by S C Thomas
There were accusations of her killing her mother in a fit of rage, just like that night she had saved Kelyn except her mother’s life was taken. She was accused of not knowing how to control her powers because she was mentally incompetent to do so. Normally, those kinds of rumors would’ve dug a knife through her heart. Instead, these days they made her crave to prove them wrong. She was capable of control; she just didn’t have that yet. And they knew nothing about her mother, they didn’t know what they were talking about. They spouted lies and rumors and pretended they knew everything in the world about her when they really didn’t. Like the fact that she now had some type of hit list (whatever that was) and everyone who had been present was on it – that was why she’d broken up with Josh, to have a better chance at being able to kill him or whatever. Stupid teenagers. Every time she turned a corner, there was something new that she was up to according to them.
The door to the library opened, drawing in a brisk breeze that tugged at the loose strands of hair that had fallen from her bun. She looked up, catching Josh’s eye. Her heart fluttered and she stood quickly, gathering her books. Stepping around the table, she ducked her head to avoid his gaze and scurried to the back of the library. Kelyn was avoiding her, and she was avoiding Josh. When she glanced up to see what he was doing, she watched beneath hooded eyes as he set a couple books on the counter, momentarily paused in his footsteps as if he were going to turn around but decided against it and left the building. She drew in a sharp breath through her nostrils, exhaling and feel the rattle in her chest. Watching him leave, her neck craned to make sure he wasn’t about to come back in, she moved back to the table she had previously been sitting in. Stepping over a chair she hadn’t noticed knocking over in her haste, she set the stack of books down once more and closed her eyes, trying to gather herself together before she could explode.
It was better this way. He would never view the world as she did. He would never see that shifters deserved equality. Not the way she did anyways. He would disapprove of what happened but turn a blind eye just like the rest of them. He would never understand. This was for the best. Even if it hurt so damn much. How could a breakup hurt this much?
Blinking away her thoughts, trying to push them out her mind, she looked down at her books and froze at the piece of paper sitting right there. Where had that come from? She reached up, flipping it over but found it empty. Setting it back down, she turned and rummaged in her pocket for a pen, drawing one out and held it to the paper. She drew a line on it and then gasped, yanking away the pen when the ink sprinkled into the page and disappeared. A single dot reappeared and then curled out in swirls, turning into a tornado before splaying out on the page.
1:30am.
She blinked at the time, eyebrows drawn together as she stared at the number that had appeared, snatching up the page. She turned it over, looking at the other side to see what kind of trick this was but found nothing. Turning it back, she set it down and shook her head, pushing it out of her mind. The time swirled again, capturing her gaze as it returned to that single dot. Then it twirled and began to spiral out in a spider web. She watched as the web turned into tunnels and spun around and around, drifting across the page in strokes as if someone was drawing it. It came to a stop, showing the woods. Except it wasn’t just the woods – it was a map and a star lay in the middle, indicating a sweet spot.
The meeting.
She scowled at it, but all she could do was stare at it. It was about damn time they let her know it was happening! It had been too long since she’d told Kelyn (or felt like it was too long anyways) she was in. Maybe they had to wait out what had happened or space their meetings out or something, she wasn’t really wasn’t sure, but whatever the reasoning, she was just glad she finally got to know something about it. She blinked and the paper went blank, wiped clean of what had been drawn on there – as if it never even existed. Had she truly seen it? She sucked in a breath between her teeth. Well, she was going to find out that night if she really was crazy or not.
Her eyes shifted back to the books, reminding her of her current task to study. Study, study, study. She needed to get into the trials. It could help elevate her powers, straighten them out. She could show everyone up, get a familiar and prove to them all that she was far better than they ever thought she was. Plus, she was going to take them down and show that the shifters deserved the equality that everyone else got. Why was it so bad they had lesser magic than anyone else? So, what if they did – what they could do themselves was pretty damn cool in their own way. Being able to shift into an animal was intense and Emma was pretty sure that was far better magic then some silly spells. She wondered if they got to choose the animal they changed into or it just happened. If they got to choose, could she learn? Doubtful, she couldn’t even do a simple levitation spell without screwing that up. She blew things up and blasted people. She was pretty pathetic for a mage and if she tried to be a shifter, she would probably be a lot worse.
