Rise of Xavia

by Tara Chau

  “HEY,”

  I scream, scrambling to my feet.

  “Woah, it’s okay. It’s just me, Ty.”

  Feeling the blood rush into my cheeks, I curse my blushing face. No boy has ever heard me squeal before. To me, it is very high, girly, and embarrassing.

  “Why do you keep doing that?” I sigh once my breathing returns to an acceptable rate, which then escalates as soon as I turn to face him.

  “Doing what?” Ty asks innocently.

  “Just appearing and scaring the crap out of me. It’s creepy.” I say with raised brows.

  Ty jumps up and rests himself once more onto the fence that separates our two yards.

  “Sorry if I scared you. I didn’t know you would scare that easily. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to hang?” he asks.

  “I don’t even know you.” I remind him, startled by the worry showing from under his arrogant mask.

  “Well, then come hang, and you’ll get to know me,” Ty says, speaking as if he were talking to a young child.

  “Don’t talk to me like that.” I snap.

  “Like what?” He asks with a grin, recognising the words used just as I do, the déjà vu rendering me silent for a moment.

  “Like I don’t know any better like you’re better than me.”

  “Sorry miss, yes miss, won’t do it again, miss.” He teases.

  I let an exasperated groan fill the garden, stirring birds and other hidden animals.

  “Hey, I’m sorry that wasn’t funny. Well, it was a little bit, but that’s beside the point.”

  “You know my dad called you a nice lad, and he’s usually a very good judge of character. I think in your case, though, he’s wrong. You couldn’t take anything seriously if it were going to save your damn life.” I mutter.

  “You would be surprised,” he mumbles.

  “What did you say?” I demand.

  “It doesn’t matter, so do you want to go out or what?” he asks again.

  * * *

  Somehow, I find myself sitting next to Ty in a bus on our way to the city, with twenty-five pounds in my pocket. Although I don’t know how much that will help me.

  “Okay,” Ty states, “if you want me to stop scaring you, you’re gonna have to stop glaring at me. I’m not that bad once you get to know me.”

  “Fine, then tell me some things about yourself.” I prod.

  “Okay, here we go. My favourite food is cheese pizza, my favourite colour is orange, and I have one little sister that was six years old yesterday. My favourite TV shows are Stranger Things and Game of Thrones. I’m seventeen next week, my middle name is James, and my last name is Renaldas. I live with my mum and sister; my dad was killed when I was seven. My hobby is fighting, whether it be sword fighting or martial arts. It gives me a sort of rush, I guess. I also like music and being right.” He says proudly. “Your turn, what goes on in that pretty blond head of yours?”

  “Don’t ever say that again,” I state sternly. “And I’m sorry about your dad, and I know how tough it is,” I say more compassionately.

  He nods a yes and gestures for me to continue.

  “My name is Dianna Reeds, and I’m seventeen in June. My mother died last year from cancer, and my dad and I moved here for a fresh start.” Again, the familiar throb in my heart makes me halt for a moment before I continue. “My favourite colour is meadow green, and my favourite food is pumpkin pie. My hobby is drawing and, according to my dad, telling people what to do. I also love Stranger Things, but I also like Harry Potter. I’m starting ESG in two days, and I’m very nervous. The school is for the gifted. People who are great at something, I could bet that you’re amazing at fighting and nearly everything. But I’m not amazing at anything, the only thing amazing about me is my dreams, and they’re a nightmare.”

  “What’s so amazing about your dreams?” he asks, looking a little bit puzzled.

  “When I’m asleep occasionally, I’ll have a dream. They’re weird, though. They are all about magic and horrible creatures. When I was little, my mother used to tell me that I was special, that I had an amazing mind that would show me things, but I think they’re just abnormal.” I say one eye on his face, looking for any mocking gestures.

  Ty looks deep in thought like something is running through his head. He glances up at me, giving me a weak smile. A smile that said for me to continue. So, I do.

