Forged by Fate (The Aqua Collection Book 1) Page 6

  I toss and turn, feeling either too warm or too cool for the first few hours. The bed is firm, in need of breaking in. I wish that I was at home, asleep in my old bed. It was perfect. Once I finally manage to fall asleep, I have a repetition of last night’s nightmare and wake up gasping.

  My hands fumble in the dark, seeking the knob to the lamp beside my bed. The room is still unfamiliar to me, so it takes forever. My hand finds and twists the knob until a dim light fills the room. I let out a shaky breath.

  I grab my phone from beside the lamp and check the time—1:08 in the morning. I sigh and scratch my head through my silken cap. The sheets stick to my legs. Sweat. I need to take another shower.

  I slide out of bed and pad across the room to the bathroom. I flip the light-switch on and let the shower run until the water heats up. I peel off my nightshirt and toss it onto the floor before stepping inside of the shower.

  After bathing, I put on another shirt. I push back the curtains to the balcony door to let some moonlight in. It’s a pretty night. Fresh air. That’s what I need. I open the door and step out onto the terrace. The night sky helps clear my head.

  My eyes focus on the maze. There’s a shadow, nearly a smear against the darkness, moving through it. The figure stopped.

  Instinctually, I quiet my breathing. My body tenses. I squint my eyes to try and see what kind of animal it is, but I’m unable to discern anything. Maybe it was just my imagination. But…I can’t shake the feeling that something’s watching me.

  I slide back inside, quietly shut the door, and pull the curtains back in place. My heart thumps wildly in my chest. I’ll never go back to sleep now. I sit on the corner of the bed and take a deep breath.

  There was nothing there. There’s nothing outside. It’s just my imagination.

  I lie down, trying to relax, and stare up at the ceiling. For another hour, my heart races at every slight creak of the house. I don’t turn the light off and keep my phone beside me on the bed. Eventually, when I see the first traces of dawn, my eyes collapse with exhaustion.

  Chapter 9

  The Fool, the Queen, and the Sword

  Iris

  This place was danker than the previous one. A few figures stood in a faint light in the corner of the room—probably near a small window. The air is thick and muggy. I shuffle my feet, still unable to move forward, and hear the friction of my slippers rubbing against a damp floor. I crinkle my nose. It doesn’t smell too swell in here…wherever here is.

  I remember having an odd dream like this on the night my life went to Hell. I had just figured it was a hallucination of some kind. I can’t remember it very well, but it gave off the same vibe as this one. I get a weird feeling. This dream seems all too real. I mean, surely, I’m not making these people up. I can nearly feel the dampness in the air settling on my shirt.

  I can recognize Pip and Caesar’s voices. But there’s a new one this time. Her back was to me. She had straight long hair that was the same color as Caesar’s. Silver.

  “Have you even figured out the name she was given?” The woman asked, with a voice that sent chills down my spine.

  “Yes, Queen Valencia. She is about to turn eighteen years of age.” Pip replied, eyes downcast in respect, or perhaps it was fear.

  “Well…” She led.

  “Well, what?” Pip asked dubiously. He obviously wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box.

  “What is her name!?” Valencia yelled loudly, causing my heart to skip not one, but two beats. I’m grateful that I can’t see her face right now.

  Caesar interrupted their conversation, “She is going by the name…Iris, my Queen.”

  Everything stopped for a moment. Whoa, whoa, whoa. What?

  “Iris…” Queen Valencia repeated, and the way my name rolled from her tongue…it made me feel queasy. “Her abilities are about to manifest since she is nearing age. We must steal her pocket-watch so that she cannot claim the throne. It will be the only object tying her to her father, the only proof that the thrown is hers to take, even if she is the spitting image of him. Without the watch she would be hopeless. The Court would never do anything without proof, the fools they are.”

  I suppress a laugh. How could I have considered that this dream might be real?

  “Maybe we could get her to join our side?” Pip reckoned.

  “Yes, yes that may be the smartest thing you have ever said.” When she said that, Pip straightened his back with pride. “We could trick her into thinking we were the good guys.”

