by Megan Linski
“Huh?” I really didn’t want to hear about my sister hooking up, but the forbidden part sounded intriguing.
“People aren’t allowed to mate between Houses. You can only date people within your own element class,” Amelia explained. “You’ll learn all about it once you get there.”
Amelia made Orenda Academy sound perfect the more she talked about it. Yet there was so much I still didn’t know. I wasn’t good with the unknown. I was good with comfortable. Nothing about the Elementai made me feel comfortable.
There was still this voice in the back of my head telling me that Amelia was pulling my leg. But I knew that all of this… whatever it was… was real.
Eventually, I stood and headed inside. Amelia followed me in with Kiwi, and the force field around us trailed us to the front door. It shut off once we stepped inside, and the rain that had piled on top of it splashed down onto the porch steps.
“Do you really think I’ll fit in at Orenda Academy?” I asked my sister as we entered the kitchen.
“No, because you’re not going.” Dad’s sharp voice cut across the room before Amelia could answer. He had a coffee in his hand, but nothing else. He’d been watching us.
“How can you say that?” Amelia asked, disgusted. “She’s an Elementai. It’s where she belongs.”
“She can’t go. We’ll find another way,” Dad said, before he turned his back and left the room.
Whatever that meant.
“I guess that settles it,” I said, defeated. “It doesn’t matter what I know or don’t know about Orenda Academy, because Mom and Dad won’t let me go anyway.”
Amelia just smiled… like she knew something I didn’t.
My sister and I ate dinner in front of the TV every night since the lion attack. Mom and Dad didn’t say anything about it, even though they had a strict no-food-in-the-living-room policy. They just let me avoid them. I wasn’t sure if they were giving me my space or if they were avoiding me as well.
Amelia and I were curled up on the couch with our dinner when the doorbell rang the following night. Amelia didn’t even blink and kept her eyes on the TV.
I stretched my foot across the couch and nudged her. “Get the door, Am. You’re closer.”
Amelia frowned. “You get it. I don’t even live here anymore. I’m a guest.”
I groaned, but set my dinner plate on the coffee table and rose to my feet anyway. I ran my fingers through my ponytail. I hadn’t bothered with makeup today and was sure I looked like a slob. It was probably just a neighbor or something, so I guess I didn’t really care what I looked like.
At least, I didn’t until I opened the door. The guy standing in front of me looked nothing like one of my neighbors. He looked more like a security guard. A hot security guard, only without the uniform. He was tall, at least a half a foot taller than me, and made of muscle. His skin was a deep brown, and his straight black hair hung past his shoulders. His eyes were dark, and his jaw strong. He stood with his feet in a wide stance and his hands crossed in front of him, like he was here on some sort of official business.
He could officially business me. I mean, if I didn’t faint into his arms like a crazy fangirl first. Did he have a fan club? Because I’d totally join.
“Sophia Henley?” he asked. Even his voice was hot.
Oh, God. He knows my name.
I stood in the doorway, my mouth agape. A million questions raced through my mind. Who are you? How do you know my name? Why didn’t I put makeup on today? Did I even brush my hair? Why do you look like a god?
“Uhh…” That was all that came out of my mouth. I was officially an idiot.
“Who is it, Sophia?” Amelia called from the living room.
The guy’s eyebrows rose at the confirmation of my name.
“I… uh…” Good. You got one word out. Try another. “Yeah, I’m Sophia. And you?”
“Liam,” he said in a clipped tone, like he was in too much of a hurry to introduce himself properly. “I’m here to escort you to Orenda Academy of Magical Creatures.”
What?!
“Amelia!” I shouted, never taking my eyes off Liam.
“What?” Amelia rushed into the hallway. Alarm settled on her face until her eyes fell upon Liam. Her expression immediately softened, but it held a hint of confusion. “They sent a student?”
“Yes,” Liam said, though he didn’t care to elaborate.
