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  For a moment she feared it wouldn't work but somehow, the pain continued to fade. She still clung to the book but there was no burning sensation. Without hesitation she rushed out of the library and ran to her room. She didn't bother to check if there was anyone in the corridor. When she was safely inside, she closed the door behind her and rushed to her bed. Under the moonlight gleaming through her windows she took another look at the book. She set it down on the plain white sheets and opened it gently. Shock suddenly filled her. The pages were filled with symbols of a language she couldn't understand.

  “What is this?” She whispered to herself in the empty room.

  Strange things had been happening to her all of a sudden. She couldn’t pinpoint when it had started but she was no longer in control of herself. It was as if some unknown force was moving her about and she was a slave to its bidding.

  Without another thought she closed the book. The morning was fast approaching, and she had not slept.

  Chapter 8

  Gaia awoke to the loud clanging of a bell. The sound was coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

  “That’s the morning bell.” Lolita said from somewhere in the room, “All the students need to get out for the first meal.”

  Gaia let out a loud sigh before sitting up and looking out the window at the far end of her room. She had a good view of the water outside. From her vantage point, she could see the first lights of the dawn.

  “It’s breath-taking.” She whispered as she slid out of bed.

  “When you’ve been here as long as I have,” Lolita said coming over to stand next to her, “it all seems pretty ordinary.”

  Gaia smiled because she knew that no matter how long she’d be here, this would never become ordinary.

  “You should wash up before we head to the dining room,” Lolita said passing her a tub filled with water.

  She took it and gently washed her face before handing it back. In return, Lolita handed her a clean rag. It was soft to the touch and she quickly dried the water from her face. When she was finished, Lolita handed her a thin white dress and motioned for her to put it on.

  “I managed to get that for you while you were with the others last night.” She said with a smug smile, “It should fit.”

  Gaia examined the dress and caressed the delicate fabric. It was prettier than anything she had ever owned, and she wondered why Lolita had chosen something so delicate and pretty for her.

  “Try it.” Lolita urged stepping away.

  Gaia quickly shed the gown she’d fallen asleep in the night before and stepped into the dress. It was light and soft against her skin. The short sleeves clung to her arms a bit tighter than she was used to but otherwise, everything fit perfectly. It wasn't a fancy dress, but it was just what she needed.

  “Let’s go,” Lolita said giving her one last look of approval.

  As they passed the mirror outside her room, she realised that although her hair had come undone while she slept, it had somehow formed loose curls that still managed to look uniform enough to pass as acceptable.

  “This way,” Lolita said leading her down the opposite hallway, away from the throne-room.

  She recognized the path and her stomach twisted when she thought of what had happened in the library the night before. The walk with Lolita led to a large open patio. Gaia could see a few other students milling around in various haphazard groups. There were also a few servants who were setting up yet another elaborate feast.

  “You should be alright here.” Lolita said motioning for her to enter, “I have to go into town and get you a few things.”

  Gaia nodded and watched her leave before turning to face the crowd of students. They mostly seemed groggy from the night before. Surprisingly, she was awake, alert, and eager to see what the day had in store.

  She was walking towards an alcove where she knew she would have some privacy when she felt an odd sense of being followed. Before she could turn the person spoke up.

  “Cenobyte, right?”

  “That’s me.” She replied turning to face the stranger.

  He was tall and athletic with dusty blonde hair and piercing grey eyes. There was something about him that reminded her of the lethal snakes she had trained back at the temple. Maybe it was the way he moved or the ease of his smile, but she had already decided not to trust him.

  “Where are your friends?” He asked looking around, “I thought Cenobytes stuck together.”

  She assumed he had seen her with Myren the night before and had taken the initiative to say something. She turned and scanned the room realizing then that the friends she’d made the night before were nowhere to be seen.

  “I assume you want to fill-in?” She asked trying to divine his purpose for approaching her.

  “I just thought you looked a bit lonely over here.” He answered.

  “I’m fine actually, I only just arrived,” she said deciding that despite her desire to talk to someone, she wouldn’t let him get the idea they could be friends.

  It wasn’t that she wanted to be unkind but everything about him screamed deception.

  “I think you should make new friends,” he continued without the slightest indication that he had heard her, “stay for a moment and talk with me. Who knows, we may become the best of friends and you can be sure that I make a great ally.”

  She flashed him a curious look.

  “What do you want?” She asked slowly and carefully.

  “I just want to get to know you a bit better.” He replied mimicking her tone, “If we are the future rulers of the kingdoms, we may as well get acquainted.”

  The glint in his eyes told her that this was not what he wanted but he was trying to be as convincing as possible.

  “And you think you’re the one who will rule over the? what are you exactly?”

  “I’m Andro and I’m a Mistral.” He replied, “I have as much claim to rule as anyone.”

  Just then she saw movement towards the entryway. When she looked around, she saw Kirk and Tafari standing there. They were both looking over at her with interest.

  “What do you know, your friends are here.” He said without looking away from her face, “They don’t seem very happy to see you talking to me.”

