by Laura Tree
Chapter16
Periods Three and Four are an hour each, where Periods One and Two were thirty minutes each.
I encounter Zeke in Period Four—Powers with Professor Dylan—and Zeke is assigned to be my partner. I sigh with this new knowledge; now I have to deal with two attractive boys in my life.
I’m starving when lunch rolls around. By the time I make it back to my locker, Trish is waiting for me.
“Wanna have lunch with me?” she asks. I think about Damien and figure that having lunch with Trish feels like a good idea to keep my mind off him.
“Only if you buy,” I joke. Trish giggles and hooks her arm through mine again. I love that currency is so much different here than it is in the Mortal Realm. So far I haven’t had to think about money.
She’s blabbering on the whole way to the cafeteria while I’m lost in thought wondering about what Damien is doing, and who he’s doing it with.
We’re just sitting down at the picnic table under the tree when Zeke shows up carting a tray. He joins us, and the current small talk is just what I need to get my mind off Damien.
“Is that Damien Cartwright?” Trish asks practically bouncing out of her seat.
“I heard he came back with a wicked powerful Witch,” Zeke says in hushed tones. My eyebrows twist; I hadn’t really suspected Zeke to be the gossiping type.
“I wonder where his Witch is now. He can come this way any time. Man, he is fine,” Trish says, leaning closer.
Zeke looks at me and explains. “Damien declared a few years ago. He’s a bit of a legend around here. He was top in his class and was offered a professor gig after he declared. He turned it down to find the Suppliant from the prophecy. He’s supposed to be very powerful.”
I glance up at Damien, and our eyes lock. “If he finds the Suppliant from the prophecy, it will be a game--changer for the Light,” I hear Zeke whisper. I feel my cheeks start to heat up. “I only hope to be as good of a Protector as he is some day.”
“You are a Protector?” I can’t stop it from coming out. Zeke is a Protector? Why don’t I feel a connection to him?
Trish catches me looking at Damien. “Is he coming over here? It must be my Sirenism.” She puts on her best smile, hoping to win him over.
It’s apparent that the rest of the female crowd is sharing similar thoughts. All eyes are on Damien as he gets closer.
“Lay, can I join you?”
I look around to find Zeke’s jaw set and Trish’s mouth hanging wide open. My shoulders drop; I guess the secret is out.
I want to talk to him, but I know that I can’t share what I want to in front of Trish and Zeke. Then an idea strikes me.
I reach my hand out to his, welcoming the warmth and the rush of the connection. Why didn’t you tell me that you are a legend around here? Why have you been avoiding me? Who was she?
“Sure, Damien meet Trish and Zeke,” I say. My eyes never leave his, and my mouth is still set in a flat line.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Damien says, sitting down. I was trying to protect you. Your choice has to be made by you; I didn’t want your opinion of me to affect that. What girl are you talking about?
Keeping his hand in mine and looking into his eyes, I telepathically respond. The girl that you met at the library. She was flirting with you.
A smile lights his face. You were jealous. A simple statement; he can sense the jealousy rolling off me. I can feel the relief on him.
Why is he relieved to think that I was jealous? I don’t have any right to be. I’m the one who told him that I needed some time.
Who is she? I think. Confusion starts to take over, tamping down the unnecessary jealousy.
We went to school here together, he thinks. She stayed on to work as an assistant, while I moved on. I was asking her to get me access to the office after hours.
What do you need access afterhours for? I question.
To go through the files, he thinks. As your Protector, it’s my job to make sure that you’re safe. I wanted to go through the files and make sure that there are no threats here.
Did she agree? I question.
Of course, he responds. Tonight, after sunset, we are meeting.
Can I come with you? I want to see the files too.
I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think you should stay away from this, he thinks. If you get caught, they will expel you, and you need this training. You don’t have a chance of finding the Pendant in time without it.
I could help you. Besides, if you get caught, they’ll kick you off The Isle too. My anger starts to rage inside.
What is he thinking sneaking around at night? He’s going to get in trouble and leave me to deal with the stress of all of this alone. I should go with him; that way if we get kicked off, at least he can still help me find the Pendant.
As my anger peaks, my power starts to rise. Damien grabs my other hand under the table. He can feel it? Does that mean that the others can too?
Calm down, Lay, he thinks. You can’t let this power control you. You don’t know what you’re capable of.
At his words, I get angrier. Of course I don’t know what I am capable of. My life was stolen from me.
My parents abandoned me as a child, and I was raised by my loving parents who don’t know a thing about magic. My life is in shambles, and to top it all off, I don’t know what I’m capable of.
Remorse is rolling off of him in waves.
Calm down; get your mind off of it, he thinks, trying to avert a disaster.
My imagination runs wild as a picture of Damien holding me flashes through my mind. His face looks pained, but he pulls me up, wraps his arms around me, and lays his head on my hair.
I mentally hold on like my life depends on it. I can feel every movement that Damien’s body makes. The warmth matures to a sizzle.
“Get a room,” Trish says. I had been just distracted enough that Trish’s voice registers and brings me back. I begin to pull my hand away when Damien stops me.
At least this is just mental. I don’t think I could handle him actually touching me, especially not in public.
“So are you two together?” Trish asks. “I mean, you know her name,”—she nods at Damien—“and I couldn’t help but notice that you’re holding hands. I’m just asking for the sake of the female population,” she says, watching our every move.
Don’t tell them that you are a Suppliant, Damien thinks. I need to make sure there’s no danger here first. I’m not sure who we can trust yet.
