Seeing with the Shadows

Chapter 24

“-Scared to death, of course. But, of course, you’ve got nothing to do with this, have you?”  Quoim was saying as Lena walked into the dormitory.

“He’s just a cub, he didn’t mean it. It’s what cubs do!” Calista was saying in an exasperated tone of voice back to Quoim, “Do you want me to change nature’s laws or something? He’s just a cub, he’s just playing!”

    “And so you think you can’t interfere when he tries to kill Slinth? Because your precious, little, darling Decia- was only playing?” Quoim was on her feet, shouting as the door closed itself behind Lena with a quiet but audible snap.

“Hey, guys…” Lena said quietly.

Calista looked on the verge of tears again. Decia was curled up on Calista’s bed napping quietly. It was a miracle he was managing to sleep through this, but maybe he’d just had a long day.

Quoim ignored her coming in, and continued, “‘She’s just a cute little cub, a sweet little cub.’ Oh really? Well, one day she’s going to be a full grown cheetah, and she’ll get up in the middle of the night and be hungry and then she’ll kill you!” Decia growled in his sleep, which just made Quoim give her a rude, pointed look, “This is so stupid! How am I supposed to even sleep in here when I don’t know what that- thing is going to do next?”

“Number one,” Calista said, her voice trembling slightly, “If Decia was going to kill me in my sleep, Madam Arach wouldn’t have given her to me. And number two, you just are mad at me because for what I did with Talla by- by mistake...”

“Hey, guys.” Lena said loudly, “You both have overdue library books. Let’s go return them!”

“That was unnecessary.” Quoim remarked quietly.

“I, personally, think the yelling was unnecessary.”

“Oh, so you’re siding with her?”

“I’m not siding with anyone!” Lena protested.

“Yeah, of course you’re not! That brute almost killed Slinth!”

“I refuse to side with anybody.” Lena said shortly. She went to her bed, and, after a moment, walked straight into her closet, and pulled the doors shut, then called out, “I refuse to side with anyone. You’re both being stupid, Talla is going to be fine.” She then proceeded to plug her headphones in and blast music for the next hour until she heard Quoim leave the room.

*  *  *

“Two weeks, two weeks. They’re coming on December seventh. That’s just fourteen days…” Quoim was muttering as she brushed her shimmering mass of brown hair out down her back in front of the mirror.

Two weeks, two weeks... Just two weeks before I start getting so little sleep that I start getting pissed at Calista too. Decia snored so loud that she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep, and she’d already pulled some of Phelicia’s feathers out, not to mention knocking over about everything knockable in the room, and shredding a bunch of her clothes. Slinth was terrified, if you could say that about a snake. Every time Decia came into the room she would weakly raise her head and stick her fangs out, and then slither quickly up or down to some place where Decia couldn’t find her.

Calista was treating her like a little harmless baby, but by now, Lena had to agree with Quoim: this was not a cute harmless baby. Phelicia and the clothes were the last things Lena would put up with. She’d warned Calista that she had nothing against her, but if one more thing happened, Lena would probably snap.

The weekend had slipped by when she was sick, and now it was Monday again. They went down to get breakfast. The Dining Hall was huge, and they had big counters like at a buffet and you could take anything you wanted.

 “At least your first class is Powers.” Quoim had reminded her, while glaring at Calista, sitting n the other end of the table. “I, on the other hand, have stupid Control with Calista.”

Lena didn’t reply to this comment. She simply picked at her pancake, and then got up to throw it away. “Wait, Lena, where are you going?” Quoim called as Lena left the Dining Hall.

On the way out, Lena met Naran. “Bitch.”

“What’re you talking about?” Lena asked innocently.

“I’m a Death Raiser. You should remember that.”

“Oh, do shut up once in a while, Naran. You’re getting really boring.” Said a voice from behind Lena. It was Quoim... but older.

Naran tensed, “You shut up yourself!” she retorted, and then added, “Idiot.”

“Wow! Naran, you learned to use bigger words!” The older version of Quoim said in a falsely happy voice, like a receptionist at a desk.

“I’ve been working on it for you. I want there to be something good in your life! I’m sorry you have to live in a… shed.” Naran smirked.

“Look, Naran… I realize that it’s hard to know your parents only like you because you’re going to get them more power by marrying into a big rich family.”

“Well, let’s see what happens when Full Moon comes.” She strode away, flicking her charcoal black hair over her shoulder.

“Hey, Lena. I’m Quoim’s older sister.” Lena stared blankly at her. “Oh, so she didn’t mention me? What a nice sister I have. Well, I’m in Year Six, my name’s Nadine, I’m a Consul, and my Power is being a Protector.”

“You’re a Consul? What’s that?”

“Oh, when you get to Years Six, Seven, and Eight, you can be chosen to help out in the school. Consul... it’s like... a Consultant, I guess. There are eight of us. Rose and Serena, you know them... well, all three of us make up part of the Consul team. Yeah, well I’ll be seeing you around, don’t break any rules, though, cause I’ll have to put you in detention.”

“Already got that.” Lena said grimly, and then walked out of the Dining Hall to get to Powers early. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, bulging with books, pens, paper, and various other items that she hadn’t looked at in a month.

 “Ahh, Lena, it’s nice to see that you’re back with us again! What exactly is your excuse?”

“Oh. Uhhh... fever.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. But now you’re better! Put your bag down and feel free to look around to see what we’ve been doing.”

“Okay.”

They were still studying Seers, as Calista had told her... that is, before she got mad. Lena hoped to become a Consul when she got into Year Six, it seemed like it would be fun. If she had enough evidence she could probably get Ellevet, Misha, Naran, and Rella into detention. Class had started.

“First of all, I’d like to welcome Lena back, and hope that she catches on, since she is, after all, a Seer. Now, here’s last weeks discussion: Why haven’t there been other Seers? Being a Seer is passed down through blood- so why hasn’t it happened before?” Professor Parvivi said to start the discussion off.

Hands shot up all over the room, and after a while, Lena volunteered. When Professor Parvivi called on her, Lena said, “Calista got a book out of the library, and since they... Slade and Vanessa have been killing all the babies suspected of possibly being a Seer none have lived. Quoim thinks that since I wasn’t picked up on signal thing before the middle of Year Two, then Slade and Vanessa couldn’t find me. And also, I never was in Vampire society.”

“Good, that’s very good reasoning.” Professor Parvivi said, “The homework for all of you will be to write a essay on your opinion of why there have not been any other Seers until now, and I want two to three pages. If you want extra credit do four pages. Class dismissed. Lena, try to get four pages. You’ll needing it, you’ve been out. See you tonight!” Professor Parvivi called as Lena walked out the door.

AUTHORS NOTE: hiiii uhm my itouch is breaking nothing loads UGHHHH I think im going 2 use my moms old phone YAY okay got to go do my homework lol BYE VOTE COMMENT FAN

OH YEAH i wanted to enter this in the wattys but i can't because it doesnt have a ranking (not enough votes/comments/reads) POOPPPPSSSS

<3

tova