Arkadia (Halfway House Series Book 1)

by Dzintra Sullivan

  Chapter Seven

  Arkadia curled up on the lounge with her feet tucked under her ass, and her fingers wrapped around a steaming hot cup of chocolate, yes complete with marshmallows. Arkadia felt very fragile and confused about what happened in school today. Eloise walked into the room and sat opposite her in the recliner, taking a sip out of her own cup of cocoa. She let-out a relaxing breath and looked directly into Arkadia’s emerald green eyes. “Tell me. Tell me everything and don’t miss out a single detail,” Eloise said softly. “It makes no sense; there’s something, or perhaps someone, you’re overlooking.”

  Arkadia sighed, rearranged her long legs, and admired her brand-spanking-new Hello Kitty one-piece footed pajamas, a cute candy pink with these little white, happy, pussy cat faces looking back at her, surely that was enough to make her feel better. “The details are not in the cats, Arkadia.”

  Eloise’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Details, yes, okay, well, I was just sitting there one minute, a new guy walks in and whammo I am eating floor.” She took a mouthful of cocoa. “And for the record, I am rocking these jammies,” Arkadia snorted with a soft chuckle.

  “Yes, yes, rocking, details. Was there anything strange happening? Did you feel weird? Was this new boy marked?”

  Arkadia let her questions float through her head, her mind stuck on the word ‘marked’, which meant that a gifted person like herself had passed their PSE and had the tattoo mark placed on their hand. It was always placed on the webbing between the thumb and the forefinger and symbolized that you were “safe” to be around humans.

  Shaking her head, she realized Eloise was waiting for answers. “No marking that I remember, but really, I was on one side of the room and he was at the door, but I will have a look if I get a chance next time, if I see him.” God, please let me see him again. He made every boy at the school look like a toddler. I can imagine what his soft dark curls would feel like as I ran my fingers...

  “Arkadia!!” Eloise snapped, “Get your mind out of the gutter and onto telling me how you felt leading up to you fainting.” Rolling her eyes, Arkadia took another sip of cocoa.

  “Honestly, I have never felt like that before, well, there was that one time.”

  Eloise sat up so fast she spilt her cocoa on her hand and gasped, “Crap,” before wiping it off quickly before it burnt her. “What do you mean before? When before? At school before? Why haven’t you told me this?” Eloise was leaning forward and staring intently at Arkadia.

  “Sheeeesh. It’s not that important. I just felt a kind of cosmic slap on the way to school the other day, it was a feeling like I was being drawn toward this car that passed, come to think of it.” Arkadia tucked her stray hairs behind her ear. “It was a freaky strong pull.”

  Eloise nodded. “And was this car at the school today?” Arkadia thought through the haze surrounding her “event” earlier today.

  “Uummm, yeah … I saw it pull up a few minutes before the new guy came in, holy smokes. El, do you think he’s the reason?” Her heart skipped a beat, oh how she wanted to be drawn to him, by him, all over him.

  “Arkadia,” Eloise snapped again, this time sounding a little angry. Arkadia’s eyes widened slightly at the sharpness.

  “Okay. Yes, I think there’s something about this guy that is making me respond.” She relaxed back into her chair and continued as Eloise took in every word spoken and thought. “I can’t even remember his name. I just know I lost control of my body and mind on both of the times I have been around him.”

  Eloise sat back into her chair listening intently. Finally, she spoke again, this time much softer. “Fascinating, it appears your soul may have seen a potential mate.”

  “MATE???” exclaimed Arkadia, a wide-eyed panic flashing across her face. “I think he looks hot, really hot, for sure, but I am not up for this MATE stuff, I’m not getting branded or owned by anyone,” she humphed into her cup, sipping the now cooler cocoa.

  “Well,” Eloise soothed, “IF he turned out to be your mate, you will have no choice, nor will you want one. It’s a rare and precious occurrence, and I have known some who have waited centuries to meet their mate, but let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.”

  Arkadia was about to rebut when Eloise held up her hand. “My true concern is, not the issue of a Mate, but that by itself while it can feel like the earth is moving, wouldn’t cause you to black out.”

