by A. S. Oren
I frown. “What do you mean? You and Lennox are half Royals. I’ve known that ever since Dad told me I was going to marry Paden, and that Lennox wasn’t an option, because he is only half-Royal. I also tied together the fact that you both have long hair, but you don’t tie it back like the full Royals do.”
“Lennox wasn’t an option? Are you saying you were with him?” Dante turns back to look at Lennox, who looks like a deer caught in the headlights.
Lennox shakes his head and holds up his hands, “I swear, we have never done anything. I have no idea what she’s talking about.”
A suffocating lump forms in my chest. He completely denies everything now. The others were around when we were together, they know the truth. “That’s just cruel. Ever since the breakup you have been downright horrible, but denying everything? I—” I stop and shake my head. My hand wipes away a stray tear. “I don’t have time for your sudden need to play a round of twenty questions. I’m going to be seriously late for dinner with Paden. You guys can come if you want, or you can eat in the dining hall. I don’t really care either way.”
I don’t leave them time to try to stop, or argue with me. I turn and walk, faster this time. I need to see Paden.
The Passage
After having to go down the painful memory lane with Dad, their strange behavior is more than I can handle. I just need Paden to put his arms around me and tell me that it is all going to be okay.
They don’t say anything else, but multiple dress shoes follow behind me, clacking against the marble floor. We go upstairs and down, before coming to the hall that leads to a portrait. Paden showed me how to get into his personal quarters. Behind this portrait, of an ancient looking woman holding a bouquet of dead lilies, a passage leads to his room. Feeling under the right lower corner of the golden frame, I undo a latch and push the portrait to the side, revealing the dark passage. I feel for the button on the side of the wall and push it. It makes a clunking sound, as it clicks into place. A row of old lights turn on. Their light casts a dim yellow glow on the dark red bricks.
I look back to them. “Whoever is the last one in, has to move the portrait back into place.” I keep my hand on the wall as I move forward. I wish I could see better in the dark, like the night vision the fire masters have. I’m not affiliated with fire though, so that’s never going to happen.
The guys whisper behind me. I can’t make out what they are saying, but I’m sure it has something to do with me. The silence between us only makes my heart thump harder in my chest. I’ve never felt so distant from them before. I’ve never had them acting like we just met either. Did Dad do one of his weird experiments on them?
I shake my head. No, he wouldn’t touch them. He knows they are my best friends. They are off limits. As we near a fork in the passage, I squint my eyes and look to the wall I’m touching. Soon, I should see the carving in the brick that has Paden and my initials in it. He placed it there to mark which way I should turn. I know this layout like the back of my own hand, but it’s comforting to know that he placed it there for me when I was still new to Spearwood. I like to trace the letters for good luck.
The fork comes to a head and my eyes search for the mark. It’s not there. I frown and place my hand on the brick where I know it should be. Nothing but smooth stone greets my fingertips. It couldn’t have been erased. He made sure it could never be removed. We placed bonding magic into it together.
“I don’t understand,” I mumble. My hands move over the other bricks nearby. Maybe I’m wrong. I can’t be, but there’s a small chance I am. Where else could it have gone?
“What’s wrong, Avvi?” asks Amr.
I bite my lip before answering, “It’s missing. There’s no way it could be missing.”
“What is missing?” asks Lusk.
I swallow hard. There’s no evidence of the mark ever being here. I should at least feel the traces of the magic left behind. I might be bad at air magic, but I’m not terrible at general magic. “The mark Paden and I put here together, it’s gone. It can’t be gone. We used bonding element magic. The only way it could be removed is if we removed it together. I don’t even feel the traces of the magic.”
“That’s because you never put a mark there with him. You couldn’t stand him last night. I doubt you would have done something so intimate with him,” says Bullock.
‘He’s right, you know. You would have never done something like that with a guy like that Royal,’ says a voice in the back of my mind. It sounds like my own, but why would I think something like that? It happened when I was with Dad earlier, too. Could I be going crazy? I shake my head and look to Bullock. “What would you know?”
His dark eyes narrow at me and he grinds his jaw. At his side, his hands make fists. I lift an eyebrow. What does he think he’s going to do? Here of all places?
“Even in this version of you, you act like you know everything. You don’t.” A rush of cool wind moves through the passage, whipping my hair into my eyes. For still being so young, he sure does have power when it comes to air magic. I brush my hair away from my face, a strand or two having gotten stuck to my lip gloss. I wrinkle my nose hating the sensation it causes. I consider doing something to him, but his power will crush mine in a matter of seconds, I doubt I could even lay a scratch on him with my abilities. I’ve never been one to let my temper physically get the better of me anyway. It’s not lady like. I look back to the brick, where the initials should be and squint my eyes one last time; maybe they will suddenly appear and this will all be a prank by Maverick, or something. “Whatever, I’m bored with this.” I move to go down the left passage. I’m so past fashionably late right now.
“What? I’m not good enough to fight you? You had no problem with Mirren the other day or Hansen,” says Bullock.
