Rise of Xavia

by Tara Chau

  * * *

  “My dad thinks that I’m still with Anne at her house. I’m good for five days at least; therefore, I have nothing keeping me here so I can come with you,” I protest as Gabe runs around his room, throwing what seems like random things into his duffle bag.

  Gabe had just got off the phone with Daniel. The Sanctuary is going to fly him and the other four to Japan tomorrow morning.

  “No, letting you come to the cinema was bad enough. I am not letting you come to Japan to fight the Xavia for the book. Do you really think I’m crazy?” he asks as he throws a thin hoody into the bag.

  "Come on, it's already set up with my dad, and I'll just follow you onto the plane anyway. I have a glamour ring; it will be easy,” I threaten. “Plus, because you won’t be able to see me, I’ll probably just sneak off to fight them myself.”

  Gabe stops just as he’s about to go back to his closet and looks at me.

  "Pass me my phone,” he requests. “It’s right there on the table next to you.” He points.

  I grab the phone and walk over to Gabe, handing it over, then sitting on the bed next to him. Gabe dials a number and holds the phone to his ear. His breathing has quickened. He looks sick. "Hey Astrid, can you come collect Dianna from my room? She'll be spending the next five days here; I need you to keep an eye on-” I snatch the phone from his grasp and hang up. Marching over to the door, I lock it from the inside.

  "Gabriel Jones, you are ridiculous,” I fume.

  “Don’t you Gabriel Jones me,” he spits.

  “I can do whatever I damn well feel like doing, that includes going to Japan with you and your team, so I can go fight that freaking Xavia group. You, Gabriel Jones, can’t do one bloody thing about it." I'm waving his phone around, and I feel like it could slip out of my grasp at any minute. I know I'm over-reacting, but I don't really care.

  "Yeah, well, I can tell you what to do because I'm responsible for you. Now give me my phone back." He's speaking so calmly; it only makes me more upset.

  “You cannot tell me what to do. I’m going home now to pack; you can come by my place tonight and pick up your phone then.” I turn away, stuffing the phone into one of my many inside pockets of the coat.

  Gabe follows me out into the hall. Two duffle bags slung over both his arms.

  “What?” I snap.

  "I'm only trying to keep you safe. You know that, right?" he says stiffly.

  “Sure,” I responded coldly.

  “Come on, do you know how dangerous it’s going to be?” he asks.

  “Yup, that’s why I should come, to help you. This can go one of two ways. The hard way, or the harder way,” I say honestly.

  "I prefer the one in which you don't fight me and just stay here. Not so hard, is it?” he says impatiently.

  “Actually, it’s very hard,” I counter annoyingly.

  “Okay, time to stop.”

  Gabe grabs hold of my hand and pulls me to a stop. I focus on myself, not anything else, just me and what I’m doing. Everything around me slows. Yes. I take my arm out from Gabe's grasp, breathing hard. Keeping everything in slow-motion is tiring. I'm now trying to run as fast as I can, down the hall, sprinting up the stairs instead of using the lift, and out the door of the Sanctuary. I’m running like a Protector. Everything around me is blurry but also focused at the same time. White noise is all I hear as I speed down the roads and in through my balcony door.

  I crash into my bed and wince as I fall over and hit my elbow on the frame. Losing focus while fussing about my arm, everything starts to go back to normal speed.

  The cars outside start driving again, and I can hear the vacuum cleaner going. Oh god, Gabe is gonna be so mad. If I focus, I think I can hear him yelling my name right now. I'm pretty sure that it should take Gabe at least five minutes to remember where I am and then to get here. I better get packing. Stuffing two pairs of black shorts and three black t-shirts in a small suitcase, I try getting my breathing under control. Adding my toiletries, underclothes plus socks, and a tight dark blue dress, I close it all up. That’s all I should need, but I should pack a backpack for the day. Grabbing a navy green pack, I stuff a grey cap, water bottle, sunnies, my phone, and charger, plus some money in. I zip up the bag. Stalking out into the kitchen, I grab an apple, avoiding my dad considering that I’m not supposed to be here, before coming back into my room again. I bite my tongue hard, so I don’t scream. Ty is sitting at my desk, looking at me blankly.

