by Erin Forbes
“It’s very nice to have you back,” she spoke with a voice as smooth as glass.
“How did you know we were gone?” Ariadne asked.
“I suppose it may have been a wise decision to bring Kade O’Reilly with you on this daring quest,” Zara stated flatly. “Perhaps she would not have awoken to find all three of her roommates missing from the castle.”
My eyes dropped to the floor. I had completely forgotten about Kade. I knew she would feel terribly betrayed.
“You’re not angry?” Ronan asked.
“I’m not angry, Ronan,” she responded. “However, I do feel a bit surprised. I assumed one of you would have told me about this idea, without sneaking out in the middle of the night. You very well could have been killed.”
We stood in the middle of the room as the young woman folded her hands neatly on the desk in front of her. Her expression changed a bit as her eyes met those of Juniper Stone.
“Nevertheless, I appreciate the courage it took for Ronan and Violet to follow the three of you on this daring quest. I’m very glad to see Juniper with us today.”
A small grin appeared on Juniper’s freckled face. Despite her torn dress and the bramble scratches across her limbs, the last elemental appeared to be brave. After everything each of us had experienced, I knew our actions were heroic.
“Ronan and Violet, you are dismissed,” Zara sighed.
I watched quietly as our friends glanced at us with an expression of confusion. After a moment of silence, they continued to walk through the door. I knew what this was about. The headmistress was simply waiting to speak about the prophecy.
“You are welcome to find a seat.” Zara gestured to the four chairs that had suddenly appeared in front of her desk.
I placed myself in the middle with Emery, while Juniper and Ariadne seated themselves on either side of us. My gaze wandered around the shelves of books and potions, which lined every corner of the office. The dawn light was just beginning to peer through the beautiful glass windows.
“I want to speak to the four of you, personally,” the headmistress began. “What you did last night was very heroic. Although I may be upset you failed to inform me, I must admit I’m grateful for your actions.”
The four of us glanced at each other in silence. I had not expected such a reaction from the headmistress.
“Juniper,” Zara addressed the untidy girl. “I know it has only been a short time since you’ve been back, but I must ask if there is anything you remember from the attack.”
My gaze shifted in the direction of Violet’s cousin, who tucked a strand of curly hair behind her left ear.
“It was dawn,” Juniper spoke as her face lost all expression. “Sunrise had passed, and we were making our way through the Night Oak Forest. I was enjoying the view from the carriage window and listening to the clatter of hooves on the path. We eventually came to a sudden stop.”
Emery shifted uncomfortably in her seat. A strange expression settled upon the surface of her cerulean eyes. My sister despised scary stories.
“The carriage was beginning to bounce, and the horses were becoming unsettled,” Juniper explained. “I poked my head out the window, although I did not see anything wrong. I called out to the coachman, but his response was unheard. That is the last moment I remember before waking up in the White Birch Forest.”
The room was silent for a minute. The headmistress was staring at the four of us with a thoughtful expression. “I wonder how it is that you awoke in an entirely different place than where you were attacked.”
“I’m not quite sure,” Juniper said slowly. “The entire ordeal is a bit of a haze now.”
“I’ve been waiting over fifteen years for the four of you to be standing together in the Academy for Gifted Youth,” Zara sighed. “I don’t think I ever realized that simply having you together is not enough. The prophecy needs to be fulfilled in a way I have yet to understand. I have tried everything, but it is now up to the four of you.”
“How are we supposed to figure this out? You cannot expect us to complete a prophecy we discovered only a month ago,” Ariadne started. Nevertheless, each of us knew Juniper had been told about the prophecy many years ago.
“You must find the courage to work together. The ancient prophecy never stated Zara Hawthorne would be the one to save the realm of Aisling from destruction,” the headmistress reminded us. “This prophecy is about the four of you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
The return of Juniper was quite discreet. Zara made no indication that the girl had returned; however, she had not announced a disappearance either. Everyone had known she was gone, and everyone seemed to marvel at her return. The four of us visited the library that afternoon.
As we came back through the door of Lancaster Hall, we were greeted by an explosion of cheers. My eyes wandered through a large crowd of friends. Everyone had been crowned in flowers, and garlands decorated the railing of the library loft. It took me a moment to realize this gathering was a celebration of our sixteenth birthday.
An excited squeal came from the loft above us. I glanced up to see Augusta standing at the foot of the ladder. Her curly brown hair bounced with glee as she hurried down the steps.
“Happy birthday!” she exclaimed before gathering the four of us in a tight group hug.
The rest of the girls crowned us in flowers and handed us our gifts. We each settled on the floor of the library loft. The whole of Lancaster Hall was alive with music and laughter. Augusta presented me with an official Aisling compass, while my sister opened a very intricate map of the realm. I smiled before sticking the compass in my coat pocket.