  Arkadia thought, then said, “The first time the car drove by, it was a strong pull, electric buzzing sensation.” Eloise nodded as she followed along, Arkadia continued, “But in the classroom, it exploded, I was on fire, I felt like my skin was blistering instantly from the heat, then I blacked out.”

  Eloise pondered for a few minutes then spoke with a softness that only barely hid her serious tone. “Then there is someone else, someone else perhaps, and I am speculating, but someone who might be on the darker side.”

  “The only other gifted in my class is Cheyanne, and she is no danger; she is my best friend,” Arkadia said.

  “Not Cheyanne, someone else. Keep your eyes open, Arkadia, I have a feeling all is not as it appears.”

  Eloise got up from her chair and wandered into the kitchen. Arkadia heard the tap turn on as Eloise rinsed out her cup. The soft swish of her dressing gown could be heard as she returned into the lounge, stopping at the base of the stairs. Eloise took a deep breath. “There is more to this picture than meets the eye. Be careful around this new boy, but I fear he is not the true danger, it lies with another.” She went up the stairs, and her bedroom door shut.

  Arkadia knew the conversation was over, for the moment at least. Thinking back over the morning, Arkadia decided to ask around about this new guy. If he was her destined MATE, she could do worse, he was hot hot hot, with an extra dash of HOT. That was if she had the chance to see him again.

  Chapter Eight

  Arkadia sat at a corner table in the cafeteria the next day. Nothing spectacular had happened so far this morning. The only BIG thing was getting no homework from Mrs. Eckles, which was virtually unheard of; she was a known Nazi for giving homework for every single class, but Arkadia counted her blessings and moved on … fast, before she changed her mind. Taking a sip of her Pepsi Max and for the one hundred and fifth time telling Cheyanne that she was feeling okay, and passing out again was highly unlikely, she began to feel a now familiar slow burn deep in her soul. Looking around feeling slightly panicked, she spotted him.

  He was standing with a group of hockey players. Oh good lord was he gorgeous. Watching him laugh his dark curls bouncing, Arkadia imagined what running her fingers through them might feel like. The room started to fade into the distance as she let her eyes caress and devour every square inch of this guy. She let her mind drift and wondered how those big strong arms would feel wrapped around her body, lifting her slight frame off the floor, and pulling her hard against …

  “And now I am pregnant with triplets,” she heard.

  “Hang on now.” Arkadia shook her head. “Say what now?”

  Vi laughed as Cat said, “Yep, and they’re going to be called Pumpkin, Orange, and Watermelon. PAY ATTENTION, ARK!” Cat punched her in the arm.

  “Hey, Cat … you know those guys there don’t you?” Arkadia tilted her head toward the group of guys over near the windows.

  “Ahhhh duh!! Arkadia, they are the hockey team! Of course I know them, I watch them play every game, I want to marry them and have their babies.” Cat laughed as she joked with Arkadia. “Seriously, Ark, I could tell you all their stats, the points scorers, the defense hunks; when it comes to those boys, I am your girl. Whatcha want to know?” Cat leaned forward to dramatically increase the effect of gossiping amongst girls.

  “Who is the new guy?” Arkadia asked.

  “Oh gods yes, who is the next hunk of godly beef?” Vi leaned over, and joined in the conversation having finished discussing the new color for the spring with Clarice, the head of the Graduation committee. Taking a sip of her w
ater, Vi whispered, “He is ten steps to heaven. Seen him in a few of my classes and I certainly wouldn’t mind allowing him to be seen with me on his arm, he certainly is hot enough.”

  A sudden twinge of possessiveness hit Arkadia straight in the chest. Swallowing past the pain, Arkadia managed a partial smile at Vi.

  “You must be talking about Bohdan Drak. He just transferred from overseas. He sounds European, and he is living with his uncle.” Cat paused to take a sip of water, softly laughing as Arkadia and Vi were both hanging off her every word. “He is an uber awesome goalie, apparently. I haven’t seen him play yet, as practice is tomorrow, but by all reports he is destined for the NHL.”

  “Bohdan Drak.” Arkadia let the name roll over her tongue, feeling the sound dance around her throat, coating her mouth with a warm honey sensation. She sighed and may have even swooned a little. Vi interrupted her thoughts.

  “Drak, huh? Can you introduce me, Cat?” Before cat could answer, Arkadia was on her feet, grabbing Cat’s arm and roughly pulling her up.

