Chapter 10: Focus
Cirrus: A Quintessence Series
Recap from Chapter 9:
Jules, now bound by a dangerous promise to a dark being through a blood magic-infused pendant, returns to the ship with Patricia, who reveals she’s been practicing magic for over a decade. As the crew performs a powerful takeoff ritual, the ship ascends into the sky under Madame Caeli’s guidance. Two new passengers, Riven and Terran, join the crew. This raises tension, especially with the women aboard. Later, Jules shares a charged conversation with Terran, who hints at deeper knowledge about the gods, Aether, and the dangers of divine alliances. Despite her growing unease… (or is it, attraction?), Jules resolves to keep her guard up, determined not to be predictable or vulnerable, even as something unknown awakens within her.
Chapter 10
Focus
I got really drunk. I felt the ale course through my body. I was slightly pissed that Terran had interrupted my rare, quiet moment watching the sea. It was the kind of moment that kept me steady through all the work and chaos. I am a hard worker, so having those little moments to admire nature and its wonders were precious to me. These small, short moments of respite fuelled my energy and spirit.
Patricia was off chatting with Riven, and I felt a pang of loneliness in my stomach. I started to fill up my cup, but Orla stopped me.
Quincy stood beside her, looking at me with thinly veiled judgement, “Sloppy, isn’t she?”
Orla kept her hand firm on my forearm, but didn’t acknowledge Quincy.
“What do you want, Orla?” I asked, annoyed and admittedly sloppy.
“It’s not what I want, it’s what the Captain wants. She wants you to go and talk to her.” The black cat wove between my legs. That was enough confirmation.
I plunked my cup into Quincy’s arms. Her expression was priceless.
“Captain’s orders,” I said with a sharp curtsy.
“Hopefully the curtsy was refined enough for you!” I muttered under my breath.
A giggle snuck out from behind a barrel. Mae, the young scout, had heard me.
“Shhh!” I whispered conspiratorially. “Don’t tell her I said that.”
She nodded, covering her mouth to stifle the laughter.
At least someone appreciated my charm. I turned my attention back to the cat that led me to Madame Caelie’s quarters.
“I have a special mission for you when we get to the next port,” Madame Caeli said right as I entered.
She did not waste any time, I had to respect that. Yet, I had gathered my own information.
I looked at my cuticles nonchalantly, “Does it have anything to do with gathering a specific item that the two men both want?”
She raised her eyebrows, “Perhaps.”
“Follow me,” she ordered.
We went down to the side of the deck from the back door from her quarters. The translucent, elastic forcefield reflected the beams similar to a spider’s web. The opalescent gossamer was only visible when the moon and wind worked in tandem. The plants looked beautiful in the light. Moon flowers were open and drinking in the opal-like light. They looked thirsty as they filled their petals with the moonlight glow.
“I wanted to get to more private quarters. Have a seat.”
A pillow floated beside me. It was like the orbs that were just hovering in the air, except when I went to sit on it, it buoyed in the air as if I was in water. I marvelled at the floating sensation, and I started giggling with my lack of balance.
Madame Caeli had a strong core. Her pillow wasn’t moving in the slightest.
“I wanted to talk to you about your training.”
I was still struggling with my balance and trying not to fall over. “What kind of training did you have in mind?”
“To understand magic and its properties, there are certain requirements I have to ask of you. The first one, is to clear your mind.”
I laughed, “That’s easier said than done.”
“I’m serious, Julianne. The first thing to clear the mind is to drink lots of water,” I noticed the big emphasis there and rolled my eyes. “I also need you awake before the crew wakes up to come here. There are more ways to clear the mind, and we will be starting tomorrow morning. It is going to take discipline and will power.”
Drinking was a vice, and it was never a necessity. Jon had loved his alcohol, and he never cared if I drank it or not. At a very young age, I realized how good it was to numb the pain.
As much as this request irritated me, my curiosity piqued. I wanted to have the leverage and power of magic. I didn’t want to be at someone’s mercy because of a stupid drinking habit. The icy stillness that had washed over me at the port from Terran’s powers resurfaced in my memories. I didn’t want to be vulnerable or looking like a fool, especially if this new world had new rules.
I wanted to be strong, so that meant I needed to learn. And I knew I was a good learner.
“Okay. Is that all?” I asked through my irritation.
The cat jumped into her lap and started to purr. She didn’t even flinch or get knocked off balance.
“That is all.”
The next morning, I clambered up the stairs toward the deck. My head was pounding from all the poison I had consumed the night before. Maybe there was some merit to just drinking water. The after effects of a hangover were never pleasant. I went towards Caeli’s chambers, where the cat was staring at me. Silently judging me.
“Listen here, I drank water.”
Its eyes kept staring. The cats tail slightly twitched.
I sighed. There is no reasoning with cats. I opened the door to her chambers and noticed the door to the side balcony was open. I walked toward the small enclave on the side of the ship. The statue of Aether hummed as I walked past it. I nodded to her. Giving a small acknowledgement of gratitude. This new world seemed to open so many new doors and possibilities that I couldn’t have even imagined in my dreams.
