She held out a hand.
“Sorry,” I apologised, handing over the picture. “I didn’t mean to be nosey. I was just curious.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she smiled. With great care, she placed the picture back in the middle of the mantelpiece, inching it backwards and forwards until it was exactly where it had been.
“You said they were your parents?” “They’re dead,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “Oh…Ella, I’m so sorry. I…wait a second; you said that you moved from Italy with them.” Gabriella shrugged. “I lied.” “Oh…right. How long?” “Ten years.” “That’s awful, I’m sorry.” I cleared my throat. “So uh, what happened if you don’t mind me asking?”
Her gaze fell to the floor. For the longest moment she was as silent as the dead. Then she looked up, her eyes clouded. “It…it.” She took a deep breath, paused and shook her head. “I’m sorry; it’s hard to talk about. Can we change the subject?” I could see her pain. It seemed to sit right below the surface, darkening her face like a shadow. I remembered the way she’d reacted when I’d told her that my Dad was dead. The way she had seemed to understand. Because she did. More than I ever could have known. “Of course. So what’s next on the training?” Gabriella padded back up the stairs towards the bedroom door. “A change of order, I’m going to test for your gift.” I felt a surge of anticipation. “You mean which one of the five I have?” Gabriella laughed. “I see you’ve been reading the handbook. Give me five minutes.” She closed the bedroom door behind her.
I watched the fire while I waited. The flames seemed alive as they danced in the hearth. The fire crackled and shifted occasionally, sending little flakes of ash floating into the air. At first they seemed to disappear into nothing, but I found that if I really focused, I could track them all the way through their journey — from the log of wood, to the thick woollen twists of the rug. My senses really were so much keener since my Awakening.
The door swung open and Gabriella walked back into the lounge. She was wearing the same uniform that she’d worn when we’d intercepted Rahuman and his pack — except this time she’d let her hair spill free around her shoulders. I preferred it like that.
Gabriella pulled the electronic PDA she’d used in the car out of her jacket pocket. Heading for the couch, she sat down next to me, her knee touching mine.
“Okay, don’t move.”
I stared straight ahead, which happened to be right into her eyes. She pressed a few buttons on the contraption. A camera-style lens on the back projected out a blinding green light which she aimed into left eye. “Try not to squint hun.” I opened my eyes as wide as I could while the intense light painted the world green. The PDA unit beeped and Gabriella placed it in her lap. “Okay it’s over.” I rubbed the spots out of my eye. “Is that it?”
“That’s it. Biomotes are cutting edge technology mixed with fae magic. They can do all sorts of things like tracking and performance assessments. Right now, it’s analysing your brain’s energy outputs. It’ll pinpoint the location where new mass is located. It’s these new parts that control our abilities. Once it identifies your mass, it’ll tell us which one of the five you have.”
My heart was thumping with anticipation. What if I’m a kinesist like Delagio? The idea of being able to control inanimate objects seemed beyond awesome. Or Charm? I would never have to go through another awkward conversation again. I could even convince John to lay off me. Or Teleportation? I could visit anywhere in the world whenever I wanted to. Or Pyromancy, like Sophia. I could- The unit beeped for a second time. Gabriella picked it up and stared at the screen. She frowned. “This makes no sense.” “What is it? I asked. “What ability to I have?” I don’t mind really. Any is fine.” “Well…” She drew the word out. “Spill it Gabriella, the suspense is killing me!” “Alex…” “What?” “You don’t have one.”
17
Disappointment swirled around my stomach like bad food. “Oh.” “Maybe it was an error. Let’s try again.” Hope replaced the disappointment. “You’re probably right, I did squint a bit.” I stretched my eye open with my index finger and thumb, not moving a single muscle as the green light swept through once more. Half a minute later the results were in. “I don’t understand,” said Gabriella and I felt my shoulders sag. We tried twice more. Each time the Biomote informed us that I didn’t have a gift. “Maybe it’s broken?” I suggested, pointing at the unit resting in her lap. “It’s got Fae magic inside, no chance it can go wrong…I’m sorry Alex.”
