by Erin Forbes
“Good afternoon,” I heard a voice speak out from over my shoulder. We turned to see Zara standing neatly in the center of the room.
“I would like to thank you for agreeing to meet with me this evening. I’ve gathered us together to speak about a growing concern,” Zara spoke in her always-proper accent, but her voice now held an irreplaceable edge. “This situation has not been publicized to any of the other Academy students; therefore, I must ask that you keep it a secret.”
“I get the feeling this isn’t about skipping class,” Emery commented after a moment of silence.
“I’m sure there will be another opportunity for you to deal out those excuses, but we will pretend it never happened.” Zara laughed.
“As I’m sure each of you already know, one of the Academy students has gone missing. Her cousin, Violet Holloway, has probably informed you that the carriage was attacked as Juniper made her way through the Night Oak Forest. This incident occurred during the daylight hours.”
We each nodded in response.
“This is a great concern, as each of the deadly beasts who roam the forest at night have been known to disappear at the break of dawn. They are prohibited from returning until the sunlight disappears,” explained Zara.
Something about the conversation was making my anxiety rise. Although she was not aware of her actions, the headmistress was hiding behind hesitation. Why did she bring us to the office?
“For many centuries, the realm of Aisling has been slowly deteriorating. It began with the magical creatures; many of our majestic, kind, and enchanted beasts have started to disappear. It wasn’t until about a century ago when the monsters began to roam the night.” Professor Hawthorne’s voice pierced through the deafening silence. “We have not seen the curse progress very much until now. Not all of the dark creatures are disappearing during the daytime; therefore, it is becoming unsafe to wander through the Night Oak Forest.”
No one spoke for a very long moment. A million questions were racing through my mind. As I glanced over at my twin sister, she stared expressionlessly at the lacing of her leather boots. Zara watched us, patiently waiting for a response.
“How did this start?” Ariadne finally asked.
“A long time ago, before the Academy existed, there was a man known as Professor Silas Casper. He committed his entire life to the study of Gifted people. His goal was to make a creative and understandable way of learning for the Gifted children. After some time, Silas met an extraordinary mentor who taught him the secrets of the realm. They set out to create a school for the children of the Gifted society.” Zara’s eyes glistened as she gazed out the castle window. “They chose this brilliant castle over every other location in the realm of Aisling. It was truly a dream; however, a problem soon arose.
“Wolfgang Gregory was a man with unpopular views of the Gifted society,” the headmistress continued. “He felt that the realm of Aisling lacked the element of social ranking. He believed people of common categorized Gifts were superior to the individuals with rare Gifts, and this is how Gift classification was brought into existence. In the land where everyone was equal, Wolfgang sought to promote the idea that one person was better than the next, simply because they possessed a different talent.”
“Aisling has never had a ruler?” Emery inquired.
I suppose the idea did seem a bit foreign to us. In our world, every territory was ruled under a government. Another human was always in charge of the countries, states, and societies. It was strange to think the Gifted people had lived otherwise.
“We have never found it necessary, for the people of Aisling are generally quite peaceful.” Zara laughed. “If an issue arises, the situation is always handled by the Order of Birch at Castle Moss.”
Professor Blakely Biddle often spoke about the Order of Birch in our Realm History class. With ancient stone walls towering above the middle of the White Birch Forest, Castle Moss was the center of Aisling’s government. Whenever there was a decision to be made, that was where it took place.
“Wolfgang Gregory realized the Academy was against everything he believed, and he wanted nothing more than to witness its destruction. Silas was aware of the concern the establishment had brought to his enemies; however, he did not expect to witness action,” Zara continued. “Unfortunately, our founder was wrong. Wolfgang managed to capture a rare bog troll, which he tortured into setting a terrible curse on this land.”
“What does this have to do with us?” Ariadne spoke in a quiet voice.
The headmistress shifted in her seat. Her sapphire gaze wandered into the distance, as though she were watching something that was invisible to the naked eye.
“The prophecy has brought you here,” Zara sighed after a moment.
My gaze shifted toward my sister. Her misty blue eyes looked back at me in confusion.
“What prophecy?” Ariadne questioned, as if she were able to read all three of our minds.
I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye, and glanced up to see a book floating across the room. It came from the direction of the sun-dappled bookshelves that stood in the back of the room. I was convinced I was beginning to see things, although Zara eventually raised her gaze. The dusty book dropped from midair, landing perfectly in the headmistress’s hands before she placed it on the ancient desk. Zara opened the page at random, looking up at the three of us with an unreadable expression. I watched as she waved her hand in a circular motion, and the pages began to turn with graceful control. There was no need to glance at my sister, as her eyes would always be wide with amazement.
