by Erin Forbes
The hall was alive with conversation as we followed Ruby Lane to the giant wooden door. As she turned to glance at us, a great expression of dismay settled across the woman’s powdered face. She quickly grabbed hold of an odd-looking pendant, which hung around her neck. She placed it gingerly against her purple lips. After a sudden moment of realization, I clapped my hands over my freckled ears, just in time to spare myself from an ear- piercing shriek. All of the girls fell into silence as they stared in the direction of the door.
“Would each of you please line up in an orderly fashion?” Ruby sighed, as though she were already losing her patience.
The group quickly formed into rows of three. I shuffled around for a minute before discovering an empty spot in the lines.
The short-tempered woman held a scroll tightly in her manicured hands. She nodded curtly before releasing the paper, which unrolled until it reached the floor. Ms. Lane adjusted her pink-framed glasses before she continued to read the paper.
“This is a head count. When I announce your name, you must respond with ‘here,’” the lady explained, assuming we were clueless.
“Alexandra Whelan?”
“Here!” replied a curly-haired girl in the row behind me.
“Kade O’Reilly?”
“I'm here,” I heard my friend’s voice answer from a bit farther down the line.
“Sage Pine?”
“Present,” replied a short-haired girl with unusual golden eyes.
“Alice Hanley?” she finally asked. “Here,” I responded.
“Emery Hanley?” Ms. Lane continued. “That’s me,” my sister chimed in.
There were many more students to read off the list before we walked through the dining hall doors. We followed Ms. Lane through the crowded hallways and up the large stairwell. The walls were covered in cobblestone, and medieval tapestries adorned every passageway. I gazed around in wonder as we weaved through the hallways. The castle was dimly lit, despite the lantern Ruby held high. The silver moonlight did not hesitate to shine brightly through the tall windows. It felt like we had gone back in time, for the realm of Aisling was home to medieval traditions, and electricity was not one of them.
We eventually arrived at a tiny wooden door, which I assumed to be the entrance of Lancaster Hall. It appeared to be missing a handle. Ms. Lane glanced back at us before placing her manicured fingers where the doorknob likely would have been. There was an odd clicking sound as the entrance began to creak open.
I glanced at Violet Holloway. She seemed to believe this was all perfectly normal. As the girl tossed a friendly glance in my direction, I remembered she was a second-year student at the Academy for Gifted Youth. The freshmen must have seemed so entertaining in the eyes of the experienced.
Once the door had opened wide, each of us stepped inside the room. Lancaster Hall was quite larger than the size I had expected. In the far corner of the room stood a white staircase, which spiraled up into the shelter of a library loft. A stained-glass window hid between the bookshelves, revealing a beautiful view of the valley meadows.
My gaze drifted toward the little desk that was nestled below the loft. A young woman was seated in the chair, tapping her fingertips swiftly upon the keys of a curious typewriter. A collection of tiny candles floated gently around the room, illuminating each of the shadowed corners.
Ruby Lane cleared her throat, and the typewriter released a sudden dinging sound before the woman glanced up.
“I must apologize, Ruby. I was just finishing another attendance scroll for the headmistress,” the writer stammered as she adjusted her wide-rimmed glasses.
“I don’t need an explanation, Augusta,” Ruby snapped. “These girls are the students of Lancaster Hall. Do with them what you will—I was only assigned to lead them here. This day is far too hectic for you to be wasting my time.”
After Ms. Lane hurried out and slammed the door behind her, a cheerful smile spread across the writer’s face. A small gap exposed itself between her two front teeth.
“Welcome to Lancaster Hall! It is so wonderful to meet each of you!” She laughed. “My name is Ms. Augusta Emerson, but I prefer to be called by my first name only. I am the dormitory supervisor for Lancaster Hall.”
As Augusta stood up from behind the desk, her brown eyes gleamed in the candlelight. Something about her appearance reminded me of a forest elf, as her curly brown hair failed to hide a pair of pointed ears.
“Each of you will be assigned to a four-person bedroom, in which you will remain until you graduate. No switching is allowed to take place, without permission from the headmistress,” Augusta added. “I have placed name signs above each of the doors. Go ahead and find your rooms before getting settled in. Your suitcases and class schedules will already be there.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Emery, who shrugged with a smile as we pushed open our bedroom door. The chamber was about half the size of the main dormitory hall. There was a total of four bedframes, which were decorated with golden quilts. In addition to the four wardrobes that stood on the far side of the room, we were provided with the heavy trunks nestled at the end of our beds. A castle window stood tall at the back of the chamber. It revealed a beautiful view of the valley meadows, which reminded me of home.
CHAPTER FIVE
My suitcases were stacked in a neat pile, which had been placed beside the spare bed. The two other girls began to unpack, while my sister rested on the bed across from mine. Her blue eyes wandered the room with an expression of amazement.