I gave a casual shrug in an attempt to hide my true feelings. “It doesn’t matter, I still have super strength, speed and hearing. I’m not exactly hard up.” As I spoke the words, I inadvertently cheered myself up. I do still have all these things. Who cares if I can’t disappear into thin air or control someone’s mind? “I’ve never met a Chosen who didn’t have one of the five gifts. You fall outside all the boxes Alex.” “Well I’ve never been one to do things the easy way.” We both broke into laughter. Gabriella slipped the unit back into her uniform pocket.
“I’ll let Faru know, he may have some more ideas. Right, well normally we would now be doing exercises to hone your gift, but doesn’t look like that’s an option now. Seems like we have some free time.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Well we were supposed to meet up today anyway, remember?”
I frowned not sure what she was talking about. Then it dawned on me that we’d agreed at school to spend the day together. That had been before I’d been brought into the HASEA. Back when everything had been relatively normal. It seemed like months ago. “Wow, I’d forgotten about that.” “Charming,” she said raising an eyebrow. “Ha, no I just mean with everything that’s gone on. I’d love to hang out. What do you want to do?” Gabriella paused for a moment. “I’m going to show you to my favourite place in the base.” “There’s a gun range?” “Very funny Mr Eden. And yes there is actually, but that’s not where we’re going.” “Well now I’m intrigued. Lead the way.”
I followed Gabriella out of her apartment. As we walked, I noticed three people coming in the other direction. Leading the way was a fox-like redhead, with an icy complexion and piercing silver eyes. She looked like the sort of girl who collected trouble. Behind her was a large black man with long cornrows, which fell to his shoulders. Next to him was a sallow looking man with yellow hair meticulously combed into a side parting. His eyes were dull grey. Thanks to the guide, I knew that both he and the girl were Vampires, and that the Draco Malfroy wannabe was hungry. He caught me staring and glared back, his narrow eyes closing further. I could have sworn I saw his lip curl up into a snarl. I shifted my gaze immediately. The group stopped just in front of us and the two girls shared the Chosen salute, followed by a quick hug. “Gabriella, how are you keeping?” beamed the redhead. Her voice was rich and smoky, her accent Northern Irish. “I’m good thanks Scarlet, how are you?” She smiled at the two men. “Hello, Tyler, Dakin.” The tall man replied and the Vampire grunted, but kept his steely eyes fixed on me.
“And this must be the famous Alexander Eden,” said Scarlett, her shimmering eyes flicking to me. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” “Nice to meet you too,” I said and offered her my hand. Scarlett lifted a slender eyebrow before offering her own. It was smooth and cool — like porcelain. “This is Echo team,” explained Gabriella. “We’ve been on several missions together, some of them pretty close calls. “Nothing we couldn’t handle,” grinned the redhead.
“You’re the ones watching my house?” I asked, glancing at the slick haired Vampire. He was still staring at me. I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of this man anywhere near my home.
“That we are,” answered Scarlett.
“Are the rest of you there now then?”
As soon as the words had left my mouth, I knew I’d put my foot in it. There was an awkward silence before Tyler looked down at me. I could tell he was a Chosen like us.
“No, Trojan are watching the house. There are only t
hree of us left now.” He sighed. “A few months ago one of our team went rogue and joined the SOS. He set a trap. We were sprung by Devils. It’s hard enough to survive one. There were four. Six of the team were killed. We’re all that’s left.” He folded his thick mahogany arms across his chest and fell silent again. Dakin glared even harder than before.
I felt my face grow hot. “Oh…I didn’t realise, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t give it a second thought,” smiled Scarlet. She looked back over to Gabriella. “You reckon we’ve been properly filtered now?”
Gabriella looked resolute. “I’m confident that Faru has got his house in order.”