  “And after my mum died, I would wake from a dream, and my skin would be covered in sweat and tears. One of my dreams scared me the most, a big thunderstorm that lit the sky. It was always alight with lightning, and the ground shook from thunder. Then the next week, on the same night I had that dream, there was a huge thunderstorm, and the house shook. I was so afraid. I went to so many counsellors and doctors, and they said it was all my imagination. They said my mind wasn’t being worked enough. That’s why it was running wild. A Matilda sort of situation. My dad found this school and thought it would be a good place for me to start over and find a place better suited. I only get the dreams every month or so, but for some reason, I always feel like there’s more that I don’t know about, and it’s terrifying. It’s like I can predict things, but it shouldn’t be real, any of it. The storm and then sometimes noises outside my window. The night that the dreams start again, I always know because I can feel it. The feeling is tainted and wrong. My mother said it was a gift hidden away. One day she said, I will learn that it is a gift. But I don’t want it. I want to go to sleep and not dream of destruction and war. I want to be normal.”

  I realise that I must have been whispering the whole thing, but Ty seemed to have heard it, heard every single moronic word. His usually calm and cocky features were now white and anxious but not judgmental.

  “Ty, there’s no need to be worried. They’re just dreams.” I say soothingly.

  “What colour would you say your eyes are?” he asks.

  I look at him cautiously, but his eyes probe me to answer. “Umm…well, my mum always said that they were rose, but I was pretty sure she that she was just trying to tell me that I’m beautiful, or it was just the light reflecting off them.” I shrug.

  Ty’s eyes widened at the mention of rose, though he instantly pushes the shock from his face again before speaking again.

  “Pure as light

  Shines bright at night

  She saves us from the dark

  She holds the eyes of roses as her individual mark

  Draws the lines of good and bad. She’s stronger every day

  In her dreams, our feature comes to visit and to play

  Angels blood runs through her veins

  An ally that we all shall gain.”

  He looks at me through his bright blue eyes, expecting a reaction. I stare for a long time. And stare. The bus comes to a shuttering stop, and I suddenly find myself dashing out the swinging doors, running through the streets to nowhere. I’m vaguely aware that Ty is shouting and running after me, but I can’t hear what he’s trying to say. All I hear is the blood rushing in my head as I try to focus on running. This couldn’t be happening! It couldn’t be true. I didn’t have Angel blood in my veins. I am ordinary. But then why am I running?

  As I run, I feel a drop of water sliding down my back. It had started to rain. I dashed into an ally and shrink into a little ball beside the brick wall. I find myself muttering the same poem that had just been recited. Rain drips down my shirt and seeps into my shirt, causing me to shiver and curl into myself. Ty comes around the corner panting, and he crouches down in front of me.

  “Di, we have to get you out of the rain. You’re going to get sick, come on.”

  He tries pulling me up onto my feet, but I stumbled and fall against his heaving chest.

  “No, I can’t go back, not like this, I can barely stand.” I protest through chattering teeth.

  “Then you can come back to my place, and we’ll go from there.” He pleads.

  “No, just leave me… I
just need time to make sense of all this.” I say, attempting to pull away from him.

  “You’re coming with me whether you like it or not. I’ll finish explaining when we get home and your dry.” he persists.

  Ty pulls me onto his back and starts walking back to the bus stop. I try to protest, but frankly, it was like all my energy had been drained. Whether it was from running or the unexpected news, I didn’t know. I fall asleep with the slow rhythm of Ty’s running and the rain on my back.

  * * *

  The sound of a heavy rain on the roof slowly comes into my awareness, along with some faint light and a worried face. Ty.

  “You, Ms Reeds, scared the frap out of me,” Ty said softly.

  “W-what did you say?” I croak.

  “Oh, I frown upon swearing, so I use substitutes. It’s not very satisfying, but as I said, I frown upon swearing.” He smirks.

