.
.
.
I looked at him, disbelief in my eyes, then tilted my head, while he nodded.
I shook my head.
Even though Hayden was a little distant, or harsh, he couldn't be a murderer.
"Whatever you do, never ask him about his mother. Some say he's the one who killed her."
"Having fun?" We suddenly heard, and turned, only to find Hayden behind us.
I never knew I could scream that loud. I threw myself to the floor, while Valen let out series of yells.
"CROAK CROAK CROAK CROAK!'
"Cecilia, what the f**k?" He exclaimed, and burst into laughter.
Then I saw his eyes. They were Green. It was Damien.
Damien, not Hayden.
He moved backwards, taken by his laughter, while I placed both hands over my mouth.
I stood up, humiliation carved all over my face.
Finally, his laughter faded, and he pushed his hands into his pockets.
"Froggie, which was it? Potions or Charms?" He asked.
"Potions," Valen replied, as we stood, glued together.
"Well, as for the rumor, I don't think you should indulge in rumors on your first day of school. Definitely not before Mysia Welcome. You don't want to cross the wrong person," he added, then walked towards the room. I followed.
"Why are you following him?" Valen whispered, tugging on my arm.
I pointed to the room, and continued walking.
"Heavens, no!" He shouted, understanding.
"Come on, don't be such a girl, Valen Moore. I've heard about you, but didn't think you'd be this scared and feminine. I'll chew you raw if you put nonsense into her head," he warned, and Valen stood behind me.
"Move. It's your room. If I wind up dead tomorrow…"
"Moore," Damien called with a smirk.
"Nothing," Valen replied, sassily.
Damien punched in the passcode, and we walked into the room. Everyone was in the living room, with fancy dresses spread everywhere. Obviously, the work of the girls.
"Where have you been!?" Natalie cried, "I was so worried someone already killed you!"
"We were stuck in Charms class, where we had to enhance our voices," Valen explained, his voice coming off like echoing sheets of silk.
"Oh right, we skipped class to go shopping," Heart said, guiltily.
"So what happened, pretty boy? Why are you here, and why isn't she speaking?" Athie asked, and Valen looked at me with a smile.
"She thinks I'm pretty," he said with a chuckle, before clearing his throat.
I cleared mine too, "She here has never had anything to do with magical ingredients. She made a mess, and now, she…" he turned to me, poking my arm, "speak, seatmate," he said, but I shook my head, watching Hayden twist a bottle cap, and Faux eating a cube shaped potato.
"Say something," he insisted, but I shook my head, and made to leave, only for him to grab me. His fingers went straight to my ribs and began to tickle.
"Val—CROAK! CROAK CROAK CROAK!' I laughed, and saw Hayden spit out all the water from his mouth.
Faux began to choke, the potato going through the wrong pipe.
Damien began to clap, thoroughly enjoying it, his green eyes alight with joy, as though it was some entertainment show he prepared.
The girls were literally over themselves, laughing. Natalie was hitting Athie repeatedly, as her blue curls spilled over her face.
Eventually, Valen let me go.
"Well, I think you and your interpreter should freshen up, and… Valen, would you like to stay for dinner?" Faux asked Valen, who blushed, his brain obviously telling him something like Faux was into him.
Valen took out his mini-ponytail, pursing his lips, "Ah, I should leave. This room is dangerous, but my new friend… what's her name, please?"
He obviously didn't want to leave.
The girls burst into another round of laughter at the fact that he didn't even know my name.
"Cecilia," Damien answered, with a smile.
<<<
I was in denim overalls, with a white tank top within, while Valen simply wore my bathrobe, as we went down the stairs.
"Tomorrow's the ball. Come try this," Natalie said, while Heart clicked her finger in my direction.
"Woah," I breathed out, as something thick in my chest dissolved. "Ah, ah, ah," I said, touching my throat to be sure I wasn't croaking, "Thank you, Heart. Thank you so much. It was horrible," I said, feeling really grateful, as I went to her.
She nodded, looking uninterested.
"Skip that. Try these," she said, picking up dresses to dump them in my arms.
Valen sat on the sofa, looking around, although more than once, his eyes alighted on Hayden, who was at the dining, scrolling through his phone.
Whatever. That was just a silly rumor school kids spread around. How could he be a murderer? I mean, would dad allow me to be assigned to a room where there was a murderer? Or maybe he'd sucked a human dry. Perhaps, it was an accident? Wait, why was I even making excuses for someone I didn't know?
I walked into the kitchen, pulled off my clothes, and tried on a blue dress.
"Woah, this is pretty," Natalie said, adjusting it on me. The dress shimmered with each move, and had a tight corset, with a thigh slit. The material was so light it could pass as net, and was armless. Maybe it was indeed net. Through it, we could see the shimmering blue linen. There was a sash to knot on my neck, with silver jewels dangling down it. Then she draped a long separate part of the dress on my arm. In an Indian fashion.
"Wow, you look like a princess. Tomorrow, we'll get you draped in jewels, and you'll look like one of us. Wow," Natalie's eyes roamed over me, and the blue plant symbol on her cheeks began to glow faintly, "You look beautiful, and I hate to say it. I'm jealous. You're so pretty I want to do something secret to destroy your face," she said, with such sincerity and calm that it spooked me out.
"Uh, thank you?"
"But…are you sure you have no powers?"
"I don't. Why?"
She locked eyes with me, her voice lower and calmer.
"Did you see my pattern glow? It was a response to something that felt like a faint whisper from you. Naiads—we can sometimes communicate to worlds and spirits unknown, or to magic unknown. Something happened between us. Just now."
My body tensed up, as I remembered my parents' worlds.
'You're a threat.'
A threat to who? Or to what? Why? In what way?