by Erin Forbes
I sat on my bed for several minutes, taking in the sweet scent of my favorite candle and staring at my reflection in the vanity mirror. The bedroom was nearly empty, for almost everything had been packed into my suitcases. I almost forgot something of great importance.
I pulled out a tiny wooden box that hid beneath the nightstand. It contained a necklace with a glass vial pendant, which I had received from my grandmother on my thirteenth birthday. The gift had arrived with a note, which instructed me not to open the bottle until I reached the age of sixteen.
Any average thirteen-year-old would probably just shrug and open the necklace right away; however, I was not the average thirteen-year-old. The necklace was hidden under my nightstand ever since. I would not be home for my sixteenth birthday, as it fell on the final hours of October. Thus, the piece of jewelry was finally removed from the case. I gently clasped the chain around my neck and tucked the vial into the collar of my shirt. The little wooden box was abandoned in the mess scattered beside my duffle bag.
CHAPTER THREE
A s I sat beside my sister in the back of our father’s blue pickup truck, the series of ordinary moments began to feel surreal. Emery’s pale fingers tapped gently on the car window, creating streaks of ice across the glass. The lovely artwork quickly melted in the late summer heat. My eyes were fixed on the old farmhouse that stood beyond the car door. I attempted to inscribe every inch of our home throughout my memory.
The car ride was several hours long, and we had nothing to entertain us but the music in our ears and the flames that danced across my fingertips. We passed through a countless number of deserted mountain towns and tiny village hamlets. The road eventually reduced to the elements of dirt and gravel. I wondered if it were possible that another journey ever felt so long; however, a part of me did not wish for the trip to end.
We eventually came to a small stone bridge settled over a sun-dappled stream, which rested deep in the unbounded forest. My father parked the truck in the grass before we each stepped out and unloaded our luggage.
Mom placed her arm gently around my shoulders and took the extra duffle from my hand. The morning mist created a layer of dew upon the meadow grass. Streaks of sunlight were beginning to steal the precious droplets. The far side of the stream was dense with fog.
“Where are we?” Emery whispered.
This was not where I had expected to find a portal to another realm. There was not a house in sight. Nevertheless, between the babbling brook that flowed beneath the cobblestone bridge and the whistle of songbirds that hung in the air, something about the forgotten place seemed magical.
“This is Miller’s Bridge,” our father spoke, gesturing for us to follow him.
As we made our way around a blossoming tree, we discovered a small group of people gathered near the edge of the water. Most of them appeared to be parents and children; however, an unusual old lady stood in the center of the group. Her patterned skirt dragged along the mossy earth, while a pair of foggy, round spectacles balanced on the tip of her nose. Her hair was a long and wispy gray, and she carried a blackthorn cane.
“Has everyone arrived?” the old woman asked as we made our way closer.
My eyes scanned slowly through the people around me, as if I would recognize at least one of the unfamiliar faces. My eyes caught on a boy who stood beside the water. His freckled face seemed slightly recognizable, although I was sure I had never seen him before.
My father tipped his baseball cap to the peculiar man who stood a few feet away. He was dressed in a brightly colored tweed jacket, and his right eye was an entirely different shade than that of his left. The strange man waved gleefully toward my father, indicating the years of a longtime friendship.
A lavender-haired girl stood beside the man. I watched her for a long moment, eventually realizing that her eyes seemed to resemble the changing colors of a kaleidoscope. It was obvious she was the strange man’s daughter.
“Who are they?” I whispered to my father.
“That would be Sir Emerson Holloway and his daughter, Violet,” he responded. “The two of us were great friends at your age. We met at the Academy for Gifted Youth.”
My parents had never bothered to introduce their children to other members of the Gifted society. Despite the occasional letter that arrived from an unusual address, the normality of my childhood was protected. As a matter of tradition, the Academy refused to accept students with less than three years of experience with their Gifts For many people, the years provided enough time to understand their power.
I was not so fortunate.
This matter was abruptly shoved to the back of my mind, as the elderly woman gestured in our direction. After a moment of confusion, Violet Holloway hurried past us. Her lavender hair blew wildly in the wind as she whispered faintly into the lady’s ear. The woman nodded to her in return as the young girl gestured to an ancient rowboat that floated near the edge of the water.
“Violet,” the woman gasped. “Where on earth did you find this unsteady contraption?”
“It was in the boathouse on the other side of the stream,” Violet responded with a slight cringe.
“Well, I suppose it will have to do,” said the elder, shaking her head with disapproval.
“My name is Eleanora O’Connor,” she raised her voice to address the entire gathering. “I have been teaching at the Academy for over thirty years. This young lady is Violet Holloway, and she will be opening the portal for us.”
Violet nodded and cleared her throat before gesturing for each of us to take our seat in the rowboat. My heart was beginning to pound against its cage. As my mother handed over the orange duffle bag, tears began to stream down my cheeks. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was terrified. I would soon be surrounded by a world of strangers.