  God, that smile. Now I really wanted to slap it right off his stupid, smirky face.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “You passed out. I don’t know whether it was from the unexpected news or from all the running. You should work out more, and we were only running for about five minutes.”

  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to comment on a girl’s fitness?” I say sternly.

  “I believe it’s supposed to be: never comment on a girl’s weight,” Ty adds.

  “Whatever,” I sulk. “What time is it? I have to pick up some stuff for school at three.”

  “Well, you’re going to have to pick it up tomorrow, I guess,” he says matter-of-factly.

  “Damn it, and my dad’s going to kill me.” I groan, trying to make him feel bad.

  “I’m sure your dad will understand. Considering you passed out on my shoulder, I think you had a pretty good excuse.”

  “Sure, if my excuse is to tell my dad that I went to the city with a random guy, woke up god knows where, and the only thing that I can remember is passing out on his shoulder.”

  “And having a prophesy written about you.” He says playfully.

  “Oh yeah, that too,” I add. “Where are we anyway?”

  “You’re in my Guy Den.” He said proudly.

  “Your what?” I ask accusingly

  “My Guy Den. It’s where I can go if I need to hide things from my parents.” Ty said casually.

  “Like unconscious girls?”

  He chuckles softly and collapses to the floor, staring up at the ceiling, a look of pure amusement painted across his face.

  “No, you happen to be the only one that I’ve brought here.” He announced.

  “Well, I’m flattered, but I really must be taking my leave,” I say in a British accent.

  “You also happen to be the only girl with a prophecy determining your fate,” Ty adds.

  Damn it, I almost forgot, he had to bring it up. When you’re in a secret den with a super cute guy, you’d never think that you would be talking about Angels and stupid dreams. I give a loud and obnoxious sigh of disapproval.

  “Did it say anything else about me, any part you forgot to tell me.” I request.

  “I don’t forget things.” He says to me. “There is more, but I don’t know it. It’s a very complicated prophesy. You better brace yourself, Dianna. It’s gonna be epic!”

  “Would you say that if you had a death poem written about you?”

  “Prophesy,” he corrects. “And no, I would be more like, “woohoo, I’m gonna be famous!” And it never said anything about death. That part comes further toward the middle.” He states with a smile.

  “Oh my God,” I whisper.

  “What? It’s a long prophesy.” Ty states.

  “I didn’t want to be the saviour of some secret race; I wanted to be normal,” I yell the last part, taking out my anger on the only person around.

  “You won’t have to do it alone. I love fighting and kicking butt, and I am so going with you. Especially if the fate of our world is in danger. No one is saving the world without me.”

  “Hang on a second,” I say. “How do you know all about Angels, saving people, and all that stuff?”

  “Because of my family,” He clarifies. “I come from a long line of defenders. We fight other things, demons. They live right next to you, and no one knows, except us. We are the people who defend you against them. We’re called Protectors. Real inventive name, right?” he says with an eye roll.

  “Anyway, we’re not unheard of, you ask any magical creature, and they’ll know who we are. We go around place to place, killing demons that pose a threat to humans. We make sure that all the Lycan’s, vampires, warlocks, and things like them stay in line. Some of them are good and some bad.”

  “The good ones, we help them get jobs. We help to keep their secrets, and they help us fight when we need it. So, basically, the easiest way of explaining it is like this: Humans, demons, Protectors. Just like humans, we have families. We live in the cities, and just like humans, we live and die. But unlike humans, there aren’t enough of us, and there is maybe one-third the number of Protectors as there are regular humans. There is approximately twice the amount of demons as there are humans. Not so fair, is it? Each family is known for different things. My family, the Renalds, are known for their strength and speed in battle. Your name I have never heard of. My family are warriors, some of the best, in fact. We serve the Counsel and the England Sanctuary.”

  Ty’s expression becomes serious, his eyes dulling into a deep-sea blue that clouds with worry. “I know something that the Counsel might not see: There is a war coming, I don’t know when and I don’t know how big, but it’s coming. With the numbers we have, there may not be enough of us to stop the war this time.”