  “What if that did not work?” Caesar asked.

  “We would have no choice but to kill her.” She replied simply. I tense up, at the word ‘kill’. It wasn’t a term I was used to hearing thrown around this casually. “On the contrary, I do not believe it would come to something so…how do I put it? Drastic, that is the word. I will need someone cunning and intelligent to complete this specific task for me. Someone willing to keep a close eye on her, someone who could pull off a great disguise…” Valencia let the statement linger for only a few seconds before Pip piped up, greedy for attention.

  “I will do it! I will do it, my Queen.” He bowed down.

  “And what exactly would your disguise be, Pip?” She asked incredulously.

  “I could go as a clown or a circus performer! Someone who will grab her attention! Then when she least expects it…I will snatch her!” He looked up when he was finished with his scheme.

  “I will have the pleasure of killing you myself when you fail.” Caesar responded dryly.

  The queen slapped her forehead so hard, I knew it must have left a red mark behind. Caesar shook his head in disgust. Pip’s smile went to a frown.

  “Honestly Caesar, I don’t know why we keep this idiot. Must I do everything? Pippin, did you not just say that we should try to make her join us? How will ‘snatching’ her as you so dumbly put it, accomplish that? I will go myself.” She paused thoughtfully. “Having her watch would give us the upper hand. Send the Hell-Cats to retrieve it for me.” She ordered.

  Hell-Cats?

  “Your wish is my command. Good luck, my Queen.” Caesar said as he and Pip bowed to her. Pip exited the scene.

  “Is this a dream?” I finally blurt out, heart thumping erratically.

  Caesar whirled toward me, drawing a long blade that glistened sharply even in the dark in one a fluid motion. He started coming towards me, leaving the light and melding into the shadows. I gasp and try to step back. Queen Valencia shook her head. “Go ahead and kill her Caesar. Now that she has heard our plans there is no point in sparing her. It will be easier this way.”

  Suddenly, I hear the blaring of an alarm. It cuts into my mind, and the room before me starts to swirl.

  “Kill her now!” Queen Valencia yelled angrily.

  Chapter 10

  No Friend Left Behind

  Iris

  I blindly press my fingertips to my phone, trying to turn the alarm off. The blaring stops after a few attempts. I rest my forearm to my forehead and take deep breaths. My limbs are heavy, and I feel like I didn’t sleep a wink last night, which is true. I groan and rub my temples. My head is throbbing. Last night had been weird. Nightmares. Shadows in the maze. Hell-Cats. Queens.

  I sit up and sigh in exhaustion. I wish that I could talk to someone about this. My mom in particular. But she isn’t here. And my dad is keeping something from me…so he’s not the person that I want to vent to. I press my hands to my face. If I tell anyone about this, they’ll think I’m crazy anyways. I’ll just keep it to myself for now.

  “It’s just the stress.” I say aloud. “That’s all it is. You’re just stressed out because of everything that’s happened. It’ll stop eventually. No one is trying to kill you.”

  I finger the flower that’s been cast onto my comforter from the window. “Time to get ready for school. New school. New start. Let’s put this all behind you.”

  It was a lot easier said than done. I felt like a Zombie as I trudged around my room
preparing for the day. I comb my hair out and apply some product. The lack of effort used is obvious. But it doesn’t look too bad. Maybe I’ll put some rollers in tonight so that the curls will be more defined tomorrow. Maybe.

  I stare at my closet for the longest time. My eyes slowly drift to the end of the rack. I could almost hear my mother scolding me. ‘It’s your first day at a new school,’ she would likely say. ‘Wear something pretty and colorful so you’ll stand out!’

  I sigh and grab a light pink dress that falls right below my knees. “Alright mom.” I mutter disdainfully, but I faintly smile.

  On my way down the stairs, my stomach grumbles loudly, so I stop by the kitchen. I knock on the door, remembering that Charley didn’t want anyone in there. “Charley?” I call. “You wouldn’t happen to have any seaweed in there would you?”