Examining the inside of the book, with little to no comprehension yet again, she found her gaze wandering to the door, half expecting Josh to return or Kelyn to pop up. Josh had tried talking to her, but she blew him off and Kelyn was the new disappearing act. It was evident she didn’t want to be around Emma whatsoever. Whatever the reasoning, she couldn’t imagine. Was she embarrassed that Emma had saved her? Or because she’d kissed Emma? If Kelyn would just talk to her, she would’ve explained that neither reasoning was good enough to make their friendship wobble again. If Josh tried talking to her, she was afraid her anger would lash out and slap him for what he had not done that he should’ve done.
Finally giving up, Emma slapped the book shut and gathered her books, going to the counter to check them out. The librarian’s glazed look washed over the books, shaking her head slowly. “Be careful what you wish for.” She huffed and stamped the books, pushing them to Emma.
Emma blinked, staring at her in confusion but the old lady just bent her head back over her book, lips moving slightly as she read to herself. Emma stayed a moment longer, waiting for her to say something else but when she didn’t, she pulled the books off the counter and left the library. Her eyes flicked to the woods, exhaling slowly as she felt a jolt of anxiety zap through her at the thought of entering them in the dead of night. Could she really do that? Defy her uncle’s rules and go against him to help better equality?
She stopped when she got feet from the girl’s dormitory building, her head tilted back slightly to look up at it.
After her uncle had so blatantly explained to her that he just possibly couldn’t do shit to help the shifters, she knew that she could, in fact, help them.
Her head turned to the sky, squinting against the sun. “Mom, I’m sorry.” She said to thin air, her voice cracking.
She didn’t know what she was sorry for exactly, but she knew she was. She didn’t know why her mother had run or hid her or anything that she had chosen to do, taking her from this world. But in that moment of clarity, Emma forgave her. In that moment, she didn’t care that she had missed everything. She had gotten that time with her mother and didn’t turn into a mindless zombie and turned her head to what had happened. There was a reason her mother had taken her, a secret she would find out later. But for now, all she could do was forgive her. It was the only way to let go of pain that no longer needed to be part of her.
“I forgive you.”
Twenty-Six
Some of the shifters waved at her when Emma entered the clearing for their meeting, their faces lighting up to see her part of them. There were a few others who, when they noticed her presence, scowled at her – obviously unhappy about the fact that she there. The lanterns were hanging from the trees again, just as they’d done that first time. The difference now was that she wasn’t kidnapped and being held there to be told of the resistance. She was here of her own freewill, though not everyone seemed very happy with that.
“Hey Emma.” A small voice greeted, making her jump as Kelyn ste
pped out of the dark.
“Hey Kelyn.” She greeted and the girl smiled slightly, turning her face away.
“Glad you could make it.” Her voice was low, almost a whisper despite the fact they probably couldn’t be heard outside of the clearing except by exceptionally good hearing and that had to be creatures that lurked in the night.
Emma stepped forward, noticing how Kelyn drew slightly back, sliding her feet against the ground. “I am to.” She responded, her eyes flicking to Kelyn’s feet and pressed her lips together to keep from saying anything.
She knew better then to point out the obvious awkwardness between them and chalked it up to the fact that Kelyn was in fact embarrassed. Probably from both though – kissing Emma and being saved by her. At least trying to save Kelyn proved that her accepting this group meant she was real and willing to work it. That she wasn’t going to tell the secret of them and get everyone in trouble. They didn’t have anything to worry about. Still, it didn’t stop the scorned glares she felt burning into the back of her brain. Not everyone was thrilled she was there. She couldn’t blame them. Her uncle ran the school, she was supposed to be some type of magic guru or something and tended to blow things up when she got angry instead. They were probably hesitant about accepting her into their group. She couldn’t blame them and at least some others were more willing to accept her.
