“Thank you again for the other night.”
He just smiled.
I looked around. “I’m afraid to ask where we are.”
Leigh chuckled. “No danger tonight, I promise, just a chat, a really important one, Chas.”
I nodded. “I guess you heard about earlier tonight. Do you know why they came?”
He shook his head.
Okay, I thought and sank down on the log opposite Leigh. “What’s up?” I said a bit too over excitedly which made Leigh smile, but it disappeared just as fast and he kept staring at the fire which started to freak me out a tiny bit.
“Leigh?”
He sighed. “It’s about tomorrow and what follows. I don’t know how to warn you any other way than through dreams as they monitor me through the Virtual Realm.”
“The what? What Virtual Realm?”
“They haven’t told you about that yet?”
I shook my head.
“Tomorrow they are going to start with tests and training, some of them are through the Virtual Realm.”
He looked at the fire. “Elliot will tell you it’s to know where to place you inside Revera, Chas, but it’s not. What happened tonight makes this even more crucial for you. He ponders on a lot of things. Deals with plenty of Shadow Casters. I know what I saw in that mirror Chas. Your sand is not light, it’s dark.”
“But you said I can choose.”
“You can, you just have to be careful. The tests are created to make sure you are not a Shadow Caster.”
My throat became dry and I swallowed hard. “My sand is golden in real life, or here in the dream world.” It sounded so stupid and so ironic.
“I know, for now, but your sand will show its true color in these tests. You need to learn how to wield your golden sand without using a hint of dark emotion Chas. Bad moods and fear turns Shadow Casters.”
I closed my eyes. I was so screwed. There was no way that I was going to be able to hide my dust from these people.
“It’s not that hard to hide it. Just take these tests as they come and don’t try to face anything. They will teach you later how to deal with Shadow Casters, these tests are not the way. So don’t try to overcome them. Just give in to whatever they are going to show you, run, if you must.”
“Run?” I said with slightly raised eyes. “That’s your master plan?”
“Casters will fight, and if you wield your sand it will be dark, Chas. Don’t fight otherwise they will chuck your ass into the Oblivion and believe me it is not a place you want to be.”
“How do you know all of this?”
I could see his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “Because I helped create the Virtual Realm, these tests.”
I gaped. “You created them?”
He gave me a look of shame, I could tell he wasn’t proud of it. “I had no choice, Chas. It was the only thing I could do.”
“Are you going to be in them?”
“I am, but you won’t see me, or hear me. Any slight interference from me and they will start digging. You don’t want them to dig either.”
I thought about all of this, and again felt completely and utterly alone. I had nobody here.
“So they’re prepared to lie to me? Fox and John, even Tom?”
“They have no choice, they are following Selene’s orders.”
A small sarcastic laugh escaped my lips. “The more I hear about Selene, the more I don’t want to meet her.”
Leigh gave me a stare filled with warning. “Don’t ever say that out loud, okay. She’s not what you think she is, she’s not bad she’s just extremely paranoid in her own way, especially when it comes to the safety of Revera. If she picks up anything from you Chas, she will do whatever is in her power to choke the darkness out of you. You are not strong enough to handle that termination. You need to learn first.”
“Fine, then give me something more. What am I going to face in these tests?”
He shook his head.
“You’ve got to give me some sort of a hint, Leigh.”
“I don’t know. There are over a million tests, Chas. It could be anything,” he said. “They are real, you won’t even know that you are in one.”
“Then how the hell am I going to know that these test are over, and not some other creepy test to only try to trick me more? I need to experiment with my golden sand, if I can’t do it in these tests….” He got what I was saying. It felt hopeless. They could book my corner in some rundown building as I knew I was going to the Oblivion. It was set in stone.
“Chas, you need to trust your instincts.”
“Trust my…” I giggled sarcastically. “My instincts tell me to run, Leigh. Ever since that day I got my sand, it’s all they’ve been saying to me. How am I going to trust that or anyone else in this place?”
“You can trust me.”
I just stared at him. He had been in my Initiation dream when I needed him and he was here now, warning me about things I didn’t even know were going to happen yet.
“I’ll do what you asked, but I don’t like running away; it’s lame.”
“That’s not what these tests are about. Facing your fears comes later.”
“Oh yeah, when? In another virtual test, as if they are real the way you say they are, I won’t even know the freak’n difference.”
“Calm down, Chas. If you aren’t sure, don’t wield your sand.”
“I’m not sure half the time, Leigh and we are still in the Outer, not in some virtual program.”
“I know you feel defeated Chas, but you can do this. I know you can.”
“So you keep saying,” I mumbled softly. “Anything else?” I didn’t want to sound annoyed but I was. I should’ve been grateful to Leigh as he was really doing me a favor and took a huge risk warning me about these tests.
“Nope, that’s it.”
“Why are you doing this? Helping me with everything?”
“You seem like the kind that needs all the help she can get, Chastity.”
I huffed, and took a deep breath. “So I guess a thank you is in order?”
