Powerful: A Powerless Story

On the following day, Adena giggles as Makoto tries to learn to sew in return for her agreeing to self-defense lessons. Makoto is frustrated both by his ineptitude with the needle and his growing interest in Adena. It is now two days before their mission at the castle. They go over their plan briefly. When Adena mentions how her mother taught her to sew, Makoto asks why Adena so rarely talks about anyone in her life besides Paedyn. In return, she points out that he never talks about Hera. He tells her that there is not much to say, feeling guilty that he is keeping a secret from Adena: he does not simply want to see Hera one last time—his actual intentions are “treasonous” (74). She asks about his family and mistakes his sarcastic depiction of them as “the friendliest bunch” for sincerity (75); she expresses a desire to meet them, one day, and he again feels guilty. Makoto feels that he brings tragedy with him everywhere and that, because Adena deserves a wonderful life, he should stay far away from her. He tells her that he doesn’t think they should see each other once their mission is over, and she is clearly hurt.

Trying to make up for hurting her, Makoto shares that he learned about weapons from watching his father, who was also a blacksmith. He then insists that they practice fighting again; in the process, he slips and calls her “Dena” once more. Makoto regrets this, as it feels as if he is claiming her and becoming too familiar. He tries to ignore the way her physical closeness makes him feel. Adena wonders aloud what Paedyn will wear to the ball that is held for Trial combatants, and he urges her to focus on her practice and stop talking about Paedyn. When Adena explains that Paedyn is all she has since her mother died, he feels terrible. She reminds him that he promised to spend a night in the Fort and asks whether she can at least know his full name. He declines to tell her, and she tells him that she will not tell him anything more about herself, in that case. Makoto feels that he already knows too much about Adena.

On the day they have planned to go to the castle, Adena finishes the Imperial uniform and Makoto tries it on. Adena is uncomfortably aware of his bare chest as he dresses, and they share a moment of sexual tension as she slips the mask over his face. Adena, mindful that, after tonight, she will no longer have Makoto feeding and sheltering her, goes out to try to sell some of her sewing. She still does not understand why he refuses to see her after their mission to the castle; it is disappointing, because she enjoys his company. He is “not exactly a ray of sunshine” but more like “a moonbeam. Mysterious and unnerving. Equally as beautiful, but soft enough to stare at” (85). While she waits on her corner for customers, Adena dreams up a way for Makoto to carry a knife hidden under his uniform and begins working on her new design. One of the men who followed her in the street approaches; she tries to keep the interaction professional despite his leering remarks. Finally, she asks him to leave. When he refuses, becoming openly threatening, Makoto appears. Makoto holds the man and tells Adena to punch him, saying it is a part of her training. She does not want to, but Makoto asks her to think about what this man does to the women of the slum and what he might someday do to Paedyn. Without thinking, Adena punches the man in the mouth. Makoto lets the man go, congratulating Adena. She says she will never do it again, but she does accept Makoto’s offer of a celebratory sticky bun. While Makoto is gone securing the promised treat, an Imperial suddenly appears. He tells Adena that he has come to take her to the castle; Paedyn is waiting for her in a coach so that Adena can sew her dress for the ball.

Delighted, Adena rushes to tell Makoto about the summons. When she tells him he will need to go to the castle on his own, however, he admits that he needs her nearby to phase through the wall. He is a Wielder, whose power is borrowing the abilities of nearby Elites. Supposedly, Prince Kai is the only Wielder in the kingdom; Makoto confirms Adena’s suspicion that this is because the king has anyone else suspected of having this power killed. He also admits that his real purpose is to get Hera out of Ilya. Adena is devastated when she realizes that this means he plans to leave her behind and attempt to flee the kingdom, likely sacrificing his own life to save Hera. Crying, she accuses him of lying to and using her. He tries to explain how important Hera is to him, but Adena leaves him, saying, “At least I had the decency to say goodbye” (98).

As Makoto watches Adena leaving in the coach, he thinks of her wiping away tears and trying to smile for Paedyn. He is sure that, just as he predicted when he first met her, his actions have broken Adena and dimmed her happiness. He feels that Adena, like Hera, has been stolen from him. He can sense the powers of each person in the crowded streets around him, and he feels suffocated. He has always been isolated and a potential target because of his abilities, and he immediately misses the feeling he had with Adena of being just like everyone else. He wonders if he should have let his father “finish what he started” on the day he “earned that scar” on his mouth (100), turning himself in as a Wielder instead of running to Hera for protection. Because of what he owes Hera, he is determined to follow through with his plans to rescue her—even though now he will have to do it by posing as an Imperial in full view of others. When he returns home, reminders of Adena are everywhere, and he is filled with regret and longing for a woman he thinks he does not deserve.

In the castle on the night before the ball, a distracted Adena repeatedly pokes herself with her needle as she works on an elegant dress for Paedyn. She is surrounded with more luxury than she has ever experienced, but all she can think of is Makoto. Adena has been able to spend some time with Paedyn, in between Paedyn’s training and resting schedule, but now that the ball is close, she must spend much of her time alone, working on the dress. Alone, she has too much time to feel betrayed by Makoto’s lies and his obvious preference for Hera. She also worries about him—the penalty for treason is death, and if he is caught trying to escape with Hera, he will be convicted of treason. She also knows that he is right about what will happen should he be recognized as a Wielder. She wipes away tears.

The wall beside her shimmers, and Makoto phases through in his Imperial uniform. He tells her that he was in a nearby hall and sensed her power. He needed to see her, to explain himself, so he borrowed her power to phase into the room. Hera is his younger cousin, he says, and she ran away from home with him when he was 14. She has protected him ever since, allowing him to hide from discovery, and now he must save her. He admits to Adena that he has fallen for her and that he regrets every missed opportunity to tell her what she means to him. Adena desperately pleads with him not to try to remove Hera from the castle, as it will only lead to both of them dying. She is relieved when he accedes to her wishes. As he leaves the castle, he asks her to come see him when she returns to Loot.

Prince Kitt, Kai’s brother and the heir to the throne, enters the sewing room. Flustered, Adena curtseys and stammers out a greeting. He asks Adena to call him “Kitt” and tells her that he is concerned about Paedyn offending people by choosing to wear a silver dress instead of the traditional green. Then, he asks for Adena’s advice; he is trying to impress Paedyn and get her to notice him, but he thinks Paedyn actually hates him. Adena tells him that what matters most to Paedyn is honesty and open-mindedness.