“Listen to me,” our father said with a careful smile. “You must have courage.”
After receiving a final embrace, my sister and I stepped into the boat with the other children. The youngest was a brown-haired girl, who looked like she was no more than eight years old. The familiar boy sat behind us, accompanied by a girl with strikingly similar features. I assumed they were twins, although they looked more alike than Emery and me.
Violet stood at the front of the boat, allowing it to sway in unwanted directions. She opened her clenched fist to reveal a small amount of dust settled in the center of her palm. The golden matter sparkled and shimmered in the early morning light. As Violet blew the powder from her hand, the particles rushed under the bridge, like a stream of water gliding through the air. As soon as the dust reached the surface of the brook, our boat began to follow swiftly in the same direction. The wind swept my long red hair across my eyes, cutting off the majority of my vision. After a long moment, I tucked the strands behind my ears. The watercraft arrived at an abrupt halt.
My gaze shifted toward Emery, who released a sudden and horrified gasp. Her eyes stared down at the floorboards, where water was beginning to flow in from an invisible fracture. In a matter of moments, the cold stream soaked through our leather boots.
The boat was sinking.
My eyes shot around wildly, but no one else seemed to be concerned. Eleanora sat contently in the front row with Violet at her side as the boat began to sink deeper by the second. I called out in a panicked voice, but no one took notice until we were each no more than a few heads above the stream.
I felt a tap on my shoulder. My eyes met those of the freckle-faced boy. He seemed even more familiar up close. I found myself forgetting about the idea of drowning as I began to wonder about his identity. My mind searched for his blue eyes within my memory; however, I only found a piece of them in the ocean and puddles of rainwater. After no more than a moment of eye contact, I realized the teenage boy recognized me as well.
“Hold your breath,” he gasped as a strange expression appeared across his face, and his body disappeared into the water below.
Fear began to overwhelm my spirit, although the rising wa
ter extinguished every flame that my anxiety generated. Struggling to keep my head above the surface, I noticed Emery was gone. Suddenly, I felt as though someone were trying to drag me deeper. No longer able to keep my head above the rippling tide, I took one last gasp of air before plummeting into the depths of the ice-cold stream. As I dropped, the air in my lungs never seemed to diminish.
After a long moment, I heard a gasp and opened my eyes. We were no longer drowning in the depths of the gelid stream, as we stood on the steps of an old mossy castle. I glanced around to see the other students standing at my side. The Academy professor was waiting on the footstep of the door. Behind us was a never-ending patchwork of emerald fields.
As Eleanora pulled open the castle doors, my sister glanced at me with an expression that rested somewhere between confusion and delight.
“Welcome to the Academy for Gifted Youth,” the professor announced.
CHAPTER FOUR
Upon entering the Academy for the very first time, my heart felt like that of a young child. It seemed as though the matter of my spirit had changed, for it welcomed every sight with wide and curious eyes. Every worthless expectation of the Gifted realm seemed to dissolve into the back of my mind.
The unbreakable castle walls climbed upward toward breathtaking cathedral ceilings, and an opal chandelier hung steady in the morning light. The iridescent gemstones reflected shades of pink and blue, as the golden sun shone brightly through the castle windows. On the other side of the entrance hall was a large wooden door, similar to the one we had just walked through. It was held open by a pair of short men, each one dressed in very formal attire.
We followed Eleanora across the marble floor and into an enormous dining hall. The room was lined with hundreds of round tables, each covered in light blue linen and beautiful silver dining sets. There were nearly two hundred students seated, while more continued to arrive. All of these people were Gifted with magical talents, and not one was entirely the same.
Eleanora cleared her throat before pointing us to one of the empty tables. She strode away with her wooden cane in hand. I took my seat beside my sister, while the other twins rested across from us. The remainder of the children wandered off to the other side of the dining hall, where the conversation bustled.
Taking a delicate sip from my glass of water, I peered at the hauntingly identical blue eyes that settled on the other side of the table. Neither of them flinched at the sight of my gaze, and their stare continued for several uncomfortable minutes.
The girl had choppy brown hair, which was a few shades lighter than that of her brother. Her nose was turned up slightly, and her cheeks were faintly dotted with freckles. Despite the few differences between the twins, their eyes were the feature that gave them away.
“My name is Ronan O’Reilly,” the boy spoke in a slightly awkward tone. “This is my sister, Kade.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I responded, before taking another sip of my water. “I’m Alice.”
“My name is Emery,” my sister added wistfully, tapping her fingers against the table.
There was another long pause before anyone spoke again. I could feel their gazes upon me as my mind searched for the proper words. I was not made for small talk and lingering conversation.
“What are your Gifts?” Kade asked with a spark of curiosity.