“Let’s hope so, for all our sakes.” Scarlett shook her head. “All this fuss over one Chosen. You must be a pretty special guy,” she winked, giving my arm a squeeze. For a split second out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Gabriella stiffen. “Anyway, we just got back from a mission. Some Harpy in Brighton decided to start kidnapping children in the early hours. About to kill one when we turned up.” She lifted a hand and for the first time, I noticed a thick smear of red on the back. “It was worked up. Things got a bit messy. Still it was a nice change from staring at Alex’s house. We’re going to freshen up in Tyler’s place,” nodding towards Dakin she added, “maybe grab some breakfast.” “I’m going to take Alex to the Sanctuary.” Scarlett gave her friend a look that I knew only she would be able to interpret. “So, uh, you’ll be at the Joining feast later right?”” said Gabriella, clearly changing the subject. “I may be technically dead, but I’m still Irish. No way am I missing a party,” she said with a grin.
Everybody said goodbye with the salute, all except for Dakin, who just barged past me. What’s his problem?
As if reading my mind, Gabriella jerked a thumb behind her. “Don’t worry about Dakin, he’s always been moody. That’s just his way. Plus he’s a little pissed that he’s on what he calls babysitting duty.”
“Ahh…I see.”
Gabriella led me downstairs and out the front doors. We made our way around the vast mansion and into the grounds. The area opened up into an expanse of garden. The blanket of green was lined either side with a phantasmagoria of flowers — which seemed to be thriving despite the time of year. We passed a large stone fountain that was home to a dozen golden Cherubs, spitting high arcs of water from their mouths.
The Sanctuary was positioned about five acres through the expansive grounds, hidden behind a row of tall conifers. It stood separated from the rest of the gardens by a large paddock style fence made from black iron. The entrance was being guarded by another agent. He stood with his arms behind his back, head upright as if attached to an invisible string. He nodded when we reached him. “Good morning, Miss De Luca, Mr Eden. Is there anything I can help with?” he asked. “No thank you Agent Green, I just want to show Alex inside.” “Of course.” He immediately stepped to the side and swung the large gate open.
As soon as we stepped through, I could sense the presence of something otherworldly. It seemed to radiate out towards us from within. Not menacing — but definitely not human.
The gate clicked shut behind us. What looked like oversized horse stables stood diagonally ahead. A large barn, built from redwood stood on the other side. I could hear the distinct sounds of animals shuffling about inside. Slightly smaller evergreens were scattered about, swaying in the icy breeze. Directly ahead was a very large lake. The surface rippled in lines of moving wrinkles. As we walked forward, I felt a sensation like a thousand cobwebs brushing over my skin. I didn’t need even need to ask to know we’d passed through some kind of invisible barrier.
Now everything was different.
The area was at least five times larger than it had been before. The grass had changed to a light shade of purple, with tiny pure green flowers sprouting in little patches. The trees were sweeping, spiralling masses of white bark. Golden leaves hung from their numerous branches, glowing with some kind of natural light. Bushes sprouting the most intricate flowers I’d ever seen were spread everywhere. The unassuming barn had become a giant silver arch with shimmering technicolour doors.
Above, odd looking birds with two sets of sweeping wings, looped about. The lake had evolved into a huge expanse of crystal blue water, complete with multiple levels and a grand waterfall, which crashed down from moss covered rocks into the main pool. The whole place was bathed in light and soothing warmth from a hidden sun.
I was lost for words.
“It’s amazing isn’t it? Walk forward a bit. You’ll see more,” Gabriella said.
I stepped forward and instantly understood what she meant. Near the lake, for the first time, I noticed a pride of small lion-like animals frolicking about. Some rolled together in the grass, or play-bit their siblings. Others turned their heads sideways and tugged at the reeds which grew around the lake edge. Their sleek brown bodies were topped with a set of matching feathered wings, which drooped over their undersized backs. Curled black stingers — sectioned like a scorpions, contradicted their cuteness like deadly question marks. As they played, they made funny sharp growls, which sounded like a blend of a mew and a hiccup.
Manticore. Wild beasts that roamed the Blood Deserts of Pandemonia. I’d read about them in the handbook. I’d also read that despite their dangerous appearance, they were actually herbivores and only attacked when threatened.
