Читать книгу The Falling of the Stars - Lina Fischer - Страница 16

Your New Enemy

After Eden’s departure I felt alone and helpless, so I decided to stay in the gathering room and just have a look around. It was a mysterious room with the light so low, and a smell like old books on a winter evening. I made my way around and came across a bookshelf. I took a book out without thinking and opened it on a random page. It was a drawing which I felt like I had seen before, on my way here.

It felt familiar when I looked at it, an angel falling from the sky with a baby in his arms and a demon looking down at them from hell. It was interesting how the artist could tell a story with just one drawing. I turned the page, but before I could get a closer look, I heard the door open.

Ash had come back from the bathroom. “So, you’re interested in our history?” he asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Can you blame me? This is all new to me, and everyone saying that I’m something special doesn’t help me at all.” I told him. And it’s true. I’m sick of the fact that nobody ever tells me the truth, so I will investigate myself. At least I can trust myself.

“Well, good luck with that, but I should show you your dorm, come on.” I hesitated to put the book back. It would help me. “Are you coming?” Ash called from the other side of the room, and with that I put the book back and made my way out of the room.

As we walked down the hallway, I couldn’t help but notice that it was quiet. “Tell me Ash, why is it so quiet when there are so many students here?” I asked him as we walked up the stairs I had seen when I first entered the academy.

“Normally it’s not this quiet, but today is special – the final exams are over, so everyone’s celebrating in the ball room.”

“Ash, please don’t tell me I’m the reason you’re not going? By all means, get out of my sight and go enjoy,” I assured him.

“Let me show you your room, it’s not like the party’s ending anytime soon anyway,” he insisted. As we started up another set of stairs I was lost in thought, trying to memorise everything. “So, what’s the deal with you and Nathaniel?” I heard him ask.

“To be honest, there is no deal. We met at my birthday ball a while ago because I bumped into him,” I answered, knowing that wasn’t the whole truth. He did know me back then.

“No, you must be joking, Nathaniel would never step a foot into a royal castle,” he explained.

I was starting to feel like an idiot again, so I changed the subject, but I couldn’t get what Ash said out of my head. Why would Nathaniel attend the ball if he would never go into a castle? What was his deal?

I realised that we stopped in front of a door which was at the very end of the corridor. “Well then, I’m sure they brought up your luggage. I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast, and if you have a problem, you know where to find me,” he said with a smile before disappearing.

I opened the handcrafted door and the smell of hot tea welcomed me in, as well as a woman sitting at the desk. I closed the door behind me and wasn’t sure what I should do. Who is she, and what’s she doing here?

She turned around and her eyes lit up as she saw me. “Hey, you must be Astoria, right?” she asked me with a lovely, light voice.

“Yes, I am. May I ask what you are doing in my dorm?”

“I’m your roommate, duh! I’ve been dying to finally get to know you,” she said as she stood up and gave me a hug. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t wait to decorate our room, I hope it’s to your liking,” she said, pointing around the room.

It was beautiful, like something out of a fairytale; my bed was the one next to the window and you could see the campus from here perfectly. She had decorated her bed with a lot of plants, and some of them were hanging from the ceiling. I felt calmer and more comfortable. At least I got a nice roommate. The room was laid out like a regular dorm room, but bigger. The two beds had drawers built into the base for extra storage, which is a genius idea.

There was a desk by a window and in the corner of the room there was a window seat as well. I realised that she had her wall decorated with a mirror and flowers, it looked stunning.

It was then when I realised that we had our own bathroom, which was I was pleased about. I stepped into the well-lit room and saw a sink, a toilet, and a big shower, decorated in a rustic style.

“We have the exact same taste when it comes to decorating, I love it!” I exclaimed with joy. I came back and sat on my bed and realised that I hadn’t even asked the stranger for her name. “What’s your name by the way?”

“My name is Hera,” she answered.

“What’s your story, Hera?” I asked the beautiful stranger.

