Chapter 4
1984 Words
I hear someone laughing as Ziven’s attention snaps to Caelina. “Cover yourself,” he says.
Caelina pouts, smoothly spinning, wrapping her gown around her and striding to the fridge. “What are you lot doing here?” Ellie asks.
The smell of pizza reaches my nose, and I look around, realising they’re grabbing drinks, but I can’t see any pizza.
“We got pizza. Want some?” Renji, the youngest of the Lupin quints, asks as he now enters the kitchen, earning a frown from Ares, his brother.
“I think they’re doing their own thing.”
Point made. They don’t want us here.
“Yeah, we’re just here for hot chocolate, no thank you,” I say quickly until Renji puts an arm around my shoulder.
“Oh, come on. How about this, we give you pizza, you make us hot drinks? We’re about to watch a movie?” He winks at me, and I can’t help but smile.
He’s the only one that doesn’t scare me.
“I’ll pass. I don’t need girls screaming their heads off because they can’t handle a bit of blood.” My heart thuds as Zane’s voice comes from behind me.
“Oh, you did not just say that,” Ellie growls. “We want pizza and we’re watching the movie.”
“Move,” Zane commands, his voice so icy, forcing me to jump away from Renji and the doorway, making the youngest Lupin look at his brother in amusement.
My stomach plummets. Is he finding this funny?
Zane pushes past him, his eyes simmering blue, and my heart sinks. Gods, he’s really angry…
I look at Caelina who looks a bit uncertain, then at Ellie, who is glaring at Zane without even an ounce of fear, and Ziven, who simply gives me a small smile.
He’s letting us choose… he doesn’t mind…
So, I bravely turn; I’m probably going to pay for this back at school, and I’m ready to say ‘Yeah, pizza sounds great, what’s a movie in comparison to real life?’. But one glance into those cold piercing blue eyes that are full of rage and I swallow my words and look away.
“You girls carry on, I’m going to grab my hot chocolate and head to bed,” I say smiling at the girls.
Ellie frowns and Caelina observes me.
“No, I have a better idea, I’ll go get us some pizza and we’ll take it upstairs,” Ellie says leaving the room.
“Good plan,” Carter says, making me want to glare at him, but I don’t. Carter has the softest features out all the quints, with sandy brown hair and green eyes, but don’t let that deceive you, he’s almost as cruel as his eldest quint.
Caelina whispers a spell over the three mugs as she pours milk into them and it’s instantly boiled.
“So, we don’t get hot chocolate?” Renji asks with an almost pout.
“No, you don’t deserve any,” Caelina replies icily.
Ouch.
She doesn’t like being turned down and for the boys to make it clear they don’t want her here…
I wouldn’t want to be them right now. She begins whispering a spell, her fingers brushing against the milk bottle before she takes it to the fridge, puts it back in and brushes her hands over the other six bottles in there. Oh yes, she’s angry.
She just made the entire supply of milk curdle. Oh, that won’t be good for morning…
Theo snickers as Tatum sighs. “Next time, Renji, don’t offer without asking everyone. Deal?” He goes to the fridge, grabbing the bottle Caelina had just put inside. “Mind if I take this?” He doesn’t wait for a reply, taking off the lid and instantly swears.
“f*****g hell, what did you do?”
Caelina’s eyes glimmer, but she doesn’t reply as the boys trudge out of the kitchen with their pile of snacks, drinks, and whatever else they have taken. Tatum c***s a brow at Caelina, who simply glares back, daring him to say something to her. He simply shakes his head and leaves.
I sigh softly, looking over at Caelina. She gives me a small smile and I smile back, before sighing.
“Boys are such assholes,” I whisper just as someone enters, and I turn expecting Ellie but it’s Zane. He walks towards me, his eyes raking over me, his gaze slow and callous, drinking up every detail, probably thinking I look stupid but still he makes me feel nervous.
What does he want? He closes the gap between us, stopping less than a foot away in front of me. He reaches behind me, his scent hitting me, and my breath hitches, the heat of his body and his proximity making me giddy. My eyes flicker up, getting a perfect glimpse of his angled jaw from here, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
His arm barely brushes mine, and although he’s wearing his jacket, I still feel the goosebumps rise on my skin.
And then he’s moving away, and I realise he’s grabbed a phone from behind me. His eyes flick to mine, emotionless and cold, before he turns and leaves the kitchen.
***
“Are you both packed?” Aunty Ri asks from the doorway to Caelina’s room.
“Almost.” Caelina looks around her room. She’s packed a lot of stuff. I’m not sure how she’s going to manage to fit it all into one room, and we don’t even know who she’ll have to share with. The holidays were amazing, but they’ve come to an end and Caelina and I are packing for the next school term. Well, next term for me, for Caelina it’s her first term.
