by K. E. Miller
Girls’ night was code for manicures, pedicures, and facials in our room. It had always cheered us up in the past, but was something we hadn’t done in a few months.
“I can’t,” Jaden said, too quickly. “I’m going to town after dinner. I’d ask you to come, but…” she paused and glanced at Aaron. “it’s for your birthday, so I don’t think it’s such a good idea for you to be there.”
“You’re doing something for my birthday?” I asked. “You know I don’t really like gifts and I always spend it with Andrew anyway.”
“You only turn eighteen once, Shay. Everyone deserves to have one party.”
“A party?” I groaned. “Jaden I would really rather you didn’t.”
“It’ll be fun,” Aaron said.
I turned to glare at him, but I melted instead. If Aaron thought a party would be fun, I wasn’t about to argue.
“Okay,” I agreed. “So do you want to do something tonight since Jaden is busy?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t I’m really behind on my homework.”
I noticed the way heh looked at Jaden as he spoke. If they wanted to have their secrets about my birthday, I’d let them. I ate the last bit of my breakfast and took all of our trays over to the trash. As I walked back, I noticed Jaden and Aaron talking quietly, just as they had the night before. It didn’t bother me, since I knew they were busy planning my party. It didn’t make sense for them to have any other secrets.
Aaron stood before I could sit back down.
“Are you ready?” he asked me.
I nodded and we walked to Anatomy. We didn’t talk at all during the lecture, but I noticed that Aaron seemed to be paying more attention to me than to Mr. Downey. I did my best to focus on the lecture, but it grew more difficult as the class progressed.
When the bell rang, Aaron surprised me by walking me to my English class, something he’d never done before. We didn’t hold hands, but he walked very near to me, as though he wanted to. As we said goodbye, it seemed to me that he didn’t want to leave my side any more than I wanted him to go.
Although my good mood was diminished by his absence, I walked into class feeling better than I usually did. The class passed slowly and I grew increasingly more anxious. I tapped my foot in anticipation, causing those sitting near me to cast dirty looks my way.
I was up out of my seat the moment the bell rang. I flew down the hallway to my next class, as though that would make the morning go faster. I attempted to take notes and pay attention, but I just couldn’t focus.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I entered Andrew’s classroom and saw Aaron sitting in his usual seat, next to mine. I sat down and felt calmness permeate my body. I turned to smile at Aaron, but it slowly faded when he did not return it.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes.
“I’m fine,” I told him. “I was just going to ask you the same thing. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said, finally smiling. “I missed you, that’s all.”
His cheeks colored slightly as he blushed in embarrassment.
“Happy Monday, everyone,” Andrew said, walking into the room with the bell. “The activity sheets are up here on my desk. Don’t forget that a report is due at the beginning of every class. Be sure to carefully document your conversations and other activities as that is all part of your grade. Also, be prepared for the occasional pop quiz. See you all tomorrow.”
He strode from the classroom and I had no doubt that he was headed back to the teachers’ lounge to drink some more coffee and read a book. The class filed up to the desk and out of the room.
As Aaron and I walked to the library, we again walked very closely. I realized that I was holding myself back from holding his hand, even though I had no reason to think that he would object if I did hold his hand. I laughed to myself and he glanced at me curiously.
I took careful notes, trying to distract myself from the knowledge that we were alone. It was clear from the first words out of his mouth that his Italian was just as good as his English and far exceeded my abilities.
When the bell rang, Aaron offered me his hand. I took it, grateful that he had saved me from working up the courage on my own. The entire walk to the Dining Hall we were quiet. I wondered how on Earth any of it was happening to me. It seemed like things had developed so quickly between us, and I was afraid it could go away just as fast.
I sat next to Aaron, much closer than usual, with a bowl of fresh fruit and a chicken sandwich. I eyed my sandwich and wondered what pseudo-meat was impersonated chicken. We hadn’t spoken since sitting down, but I was surprised that it was a comfortable silence.
“Hey,” Jaden greeted us as she sat down.
“Hi. How’s your day going?” I asked.
“It’s been completely uneventful. I’ve never been so bored in my life. It’s actually more torturous now than it ever was before. I mean I understand the importance of learning things that will help us in the Mortal-“ Jaden cut off suddenly and Aaron gave her a sharp, angry look. She looked away, not meeting anyone’s eye. “I just mean that the teachers should try experiencing real life if they’re going to try teaching it,” she clarified.
I looked back and forth between my friends, unable to decipher Jaden’s unusual tone. She sat staring down at the table, while Aaron glared at her.
“Okay,” I said. “I was more than willing to believe that this sudden weirdness was because of my birthday, but now it’s gone too far and it’s time to spill. What is with you two?”
My anger edged into my voice and Jaden glanced up at me. She recognized the warning in my tone and knew just how mad I had to be before it became so obvious. I could see the explanation on her lips as she nervously twisted her hair around her finger, but she said nothing.
“It’s nothing,” Aaron answered, harshly.