  Closing my door, I hiss at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to make sure that you don’t come to Japan,” he says simply.

  “Right, did Gabe send you?” I ask.

  “He didn’t need to. I knew that I needed to come here just from seeing Gabe storming down the hall,” he says with a charming smile.

  It doesn't make my insides crawl anymore. I got over him seconds after I heard his fight with Gabe. Though I must admit, he’s still bloody good-looking.

  “Well, I’m coming,” I say, showing him my already packed bags.

  I go into my closet and take out some knee-high black leather boots and slide them on. They’re tight but not uncomfortable, and they finish off this whole badass girl look.

  “Okay,” Ty says simply. He shrugs and walks over to the sliding door. "I see that you know what you want. I know better than to try and stop you once you've made up your mind." Ty opens the door and begins to step out. One foot out the door, he looks back at me, his eyes are sad, but he still smiles. "For what it's worth, I do believe in you,” Ty says genuinely. Stepping outside, he closes the door firmly behind him.

  * * *

  I can see Anne and the rest of them waiting for the plane to be ready to board. The glamour bracelet throbs on my finger as I approach quietly.

  “The planes set to fly from England to Japan is now ready for passengers to start boarding. Please make your way through terminal six,” The lady calls from the speakers.

  They all stand and line up to go into the plane. I follow a few metres away; I can’t take my luggage with me as a carry-on because they would see it. Instead, I arrived early, putting them on the platform to get taken to get loaded onto the plane, with all the other people’s luggage. Stalking through the light hallway, I slide through the plane door, trying to avoid any contact with other bodies. It takes about fifteen minutes for all the passengers to settle. Gabe, Ty, and Jessica are sitting together in the middle aisle. Anne and Hayden sit behind them. One spot is clear next to Hayden, right behind Gabe. Ty gets up and walks straight towards me. He winks as he passes by, making me extremely confused. As he comes back, he takes hold of my hand and drags me over to where he and the others are seated. Letting go of me, he sits down and whispers to Gabe. Shit. Gabe looks at me, eyes wide, full of disbelief and frustration. Ty motions for me to sit in the chair behind Gabe. Nodding, I sink into the seat and hold on to the handles. Hayden looks at me in surprise before smiling. He has a sweet smile. He's not bad looking, but not like Gabe or Ty. Anne leans forwards and gives me an encouraging wink and grin.

  "Passengers, please buckle your seat belt; we are about to take off."

  I can't put it on because it would totally look suspicious. Instead, I hold onto the armrests and lift my feet to push them against Gabe’s seat, hoping that I don’t go flying.

  The plane starts to move, slowly at first, then faster and faster. Then, we’re flying. I’ve never flown before; this is my first time, and it is incredible. About fifteen minutes later, the sign for seat belts to be on switches off. I get up slowly and walk to the cramped toilet, locking the door. Removing my bracelet, I look at myself in the mirror. I'm wearing a mustard yellow singlet and black jeans. My hair is out, and the front is pinned back. I looked like an ordinarily normal teenager.

  Normal my butt.

  Walking out of the restroom, I make my way over to the seat and sink into it. I look over to see Hayden looking at me.

 
“What?” I ask.

  “I haven’t been at all nice to you,” he admits.

  "True, you have been a bit of a jerk. But that's fine. I understand how annoying and irresponsible I can be. Take right now, for example,” I say, beaming.

  Hayden laughs smoothly, and I laugh along with him.

  “Hey, Anne?” I call worriedly.

  "Yeah?" she says, leaning forward.

  “You aren’t mad I came, are you?” I ask unsurely.

  “As long as you don’t die, this should be fun!” she says positively.

  I smile thankfully at her and let out a big breath. All I need to do is convince Gabe. Just because I'm here doesn't mean he'll let me fight.

  “Hey,” I say softly, peeping around the edge of the chair so I can see Gabe. “Hey.”

  Gabe looks back at me. His expression is mixed - anger, annoyance, relief, dread. I'm kind of confused.

  “Ut ego habui,” I say softly.