“Almost sixteen years ago, a new page appeared in this book. It did not have a number or belong to a particular chapter in the story—it simply appeared,” Zara explained as she traced her slender finger down the page. “It tells us about a prophecy that involves four elementally Gifted students, who are destined to return Aisling to peace.”
The air was settled in a peculiar state of silence. My eyes flickered curiously between the faces of my fellow students. I was sure my racing heartbeat was the only movement in the room. The suspense was tormenting my imaginative mind, which was quick to assume the result of our fate.
“The three of you are part of this prophecy. We’ve known it since you were children,” said Professor Hawthorne.
“Is this a joke?” Ariadne stuttered. “I’ve been going to this school since I was eight years old. You’re telling me this now?”
“It was necessary to keep the prophecy a secret until we discovered the other girls,” explained Zara. “Nevertheless, it seems as if we are running out of time. You must find the last elemental and complete the prophecy.”
“How are we supposed to do that?” questioned Emery. “We barely talk to any of the students outside of Lancaster Hall. We will not be able to identify the last elemental among all of the students in the Academy for Gifted Youth.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded. “You can’t just expect us to finish a prophecy that we hardly know anything about.”
With a quick wave of her hand, Zara sent the dusty book flying back to the library maze. She turned to look at us with piercing blue eyes. “I have told you all that I know. A prophecy does not come with instructions. It is largely a matter of fate,” she explained. “The fate of Aisling rests in your hands. I’m sorry I can’t do more to help you find your way.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
All my life, I knew I was different. I had always been recognized as strange and peculiar, but Aisling became the place where I felt at home. It was the only place where people accepted my unusual Gift and endless quirks. I was beginning to enjoy the feeling of fitting in with the crowd of students; however, the prophecy was pulling me away from this identity.
Although I had only arrived a few months ago, it already seemed like I carried more responsibility than the headmistress. My mind was racing. If we did not find the fourth student, the realm of Aisling was destined to crumble. I felt like I had just read a breathta
king and fantastic novel, yet I was the individual who had been living in it.
The other girls refused to speak on the journey back to Lancaster Hall; I suppose everyone was absorbing the shock. As we walked in silence, I was reminded about my plan to search for Violet’s lost cousin in the most dangerous part of the realm. My sister was hesitant to follow in my footsteps, although she eventually agreed to the idea. We were running the risk of expulsion, but I believed it was the only chance Juniper had left.
As we rested in our room, I listed through the names of my fellow classmates. Not one of the children or teenagers had been Gifted with an elemental power.
All hope seemed to be lost.
Kade glanced at us from behind her thick book. She had not asked any questions since we walked through the door, although I knew she was more than curious about our interaction with the headmistress.
The afternoon light had already faded from the elaborate stained-glass windows. It was late in the night. Augusta would soon arrive to tell us that it was past our bedtime, and I did not want to be awake for such an encounter. I set the alarm for midnight and blew out the candles that illuminated my bedside table. It wasn’t long before I found myself lost in the land of dreams.
I was wandering on a dimly lit path, somewhere deep within the White Birch Forest. The faint melody of a songbird traveled through the autumn breeze. Tall birches and sycamore trees rose high above me, while their branches swayed gracefully in the wind. The sound of nature was the only voice that dared to break the silence.
I was alone.
Glancing around at the wilderness that surrounded me, my amber gaze caught like a thorn on the movement in the grass. A tiny stem was beginning to rise from the ground beneath me, blooming into the shape of a delicate, pink wildflower.
I woke to the clock ringing in my ear.
Juniper.
The message of my dream had arrived with sudden force. It wasn’t difficult to decipher the truth that was hidden in a few short moments. Juniper Stone was the fourth elemental! She was Gifted with nature.
I quickly turned off the alarm. As my body tumbled out of bed, the eyes of my roommates remained closed. Despite the sound of my clumsy footsteps, the other girls continued to sleep.
After throwing on my clothes and grabbing a dark cloak out of my wardrobe, I tucked my vial necklace into the collar of my shirt. It was the day of my sixteenth birthday. After three years of waiting, I could finally open the glass vial and read the mysterious note inside. Pulling the chain back out of my collar, I ran my freckled fingers down to where the cork had been tightly secured.
A sudden noise echoed from across the bedroom. I glanced up to see that Emery was waiting for me. She glanced around for a brief moment before walking toward the door. I tucked the necklace back into my collar, deciding to open it later. We hurried through the door and into the dormitory hall.
The lounge was quiet, and no one was around. It seemed like ages before we made it to the large stairwell; however, just a few strides remained before we reached the towering castle doors. I was not surprised to find them locked, and I had already planned an alternative escape path. Although many are careful to close the main doors, the caretakers are not always wise enough to lock the windows on the side of the entrance.