After a few minutes, I dragged a heavy suitcase over to my wardrobe. As I unzipped the extra duffle, an explosion of clothing tumbled out of the bag. Despite my calm composure, my mind was racing like the legs of a greyhound. Even the wardrobe was elegant. The sparkling glass handles glittered in the sunlight, and the doors were hand- carved with beautiful and intricate designs. I ran my freckled fingers down the wood, before opening the wardrobe doors. A small collection of wool sweaters was stacked on the shelves above the empty hangers. I pulled out one of the scarlet pieces of fabric, noticing the Academy crest embroidered into the chest. It displayed the head of a golden lion and white unicorn.
After returning the sweater to the dusty closet, I began to unpack my old clothing. It was difficult to find something that would match the typical attire of the Gifted society. My blue jeans and sneakers were useless in the realm of Aisling. A simple white dress and slippers were the only solution.
Emery was still organizing her shoes when something caught my eye. The wardrobe doors were not entirely the same. Glancing back at mine, I noticed the closet was engraved with the wings of a monarch butterfly. A flaming border lined the edge of the red wood, imitating the nature of my elemental Gift. My sister’s wardrobe displayed the intricate design of a winter snowflake.
“What’s wrong, Alice?” Emery inquired as she glanced up from her suitcase.
“Have you noticed the wardrobe doors?” I responded, running my fingers down the carvings on the wood.
My sister looked at me with an expression of confusion before she stood up to inspect. A layer of fascination masked any trace of her expected suspicion.
“Positively peculiar! I don’t have any sort of fancy carving on my wardrobe,” said Kade. Glancing over to where her wardrobe stood, I realized that our new friend was right. Despite the wildflowers that had been engraved into the border, her closet was rather dull.
The other girl was starting to unpack some books into her trunk before she glanced over at us. Ariadne seemed like a very quiet person. The short- haired girl reminded me of my twin sister; however, she had not spoken a word since we walked through the door. I was beginning to wonder if she disliked me.
After a moment of contemplation, I walked across the room and examined Ariadne’s wardrobe. The design on the door was far from simple. A large oak tree had been carved into the wood, surrounded by the floating foliage of autumn. My amber eyes reviewed the details carefully. It appeared as though the leaves were
moving, although the activity was merely an illusion.
My gaze wandered over the endless number of novels piled around Ariadne. It was clear she enjoyed reading. Wondering how she would manage to fit all of her books into a single trunk, I knelt down beside the girl and picked up a heavy volume. I flipped through the first few pages of the old hardcover, eventually realizing it was a copy of my favorite book about the Gifted realm. Ariadne watched me behind curious gray eyes.
“What is your Gift?” I inquired, tucking a strand of ginger hair behind my ear.
“Wind,” the girl responded with a faint smile.
“I can see you like to read,” I remarked.
Ariadne nodded as she picked up another book and placed it into the trunk. Despite my fickle doubts, she managed to fit all of the novels inside.
I pushed open the big green trunk at the end of my bed. As I organized the small space that dwelled between the wood, time seemed to pass with the pace of a snail. Countless books and art supplies were piled to the brim. When it seemed as though every item had been removed from my duffle bag, a piece of silver metal caught my attention. It was nothing more than a little picture frame, which contained a photo of my family riding our horses on the forest trails. A part of my heart wished to return home for a moment; however, a different piece was beginning to understand the true worth of Aisling.
◆◆◆
After several hours, a quiet knock sounded at the door. The brilliant sunset had faded away from the distant line of trees. Constellations of silver stars were scattered across the velvet sky. A lazy glow of moonlight illuminated the surrounding meadows. I looked up at the old clock that was displayed above the wooden door; the time had passed with swift and silent footsteps.
“Come in,” Kade replied as Augusta’s head peeked through the doorway.
“I just wanted to let you girls know that everyone must be asleep before ten o’clock,” Augusta reminded us. “It would be wise to settle down early tonight, as your classes begin tomorrow morning.”
We nodded before Augusta closed the door behind her. The light of our lanterns flickered against the walls, casting shadows across the elegant furniture.
“I’m going to bed,” Ariadne muttered. She flicked her wrist, allowing a breeze to snuff the candle on her bedside table.
I glanced over at my fair-haired sister, realizing she had already changed into her nightgown. Emery’s pale nose was hidden between the pages of a thick book. The binding was tattered and faded, indicating the many years of love it had received. After a long moment, she glanced up at me with an unreadable expression.
It was not long before everyone else had fallen asleep, and I was the only person awake. I changed into my nightgown and curled up under the bedspread. I knew the other girls were asleep, as no one had objected to Emery’s constant snoring. Uncertain darkness lingered in the shadowed corner of the room. With a snap of my fingers, the flame inside of my lantern extinguished into a little puff of smoke. I stared into the eternal darkness of the arched ceiling, while anticipation wandered through my tired mind.
