Sequel: Thicker Than Water ›
Status: Completed
Shattered Truth
I.
"What were you thinking, Giselle! Look at this mess!"
I fight the urge to roll my eyes as Mira squawks at me indignantly. So what if I made it rain on Cecily's birthday party? Yesterday in town she kicked up a wind so strong it blew my skirt up in my face, revealing my lace and silk underwear to everyone in the market. I think it's only fair that I ruin her carefully coiffed hair with a bit of rain. I just made it sprinkle, really. But leave it to Mira to blow everything out of proportion. She's barely two years older than my seventeen years, but she acts ninety instead of nineteen.
"Relax, Mira," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. "It's a bit of water. The tablecloths will dry in no time, and they hadn't even brought the cake out yet."
"Your mother is not going to be happy about this, Giselle," Mira scolds.
"Mira, darling, you know mother is never happy about anything anyway," I say, my lips curling into a smirk.
"Giselle," Mira replies in exasperation. "You're an Elemental of the House of Daggyrmir. You can't just go around calling up the powers of water anytime you feel like annoying your sister."
"Oh, I don't," I tell her sincerely. "I also use them to annoy my brother." Mira shoots me a look that says, "I give up" and shakes her head. Then she bustles over to try and dry off the tables set out for Cecily's party. I take the opportunity to slink away to the gardens. I perch beside the black marble fountain, watching the tiny stingrays swim in lazy circles. This fountain has always been my favorite. I stare down at my reflection and wrinkle my nose. In spite of my protests, I still ended up with my hair straightened and pulled into a tight, elegant bun atop my head, and was stuffed into a short, ruffled dress in the most ghastly shade of yellow. I fight with the hairpins for a moment, finally freeing my raven black hair to fall in its usual dark wing down my back. I sigh with relief.
My hair falls around my face, masking my Water tattoos. They formed three years ago, when my powers over water began to emerge. I was so relieved to end up with water, instead of Cecily's wind powers. The blue-black markings reach from my hairline down across my cheekbones. They wind and flow like the ocean waves, accenting my unnerving silver-flecked turquoise eyes. My father was pleased and not at all surprised that I turned out to be the only Water controller in the family besides him.
"I always saw it in her eyes," he said. "And her stormy personality," he added with a wink. I let my fingers trail through the water, smiling at the memory. I kick off my ridiculous yellow heels and abandon them beside the fountain as my bare feet carry me swiftly down the trail that leads to the beach. I feel a faint tingle race over my skin the closer I get to the ocean waves. I dig my toes into the sand, letting the cool water wash over my feet. Then I plunge into the water, hoping it totally destroys this hideous dress. The current carries me quickly out to sea, and I duck under the waves, swimming above the coral and waving hello to the fish and other sea creatures who I sense through my bond to the water. Suddenly I sense someone behind me. I reach out with my mind, trying to sense who they are. I grin. And when I feel her about to attack me, I duck. Felisha, my best friend, tumbles over me with a yelp, her dark blue fins flapping wildly and her long pale green hair flying out around her in tousled ringlets.
"Giselle, 125, Felisha, 0," I call out to her, laughing. She finally rights herself and glares at me.
"You cheat!" she protests. "I get points for trying."
"Effort doesn't count in this, only success," I shoot back. "And besides, I don't cheat. I'm naturally gifted."
Felisha rolls her eyes. "Yeah, at cheating." I yank lightly on her long hair. "You're just sore that you can never sneak up on me."
"Speaking of sore," Felisha says slyly, "is your mother still harping on you for making that prince guy's boat capsize?"
I wince. "I'm more or less on probation until further notice. Shut up!" I add hotly as she rolls through the water laughing hysterically. "He deserved it anyway," I grumble. "He kept looking down my dress before he went out on that stupid boat race, saying idiotic mush like, "I'm going to win this one for you, Lady Giselle.' Disgusting."
"Well was the trouble you got into later worth it?"
I think back to the look of bewilderment on the prince's face, and the way he spluttered and yelped as the sea water ruined his pompus clothes that were suspiciously frilly for a man, and grin wickedly.
