by April White
Ava sounded dreamy. “Oh, right. You are.”
I seriously didn’t know what was her sight and what was just plain wackiness. Either way, the girl had no filters and she had a wicked sense of humor. My favorite kind.
We climbed the main staircase to the second floor, and then turned down an unfamiliar hall. Then we went up more stairs, down another hall, and by the time we got to the small study Ava led me into, I was thoroughly lost.
She closed the door behind us and walked over to the bookshelf. It was lined with old textbooks that looked like they hadn’t been read in twenty years. “This used to be the headmaster’s private study back in the days when the school was full. Miss Simpson prefers to be closer to the students downstairs.”
Ava felt along the inside of an upper shelf. Click. A latch opened and the bookshelf swung forward on a hinge. Ava grinned. “I love secret passageways, don’t you?”
I was like a kid in a candy store at the idea. “This leads to the West tower Adam was talking about?”
“Our grandfather was headmaster here before we were born. He used to tell us stories of what this school was like when it was full of just Descendants.”
“Something closer to a nut-house than a school, I’d guess.”
She shrugged as we climbed the dark staircase behind the bookshelf door. “To an Ungee, probably. But we have to be so secret about our gifts; it must have been nice to be open about them at school back then.”
It was something I hadn’t considered. I was close-mouthed about pretty much everything in my life, so another secret more or less didn’t make a huge difference. But to someone like Ava, who was such an open book, keeping her gift a secret was probably like living a daily lie.
We reached the top of the stairs. The space opened up into a circular room – one of the fang-like towers I’d seen from the outside of the building. The room seemed to glitter, and I realized that nearly every surface held some sort of mercury glass. Old gilt-framed mirrors hung on every wall and even the candlesticks in the corners were reflective silver.
Adam was pacing like a caged lion and he glared at Ava. “Why’d you bring her?”
“Look, Seer, my family has totally shut me out of the information chain and I’m sick of it! We have a deal – you teach me, I teach you, remember?”
Ava turned to her brother. “What is she teaching you?”
He mumbled under his breath. “Nothing.” He turned the glare on me. “How do we know we can trust you?”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you kidding? You’re Seers. Just… look!”
My eyes caught my own reflection in all the mirrors around the room and suddenly I understood. Seers need to see. Maybe reflections gave them extra access to that sight.
“It doesn’t work like that.” He sounded annoyed, but Ava nodded.
“She’s right though. I don’t see betrayal around her.”
That fascinated me. I turned to Ava. “Like, as a general state of being, or a specific action?”
Ava shrugged. “Major things leave a color trace. Betrayal leaves a dark purple mark, like a bruise. You don’t have any bruises on your aura. Just… movement.” Ava’s expression was quizzical. “Weird. A shifty aura.”
I stared at her. “Do you talk like that to everyone?”
She shrugged and grinned. “They all think I’m nuts, so they don’t listen to half of what I say anyway.”
“Fine. You can stay.” Adam’s tone was grudging and I could tell it irked him to give in.
“Gee, thanks, big guy.” The sarcasm was back in my tone. I was tired and hungry and cranky, and I had a million questions. “So, what’s the deal with your cousin?”
Adam sighed and sat down in the middle of the floor. The room had no chairs, so I sat cross-legged in front of him. I shivered. “Why is it so cold in here?”
“You can feel that?” Ava looked surprised.
“The room has wards on it.” Adam had mellowed out a little.
I got up to touch a wall. “Freezing.”
“Weird that you can feel it. It’s totally normal to me.”
“What are wards?” I didn’t want to sit down again. The cold seemed to suck all the heat out of my body.
“They’re kind of like spells put on rooms to protect whoever’s inside.”
“Protect them from what?”
Adam shrugged. “No one really knows. The wards were put on a long time ago and I don’t even think anyone knows how to do them anymore.”
“Just add it to the list of things I know nothing about, I guess.”
