Electus (Regnum Series Book 1)

by K. M. Link

  Electus

  by K. M. Link

  For Jerry, who never fails to support me in every wild idea I have

  Copyright © 2014 by K M Link

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-1501000997

  ISBN-10: 1501000993

  Day1: Introductions

  Chapter 1

  A beam of sunlight stretches across Tia’s face through a part in the curtain. Like clockwork, the night before her birthday, she dreams of the evasive woman. The dream remains the same each time. A blonde woman, donning a white cotton dress, faces Tia and smiles. The sun shines through the woman’s golden locks as she whispers, “Happy Birthday, my darling.” Tia notices that the woman always wears the same pendant around her neck. It has four swirls that intersect to form a diamond shaped hole in the center.

  Climbing out of bed, Tia grabs her robe to wear downstairs. The floors creak in the old, timber house as she treks, barefoot, across the hall. She senses the warm air, blowing through the bathroom window, when she passes. It ignites an excitement inside of her. She craves to be outdoors, basking in the hot sun. The scent from the breeze is comforting to Tia and reminds her of numerous summers spent in the tiny home.

  Creatures of Regnumian descent reside in secluded neighborhoods that the humans assign specifically for them. These houses are usually no less than one-hundred years old and cramped together, not leaving much room for personal space. There is a draft during the winter months, the roof leaks at the slightest sign of rain, and every so often Tia stumbles across a rodent, digging through their garbage. It’s a humble dwelling, and though it is not visually desirable, to Tia it is home.

  Waiting in the kitchen is her father Osborn. He is a middle-aged man, whose hair is dark with hints of grey. He has a tan complexion and ears that stick almost strait out from the sides of his head. Tia used to play with his ears as a child when sitting up on his shoulders. No matter how hard she tugged at them, he never yelled at her. His patience is a trait Tia wished he passed down to her. She takes mostly after her mother’s side.

  Her uncle Edwin is also standing in the kitchen, making coffee. He is a fair skinned man with blue eyes. Edwin is slightly taller and younger than Osborn, but his hair recently started thinning.

  Both men are father figures in her life. Even though she spent a majority of her time with Osborn, her uncle Edwin was ever present. After Tia’s mother ran off, when she was just two months old, Edwin decided to abandon his work and life in the Capitol to assist raising Tia. He said she was worth giving up the privileges that humans have, and he never understood how his sister could not do the same.

  By now, Tia knows better than to bring up the dream to her family. Her father and uncle, though kind hearted, appear tense every time she mentions the mysterious woman, she can only assume to be her mother. Growing up, it was difficult to find out any information on her mother. To this day, she still does not know where her mother lives or how her parents met. Her mother leaving scarred Osborn Trumble for a severe length of time. Never wanting to cause harm to the men in her life, Tia determined avoiding the subject was the best option.

  Tia often wonders why her father never married or found another Regnumian to have children with. She assumes, the pain of losing the woman he loved ceased him from attempting a new romance. Although, when asked, he generally responded that he did not wish to bring another child into this world, knowing it would be kept under rule of the humans. Even so, her heart goes out to him and her uncle. How lonely they must be, she thinks.

  “Tia, my dear, how are you this morning?” her father inquires when he finally notices her in the kitchen.

  “Fine,” she mumbles with a knot in her stomach.

  Her father smiles, but the corners of his mouth do not reach his sparkling brown eyes as they usually do. “Your uncle and I have a surprise for you,” he declares, attempting a cheerful tone.

  “Oh? What is that?”

  “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it,” he remarks, adding the last bit of icing to the modest cake. As usual, it is a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Tia’s mouth salivates at the thought of devouring it.

  “It’s just something your father and I felt you needed today before the blood sucking demons, I mean the leaders, bid on you,” Edwin chimes in. She suppresses a laugh, not sure if she is supposed to or not. Tia admires his sense of humor. It is yet another trait that Tia did not inherit.

