Page 54 of In Between Darkness
He takes another swig from my glass, and I watch as his Adam’s apple slugs up and down his throat. Oh, River. Damn you and your hero complex. I force a small smile back at him and playfully snatch the glass out of his grip, submitting to the fact that he will probably never stop trying to help me.
“Thank you,” I say, taking a swig of my drink.
He smirks again, evidently happy that I am accepting his help. I’ll just have to create another excuse if Haley wants to tutor me. The thought of lying to everyone around me makes me uneasy, and I take another sip of my water.
‘It is necessary to conceal the truth when the truth can be deadly.’A familiar voice startles me, and I choke a little on the water. I cough and splutter, and River looks at me with concern.
“You okay there?” He pats me gently on the back.
My cheeks redden, embarrassed by my reaction. “Yeah, I’m fine, just went down the wrong hole.” I brush it off and wipe the residue from my lips with the back of my hand. ‘So, you can just butt in whenever you like?’I direct my thoughts back to Oriah, hoping she gets my message.
‘Now you’re beginning to understand.’There is a slight warmth to her voice. ‘But don’t worry, I’m not here to invade your privacy. I’m just here to guide you.’I nod in response, and River’s gaze intensifies.
“You sure you’re alright?” he questions again, causing me to break myself out of my stare.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I promise.”
I’ve got to get the hang of this telepathic communication thing. I take another bite of my bread and swallow, shooting River a friendly smile. I look toward the other end of our table and see Alex sitting with a few of his friends. I think about what he said about me. That I was different. He was right. I can’t help but wonder if Oriah was watching over me then.‘
‘Wait… what happened to Alex on the stairs — was that you?’I think about his spontaneous combustion; it never made sense until now.
‘The boy deserved it, fighting you before you had your Gifts.’There is a tinge of annoyance in her voice, like she dislikes Alex as much as I do.‘You have to understand, Asha, I wasn’t going to let anything come between you meeting me.’
I understand her desperation. I am the last of her kind, and if my light was singed out by an asshole like Alex, I’m sure it would’ve brought nothing but pain to her.
‘I thought you couldn’t interfere?’I think back to her words last night.
‘Technically, I didn’t. I just gave you a taste of your Gifts before you got them,’she says with a mischievous tone. This isdefinitely not her first time finding ways around the Gods and their rules.
‘I guess I owe you a thank you,’I think in reply to her.‘Just give me some warning next time.’
I take her silence as a response to her stubborn nature. As the last of the Starkind, she will probably never stop trying to protect me. I need to make an effort not to provoke anyone, as they will surely end up in the healing quarters just like Alex did.
The second bell rings, signalling that first meals is over.
Nala looks at me as she begins to stand up. “Good luck with your first class with Mr Herringford.”
She picks up her plate and walks with me to the counter, where all students are expected to put their used crockery and plates.
“Thanks, Nala. Have fun in Miss Redfield’s class.”
I stack my plate onto the pile of dirty dishes and shoot her a smile. “See you at lunch.” She heads off out the door. I turn my attention back to River, who is placing his plate on top of mine.
“And I will see you tonight, milady.” He bows playfully and reaches for my hand. I stretch it out for him, and he places a gentle kiss on the back of it.
“Of course, my prince,” I play back and curtsy, making him smile. I watch as he walks away with a pep in his step.
Now that I have my Gifts, my class with Mr Herringford will become my speciality, which means for two hours a day, I will be taught how to harness my light work abilities. I feel panic prickling beneath my skin. This also means that for two hours a day, I will also have to try to conceal my Moon powers. I gulp at the thought of this. I can’t afford to slip up. My life depends on it.
Chapter Twenty
Mr Herringford sits patiently at the front of his classroom waiting for the chatter amongst students to diminish. Only half of the desks are filled. I guess some people are yet to get their Gifts. I scurry in and pick a desk. The one furthest away from Alex is the one that is calling me. I pull out the wooden chair on the far right side of the room and sit quickly, tucking myself into the desk. Even though Alex is at the other end of the classroom, I can still feel his eyes burning into my head. It wouldn’t surprise me if I spontaneously combusted in a minute or two.
Mr Herringford clears his throat, and his black sunglasses wobble on the bridge of his nose. He pulls a pen out of the pocket of the tight brown trousers hugging his tall, thin legs. He positions himself next to the whiteboard behind him and begins to write. He stops for a minute and adjusts the collar of his shirt. He is dressed rather smartly; however, his shirt is riddled with creases and is only half tucked into his trousers. The beige and white V-neck fleece does a good job of hiding the creases, but I can still see the tiny ridges on his sleeves and the edges that hang untucked below his belt. He continues writing, this time speaking the words out loud. I reach for the pen and paper placed in front of me. I suppose this is for taking notes.
“For those of you who are new to my class, I am Mr Herringford.” He writes his name and underlines it. “First of all, congratulations on getting your Gifts. I’m sure you are all pleased to have finally reached such a milestone.” He scansaround the room and runs a hand through his coarse brown hair. He has the type of hair that will not hold any shape; it flops back down to rest flat on his forehead as soon as he moves his hand away. “As you have all got your Gifts at different times, I can assume you will all be at various levels of control.”
He opens his left hand to reveal a bright white orb dancing on his palm. “Some of you will naturally be more advanced at yielding the light than others.”