His tone surprised me. I’d never heard him sound so severe. He turned to look tame and the coldness in his gaze caught my breath. My anger giving me the ability to quickly recover from the look in his eyes, I glared back at him.
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth.
I grabbed my tray and left the table, too angry for further words. I threw away my uneaten food and left the hall without looking back.
***
When my classes were over, I was still furious. I didn’t want to see Aaron until I’d calmed down. I knew it would only take one look from him and I would forget why I was still mad. I went back to my room and took a hot shower, hoping that it would melt all of my frustrations away.
Chapter 11
Aaron
Classes were finally over for the day. I walked to dinner with a clear plan of apologizing to Shaylee. I’d felt horrible all afternoon, allowing centuries of anger and secrecy to cloud my judgement with the one person in the world I couldn’t bear to be parted from.
Jaden sat alone at our table and I paused just inside the door to scan the room looking for Shaylee.
Jaden joined me by the door and said, “She isn’t here.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know. I thought she was with you.”
“This is bad, isn’t it?”
I already knew the answer.
“Yeah,” Jaden agreed. “She never gets mad. Not like this. Nice work.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know she would get so angry. I shouldn’t have spoken to like that. I don’t even know why I did.” I glanced around at all of the curious eyes that were watching us. “This isn’t the place.”
We left and headed for the relative safety of Andrew’s apartment. We climbed the stairs to the second floor and knocked on apartments two thirteen.
The door opened and Andrew’s head poked out. He glanced down the hallway in both directions before he opened the door all the way and waved for us to enter. He shut the door quickly and locked it.
“You’re early,” he said, motioning for us to sit.
I sat down next to Jaden on the ratty old green sofa
, just as I had during our last visit. Andrew sat in the well-worn recliner. The lack of decorations in the apartment only mildly surprised me after being inside his house.
“Aren’t you getting kind of paranoid, Drew?” Jaden asked.
“It’s not paranoia if it saves all our lives,” Andrew replied. “Why are you so early.”
“We ended up not eating dinner,” I told him.
“You said it wouldn’t be safe for Shaylee to eat alone.”
“Shaylee’s mad at Aaron,” Jaden said, looking both smug and irritated.
“What do you mean? Shaylee doesn’t get mad. Ever.”
Andrew looked angry and I sighed, wishing I had not managed to somehow anger everyone who was currently important in my life.
“I know I messed up,” I said in my own defense, already tired of apologizing. “I spoke recklessly.”
“Fix it. Fix it now. She cannot be vulnerable. Not now. We’re so close and we only have one shot at this. If she shuts all of us out, her life could be in jeopardy. If we lose her, we’re all dead,” Andrew said.
“I am well aware of what could happen,” I replied. “I’ll fix it. We still have time.”
I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince, Andrew, or myself.
“Could we focus on the point of this meeting?” Jaden asked.
It never failed that Jaden was straightforward and liked to keep things on track. I was grateful to her for moving things along. I didn’t want to spend any more time dwelling on my mistake.
“Alright,” Andrew agreed. He looked at me. “Where are things with the Council?”
“As far as I know, Dominic still believes that I am investigating several leads. He hasn’t contacted me to suggest otherwise.”
“Do you think he could send another Warrior?” he asked.
“Absolutely. I still don’t know how much the last one saw, but we are by no means safe. The last one was born here so he wouldn’t have a first-hand account of what to look for, but it’s definitely a possibility that they’ll send someone who would know.”
“We must remain vigilant,” Andrew nodded.
“I’m still having trouble with the idea that the Council is responsible for everything,” Jaden said. “They twisted everything around to make us all forget what really happened. How did everyone just forget that they were traitors?” She turned to me. “How did you live with them all this time?”
“It wasn’t easy, but someone had to keep an eye on them,” I replied. “We needed someone on the inside and I had nothing left to lose…until now.”
“Does that mean you’ll finally admit that the Prophecy is real?” Andrew asked, leaning towards me in thinly veiled excitement. “It’s obvious you’ve grown attached to her, but I think there’s more to it than that.”
“I’d like to say I’m convinced,” I replied. “but in the end, it doesn’t really matter to me. I want to be with her because of who she is, not who she could be. I’ll protect her either way, because it won’t matter to the Council if the Prophecy is real or not.”
Finally admitting my feelings aloud was a relief. It was as though a heavy weight had been lifted.
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Jaden said. “Like Aaron said, the Council’s opinion is what we have to worry about. Whether she is or isn’t, they’re going to think that she’s the one they’ve been afraid of all these years. She’s my best friend and we need to protect her. I will say, her dreams are compelling.”
“Yes, the dreams,” Andrew replied. “As a young child she would often have such vivid dream that I felt I was back in the Isle again. It’s interesting that she would be dreaming in such a way again so close to her Transition.”
“They could simply have been normal dreams,” I argued. “There was nothing then or now to definitely say that she’s not just having normal dreams.”
“Think what you want,” Andrew said, dismissively. “All I care about is that you’ll be sticking around to protect her.”
