Sequel: Released into the Air
Status: Finished

Submerged in Water

Emele

I still had access to all my abilities. The massive amount of power was gone now and had been cut down to half. Not that it mattered anyway, I couldn't use that much power without suffering a critical hit like I had. In fact, it was probably for the best. No more damage could be done to my interior. It couldn't get any worse than it was now.

Jonathan never left my side for the next week. He went with me everywhere, to the river, up to the cove and out in the backyard as I adjusted to my new life with my secrets exposed. I still hadn't been back in school. I hadn't talked to Layla or Talon all week. I haven't had the chance. Jonathan made sure I was constantly busy, getting me to do things that would usually make me happy. He wanted me to enjoy life but I didn't have the heart to tell him that I found no happiness in those things anymore.

The only thing that I was surprised about was that my feelings for Jonathan were still as pure ever. If not, they had amplified. I think it was because he was there as I sunk into the darkness. His love had come along with me for the ride. It seemed the only time I came close to feeling human again was when I was around Jonathan. He knew that and that's why he stayed near me.

If I could feel hope, I'm sure I would be feeling it now.

We agreed that I would go back to school like normal on Monday. It was Sunday now and Shay had finally begged my parents and everyone enough to arrange an interview with me. She was coming over in a few minutes. Jonathan was laying on my bed in my room with me. He had his arm around the back of my neck. His skin was always so warm against mine. My body never found it worthy to produce heat when it wasn't necessary to survive. I enjoyed his heat, though, it was like snuggling up to the sun. His breathing always calmed me down whenever I got angry.

"Do you want to do the interview?" He asked me, making conversation. His hand traveled up and down my arm, soothing me.

"I don't really care." I replied.

That was another thing I liked about Jonathan. I didn't have to pretend that I was normal or that I still had emotions. I could be honest with him and tell him that I wasn't feeling anything at all. I tried my best with my parents and my sister. They always looked so hopeful when they saw me smile or laugh. It was sad to admit that the only time I could do those things was when I conciously made an effort to.

"I thought I would be angrier." I thought out loud. "Because that was the only thing I could feel."

"I thought so too at first." He agreed. "But then I realized that people usually only get angry in an attempt to protect their happiness. It sounds stupid but true. You don't have your happiness to save anymore, so there really is no reason for you to be angry."

"I suppose it's for the best." I sighed. "Is it wrong that I don't miss it?"

"You will when you get it back." He reminded me.

"If you say so." I breathed against his neck. "It seems a lot easier now. I don't need to worry and feel fear anymore. I have this constant sense of calm. I don't have problems creating ice anymore."

"You'll see that when you get it back then you will miss it. You will."

The door bell rang then and I jumped off the bed to get it. My parents were out grocery shopping because I had told them I wanted to handle this by myself. They were crowding around me too much lately and it was tough to constantly have to force myself to be normal. It was relaxing being just in front of Jonathan and Shay wouldn't care how morbid my attitude was.

I opened the door. "Emele!" She greeted me with a smile.

"Hey." I replied, my voice unexcited. "Come in."

She side stepped around me, a smile on her face. "God, I feel like this has been the longest week ever. I've been trying to see you but your parents and your friends have been... well, obsessive over your recovery. How are you doing?"

"I'm good."

"That's good." She glanced around my house. "Well, where do you want to do this?"

"Uh, let's go to my kitchen, I'm hungry anyway." I told her.

Jonathan came down the stairs and met up with us in the kitchen. He was silent as we walked in and I started preparing my salad. He grabbed an apple from a bowl off the table and took a bite out of it.

"So, in my attempt to seal your identity, I thought it would be best to just do a tape recording instead of a video." She told me, sitting down at the island counter in my kitchen and placing the recording device on it.

"Okay, I hope you don't mind that I'm...?"

"God no, I'm just happy you're letting me do this." She noticed that I was pulling mostly dark greens out of the fridge. "Just out of curiosity, do you eat a special diet?"

"Seaweed, kelp, dulse. I can eat other things too. Like potatoes and stuff but these taste the best to me." I told her truthfully. "I'm supposed to live in the ocean." I went onto say. "Supposedly."

"Wow." She loved this. "So you're supposed to live in the ocean. Is there a city down there? Like Atlantis?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I'm the only one of my kind. All of the others died a long time ago."

"What!?"

This started a long story on what I knew about the genocide. Shay was a great listener, only adding in questions when absolutely needed. She let me talk until I had nothing left to say. She was engrossed the entire time. I finally sat down beside her with my bowl of salad and continued.

"So that's why you're so powerful? More then your friends?"

"Yes. We believe that the souls of the dead Kamille are trapped inside of me and with them, their power."

"How did you survive?"

Another story of how I'm the princess of the Kamile, my theory of what I knew about Queen Inna at the time and how I'm possibly in danger because of her. Shay wanted to know questions of my childhood and I started with all our medical attempts to 'cure' me and how I came to be as I am now. I could tell this was the first time Jonathan had heard the story and even he asked some questions as I continued on with my story.

"Wow, that's amazing." Shay sighed in awe. "You truly are a hero."

"Thank you."

"And what about you?" She turned to Jonathan. "Where's your part in all this?"

He shook his head, a blush forming on his cheeks. "I'm just her boyfriend."

"That can't just be it." Her journalistic trait was showing. "A beautiful and talented girl like her can't be with a normal person. You had an axe when I saw you the other day, would you care to explain more? I know about the Oro."

"I am a supernatural and that's all you need to know. I have special... talents." He smiled. "Like I can tell you who your soul mate is. I see a face, anyway."

She seemed surprised. "Do you get a name?"

"Sometimes, but not all the time. It depends on how far I reach in and how much information I want."

"Can you do it for me then?"

"Sure, I need your hand." He offered his hand to her. "Skin to skin contact only."

"Wow." She seemed to like this. She reached out to grasp his hand.

He stared at her and then smiled at her. "I see a girl."

"A girl?" She gasped and then she furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "A girl... like as in a female?"

He laughed. "Yes, with the breasts and the feminine features. Would you like to know her name?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes."

"Her name is Amelia."

"AMELIA!?" She shrieked. "That's my best friend! We're like sisters!" She couldn't believe this was happening.

Jonathan went on to let her know that his predictions didn't necessarily mean that they would be together sexually, although it was likely. Souls were souls, regardless of gender. Soul mates didn't always end up in a relationship that ended in marriage. Shay seemed to take this in stride after her initial surprise. She calmed down and then she finally said, "it is starting to make sense now."

"I thought it would." He smiled at her. "I see your soul very clearly. You easily accept things as the truth and you aren't ignorant about facts that might be. That's why I like you and I'm sure that's why everyone else does too."

She blinked at him and then blushed. "Thanks."

I realized then, that she was looking at him. Looking at him like she wanted to... be with him. Like she found him attractive. The same way that Layla had always looked at him.

I gripped my fork angrily. I didn't realize I was growling until Jonathan said, "Emele, are you okay?"

I forced myself to calm down and I dropped my fork in the empty bowl. "Yeah, I'm fine."

So I could feel jealously then. At least that was another great emotion to have. Another fabulous emotion to add to the list to go along with the others. Anger. Envy. Resentment. Love.

"So what about you?" Shay reverted back to her usual curious self. "Do you know who your soul mate is?"

Jonathan nodded. "It's Emele."

To be continued... in Released into the Air