Madame Caeli was sitting on a cushion in the bubbled balcony. I drunk the beauty of the scene before me in. The moonlight made the translucent magic that encased the ship magical. However, with the morning sun breaking, and the first rays shot up, the effervescent shield-like material shimmered. It was breathtaking. As it glittered, glimpses of veins could be seen pulsing with magic. It was as if the ship was alive.
“Grab a pillow and have a seat,” Madame Caeli ordered.
I dragged a plush velvety pillow towards the space next to her. It started floating, just like the night before. I gulped. I could stay on this thing. I hopped on to it and stabilized myself quickly. I smirked with satisfaction as the pillow stilled. My core was working overtime. This took much more concentration than it looked.
“I’m going to guide you through a meditation process,” her eyes were closed the entire time. “Close your eyes and focus on your breath.”
As my core started to cramp, I focused on keeping the pillow balanced beneath me. My breath felt a bit rushed from the recent jump, and my throat always felt like it was closing in a bit. An annoying factor that I had been dealing with ever since Jon passed.
“Now, slowly breath in through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.”
Despite my head pounding with a dull headache from the night before, my body started to relax. The pain started to subside. I felt warmth of the sun rays on my body as the sun lifted into the sky. We stayed like this in silence for a while. I continued to breathe. My body kept relaxing.
“Take a moment to slowly scan your entire body.”
Exhaling, I felt my feet rubbing against the velvety material. The cushion’s stuffings made a comfortable space for my body. As I inhaled, my core tensed as I maintained my balance, but my gut was starting to rumble and tell me that I was hungry. My heart…
That was where I felt something different. I felt this warmth inside my chest that I had never felt before. This warmth was melting my iced over heart, cracking the walls I had built over time and experiences. Maybe it was just the sunlight beaming on my body. But if it was that, wouldn’t I be feeling this warmth all over my body? As I continued to listen and become attuned to the inside of my body, I felt swells of energy pulsing through my chest. It reminded me of the veins on the shield I had just seen before I closed my eyes. I focused, and then an electric current reverberated through my body that flowed to a sharp tingling sensation in my fingers.
I gasped, eyes snapping open.
Green-like orbs crackled around my fingers, lightning danced across my skin. Suddenly, it disappeared.
Thud.
I had fallen off the cushion. It was effortlessly floating above me.
“What the hell was that?” I looked at my hands. My finger tips felt hot against the wooden planks of the deck.
Madame Caeli was sitting beside me with her eyes closed still. A blue orb of energy was pulsating around her. When she opened her eyes, they shone with light. Focus is key. I heard her voice inside my mind. When you focus, you will learn to manage the energy within you. The energy that Aether gifted you. We all have different forms of magic and energy, but that will be for you to explore and find out through these meditation sessions.
As she breathed in slowly, her energy flowed back inside her body. The blue energy field retracted. Her eyes stopped glowing and reverted back to normal.
“Energy is all around us. We can tap into our own energy, and we can learn to extend this energy outward. There are limits,” she warned.
My body felt alive. As if the energy inside me was screaming to get out. It felt like I had 5 cups of coffee in my system. It was uncomfortable.
I hopped back onto the floating, still pillow.
She placed a hand on my knee that was bouncing up and down, “Julienne, you will need to learn to control and harness your energy before we can learn to wield and learn more about limits and rules.”
I stared at my hands, stray sparks licked and tickled my fingertips. Was I in shock? Probably. However, a sneaky, heady feeling of determination coursed through me. That came from me?
I could create magic.
I wanted to learn.
I had dabbled in a lot of drugs and alcohol, but this felt like a different type of intoxication. I felt power: raw and electric inside my body. I wanted to understand exactly what Aether had done to me.
I closed my eyes again and started to breathe deeply.
I was staring off into the sky and land in front and below me. I was distractedly eating my biscuit. I heard some steps approaching, and then Patricia came up beside me. She offered me a cup of coffee.
I stared at it, feeling the energy in my veins. I definitely didn’t need it. But, out of habit, I took it and sipped.
“Ahhh, that tastes amazing,” I closed my eyes and savoured the taste.
“I thought you would appreciate it.” She smiled warmly. “How was your first session with Madame Caeli?”
“It was amazing.” I took another gulp of the warm liquid. “How long did it take you to learn how to wield your powers?”
Patricia stared out into the morning scenery, “I’m still learning. I don’t think there is ever a time where you feel like a complete master. Even for someone like Madame Caeli. It is a practice that is different every day, because we are different every day.” She paused and looked over to me and laughed at my expression. “I know you are looking for a different answer, so I will say that I started getting more comfortable with my powers after 3 years.”
“3 years!” I blurted, stomach sinking.
Patricia just smiled, “Everyone is different.”
I blew out a dramatic breath, “Well, I guess we’ll see."
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