  She was about to say something, but he was walking away before the words could leave her mouth. She looked towards the doorway once again and noticed Tafari and Kirk walking towards her.

  “Why were you talking to Andro?” Tafari asked when he was standing next to her.

  “He thinks we should be friends.” She answered, “Although, I’m not sure that’s his true motive.”

  “I guarantee whatever it is, you don’t want to be a part of it,” Kirk said looking over to where Andro was now standing.

  She nodded wondering what he was thinking. Since they’d met the night before, she had noticed that he was constantly in deep thought which was unnerving. He was always quiet, and she found herself staring at him and trying to figure out just what went through his mind. By doing this, she was beginning to realise just how handsome he was.

  “He’s bad news,” Tafari added jarring her back to the present.

  “You don’t have to tell me.” She replied, “I could smell it on him.”

  “Who’s bad news?” Khar asked from behind her.

  Gaia hadn’t noticed anyone else entering the room and she credited that to her preoccupation with Kirk. As she turned to look back at Khar and Helen, she saw that they too looked as if they could do with a few more hours of sleep.

  “Don’t say it.” Helen said as if she had read her mind.

  “Do you read minds too?” She asked a bit stunned.

  “I don’t.” She answered flashing Gaia a knowing smile.

  “Who’s bad news?” Khar asked again.

  “Andro.” Kirk answered without hesitation.

  His eyes were dark, and she realised that whatever he thought of the other boy, it was bad enough to alter his countenance.

&n
bsp; “Well. what did he do?” Helen asked looking over at Gaia.

  Gaia shrugged.

  “He wants to be friends.” She answered, “Although there might be more to it than meets the eye.”

  As if on cue, a commotion at the entrance caught her eyes and she turned to watch. The queen had entered. Next to her were three beautiful women who looked as if they’d prefer to be anywhere else. They were all tall, thin, and beautiful with long flowing dresses that dragged on the ground as they walked. Gaia had never seen anything like it.

  “I didn’t know they ate with the students,” Khar whispered.

  “I didn’t know either.” Tafari joined.

  As the newcomers entered the room, the students who had been milling around stopped and turned to watch. Those who were sitting suddenly stood. From the doorway, she saw Lu Radock enter. She remembered him from the night before and she suddenly felt the need to disappear.

  “Charges! The high order, Queen of Hedon will dine with you this morning along with her ladies.”

  Everyone remained silent.

  “It is an honour to be with you all today,” Anabelle said aloud. “I will be dining with you all in hopes of getting to know you better. These are my ladies in waiting, Char and Chloe of the Anduanna and Eloise of the Shango.”

  Gaia looked over at the three beautiful women who were scanning the room with obvious boredom. Lady Anabelle began moving into the room and her ladies followed suit. Char, a tall beauty with long curly blonde hair locked eyes with Gaia and smiled. Gaia thought she must have imagined it because in another second the smile was gone, and her face was a placid mask of boredom.

  Together they moved towards the centre of the room where the table had been set for their first meal. Gaia looked on and wondered at the strange circular design of the table. Servants were bustling about trying to ensure that the royals were comfortably seated. Although all the massive padded velvet chairs were similar, Gaia watched as the queen scanned them all before taking a seat with her back to the garden. She faced the room with defiance and Gaia followed her line of sight to find her looking directly at Kirk.

  “Breakfast will be served now.” Lu Radock said still standing at the entrance of the room.

  The students in the room began moving towards the table. Some moved quicker than others and she noticed they were all trying to get a seat closer to the queen and her ladies. She saw Myren sidestep another girl to get the seat closest to Eloise of the Shango.

  “Stay close,” Kirk said blankly.

  The tone of his voice reminded her of his father, and she was oddly aware of a sudden tension in the room that hadn’t been there a few seconds before. Kirk walked naturally towards the other end of the table which had been neglected.

  Taking the seat directly facing the queen, he motioned for Gaia to sit next to him. Tafari sat on the other side and Helen and Khar decided to sit on either side so they were evenly balanced. From where she sat, she could see the queen and her ladies observing them and she knew that was the reason Kirk had chosen that seat. He wanted everyone to see that although they were at the other end of the room, they still commanded all the attention.

  “So how was your sleep?” Tafari asked nervously.

  It was clear he was trying to break the tense silence in the room. Gaia wanted to grin, but she was also trying her best to be as serious as possible. For a second, she glimpsed over at Helen and realised the girl was chuckling softly. She couldn’t help grinning herself.

  “It was fine.” She answered.

  The table soon erupted in chatter and all around she could hear the students eagerly trying to connect. On her side of the table, Kirk was explaining the rituals of Mistrals. She tried to listen, but her eyes wandered to the other side of the table where Myren was trying and failing to strike up a conversation with the queen. The woman looked positively bored and when she looked up from the chicken she had been stabbing lightly with her fork, their eyes met.

  Gaia felt a sudden thrill rush down her spine and all of a sudden, her breath became shallow. She suddenly felt afraid.

