I could hardly wait to have Paige back. Hopefully, she would help inform me of all this elf stuff. And I was excited to have Flynn back, too. With luck, he would be ready and raring to go in assisting me with the longma search.
When I jumped into the truck after my last day of working with Otis, I sighed and wondered if I’d miss those sweet horses during the school year. Otis had no reason to bar me from the stables, so I’d been entertaining the chance I might get to come visit. As if I’d find time around my coursework. If freshman year had a steady pace of work, I assumed sophomore year would be trickier. I still wanted to try to stop by and see Otis and those huge, peaceful horses. Especially that little mare in Stall Nineteen. She was a needy mama and I didn’t mind giving her some affection and extra apples.
Or maybe I could break out that hellishly stubborn mustang and ride around campus to look for my longma. Or wait until Wolf leaves the Menagerie at night and giddy-up through that dark cliff door, and find my buddy in there. And I wonder what else is in there. And why? Why keep creatures hidden inside a fricking cliff? Yeah, at nighttime, I could bypass Wolf. It isn’t like he can sleep in the Menagerie. Or maybe he can. Otis sleeps at the stables in the loft and—
“Layla?”
I jerked at Flynn’s voice and his elbow gently poking me in the side. Warmth spread over my skin. Had he been trying to talk to me this whole ride to the dorms? By keeping to myself all break, I’d fallen back quite far into my introverted ways. Instead of a dog whisperer, I took to being a horse whisperer. I tugged on my earlobe and raised my brows. “Huh?”
“You’ve been zoning out all this time. Missing the ponies already?” He chuckled and looked ahead out the windshield. I took the freedom of the moment to appreciate how fine summer had treated him, as well. Not that he’d needed to fill out, but he seemed as sun-kissed and refreshed as I was from the honest hard labor and fresh air.
Marcy huffed. “Nothing to miss. I’m sure you guys will have some riding to do in gym this year.”
Riding in gym? I smiled at her around Flynn in the middle of the bench seat. Perfect. Well, a gym session wouldn’t help me cowgirl my way to the longma, but at least I wouldn’t be deprived of all contact with animals like I was last year. Real, normal animals, at least.
He cleared his throat. “I asked if you saw Paige’s email about dinner tonight.”
I frowned at Flynn. What email? He’d been keeping in touch with her too? Odd. My roomie had pretty much recategorized Flynn as my guy before last year’s finals. Or maybe she’d finally comprehended that I wasn’t in the game of finding a boyfriend and had reestablished her interest in him while she was stuck in Michigan. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that…crap.
I scratched at the skin below my ear, unnerved by my immediate reaction.
Is this…jealousy?
Other than our chaperoned rides together, I’d gotten used to being away from him all break, while he’d gotten closer with Marcy.
But she’s older. Too old for him…
And now the first thing I could assume was that he and Paige were trying to connect behind my back?
For God’s sake. It was ridiculous. Just because my boobs finally decided to pop out, my hormones had to over-accumulate as well?
“Lay…la…”
Dammit. Now he’d think I was a ditzy daydreamer.
“Right. Yeah.” I sat up straighter. “She’s supposed to come back today. Dinner would be fun.”
“I thought we could grab some stuff and do a picnic. By the meadow.”
Marcy cleared her throat. “As long as you guys are in by curfew…”
Flynn nodded and I barely resisted a huff. Yeah, yeah. We know. To him, I said, “Sure. I’ll be there.”
And at seven that night, I was. Squashed to death by Paige’s hug and burning alive under Flynn’s stare. The Verlenes had just returned to the dorms. Ethel had taken off to her rooms in the faculty tower and Paige beelined for me waiting with Flynn at the entrance to the Green House.
I wasn’t the only one changing under the sunshine. Her afro was gone, replaced with a sleek, complicatedly artistic braided weave that coiled her head. Seemed purple was out as well. By the shimmery indigo she’d meticulously applied to her eyes and even in a few threads in her hair, blue was the new color for the year. I only prayed it wouldn’t dip into a Picasso kind of blueness.