“Can we expect any help from the Resistance?” Jaden asked, clearly thinking about the danger we were in.
“No, I don’t think so,” Andrew told her. “I haven’t spoken to anyone in the Resistance for a long time. It was safer for Shaylee that way. I’d been planning on taking her to New York, but there were some rumors a few weeks ago about a Council attack, so now I’m not even sure how to reach them.”
“So we’re on our own?” I asked.
“At least until she Transitions. That amount of power, will draw attention. It’s possible the Resistance will find us at that point.” He paused, a frown creasing his face. “I hope you both know that I still think it’s a mistake. A party will cause too many complications.”
“Well Shaylee’s expecting one now. We need to do something to keep her occupied until her Transition starts,” Jaden said. “Even if it’s just the three of us, it’ll be the biggest party she’s ever had. Besides, what was your plan, Drew? Hide with her in here until it’s all over? What are you going to do if you’re attacked?”
“Jaden’s right,” I said, feeling like we were just rehashing last night’s argument. “It gives us an excuse to stay close to her without her being suspicious.”
Looking thoughtful, Andrew said, “We could take her to Salem. We can have the party at my house. That way we won’t have to worry about anyone walking in or someone eavesdropping.”
“The more secure the location the better off we’ll be,” I said, nodding. “Getting away from school could buy us more time as well. If she is who you say, we need to keep her a secret as long as we can.”
“What about after?” Jaden asked.
“She’ll be confused and afraid. Even if she’s just a Mage and has nothing to do with Sophia and the Prophecy. We’re going to have a lot of explaining to do. Especially me,” I admitted. “To be honest, I’m not sure how she’s going to react to everything. She always surprises me.”
“No matter what she says or does, we can’t let her be alone. Even if she hates us, she can’t be alone from that moment on for any reason. Not until she is fully capable of defending herself, at least,” Andrew added.
I doubted Shaylee would hate us. She just wasn’t that type of person. Certainly, some part of her would recognize that we were still her friends, regardless of the changes that were about to happen. This was all assuming she was in fact a Mage. I left the meeting wondering how Sophia would have approached this situation. She always seemed to have the answers to whatever problem presented itself. I doubted I could live up to her expectations as I attempted to complete the task she’d given me all those years ago.
Chapter 12
Jaden
Aaron and I walked across campus. We were almost back to the dorms when I realized that he was just as lost in his thoughts as I was. I was just beginning to really understand what sort of danger Shaylee was in. If she was a Mage, she posed a serious threat to the Council based on who her parents were alone. If she wasn’t then she was completely defenseless with a target on her back because she resembled someone the Council feared. I hoped I was strong enough to protect my friend.
“Have you thought about how you’re going to fix things with Shaylee?” I asked Aaron, trying to pry my thoughts away from the dark path they’d taken.
“I was just thinking about that now,” he replied. “I’m honestly at a loss. Do you have any ideas?”
“No,” I replied. It surprised me that he would ask for my help. “Look, Shaylee never gets mad. Ever. Yet, you somehow managed to say the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. I don’t know how you should even begin to apologize. She’ll want the truth.”
“You know we can’t tell her.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier? I know it’s the law, but we’re basically to take Shaylee and run, violating Council law anyway.”
“It’s the only way to protect her. If the Council shows up tomorrow and questions her, the only thing that might spare her life is the fact that
she doesn’t know anything about Mages, magic or the Isle.”
He seemed so sure that it was safer to keep Shaylee in the dark. I sighed as we began trudging up the stairs. I disagreed with Andrew and Aaron, but I was outnumbered. It was probably best if I went along with what they wanted so we could remain a united front.
“I guess we are just going to have to lie to her for now,” I said. “You know technically, telling her we’re being weird because of her birthday isn’t exactly a lie. It’s a half-truth.” We reached my floor and I stopped to ask, “How do you deal with all this?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just so frustrating and scary, you know? I don’t understand how you’ve dealt with everything all these years.”
“I keep a journal,” he said. “Sometimes writing things down has been the only way I’ve kept my sanity. Sometimes it was the only proof I had that it was all real.”
As Aaron looked at me sadly, I decided I’d asked enough questions for one night.
“Well, goodnight,” I said.
“Do what you can,” he replied. I immediately knew he was hoping I could smooth the way for his apology to Shaylee.
“I’ll try,” I promised.
I walked away from him, wondering if I could do anything to make things easier for him. I knew I could find a way to convince Shaylee to forgive me, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be so easy for Aaron.
When I opened my door to darkness, I was gripped with sudden panic, fearing that Shaylee was gone. I then saw that Shaylee was in bed. It was only eight o’clock. Shaylee never fell asleep so early. I took that as a bad sign. Although I was relieved, I didn’t have to face her and could put off telling her more lies for a few more hours, I was concerned by just how upset she must really be to have already gone to bed.
***
The next morning, I got up before Shaylee and went upstairs to see Aaron. He opened the door before my fist came down to knock a second time. I walked into his room and got right to the point.