“We’re going to practice tonight.” Kelyn said softly, avoiding eye contact with Emma and stared at the ground when she was speaking.
Communication between the two was severed, Kelyn couldn’t even look up at her. Emma swallowed roughly and nodded. “Okay, you wanna spar with me?”
“I’m sparring with Shad.” She said quickly and Emma’s heart squeezed to see the girl unable to be around her for more than just a few minutes. They just had to get past this, and they’d return to normal, wouldn’t they? “You can spar with someone else though. Jessica is a really good partner.” Kelyn babbled, motioning at a group of lagers who were watching them warily.
Emma nodded, pulling her jacket tightly around her torso as a light breeze made her shiver. “Thanks, Kelyn.”
Kelyn nodded and turned on her heel, going to find her partner and left Emma alone, unsure of what she was supposed to be doing. A boy who was about a head taller than her stepped into her view, leaning towards her, a scowl on his face.
“You don’t belong here.” He sneered and she stepped back involuntarily at how close he was to her; her person bubble being prodded at. “You need to leave and forget this even existed.”
“I was invited here.” She said tartly, her eyes flicking around for somebody to help her but when nobody came immediately rushing to her aide, her heart stammered, trying to remember the way out and back to the castle if she had to run.
“You need to leave.” He repeated, taking a step closer to her and forced her to move backwards once again.
Emma swallowed nervously, flicking her tongue over her lips. “I was invited and I’m staying. I want to help.”
He snorted, shaking his head. “Forgive me if I don’t believe that, mage. You’re probably nothing but a spy. Sent here to watch us and report back to tell on us.”
“You wouldn’t be here right now if that was the case. I’ve kept your secret, its safe with me.” She took another step back as he drew closer once again. “I’m not going to tell anyone. Kelyn is my friend.”
“Likely story.” He said bitterly. “Pretending to be friends with a clueless girl. How pathetic. You’ve got her wrapped around your finger, you know that? Convinced her you are safe. I know the truth.”
Emma swallowed, shaking her head. “Well, whatever you think is the truth isn’t. I’m telling the truth; I’m not telling anyone.”
“Were you followed here?”
“What?” She blinked, staring at him in bafflement. “No, of course not. I know to keep my mouth shut.”
“Liar. You’re just as bad as the rest of them. None of you can be trusted.”
Labels. He was labeling her and it made her ticked, she could feel the embers stroking her insides once again, her fingers twitching, but desperate to keep herself under control, Emma drew her fingers into her palms, feeling her nails slice at her flesh from how rough she dug them in.
“I told you,” she snarled between clenched teeth. “I am here to help.”
He laughed and grabbed hold of her collar, yanking her forward, her feet stumbling beneath her as he did so. He lifted her from the ground, pressing his face to hers and his breath washed over her, making her cough roughly in the stench that fell from it. “You’re nothing but a liar. You are no good, just like the rest of them.”
“Let me go.” She said warningly. “Let me go right now.”
“I don’t think so, I don’t trust you.”
“Let her go, Jake.” Kelyn’s voice spoke loudly from behind her. “Let her go right now.”
Jake’s fingers released her and Emma dropped to the ground with a low thud, gasping for breath as she momentarily crumpled and pushed herself back to a standing position, staggering to stand straight. She held her head high, glaring at him to dare him to try it again. Jake huffed and spun on his heel, shoving past Kelyn.
“Th-thanks.” Emma murmured.
Kelyn nodded. “No problem. Sorry Jake gets a little rough. He’s very protective over what’s his. The group, it’s his family basically. Some mages killed his parents, so he isn’t easy to get trust through.”
