by T. L. Clarke
"History, it’s all about history…The gods wanted to make another race of Warriors, but not as pure as the Elementi. So they ordered the Elementi to mix their blood with a group of Normals that the god of war, Ares, and the goddess of divine law, Themis, took favor on. As you can imagine, this order displeased the Elementi, and they only agreed to this creation if the Normals made a blood oath binding them eternally to act as powerful weapons against the Banished and Daemons and to guard the Gates—in other words, making them the Elementi’s own personal legion of Warriors. In exchange for the blood oath, the Normals were gifted with some Elementi powers, minus the immortality."
She continued, "But what the gods did not know is that the Elementi wanted to make sure that they remained the pure and most powerful race. They did this by making sure that the Eternals would always have to rely on them for survival. Genetically, an Eternal cannot have children with another Eternal, but we can with an Elementi. That’s the unbreakable tie. We need the Elementi to survive. Remember that, Gabrielle."
"Wait, are you saying that this all breaks down to who you can date? Really? That’s so lame. Just date who you want. Who cares if it’s an Elementi or Eternal?"
She laughed loudly. "Oh, to be young again. I agree with you. Times have changed. Having an Elementi as a mate is okay now. But as with any society, there are those who are lame and believe in a society that keeps us separated, with the Elementi at the top of the food chain and the Eternals right below and the Banished as enemies. Do you see the dilemma this caused when your father turned to the Banished?"
"So you’re saying that my mother crossed enemy lines when she had me with a Banished?"
Grandma Celeste’s eyes saddened. "Yes, but it was much bigger than that." She stared into the distance as if she were reliving the painful memory. "As an Elementi, he was your mother’s mate, and she loved him dearly, but when he turned to the Banished, she couldn’t do what was necessary, which was to kill him." She looked at me with tearful eyes. "Then she discovered that she was having you, a child created with a Banished."
I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I still couldn’t believe that my father was a Banished. "But why did he turn to the Banished?"
She looked at me sadly. "Why does anyone turn to the Banished? The lure of the darkness? More powers? But whatever the motivation, it was strong. The pull of the Banished tempts even the strongest Eternals and Elementi." She stared at me expectantly. "So, when the time comes for you to choose, what will you choose?"
I crossed my arms stubbornly. "The Eternals, of course. I would use my kick-butt powers to crush the Banished into dust. And if my father is a Banished, then he’s dust too."
She held my face between her hands gently. "Would you, Gabi? Would you really have the will to do what’s necessary when the time comes? Because it will. It does for all of us."
A weird feeling floated around in the pit of my stomach, like butterflies fluttering anxiously. I knew what she was asking. I swallowed hard, then whispered, "You mean would I kill my father?"
We just stared at each other silently. The truth is I just wasn’t sure. Could I? Obviously my mother couldn’t, so what made me think that I could?
She sighed softly. "And that’s the problem, Gabi, that one moment of hesitation, that one moment of struggling with your feelings of love and hate—of right or wrong. No matter what happens along your journey, never lose that hesitation, for someday it will save your life or the life of someone you love."
I’d never seen her like this. She suddenly looked so tired, so sad. I wanted to comfort her, to wash away the painful past, but I knew without it, I wouldn’t be here.
She continued, "It is the blood oath that keeps the delicate balance between the Eternals and Elementi and, in turn, governs our way of life. This alliance is held together by very tenacious but delicate threads that some eagerly seek to sever. The blood oath should never be broken."
I tried to absorb everything she said, but there was one nagging question that ate at me. I looked at her hesitantly. "So who was the man that I thought was my father? My mother told me that he died. That’s way horrible, Grandma Celeste."
I saw a flicker of raw emotion in her eyes; then it quickly disappeared. "He was an Eternal who loved you as his own. He also acted as a smoke screen so that others would not find out the truth about Aether. Believe me, she did what was best for you."
My world was slipping into the crazy unknown. I could just feel it. "So now what? Do I just go on pretending?"
Grandma Celeste looked at me unhappily. "When it comes to Aether, it’s just best that you do. Gabi, you’re young, and everything seems so very complicated right now. But believe me when I say that, in time, it will all reveal itself."