“Well, my parents are Mr. and Mrs. Fray, so I guess that pretty much answers your question. I spent my whole life here and I never really left the city,” she told me sadly.

“You have wonderful parents, Hera, I promise you that I will show you my kingdom someday,” I assured her.

“That would be great! Enough about me, what’s your story?” she asked in return, and so I had to tell my story once again, but of course only the things she needed to know.

“Wow, you met Aaron? That’s crazy, he’s the most powerful and you managed to scare him off! I guess you really live up to the things they say about you,” she said with a smile on her face.

“Great, not even one day here and people are already talking about me.” I had hoped to start new without anyone knowing who I am. I guess that won’t work out now.

Hera chuckled and threw her head back onto her pillow. “Yeah, I’m not trying to scare you, but pretty much everyone knows who you are – they’re saying you’re special and have special powers, but once again they talk before thinking,” she said with a grin on her face.

“I have no idea what they are talking about! I don’t know anything about my powers and what they do, so that’s where I’m trying to start.” I felt hopelessness creeping up on my again.

“I’ll help you! Whatever you need, I’ll help you with it. I know this place inside and out, don’t worry, we will find the truth,” she said. We talked for a while and I felt like she really understood me, and it was great to talk to someone who wasn’t a boy.

Soon after she fell asleep, and I realised that I forgot my purse in the gathering room, so I decided to make my way to go look for it. I took my light brown cardigan and put it on as I made my way down the corridor. I took the stairs down, but then I had no clue where I was. I tried to find something that I could remember, but it was already late and I was getting tired and cold.

I heard footsteps approaching and I hid behind a corner as I saw someone walk down the hall in a suit. I decided to follow them, but it turned out that the stranger wasn’t going where I thought. The halls got darker, and I tried to not make a noise because I knew that this person was hiding something. God knows what’ll happen if he discovers me. I was glad that I was wearing sneakers and so I followed him into the depths of the academy, always staying a distance behind so he wouldn’t notice. I followed him around a corner, but suddenly he wasn’t there. Confused, I hurried to the next corner in hopes he would be there, but to no avail.

I looked around and listened out for footsteps, but then I heard a husky voice whispering in my ear, the voice I would never forget. “Why can’t you just mind your own goddamn business?” he said angrily. He slammed me against the door and shouted, “Don’t follow me, do you understand me? I don’t know who you are!”

My wrist started hurting, and I was overwhelmed by what was going on. “You’re hurting me,” I said angrily, “let me go!”

“Darling, nobody will hear you, we’re the only ones here,” he said with a smirk.

“What are you hiding, Nathaniel?” I demanded.

“What are you hiding, princess? You killed your own mother! No one could have survived a fight with Aaron,” he said, clearly enjoying the look on my face. How did he know? Nobody’s supposed to know what happened that night. He got under my skin and into my head, and I certainly didn’t like that.

“You were there, you liar! Why do you keep saying that you weren’t?” I yelled back, and I felt the grip on my wrist tighten.

“Stop that, stop trying to get in my head!” he said, even more angry.

“Then let me go right now!” I screamed as I tried to push him away without success.

“No, you have to learn your lesson, stop following me and mind your own business, do you understand?” he snarled into my ear. The tension grew with every second that passed. I didn’t respond. I won’t kneel to any man, especially not Nathaniel. Who does he think he is? “Answer me!” he screamed. No way in hell I will obey this man.

“Well then, as you wish,” he said before releasing my wrists, only to cast magic on me. I had no clue what to expect, I didn’t even know anything about it, and I was terrified as I saw black dust making its way towards me.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and I heard my mother repeatedly say that it was my fault that she’s dead. I started crying and hyperventilating remembering the pain I felt when I saw her die in front of my own eyes. It got worse and I heard Nathaniel say, “Stop messing with me. Believe me, it’ll only get worse.”

I didn’t quite catch the next thing he said as I blacked out and fell to the ground.