by Natalie Erin
The Changers were equally punished for following their Accompanies. They couldn’t have cared about the trouble if they had tried, but it didn’t make their Accompanies feel any better about it.
“Why are you so guilty? What are we supposed to do, abandon you?” Melodi hooted. Vivienna stroked her feathers lightly and Zorna clung to Soran’s chest, Soran’s arms wrapped around his body.
“Di’s right. You’re my brother, Soran. I can’t let you take all the blame when its partially my fault,” Zorna squawked.
When they got to the classroom where detention was being held, they received a welcome surprise. Daren, who they hadn’t seen since first hour, was sitting at one desk with Federin dozing in his hand. He sported a black eye and was sitting across from Cameliyon, who they hadn’t seen all day. Unlike Daren, Cameliyon wasn’t wounded, though her fancy dress was ripped. Martin and Pumpkin’s ferret fur was a bit ruffled, but they were no worse for wear.
“What happened to you?” Soran asked.
Cameliyon smiled. “Hello, Sor. We heard what happened earlier. Some group of kids were talking badly about you and I got...kind of angry.”
“What do you mean?” Soran asked.
“This bigmouth was saying how you were some sort of bastard,” Daren said angrily. “So Cameliyon got furious and…”
“And what?” he pressed.
The others looked at each other and Daren said, “Well, I’m not really sure what she did…”
“It’s not important.” Cameliyon said shortly. “I just…got mad, and they attacked me. Then Pumpkin and Martin get into it, and the next thing I know, Daren jumped in.”
“You guys shouldn’t have done that. Now we’re all in trouble,” Vivienna said disapprovingly.
“It was self-defense!” Pumpkin protested. “They just came at us. It was pure instinct. I’m going to be a Changer and not regret what I do.” Pumpkin began cleaning her orange fur in a way that suggested she cared less about what the others thought.
“You did that for us?” Zorna said, shocked. As the Changer of Wyntier’s son, he was usually fighting people off instead of having others fight for him.
“It was amazing,” Martin babbled. “Daren punched some kid in the nose. He was bleeding and everything. But Federin was the best. He just stopped resting for five seconds and jumped up to bite this one Changer in the butt. He’s got a patch of fur missing now.”
Angel poked her head out of Soran’s pocket as an ermine. She had refused to stay behind in his dorm room and had gone along with them for their punishment. Martin waved a paw and said, “Hello Angel. I’ve missed you. It’s not been the same all day without you there.”
Angel changed into a swan and walked over to Martin. At this moment the door opened and they all gasped, realizing Angel was in plain sight.
Professor Moorock came in and looked directly at her. “I know you all are supposed to be serving detention with me, but I don’t have this young lady on the list to be punished. Who is this?”
They were caught. With a heavy voice Soran said, “This is Angel. She um…she goes here.”
Professor Moorock gave him a look. “Come now, Soran. You can do better than that.” He peered at the swan. “I’ve never taught you, and you should at least be a sophomore. But I have seen you before.” Moorock paused. “You’re an unbound, aren’t you?”
Angel stared defiantly at him. Soran moved forward and said, “We’re not letting you kick her out. She’s our friend. If she goes, we go.”
“Is that how you truly feel?” Professor Moorock stared at them. He took his seat at the desk and said, “Well, I guess I’ve gained another student.”
The group stared at the teacher in shock. Vivienna said, “But Professor Moorock…”
“But what? It’s unfair.” He shook his head. “It’s only recently that they’ve been so selective about who they allow in. Then again, the Council isn’t exactly preforming justice in our courts nowadays, so why should the school be any different?”
“What are you talking about?” Soran said, confused.
“Soran, haven’t you been paying attention?” Professor Moorock scolded. “The Council is getting worse and worse every day. People can’t do anything anymore without being arrested.”
“I don’t know. Stuff like this just doesn’t happen overnight,” Vivienna protested.
Melodi bobbed her owl head and said, “Yes, they can’t just take over all of a sudden.”