I looked at her sadly. "And what if it doesn’t?"
Grandma Celeste looked at me deeply. "Everything reveals itself in time, Gabi. You just have to know how to read the signs."
chapter
FIVE
We were startled awake by the loud thud of the jet landing. Greedily we looked out the window, hoping to see anything that might be familiar, but all we saw was a dry and barren land.
Chaos and Orion briskly walked down the aisle while Justice motioned to the rest of the Ares Warriors to hustle us out of the jet. After scrambling to our feet, we were out of the jet looking at looking around with confusion.
Chaos motioned to Justice to step ahead quickly. Justice smoothly pulled out one of his swords from one of the two sheaths strapped across his back. Using the tip of the sword to draw in the air, he muttered something that sounded ancient. The air made a loud sucking sound like air being released from a balloon.
The air shimmered as a large oval shape appeared. On the other side of it, we could see clear through to a young woman who looked impatient, with eyes alert.
The Ares Warriors quickly walked through the portal without a second glance, disappearing on the other side. I looked over at Jessica, Rosalinda, and Zora with a "what the heck?" look.
Zora adjusted her glasses excitedly. "Do you realize the science behind this portal is unheard of? Please"—she looked over at Justice— "it’s killing me; I’ve got to know how it’s done."
Justice looked at her silently before snorting disdainfully and stepping through the portal. Orion gestured toward the shimmering oval. "Neophytes, please step through the portal."
As we stepped through it was like walking through a dark tunnel. The loud sucking sound of air surrounded me, making my ears pop; my head lightened. My steps very wobbly, it was like I was walking on a bed of marshmallow. It was pitch-black, and I tried in vain to see around me. In a flash, I found myself on the other side. The whole thing took no longer than a couple of seconds to get through the portal, but it felt like time had literally just stopped and plopped us into another location. It was truly weird beyond words.
Chaos nodded at the woman waiting for us. "Greetings, Veda."
Veda’s warm cinnamon brown skin glistened as she impatiently tossed back her shiny jet-black hair that cascaded perfectly to her shoulders. She nodded curtly before stepping forward and reaching out her right hand to firmly grip his left forearm. In turn, Chaos gripped Veda’s right forearm. They held the grip briefly, then released.
Justice waited for everyone to exit before sealing the portal. He quickly walked by Veda, giving her a wicked grin. "Hi, Veda."
She smiled back wickedly. "Hi, Justice. I see that you brought them back in one piece."
He chuckled loudly. "What would they do without me?"
She looked over at Orion with a hint of humor in her eyes. "Hmm, I see that you came back in one piece."
His green eyes looked her over coolly. "Try not to look so disappointed."
She looked at him silently before turning her almond-shaped hazel eyes over at us curiously. She stood stylishly confident in a super sexy crisp white shirt tucked neatly into tight dark blue jeans that clung to her tall, curvy body.
"Well hello,
Neophytes. Good order, justice, and peace. Let’s not waste time, for there is no time to spare," Veda said shortly before striding toward the waiting black SUVs with the throng of Ares Warriors following.
I didn’t know what was happening as I watched Chaos and the Ares Warriors pile into black SUVs, speeding away without a backward glance, leaving us standing around looking at each other uncertainly.
Veda examined us closely. "Don’t look so disappointed. You’re riding with me." She smiled slightly.
Jessica’s eyes bulged uncertainly. "Uh, thank you…"
She laughed huskily. "Yes, you can call me Veda. You’ll learn that we’re not too big on titles here." She watched with amusement as we jostled to get into the backseat. "You know you’re more than welcome to sit up here with me. I promise I won’t bite," she said wittily.
We looked at each other hastily, mentally drawing straws on who would get the privilege, and of course, I lost. Great. She didn’t look like she was mean or anything. But she had this weird vibe coming off of her that kind of made me nervous. I rolled my eyes with exasperation before jumping into the passenger seat.
Veda looked at me with a twinkle in her eyes. "See how easy that was, Neophyte Gabrielle?"