  “No, you didn’t, you didn’t have to do anything,” he says, shaking his head. "But I'm admittedly glad that you came, although that's only because I'm selfish. Just be careful, okay?” Gabe sighs heavily, cracking his neck before speaking again. “I’m not gonna stop you from fighting with us, but… be careful.” Gabe smiles, a small sweet one, it’s not his usual smirk, but it’s one that lets me know that he doesn’t hate my guts. Yet.

  The flight is long, we have a stop somewhere between, where I need to put the ring back on, but I take it off again once the plane takes off once more. Hours later, we start to descend. I gape, concealing a squeal as I see the gleaming city lights sparkle in the dark night. We’re here. Japan.

  Wow, that’s the only word that’s going through my mind right now. Wow.

  The rooms at the Disney land resort are amazing. Since Daniel didn’t know that I was coming, there are only two beds. At first, I was sceptical about it, now that I see them, I know that they’re big enough to fit all three of us girls in one. I'm sharing a bed with Anne; hopefully, she doesn't kick me in her sleep. Everything is modern. The boys are in an adjoining room.

  It's easier to alert each other if something… unplanned happens.

  I look through my suitcase and groan; damn, I forgot to pack PJs.

  “Hey Anne, can I borrow some clothes of yours? I forgot my PJ’s.”

  "Yeah, sure." Anne walks over to her ginormous peacock green suitcase and pulls out a black singlet, a loose deep red t-shirt, and some really small white cotton shorts.

  “No,” I say.

  “It’s all I have. There only PJs relax." Anne holds out the clothes, and I snatch them, walking into the bathroom.

  Standing under the scolding hot water, I rub the tension from my shoulders. Standing there for about fifteen minutes, I shake the water off my body as I get out. Rubbing my hair till it's damp, I goggle at how light it feels. I must admit, having shorter hair definitely is more manageable. Slipping on the singlet, I pull the red shirt over the top. The neck is stretched, so it hangs off one shoulder loosely. Reluctantly I yank the shorts on. They are so short they look like underwear. That's fine, it's just us girls, and I'm going straight to bed anyways. With my hair falling in loose curls and my tight clothing, I look like someone who's just plain desperate for attention. Hanging my towel on the hook, I slide the door open and walk out.

  From the corner of my eye, I see the three boys staring at me. I squeal so loud I see Jess cringe and run to the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin.

  “Next time you invite guys into the room, a heads up would be nice,” I snap at Anne.

  She snickers at me and goes back to her magazine. I notice that she’s wearing a skimpy silk robe, soft pink with white flowers. Jessica’s wearing some plain grey tracksuits with a tight blue tank top. I don’t really want to look back at the boys, but I can still feel their gaze locked onto me. Glancing their way, I blush when seeing their expressions. Hayden has gone back to doing something on his phone, a shy grin emerging from his lips, Ty has an amused look on, and Gabe looks shocked, uncomfortable, and amused at the same time.

  “I never thought I’d see Dianna in something so… revealing,” Ty says with an annoying chuckle.

  “Shut up, Ty,” I snap, “they’re Anne's. I forgot my PJs. I never thought I'd make it this far,”

  "Well, that explains a lot,” he says.

  “Gabe?” I ask nervously. He’s still staring at my face; I can’t quite place his expression.

  “I think you broke him,” Ty says slyly.

  “Will you shut up?” I snap again.

  Looking back at Gabe, he looks at me and smiles apologetically.

  “Okay, girls, we just came to say that The Book is exactly four rooms down. Our job for tomorrow is to go out, blend in with the other tourists and try searching for any suspicious figures. And yes, Hayden, that does mean we can go on the rides. Just don't get distracted. The groups for tomorrow. Anne and Dianna, Jess and myself, Ty and Hayden. We'll meet back here at one pm for lunch and updates."

  We all look at each other and nod in agreement.

  “Alright, that’s all. We should all get to sleep. Come down to breakfast at eight pm. We’ll meet out front.”

  “Okay,” Anne says, smiling. "You, you and you, out,” Anne says, pointing to the three boys.

  * * *

  The next day I dress in some clothes that Anne lends me, a white off-the-shoulder shirt and acceptable length shorts. We all head down to meet the guys for breakfast, arriving six minutes late. All well.

  “You girls are late,” Ty points out.