That got a partial smile from Adam. “Sorry. I really don’t know anything else about them. I’ve always just taken the wards for granted. Our house has a warded room and I think this place has a couple.”
“Elian Manor has one, freezing, like this place. And Millicent can’t feel the chill either. But tell me about Tom.”
“Are you going to sit?” Adam leaned back to look up at me. I shook my head.
“Too cold.” I went over to the window and looked out. The view of the school grounds and the woods beyond was incredible.
“Tom’s dad is our mom’s brother. And he can’t stand us for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of succession.” I faced Adam with a raised eyebrow and he explained. “Seers are matrilineal, so Ava’s next in line for head of our Family after our mother.”
I nodded. Matrilineal succession is the only thing that makes sense as far as I’m concerned, since you always know who the mother is, and the father could be anyone. Most of the royal dynasties of the world didn’t agree with me though, which is why history is filled with idiot kings.
“What about you? You guys are twins?”
Adam shook his head with a grin. “Born lucky.”
Ava grimaced. “Being Head sucks. Too many branches on our family tree, with every gypsy and mall psychic claiming to be a blood relative.”
Ava and Adam shared a twin look of pain before Adam continued. “Anyway, Tom’s dad believes he should be the head because he’s the older brother and he actually really wants the job.”
Ava interrupted. “He’s also been spending too much time with Mongers and Shifters if he thinks men have any right to succession.”
Adam nodded. “He’s constantly barging in on meetings and trying to stir it up with some of the other branches. Tom can’t stand his dad and was always really happy to come back to school after holidays.”
Adam stretched and got to his feet, then helped Ava up. “Anyway, Tom was my roommate and best friend—“
“Besides me.”
“Obviously.” Adam smiled at his sister in a way that made me wish he was my brother.
Ava took over. “If I was the jealous type, the boys would have made me nuts. They were even more like twins than we are sometimes.”
“Okay, what happened?”
Ava turned to me. “About a month before he disappeared, Tom went to London for some benefit thing with his parents. Something was different about him when he got back.”
“He turned into a wanker.” Only the anger in Adam’s voice kept me from laughing. What a great word.
“Tom was always the sincere guy. The one the girls would turn to for solace when Adam broke their hearts.”
Adam looked indignant. “I don’t break girls’ hearts.”
“Oh come on, Adam. You walk into any pub and can instantly see who’s lonely or easy or thinks you’re cute. You have inside information you don’t hesitate to use whenever it suits you. You don’t play fair and you know it.” Ava was teasing Adam but I had the feeling she was telling the absolute truth.
Adam glanced at me quickly and changed the subject. “Anyway, Tom came back from London arrogant and aggressive. Like he should be the one the girls went to first, and I should be the one picking up his pieces. And he started texting all the time. Especially after lights-out.”
I shrugged. “Raven does that.”
“But Tom never did before.”
“Did you
ask him about it?”
Adam scoffed. “He said it was someone he met in London.”
Ava interrupted. “You never even got a name, did you?”
“I saw it when I finally threw his phone across the room. ‘Chaotic1.’”
“The Crow knows him. She texted ‘chaotic1’ about me.”
Adam stared. “Why the hell would Tom be talking to someone a Monger knows?”
Ava laid a hand on his arm. “It might have something to do with some Family thing. We’ll talk to Mum and Dad in Paris next month.”
I couldn’t help it, my jaw dropped. “You’re going to Paris?”
Ava shrugged. “It’s Mum’s birthday and she wants truffles for dinner.”
I was stunned. “You guys must come from serious money.”
“So do you. All the Families have money.” Ava shrugged.
“I don’t have anything but the suitcase I came with.”
“You’re an Elian, right?”
“It’s my last name, but that’s about all the connection I have with Millicent and that Family.”
Ava looked at me strangely. “I don’t think there are any other full-blooded Clocker Families besides you guys anymore.”
“Nothing like being a dinosaur in your own time, huh?” Adam was entirely too smug.