The flash of a fish-like tail in the lake caught my attention. I watched in amazement as a merman flipped out of the water, somersaulted and as graceful as a dolphin, cut back under the surface. More followed, and soon the lake was a circus, with merfolk flipping and spiralling out of their aquatic arena.
“They’re such show-offs,” laughed Gabriella, rolling her eyes. I smiled, but was distracted by something happening in the centre of the lake. The water had begun to churn and bubble. Waves rippled from the epicentre outwards in expanding rings that rolled all the way to the sides and lapped onto the grass. A hauntingly beautiful woman rose slowly out of the water like a sunken treasure. Seaweed clung to her naked skin. Water poured from the edges of her body. Once she was exposed up to her pelvis, she stopped.
And began to sing.
The sound was infinitely more beautiful than anything I’d ever heard. It was as if all of the world’s best kept secrets and hidden desires were wrapped up in each note.
The melody made my head fizz and instantly it felt like my heart was overflowing with love and happiness. I wanted to go to this woman — to stay with her while she sang to me. Gabriella caught my hand and squeezed it.
“Take a few deep breaths and it’ll pass,” she said. I did as I was told and the sensations drifted away. The lady in the lake sung harder and then when I made no more reaction, she scowled in disappointment and slipped under the surface.
“That’s a Siren right?” I said.
“Temptress of the sea in all her glory,” Gabriella agreed with a nod. “Let’s see what you can tell me about them.”
I thought about what I’d read in the handbook. Each page appeared in my mind as if it were open in front of me. I mentally flicked to the right page. I repeated the words aloud.
“Sirens use their hypnotic voices to lure unsuspecting males into the water to mate with them. But their unwilling lovers often drown, because they get lost in the moment and forget they can’t breathe underwater.” “Exactly. And a Siren’s song is…” “A remembrance to all of their lost lovers.” Gabriella smiled. “You’ve been doing a lot of reading. I’m impressed Alex.”
As we made our way around the lake, a colossal shadow bathed the area in darkness. I looked up just in time to see the mother of the Manticore cubs stamp down onto the ground.
It was a fiercely majestic creature. Irises the shade of polished gold. Wings — unlike its offspring — in perfect proportion to its muscular body. Instead of dark brown, they were the plumage version of a rainbow — shimmering, swirling patterns of colour that shone in the winter sun. They gave the beast such an
essence of regal beauty, any peacock would have hidden in shame. Its oil black tail whipped the air in sharp swipes. It padded over to the cubs and nudged them into a tight group, before looking back up at us.
Gabriella gave the creature a gentle smile and stepped around, giving the pride plenty of space. I copied. The Manticore snorted as we passed. A soft sound that could only be described as a friendly warning.
“So this is where you keep all the Fera that made it through the veil,” I said.
Gabriella nodded. “Most of them are acclimatised to Earth now. If we sent them back through the Veil, they wouldn’t survive. So we keep them here, safely hidden and protected with magic.”
We headed over towards the large stables, which now appeared to have been carved out of frosted glass that glinted different colours in the sunlight. Gabriella pointed towards one of the openings, near a paddock area. “These are my favourite of all of them.” She made a light whistling sound. I gasped as a real life Unicorn emerged from the stable into the paddock.
The grand Equidae stood well over twice the height of a regular horse. Its coat was as pure and white as a snowdrift. A silky mane of hair swirled around its slender neck. Its intelligent turquoise eyes shone out at us like polished glass. But by far the most impressive feature of the beautiful creature was the long ivory horn, which extended from its forehead. A spiralling pattern that reminded me of sea shells coiled around the outside, running all the way up to the sharp tip. The unicorn gave a little whinny and shuffled on its feet, before moving over towards where we stood on the other side of the fence. “This is Isiodore, the stallion of the herd.” “He’s so beautiful,” I said and stretched a hand out to stroke him. “Don’t!” Gabriella screamed.
Isiodore let out a high pitched squeal and thrust his head forward, stabbing the horn directly towards me. I reacted just in time, diving out of the way — but not before the razor sharp horn caught with my jumper sleeve, tearing through the thick material as if it were tissue paper.
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