  The air is quiet in the kitchen, for a moment, as her father and uncle somberly complete their tasks. Osborn attempts to spell Happy Birthday my little Conscientia, in pink piping while Edwin hunts down the cream and sugar. Tia understands how they feel right now. Each of them know that today is the first day of the Electus, the determination for which human capitol the Regnum descent’s powers will best serve.

  The Electus is held every year on the first week of Quintary, which, in Urbi, is the beginning of summer. It is set up over a span of five days, with different events each day. All Regnumian children of the age of eighteen must demonstrate their skills to a panel of leaders from all five capitols.

  The focus of the first day is appearance and ancestry. Each Regnumian candidate dresses in the best attire they own for an introduction to the panel of leaders. The second day, the candidates are paired up for a fight to determine physical strength, by how long they can endure a beating. On the third day, the candidates are required to demonstrate their strongest magical powers. The fourth day is composed of a series of obstacles, designed by the leaders, to test their problem solving skills. The fifth day is set aside for the leaders to bid and a dinner to celebrate the winnings.

  Each candidate is awarded points for three categories, Brawns, Artistry, and Brains. The higher the points in each category, the more likely leaders are to bid on them. They have a chance to earn up to fifty points for each category, with a combined score of one-hundred and fifty points. At no point in the history of the Electus has any Regnumian excelled in all three categories enough to reach the one-hundred and fifty point mark.

  This year, the first day of the Electus falls on Tia’s birthday, the day she is officially old enough to be chosen by a leader.

  “The cake smells delicious. Do you want me to grab some plates?” Tia offers, patting her father’s shoulder.

  “Sure,” he answers, adding some candles on top. There are only four candles for the cake, but Tia does not mind. She believes the human tradition of celebrating birthdays is silly. Still, her father and her always attempt to make Edwin feel at home. After all he sacrificed for them, Tia figures they owe him that much.

  Osborn lights the candles, and Tia gets ready to blow them out when Edwin stops her, “No, you have to make a wish first.”

  Tia humors him and closes her eyes. She ponders for a moment, attempting to find a good wish. All she can think about is not going to the Electus, knowing that is impossible.

  “Okay, Tia, today would be good,” her father chuckles.

  “I’m thinking,” she responds. Then it comes to her. I wish my father was free. With a huge gust, she blows out the candles.

  “Ew, I think you spit on it,” her uncle comments. Tia elbows him in the rib.

  “Cut it out, guys,” her father commands, removing the candles.

  “Yes, daddy,” Edwin teases.

  Osborn rolls his eyes and serves slices of chocolate cake to each of them. He begins to cough, rather fiercely, dropping the knife onto the table.

  “Still have that cold?” Tia questions him, rubbing his back. He inhales deeply before he responds, “Just a bug going around, I’ll see the doctor about it, tomorrow.”

  Tia sits down. Before she can
take her first bite, a loud thud comes from the other end of the house.

  “What does a woman have to do to get someone to open a door around here?” A tall, narrow woman with carmel skin and brown hair enters the kitchen.

  “Fera!” Tia yelps and nearly knocks the woman over with a hug. She completely forgets about her dessert that she craved for weeks.

  “Surprise!” her uncle screams with half-eaten cake in his mouth. Everyone turns to look at him. Edwin swallows his bite before speaking again, “She’s the um...surprise.”

  “Thanks for the update, uncle Edwin,” Tia laughs, and releases Fera.

  Fera, always dressed to impress, is wearing an orange sundress and jacket with stiletto heels. Her long, dark hair is pulled back in a sleek pony tail. She dons beautiful gold earrings and necklace to match.

  “Hey, kid. Oh, I guess I can’t call you that now,” Fera sighs as she whips out a brown package she hid behind her back. “I should say, hey, old lady.”

  “Just seeing you was a gift. You didn’t need to bring me anything.”

