by Laura Tree
Chapter 29
I awake feeling joyful. I made it through my first week at The Isle.
Saturdays have always been my favorite day of the week. I love the freedom that comes with the weekend. I don’t have as many obligations and am always able to relax and recharge for the upcoming week, especially now that I won’t be working at the library anytime soon.
I get dressed early and head to the stables. I can get a quick ride in with Silver before I have to meet Damien and Kale, if I hurry.
The training goes well, although it takes up most of the afternoon. I use the skills that Damien taught me the day before, and I’m able to block some blows. I feel successful when I make it through training without any broken ribs. I know that there are going to be some bruises, but it will be worth it to learn how to defend myself.
Damien tells me how he and Kale went to The Isle together and were best friends. Damien was offered a professor job just the same as Kale, when he was called away by Queen Merona. The Queen’s scouts felt my powers emerging and sent Damien to the Mortal Realm to find me.
After training, I decide to take a walk to clear my head. Damien left for the stables after we made plans to meet for dinner. Zeke waited around for a few minutes, making sure my strength was back.
It took some convincing for Zeke to let me take a walk. I know that Damien doesn’t want me to go alone, but I need to think. So with Zeke’s approval, I head off down the beach, in the opposite direction from the stables.
The calming of the wind washes over me and the aching from the distance we are apart makes itself known. I need this, some time alone to think. As much as I hate the mess that the sand brings, I really love walking on the beach.
Damien is so protective. I think he knows how overwhelmed I am and how I need some time to myself, but he doesn’t want to give it to me. He’s always worried about something happening to me. I can understand where he’s coming from, but I really need my space. My parents didn’t raise me to share everything.
Zeke has been very supportive of my privacy. I think he can relate to me on that level. I’m glad he doesn’t mind that I snuck out to have some time alone; at least he understands.
There are some plusses to being in their heads; I have gotten to know both of them so much more lately. I feel like I can tell you how they would react before they do.
I’m so lucky to have them. I can’t imagine going through all of this alone.
My thoughts wander off to Zeke and his pretend--girlfriend Anna. She’s beautiful and she seems smart. I hate to admit that the reason I was against a make--believe girlfriend is because I don’t want to share Zeke, or Damien.
We are joined; doesn’t that give me a claim on them? I want them, but I’m not sure if I can have either one of them. This is all so confusing.
I have to admit that I am jealous. Zeke is going to share himself with another girl, which is going to take the attention away from me. I would feel the same way if it were Damien. Which puts me in a pickle. When all of this is over, I will have a choice to make. How is that going to work? I am joined with each of them forever.
Will I choose Damien or Zeke? I can tell that it’s killing them to have to share me. It has been hard on me too, but for them it’s totally different. When Protectors are joined to Suppliants, it’s all about the relationship with the Suppliant. For a Suppliant, it’s about the relationship and the protection. It’s awesome to have twice the amount of power that I should, but both Damien and Zeke deserve to be happy.
I know that whatever choice I make, it will hurt. How can I choose one over the other? I can’t break the bond. Besides if I could break the bond, I wouldn’t be able to choose who to break it with, it would be all or none. That means I would be left without protection again.
I know that it doesn’t sound like a big deal right now, but there will come a time when I’m going to need their strength. I’m going to need to be protected.
I walk around a large jutting rock to see the beach come to an end. Ahead is a forest with large oak trees. I check my watch and see that I still have plenty of time, so I keep going. A little exploring won’t kill me.
I step over a fallen tree branch and just listen to the sounds. It’s so soothing to be in nature again. I can still hear the ocean, but I can also hear a stream. I can smell the salt on the air, mixed with the musk of the forest. I can hear small creatures skittering about and birds singing love songs.
I trip on a tree root and catch myself by clinging to the tree. The world starts fading. The darkness of a vision is coming for me. Knowing that I will pass out, I lie down on the forest floor and wait for it.
The first thing that I see is a dark field. It’s nighttime. The moon leaves an eerie glow on the grass. My vision takes me to a cave next. I look around and see red dirt on the walls. I can smell water and hear the slow steady drip. It’s very quiet.
There is a hole in the ceiling letting in the moonlight. There are flashes of white glowing blobs flying overhead. They’re moving fast, but never touch. The end of the cave is a large circular room lit with torches. I get the feeling that they could burn forever down here.
