Heartless

Chapter 9

Today I started a new life. A life free from the burden of taking care of others. A life free from my crazy aunt and the world that hated me, cats me out for being different. I could really make a name for myself here. I have powers and today- this morning to be exact, I demonstrated my powers to the only people whose opinion could really make a difference to my life.

All that... and yet, I feel so empty. I never thought that I would feel so incomplete without my annoying little cousins to pester me. I know that they are happy and are well cared for. They got the life they never could with me around. I am the ones the Elysians are after. I am the reason they were all put in danger. They would still be with me if Brienna wasn't right and it pains me to admit it but they are safer without me.

After we dropped the kids off at their new home, the family invited us for dinner. Quin wanted to decline but I had to stick around long enough to know just what kind of people my cousins were going to be living with.

As expected, knowing Brienna, it all checked out. They were a lovely couple, very nice, Too nice, if I may say so myself, it was almost intoxicating to be around. I fought the urge to run outside for fresh air. I know I was just being petty. I only didn't like them because I set out not wanting to and maybe a small part of myself is jealous because I want a family like that too. They truly were perfect. They were a young couple that were very active and would give them plenty of help adapting to our new home. They even have a son that is Jade's age.

When Quin and I left, she knew that I was in a bad mood but didn't comment on it. She didn't try to make me feel guilty for being jealous. She simply reassured me that they were in good hands but she reads me too well and knew that that wasn't what was bothering me.

She spent the weekend doing all she could to distract me from how I was feeling. Then Monday came along.

Oh Yeah.

I had totally forgotten about my fight with that popular guy. Yay... I just had to throw myself in the deep end on my first day. Didn't I?

I found out that the boy I had pissed off was named Johnny Drake. I said, approaching the building that they called a school with straps over my arms that weighed down on my shoulders. School seems like nothing but a burden.

"Here comes the newcomer who dared to stand in my way." He announced to the students as he stood on the cement railing to the steps leading into the building. I stop about a dozen paces in front of him. I noticed a crowd beginning to form around us, creating an arena from which I couldn't escape. I quickly lost sight of Quin. Whether she joined the crowd or was enveloped by it, I do not know.

"Come now, my subjects. Tell me, who is ready to see a peasant put in their place." He said, his piercing gaze on me like a hawk. His arms are outstretched, encouraging the crowd to chant his name.

The crowd started chanting "Drake! Drake! Drake!" I assume that is what his "subjects" as he puts it, refer to him as.

His eyes begin to turn red and his throat starts to glow like slow burning embers as his arms start to stretch and warp until he begins to transform into a dragon.

Drake may think that he is a hot shot but he has no idea who he is messing with. I'll make sure that they don't forget it anytime soon. I want nothing more than to keep my head down and not to be messed with. Little did I know that fighting him wouldn't solve my problem but make it way worse.

A dragon? I thought. I pictured him as more of a snake, so that's exactly what I did. With the flick of my hand, I transformed him into a snake that flops to the ground making a hardy thud sound on the pavement.

I stepped closer to the slithering creature and proceeded to kick it high so he flew over the cement wall. He transformed back mid flight, arms flailing. I made my chuckle as I ascended the stairs. I was already in the school by the time he got to his feet. The door clicked shut behind me, cutting off whatever he was trying to say. Something about "Come back hear..." blah blah blah, "we're not done yet..." blah blah blah "Don't you walk away from me..." and he kept rambling but I didn't care enough to hear him.

I sighed, closing my eyes for a brief moment as I regained my composure. I leaned my back against the wall, making sure I wasn't visible in the windows.

I can't help but internally scold myself. I'm supposed to be keeping a low profile. At least none of them knew my name but I can still hear Brenna's voice in my head scolding me.

This is a new world with new rules, I tell myself. It's normal to have powers here so you don't stand out, but still, I found myself not wanting to use them in order to not buy into their system. I hated how they see a person's worth by what they can do and not who they are but around here, that seems to be the same thing.

I opened my eyes to be greeted by Quin's impossibly grey eyes.

"Where did you come from?" I asked, not hearing the door open.

"Ugh, does it matter? What happened? I thought you were trying to keep a low profile?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to but look at how that worked out? I got into a fight on the first day of school!"

"You weren't supposed to win!"

"What would you have me do? Throw the fight and get burned alive?"

"He wasn't going to hurt you! Just scare you into submission! We have rules on duels at school! You didn't even have to accept! All you had to do was forfeit and go on with your day!"

"And what? Look like a coward? He doesn't scare me?"

"It seems like nothing does!"

"Well, it would have been nice to know all this beforehand!"

"I planned to when we got to school but I didn't get the chance."

"Besides, what's the big deal? He lost, so what?"

"So what? So what?! The hierarchy is everything. Now that you beat him, you're on the Royals' radar. You have a target on your back. There is no more trying to blend in."

"What's worse is that it isn't just the students. The teachers care about it too."

"Why? What's wrong with this school?"

"This is a prep school. All the students you see here are the leaders of tomorrow. How they do the class rank, apprenticeships and everything is based on what our society is like so get used to it now. The hierarchy may seem strange to you but people in power have the most influence and for better or worse, are often our leaders. The school was founded by Scarlett Weather to simulate how our province is governed in a controlled environment for students to learn and find their place in society before they graduate.

"She even came up with our school motto." Quin explained, pointing to the plaque on the wall next to the school flag. It read: Power is the heart of who we are.

"She sounds like a charming woman." I said sarcastically.

Quin ignored my remark and said, "Come on we have to get to class." I followed her down a series of hallways, quickly losing my sense of direction in such a closed up building. I'm thankful that I have her as a guide. After all of the shenanigans that morning, I was still not prepared for what awaited me after my first class.