  “Well, today is a big day. You survived eighteen years with these two. That’s an achievement in itself,” Fera teases as she walks over to the table and sits down.

  “How did you get the day off during the Electus? I assumed you would be working for the Capitol,” Tia inquires, still in awe.

  “I arranged for some time to sneak away. Now, please open your gift, I want to see your reaction before your nineteenth birthday arrives.”

  Tia gently pries away the paper around the soft package, and a peak of red fabric appears. Tearing away more, she sees it is a beautiful, red, sleeveless, chiffon dress. She holds it up and allows it to rest against her body, letting the hem end at her knees. Her jaw drops.

  “I hope it is the right size,” Fera beams. “I think with your blond hair and fair skin, it would make you stand out, look brilliant for today.”

  Tia’s smile slowly fades as she inspects the tags. “This is new.” She glances over at Fera, even more shocked than before.

  “Yes, it is.” The ends of Fera’s mouth start to drop as well. “Do you not like it?”

  “I love it! It’s absolutely beautiful, but you know that law prohibits humans from buying new items for Regnumians.”

  “I know, that’s why you say it is from your father.” Fera smirks.

  “You don’t think they will be able to tell we can’t afford a dress like this?” The knots in Tia’s stomach tighten.

  “Most Regnumian families save up for this event.” Fera winks at her. “Now go try it on! I want to see how it looks!”

  Tia turns to her father and uncle, who nod in approval. She enters the other room to change, quickly. She never owned anything this pristine. It even smells beautiful. Most of her clothes are from the donation bin at the local center. Even though she washes them, no piece of her wardrobe compares to the softness of this dress against her skin.

  Peering down at her body, it is difficult to tell how she looks. All she sees is the dress hanging, ever so gracefully, from her torso. The only mirror in the house is up in the bathroom that just reflects her face and the line of her neck, down to the top of her chest. Therefore, Tia never really knew what the rest of her body looked like from another person’s perspective. Not that she ever thought much about her image as a whole. Unlike most girls her age, Tia fails to hold appearance as a major importance.

  She enters the kitchen for the opinion of her family. Tia hopes she is not a disappointment to her father’s friend, Fera, who Tia always thought was strikingly beautiful. Fera, also being the only female role model Tia has, never fails to support her and her family through difficult times. Very few humans treat Tia and her family as well as Fera does.

  “It fits!” Fera squeals with excitement. “Now, we just have to do something with the rest of you. I think you should shower and let me help you with your hair. You want to stand out, so Mr. Avery chooses you.”

  Tia smiles at her father, who returns her gaze with a grimace. Mr. Avery is the leader of Urbi, one of the capitol’s of Vetus, where Tia lives. His company, Cib Inc, controls all of the energy suppliers for Regnum. The other humans of Vetus believed his company was successful enough that his business sense would aid in running a capitol.

  He was elected by other humans to replace the previous leader of Urbi. He hired Osborn during his year in the Electus. Years after that, Fera received the title of secretary for Mr. Avery’s company. Therefore, Osborn contained a lot of information that she could use to appease Mr. Avery. This formed a bond between him and Fera.

  Mr. Avery is known to bid on Regnumians of Pruden descent due to their superior intellect. Tia often wonders what it is that her father does for Mr. Avery. Unfortunately, all Regnumians are forbidden to confide in anyone their duties to their leaders. It is the only law punishable by public execution.

  It is easy for Fera to be so excited at the thought of Tia joining Mr. Avery’s company, because he treats humans with respect. If Fera only knew the pain her father endures working for him, Tia believes she would feel just as mournful of this day as her and her family are.

  Tia remembers the nights her father came home and just broke down sobbing. Part of her wants to be hired by Mr. Avery, just to stay in the same place as her loved ones. The other part of her fears that if this man can crack the solid Osborn Trumble, how fast would he be able to crush her?