“Is that a time travel joke, or something I should take personally?” Actually, I take back the brother wish. He made me glad I was an only child. I turned to Ava. “You said your family tree is full of branches. Why wouldn’t mine be the same way?”
“Apparently gifted Clockers are rare. Sight can be strong or weak, but it’s still there. But you lot either travel or you don’t. There’s no half-way. And since it’s hard to find other full Clockers, most of the Clocker families intermarried with Ungees. It’s why Miss Rogers is only a Quarter-Time.”
“She is? Can she travel?”
Ava shook her head. “I think her mother could, and I heard it was a huge disappointment to the Families when she didn’t marry another Clocker.”
“You guys really take your bloodlines seriously. It’s like you’re breeding racehorses.”
Ava’s expression suddenly got solemn. “The Families are protective of their gifts. We’re lucky ours is so large. We have a lot of people to choose from when it’s time for us to marry. But Clocker and Shifter families are actually much more limited.”
“It’s all stupid if you ask me. They can’t tell you who to love.” Adam’s voice surprised me with its anger. I looked at Ava for an answer but her gaze was on her brother and it was full of sympathy.
Then Ava turned to me. “You’ve got it the worst though. The Elian Family has always been the main line, so it’s pretty rare for them to marry Ungees.”
I rolled my eyes. Except when they do. “As if Millicent has any say over who I can marry or even if I do.” I thought I saw approval in Adam’s eyes, but more disturbing was the glimpse of pity in Ava’s. Seriously though, the bloodlines stuff was crap and I definitely wasn’t buying into it.
“What about the other Families. How do they work?”
Adam answered. “Shifters are similar to Clockers, in that only certain Shifters can change, mostly just the Full-Bloods. But Half-Bloods can still have the enhancements of animals – extra sight, sensitive hearing, strength or speed. Some of the best pro athletes have some Shifter in them.”
“Come on though, there must be other Clocker students besides me.”
The twins shook their heads. “Clockers are rare.” Ava looked at me sorrowfully. “They’re somewhat prone to getting lost.”
“You mean ‘in time’ don’t you?” Ava nodded.
I spoke under my breath. “Sounds familiar.”
“What?” Ava asked.
“It explains a lot about my life in the past week. Including the lock and key I seem to be under right now.”
“I’m actually surprised you’re allowed to be here.” Ava turned to Adam. “You don’t think the lockdown is because of Saira, do you?”
“No, I really think there was a Sucker in the woods last night.” He looked directly at me.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He looked skeptical. “Really? You didn’t meet anyone tall, dark and dangerous out there?”
I glared at him, my guts in a tangled knot. “You’re an asshole.”
Ava tried to play peacemaker. “We don’t know for sure it was a Sucker.”
“By ‘Sucker’ I assume you mean Vampire?”
“A Descendant of Death.” Ava spoke matter-of-factly.
I stared at her. Where to begin? “Assuming such a thing as Vampires exist, don’t you have to be born to be a Descendent?”
They both looked at me like I just crawled out from under a rock. “Of course Vampires exist. Who else could be descended from Death? It’s oxymoronic for death to be born, so he created his offspring instead.” Ava’s explanation actually made sense in a weird way. Death can’t be born, it just is. And according to every legend I’ve ever heard about Vampires, they have to die in order to exist.
Adam scoffed. “Suckers are not Descendants. They’re abominations.”
“Apparently you’re not a fan?”
Ava explained. “Aeron’s line has been cut off since almost the beginning. He did something to get himself kicked out of the Families and no one’s really heard from him since.”
“So how do you know Vampires aren’t just some legend made up to scare little kids into minding their parents?”
Adam’s voice was full of scorn. “Because you and I exist and we’re Descendants of Fate and Time.”
“Come on. We have class with Mr. Shaw in a few minutes and he yells if you’re late.” Ava was a master at subject-changing.
I looked at Adam. “Are you coming?”
