BEAST ACADEMY 2: LET THE QUEEN RISE

Nineteenth Chapter

Listen to 'Good times' by All time low. This song gives me so many emotions.

Enjoy!

Eveline's POV

It's a damn long road, I should say, or maybe Coopers and Elshers made me feel this way...not only me but young Lord too! Eleanor and Lark fought all our way. Bern was silent most of the time, but he did throw snarky phrases towards Eleanor, who was furiously letting everything out on poor Lark, making Bern smirk in triumph. This is not the only drama, trust me...The love triangle was getting on my nerves way more. Poor Ricardo was trying to get Ava's attention, but this girl was really, really hard to get. Even though she didn't play it, I could see that she was still getting over the nerd twin while Levi talked to the captain or read books most of our journey.

Yes, it was quite a drama here, but it wasn't boring to be surrounded by these idiots I loved. I mean, I am not Miss Perfect either! I already got mad at Reece, who didn't want to tell me what he plans to do in the future...with our future if he still wanted me in his life, of course. Thus, I dramatically and madly went to my turquoise-haired friend, who eyed me skeptically when I bumped on the sofa near him and made a huge gulp of soda near him.

"Don't start, Berny," I said warningly.

"Start what? Oh, you mean not to be too obvious about knowing that you have small problems on the love front?" he blinked innocently while smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"I hate you, do you know that?" I asked with an absolute annoyed expression.

"Not like you hate his grace," he muttered, looking away and sipping his soda, making me throw dead glares, but I still was sitting near him, no matter what he said and would say in a few minutes.

I guess Penelope is the only calm and reserved person on this ship. She was sitting near the window now in her usual casual yet elegant clothes.

"If we weren't on this freaking ship, brother, I would easily use my powers and already break your legs and your ribs!" we heard Eleanor yelling, who was vomiting across the ship. Sea-sickness...ouch.

"I didn't know that El had sea-sickness," I uttered, not particularly to anyone, but Bern replied, "I knew. That's why I offered Reece to go on the ship."

"Wait...why?" I furrowed my eyebrows and leaned closer towards this 'innocent' guy.

"Cam, if Lark and Eleanor play using weapons and brute force, I prefer playing cunningly and smartly without doing it publicly", a beautiful smirk showed on his face, but still with this devilish move, he looked good.

"You sound like Scar from the Lion King. Don't scare me, Berny, I don't want you to be the villain." I said without realizing what I had just said.

His blue eyes narrowed and he recoiled as if I had offended him.

"Jeez, relax, Cam, my God, I was just messing and it was just a joke that everyone does in this group of outcasts. You shouldn't be...too aware and afraid," he gave me one of his relaxing smiles before I could relax.

My God...he is right. What's wrong with me? Freaking paranoia...Perhaps I don't want to repeat the same thing as with Dominic. But this...reacting to a child prank like that...I am going crazy.

"Sorry, Bern...I just--"

"As I said...relax and take it easy, I know you are all nervous about an upcoming mission. Who knows what we will find there?" true. I was nervous about finding shifter kidnappers and seeing an unknown scene... Will it be horrific? Can I handle it?

"Yeah..." I exhaled and smiled at Bern. "Thanks"

"It's all good, I know it's not easy for you...but yet...you are doing all this and trying to be fearless...bravo, I should say" he chuckled and patted me on the shoulder and when he did this, I saw a glimpse of something and I felt as if he didn't want to leave my shoulder...or maybe I just again overthink.

"Alright...you hungry? I will bring you some food", he stood up, groaning like an old man, and stepped out of the cabin not even waiting for my answer.

Bern was a caring friend, he was honest and loyal. He was a good soldier and I practically don't know him...his story. I knew he had a hard childhood, but he never showed his emotions when someone brought it up. He always hides behind rudeness and cunningness.

I just hope that someday he will open up to me...to his close friend.

I was again drifting into my world of thoughts before I saw a raven-haired girl in front of me - Eleanor Cooper.

"Argh!" She imposingly sat down and let out the growl of an animal. I guess she was very tired throwing up all this time.

"You okay?" I asked, checking her out. She looked so bossy not even trying! Her lips were matte with red lipstick, eyeliner was always on her eyes, making her look like a cat, her hair always looked perfect in a high ponytail, making her straight, black as coal hair fell to her mid-back and leather dress, as always, it suited her, but to be honest, I think everything will look good on the body like her's. She trains more than anyone else, plus she trains unintentionally with Lark, so, why wouldn't she look so good?

"I feel like s**t. For a moment I thought I would throw my guts out" she murmured while closing her eyes and leaning back on the sofa.

"Good thing you don't look like s**t," I said and a smile slowly formed on her thin lips.

"Well...I never looked like one throughout my shitty life," I rolled my eyes.

I guess arrogance is genetics that went to all the Cooper siblings. Even to nerdy Levi.

"And how are you? I heard your little argument with young Lord" she asked, still not opening her eyes.

"I am all good, I am very good!" I am not even shocked because this ship was not big like the previous time.

"Don't try to lie too much, sugar. I know that you are not okay."

"Huh...you sound like Bern" she huffed at my comment and slowly opened her amber eyes.

"Do I? Well, we were always the watchful ones in our group. We basically feel the emotions of others" she said, without any arrogance or gloat. It was a fact that I believed. I think I even knew that as I watched Eleanor and Bern act towards other people.

"I guess you both have two gifts," I laughed and she nodded, "You can call it that."

She didn't continue the conversation afterward. I guess she was so tired that she dozed off without noticing it.