I slid my pale fingers beneath the glass, quietly pushing the window open. It was slightly ajar, which meant Violet was probably waiting for us. I gestured for my sister to lead the way, and with one quick jump, she landed in the garden below.
“Alice?”
I jumped at the sudden sound of a voice behind me. My sister looked up with panic in her expression. As I glanced over my shoulder, Ronan O’Reilly stood quietly on the last step of the white stairwell.
He was alone.
“Hello, Ronan,” I responded with a casual smile, as though we were not attempting to sneak out a castle window. “What are you doing up already?”
“I could ask you the same question, Alice Hanley,” the boy responded, allowing me to catch a glimpse of his smile through the darkness.
“I asked you first,” I retorted.
“Well,” Ronan responded with a brisk voice. “I was simply on my way back from the bathroom, when I heard footsteps and noticed a certain red- headed girl attempting to sneak through the front window.”
It abruptly occurred to me that I had forgotten to pull the cloak over my head. If I did not tell Ronan where we were going, he was bound to inform a professor. I could not allow us to be caught, for the fate of the realm rested in our actions.
“We are on our way to meet Violet in the courtyard,” I whispered, pulling the hood of my cloak over my head. “We are going to find Juniper Stone.”
“Who is with you?” he questioned with a look of curiosity on his freckled face.
As I gestured out the window, the brown-haired boy glanced into the garden below.
“Hello, Ronan!” My sister greeted him with a wave as she stood beside a patch of pink rosebushes.
“We must be quiet!” I scolded her before glancing over my shoulder.
“May I come with you?” Ronan asked as I hopped through the window.
“Not unless you’re up for the possibility of being expelled,” I responded before stepping out of the garden.
It would seem Ronan was not worried about getting into trouble, as he followed us into the night air. The three of us ran swiftly down the cobblestone path and around the side of the castle. The night was chilly, although it bothered the others more than me. Ronan crossed his arms in an attempt to keep warm, as he was still dressed in a T-shirt and plaid pajama pants. Every shadow seemed to belong to a terrifying beast, and every rustle of the branches caused us to jump.
“Happy birthday,” Ronan added as we jogged down the old stone path.
I smiled in response.
As we reached the courtyard, my hands pushed open the gate. Violet Holloway was seated on a bench in the center of the garden. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed she was not alone. As we approached, I released a sigh of relief. The unexpected figure was none other than Ariadne Moss.
“What is she doing here?” my sister asked.
“I woke up and noticed you were gone. When I walked into the lounge, I caught Violet sneaking out,” Ariadne explained.
“I invited her to come,” Violet told us. “Don’t worry—she isn’t going to tell anyone.”
“How did you get here before us?” Ronan questioned.
“People often seem to forget about my unique Gift,” Violet spoke as she rolled her eyes. After a moment, her gaze shifted toward me. “What is Ronan doing here?”
“He noticed us when we were on our way out of the castle, and he asked if he could come with us,” I responded as we followed Emery through the courtyard gate.
All eyes seemed to rest on me.
“So, what is the plan?” Ronan asked as we gathered beside the stone wall.
The edge of the Night Oak Forest stood in the distance. It reminded me of an unlit room, consumed in shadows and penetrating darkness. Every once in a while, I could have sworn I noticed a creature moving, or a pair of eyes lurking in the darkness.
I turned to see Violet pull a thick scroll out of her bag. She unrolled it to reveal an ancient map of the realm.
“Where did you find that?” Emery gasped.
“Let’s just say that sometimes it pays to forget your Realm History essay, for you are often forced to stay after class.” Violet laughed.
I glanced down at the intricate map. The realm of Aisling looked quite smaller than it felt. Violet hummed as she traced her finger around the map, until it reached the location of the Academy. Her eyes flashed a sudden shade of lavender, and she began to draw a trail of stardust across the paper.
“That should be the perfect route,” Violet whispered before taking her finger away from the scroll.
“This is all very well, but what happens when you try to return this artifact to Blakely Biddle?” Ronan asked as he ges
tured to the sparkling paper.
“If I put it there, I can certainly take it off,” Violet snapped. “It’s much better than getting lost at this hour.”
Violet quickly rolled the scroll back up and dropped it into her bag. She was right. I did not plan what I was going to say if we were caught, and I did not need to lose a friend in the process. If we wanted to find Juniper before the sunrise, we would need to begin our journey.
After another moment of discussion, we quietly hurried down the cobblestone path. Despite the distant hoot of an owl, the midnight air was silent.