CHAPTER SIX
I must have fallen asleep eventually. It felt like merely a moment before I woke to the morning sunlight leaping through the old castle window. As I wiped the sleep from my eyes, a loud yawn escaped. The sudden sound jolted my sister awake.
“Alice!” Emery scolded me as she sat with her hand upon her chest.
“Oh, calm down! I didn’t set the room on fire this time.” I laughed before crawling out of my bed and adjusting the quilt.
Ariadne was already dressed and filling her messenger bag with a heavy load of books. We each glanced over at Kade, as she continued to sleep under her blanket.
“Shall we leave her?” Ariadne suggested with the slightest hint of humor in her voice. I was silently surprised by her sudden interest in the conversation, although I shook my head and giggled.
Emery gave me a devious look before sneaking quietly across the hardwood floor. Her plan was not difficult to guess, for she had pulled the very same trick on me. As Emery placed her cold finger on the tip of Kade’s nose, the room immediately shook with a massive sneeze. Our new friend awoke with a fright. She blinked with an expression of confusion.
“Why are you waking me up this early?” Kade groaned as she rubbed her frozen nose.
“Well,” I responded. “I’m sure you don’t want us to leave you. The first class starts in fifteen minutes, and we are all going to be late.” I hurried over to my wardrobe and pulled out the scarlet sweater.
“Are you serious?” Kade shrieked, picking up the alarm clock on her bedside table. “I forgot to set my alarm!” She leaped out of bed, throwing blankets into the air.
◆◆◆
We hurried through the hallways and down the towering stairwell. The castle was silent despite the sound of my boots, which tapped quickly against the cold stone floor. A sudden realization had dawned on me—we were late for our very first class. The three of us broke out into a desperate run. By the time we reached the other side of the stone castle, our lesson had started five minutes beforehand.
We barged through the closed door, only to find ourselves interrupting the beginning of a lecture. Our skin was immediately burned with the stares of our classmates. The professor greeted us with a stern and disapproving glare. It was obvious that she was anything but pleased.
“I apologize for our late arrival,” I spoke softly.
Our teacher was an elderly woman with silky hair and purple spectacles, which rested low on her crooked nose. She wore a long blue skirt and thick neckerchief, which looked like it had been torn from one of the hallway tapestries. The professor glanced at us before gesturing to the three empty chairs that stood in the back of the classroom.
“What are your names?” she asked before we had a chance to sit down.
“Kade O’Reilly,” my friend murmured with a hint of confusion in her voice.
“I know who you are,” the old woman snapped. “You’ve been attending this school since you were eleven, Kade. How poor do you think my memory is?”
A wave of giggles spread like wildfire across the classroom. My winged friend took her seat, allowing her cheeks to burn crimson.
“My name is Emery Hanley,” my sister announced before sitting down.
The old woman adjusted her purple spectacles before glancing down at her papers. After a moment, she looked up at me with a jaded expression.
“I’m Alice Hanley,” I introduced myself before walking through the maze of desks and taking a seat beside my sister.
“Well, you must be the Hanley twins,” the professor remarked. “Zara Hawthorne has told me about you.”
The entire classroom swiftly flooded with whispers. Nevertheless, as the old professor cleared her throat, the room fell silent. I didn’t care much about the opinions of the other Gifted children. My mind was running over the short sentence of the teacher. The headmistress knew my name; perhaps more importantly, she included my name in the topic of her recent conversation.
“Well then, off we go!” the old woman announced before rising from her chair and heading for the door.
As the students stood up and grabbed their bags, the classroom was overwhelmed by the sound of chairs dragging against wood. What was happening? Why were we leaving the classroom when it seemed as though the lesson had just begun? This was not what I had expected. My sister looked back at me with bewilderment as we followed the rest of our class into the hall.
“As we move our lesson into nature, I will give a bit of an introduction for our new students. I would appreciate your full attention,” the old woman spoke with a stern expression as she continued to walk down the hall.
“My name is Professor Georgina Iris; however, in this school, you will call me by my first name only. This same principle applies to each and every one of your teachers at the Academy for Gifted Youth,” the professor noted as we reached the entrance hall.
The sound of our footsteps was
beginning to echo across the marble flooring. Although she was an elderly woman, Georgina Iris walked with an incredibly fast pace. I must have been at least a foot taller than the lady, although my legs rushed to keep up with her quick strides.
“Each of your classes will have a different atmosphere,” Georgina continued. “Some of our professors enjoy teaching their students in the castle, while others prefer to work in the outdoors.” She stepped over to the towering castle doors before we followed her outside.
“We will be going out to the meadow today,” Georgina spoke, as her brown eyes watched us behind cloudy spectacles. “Before the lesson begins, I shall give a brief explanation of the Presentation of the Gifted.”
