Diamond Names (ON HOLD//EDITING)

Eight

Several different voices, all yelling at the top of their lungs, clouded into Julia's consciousness as she tried to recognize her surroundings. Where had Miles taken her?

"I thought we'd made the no kidnapping policy very clear," one voice scolded.

"She wasn't cooperating," Miles argued. "What else did you want me to do?"

One other voice in particular stood out from the others. "Will you two quit it? You're gonna get us busted."

"Eva?" Julia called out her name for recognition. "What the hell is going on here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The room grew noticeable quiet.

The bag over Julia's head was pulled off in one swift move, and a bright flash of light was shoved into her face. "Turn that off!" she yelled angrily. Several voices shushed her in unison.

As Julia slowly regained her vision, the silhouettes of five different figures came into view. They sat in a circle, surrounding her in the middle. The room was dark, and it gave her the slightest suspicion that she wasn't supposed to be here...wherever that was.

Another light flashed to her right, lighting up Miles' face. "You have been called to a meeting of the Light's Men." He spoke clearly and ominously.

"We did not agree to call ourselves that!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to be dramatic!" Miles snapped. The light under his chin shut off as one next to him lit up in Eva's lap.

"Regardless of our name, you have been called here for a reason and you must take a cow of secrecy. Do you swear?"

"Swear to what?" Julia asked, her patience dwindling.  She was still tired, and angry, but most of all confused by the cryptics.

Eva's flashlight flickered out and one behind her switched on. She saw the face of a boy she didn't know. "Your presence has been requested in regards to the Reject to Royal project." He spoke more calmly than others had.

Julia groaned. "That's what this is about?" She glared at Miles and Eva's silhouettes. "I told you two I wanted nothing to do with that."

"You are the daughter of well-known Emory Castle, are you not?" the boy asked.

"Yes, I am," Julia snapped.

"This means that you, as the child of a faculty member, have access to the inside workings of Keaton Academy?"

Julia was now very confused. "What do you want to know?" she asked. "Why do you want to know?"

His light went out before she could get an answer. Another next to him lit up; a girl with pink hair sat on Julia's right.

"In this special instance, you are a requested and, therefore, required member of the Light's Men," she explained, in the same, almost dreamy tone as everyone else.

Julia stared hard at her, now more confused than ever. ""Required"? The letter said I had a choice."

Miles' light flicked on for a brief second. "Change of instructions."

"This isn't fair!" Julia argued. "I don't want to!"

The boy behind her began to speak again. "We have been informed that, under your inclusion, the Light's Men can receive the intel it needs for future plans."

"Informed by who?" Julia retorted.

The boy's light dimmed as the entire room shone under the ceiling lights. Julia realized, with somewhat relief, that Miles had only taken her to another dorm. She remembered part of the letter: "Come to Room 1262 in Brenway Hall..."

The kids in the circle around her grumbled as another figure came into view further away. Julia stood up to see who had caught them, and was met with a familiar face. A face she knew very well, with a head of platinum blonde hair.

"T-Tyler?" she stammered. She almost couldn't believe that it was him.

Tyler smiled back at her sadly. "It's nice to see you again, Julia."

Author's Note:

Dun.

Dun.

DUUUUUUUUUN.

So now we know who the "flash" was from chapter 3. But how do he and Julia know each other? Tyler's story will be explained more in the next chapter...

Song: Fire N Gold by Bea Miller