“I missed you so much, sister!”
I gasped for air from the clutch of her hug but it didn’t diminish my smile. Sister. She really was like a sibling. A good one. “Me. Too.”
“Maybe let her breathe a little?” Flynn asked from behind us.
She released me from the boa grip but still held on to me, her hands holding mine like we were about to dance Ring Around the Rosy.
“Missed you too, Flynnie.”
Flynnie? I blinked to keep my eyes from narrowing. Flynnie? Then I sucked in laughter. It was way too much like Winnie.
“How was your summer?” he asked instead. Yet when I glanced at him, curious about the overly casual tone of his voice, I caught him still staring at me. At my legs. All year long, I wore the uniform skirts, and he’s just now having a problem ogling my legs? I smoothed down the hem of my shorts and it was enough to slash his line of sight. With a subtle shake of his head, he met my gaze.
Is that a…blush?
“Eh, it’s over.” Paige giggled. “I mean, it was nice to see the fam. But I missed you guys And the…excitement!” She let go of me and crouched for the duffle she’d dropped to the ground. “Let me take this inside and grab the present, and we’ll go off for our picnic.”
I shot my hand out to stop her. “Whoa, whoa, whoa.”
Flynn grinned. “You might have to work on dropping the cowgirl talk now, Layla.”
Still, I grabbed Paige’s hand to stop her from dashing off. “Present?”
“You didn’t tell her?” she asked Flynn.
“Uh…” He lost his smile and rubbed at the back of his neck. “No time to, really…”
“What present?”
Paige stuck a hand to her hip. “You guys were here, like, together, all break! What do you mean there wasn’t time to—”
I darted my head in between their stare down. “What present?”
Paige grimaced at him. “Well, go on to the picnic. I’ll bring it along and you can explain.” She didn’t give him a chance to rebut because she disappeared inside.
I spun to Flynn and rolled my eyes at his wince. “Oh, come on.” I gestured for him to hand over the blanket or bag of food he was holding. “Lead the way. And spill.”
He gave me the blanket and we headed off toward the meadow that spread before the stables I’d slaved away at for two months. “It’s a birthday present. Just take it and tell her thanks.”
I shook my head, trying to clear the immediate confusion. “But my birthday’s not ’til—”
“August twenty-ninth. Yeah. But we know how much you hate attention and anyone making a big deal about it. And she felt horrible about missing it last year. So she emailed me to set up an early celebration, before classes start.”
A smile curved my lips. How could I not be touched? I had two people who wanted to make my day special and still respect my shyness about it. “That’s…sweet.”
He exhaled long and hard. “I was supposed to tell you about it beforehand. She didn’t think you’d like it to be a surprise.”
I shrugged one shoulder, bumping it into his. “It’s okay.” It was. “I appreciate the thought.”
“We haven’t even given you the gift yet.”
I laughed at his sarcasm. “I’ll still love it.”
My pleasant surprise at their forethoughts about my birthday warmed my soul as I walked into the approaching dusk with Flynn. He wasn’t sharing the mood, though, because he said, “Are you…nervous?”
“About getting a present?”
He laughed once and I admired his smile from the profile. “Your birthday. Or…y
our date.”
The elven date. Three moon cycles after my birthday.
“Hmmm.” Nervous wasn’t quite what I’d call it. If that elven date was when those with any elf powers came into their abilities, I had nothing to anticipate. I already had mine. I could see ancient species. I could communicate with them. According to Paige, I could read Olde Earth without even realizing it. What was there to lose sleep about?
He sighed. “Yeah. Me too.”
“What’s that mean?”
He shifted the bag of food to his other hand and pointed to the ground. “Here should be good.”
I surveyed the grass and saw nothing out of the ordinary—no manure piles from flying offenders. As he strode away a couple of feet from me, I flung out the blanket.
“It means I’m hmmm about it as well. We already know what we can do, right?”
“You can order animals to your will, and I can order animals and ancients to my will.”