Emma flinched, her stomached twisting in pity for the boy. “I didn’t know.”
Kelyn shrugged, stepping up to her. “He doesn’t like to talk about it, so I wouldn’t bring it up if I were you. But just know it isn’t exactly personally against you. He just doesn’t like mages in general because of that.”
“Can’t really blame him.” Emma agreed, shivering once again. “I would be angry to.”
Kelyn nodded and looked down at her nails. “I guess I can spar with you. Probably better, not everyone is happy you’re here.”
Emma bit her tongue back from giving a snarky answer. Their glares hadn’t exactly gone missed. “I noticed.”
“There’s just a lot of bad blood between mages and shifters. There always will be, no matter what happens at the end of all this. Especially since they locked up our leader. It’s kind of just stirred the pot really.”
Emma looked at her in surprise and glanced wildly around as if to spot someone she had missed. “Lex is locked up?” She asked, incredulous, wondering if she’d missed the announcement because surely it would have been something for mages to rejoice.
“No.” Kelyn said quickly and sighed when Emma shot her a look of confusion, urging her to continue. “Lex is our leader here. There are different sanctions for the resistance. Everywhere has their own group, their own leader to guide them, to help them. But we have one leader that brings us all together. The leader that made all of this,” she waved her arm around to indicate the gathering. “to happen. His name is Nicholas Spellhaven, he’s in the Hollows now. We had a leak somewhere. Don’t exactly know where, but a mole that spilled the beans about his whereabouts. So now he’s locked up.”
“The Hollows?” Emma echoed. “You mentioned them before. Prison, right?”
“Basically. They have werewolves guarding the barriers. When a werewolf bites you, you get sick and change on the full moon. Once changed, you can’t change back. The werewolves that guard are put under a spell. Normally their rabid, but when held under the spell they are commanded to bite the prisoners who try to escape. No one else. Life as a werewolf is far worse than life in the Hollows.” She shivered, wrapping her arms around her torso. “It’s cold in there, no heat can touch it. You’re left to your own thoughts and after a while, they begin to drive you nuts. I’ve heard that sometimes, people try to escape on purpose just to get bitten. Not everyone is able to be changed and they die in the process but even if you survive, it’s said to be better than those voices in your head. Even if life in the Hollows is better t
han being a prisoner to the moon.”
Emma blinked, staring at her for a moment and then tilted her head back, looking up at the dark canopy of trees. She couldn’t see the moon by the coverage, but she knew it was there, lurking in wait for her to step out of the woods. A howl in the distance made her jump slightly and she edged closer to Kelyn, glancing over her shoulder.
“I sure wouldn’t wanna be there.” She commented, shivering again as the howl echoed in her mind.
“It’s only a place for the criminally insane. The ones who step out of line so badly, there is nothing to be done.” She shrugged, shaking her head dismay. “I swear Drake Caulderon just may end up there one day.”
Emma nodded in agreement but didn’t know what else to say. So instead, she chose to ask a question. “You know an awful lot about that place.”
“You learn about it in second year.” Kelyn explained dryly, shrugging. “Every second year does. You’ll come across it soon but now you know if you have a quiz on it.”
They fell silent again, the awkwardness thick between them. Kelyn didn’t seem to mind talking about what she knew, but when it came to their friendship she was at arm’s length. It was evident when Emma sidled closer Kelyn edged away, making it apparent she wanted space between them.
Finally, Kelyn turned to face her. “They’ll like you soon enough.” She promised, nodding at the group around them. Some of who instantly looked away when Emma looked their way, not wanting to make it obvious they were watching.
“Where’s Lex?” She suddenly asked, realizing it was just students tonight.
“He doesn’t always come. He schedules the practices, makes sure we are doing what we need to. But he doesn’t always come. He can’t risk being seen, so to be safe he skips meetings.” She said quickly and Emma’s eyes flicked to her, narrowing them at her in near suspicion.