  “Uummm I just forgot … that THING … I need to give you …” Her eyes plead with Cat as she nodded, “Remember … that THING … in my locker?”

  Cat nodded slowly, totally lost but obviously picking up there was something going on. Looking over at Vi and Chey she said, “Catch up with you after school.” Arkadia dragged her out past the hockey players, glancing up quickly to steal a peek at Bohdan, his dark eyes met hers, and he cocked a single eyebrow at her. Arkadia instantly lowered her eyes and rushed out the door with Cat in tow.

  “What was that all about, Arkadia?” Cat asked as she pulled her arm back out of Arkadia’s grasp. She ran her hands down her pale yellow shirt, straightening it back in line with her sky blue pencil skirt. She loved shopping at the Gap; she had plans of getting a job there over the summer, and enjoying the perks of ‘employee discounts’. Cat continued talking to Arkadia, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a bit of manhandling, but my preference is always going to one of those delicious ice men of the hockey team.” She softly laughed and walked in the direction of the lockers.

  “It’s just something weird, about … um … the new guy.” Arkadia chewed on the inside of her cheek, as she wasn’t ready to declare undying love and ownership after a simple look, but she certainly didn’t want Vi getting an intro before she did. Cat stopped dead and looked at her.

  “Bohdan? Ark, I have never seen you ask about a guy? Are you yanno … ‘Asking, I bags him, and will stab your eye out if you look at him’ about this guy? Or just ‘asking he’s cute but whatever’ about this guy?” Arkadia thought for a second, even with the slight thought of his dark eyes her heart said MINE.

  She looked at Cat and said quietly, “First one, but if you say anything, I WILL stab your eye out too.” She laughed nervously, and Cat grabbed her arms and squealed, walking back toward the lockers with a skip in her step.

  “And let me guess, you don’t want me to introduce Vi to him?” Arkadia nodded. “And that’s why the grab and drag display in the cafeteria?” Arkadia nodded again to Cat’s question. “I have never seen you interested in a guy? Them in you, for sure all the damn time, but you in them? Never.” Grabbing her books from the locker, Cat grinned like a Cheshire cat with the secret she now knew.

  “Cat, you can’t say anything, I don’t know what it is, it’s just … something about him.” Closing her locker, she looked at Cat, a pleading innocence in her eyes that made Cat stop.

  “Sure, Ark, it’s cool, secrets in the vault of friendship. You should come by training sometimes, I am always there waiting for Daniel to finish; they said he might start on the ice this season, not the bench.”

  “That’s great, Cat, your brother works hard, and he’s an awesome player. I might just do that, stop by, that is,” Arkadia said. Daniel, her brother, trained every afternoon with the team, and that now contained Bohdan. Dan was a defense player and was a massive wall of muscle, and a damn good player. With the prospect of seeing Bohdan, perhaps she should join Cat at the training sessions more often. Both girls smiled at the secret they now shared and went off to the last class of the day.

  Chapter Nine

  Having finally said goodbye to the school for the day, Arkadia was walking home, and she could hear the gravel crunching behind her and braced for impact. “Oomph,” she exhaled as Emerson bumped her with his shoulder. She looked over at him as she stumbled, and his deep mysterious eyes sparkled with the mischief he was yet to find. Emerson always seemed to be seeking something dangerous; he called it thrill seeking, Arkadia called it stupidity. “What’s up fur-less?” Arkadia teased him. She knew full well that one day he would master his change and probably bite her on the ass, but for now, he needed some damn good teasing to keep him in his place.

  “Not much o’spell less wonder.” Emerson growled playfully as he started to jog backward. “Wanna race?” Arkadia looked down at her gorgeous yet completely impractical for running strappy sandals, and stared back at the young bouncing werewolf.

  “Unless this is the Walking Dead and I am about to get disemboweled by some half-decomposed and hungry-for-my-brains zombie, this girl ain’t a running nowhere.”

  Emerson howled a mighty laugh. “Brains, huh? They’d be on a diet in your head.” He sprinted for home, and Arkadia could still hear him chuckling.