I stepped back from the doorway, suddenly feeling like I should be slamming the door in this guy’s face. Mom and Dad did say they were trying to protect me from the Elementai, and here one was, standing on my front steps uninvited.
“Am, what’s going on?” I asked in a shaky voice.
She didn’t have a chance to answer before Mom and Dad entered the hall from the kitchen.
“Girls, what’s—?” Mom’s voice cut off when she caught sight of Liam in the doorway.
“Mr. and Mrs. Henley,” Liam greeted with a nod of his head, like he already knew for certain who my parents were. The least he could do was say their names with some respect considering he was at their house, but he sounded more bored than anything, like he was forcing himself to be formal.
“Come inside,” Amelia offered.
“Hold on,” Dad objected before Liam had a chance to move. “What’s this about?”
“I’m from Orenda Academy,” Liam said. “I’ve been assigned to escort Sophia—"
“No,” Mom cut him off. “Absolutely not. If you think we’re going to let some Koigni come and take Sophia—"
“I’m not Koigni!” Liam spat, as if the word was poison on his tongue. “I’m Toaqua.”
“Can we not have this conversation out in the open?” Amelia grabbed a handful of Liam’s shirt and dragged him inside. She slammed the door behind him.
I whirled toward my parents. “I thought I wasn’t going to Orenda Academy.”
I still hadn’t decided if it was something I wanted to do. Amelia kept saying it was where I was meant to be, but according to my parents, I’d be facing some unknown danger there. I wasn’t exactly excited about throwing myself straight into harm’s way without knowing what I’d be up against, no matter how much I wanted to spite my parents.
“You aren’t,” Mom said with certainty. She turned to Liam. “How did the school find out about Sophia?”
Liam’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know. They didn’t tell me.”
“I did.” Amelia stepped forward. “I told them about Sophia.”
Mom’s hands clutched over her chest, horrified. “Amelia, what have you done?”
“I realize you’re trying to protect our family from a lifetime of shame,” Amelia said, “but Sophia has to go. She has to find her Familiar. If she doesn’t—”
“You don’t know what will happen if she goes to that school!” Dad roared.
Everyone’s eyes went wide in stunned silence— except Liam, who still looked bored. My dad was always a gentle person, so to hear him yell… it was unusual, to say the least.
Dad’s tone softened. “There’s more going on here than you realize.”
“Then tell us!” Amelia demanded.
Dad’s gaze dropped. “It’s… complicated.”
“How can you say that?” Amelia cried. “Nothing’s more important than your Familiar bond. You should both know that. How could you hide this from her? What were you planning to do when the day came for Sophia to bond and she didn’t have a Familiar to bond with?”
Mom and Dad both dropped their heads. I steadied myself against the banister in the hallway, trying to keep my heart from racing a million miles per hour. I couldn’t stand that they were fighting over me. If I knew what to do, I’d step in and end this argument right then and there, but the fact was, I had no clue if I was supposed to side with my parents or with Amelia.
“We knew it would happen eventually,” Mom said in a near whisper. “We just… didn’t know what to do about it. We were hoping we had more time.”
“She’s e
ighteen!” Amelia shouted, as if it was obvious their time was up.
Liam cleared his throat, and all eyes turned to him. “If I may… the Elders are aware of your crimes.”
Crimes? Oh, crap. Were my parents criminals?
“They’re willing to pardon you if you let Sophia come to Orenda Academy,” Liam continued. “That being said, she will be attending one way or another. I suggest you take the deal the Elders are offering.”
My head swam with the information Liam just revealed. They’d get me to that school one way or another. What were they going to do? Hold me prisoner? Take me by force?
This was all too much. My knees could no longer hold me up, and I sank onto the bottom stair next to the door.
“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not get involved with your family affairs,” Liam said. “I’ll give Sophia time to pack her bags and say her goodbyes. I’ll be waiting at the coffee shop three blocks from here. If she’s not there in three hours, I’ll be forced to contact the Elders. If you decide to run, they’ll be shortly behind you.”