Kade avoided us during the majority of the party. She was upset to learn we had forgotten to include her in our adventure. I hoped she would forgive our thoughtless actions.
The party went on until Augusta sent each of us back to our chambers. Although I had been enjoying myself, I was quite delighted to have a moment alone. It seemed as though my sixteenth birthday had flown by in a matter of minutes, yet my shoulders felt tired under the weight of our adventurous activity. I never had the chance to open my vial necklace.
I watched as the glimmering moonlight shone brightly through our bedroom window. The only other source of light was the flickering candle at my bedside. Once everyone had fallen asleep, I ignited a flame in the palm of my left hand. I reached into the collar of my nightgown and pulled out the old glass vial. My heart skipped a beat with the anticipation of finally discovering the contents of the mysterious necklace.
Opening the vial was much harder than I expected. After placing the little cork on my bedside table, the note fell out into my other hand. I marveled at the old piece of paper for a moment before carefully unfolding the note. The writing was so attentive that I thought it would be best to call it calligraphy.
Four towers stand tall in the evening light, as each reflect an element in sight.
Do not misjudge the creatures of the night, for they shall not give up without a fight.
With fire in her hair and flames in her eyes, she shall see how the elements will rise.
My eyes ran over the piece of prose several times before I stopped to think. It seemed as if my late grandmother had known about the prophecy. Every written word reminded me of the page in Zara’s library book.
As my sister began to snore, I quickly stuck the note back into the vial. I tucked the necklace back into the collar of my shirt and closed my eyes. My mind was filled with questions I knew could never be answered. I searched through every memory of my remarkable grandmother, although nothing seemed to explain the letter she had left in her wake.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
As the month of December arrived, each of the students were sent home for three weeks of winter break. I was acclimated to the warm weather of Aisling; therefore, heading back to New England was a bit of a climate change. Winter lasted for a very short period of time in the realm of Aisling. I cherished this magical weather, for the flo
wers never seemed to die and the meadows seldom turned to gray. White frost collected on the pink rosebushes, and my sister rejoiced in the presence of the first snow.
Returning to my family was a marvelous experience. I personally believe our horses were just as excited to go riding as we were, for nothing could outshine our gleeful trail rides in the snow.
On Christmas morning, our father baked his famous cookies, and my family opened presents around the fire. I realized I had grown numb to the longing for home. Homesickness only lasted for the first couple of weeks at school, but my heart always missed the essence of our household. Aisling held a new place in my heart. In time, the Gifted realm would be just as much of a home as the old white farmhouse.
◆◆◆
Winter break felt as though it passed just as quickly as it came. I wondered if our mother would ever let us return to Aisling, for her brown eyes seemed to sparkle whenever we walked through the door. It pained me to see her light fade as we stood before the portal once more. Nevertheless, we had a prophecy to complete. The people of Aisling were depending on the Four Elementals. As I stepped through Violet’s enchanted portal, I made a promise that I would never let them down.
◆◆◆
After we returned to the Academy, our time quickly became filled with assignments from the professors. Despite the heavy pile of schoolwork, my mind was focused on the note in my vial necklace.
I tried to find peace in the library, but the students crowded every corner. Despite the constant scolding from the elderly librarian, the voices eventually grew too loud for me to think. I shoved the thick stack of textbooks into my messenger bag and hurried through the door.
A moment after I stepped into the hallway, a familiar voice called my name. I glanced over my shoulder to see Violet running after me. Her eyes were bright with laughter, and a book bag swung heavily in her right arm.
“Hello,” I greeted my friend as she slowed down beside me.
“I owe you quite a debt, Alice. Without you and your sister, I do not know that Juniper would be with us today. You should have seen the joyful faces upon her family this Christmas,” Violet told me. “I never found the chance to express my gratitude.”
I watched as she fought back a stream of iridescent tears. I did consider myself responsible for the discovery of Juniper Stone. Without the Gifts of Violet and Ariadne, I was sure we never would have found the last elemental.
“No act of kindness deserves a debt in return,” I responded with a smile. “I owe you just as much as you owe me.”
When I reached the end of the hallway, I glanced toward the towering grandfather clock that swung gracefully in front of Ruby Lane’s office. It was nearly time for lunch, yet not one of my assignments had been completed. My stomach felt as though it were about to collapse with hunger. My feet hurried down the stairwell and toward the crowded dining hall.
I glanced around before strolling along the line of tables. Scanning for an empty chair, I discovered a seat across from Ronan and Kade. My sister was nowhere to be found, but I assumed she was probably eating lunch within the courtyard.
“Good afternoon, Alice!” Ronan greeted me, before discreetly encouraging his sister to do the same.