“I got kicked out of Shaw’s class last year. He knows who you are. You’ll be fine.”
I grimaced. “And I’m sure being seen with you this morning will work in my favor too.”
Adam grinned. “Exactly.”
Shifter Class
As Ava and I raced down the tower stairs and out through the bookcase door, she gave me a little more background on their cousin, Tom.
“Adam and Tom had a big fight the night Adam threw the phone. He ended up storming out of their room.”
“What was he so mad about?”
“My brother has always had a lot of friends in all different social groups. He can hang out with pretty much anyone. Tom used to sort of come along for the ride, but ever since that trip to London he had been turning his nose up at our Ungee friends, saying they were second class and not worth his time.”
“Great. A new kind of prejudice. Because race and class isn’t enough?” I’ve always hated bigots.
“Exactly. That night Adam had wanted Tom to come into the village with him to meet a couple of local girls at the pub. Tom got all puffed up and said he was done being Adam’s wing man, especially for Ungee trash. That’s when Adam threw Tom’s phone and stormed out.”
We raced down the main staircase to the first floor and ran past an open classroom just as Olivia stepped out. Ava grinned and waved. “Hey Liv!”
Olivia smiled and waved at us both as we passed her. “Hi guys. How’s the Crow treating you, Saira?”
I laughed and said over my shoulder. “Exactly as you’d expect.”
“Oh good. Wouldn’t want to disappoint.”
Olivia was still laughing as Ava and I rounded a corner and almost ran straight into Mr. Shaw. He looked at his watch and growled, “Late.”
Ava smiled sweetly at him. “Thanks for holding the door for us, Mr. Shaw. Saira was lost on the second floor and I had to track her down.” We sidestepped around the giant man and into his classroom, and I mumbled under my breath.
“Thanks for throwing me under the bus.”
The smile never left her face as she murmured, “Watch this.”
The room was set up like a science lab and Raven wa
s already seated at a long table next to Ginger and the Count. Ava strolled past their table.
“Heard they found ‘chaotic1’ in Tom Landers’ phone.”
Raven stared at Ava, the color draining from her face. She stood up, grabbed her bag, and bolted for the door. Mr. Shaw slammed it shut before Raven could leave.
“Sit down, Miss Walters.” His voice boomed across the room.
“I have to go.” Raven pulled her arrogance on like a cloak, but her imperious tone had no effect on Mr. Shaw.
“Indeed.” He turned the key in the lock and pocketed it. “Take your seat.”
Raven tried another tactic. She sounded desperate and even crossed her legs for effect. “But I really have to go, Mr. Shaw.”
Mr. Shaw’s mouth tightened and he glared at her. “There’s a coffee tin at the back you can avail yourself of if it’s truly an emergency. Otherwise sit down!” The man’s voice seriously boomed, and Raven looked blown away that someone had dared to thwart her. She sat down without another word.
There were about seven students in the room and it looked like another group of just Family kids. I wondered if I would ever have a chance to be in a class with normal kids at that school. That thought actually shocked me. I’d never had any interest in being normal in my life. Mr. Shaw took his place at the front of the room and scowled at all of us equally.
“We begin a new project today. It’s called survival.” He unrolled a chart that looked like a botanical print of weeds. Someone groaned. Mr. Shaw practically growled. “You think the study of botany is a waste of your time. You are dead wrong. Or you will be if you don’t learn what I’m going to teach you.” The guy was seriously abrasive and he had me at the word “survival.”
I looked around at the other students. Ava seemed mildly interested; Raven’s whole table had their heads together whispering something that I’m sure had nothing to do with botany, and the others just seemed bored. I turned my attention back to the front of the room and found myself staring directly into Mr. Shaw’s amber-colored eyes.
“Some of you may find yourselves in situations where you’ll need to scavenge to eat.” Raven scoffed loudly, but Mr. Shaw ignored her. He was still looking at me. “And even more importantly you may find yourselves sick or wounded in places where modern medicine isn’t available.”