to her. She could see her own aura around her hands, displaying her magical strength, her emotional state, her general health, the weight of her moral conflicts, and the bands of oaths and enchantments traced along her skin. She was a Prelate. Few in the church were more heavily warded and oathbound than she was, but she knew her own enchantments paled beside Caines. She'd only used the second sight on him once before, and he'd been furious. She remembered it clearly, and it still made her angry. He'd moved like a snake, lunging after her in an eyeblink to pull her wimple over her face. He didn't hurt her, he just... held it there, wadded in his fist at the back of her head, pulled tightly across her face so she couldn't see. He'd made her swear by the Warden never to do it again.

She was a powerful woman, used to being in control, and not without her own host of mystic defenses, but Caine had made her feel like a helpless child with nothing but a strip of cloth from her own head. She liked to tell herself he'd simply caught her by surprise. When she'd turned the second sight on him, he glowed so brightly, so intensely that she had flinched. He'd burned an after image into her eyes, like staring at the sun, so it looked like there had been two of him.

She remembered it well. That was why she was looking down now. She wanted to give her eyes time to adjust to the intense glare coming off him, and to make sure he wasn't going to come after her again.

When she finally raised her gaze she had to lift her hand to shield her eyes. To her incredible surprise, a golden visage of Caine smiled and waved back at her. She blinked, squinting into the light, and opened her mouth to speak. The only thing she could think to say was "Um... hello?"

The golden visage of Caine laughed. She could not hear it, but she could see his mirth clearly. Caine, the first one, who still sat in front of her, now draped in swirling bindings, scowled. "Don't encourage him," he said flatly.

"Who... is he?" Alexandra asked.

"You don't know? Shit, the Magistrate really has changed," Caine muttered.

"What does that mean?" Alexandra asked pointedly.

"No," Caine said flatly. "I didn't say I was going to answer questions. I just need you to look at this binding. Besides, if they aren't telling Prelates their own history, I have a feeling me telling you would probably end up being bad for you."

"Oh, don't you dare pretend you're interested in keeping me safe," Alexandra's glowing, doubled eyes narrowed.

"You might be surprised," Caine said flatly. "I didn't know you didn't know about this. Wouldn't have asked if I did. I know you won't listen, but don't go digging, alright? If they're covering this up, they're even more scared than I thought."

The golden visage of Caine spoke. Alexandra couldn't hear it, but she was a very adept lip reader.

"If she is going to seek the knowledge, shouldn't it come from us instead of the church records? They may have changed the histories," the golden Caine said silently.

The chained Caine scowled and shook his head, but didn't answer out loud.

"Thank you," Alexandra nodded to the Golden visage of Caine. "Your counterpart seems quite reasonable. I didn't expect that from someone who looks like you."

"Fuck," Caine muttered. "You can hear him? No, nevermind. I'm leaving. The whole thing is off."

"Please don't," Alexandra said quietly. She had always prided herself on her instincts. Something important was in front of her. "I'll keep the debt."

Caine stopped, half standing from his chair and eyed her. "Keep talking."

"I'll look at your binding. In return, you finally tell me what... you are. I'll still owe you," Alexandra said carefully.

"She will find out one way or another," Caine's golden counterpart said silently.

"I fucking know!" Caine exploded, throwing up his hands and glaring at his invisible golden twin. "She's a fucking bloodhound with access to the whole damn Archive. She's a damn Prelate, she can find out whatever she wants! You're not seeing the problem, neither of you are!"

"Explain it to me like I'm you," Alexandra said flatly.

The golden Caine laughed. The other one rolled his eyes. "I thought you knew. I figured that was why you were so damn interested in keeping tabs on me. Even if you didn't know years ago, you've had plenty of time to dig. If you don't know, that means they buried this deep. Their own history, erased, kept from even their own higher ranks. That's Black Order stuff. You start looking, they'll find out. They'll find you, then they'll find me. That's trouble I do not need." Caine said bitterly.

"You are worried about the Black Order?" Prelate Alexandra scoffed.

"Damn straight." Caine said. "And if you had any sense at all, you would be too."

Alexandra sighed. "If you want to believe in boogeymen, that is your business. Personally, I feel there's enough to be afraid of without making things up."

"Can we just drop it?" Caine asked. "You agree to let all this go and we stick to the original deal?"

"Oh, I don't think so," Alexandra shrugged wistfully. "Your glowing friend is correct. I am going to find out what all this is."

"Fine," Caine said. "You never fucking listen anyway. Might as well give you what you want just to save my skin."

"Oh good," Alexandra smiled.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Caine pursed his lips angrily. "I tell you I'm scared for the both of us, you use it as leverage."

"I'm not above letting your silly fears give me an advantage," Alexandra smiled.

"I know," Caine sighed, defeated. "Fine. We do this right though. You swear you won't dig into this, and that you'll keep my secret. I'm talking a full-on Binding Oath."

"Before you tell me? That doesn't seem like a fair deal at all," Alexandra shook her head. "What if you tell me something that would force me to break another Oath to keep secret?"

"Please," Caine's glowing twin mouthed.

Alexandra was suddenly less certain. There was something about the Golden Caine that was as disarming as the Bound Caine was defensive.

"Given how secret this is from the Church side, I doubt there's any Oath you've already taken that has anything to do with it," Caine said. "Your call though."

Alexandra nodded. "Alright."

She pulled a small golden pin from the base of the holy symbol she wore around her neck. It was a sign of her devotion, and of her office, and was built for exactly this purpose. The pin was short, and sharp. She pressed it against her finger hard enough to draw blood, then took Caine's hand and pierced his finger as well. She wiped off the pin, replaced it into her pendant, and pressed her bloody finger to Caine's.

"Bound by Blood and Holy Oath, I swear to keep the secrets you are about to reveal, until such time as you release me," A small surge of power released a tiny glow and the two small wounds became tiny scars ringed with gold. In Alexandra's mystic sight, she watched as another small, simple Binding appeared on each of them, one more small string of runes that ran along their skin, looping the ends of each of their fingers. On Alexandra it was one of a small handful that she wore like jewelry. On Caine, it was almost unnoticeable in the many other swirling strands of gold.

Caine sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Alright. Where to even begin?"

The other Caine rolled his golden eyes and looked pointedly at Alexandra. He spoke, but she could not hear. She blinked, certain she'd misunderstood.

"I'm sorry," Alexandra stuttered. "Did you just say... you're..." she couldn't even make her mouth say the word.

Both Caines nodded.