I didn’t even bother to speculate on how Veda knew my name without an introduction. I just sat back in the soft leather seat as she revved the SUV and sped off into the thick, soupy mist.
We sat in awkward silence for the first couple of minutes, waiting for Veda to say something, anything, to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Okay, the noise is deafening. Please try not to speak all at once?" She gave them a secretive smile.
I focused on her hands momentarily, fascinated by the design on her palms and the top of her hands, marked with hundreds of tiny dots and teardrops encased in a lacy pattern of lines and circular shapes intertwined with moons, stars, and circular patterns of every shape and size.
I cleared my throat noisily. "Your marks are truly awesome."
She looked at me quietly. "Have you learned about mystical marks yet?"
I nodded my head. "A little."
She inhaled and exhaled deeply. The marks slowly transformed, the inky moons and stars coming alive and twinkling as they moved along her arm in a circular pattern. "Veda means ‘knowledge,’ ‘wisdom.’ It’s a name that I took when I became a fully fledged Circle." She winked saucily. "It’s a very fitting name given my gift."
"Do we get marks?" Rosalinda leaned forward with excitement.
Her eyes narrowed. "If you’re deemed worthy. It’s a gift, not a birthright. We have to work towards the marks." She pointed to her pendant. "For Circles, the marks and scarlet pendant work hand in hand."
Like a shot, I looked at her. This was the first time I sensed coldness about her.
She cleared her throat. "Moving on to lighter topics…" She pointed out the window. "These are the Isles of Transcendence, one of our many Neophyte training locations."
Zora’s face scrunched with puzzlement. Her long auburn braids bobbed as she curiously pressed her face against the window. "I’m sorry, where?"
Veda smiled and answered slowly, "Isles of Transcendence."
Rosalinda snorted rudely. "I’ve traveled all over the world, and I’ve never heard of the Isles of Transcendence," she replied self-importantly.
"I’m pretty sure you haven’t, Rosalinda, since it’s not on any known map and its location is kept hidden by the veil of scarlet wards," she drove expertly through the mist.
I looked at her uncomfortably. "Umm, what are scarlet wards?"
A secretive smile appeared. "They’re like magic barriers. The same magic scarlet stones that are in your pendants have been strategically placed around the Isles. These stones have been cast with a powerful spell that gives the Isles a protective veil. This veil can only be lifted by permission, meaning that no one can enter or exit the wards without permission to do so."
She smiled as the mist disappeared. "This is Infinity Bridge, which leads directly to Transcendence Castle. I know that you’ll quickly grow to love the castle. It’s a very magical and ethereal place and very rich with Eternal history."
They all pressed their faces against the window as they crossed the semitransparent bridge that shimmered and sparkled, suspended by absolutely nothing as the river thrashed beneath it. They quickly drove across the bridge, rapidly approaching a really old castle that was surrounded by nothing but water, towering regally above the lush green landscape. This was definitely not what I was expecting to see. It looked like some Victorian style castle that most definitely did not have Internet or, for that matter, running water.
The SUV stopped at an ominous crafted stone wall that grumbled and rumbled angrily, slowly revealing tall, burly Ares Warriors dressed all in black and blocking the entrance menacingly, brandishing silver swords as if ready for battle. Clearly acknowledging that we weren’t the Banished about to go off on a killing frenzy, they curtly nodded at Veda, mumbling in unison, "Good order, justice, and peace." She, in turn, nodded back and returned their greeting in kind. Slowly they broke formation, allowing us to make our way up the graceful winding road laced with huge, gnarly trees with beautiful pink flowers drooping from its branches as if welcoming them to the castle. The end of the road looped into a circular driveway. Veda abruptly stopped and urged us to hop out.
She looked at us impatiently. "Let’s go, Neophytes, and get you settled."
They quickly followed her out of the SUV, looking around with confusion. This place was completely deserted and strangely silent. They looked around at the grounds that displayed a wealth of wild vegetation. On both sides of the driveway there were rectangular lakes filled with swans, ducks, and birds.
Jessica looked around uneasily at the imposing stone stairs that led up to the castle. "It seems kind of quiet. Are there any other Neophytes here?"