“Good, well dinner will be ready soon,” Aunty Ri says. She’s wearing a deep purple satin gown over her satin pajamas, clearly having changed early. She’s usually working at the Coven, but since it’s Caelina’s last day before she leaves, she came home early.
She’s beautiful, confident, strong and independent. I wish I was more like her but I’m not. I’m not even strong like Mama or Grandma. But Aunty Ri has always been my idol. She just has this gorgeous tan skin, and exotic brown eyes and she exudes this aura. I think Caelina is a lot like her. Aunty Ri smiles at me when she catches me watching her and walks over to me.
“Hey, Serena, you ok?” she asks, cupping my face. Her perfume flits into my nose, rich and luxurious, just like her.
I nod, “Yes, I was just admiring what an amazing aunty I have.”
“And I can say the same about you.” Her eyes soften as she studies me with concern. “You’ll get there.”
“Thanks.” I don’t have the courage to tell her I’m not cut out for this.
“Alright hurry up, dinner and then the spa room is all waiting for us.”
“Perfect, I could do with a massage,” Caelina says as the three of us leave her bedroom and head downstairs. The house feels quiet since everyone left on Christmas Day evening and although some of the guests made me nervous, it was nice when the house wasn’t so quiet.
My heart skips a beat, remembering Zane, and I quickly push the thought away. He hates me, all he sees is a weak, pathetic girl… I sigh softly and Aunty Ri glances at me.
“You sure you ok, honey?”
I blush and nod quickly. “Yes!”
We enter the dining room, where Grandma is seated at the head of the table, Tatum and Ziven are on her right and Mama is sitting beside them, me and Caelina sit opposite the boys with Aunty Ri beside Caelina. Rowan is seated on his booster seat beside Mama and he holds his arms out to me. Smiling, I lift up the booster seat along with my gorgeous little brother in it, making him giggle as I carry him around to our side of the table.
“Mind if we squish in?” I ask, and Caelina smiles, shaking her head as Aunty Ri and her move up one seat. I place Rowan down between Caelina and me and kiss his cheek.
“There you go,” I cup his cheeks and kiss his nose, making him pat my face in return.
I love you, little brother.
“Favouritism,” Ziven teases with mock hurt.
“I can’t deny that,” I admit, smiling across at him. My eyes roam over the array of delicious food that has been cooked, there’s stuffed chicken, shawarma, falafel and a selection of other Arabian dishes cover the table. “Grandma, you cooked!”
Grandma laughs softly. “Of course, my children are going back to school. We will miss having you all here.”
“When we’re there, time just flies. We don’t even realise; I don’t anyway,” Tatum says as we all begin filling our plates and passing the dishes around.
“I do!” I say with a pout. “I count the days to the next holiday.”
Everyone laughs at that. “With me and Ellie there you won’t be, trust me,” Caelina responds confidently.
“I think so too,” I smile fondly at the thought of having company. I hope so anyway.
“Well, I enjoy the peace and quiet around here too,” Ziven winks at us.
“How annoying! You will miss us!” Caelina frowns.
“I don’t think he will,” Tatum disagrees as Mama chuckles.
“He’s busy during the day too, with pack duties.” She smiles over at Ziven.
“But he does get back every night,” Grandma adds as she pours us all some drinks.
“Thank you.” I smile at her as I savour the food. I’m going to miss home-cooked meals.
“You’re going to be put into a division, right?” Ziven asks, his eyes now serious as he observes me intently as if trying to look deep inside my soul.
I nod. “I guess…”
The Academy has ‘Five Paths’. After the first year, we are put into one of the Paths. These are partially based on skill and partially our choice. Then once you turn eighteen, you're placed in a division which consists of all Five.
There’s Aegis, those who are pretty much born leaders, strong, level-headed and skilled. Tatum and Zane are Aegis. Then we have Luminara; they are clever, strategists, those who love to learn and assess. Noctaris, Dad would be perfect in this category. Those in Noctaris are extremely skilled in stealth, observation, and tracking.
Followed by Verdantia, most of Verdantia are witches who prefer to focus on healing and poison rather than fight. Every division at Emberveil Academy has one Verdantia in it. And then finally we have Aetheris. Those with powers, so again, witches belong here and me. I am in Aetheris, but I really don’t fit here because I can’t even use my abilities. Aetheris is supposed to help their division with their powers. Whatever division I’m put in will be at a disadvantage because I’m useless.
“You’ll be fine,” Ziven replies, giving me a small smile.
That’s what everyone tells me. I’ve got this. I’ll be fine, but then why am I not?
I’m already regretting my return.
“So, what Path do you think you’ll choose?” Aunty Ri asks Caelina, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Aegis.”
The boys look up. Aegis has no witches, and I think that’s unfair because witches can be born leaders. And Caelina is strong, really strong. I think she’s going to surpass even Aunty Ri.
- Writer