“It hasn’t been happening overnight,” Moorock said. “For the past ten years things have been changing. Enmity between the Lands and Nesting’s Haven has been building. For the past decade, ever since Wyntier’s...and yes, I will say it was Wyntier’s...Great Siege, Nesting’s Haven is suffering. Life is hard.” Professor Moorock sighed. “And it seems our city is willing to let the Council do whatever they want in order to prevent a Second Despondent from happening again.”
“Freedom means everything. I need to be free in order to live,” Melodi hooted.
Moorock nodded at her. “You are one of few who thinks so. Everyone has stopped talking about Wyntier. The teachers, as of recently, are now forbidden to teach anything bad about him. Everyone who wasn’t directly affected by Wyntier’s disasters has forgotten what he has done, and even those who were damaged by his actions choose not to remember. The Council has managed to place in positions of power only those who agree with them. This way, they can pass any law they want to and nobody can do anything about it.”
“But the Council can’t just do whatever they want. There are others out there that would oppose them,” Soran said.
“Haven’t you been noticing the disappearances?” Professor Moorock said. “Mensolen is gone. So is Smithton. They’re getting rid of all the teachers who say anything bad against Wyntier. It’s not just the school...there are many throughout Nesting’s Haven who have vanished altogether. The ones missing have been known to oppose Wyntier in the past.”
“If that’s true, Vivi and I should be gone by now,” Soran argued.
“Getting rid of Wyntier’s children is too suspicious. It’s more effective to discredit you,” Moorock said. “You’re right in saying Wyntier is out there, Soran, and he will make a move soon. It won’t be long before he steps foot in Nesting’s Haven again.”
Soran remembered the empty streets at the carnival, and a shiver ran up his spine. Wyntier had already begun to set another one of his plans in motion, and he hadn’t even noticed.
“Why doesn’t Vixen stop all of this?” Soran said angrily, looking at his sister.
Vivienna shook her head. “I don’t know, Sor. I think there’s something Aunt Vixen is keeping from us, but I don’t know what.”
“The Council could never be controlled, not even with an uprising from the residents of Nesting’s Haven,” Moorock said. “The state of the Council has only worsened under the leadership of Anubis and his cousin, Ra.”
“What’s so bad about them?” Zorna asked. “I bet we could take them.”
Moorock gave him a look. “I went to school with both of them. They are the cleverest and nastiest pair of Changers I’ve ever known. They have a special way of being able to turn people against each other very easily, which was why Wyntier liked them so much.”
Zorna asked, “Then is that what all the teachers think? Aurora…”
“Aurora’s being bullied,” Moorock said. “She’s forced to teach that Wyntier is actually a brave leader instead of a coldhearted monster, or else she’ll lose her job, or worse. It’s the same for all the teachers.”
“Why haven’t you gotten kicked out then?” Soran asked.
Moorock smiled. “When I was in school I was Wyntier’s former friend, so they assume I’m on his side, should he return. As long as I keep my mouth shut, I won’t disappear like the rest of them.”
“But he killed your Changer during the Great Siege! Won’t they think you’ll have some sort of grudge?” Soran leaned forward.
Professor Moorock
looked at them in amusement. “I know you love Zorna, but not all Accompanies have the same affection for their partner. Changers are being treated more and more like slaves. As long as I act like I agree with Wyntier’s idea of seeing Changers as nothing more than servants, I won’t be noticed. Creator knows I treated my Changer badly when I was younger…”
“But what about the Council? There are tons of Changers on there. Why would they put into law something that restricts their own rights?” Soran asked.
“Ah, the rules do not apply to Council members.” Professor Moorock grinned. “They are considered above the status of normal Changers.”
“Of course,” Vivienna grumbled. “There’s always a loophole for those in power.”
“But that isn’t right!” Soran shouted. “You don’t agree with it, so you should be brave enough to stand up for what’s right, or at least be enough of a coward to run!”
“Calm yourself, Soran,” Moorock said. “If I was to leave, there would be nobody left at the school to stand against Wyntier.”