But these are my new friends, I think. I don’t feel right starting our friendship off with lies.
Trust me, Lay, he thinks.
I know that his job is to protect me, but I don’t think we should lie to do that. I’m sure that Trish and Zeke are trustworthy.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Damien declares before I have a chance to tell them no. I look at Trish whose eyes are as big as saucers, and then glance at Zeke whose jaw tightens.
Why couldn’t you just say that we know each other, I question. I really don’t want to lie.
I was claiming you, he thinks. I’m your Protector, and this is the best way to protect you. Once word gets around that we’re together, people will think twice before messing with you.
Damien has a point. As much as I hate lying, it is for my protection. Since he’s a legend around here, people won’t pay attention to me while he’s around.
“Why didn’t you say something? You let us ramble on about him as if you’ve never met him,” Trish questions
“Honestly, it was interesting to hear what you guys thought of him.” I aim my best I’m sorry look at Trish, who apparently decides to forgive me on the spot.
Zeke, on the other hand, excuses himself and heads back inside. With a promise to meet up later, Damien is on his way too. Our mental connection starts to get fuzzier the second that he releases my hand.
As soon as he’s out of hearing distance, Trish pounce
s on me.
“What a secret, girl; how could you not have told me? I would brag about that to anyone that would listen. You know every girl in this place was watching him.”
I shrug at her obvious statement. I had seen the looks that he was getting. It feels like all of the girls in here have eyes on him, but I can’t let that bother me with everything that has happened to me lately. I need to focus on my training so I can find my parents.
“So how long have you guys been a couple?” Trish looks at me with expectant eyes.
“Not long, about a week,” I lie. “We’re still getting to know each other.” It’s not really a lie, just an omission.
So we really aren’t a couple, but he is determined to be my Protector, and what they were saying about him makes me think he was right.
If he really is as good as they said, then he might be the right person for the job. Besides, I want to see what we have between us.
Trish’s voice breaks my train of thoughts. “How did you two meet?”
I take a moment to gather my thoughts and come up with a lie that I can stick to. I know they say that if you are going to lie, it needs to be small, and believable.
Keeping it close to the truth makes it easier to remember, but I think being vague like Damien was at school is my best bet here.
“Really, Trish, there’s not much to tell. I met Damien at school, and we hit it off instantly,” I say, hoping that her curiosity is satisfied.
“Tell me everything. How exactly did you meet?” she asks. The term saved by the bell is literally true at this instant.
The bell rings, and Trish and I empty our trays and head off in different directions toward our lockers with a quick “See ya later.”
...
After lunch was Period Five, Combat. This is the class that I figure I will have the most trouble with. I’m not a pathetic little girl, but I’m not physically strong.
I walk back to the courtyard in my training gear that was provided for me. Black spandex capris and a black tight--fitting top adorn my long, lean body.
I glance around and find that the men are wearing black jogging shorts and black muscle tops; basically the same thing.
…
Professor Kale introduces himself. What is it with all of the attractive male professors in The Isle? Are there no middle--aged balding professors that you would find in a typical school?
Professor Kale, who tells us to address him simply as “Kale,” goes on to explain that this course will be grueling. It will help us build stamina and muscle and teach us to fight with our bodies. At least this will be much--needed practice.
He starts the class off with having us warm up, by jogging around the courtyard ten times. As someone who likes to read, and lacks the physical fitness ability, this task is daunting.
I set off and can’t help but notice that I’m the last one to finish. After the “warm--up,” we’re given a few minutes to rehydrate. I walk to the water fountain on shaky legs.
A little slow going there, Lay. You are going to have to step it up, Damien thinks.
Leave me alone, Damien. It’s my first day. Besides, not everyone can be first to finish. I want to say like you, but that’s just petty.
Relax, you have nowhere to go but up, Damien thinks. I realize that he isn’t trying to tease me; he just wants to motivate me.
I head back out to the courtyard.
“Don’t you just love running? It clears your mind.” Trish locks arms with me in her typical manner.
I should have known that physical activity would not bother her one bit. She still looks like she just came out of a magazine, and I’m drenched in sweat. I just shake my head back and forth.
“Yeah, I love it,” I reply, with sarcasm spewing out of my every word.
“Pair off,” Professor Kale announces. “This next activity will require teamwork.”
I’m thinking about another hour and half of the torture I will have to go through when Damien approaches me.
“Want to be partners?” he asks.
“Actually, I was thinking I could be Trish’s partner,” I say, looking at Trish. Her eyes light up; apparently she was hoping the same.
Lay, Kale said that it was about teamwork, Damien thinks. We need to learn how to work together. You and I are partners in a bigger cause.
I sigh, because I know that he’s right. As much as I want to stay away from Damien until I figure this out, he’s right. We need to learn how to work together.
I look at Trish, ready to apologize, when she says, “You and Damien should be partners.”
She comes close to my ear giving me a naughty grin. “You can thank me later,” she whispers. With a giggle, she trots off and pairs up with Zeke.
I feel your powers growing, Damien thinks. Most Witches can’t feel emotions as freely as you can. It takes them years of training, if they can do it at all.
I thought it was just intuition, I think.
It’s more than that; you have a lot of power, Lay, Damien thinks.
Professor Kale’s voice breaks through our conversation. “Your task is to”—he pauses, as a clap of thunder booms over us.
“Well, it looks like we’re going to have to hit the gym for the remainder of class. You and your partner will work out an exercise regimen for both of you. Then get started on it today. Make sure you have plans to optimize your physical fitness over the next few weeks.”
With that, everyone heads inside.