  “Gaia, don’t!” Kirk said tugging on her hand.

  Her head snapped around to face him and she realised that she was fine. The fear she had been feeling a second ago was not real and she wasn’t dying.

  “What?” She asked in confusion, “Don’t do what?”

  “Don’t make eye contact.” He said, “She’s Dorylus and she loves to prove it.”

  For a moment Gaia felt confused until she remembered that she knew almost nothing about the powers these people possessed and how dangerous they could be.

  “I’m sorry.” He said gently brushing his hand against hers.

  “Why is she here?” She asked.

  “She wants to build a bond with the students.” He replied, “There’s something strange about her insistence on being here and I can’t be sure what her motives are.”

  Again, Gaia turned to look at the queen’s ladies. She was careful to avoid looking at the queen which was not easy since the woman seemed intent on meeting her gaze. One of her ladies observed their exchange and gave Gaia a disapproving look.

  “They don’t like you.” She said to Kirk who seemed surprised to hear her say it.

  “Why do you say that?” He asked.

  “I feel it.” She answered.

  She was almost sure her years of training had equipped her with the skills to identify a threat, but this didn't feel the same. She had the feeling they didn’t like him, and no rationalization could trump it.

  “You seem surprised.” She added.

  “Only surprised that you’ve noticed.” He answered, “Many people haven’t noticed what’s happening here.”

  Gaia wasn’t sure what he meant exactly. Even if the queen didn’t like him, it made no difference in her mind since he was the crown prince and as long as he was alive, he would reign. If she didn’t like him, there was nothing she could reasonably do to harm him.

  “I see the prince has surrounded himself with a few misfits,” Annabelle said aloud.

  All conversation at the table paused and everyone’s eyes were on her. Gaia turned to find the queen giving her a sly smile. It was almost as if she had done all this to force Gaia to look. The difference now was that no matter how intently the queen looked at her, she no longer felt the fear that had overwhelmed her earlier. The queen’s expression shifted from sinister to confused.

  “I could say the same for you,” Kirk replied comically with a hint of warning in his voice.

  “And you’d be right.” Anabelle teased.

  “Oh dear,” She heard Khar whispering next to her.

  “I don’t think she likes us,” Gaia whispered clutching the girl’s hand under the table.

  Gaia observed the reaction of her ladies and realised they didn't flinch at her comment.

  “What is the reason for all this?” Kirk asked.

  The queen shrugged and sat back in her chair. She was wearing a smug smile as she took a napkin and tapped it gently against her lips.

  “I just needed a bit of entertainment.” She replied comically, “Why do you take everything so seriously young prince. You really should lighten up.”

  Kirk said nothing. Instead, he fixed his attention on his plate. It was clear that he had nothing to say to her. There was a loud screeching sound and Gaia looked over to see the Queen standing. Still, Kirk’s attention remained on his meal.

  “So this is how you treat your mother?” She asked.

  Her voice took on a dangerous edge.

  Kirk remained nonchalant and brought a cup of water to his lips. Still, he did not look in her direction.

  The ladies in waiting also stood and it was clear that they were ready to go. Gaia watched as the queen marched out in a huff with her ladies trailing her. Chloe, the Anduanna looked at her and for a moment, her look of nonchalance shifted and became fright. Like before, the expression lasted only a moment before being replaced by a cold look of indifference
.

  The students watched as the procession of women left and then they turned their attention to Kirk who was saying something to Tafari. She couldn’t hear clearly but she thought she heard Kirk asking Tafari to find out what his father knew about Eloise. When they noticed the attention on them Kirk halted.

  “We should get going.” He said, “Classes begin soon.”

  She took that as her cue. The five stood and walked out of the dining room together. As they went, she could feel the tension in the room behind them. Her eyes locked with Myren’s and the hate she saw there could have frozen the sea outside their walls.

  “Watch your backs.” Kirk whispered as they were about to disperse to their wings, “Look after her.”

  She then realised he was motioning to Khar and Helen who nodded in acceptance of their duties. She wanted to protest and remind him that she, the Cenobyte, would be the one doing any protecting. Before she could say the words, he was walking away.

  “What was that about?” she asked

  “You’re the most vulnerable here.” Helen said, “It’s not your lack of power that makes you weak, it’s your lack of knowledge of what others can do.”

  Gaia was silent. If she had ever felt out of place, it was now. She was reminded of her master’s warning and Cettie’s insistence that she wouldn’t understand the consequences of her actions until they were too late. She hadn’t understood then, now she did. She was weak and she was making enemies with each passing day.

  Chapter 9

  Gaia rushed back to her room feeling a little confused after everything that had happened during their meal. She wanted to know why she had been able to resist the queen’s power and she wanted to know if the woman had realised that she wasn’t affected by her powers.

  Deciding to focus on the day ahead, she resolved to think about this when she had more time to meditate on it. Getting ready didn’t take long. She changed out of the flowing white dress and into her training uniform. Along with her uniform, she donned her orange cloak.