BEAST ACADEMY 2: LET THE QUEEN RISE

Eveline's POV I am in a long, dark hall, the stone walls press on me as I go further. Why it is so cold? My whole body trembles as if knowing what is waiting for me at the end of the hallway. "Sister..." the voice went in echo through me. I tried to see who is calling me, I turned around multiple times but no one was there. My feet trailed me forward non-stop but the feeling of fear never left me. "Eveline...sister, I am here" the voice was now louder and I could hear it properly. "Alexander? Where are you??" I asked the darkness and then saw a glimpse of light at the end of the hallway and a tall silhouette, I recognized my brother. "Sister...help me...Eveline" he whimpered and my feet automatically run to him. "Stay there! I am coming, brother!" I ran and ran, my whole body was trembling and my breath went unsteady. "Help me...help me out!" his voice went through my head as I saw him standing a few meters away. "I am here, Alexander! I am here!!!" I was so close to him, the distance was only stretched arm but somehow I couldn't go further...this was it. "Eveline?" he asked me nervously, looking inside my eyes.  "Alex! Come here! I can't...I can't go further to you!"  "Why?... Why did you do this to me?" his voice was serious and hoarse. My eyes were pierced in his and I wanted to run to him but my feet as glued stood there.  You are only one arm away... "Alex...please...brother come here!" my voice was unsteady and my hands were cold and trembled painfully...My heart squeezed whenever I tried to step forward but my feet didn't obey. "You couldn't save me...you couldn't save your brother" his words stabbed me in the heart like knives. And these words kept ringing in my head making me hard to breathe. I didn't save him...My brother When I completely felt broken and was dying in pain and tears poured down my cheeks like rain, I saw how the vision started fading away. "No...No! NO! NO! Alex!!! ALEX!" I screamed trying to catch him but he faded away like dust, only his words kept echoing. You couldn't save me...You couldn't save your brother... "Aaaahhh!!!" I sit up and looked around, I was in the hammock and water dripped from above. I hardly exhaled and went through my hair and felt how sweaty I was and clothes were all wet from the water above and sweat. "It was only a nightmare...Nothing more...Only a nightmare" I kept mumbling while standing up and going up the stairs on the deck. It was a late night, a fresh wind blew through my hair and neck and I instantly felt clear-minded and calmed. I went forward to the edge of the ship and inhaled deeply sea breeze. It was my first time on the ship, maybe that's why I couldn't sleep well.  The sweat dried out and clothes became cold but I didn't mind, I was deeply in my thoughts. Breathe in. I couldn't save him. Breathe out. I couldn't save them. I stood there like a statue, taking deep breathes of salty air before feeling someone's presence. I look at my right side and saw Reece standing in his dirty clothes from that night, even though he had a chance to borrow fresh clothes.  "Memories from the past..." clenched my jaw, "Are torturing me. Even deep inside me, I know that the person I should blame is only myself"  Reece didn't answer my words nor did I want him to. He knew that I just needed to say them, not particularly to him. He locked his hands and leaned forward. "I know you don't want to tell me the whole story and I don't want to press on this so my plan is...I am gonna open up to you first so that maybe you will get more comfortable and will trust me...how does this sound?"  he tilted his head and looked at me, showing two dimples. I faced him and lowered my eyes, nodding.  "Great then. As you know I am English and I grew up in Lord Benedict's household of shifters. I had a quite dull childhood, always training not only physically but intellectually too and you know all this fancy stuff, argh!" he frowned in frustration and I let out a chuckle, "You certainly hate it" he glanced at me and laughed, "Yeah but um...I never hated the people, my uncle - Lord Benedict he took me under his responsibility after my mother's...death. She married a human and Uhm...um...huh, actually never mind..." he exhaled and furrowed his eyebrows, his jaw muscles twitched and eyes were cold and angry but I know that behind the anger there so much pain that you just can't show and instead, anger reveals itself...familiar feeling. "You promised to be truthful with me if you want to gain my trust." I know that I pressed on the painful memories but I needed to know the truth and be prepared for what awaits me.  His eyes narrowed while looking on the horizon and we saw how from the horizon, sunrays flickered to the sky revealing a sunrise.  "Hm...yeah." he hesitated for a moment and his voice stuttered in search of the right words. "Englands Academy is very very different from yours. You are more stuck in the past and keep the old rules but Lord Benedict's academy is modern and rules are...strict, very strict and they are for everyone. I know you didn't get used to it but it is a new world, where people can kill...and they want to kill us. So there are rules, maybe strict but they keep us alive and safe" his honesty was brutal and by his expression, I can say that he doesn't believe in his own words. I never thought about other academies or even households of rich shifters...I always thought that shifters intend to hide or come to Beast Academy. Well, at least I know that in all America Beast Kingdom - Academy is only one.  "So...what about your mom? She married a human...?" I asked too curiously. He faced me and looked at me playfully, "Huh, you know you should be a little cautious with questions, after all, we shifters can easily shift from emotions...and I am one of the biggest predators in the world, so..." Oh dear God, if only he knew that I am MUCH bigger than his little tiger...and much dangerous. "Mhm...you are right, sorry" I tried to hide my smile and bit inside of my mouth. "Anyways, my mother was a strong woman but indeed foolish and kinda arrogant" "Someone inherited this, didn't he?" He glanced in my direction, ignoring the sarcasm, and continued looking at the full sunrise. "She married a shifter, my father, and gave birth to me but she never loved him...so she divorced him when I was three. I lived with my mom after the divorce but when she met Frank the baker down the street, a typical mundane, nothing really special was in him but...she was so in love with him...The love that they had towards each other was so, so beautiful and I...I swear I never saw her that happy. When I was four, Frank proposed to my mom and they moved in together to the apartment next to the bakery" his voice cracked, making him stop and he cleared his throat. No wonder his voice cracked, his pure British accent was killing my ears.  "What happened next?" I asked like a child waiting for the fairy tale to continue.  "They lived together for a year...Before my birthday, uncle Benedict came to visit us...He didn't know that my mother was living in a marriage with a human. And the law states...need to tell you or you will get to it yourself?" his voice went low and in eyes flickered tears that didn't escape the eyes as if he could hold them with his telekinesis. "They killed her...?" I whispered and tried my best not to gasp. He didn't look at me, only giving a slight nod, he continued, "My uncle...her brother, the Lord...commanded to execute his sister and let Frank forget all the memories about her, cause he is a human and we can't execute people unless blood for blood or start a war."  And I thought that my life is miserable...God...His uncle that took care of him executed his mom...sh*t, where am I going? How can somebody create such rules and live there?!  "And I still visit him down the street..huh...he knows me as Lord Benedict's nephew...nothing more" "Reece...I am...I am so sorry. You shouldn't have said this to me...If only I knew that...I wouldn't ask you and press on the painful memories." God, how stupid do I sound? I am a horrible person. "It's fine. Anyways I would tell you. I want your trust..." I faced him and saw how his hazel eyes shined as cat's eyes do. "Thank you...you don't even understand how it means to me..." I palmed my hand on his and give a small smile. He tried to pull off his hand away but I didn't allow him and he started breathing heavily, slowly raising his now green eyes... They glowed naturally like dark green forest and sparkled from the sun. I never saw something more beautiful and astonishing as this, there were like two emeralds on the shining sun.  "I trust you..." I murmured, not taking my eyes from his. "Yes. You trust me but you will not tell me your story yet...but I will patiently wait" he smiled, showing his dimples and his eyes stopped glowing and turned back to hazel. Will I ever be ready to tell everything? "Uhm...what's up guys?" we stood there inches away from each other and harshly recoiled after hearing Bern who woke up and came to us. "Hey, Bern" I bit my lip and looked back at the horizon, tryna hide my blushed cheeks. "Hey, Reece, when will we arrive? If I am gonna stay a little longer on this freaking boat I will have a seasickness" exclaimed the blue-haired boy who was now laying on the wooden bench with closed eyes and arms behind his head. "Oh, really? I think you pretty much like it" I snorted and tried my best not to laugh out loud. "Oh, shut up, Cam, I am having a headache from your sarcasm," he said sternly, making me laugh and lean my head back. "We are here" stated Reece, looking in front after looking on the map.  I looked around and then back at the green-eyed boy. "Are you um sure?" there was nothing except for rocks on the side and plain land. "Don't you trust me?" he asked smirking playfully flickering his eyes at me on which I rolled my eyes and turned at Bern, "Were you here before?" Bern groaned before standing up lazily and then looked around, "Hmm... I never visited Lord Benedict's shifter household" he shrugged and winked at me before laying back. "Oh shoot! Reece, this is nonsense" I was irritated but he ignored me and went to the captain. "Oh, great! Ignore me!" I exclaimed going after him. We entered a small cabin where stood captain.  "Hey Ray, can you go straight on these rocks?" I widened my eyes and then exclaimed, "WHAT? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" I looked back at Ray who was chuckling and then turned the wheel on the rocks.  Hell no! I am not gonna stay on this ship! "Reece...please tell me you are not insane" Reece glanced at me and burst out in a laugh. "Oh dear Lord! No! I am not! Hey, I was here before, just trust me, okay? And I will tell you everything when we will arrive" he patted my shoulder and turned back to Captain Ray. Just letting you know that this ship is owned by Ray and he is a shifter too. I saw how the ship was meters away from the rocks before hearing, "Here we go..." I closed my eyes waiting for the loud collision but I didn't feel it...Instead, I opened my eyes slowly and saw...Sea port?  It was fancy portland, there were lots of ships and yachts, I heard peoples laughs and shout. Further, I could see roads, cars, small, lively town!  "Wow...but..." I turned back and saw an invisible wall through which we went. "Told ya" muttered Reece and exited the cabin, before yelling to Ray, "You can stop there, near white yachts"  "Reece!" I called out and he stopped instantly and to be honest I didn't expect him to call out from the first time. "Yeah?" he casually raised his eyebrows and waited for the question, "Explain. Now." I gruffly stood there and crossed my arms on my chest. "Oh, yeah, so that was all a mirage, from invaders and other bastards who want shifters to be dead" I furrowed my eyebrows and asked, "How did you create the mirage? It looked like total magic"  "Yes. You don't know about witches? They can create a sort of things" from his words, memories flashed through my mind where Mirena created the stone dome and when she died dome faded away like dust, fading as fast as it was created. "Yeah, I know about them...There are good ones?"  "Pft, of course!" he stated like I was insane to ask this question. If only he knew about Mirena and what my brother did to save his kingdom as a true King would... "Well, this makes sense now..." I exhaled nervously, shrugging off the memories. "Oh, by the way, the human world and our world are together don't worry, we are not isolated" he chuckled and went forward where everyone already was, they chatted between each other, new ones were shocked and others who were like Reece were happy to be back home. I don't fit any of them...I am not astonished and I am not back home...I just want to start a new life, and this life is the best choice I have. "Alright, let's go meet my uncle"  Hey, guys! Welcome to the second book of BEAST ACADEMY! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Stay on this journey with me and of course, take care xo.