  Tia studies herself in the small mirror from their bathroom. Fera brought her curling iron over to create thick waves in Tia’s hair. She inserts pins, so that most of it falls and hits her shoulders. The front corners are pulled away to reveal Tia’s high cheek bones. Fera also brought red lipstick and applies black mascara to Tia’s lashes, an experiment that turns out to be painful for both parties.

  “Are you nervous?” Fera probes, attempting to pluck stray hairs from Tia’s eyebrows.

  “Extremely; nothing could prepare me for this day.” In truth, Tia had her whole life to train. It is the emotional part that she is not ready for.

  Each Regnumian child is taught, at a young age, how to develop their powers to best serve the human race. Tia was the top of her class. In fact, they called her a case study, because, unlike most Regnumians, she excelled in several areas of magic. For the Electus, her teacher advised she had a pick of the litter, as far as what ability to demonstrate.

  Each child is also taught the history of Regnum, how the humans entered their world with an intention for peace. After five years of peace, books advise, the Regnumians rebelled against the humans, using their powers to hurt those who took over their land. As the human population grew, however, the Regnumians became susceptible to their diseases. The war ended with an agreement. In turn for the vaccinations and prevention of disease, the Regnumians would serve capitols and use their magical powers for the good of the nations.

  From then on, a mark was placed upon the bodies of each Regnumian, the moment they were born. This mark carries a tracker to detect when magical skills are being used. It is on the back of each Regnumian’s neck in the shape of a plus sign.

  “One more thing,” Fera adds as she pulls out her bottle of perfume. “You showered, I know, but sometimes a little extra fragrance helps to woo a man.”

  “You know some of the leaders are women,” Tia comments.

  “Yes, but Mr. Avery isn’t.”

  Tia rolls her eyes. It is as though Fera intends on hooking Tia up with a date, instead of preparing her for the most nerve-racking moment of her life.

  After Fera sprits her with her favorite scent, she decides it is best to leave Tia alone to enjoy her own reflection.

  For the first time, Tia feels as beautiful as the woman in her dreams. Maybe the woman really is my mother, she thinks. From what little Osborn mentioned of her mother, he noted that Tia resembled her side much more than she did his. It was easy to tell, since Tia’s nose is slender, compared to her father’s, and her eyes are not deep set lik
e his.

  “You look radiant,” calls a voice from behind her.

  She discovers her father standing in the doorway with a trace of sadness in his eyes. Tia knows this day must be just as difficult for him, as it is for her. Or perhaps it is that I look so much like her.

  “I have something else for you,” he mentions in a calm, soothing voice. Tia always loved how comforted she felt when he spoke.

  Osborn checks behind him, closing the door. “This has to stay between us, okay?”

  Tia nods her head and watches him pull out a necklace. The golden chain glimmers in the light poking through the window. Her eyes follow the reflection of the chain, down to the pendent. Tia is frozen, her eyes fixed on the four swirls that meet in the middle to form a diamond shape hole.

  Chapter 2

  “It was your mother’s," Osborn whispers. Tia grazes the pendent with her index finger, searching for words. It appears to be exactly as she remembers from her dreams. Tia wonders where her father kept it hidden, all this time. With a small house, there are not a vast amount of hiding spaces. A million questions race through her mind. One query that nagged at her the most for the past eighteen years, comes out.

  “What does the symbol mean?"

  Osborn is quiet. His face appears grim, as though he is remembering something painful. Finally, his voice cracks, “I'm not sure. She never told me, but I wanted you to have it. I’ve waited a long time to give this to you, Tia. It just never felt right, until now.” Osborn's speech is rough, and he is fighting back tears.

  Before he starts to cry, Tia turns around to hug him. His arms are strong, as always. It’s that safe haven, Osborn provides, Tia is going to miss most. They hold each other for a long time, with both of their eyes glowing.

  Another thing that separates Regnumians, from humans, is the fact that under extreme emotional distress, their eyes illuminate red hues. Tia’s a soft pink and her father’s a bright red. They release from their embrace and look at each other.