The Leader

The Leader: Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty: Maya

When Caleb and I return to our room on the third-last night after class, we find a surprise waiting for us. Ian himself waits outside our room. Caleb bows, and I follow him.

"Hello, my dear boy," Ian says, and Caleb gives him a fist pump.

"How are you, Ian?"

"Oh, good, good. And you? Who is this young girl?"

"This is Maya, and I'm her guardian for three more days."

"Hi," I say shyly. I've never been good around new people. Ian looks at me properly and I see him silently appraising me.

"Hm, she's strong, huh? And smart, fast, and she has the ability to love a lot more than most people."

"Yeah, amazing, huh?" Caleb says, giving me a look. Ian and Caleb chat for a while, catching up, and then we go inside to bed. Caleb warns me that Ian is dangerous, and I roll my eyes. When I wake in the morning, I find a note next to my bed.

Maya,

Please join me for a small talk this afternoon in my chambers. Come without your guardian.

Ian.

Apparently Caleb hasn't read the note because he doesn't mention it all morning. After class today I tell Caleb that I need some time to myself, and he finally decides I can take care of myself, especially after taking down that shadow in the alley, which happened to be not a half-demon but a full one. I find Ian's place fairly easily, because I ask for directions. When I arrive, he sits at his desk doing work of some kind. He tells me to come in and sit opposite him.

"Now, Maya. I think you are aware of my approval of you, but I wanted to do something about that. Please kneel." I do as he says, and he places a hand on my head, reminding me of Initiation.

"I bestow upon you the gift to freeze yourself in time and stop aging. As of this day, you shall never grow older, and nothing can take away that gift." I feel as though a wind has swept through me, and it takes a moment before I can stand. Ian then looks me in the eyes.

"I hereby mark thee as my own, and if anyone challenges one such as I, they must engage with me in a fight to the death, and if they are victorious, their mark will replace mine." I feel a burning at the back of my neck, and then suddenly everything is too still, too calm. I find a mirror and look at the back of my neck. There is a single three-letter-word there in black, like a tattoo: Ian.

I slowly make my way back to my room in a daze, so I forget to block my thoughts. Caleb runs out of the room and comes up to me, his face a hard mask of anger. He pulls down the back of my shirt and sees the name, then falls onto his knees and cries out mentally. The sound reverberates around my head, and it takes a while for me to recognise a word. "Why?" Caleb slowly looks up, and he meets my eyes silently. "What else?" I don't speak, and I block my mind. "Maya, what else did he do? Tell me!"

"He... made me stop aging." This cry is even louder, and it shatters my defenses, making me feel Caleb's pain. "It doesn't mean anything, Caleb. We can still be together."

"No we can't Maya. If he finds out, I have to challenge him, and he will win. He's had centuries of practice, and I've had a few years. There is no way for us to be together." I feel my heart rip in two, and instead of crying out with my mind, I use my physical voice. I sob, but this time Caleb is not there to comfort me, because his pain is greater than mine. That night, Caleb and I don't touch at all. He sleeps in his room, and I in mine. By the morning, I hate Ian with every fibre of my being. I know this is dangerous, but I can't help it. Caleb and I are meant to be together, and Ian has destroyed our future together. Over the last few days of my training, I ignore all of Ian's requests to see me, and I work as hard as I can so that I can release my pent-up anger. On the last night before my Initiation, I don't sleep at all. When I wake, I have to dress in a black robe with blue in it, similar to a graduation gown. I walk to the back door of the large Initiation hall and wait with the other students. Caleb nods to me, and then goes around the front to find a seat. Suddenly, the door opens, and we file in alphabetically. I'm the fifth person to go, and so I have to wait and watch everyone else stagger and drop back down. When I go up, my heart pounds in my chest, and my palms are sweating like mad. I kneel in front of the angel, feeling faint, and I close my eyes as he places a hand on my head. Suddenly, I feel a change come over me. I'm so light I could float away, and I can now hear the whispers of people down the hall. I feel so strong and fast, yet there is no change in my gifts. I stand quickly and find myself up faster than I normally would be. However, I keep walking to the end of the platform, and I recieve my certificate. Some people applaud my ability to stand immediately, and I feel approval come into my mind from Caleb's. I go and wait by the door near the others. When everyone is done, we leave together, and cheers erupt from all around.