  “No,” Anne clarifies, “we’re fashionably late.”

  I stop beside Gabe, smiling up at him.

  “Morning, beautiful,” he whispers happily.

  “Morning, Chip,” I say, beaming up at him. He rolls his eyes playfully.

  We all stride into the buffet and find a table at the back. Two people at a time go up to collect food. Finally, it was mine and Gabe's turn. We both stand hastily and rush to get our plates. Gabe goes straight to the waffles, pouring mass amounts of maple syrup on top, so the waffles are literally taking a bath in the sugary liquid.

  "Really?" I say, disgusted.

  “What? I love sweet things.”

  “You’re supposed to have healthy things for breakfast,” I say as I scoop some vanilla yogurt and strawberries into a bowl.

  Gabe glances down at the fruits before us and places a single strawberry on top of his waffle. He smiles at me annoyingly.

  “Better?”

  “You…” I stop just as Gabe spoons the biggest scoop of whipped cream onto his plate.

  I elbow him in the stomach, causing him to drop the muffin that he was reaching for. Gabe glares daggers at me and plucks another one from the platter before walking back to the table. Once we're all seated, I notice how happy everyone looks. I guess that's to be expected. We are in Disney land. Finishing my yoghurt, I see that Gabe still hasn’t touched his muffin. Making a grab for it, I break off half and stuff it into my mouth, giving Gabe a proud smile.

  “If we weren’t in public, I would tackle you right now,” he says darkly. I swallow and grin, teeth and all.

  “But I would win. Because you don’t like hurting me.”

  “Yeah, that’s what usually happens, but you took my food. No one takes my food without suffering the consequences,” he says in a mock Darth Vader voice.

  I make a grab for the rest of the muffin. Gabe is faster. He swats my hand away and takes a bit of the leftover muffin, assuming that I won’t take it now. Looking around at my other friends, making sure that no one is paying attention, I smirk. Swiping the muffin from his grasp, I stuff the rest of it into my waiting mouth. Gabe stares at me, shocked. I shrug and try my best to look innocent.

  “That was yummy,” I comment.

  "Yeah, I know it was yummy. It was mine,” he says in an unbelieving voice. Nodding happily, I eye the rest of Gabe’s cream. He catches
me looking at it and glares.

  “Stay. Away. From. The. Cream.”

  * * *

  By the time lunch comes, we had gathered a list of suspects - two Lycans and one warlock. All of us have a soda and pizza for lunch, chatting quietly in our own little groups, then go back out to the rides.

  “Hey, Anne,” I say.

  "Yeah?" Anne turns around and spots a cotton candy store over my shoulder. "My God, I'm so getting some of that,” she squeals.

  “But the lines literally metres long,” I protest. “How about I go to the bathroom, and I'll meet you in the line when I'm done."

  “Yeah,” she says, nodding her approval absently before rushing off to line up with a skip.

  Walking over to the bathroom, I skip right in, and surprisingly there’s no line. Once I’m done, I walk out of the cubical, stopping short as I behold this new sight. Veronica Vain. I walk over to the basin and turn on the tap, and cold water runs over my hands as I try to stop them from shaking.

  “Do you always corner people in the bathroom?” I ask dryly.

  “Only when I want to make a dramatic entrance. Hello child,” she says with a concerning smile.

  "What do you want?" I say, turning to face her.

  “I’ve come to start training you,” she says, pushing off the sink.

  “Are you nuts? Not now,” I whisper urgently.

  “Of course not now. Meet outside of this very park in the lot when the clock strikes eight,” she says darkly, her face remaining unimpressed and threatening.

  “I thought you were a witch, isn’t it supposed to be when the clock strikes twelve?” I ask innocently.

  “Child, I can promise you one thing, I am no witch.” Vain smiles viciously and disappears in a puff of red smoke once more.

  For the rest of the day, I am distant, my eyes skimming overheads without the information actually sticking. Dinner comes, and we all sit on the floor of Anne's, Jessica's, and my room, eating Thai. When the time reaches seven fifty-five, I excused myself from the group, using the excuse of going on a jog, refusing Anne's offer to tag along, and brushing off Gabe's worried look.