Elisa dreams of becoming a detective, so she applies to the Guardian Academy. To her surprise, she is not the only woman studying here.
Jackie and Elisa quickly become best friends and fall in love with each other.
Together, they dream of stopping...
They walked along the road in silence, the full moon gleaming in the dark sky and lighting up the streaming river. Elisa always loved this path to her house – Triville was silent and calm, unlike the stone streets of Middle Lake city that were crowded and lit up with fake lights.
"After months of living in the capital, I started to forget how beautiful my hometown is," she said.
"You are so forgetful these days." Theo turned to her, his eyes glowing with red. "Especially when it comes to telling the truth."
"Oh, for the Divine's sake." She rolled her eyes. "What happened again?"
"Nothing." He took a deep breath, and his inner fire soothed.
"Then don't be so grumpy." Elisa poked his shoulder. "I know it's a stressful time for you, but it's not exactly easy for me either."
"Oh, really?! Cause you seem to be in a cheerful mood."
"Because it was a good evening and I really enjoyed it. But tomorrow, we'll need to get back, and then the classes will start again." She gave him a sarcastic look. "Actually, you were the main reason why I hated some classes. How will it be when we get back?"
"I don't know, Sparkle. You'll probably keep lying to me, and I'll keep being grumpy about it."
"Even though I didn't really like you, I never lied to you."
He stopped and looked her in the eye. "Right. You just never told the whole truth to use people in your games. Even people who you call your friends."
She frowned. "I don't understand. What the hell happened?"
His voice became steel. "Does anyone in the Academy know that you are a lesbian?"
Elisa pressed her palm to her chest. It seemed that time had stopped, along with her ability to breathe. She saw a lot of arrogance among men she happened to know, but each time, they found a new way to kill her from the inside.
"Got to know my worst secret, then." Her voice trembled, but she kept talking. "Good job, detective. You won. Now you can go back and tell everyone to make sure you destroy my future as a guardian."
"I would never do that." He gave her a remorseful look. "Maybe I shouldn't have said it like this."
"Just leave me alone." She shook her head and walked to the riverbank.
He stood alone on the road, counting his heartbeats. What have I done? He pulled his hands through his hair, trying to come up with a plan to fix everything, but nothing came to his mind.
* * * * *
Elisa was sitting at the shore, facing the restless river. Her eyes were moist, the tears decorating her long lashes like dew drops.
Theo sat nearby. "Okay, I'll tell you my worst secret to make us even."
"Just go home, okay?" Elisa said, her voice unusually weak. "Because I don't care about you and your stupid secrets."
"To get to the Academy, I stole the money," he blurted out.
She turned to him, her eyes wide open. "You did what?!"
Theo sighed. "The classes are expensive, and even though I worked as a bartender the whole summer, I figured that I would never earn enough. Even with all the extra shifts."
"And you robbed the bar?"
"Not like that." He placed his hands in his pockets. "Sometimes, I served rich customers, and they ordered our most expensive whiskey. After two glasses, they became taste-numb, and I sold them cheap alcohol instead. Of course, I didn't forget to charge the full price. Then, I just put the difference in my pocket."
"And you got away with it?"
"Of course not." Theo scoffed. "Our owner caught me soon, and I had to share half with him. Now, I only have enough to make it through this academic year, and only if I study well. That's why I care so much about my marks and about finding a summer job."
"Breaking the law to become a guardian." Elisa raised her eyes to the indifferent moon. "What a terrible world we live in. And it's full of shitty people."
"Well, I can only try not to be one of them." He sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry I treated you like this all this time. I just tried to be on the same page with the guys whose parents are rich enough to pay for their classes. But you were the only person who impressed me from the very first day."
Elisa gave him a compassionate look. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't want anyone to know who I really was. Especially the guys who only look for the freak to laugh at."
"Does Jackie know?"
Elisa shook her head. "Please, don't tell her."
"So, you really like her." His heart beat heavily. "Why don't you tell her, then?"
"Because I ruin everything I touch." Elisa looked at her clear palms. Now, her magic was quiet, and her fingertips didn't shine. "Only if I could find a working way to deal with my power."
"I think I can help you. My Gift is one of the strongest ones, and I know some tricks to tame it. I can share it if you want to."
She gave him a hopeful look. "Will you do that for me?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I help my friend?"
"Thank you, Theo." She moved closer and hugged him tightly.
Her hair smelled of her favorite lilac perfume, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the scent. His hand patted her back. "You're welcome, Sparkle."
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