“Uh…” Flynn dropped to his knees as the blanket fluttered to the grass. “Yeah.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I groaned internally. Okay, maybe I will need to cut back on the horse speak. But what was that hesitation about? Flynn could order animals. That was how the Academy had learned who he was and why they’d invited him here. Oh!
“And you can see ancient species. Kind of.”
“Yeah.”
I nodded at the firmer conviction in his voice and focused on spreading out the wrinkles in the fabric.
“But what if there’s more?”
I jerked back and frowned at him. “More…?”
“More powers.” He sat back on his haunches across from me. “Could we get more power?”
It hadn’t even crossed my mind. I’d spent so much of my life in denial, trying to wholeheartedly believe the shrinks and therapists that I was suffering from hallucinations. That I couldn’t really see kelpie freaks and flying mammals. Having to handle that talent all my life…damn. I could have something else, too? Discomfort choked me into silence. What if seeing ancient species was just the beginning?
“I don’t…” I swallowed past the lump in my throat, anxiety starting its wreckage of my sanity. “I don’t even want to think about that possibility.”
“What possibility?”
I tore my stare from Flynn and watched Paige approach us. She plopped to the blanket and stowed the ribbon-tied, gift-wrapped package she brought to her side. From me to Flynn, she rocked her head back and forth. “Uh…you guys okay?”
I shot up as straight as I could. “What’s going to happen to me on my elven date?”
Paige leaned back, maybe from the force of being put on the spot like that. “I…have no idea.” When I huffed, she teetered her head side to side. “Okay. Vague. But, really, I don’t know. No one does. Not even Mom could help you with that.”
Flynn settled onto the blanket and dragged the bag of food to the center of the little group. “I call BS. Someone’s gotta know something.”
Paige sighed. Not like she was striving for patience with toddlers, but because she truly lacked answers. “It’s hard to say, okay?” She crossed her legs, cozying in for a lecture. “In traditional families, it’s implied where the powers will be concentrated. The Kingleys have always been connected to the ferrets, so it’s a given Marcus in our year will have the same traits.”
“What about when you don’t know the family history?” Flynn asked.
Yeah. Us outsiders…
“It’s still something the instructors and council can pick up on. Within reason.”
“Pick up on?”
She gestured to us one by one. “I mean, obviously, you’re both connected to the mammalian sect.” She pointed at Flynn. “The ape at the zoo that you commanded.” Then a finger toward me. “Your video of the dogs with animal control officers.” Now, she frowned at me. “And…you can…”
I could tell web-footed dogs to watch my back. I could rescue and calm a longma. I could—
I couldn’t tell a sea monster thing to back off. All these weeks since the incident, and that mystery had somehow faded from my mind. Maybe I’d forgotten because of that damn elven sedative. I bit my lip to keep from frowning.
Now that I thought on it, I recalled that I’d told that creature to let go of my sister, and it hadn’t listened. At. All. Was it just a stubborn monster, or did it not connect with—
“What do you mean by sect?” I blurted. I shared a brief glance with Flynn and felt reassured and dirty. Relief that he seemed to agree with me not answering Paige about exactly what I was capable of. He and I had promised to keep it between us, until we knew more. But, this was Paige. My adopted sister who swore we shouldn’t keep secrets. Lying by omission felt wrong—again.
She said, “Powers are centralized according to families.”
“Traditional families?” Flynn asked.
Paige almost smiled. “No. Not students or known elven families. Species families. Some powers are specific to”—she gestured at him—“mammals. Some are specific to…ferrets and foxes, like the Kingsleys. Some are to the insects. I think the Gromers are to insects. Think of all the living beings on earth—there’s quite a bit of diversity.”
Before I could ask another question, she rambled on more. “Mom works on maintaining and updating the genealogy and powers associated to elven families. There are three divisions. Aquine, Terrine, and Airine. Aquine for the life forms in the sea, Terrine for the life forms on land, and Airine for the beings of the air. It’s a complicated web of beings and powers, but the powers we can exhibit are derived from one division or another. I mean, there are overlaps, but those are more for the Pures.”