“I have the Gift of the fire element, and Emery has the Gift of the water and ice elements,” I responded with a gesture to my silent sister.
Emery had always been a quiet girl. I knew there were times when she was not fond of this trait. Her gaze radiated kindness, but she was unable to hide expressions of shyness and uncertainty. I knew it would take her several weeks to adjust to this open environment. The precious secret of our Gifts always seemed to be at stake.
“What about you?” I asked the other twins. “What peculiar talents do you possess?”
“Flight,” Kade told us quietly.
“You can fly?” Emery gasped.
Kade nodded as she unzipped her purple sweatshirt. She moved her arms a bit, revealing the pair of black wings that held tightly to her back. Her feathers gleamed between the shades of raven-black and purple in the sunlight. As the girl relaxed, her wings softened and hung gently off the back of her chair.
“Something about this place makes me feel safe.” Kade sighed. “I don’t feel like I need to hide anymore.”
I nodded in agreement, for I knew the emotions that entered Kade’s heart. When we stepped foot in Aisling, a heavy weight lifted from my shoulders. It was wonderful to be able to discuss our Gifts in public conversation, without a response of horrified stares.
“What about you, Ronan? Can you fly also?” Emery inquired.
“A boy can dream,” Ronan responded. “But twins rarely have the same Gift. I have the talent of telekinesis, which is also known as the power to move objects with my mind.”
As Ronan spoke, his glass of water began to float from the edge of the table. It rose higher and higher above our heads until Kade finally took notice. Her brother was still oblivious to the situation, but she quickly stood up on her chair and grabbed the delicate glass from the air. Shaking her head with laughter, Kade placed the crystal goblet back on the table.
After a few moments, the entire gathering fell silent. I watched as a young woman stood up from her table and walked over to a large, white podium in the center of the room. Her dark brown hair was quite a contrast to her pale skin and striking gaze. She was clothed in a long, flowing dress, covered in part with a sapphire cloak. Her chin was held high with confidence and poise.
“Welcome to another year at the Academy for Gifted Youth,” she greeted us with a slightly accented voice. “My name is Zara Hawthorne, and this will be my fifth year as the headmistress of the Academy.”
I was surprised to learn that a young person was in charge of the entire school. It was evident the majority of the professors were more than a decade older than the headmistress. It was difficult to imagine the responsibilities that came with such a role. Zara’s sharp eyes caught on me like a rosebush filled with thorns, and I realized she was much more than capable of her position.
“I remember my first year at the Academy for Gifted Youth.” Zara smiled after pulling her gaze away from mine. “It seems like it happened so long ago, but I will never forget the moment when I walked through those giant wooden doors. To be honest with you, I was petrified; however, this castle became home to some of the most extraordinary years of my life.”
The hall filled with scattered applause as Professor Hawthorne’s eyes searched through the crowd. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a very regal braid, which looked suitable on someone with such a royal essence.
“Aisling is a realm filled with remarkable people and adventures that hide around every corner,” Zara continued. “You will learn lessons here that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Perhaps most importantly, you will learn that your Gift is part of what makes you individually rare. The courage to embrace such a notion is a Gift within itself.”
The room filled with cheers before another woman stood up. Her bright red hair was similar to mine; however, it was much shorter and severely less curly. The sheer monstrosity of her giant and colorful feather coat was the cause of several gasps across the room. The lady’s pursed lips were covered in a ghastly shade of plum lipstick. There were times when I prayed that I would never have the audacity to make such a misguided fashion statement.
“Hello, everyone! Many of you know me as Ruby Lane. I’m often a substitute for a few of our classes, but I also manage the dormitory offices.” She paused and shuffled through a few papers on the podium. “I’m here to provide the dormitory assignments.”
Kade rolled her eyes. There was quite a bit of mumbling amongst the crowd. It was evident that Ms. Lane was not widely admired.
“All girls of the ages eleven and under are assigned to the Pine Hall dormitory on the west side of the castle,” Ms. Lane expl
ained as she tapped her fingernails against the wood. “All boys eleven and under will be in the Cardinal Hall dormitory on the third floor. Girls twelve and up will be in Lancaster Hall on the fourth floor, and all boys of the ages twelve and up will be in Bramble Hall, which is located on the north side of the castle.”
I looked back at my newfound companions with grave concern. Ronan and Kade had practically doubled over with laughter.
“Your luggage and schedules have already been placed in your rooms,” Ms. Lane concluded.
◆◆◆
After everyone finished eating, we were told to remain in our seats until our dormitory was called forward. The dining hall flooded with countless voices, as children and teenagers moved between the tables.
“It was a pleasure to meet both of you.” Ronan smiled as Bramble Hall was called forward.
After a few moments, our dormitory followed. Kade tucked her wings gently to her back and stepped out of her chair. We quickly blended in with the growing crowd.