  As Arkadia walked into the house, she groaned. How could she have forgotten what was booked this afternoon? She threw her bag down into the corner with a little extra grump, and wandered into the kitchen. It was her first intensive tutoring session with Eloise, and she was not looking forward to this at all, proving yet again how useless she was at magic was going to do exactly butt-all for her confidence.

  Arkadia poured herself a glass of Coke, raised the glass to her mouth, and closed her eyes in expectation of some cool relief after a long day at school. She went to take a sip, swallowing a couple of times before she realized she was drinking nothing but air. She opened her eyes to see what was going on, and she gasped; the Coke she had poured into her glass was now dancing in a long stream out of her glass, looping and twirling though the air, until it found its mark and went down the sink. “What the hell?” Arkadia’s eyes went wide as she followed the last drop disappearing down the drain. Looking around, her eyes fell upon Eloise standing at the door to the kitchen, a soft smile upon her face, her finger extended and wiggling like a magical worm as she directed Arkadia’s much-needed cold refreshment into its silvery death. “I wanted that; don’t tell me I can’t drink in class?” Arkadia stated with an eye roll, placing her glass on the bench top. Eloise walked into the room; a soft energy followed her, like a long train on a wedding dress.

  “Oh goodness, no, Arkadia, please get some refreshments, but in order for you to start to cleanse your mind, we can start with your body. No pop, let’s go with the purest gift from the goddess herself and have a glass of water.”

  “WATER!! That’s not a gift. Coke, now that’s a gift, the creation of flavors and bubbles.” Arkadia babbled to herself. Eloise stopped at the entrance to the living room, and turned back to look at her.

  “Water; and you have ten minutes to get changed, organized, and into the living room before class starts.” And with that, she left.

  Arkadia stood, stunned for a few seconds, knowing she had neither the time, nor the desire to argue, so she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and went upstairs to her room. Quickly changing her clothes into something comfortable, she padded back down the stairs into the living room. Descending the stairs, Arkadia immediately was engulfed in a myriad of scents. Trying to identify some, she stopped, letting them encase her. Lemongrass her nose told her; vanilla, and lavender also hinted their presence in the surrounding air. Arkadia continued down the stairs and into the living room, her eyes traveling around the darkened room, Eloise having already drawn the curtains, and lit what honestly seemed like thousands of candles. Fat ones, thin ones, short, tall, and grouped ones. On every surface wide e
nough to hold the tray, there was a lit candle. The sensation of the flames all dancing was like a bunch of teenagers under the influence at a rave. Walking in further, Arkadia let her eyes open, not the two she used on a daily basis, but all her receptors. They could be called her other senses, but really, they all fed information to the brain, and when all fully opened at the same time, Arkadia felt a warmth deep in her soul that she hadn’t felt for years. “You’re glowing, Arkadia.” Eloise’s smooth as honey voice melted across her ears. “Do you feel her, your goddess? She is waiting for you, Arkadia, waiting for you to accept her as your True North.”

  Taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled. “I feel her, I do, I just wish when I needed my magic to be there it was, because my ‘WOOHOO’ versus my ‘OH SHIT’ is sadly unbalanced.”

  Eloise came around to Arkadia and took her hand, leading her to sit on the deep red plush mat in the center of the floor. With the furniture all pushed back against the walls, the living room was quite spacious. Crossing her legs and urging Arkadia to copy, she sat opposite her, her hands resting upon her knees, breathing evenly and silently. Seeing Arkadia follow made her heart sing, she knew Arkadia was difficult from the reports she had previously read before she came to the house, but right now, at this very second in time, she saw hope and a path to glory for Arkadia; it was just a matter of keeping her on the road.

  “The magic is in every cell of your body. You are the very essence of magic, the goddess is you, and you are the goddess, one and the same, mind, body and soul.” Eloise spoke with the softest calming voice Arkadia had ever heard. Eloise stared deep into her eyes as her words caressed and danced around her mind. “You have the ability to be a very strong and powerful witch. Your destiny is very important for the future of gifted children. You must believe in yourself, in order to pass your PSEs and avoid being lost to the shadows.” Arkadia’s mind was giddy with excitement, important she thought, powerful, she always knew she was more special than anyone else. “THAT’S where you go wrong,” Eloise spoke, her voice thick with annoyance, “Your magic fails because you THINK you’re more important.”