“There would be us,” Pumpkin put in formidably, shaking her tail.
“Everyone knows where you and your friends stand, Pumpkin,” Professor Moorock said. “Yet nobody knows who I’ve sided with. I can work from the inside.”
“How can we trust you?” Cameliyon asked, standing beside Soran.
Professor Moorock’s eyes darkened. “Because I will be the only adult that will take your side after this purge has ended.”
Professor Moorock seemed right about that. Day after day, more teachers began disappearing. They weren’t the only ones. Students who were known to have something against Wyntier dropped out mysteriously. Nobody knew where they went. As the days passed, whole families began leaving Nesting’s Haven. Houses would be full of life one day, and the next they would be vacant, the doors swinging wide open as if those inside had left abruptly in the middle of the night. Everybody was gone, and there was never any trace of where they had gone to. Some students tried going to the authorities about the missing Accompanies and Changers, but they always got the same response. There would be a short investigation, and then you would never get a reply back. One Accompany had hammered on the door of the Council all night long, trying to get an answer to why hadn’t they found his Changer yet. The next morning, he was found dead in his home.
Francisca and her family were nowhere to be found. Her Changer Cobbles had gone to pick up some books from the library for her, and come back to find their dorm room empty.
“How…could…she…have just…left me…like…that?” he sobbed to the group one morning during Geography.
“I’m sure she left you behind to keep you out of danger, Cobbles.” Cameliyon petted the Changer’s soft fur gently, trying to comfort him. Cobbles had transferred to this class when his sharp mouthed comment about Wyntier got him kicked out of his honors club. “Wherever she is, I’m sure she’s safe.”
The group wondered why they hadn’t been taken yet. After all, they were Wyntier’s biggest group of opposers, and made it known by the way they talked about him.
“There has to be a reason.” Vivienna pounded her fist on her textbook. “They wouldn’t just go around letting us voice our opinion like this unless they think nobody is listening to us, like Moorock said.”
But nobody was listening to them. The school was divided in half between those who supported the Council and their ideas about Wyntier, and those who were too scared to rebel in fear of what could happen to them and their families.
“They’re splitting us up.” Vivienna said sadly. “They’re separating Changers and Accompanies that oppose him. That way, there’s no power with anyone but his followers. Changers and Accompanies are always weaker apart, and if we don’t watch our step, we’re going to be next.”
Chapter Twenty
High School Causes Incurable Insanity
Cameliyon stood staring at the door in front of her, scared to approach it. Pumpkin and Martin were two dogs by her side, and they seemed as anxious as she was, low whines emitting from their throats. Nervously, she reached out one hand and knocked on the door.
“Come in!”
Cameliyon jumped at the noise. Cautiously, she turned the knob and slowly walked into the room, her chest in tight knots.
“Hey Cameliyon. What’s up?” Daren said, blushing slightly.
“Nothing,” she said timidly. “Soran, can I talk to you?”
Soran looked up, his mathematics book spread out in front of him. “Sure. What do you need to talk about?”
“Can we talk alone somewhere?” she asked, glancing at Daren, as well as the Changers.
“Yeah. Let’s go out into the courtyard. That’s always quiet.”
Soran got up and walked towards Cameliyon. Zorna automatically followed him.
“Zorna, could you stay here?” Cam said softly. “You too, guys,” she told Pumpkin and Martin. “It’s important. I have to talk to Soran alone.”
She took his hand and led him outside, leaving the others behind. The courtyard was empty, except for a few small benches set up here and there.
“What’s on your mind, Cam?” Soran asked, sitting down and gesturing for her to do the same.
“I wanted to talk to you about the fight the other day,” she said, staring down at the green grass beneath her feet.
“The one where you said you didn’t know what you did?” Soran asked.
“Yeah.” She dug the toe of her shoe into the dirt. “It’s about that.”
“What did you do?” Soran lifted her chin so she was looking at him. “You’re scaring me. Cam, what’s going on?”