I frown. A glint of something flashes in my mind’s eye at his words. Broken glass? Where did that come from? My tongue has a fuzzy sensation covering it, and it’s hard to swallow. I grip onto the wall. My mind doesn’t seem as clear as it should be. “What the hell are you going on about now?” I turn around and look at him. “I know you think I’m a stupid blonde, but I know better than to fight you, I would lose. What fights are you talking about? I haven’t sparred with Lusk since he outgrew me in size and which Hansen are you talking about?”
Dante takes a step closer to me. “There’s only one Hansen. The one that tormented you as a child?”
I shake my head. “Sure, Maverick can get a little over zealous with his pranks, but he has never done anything to hurt me. There’s two Hansens, Paden and Maverick. You know that.”
Both his eyebrows go up, “They are brothers?”
“Oh my God, seriously stop this joke. It’s not funny.”
“Does it sound like we’re laughing, princess?” asks Lusk.
I look to where his shadowed form stands. A flash of him kissing my cheek but seeming angry enters my mind. I shake my head. That certainly has never happened before. Why would Lusk kiss me? “Stop stalling me. I want to see Paden.” This time I turn and jog away from them, putting as much space between them and me as I can. They continue to follow me.
Soon, I can see the light from his room coming through the edges around the heavy tapestry that hides it from view. I smile, finally, it only felt like it took forever to get here. I push aside the covering and force my way through into his room.
Decorated in reds and silvers, his room surrounds us, at least the size of two of my dorm put together. He sits in front of his fireplace, a crystal chest board between him and Maverick. Of course, he waits for me before going to dinner.
They both look up. Paden’s eyes go wide and he stands. Maverick looks equally shocked to see me, but stays seated. Why are they so shocked to see me? I’ve come to have dinner with them every night since I came to stay at Spearwood.
“Avalon, why are you here?” asks Paden. His eyes move to look behind me, noticing the guys. He then looks back to me. “Why are all of you here?”
&nbs
p; Maverick stands now, his hands balled into fists. His lip has a cut in the corner. How did that happen? He’s always been more advanced than the rest of us when it comes to fighting. “Come to try and take another hit, Mathis? I won’t be nice this time.”
My head whips around to look at Dante. He did that? Since when have they been on a last name basis? Nothing makes sense. I feel like I have fallen through the looking glass. Dante’s eyes narrow and he gives him a sneer. I’ve never seen him look at someone with such contempt.
Dante adverts his eyes away from Maverick, not commenting on what he said. He looks to Paden. "What have you done to her?" he asks.
Paden looks at Dante with a frown. I don't like seeing his lips turn down with displeasure.
"I haven't done anything to her. I would never do anything to Avalon."
"Except kidnap her and force her to wear things she doesn't like. So why wouldn't you have something done to her mind in order to make her love you?" asks Bullock. I look back at him, he has such conviction in his voice it's odd to hear, since it isn't projected at me. "You want to make her love you, so why would this be a surprise to you? She has memories now that none of us have. "
"Excuse me, but I'm in the room. I don't like being talked about while I am standing right here. It's rude."
"Again, I haven't done anything to her. I would never force her to love me by changing her memories and mind. That would make her someone different. I love her for the girl she is."
I smile at Paden and walk over to him. I stand on my toes to place a kiss on his cheek. He looks at me with wide eyes and moves away from me by a step. I frown. He has never done that, normally he would return my affection by kissing me lightly on the lips. That's what he has always done.
"Don't tell me you're acting strange, too. I don't think I could handle it. "
"Avalon, how did you know about that passage into my room? Not even Maverick has been told about that one. "
I take a step back from him. Now I know something has changed all of them. "You never call me by my name, not since we decided to make the engagement work. You showed me the passage on my first night here, months ago in July. We did the bonding ceremony with our initials in the tunnel. Please tell me you remember." Hot tears prick the corners of my eyes. My heart hurts.
"Bonding ceremony? Are you for real?" asks Maverick, with a scoff.
I look to him, my vision blurred by the tears. His cold demeanor takes me off guard. He doesn't seem care free. That's not like him at all. In fact, all of them seem stiff with each other. Paden looks to the others and then to his door. "We shouldn't be talking here, the walls are listening."
Dante crosses his arms over his chest. "Fuck the walls. Let them listen.”
I turn to look at him. "Dante, language." I wipe the tears out of my eyes. I just have to keep reminding myself that Dad said this would happen. I didn't think he meant Paden, too, but I guess he meant everyone. They will be back to normal in the morning.
"Avalon, seriously? You've never cared about cursing before," says Horace.
I give him a glare. "Of course I have always cared. Ladies and gentlemen don't say such foul things."
"I really can't stand this version of her. Will someone please shut her up?" asks Lusk.
My lip begins to quiver. I've never had him be so mean to me before. Paden puts a hand on my back and for a second I think he has gone back to his normal caring self.
But one look in his eyes tells me that he is still acting strange. His looks confused and even a bit angry. My Paden would never be angry.