Veda looked at her quickly. "Of course, always." She glided up the stone stairs as they warily followed her.
Rosalinda looked around with disdain before quickly pulling out her iPhone. "Yes, three bars! My phone is working!"
Zora looked at her with surprise. "Are you serious? Out here in make-believe land? I doubt they even have Internet access," she whispered loudly.
Veda chuckled. "Even in make-believe land we have Internet access and many other essentials, like running water, indoor bathrooms, and electricity, Zora," she stated dryly. "Just because it’s a castle doesn’t mean we’re stuck in the Dark Ages."
Rosalinda looked up at the hovering mist worriedly. "Is it always so misty? It’s wreaking havoc on my hair."
"The mist comes and goes, but I should think that you’ll have more important concerns than hair issues, Rosalinda, like training, making it through your levels, and managing to stay alive," she responded coolly.
I couldn’t help the snicker that escaped my lips. I really liked Veda’s dry sense of humor.
Rosalinda huffed, then tossed her jet-black hair over her shoulders pompously.
At the top of the stairs, Veda quickly strode across the worn cobblestone pathway, through an imposing stone archway blocked by eight huge stone columns intertwined with thick ivy vines. They skirted past the columns that led to another set of stone stairs that spiraled through a huge, lush garden full of vegetation.
As soon as they entered the garden, they spotted a girl sitting patiently beside a huge bronze statue with white headphones dangling from her ears. She wore all-black skinny jeans, with studs embedded up the front of each leg, tucked into calf-length black riding boots, and a fitted black hoodie; the hood completely covered her head.
When she spotted us approaching, she jumped up quickly, her tall, thin body practically bubbling with excitement. Smiling at us with a warm, toothy grin, she quickly pulled her hood back to reveal her pretty heart-shaped faced and light green eyes. She fluffed out her shoulder-length Ronald-McDonald-colored curly hair, which contrasted sharply against her light honey skin.
"Good ord
er, justice, and peace, Circle Veda," she chirped.
Veda smiled warmly. "Good order, justice, and peace, Neophyte Brooklyn. Thank you for waiting. Please escort your fellow Neophytes to their room." She looked at us quickly. "She will take good care of you and show you around." She smiled quickly before walking away with her high heels clicking on the cobblestones.
I stepped forward quickly. "Hey, I’m Gabrielle, and this Jessica, Zora, and Rosalinda. So how long have you been here?"
I didn’t know why, but instantly I liked her.
Brooklyn gave us a white, toothy grin. "I’ve only been here a month, but it seems like forever, but in a good way, you know." She quickly looped her arm through mine, dragging me along nonchalantly. "Anyhoo, how about we start with the real touristy stuff? Like right now, we’re standing in what we call the Battle Garden. You’ll always remember the name because of this statue." She pointed up to the gigantic, towering bronze statue of a Circle and Ares with rippling muscles facing each other with swords locked as if in battle.
She looked at us with a smile. "Cute, huh? Let’s walk."
They quickly followed her across the Battle Garden, walking under a stone archway and across a pathway stretched over a babbling brook with beautiful swans. When they reached the end of the pathway, they found themselves standing in a courtyard buzzing with tons of teens, the focal point of which was a huge three-tier water fountain smack-dab in the middle of a circle of bright green grass. The entire courtyard ground was a strange pattern of alternating series of circles made of the greenest grass.
I noticed immediately that some of the students instantly stopped talking when they spotted us.
Brooklyn gestured widely. "This is the Circle Courtyard, which everyone calls C-Yard; this is pretty much hangout central, and it connects to almost everything you need to get to around here." She waved enthusiastically at a couple of Circles, then turned back to look at us with wide green eyes.
"They’re middle levelers. There’s, like, a whole bunch of stuff you’ve got to get used to—like this whole thing about levels. A first leveler, that’s us; we’re freshmen; middle levelers are sophomores and juniors; and end levelers are seniors. But bigger than that, we’re all just considered Neophytes—Neos, beginners. NCs are Neophyte Circles; NAs are Neophyte Ares."