"It was more than worth it," I say, giving Felisha a high-five.
I fight the urge to roll my eyes as Mira squawks at me indignantly. So what if I made it rain on Cecily's birthday party? Yesterday in town she kicked up a wind so strong it blew my skirt up in my face, revealing my lace and silk underwear to everyone in the market. I think it's only fair that I ruin her carefully coiffed hair with a bit of rain. I just made it sprinkle, really. But leave it to Mira to blow everything out of proportion. She's barely two years older than my seventeen years, but she acts ninety instead of nineteen.
"Relax, Mira," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. "It's a bit of water. The tablecloths will dry in no time, and they hadn't even brought the cake out yet."
"Your mother is not going to be happy about this, Giselle," Mira scolds.
"Mira, darling, you know mother is never happy about anything anyway," I say, my lips curling into a smirk.
"Giselle," Mira replies in exasperation. "You're an Elemental of the House of Daggyrmir. You can't just go around calling up the powers of water anytime you feel like annoying your sister."
"Oh, I don't," I tell her sincerely. "I also use them to annoy my brother." Mira shoots me a look that says, "I give up" and shakes her head. Then she bustles over to try and dry off the tables set out for Cecily's party. I take the opportunity to slink away to the gardens. I perch beside the black marble fountain, watching the tiny stingrays swim in lazy circles. This fountain has always been my favorite. I stare down at my reflection and wrinkle my nose. In spite of my protests, I still ended up with my hair straightened and pulled into a tight, elegant bun atop my head, and was stuffed into a short, ruffled dress in the most ghastly shade of yellow. I fight with the hairpins for a moment, finally freeing my raven black hair to fall in its usual dark wing down my back. I sigh with relief.
My hair falls around my face, masking my Water tattoos. They formed three years ago, when my powers over water began to emerge. I was so relieved to end up with water, instead of Cecily's wind powers. The blue-black markings reach from my hairline down across my cheekbones. They wind and flow like the ocean waves, accenting my unnerving silver-flecked turquoise eyes. My father was pleased and not at all surprised that I turned out to be the only Water controller in the family besides him.
"I always saw it in her eyes," he said. "And her stormy personality," he added with a wink. I let my fingers trail through the water, smiling at the memory. I kick off my ridiculous yellow heels and abandon them beside the fountain as my bare feet carry me swiftly down the trail that leads to the beach. I feel a faint tingle race over my skin the closer I get to the ocean waves. I dig my toes into the sand, letting the cool water wash over my feet. Then I plunge into the water, hoping it totally destroys this hideous dress. The current carries me quickly out to sea, and I duck under the waves, swimming above the coral and waving hello to the fish and other sea creatures who I sense through my bond to the water. Suddenly I sense someone behind me. I reach out with my mind, trying to sense who they are. I grin. And when I feel her about to attack me, I duck. Felisha, my best friend, tumbles over me with a yelp, her dark blue fins flapping wildly and her long pale green hair flying out around her in tousled ringlets.
"Giselle, 125, Felisha, 0," I call out to her, laughing. She finally rights herself and glares at me.
"You cheat!" she protests. "I get points for trying."
"Effort doesn't count in this, only success," I shoot back. "And besides, I don't cheat. I'm naturally gifted."
Felisha rolls her eyes. "Yeah, at cheating." I yank lightly on her long hair. "You're just sore that you can never sneak up on me."
"Speaking of sore," Felisha says slyly, "is your mother still harping on you for making that prince guy's boat capsize?"
I wince. "I'm more or less on probation until further notice. Shut up!" I add hotly as she rolls through the water laughing hysterically. "He deserved it anyway," I grumble. "He kept looking down my dress before he went out on that stupid boat race, saying idiotic mush like, "I'm going to win this one for you, Lady Giselle.' Disgusting."
"Well was the trouble you got into later worth it?"
I think back to the look of bewilderment on the prince's face, and the way he spluttered and yelped as the sea water ruined his pompus clothes that were suspiciously frilly for a man, and grin wickedly.
"It was more than worth it," I say, giving Felisha a high-five.