“Not at all. We have a lot in common, even if it doesn’t look like that now. Revera may be a dream world, but I can promise you nothing about Revera is a dream. Not all of them can be trusted, so be careful Chas.”
I nodded.
We sat there for a while, just staring at the embers of the fire that were flying through the sky.
“Can I ask you something?”
He nodded.
“Who are you, do you live in Revera?”
He smiled. “You could say that.”
“Please just give me a straight answer,” I begged.
“Let’s just say that I have limits to where I can run around and play.”
“Who created all of this, me, you?”
“The same person who created all the Nomads.”
I huffed. I didn’t even want to start thinking about that part as I doubted that God would create anything like this, but then again, He has a funny sense of humor and it seemed to come to light on a regular basis lately.
“Can I go? Apparently, I have a big day tomorrow.”
He smiled again which made my stomach flip. Why I had a thing for guys in glasses I would never understand. But Leigh was far from a geek, he was a kick ass heart-throb with very bad eye sight.
“Sure, and please be careful. The Virtual Realm can’t harm you, but act like it can, okay.”
“That is if I know it’s the Virtual Realm.” I got up, and brushed down my ass to get rid of the loose pieces of wood that were stuck on my jeans.
“Oh, before I forget, if you see the cat, keep your mouth shut.”
What cat? I turned around but Leigh and the fire had disappeared.
I OPENED MY EYES AND FOUND MYSELF BACK IN MY bed. The sun was starting to light all the objects that were stacked against the wall. The shadows weren’t so dark anymore and I tried to fall asleep again, but failed miserably.
At six thirty I
sat at the breakfast table, alone. Leigh’s conversation from last night replayed inside my head. I had no idea how I should let things happen or run away if I couldn’t handle it. That wasn’t who I was and it conflicted with something Mom had drilled into me in that short, almost three weeks, we’d spent together: To face your fears and fight. We were fighters.
I wondered for the first time in a long time about my real dad, who he was and what his plan was for us. Apart from what Mom told me, the little she shared and the reputation he had with Fox’s team wasn’t enough to help paint a picture of him in my mind.
He would probably have found a way to hide us from Fox and Tom and I wouldn’t have had to face any of this.
I jumped as both Ginny and Margot walked into the kitchen. Ginny wore a pair of Capri jeans and a flowery top. Margot wore skimpy denim shorts with a pair of army boots and a tight t-shirt.
“Did you have a wonderful rest, Chastity?” Ginny had a sweet tone to her voice and for some reason I couldn’t imagine her lying to me later in the day.
I smiled back politely. “I did, thank you.” Urg, I sounded like a morning person.
“Hungry?” she asked, walking over to the oven that was stationed in the far corner of the kitchen.
“Starving,” Margot said with a slight grunt as she played with a crystal that hung from her neck. The thing was beautiful, it had so many colors in it and I couldn’t stop staring. I saw Margot stop fiddling with it and found her staring back at me. I looked back to the table.
Ginny looked at me and raised her eyes softly and plastered on a fake smile. Leigh said to trust my gut, and my gut said it was fake.
“Is Max going to be ok?” I tried to break the silence.
“Yes, he will be up and ready to face another day in a couple of days. Elliot is really good at what he does.”
“That’s good to know,” I said softly.
“So,” Margot said and looked at Ginny whose back was to us. “The number one question is what were Level Four Casters doing here?”
My gut didn’t like her tone.
“Margot, Elliot said to leave it alone.”
“No. I want to know, ‘cause I can promise you they don’t need the Outer to get into Revera, Ginny.”
“I said leave it alone.” Ginny’s tone was filled with warning.
“My brother almost died last night. I need to know what she is.” She looked straight at me, my gut said that she was going to leap and kill me with her bare hands. Run. “Are you a Shadow Caster?”
I just stared at her. Nobody had ever asked me that straight, not even Leigh, although he knew what I was.
“Margot, that’s enough. If you can’t play nice, I suggest you leave the kitchen, now, before I call Elliot.”
She hit her fists on the table, pushed herself up and walked with huge strides out of the room.
Pretend Chas, just like Mom said, the voice inside my head said. “Is that why they were here, for me?”
“Don’t worry about that Chastity. We don’t know for sure, but Fox think it’s because of the woman that kidnapped you. She’s quite important in the Oblivion. Maybe they just wanted to find out why she felt the need to try to recruit you.”
“I’m sorry about Max. I didn’t want anybody to get hurt.” I got up, feeling guilty about almost killing a boy only slightly older than me.
“Chastity,” Ginny called but I didn’t stop. I headed straight back to my room.
I paced up and down for a long time. Trust your gut was what Leigh had said, but my gut was all messed up. It told me to run, it still did, and I didn’t know who to trust.
I closed my eyes and saw my mother. Not with her platinum blonde hair and dark, dark eyes, but with her beautiful red hair and bright blue eyes. She twirled a piece of my raven black hair that hid my face and placed it gently back behind my ear.
You can do this, honey. Trust your instincts, they are stronger than you know.