“I...I almost killed those kids,” she said, turning away. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone, so I fought it. I couldn’t let it take control like last time.” She shook her head quickly, as if she was trying to snap herself out of a horrible nightmare.
“Couldn’t let what take control?” Soran asked, his voice taking on a tone of deep concern.
“The...darkness.” The very word sounded menacing from her lips. “I couldn’t let the darkness take me over again.”
“Please explain,” Soran said.
“You know how I told you I didn’t know what happened to my mother?” She turned to face him again. He nodded, and she continued. “It’s a lie. I was two when she died. I was playing with a toy I’d had since I was born. Mama said I was too old for it, so she tried to take it from me. But I loved that toy.” Cameliyon took a quivering sigh. “I was mad, and then it got...dark. When I woke up, Daddy was screaming, and Mama was lying in a pool of her own blood, dead. It was all over me. Daddy kept saying it was my fault, that I killed her. It was my fault, and I don’t even know what I did.” Tears began to poor from the girl’s eyes.
Soran wrapped his arms around her. “It’s not your fault, Cameliyon. I’m sure you didn’t do anything. You were two years old. There’s no way you could’ve hurt her.”
“But I did, Soran. I killed her.” She began crying into the front of his shirt. “I killed Mama, and now she’s gone. Daddy’s gone, too, and now I’m alone.”
“You’re not alone. I’m here.” Soran stroked her hair gently. “We’re all here. You have friends now. We’d do anything to protect you.”
“But what if I hurt you?” she asked, pulling away from him. “I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you. I swear that, Soran.”
“You won’t hurt me. I know you never could.” Soran placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
“Promise me that if I start to lose control you’ll run,” she told him. “You have to run, and never stop running.”
“No,” Soran said harshly. “I’ll stay with you.”
“I can’t lose you, Soran. You’re everything to me. You have to promise that you’ll run, so I won’t hurt you.” The tears poured down her face in thick streams as she begged him, losing her self-control. “You have to run. Promise me. PROMISE ME!”
Soran held her closer. “I p
romise.”
The next day, Soran and Cameliyon sat together during the Art of Writing. Their conversation had brought them closer, although he was afraid of what would happen if Cameliyon lost it like she had with her mother. Although he’d promised her to run, he told himself he’d stay and try to get Cameliyon to snap out of it if something like that ever happened again. No matter what he’d said, swearing to abandon his friend was a promise he couldn’t keep.
“Today I thought we’d try something new,” Professor Rose announced as the bell to start class rang. “I have decided that rather than writing, we will have a debate. The topic will be one by the name of Wyntier.”
The class began to mutter amongst themselves. Soran wondered what Professor Rose was doing. This was a sure way to get herself thrown out. But as he looked around the room, he noticed that Rose’s Changer, Senica, wasn’t there. With a start, Soran realized that the rat had been gone for several classes.
They took her, Soran thought, staring at Rose’s hooded, dark expression. They took Rose’s Changer. I know they did.
“Those who agree with the Council about Wyntier will be on the left side of the classroom, the others will be on the right,” Professor Rose said. “Split up.”
The class quickly followed her orders. Out of twenty students, only Soran and Cameliyon both took to the right side of the room, their Changers with them. It appeared to be very one-sided.
“Now, who would like to start?” Professor Rose asked, looking about the room.
“I will, Professor.” A blonde haired girl on the left side of the room raised her hand.
“Then start, Cicada.” Professor Rose gestured toward the girl with a look of pure disgust.
“Wyntier never did anything to hurt anyone. At least, not on purpose,” Cicada started. “He only did what he thought would help Nesting’s Haven in the end.”
Soran cleared his throat. “No. You have no idea how wrong you are.” He stepped forward. “Wyntier is my father, as you all know by now. He killed his Changer, who had only shown him love. He put my Changer, Zorna, on some sort of human drugs and tried to force me to kill my cousin and his Changer. He rejected my older sister for no reason other than that she was a girl. If you think those are good things, you must’ve been dropped on your head as a child.”