I slowly stood up and smiled at how her grumpy expression changed to calm and peaceful, but somehow I knew that if someone would try to kill her...she would sense it way faster, making the first move.

I went outside, on the deck to breathe the sea breeze. It was close to sunset and I always liked to watch it while traveling on a ship. I couldn't miss this beautiful view that changed colors. I liked to stand and wait for my favorite color...this one light shade of pink...that I could only see at sunset. Nowhere else.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" I heard a languishing voice behind me but didn't look away from the dark purple sunset. I knew who it was.

I didn't answer and my gaze was still on the sky when I heard his slow footsteps before I saw him with my side-sigh. Still, a perfect-looking man, and he is only twenty-five. No matter how much I loved this view in front of me...I wanted to look at the person beside me and I knew if I would look at him one time, I wouldn't be able to look away from the persistent hazel eyes, the color of the dark forest, and his sandy-blonde hair that was in an artistic mess as if it was planned to be this way by a hairstylist.

We stood there in silence, leaning on the dark wood while listening to the waves through which the boat went.

"Can you guess what this color reminds me of?" he unexpectedly asked, looking at the purple sky.

"No. Tell me," Of course, I knew. I just wanted to hear his voice and I didn't care about what heresy we talked about.

Reece chuckled softly and leaned his head forward while looking at me slightly with his eyes.

"Did you wonder how it is to be in the sunset?" he bit his lower lip and revealed dimples before standing up straight beside me.

I looked at Willer and, with slight confusion, raised my eyebrows in question.

"Show me what I taught you, Miss Campbell." he swiftly put his hands into his pockets of beige trousers and looked at me expectantly with mischievous eyes.

"You know that I am quite mad at you, your grace," I uttered, looking away at the sunset that didn't change from purple.

Young Lord exhaled before clicking his tongue, "My uncle...Didn't want me to go on this mission. He wanted me to stay and marry Melissa and play a happy, married couple...and when I told him that...I love you," his last words were hard for him and his voice cracked.

My eyes met his and now I didn't plan to look away. He was opening up to me.

"He brought up my mom. He began saying what she would think of me if she was still alive and...I hate him for this...he was the one who did this and now these words, Eveline. Sometimes, I just think he didn't love her," his face muscles twitched as he clenched his jaw.

"All my life I did what he asked...what he taught me. I only asked him to listen to me! To support me! For that matter, this is my right and I can marry whom I want! But I asked him! I asked him because he meant everything to me and I knew that we are the only family for each other!" Reece's voice nearly went on for a yell but I caught his hand that was furiously going through his hair. I knew this was his nervous gesture.

"I am not angry..." he murmured when I got closer to him.

"I know..." I murmured back with a caring voice.

"I am sad..." he furrowed his eyebrows and blinked multiple times to prevent tears from falling. He doesn't want to show them to me...he never did. But does he know that he will always be the strongest person I met, even if he would show me his tears and brokenness?

"I know, I understand. It will get better when you get back. I am sure he loves you and he loved your mother...he is old, Reece. Sometimes, we can't understand things that our parents and relatives did...we can't judge them by their pasts." I nearly whispered to him while my hand was still in his and I could see how his breath was unstable.

"I don't think I want to go back," he muttered through hard breathing, and I didn't reply. He needs time. He is not able to talk about this right now. Too many emotions to think straight.

"So? Did you want to see my powers? Already miss them?" I asked, changing the topic while smiling at him.

He didn't smile at first, fighting with his sadness, but then he nodded.

"Let out a wave, but not strong."

I obeyed my coach. I stood straight, opening my palms widely before feeling slight energy that ran through my veins and through my fingers. Soon, I let out a purple light wave that made my hair fly in different directions as well as Reece's.

I didn't notice how Reece's hand went up and when he clutched his fist, all around us...stopped. My waves, the sunset, the waves, the boat, everything.

I looked around and saw how my wave that should've gone fast through the area, stopped in the mid-air, floating as if now...we were in that sunset...in the sunset...

"H-how...?" I traced my fingers through the purple energy in the air that surrounded the young Lord and me and the whole deck.

We are in the sunset...

"Look around..." he said with a soothing voice, before I saw small sparks, floating like small micro stars.

I never thought that I would see my energy waves like this. Never did I think it would be real...I still think it's something surreal.

"How did you stop everything?"

"It's training. Years and years of training..." he murmured while looking at me. He always looked at me while I was observing sparks.

"Never ever...even in my dreams...I never thought that I would be somewhere like...this. I never thought that I would see something like this," my smile was so broad and genuine. It's been a long time since I felt these kinds of emotions. A long time. And Reece made me feel this. He made me feel alive...

"This is so beautiful, Reece...I-I..." I was standing there, gaping, and didn't notice how the young Lord came from the back and hugged me by the waist.

"It's your energy. You are energy. You are beautiful." he slowly, as if chewing every phrase, murmured into my ear.

I remember how I was scared of my powers...and Reece assured me that they were not dangerous but magnificent. And now...now I love them and I even fell in love deeper with him.

"Thank you...thank you...Thank you, Reece." I didn't stop...I was thanking him so many times that I even stopped counting. Reece looked happy but more importantly, he admired my gratefulness.

He didn't know how to shut me up, so he kissed me passionately. Softly. With full of emotions. Full of love.

He made a memory for me...the best memory that was priceless...

Hey, guys! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and of course, take care and share! Comment your thoughts and, of course, listen to the music! xo.