Kade glanced up from her book without saying a word. It quickly became apparent that she was still ignoring my presence. Ronan watched me with the clearest bit of hope that I would not take it personally. My gut twisted with the guilt of forgetting to share the information of our quest to find Juniper, but I also felt a stab of anger toward my winged friend. She was skilled at the art of holding a grudge.
I stood up from my chair and swung my bag over my shoulder. After grabbing a lionberry scone from my plate, I hurried back down the line of tables. As I pushed open the heavy doors, I decided to apologize to Kade in the future. If she did not forgive me, there was nothing more to do. My friend was acting childish, but I was beginning to hope time was not the only thing that could heal such wounds.
My boots tapped against the smooth floor of the entrance hall before I pushed open the castle door and hurried down the front steps. If my friends knew the truth, I was sure they would understand. Neither Kade nor Ronan had any idea about the prophecy. My hair began to spark with madness, and I allowed each strand to go up in flames.
I wasn’t sure I had any idea where I was going, but I allowed my footsteps to lead me into the unknown. After a moment, I was standing at the base of one of the Four Lone Towers. I had heard the legends about these buildings, which had been locked for over a century. No person had been able to open the tower doors since the days of the Academy founder. Nevertheless, it took a moment for this to dawn on me as I grasped the handle, and the heavy door swung open with a creak.
I stood in disbelief, glancing around to make sure I was alone. The only sound was the distant bit of laughter that came from the flickering golden light of the dining hall windows. A spiraling staircase stood inside the open doorway, reaching toward the sky. The air was dusty, and countless cobwebs lined the walls, but I took a deep breath before stepping inside.
Almost unconscious of my own actions, I ignited the pair of torches that hung on either side of the entrance. As I began to ascend the stairwell, my fire guided the path of curiosity. The tower was completely dark, despite the occasional stream of light shining brightly across the shadowed steps. The stairs seemed to last for eternity, although this changed when I came to a halt at the top of the building.
A familiar wooden door stood before me. I gasped with the sudden realization that it was a mirror image of the one upon my wardrobe in the castle. My fingers ran softly along the engravings before I jumped back. A tiny flame had leaped from my fingertips, transforming into a stream of golden light that traveled quickly across the grooves. I watched in wonder as the entire door became illuminated in a flaming trail.
The tower echoed as the passage began to unlock. After grabbing the crystal handle, I pushed open the door. Despite the sunlight that streamed through the stone balcony, the top of the tower was almost completely dark. As my flames illuminated several torches along the ancient walls, the room began to grow a little brighter. The tower seemed to bring the rest of the world into view, and the only limits were found on the distant horizon.
As I dropped my book bag on the floor, textbooks fell out across the stone. I took a bite of my scone before pulling out an old sketchbook. All thoughts of schoolwork abandoned, I flipped to a clean page and began to draw out a map of the Academy grounds. I spent several hours on this project, glancing up occasionally to gaze upon the spectacular view.
When I was in the middle of sketching out the Droplet Meadow, a sudden thought occurred to me. I reached into the collar of my shirt and pulled out the old vial necklace. The cork popped off much easier this time, and I proceeded to unfold the note in my hand.
Four towers stand tall in the evening light, as each reflect an element in sight.
I was finally beginning to piece the words together. After closing my sketchbook and grabbing my messenger bag, I hurried back through the door. I flicked my wrist to extinguish the flames, leaving the tower just as it had been found. My mind was racing as I reached the end of the spiral stairwell.
Peeking through a tiny crack in the door, I noticed a few of my fellow students wandering quietly down the gravel path. After deciding it was safe to leave, I hurried through the door. Trying not to look suspicious, I trotted up the dew-covered slope and onto the path before me. My legs swung with swift and ungraceful strides.
Following the path that led toward the courtyard, I swung open the vine-covered gate. Juniper, Ariadne, and Emery were seated at one of the old tea tables. As I walked between the vibrant flowers, it came to my attention that my friends were already engrossed in serious conversation.
“Good afternoon, Alice,” Juniper greeted me with a smile.
I came to a halt in front of the last empty chair. Emery and Ariadne looked up at me with careful expressions. I knew something important ha
d occurred. Emery glanced at the other two girls with hesitation before she spoke.
“Something very peculiar has happened,” my sister whispered in a small voice.
My gaze wandered curiously around the garden, looking for some sort of an explanation. Nothing appeared to be out of place. I looked back at my sister with an expression of confusion.
“Take my hand,” Emery told me. Her piercing eyes penetrated through me in a way I had never seen before. My sister was not commanding me to do anything, but she was asking me to place my trust in her hands.
As I rested my hand on her ice-cold palm, something dramatically changed. The wind began to swirl furiously around us, uprooting the garden soil in a dusty haze. The tips of my ginger hair began to spark. The colors of our surroundings began to disappear as my vision swirled into an empty darkness.