Was he threatening us? Ugh, this guy was a total jackass. Cross me off the fan club list. I wasn’t going anywhere with him.
Liam turned on his heel and swung the front door open. We all stared, dumbfounded, behind him. It wasn’t until the sound of the door slamming stopped echoing in my ears that Amelia finally broke the silence.
“I can’t believe you two,” she snarled at my parents.
I didn’t hear their reply, because I shot to my feet and raced up the stairs. I needed a moment alone to absorb what just happened.
In the safety of my own room, I finally had a chance to run everything over in my mind. I tugged my hair tie from my ponytail and paced back and forth across the room.
“I’m an Elementai. My parents are criminals. I’m being forced to go to Orenda Academy; otherwise, my parents will be punished,” I whispered to myself. Saying it out loud didn’t help ease my nerves.
How did my world change so much in just a matter of a few days?
A light knock came at my door. Before I could tell whoever it was to give me a moment of peace, Amelia poked her head into my room.
“Hey, Sophia,” she said softly.
I fell onto my bed and buried my face in my hands. “What’s happening, Amelia?”
I heard her cross the carpet and felt the weight of her body as she sat beside me on the bed. I expected her to hug me or something, but I wasn’t sure I wanted her to. Though she’d been the most understanding about all of this, she was still a part of it. She didn’t touch me, though.
“I know I don’t have any clue on what you’re going through,” Amelia said. “But I really think you need to follow Liam to Orenda Academy.”
“Why?” I asked, my voice muffled in my hands. I could just run away... somewhere the Elementai couldn’t find me.
“Because you need to find your Familiar,” Amelia pressed.
“I don’t care about that,” I said.
“I know you can’t understand yet how important this is for you.” Amelia’s voice was soft, sad. “But if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for Mom and Dad.”
I finally lifted my gaze to meet hers. “What will they do to them if I don’t go?”
Amelia swallowed. “My guess is they’d kill their Familiars. It’s the worst thing that can happen to an Elementai, to lose your Familiar. Worse even than death.”
This was so wrong. The Elders or whatever couldn’t force me to go. Except… they could, and they were.
Bruno and Oliver would be killed, and Mom and Dad would never be the same. I couldn't do that to them, even though they had lied to me.
“Just keep your head down like you always have,” Amelia advised. “Steer clear of Doya, and don’t get yourself into any trouble. That should be easy for you.”
True, considering I’d pretty much been invisible my whole life. I had every intention of staying invisible.
“Here.” Amelia shoved a pair of folded jeans toward me. I hadn’t even realized she’d been holding them.
The jeans we’d been fighting over.
“Am, I can’t,” I declined.
“Take them, Sophia,” she demanded. “Take them, and think of me every time you wear them.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I didn’t even realize I’d made a decision until I reached out and took the jeans.
“I should probably say goodbye to Mom and Dad,” I whispered.
“No,” Amelia insisted. “Even though they lied to you, they still love you. They’d risk their lives— and their Familiars— for you. You have to leave before they realize it.”
My heart broke into a million pieces, but instead of feeling pain rip through my chest, I only felt numb. That numb sensation was probably the only thing that got me to rise from the bed and begin packing with Amelia.
Orenda Academy, I hope you’re worth it.
I hated coffee, but I needed it to keep me awake, because I'd been up for the past three days.
I rubbed my face and stared at the stain on the table in the coffee shop. At this hour, no one was in here but me. I’d been waiting forever. I told Sophia to meet me here hours ago. What was taking so long?
Elders be damned. I wasn't going to waste my time waiting for some spoiled prep to figure out she wanted to grow up and join the real world. I was about to get up and get back on the ship to Orenda Academy when the door opened.
In stepped Sophia. She had a duffel bag full of clothes and a lost puppy-dog look.
She was hot, I guess. Long, chestnut brown hair, chocolate eyes, and a body that was totally bang-worthy. She caught my gaze. Ripples ricocheted in a shock wave through my stomach.