  He came shuffling out as soon as I finished asking, a plate in hand. I am surprised to see strips of salted seaweed already arranged neatly in a row on the plate. “I gots everything.” He exclaimed. “Ya’ favorite.” He held the plate closer to me.

  My eyebrows raise as I take a piece. “You’re good, I’ll give you that. How did you know it was my favorite?”

  “Da’ Masta’ Chef knows everything.” Charley disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and then came back. He handed me a container. “Here’s your lunch. Na’ get goin’ lil’ gal. You goin’ be late for school.”

  “Okay, well thanks.” He didn’t hear me. He had already shut the door. I adjust my nearly empty book bag on my shoulder and start looking for my dad.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  I check my teeth in the mirror after finishing my breakfast. Then, I straighten my dress and look out the car window.

  “Nervous, kiddo?” My dad asked me with a slight chuckle. He had noticed my fidgeting. He wanted to drive me to school for my first day.

  “A little.” My palms are sweating.

  “You’ll do fine.”

  I bite my lip, wondering if it’s too late to play hooky. “What if I don’t make any friends today?” I sigh and slide down in my seat a little. “I wish that I could just be homeschooled. Everyone will want to know why I transferred.”

  “You’ll do fine.” My dad repeated. “Trust me. I know kids. They’ll forget all about it in a week and life will go on. And besides, didn’t you make friends with that Tyler guy?”

  I roll my eyes. “His name is Thomas, dad.”

  “Yeah, Thomas. Just hang out with him today and get to know his friends, and their friends, and so on…until you find you’re clique. Or whatever it is teens call it these days.”

  “Great advice dad. Use Thomas to make friends.” I say sarcastically.

  “Thanks sweetie. I try.” I can’t tell if he’s joking or not.

  I nearly press my face to the window as we pull to a slow stop. This school is very unlike my previous one. The school itself is much smaller, and older. Weeds grew from the cracks in the pavement, and the shrubs along the sidewalk needed a good trimming. The school could also use another coating of paint.

  Groups of teens spotted the parking lot. They were average, graphic tee and jeans kind of people. I bit the inside of my cheek as I took everything in. I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb with my bright, girly clothing. I knew I should’ve worn something normal.

  “Do you want to go home and change?” My dad asked after we sit in the vehicle for a moment in silence. He knew me too well.

  I grip my bag tighter. “Um…I don’t know. I think I’ll be okay. What do you think?” I ask him.

  He gave me a small smile. “I think you’ll be okay.”

  “So, you don’t think I’ll stand out too much?” I say.

  My dad grimaced. “Okay. I’m not going to lie to you Iris. You’re going to stand out…more than you wanted to. But you should get going or you’ll be late for first period.” At least he’s honest.

  I shoulder my book bag. “Alright. Love you.” I mutter.

  “Love you too. Try to have a good day.”

  My boot heels dig into the broken cement, and I hear pebbles crack beneath my dad’s tires as he drives away waving. I half-heartedly wave back, not wanting to draw any attention to myself. My dress feels too short, and my body sweaty. I take a few breaths to calm my nerves. Calm down Iris. I silently scold myself. You’re gonna’ get pit stains if you don’t.

  As I get closer to the school doors, my worry grows. This place seems a little sketchy. I don’t know if it’s the graffiti on the sidewalk, or the smell that gave it away. It might’ve been the name. Shady-Pete High. You got the shady part right.

  When I push through the heavy front doors, everyone turns to stare at me. I busy myself with looking around instead of meeting their eyes.

  A coiled eight-foot-high bronze rattlesnake watched me, its giant fangs bared. The statue was sporting a black and brown jersey that read ‘Shady-Pete High School’ on the back, and ‘Rattle-SSSnakes’ on the front. The trophy case was bare, save for a few swim team trophies and a plaque belonging to a Trace Umble. Dust settled on the shelves. The brown painted walls were chipping, and the black tiled floor was cracked.

  I’ve got to find the office before class starts. I need to ask for directions.

  I begin walking down the hallway. Where am I even going? I feel my cheeks begin to heat up, probably a decent shade of pink by now.