My eyes flew open. Her voice sounded so clear, so real, as if she was right here.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I never thought that I would miss her this much.
My instincts were strong, I’d known it all along, I just needed the confirmation of a voice I completely trusted.
Leigh was right, I could do this.
AROUND EIGHT THIRTY FOX KNOCKED ON MY DOOR.
“Ginny told me what happened, are you okay?” She sat down on my bed.
I nodded.
“Margot isn’t one of the most pleasant little creatures out there. She’s realistic and really cares about her brother.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“Hey, Max is going to be fine.”
I nodded again and smiled.
“Then stop sulking and wipe that guilty look off your face.”
“What guilty look?”
She gave me a side glance. “Chas, I carry that same look every time something goes wrong. I’m a pro at detecting guilt.”
I giggled. Still, the fact that she would lie to me soon made me feel as if she was going to rip out a knife from her side pocket and stab me in the gut.
“You need something in that system of yours, food preferably and Elliot needs a word.”
She got up and walked to the door.
“Fox?” I asked and she turned around
“What is it Chas?”
“Why do you think the Casters were here, last night? Margot asked me if I was….” I couldn’t say the word.
“Margot is just a silly girl who believes in silly objects. That pendant she carries around her neck?”
I nodded.
“She believes that it actually has the ability to show her when a Shadow Caster is near. Don’t worry too much about what Margot says or thinks. I can promise you that girl has no idea what she wants and changes her mind on a daily basis.”
Her face said it all. The way she looked at the carpet. “To answer your question of why I think Level Four Shadow Casters were here,” she said, and took a deep breath. She looked at me again and smiled. “Let’s not go there, okay. I’m sure they won’t come back any time soon.”
I nodded and let her leave.
I went back down to the kitchen and Ginny gave me a motherly smile.
“Come sit, I’ll whip you up some eggs.”
I did as she asked and took a chair close to Elliot who was reading today’s paper.
He finally put the paper down as Ginny placed a plate of food in front of me.
“Sorry about Margot this morning. I promise you she will be dealt with.”
“It’s fine, really. I just haven’t been asked directly if I was, you know, part of the other team.”
He smiled, carrying a look as if he wanted to ask that too and that was my cue to start digging into my plate, ignoring the stare.
“What you see with Margot is what you get. She’s like an open book, but Max, he is the total opposite.”
“Good to know.”
“But I’m not here to speak about Margot and Max. I’m here to talk about today’s events.”
Here it comes, the lies.
“We have to start with training you soon and with that comes a couple of tests, Chastity. Some in the form of a lot of questions you need to fill in and others through a couple of tests in the Virtual Realm.”
I swallowed my eggs and looked at him. “What sort of tests?”
“It’s not that important, but they were created to help us find out where you belong inside Revera.”
I nodded and stared back down at my plate. I’d known that answer, that lie, was going to come, still I’d silently wished for another, one that would prove I could trust these people.
“Okay, just as long as they won’t be about math, I suck at math.”
Elliot laughed as Ginny sat down with a cup of coffee in her hands.
“I’m sure they won’t be that difficult.”
I finished my breakfast quickly and went back to my room.
I was disgusted with his lies; Leigh said it w
ould happen, still, I didn’t want it to be true, because that would mean that they really would try to trick me into showing my true nature.
At half past ten, Fox knocked on my door.
I’d been staring out the window for the past half hour and trying to clear my thoughts about what lay ahead, to keep calm and to not wield my dust.
“Are you ready?” Her head peeked inside my room.
“Sure, let’s do this.” I smiled and followed her down the staircase again. “So what sort of test will it be today?”
She squinted. “If I remember correctly, the first one is the most boring you will ever experience. A lot of questions. So I guess you’ll be fine.”
I giggled. Fox wasn’t a good liar, so I doubted that it was a lie. She usually looked away when she didn’t want to lie.
“Okay, boring questions it is.”
We took the passage on the right, I’d never been down this passage and we stopped before a room with a solid steel door.
“I thought you said it was questions only?” I looked at her and back at the door.
She giggled.
“It’s the room where all the tests need to be given Chas. Don’t look so worried. Just answer the questions truthfully, they really do help in placing you inside Revera.”
“Okay.”
She pulled the heavy door open and I found a grey room. There were no windows, only grey walls and a desk right in the middle.
“Elliot will be with you in a minute.”
I nodded and watched her leave again.
I didn’t like the grey room and my gut was telling me to run away.
Concentrate Chas, no running. You’ve got to face this, but not face-face this.
I sighed again and jumped slightly as Elliot opened the door and came in.
He flopped a stack of A4 paper on the desk with a pen. “Plenty of questions Chas.” He looked at his watch. “It will take you almost half a day to finish all of them. When you are done, press this button.” The button was red, like it would set off an alarm and he smiled. “Answer them truthfully, please. That is all I ask.”
I nodded again and watched him close the steel door behind him as he left.
I threw myself onto the chair and looked at the stack of paper. There were at least a thousand questions to answer, if not more, and I took the pen and started reading the first question.
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