Then I remembered who I was, and everything inside me shut down. No girl wanted to be with someone like me— a crippled failure who’d lost their Familiar. Besides, she was Koigni, I was Toaqua. Never going to happen.
Amelia wasn't with her this time, thank the ancestors. Sophia sat down at my table and went to speak, but I got up and ordered her something. She looked like a chai latte kind of girl. I pressed it into her hands, and she looked down at it.
“Thanks.” She looked up. “But I don’t drink—”
“You’re going to need it,” I told her. “The walk to the ship is cold.”
“Ship?” she echoed.
I resisted rolling my eyes. Never mind. I didn’t think she was hot. She was annoying, and completely clueless. I couldn’t stand people who weren’t on top of things, and Sophia was about a hundred pages behind everyone else. I’d be babysitting a toddler until we got back to school.
She reminded me of a little kid. And that’s exactly what I’d call her.
“Follow me, pawee.” I stood up. She trailed me, sipping at her latte. I carried her duffel bag, though the weight of it instantly brought my fatigue surging back.
“Do you need help?” She caught me struggling.
“I got it,” I told her as we exited the coffee shop and started down the street. I wasn’t about to let her think I couldn’t carry a duffel bag. Though it was getting really hard to keep faking it. A duffel bag full of clothes felt like a military backpack weighing me down.
Being disabled was a real pain in the ass.
We got out of the city limits and into the desert. Sophia hesitated when she reached the town sign. She touched it, then looked back at her old home.
“Well, come on,” I said. I was trying not to gasp for breath, and trying to act normal, but it was hard. “I’m not going to abduct you.”
Sophia snorted and shoved past me. “You couldn’t abduct me if you tried.”
Sadly, she was probably right.
We walked a mile into the desert, which might as well have been ten miles for me. I kept up a brave face so she didn’t notice that my body was screaming. When the lights of the town had dissolved behind us, I dropped the duffel bag and struggled not to drop to my knees, looking up.
I took the golden pass out of my poc
ket and waved it in the air. Sophia looked at me like I was crazy.
We waited a few minutes. The desert was chilly at night. Sophia shivered. I told the cold to piss off.
“What… what are we waiting for?” she asked reluctantly.
“That,” I told her. My eyes never left the sky as the clouds parted. Sophia jumped as the blaring horn of a ship coming into port echoed all around us.
Her mouth dropped open, and I grinned. From the sky descended a massive cruise liner, over a thousand feet in length, equally as tall and weighing two-hundred thousand tons. The ship was painted white, with elements of stark gold here and there. Sophia went to run, but I grabbed her arm and held her in place as the massive ship descended. It could fit over ten thousand passengers, along with two-thousand crew members, but there were rarely that many people on it. Elementai only used it when they wanted to go on vacations, mostly, and when the government insiders needed to get back home.
It wasn’t meant to transport students, yet here we were.
The ship came to a slow park in front of us, the bottom suspended about a hundred feet in the air, before two Elementai on the ship’s sides waved their hands. The earth jutted up above us and formed steps, a staircase made out of desert dirt, rock, and sand that met the cruise ship’s platform. Two Familiars, a pegasus and a toucan, both landed on the ground beside the earth staircase and bowed to us.
“Welcome to the Hozho, the Elementai’s premier cruise ship,” I told her. “It’s how we’ll be getting to the Academy.”
“It… it…” Her mouth bobbed up and down like a fish’s.
“Yes, pawee, it can fly,” I told her. “Hurry up.”
Sophia grabbed her bag before I could (thank the ancestors) and ran after me. I began the climb up the long, torturous staircase, which was the last thing I needed after that walk.
“Why are you going so slow?” Sophia complained behind me.
“Shut up.” I was already out of breath. We finally reached the top, and an Elementai reached out her hand.
“May I take that bag for you and deliver it to your cabin, miss?” she asked Sophia.
“Um,” Sophia started.