  There’s a lone girl dressed in black further down the hall. She has earbuds in, and I can hear her music playing from here. Something about her stood out to me.

  I step over a fallen poster, approach the girl, and politely ask where the office is. She snorted and turned the other way. Eesh. Face flaming in embarrassment, I spin around to go hide in a corner but instead find myself hitting a warm body.

  “Sorry!” I exclaim.

  “Whoo!” Some guy called. “Thomas! Bring her over here, man! Share the love.”

  Thomas was looking down at me, smiling warmly. I find myself grinning back. Thank goodness. “Are you looking for the office? How about I show you the way?” He asked with a knowing glance in the girl’s direction.

  I avoid meeting his eyes. Gosh, he saw that? “Yeah. That would be great.” I say meekly.

  The same guy who said, ‘share the love’, sauntered over to us. “I’m Joshua. Damn.” Joshua smiled at me, though I was only paying attention to the way he rudely looked me up and down. “You have got to be the prettiest girl I have ever seen.”

  I suppose that I am supposed to be flattered. “And you’ve got to be the rudest pig I have ever seen.” I snap without thinking.

  Thomas laughed and slapped Joshua on the back. “Someone sees you for what you are bud.”

  Joshua just shook his hand off and grumbled “Shut-up, Thomas,” before sulking off in mortification.

  “Is he one of your friends?” I ask.

  “No, just someone I hang out with.” Thomas answered.

  “You hang out with him? That means he’s your friend though.”

  He glanced at me. “Just because you hang out with someone doesn’t mean that you consider them your friend.”

  Thomas grasped my elbow and led me down the crowded hallway. People watch us, some friendly, some not so much.

  Thomas named each classroom that we walked by and even introduced me to a few people. When we made it to the office, he gave me another big grin and said he would catch me at lunch. I was glad that I’d have someone to sit with.

  “Bye, Thomas. Thanks for the help.”

  I knock twice on the big wooden door, and hear a raspy voice say for me to come in. I enter cautiously, and a bulky man with gray hair and a round face motioned for me to sit down. His room was poorly lit and overly warm.

  “I see your name is Iris?” He asked, looking at my document. “Your school has already sent over the necessary school records and contact information, but you’ll need to have your father fill out these forms since your address changed.” He handed them to me. “Bring them back by the end of this week,
please. Also, I’m aware of your situation. If you need someone to talk with, we have a counselor readily available. And you can always come to me as well.”

  “Yes sir, Mr….”

  “Mr. Vealen.” He finally looked up and gave a shrewd glance towards the front of his desk. I glance down, and a label with his name engraved into it was sitting right in front of me, spelled out in big letters. I knew that was there. I just needed him to pronounce it for me, though my face turns red anyways. I get the feeling that I’ll be red all day.

  “Okay, Mr. Vealen.” I say, trying his name out like a child. It was as if the ‘a’ and the ‘n’ weren’t even there. “Could I have my class schedule please?”

  “Oh, yes indeed.” He said quickly as he handed me a small piece of paper.

  Mr. Vealen held onto the paper a little too long, and my gaze flickers up questionably. His eyes are bluish gray and enthralling. I feel like he’s looking right through me. I shudder, and a flicker of surprise flashed over his face. I tell you…things are getting weirder and weirder.

  The bell ringing snaps me back into reality, but when I get up to leave, I stumble a few steps. My mind feels cloudy, and it takes a few seconds for it to clear. What was in that seaweed I ate? I give my thanks to Mr. Vealen without looking back and head out the door to…I look down at the slip of paper:

  Mrs. Sweet: French II

  Mr. Collin: Chemistry

  Mrs. Wilder: Calculus I

  Mr. Grady: Gym

  Mrs. Parson: English IIII

  Ms. Rose: Study Hall

  Mr. Samson: American Government

  Scribbled at the bottom of the paper are two locker combinations, one for my books, and one for gym.

  “Mrs. Sweet.” I whisper to myself. It’ll be a piece of cake. I smile at my inside joke.