"We should really not be speaking here. Our words could affect her as well. I have a place where we can talk."
"So do we," says Dante.
What are they talking about? Where could we go, and the walls are listening? Are they all paranoid?
I look back to Paden and Maverick. Paden lifts an eyebrow. He gestures with a wave of his arm. "Then by all means, lead the way."
"I don't trust you with that type of information."
Paden takes off his suit jacket and then his button down shirt. My cheeks flare with heat. I've never seen him like this before. He wears irritation well, my body grows hot with attraction for him. He turns this back to face the group. Showing them a brand scar on his right shoulder blade, a circle with six lines that meet in the center and shoot away from it. . "Is that trust enough for you?" asks Paden, as he turns back around.
Dante looks back at the others. They all exchange looks. Then Dante looks to Maverick. "What about you?"
Maverick looks to Paden, Paden nods. Maverick growls and then sighs. He practically rips of his jacket and shirt. He has the same marking on his right shoulder blade. I frown. What does that mark mean? I have never seen it before, but obviously the guys know. I thought we didn't keep secrets from one another.
"What does that mark mean?" I ask.
"Interesting, something she doesn't know," says Triton.
I send him a death glare. "Shut up, Lennox."
He sends back a glare of his own. That hurts. "I thought ladies don't says such foul things."
My cheeks flare with more heat and my hands go into fists. "I make the exception for you."
His eyes go wide, he seems shocked by my contempt for him. He knows what he did. I will hate him forever.
"We need to go, my watchers will be here soon to serve dinner."
"Leave your P.A. behind, both of you," says Horace, as he takes out his card and tosses it to the floor. The others do the same.
Why in the world are they doing that? We never go anywhere without them. They are all looking to me now. "Leave your P.A. here, Avalon," says Dante.
I frown at him. "Why? We are supposed to have our P.A.s on us at all times. Even during sleep. That is what the rule book says."
He sighs. "I hoped I would never have to do this to you. Avalon, drop your P.A.”
His voice, alluring and strong, compels me to take my P.A. out of the pocket of my dress and throw it in the pile. Did he just use the Voice on me? Only master level silver users can do that. When did he become a master silver user? We just entered Spearwood. That training comes after we graduate from college.
"Avalon, I'm sorry I have to do this to you. But it is for your own good, you're not yourself right now. You will follow us and remain silent until we get to where we are going." Again his voice, like a soft crashing wave, wills me to do what it wants me to.
What is this place?
He nods to both Paden and Maverick and turns around to go back through the passage. I follow along, a soft, but peaceful warm feeling making me want to follow him and do as he asks. Why is all this happening? Why are they doing this? Making me break the rules of the school to follow them to a place where the walls can't listen? They sound like a bunch of paranoid drug addicts. Who would want to watch a school full of teenage boys? I know I wouldn't, it's probably filled with poor sex jokes and bromance.
Paden follows closely behind me. I turn my head to look back at him, I want to ask him if this is one of their pranks, and that has s just gone too far. I open my mouth, nothing but a hiss comes out. Dante ordered me to be silent and so I must follow his command, since he is apparently a Silver master. What else have they been lying to me about? How long have they been lying to me? I wish I could make sense of any of this.
Soon we are out of the school and walking through the courtyard. We weren't there for Paden's butlers to count us for dinner, and we are out at night when a survival test isn't happening. I have no idea what our punishment for this will be. I can only imagine. My Dad will kill me and then them, not to mention their dads will be pissed at them for breaking such simple rules. They are in place for a reason.
Where is he taking us? The stables? We are going to walk all the way to the stables when nothing but the night surrounds us? If we still had our P.A.s we could just call one of our cars to drive us there, such a waste of time.
Everyone remains silent, before we come to stand in front of the s
tables. Instead of getting a servant to help, Dante sneaks us into the stables and to our horses. He expects me to saddle a horse myself? Why not just have a servant do it? That's their job.
"Saddle your horse, Avalon." I roll my eyes at him, as my body follows out his command. At least I have twelve years riding experience under my belt. I could do this with my eyes closed.
Soon we are all saddled and sneaking our horses out the back way. We could have just paid off the servant who helped us, he would have said anything to my Dad or Mr. Perlow if he had enough money in his pocket to shush him.
We mount our horses and I follow Dante's lead as he heads off toward the forests, where the border of the boundary line lays. We aren't supposed to cross it. I want to stop my horse and demand to know what is going on, but my sheer will alone won’t beat his apparent power.
"She's riding like a professional,” Horace says to one of the others.
I want to turn back to him and tell him of course I am, seven years continually studying a subject will make a person an expert in it. I had horseback riding lessons four times a week, every week for eleven years and that included shows and other things. This last year I haven't been riding as much, but it doesn't mean I have slacked off enough not to look professional at it.
My heart picks up as we enter the forest. There's a school rumor that says the lost souls of the dead who have passed in Spearwood wander here at night looking for new bodies to inhabit. I close my eyes. I can't see in the dark anyway, I will have to trust Maryann to guide me.