Chapter 6
When Bellamy wakes up he's laying on a bed by a fireplace and can hear voices coming from the other room. He recognizes the one as Lincoln but he's still a bit out of it from what happened earlier and he can't keep his eyes open long enough to focus on what he's saying and soon falls asleep.
"What happened to him? Almost the exact same thing happened when she tried to take him back in Polis but he should be awake already." Lincoln asks both curious and worried about his friend.
"I gave him something to help him sleep. He won't wake up for another hour or so. It's nothing dangerous but shadow magic drains the user. Even someone born with the ability can die from using it." Murphy explains as he sits a mug of some type of liquid in front of Lincoln and Roan.
Roan drinks without hesitation and when nothing happens to him immediately, Lincoln follows. The stuff is unusual and has a sweet taste but he had to admit it was pretty good.
"Good, right? A friend of mine taught me how to make it. It was his favorite."
"Does he live here too or is it just you?" Lincoln asks and as soon as the words leave his mouth he knew they were a mistake.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. It's none of my business anyways. What did you mean when you said you could die from using shadow magic?" Lincoln continues changing the subject.
"There are many reasons why shadow magic is considered an extinct magic. The truth is no magic can ever truly be extinguished but if it isn't cultivated it will fade and become useless. Shadow magic is the most powerful magic because in order to use it one must straddle the line between light and dark. It's power comes from that balance but if you stray too far to the dark side it consumes the person and eventually kills them. Maintaining the balance takes a great deal of energy and like all elemental abilities that energy comes from the person using it. Most with the ability die shortly after it manifests because they're untrained and it's use drains their life force. That's why I gave your friend something to help him sleep. He's untrained and his use of it is killing him. It's why he passes out after each use." Murphy explains.
"Does it drain you too?"
"Yes, but over the years I've learned my limits and don't push them. It also helped that my father had it and taught me a few things before he died. The rest I picked up in my travels. A woman named Emori and a man named Mbege also helped me."
"Where are they? Maybe they can help us too." Lincoln inquires hopefully.
"Emori's gone. I don't know where. I haven't had any contact with her in over 5 years and Mbege is...he's dead."
"Oh I'm..."
"Don't say you're sorry. Everyone says they're sorry but no one ever means it. You can stay here until your friend wakes up but then you need to leave. I can't help you."
"John, you..."
"My name isn't John! It stopped being John a long time ago. It's Murphy." Murphy snaps at Roan as shadows begin to surround him.
"Murphy, Bellamy will die if you don't help him. Please. At least teach him something helpful before we leave." Lincoln pleads.
"If he dies, he dies. It's no concern of mine. When he wakes you leave on your own or I make you but either way you're leaving."
Lincoln is about to protest but Roan stops him seeing as how Murphy was barely holding the shadows at bay. Lincoln concedes for the time being but he was far from done.
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Bellamy's dreams are of a happier time. The blue eyed boy is still present but there's another with him. They laugh and play but then things turn darker and shadows overtake everything. The other boy is screaming but then there's a voice telling the blue eyed boy to calm down and breathe. To find his center and relax. As he begins to calm the shadows fade, then there's the feeling of a kiss. It overtakes him and it's nice but then there's pain, fear and anger.
Bellamy wakes up gasping for air with tears streaming down his cheeks. As his breathing calms and his eyes adjust he notices a figure in the doorway staring at him. At first he thinks it's the blue eyed boy but when he realizes it's Murphy, things begin to click. Murphy turns to leave but Bellamy speaks, stopping him.
"Wait. You loved him, didn't you?" Murphy doesn't reply but he doesn't leave either so Bellamy continues.
"He calmed you and kept the darkness at bay but he wasn't strong enough, was he? He could only calm the storm, not stop it and as your fire grew his became extinguished, right?"
"He was always able to calm me down and I never understood how until we meet Roan. He was only a Prince then but he tried to help Mbege become stronger but there was always this part of him that was holding him back. Roan told me when he brought us here that one day Mbege would have to either embrace that part of himself or die and he...he..." Murphy explains in a quiet, broken voice.
"He loved you too, you know? I felt it just like I felt yours for him."
"It still wasn't enough, was it? I wasn't enough. Emori was right, my love is a death sentence." Murphy says and Bellamy can tell he's tired of being alone but afraid to let someone else in.
"It's not, Murphy. It's..." Bellamy tries reassuring him but he cuts him off.
"What else have you seen? What else have you felt?"
"You're father's execution and you're mother's death. Your anger and pain. Your happiness. I can't explain any of it or why you seemed so familiar when I'd never even met you." Bellamy tells him slightly confused by it all.
"We've met before, Bellamy Blake but it was a long time ago. We were kids but you were whisked away to the Ark while I was left in the slums hoping my shadow magic would fade away which only managed to make it stronger. Kind of ironic that the things they did to try to make my shadow magic fade only made it stronger." Murphy says bitterly.
"I thought everyone with three or more abilities were sent to the Ark?"
"They were supposed to be but shadow magic is the only hereditary form of elemental magic. Someone in your family has to have it in order for you too. My father had it and when it was the first to manifest with me I was cast aside. Forget the fact that I also have the ability of fire, water, earth and air, I had shadow magic which made me expendable and worthless. A danger to society that needed to be isolated. Mbege was cast aside too but for a different reason. He was a dream walker." Murphy practically spits and Bellamy swears the venom in his words would kill the largest beasts in Arcadia.
"What's a dream walker?" Bellamy asks because it's something he's never read about but could've sworn his mother had mentioned once or twice.
"It's what you are. It's how you're able to see and feel things about me. It's an ability almost as dangerous and extinct as shadow magic. Legend says that those with shadow magic were knows as shadow warriors and every shadow warrior had a dream walker that was supposedly made especially for them. That prefect compliment, that one person who could not only calm the fire but extinguish it. They kept their specific warrior in check, balanced them so they never strayed too far to one side or the other. Too far into the light and the shadow magic became useless but too far into the dark and it consumed the person. While every dream walker could calm and influence any shadow warrior, there was only one specific dream walker who could keep their shadow warrior in perfect balance without killing themselves because sooner or later the shadows would consume them if they weren't the one." Murphy pauses as if deep in thought and Bellamy takes the opportunity to say something.
"Mbege wasn't your dream walker, was he? But you both knew that, didn't you?"
"We tried to make things work and for a while they did and we were happy but about a year ago I had a really bad night and it was too much for him. I woke up to him screaming but by the time I got everything in check, it was too late. He died in my arms." Murphy wipes the tears that had started to fall away and turns to leave the room but Bellamy's hand on his arm stops him.
"I know you hate the word sorry so I'm not gonna say it but I need your help. She took my sister, the only family I have left and I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. I get you wanting to stay out of it and I'm not gonna force you to join us but I am asking you to give us a fighting chance. Help me understand what I am and how to use it. Please, Murphy." Bellamy pleads in a soft voice.
Murphy stares at him for a bit before removing Bellamy's hand from his arm and walking away but before he reaches the end of the hall he says "there's food in the kitchen if you're hungry. You can stay the night and I'll give you what I can for your journey back home in the morning."
Bellamy is about to protest but Murphy is suddenly engulfed in shadows and is gone. He's frustrated and pissed off at Murphy for refusing to help but oddly enough understands his decision completely. Once he's calmed enough, he heads to the kitchen for some food and once he's done, goes back to the room he was in to sleep. He passes Lincoln who looks just as unhappy as he does and he reassures him he'll try persuading Murphy again before they leave in the morning.