I gnawed on my cheek. Pures. Like I was, it seemed.
“Didn’t you guys have to do some kind of questionnaire before you came?” she asked.
Flynn and I shared a look. “That random quiz thing on the tablet?” he asked.
She nodded. “That’s the first way the council seeks some guidance for outsiders like you two.”
I thought back to the seemingly never-ending bank of questions Sabine and I had to answer on the plane. At first, it made sense as a collection of data about us. Criteria about our living arrangements, preferences of food. Things that would help them know how to make us comfortable here. But…some questions were stranger than others.
Have you ever been stung by a bee? —No.
Would you prefer to swim in a pool or at a beach? —Neither.
Are you allergic to poison ivy? —No.
They had been scrumptiously digging for intel about our experiences with nature. I pulled at my earlobe and stared at the red and black plaid squares of Flynn’s blanket. Exposed. Even through a stupid questionnaire, they’d been probing for answers. I had been exposed without knowing it. I calmed my breaths and hoped my heart would follow suit.
“So they just want to know what we’d likely have powers in,” I said.
Paige snorted. “They don’t just want to know what powers you might have. They want to know how strong they are. The council doesn’t like the idea of Pures popping out of nowhere. You’ve got to remember, the Academy’s been run by the same lineages, for like, ever. They’ve been used to a concept of superior knowledge. I mean, they want to know what they’re up against in the world.”
“Because some elves use their powers against others?”
Paige huffed. “Now that’s a whole different story for another night. You asked about the elven date, and I can tell you I don’t know what happens. For some people, it’s a gradual trickling in of awareness. They slowly get used to their unique connection to whichever sect they’re from. I’ve never heard of someone hitting their elven date and glowing in the dark like a supernova of power. It’s not like a flip is switched overnight.”
“That’s reassuring.” I smirked at Paige.
She patted my hand. “The main thing is, the council and the faculty can help aid this coming-into-power deal.”
“But your mom said we sh
ouldn’t tell anyone what we—uh, I can do…” I fumbled, regretting the we for Flynn and me.
“And…in this case, I agree.” She pointed at me then. “But that sweatshirt that”—she inhaled dramatically and air quoted—“‘wasn’t yours’ last year? The one with the ancient blood on it?” She shook her head. “If you ever see or hear of a longma on campus, you have to tell someone. Tell Mom. She’ll know what to do.”
I nodded and glanced at Flynn. One brow was raised and he didn’t hold my gaze for long. We’re not telling anyone. I read the statement in Flynn’s firm stare. I ducked my head lower, hoping he’d take it as an agreement.
Chapter Five
Paige and Flynn got me a new pair of running shoes for my birthday. I was boring—lame, as Sabine would say—because for three years, I got the exact same model of footgear. Hey, they worked. Shoes are probably the most important purchase for a runner, and I was glad to repeat what I tied on my feet. I’d been due for a new pair, so those two pitched in the money and Paige bought them while she was on vacation. Reflective hot pink striped along the sides now, instead of the dull magenta from last year. I looked forward to the flashier upgrade. Bright colors weren’t my style, except for my feet, like the hot-pink I always used on my toes—because no one would see them.
With the cushiony support of my new kicks, a smile slid across my face as I returned to the dorms the morning after our picnic in the meadow. The first run of my sophomore year. Still no longma, not that I counted on seeing him out there.
Everything is taken care of. My smile fell at the memory of Ethel’s words. Mr. Suthering told her all would be dealt with. But… how? And what, exactly, was he referring to? The kelpie in the water? The longma? Just who on the faculty knew about my buddy? If I could only just see him and know that he was okay—alive…
“Damn it.” I swallowed around the lump in my throat and wiped the sweat from my forehead. He’s got to be alive. He broke off a chain-link leash. He’s not weak. He’s a beast. And he has to be…okay.
Discovery: Olde Earth Academy: Year Two Page 4