The moonlight is shining down through the hole in the cave’s top to illuminate a mud stand. It’s waist--high and holds a glass box. I know without looking at it that it’s the Azure Pendant.
There is no one around.
I take a few moments to really look at the Pendant. It’s amazing. The color is so vivid. I feel like I could get lost looking at it.
The vision fades, and I wake up lying in the same spot still hearing the drip--drip of the water in the cave and smelling the earth.
I stand and hurry back. I need to share this new information with Damien and Zeke.
...
I make it back to my dorm in time for the sunset. I knock on the boys’ door first and wait. After a few minutes of knocking without a response, I use my powers to tell that they aren’t there, even though our connection is telling me that we are closer together now.
I head in my room to change and shower. When I’m hopping out of the shower, I hear a knock at my door. I hurriedly dress and pull the door opened to see Professor Dylan standing there.
I step aside so he can enter. I don’t really feel comfortable having him in my room, but I don’t want anyone to overhear our conversation.
“Layla, I came to visit you to say thank you. I could feel you pulling my soul back. I know that if you hadn’t help me, that I would have been dead by the time that the other professors made it there.”
I just look at him. Did he forget that I was the reason for the accident in the first place? I don’t know what to say, when he speaks up again.
“It was an accident. I know that. You are very powerful. Most seasoned Witches couldn’t get past my protective spell enough to stun me. I don’t blame you, but I am forever grateful.”
I nod at him.
“It was an accident,” I say, finding my voice. “I just wish I were paying closer attention and focusing more. It could have been prevented. I know the pain you were going through when your soul was leaving, I felt it. I hope I never have to feel it again. I am so sorry that I did that to you.” There are tears pooling in the corner of my eyes.
The professor accepts this apology, and I feel better about the incident. If he can forgive me, I should forgive myself.
He spends another hour in my room talking about the things that he knows about power; it’s nice of him to give me a private session. He tells me how white orbs are rare, and how much of a gift I have to be able to wield them. He tells me stories of other Suppliants and of the Queens. It’s well past dark when another knock sounds.
This time it’s Damien. He pushes past me, looking ready to burst with information. When he sees Professor Dylan, he stops dead.
“Where is Zeke?” He spins on me.
The professor dismisses himself, obviously feeling the tension.
“I don’t ha
ve a clue; he didn’t tell me anything,” I say.
“I was called to meet the Dean,” Damien says, “and passed along a message to Zeke that he needed to cancel his dinner plans to be with you.” His shoulders stiffen and his tone sours.
“Once again, I don’t know. I got here and the professor showed up, I couldn’t find either one of you,” I say.
“Dammit. This shouldn’t happen. Your life is in danger. We have to be here all the time. What if the professor was working for the Dark and he tried to harm you? You could have been dead by the time I got here!” He’s practically screaming at me.
“I just came back unharmed, and neither one of you were here. Besides, I have already proven that I can handle the professor, although not on purpose,” I say, guilt racking my tone.
“Where were you? Why did you leave without telling me? I thought Zeke was with you, since he stayed behind. You shouldn’t be left alone. Are you trying to get yourself killed?” That does it. I know he’s just concerned, but I can’t take this right now. I’m not going to let him yell at me while I just sit back and take it.
I take a step toward him, ready to ream him out when the bathroom door suddenly bursts open. Zeke is standing there in the light.
“Didn’t you get my message?” Damien turns and questioned Zeke; the current topic forgotten.
“What message?” Zeke responds.
“I was summoned by the Dean to make arrangements for our schedule changes; I sent word that you needed to stay to watch Lay while I was gone. I returned to find her in the company of Professor Dylan.” The accusation is there, though it isn’t stated.
“I didn’t get your message,” he says, and that’s that. I can feel the anger dissipate.
“She could have been hurt badly or killed. We need to be more careful,” Damien says. I can feel that he’s still upset about it. I don’t know why. It was just Professor Dylan. I have proven that I can handle him.
“I’m fine, Damien. There’s no sense in worrying about the past,” I say. I just want them to get along. We are in a sticky situation.
My stomach picks that moment to grumble loud enough for them to hear.
“You must be hungry,” Zeke pipes in.
“I skipped breakfast and was too busy for lunch. I am feeling rather famished. Let’s go get some food.” They both agree and we head to the food court.