  * * *

  I walked through the front door at 5:09 pm to confront my dad. Strutting into the kitchen, I braced myself for my father’s wrath. All the lights are off except the lamp in the living room, and I assume he is waiting for me in there. The wooden floor groans loudly, announcing my presence. As I enter the living room, I can hear my father talking to someone. The lamp is casting a shadow over her face, so I can’t quite see what her features are as I approach. The talking subsides as they realise I’ve entered the room.

  “Dianna, I was wondering when you would get home.” My dad exclaims as he gestures to the woman. “This is our next-door neighbour, Miss Renalds.”

  “You’re Ty’s mother?” I ask.

  “Yes, that would be me. Have you met him?”

  Her voice is smooth but stern, like she’s lived a thousand lifetimes and knows what is right and what is not.

  I stammer a few incoherent words before taking a deeper breath to answer properly. “Yes, I have. We first met over the fence.” I decide not to mention that I was out with Ty now. That way, my dad can’t be mad in front of someone.

  “Hey, dad,” I start. “I didn’t end up going to office works today. I was out exploring the city with Ty, and I lost track of time. Sorry.” I say in a quiet voice, head bowed.

  “That’s fine, sweetheart, as long as you had a good time and you pick up the stuff tomorrow. Otherwise, you won’t have anything for school the next day.” Dad says.

  “That would not be acceptable. My class uses many different books. You are required to have them throughout the whole curriculum.” Miss Renalds says professionally.

  “Miss Renalds is the Mythology Teacher at ESG.”

  “Yes,” She nods proudly, “I have been teaching there for the past eleven years, and never before have I heard of the kind of gift that you possess.” She says sweetly.

  Oh, she knows. Well, if Ty’s her son, she’s a mythology teacher, and she looks about mid-fifties, maybe she knows about that.

  “Just for the record, I have rose eyes,” I say, just to see her reaction.

  Her face stays the same, unbothered and calm, but a flicker of recognition flashes across her face.

  “Dad, I’m going to bed. I’ve had a big
day.”

  “Not too big, I hope.” He teases.

  “Good night, Dad,” I say patiently. As a last thought, I turn around and give a pleasant smile to Ty’s mum and a parting wave goodbye.

  * * *

  I make my way over to the edge of the lake where a young girl is standing. From the back, she has long blondish hair down to her hips like I do. She is wearing a simple white slip dress, has pale skin, and is the same height as me. As she turns around, the unexpected realisation dawns, she is me. Her face is exactly like mine but more pale and ghostly. Her eyes are glowing yellow. When she speaks, or rather I speak, our voice rings inside my mind, though it’s not my own.

  “Dianna Reeds,” her voice rasps, “Dianna Reeds, you have been chosen.”

  “C-chosen?” I ask shakily.

  “You are destined for great things, Dianna Reeds. You will lead a war, and if you do everything correctly, you shall come out the other side triumphant and loved. May Dyla show you mercy.” She says, her eyes shining with hidden approval.

  “Who is Dyla?” I say cautiously.

  A shocked expression crosses her face, as if she thought I would know who Dyla is, or perhaps was.

  “Dyla is one of the most famous Angels known to the Protectors. She guides us through tough times and shows us the light. Dyla died protecting us all, and she fought off many demons, all more powerful and mighty than the ones we fight now, to protect some extremely valuable information. To protect The Book of Beings.”

  “This book contains spells and potions that could end, or even re-build worlds. It has information about all the different species, faeries, Lycan’s, vampires, Merfolk, Warlocks, and all creatures alike. If it were to get into the wrong hands, it would be catastrophic. It contains many different signums that are more powerful than the ones used currently. The book also encompasses everything there is to know about all 2453 different families who have the blood of Juno in them. They are all Protectors. It holds all the family’s secrets and truths that not even they themselves know, and it has prophesies that no man, woman, or child has ever heard of. It is our salvation; it is our Heart.”