Riddle Of The Owl - YA Fantasy

Chapter Five

The most disturbing part about the meeting with Cassel was the fact that, despite the dangers, Alleria was curious to meet him again. She forced the subject out of her mind as she began attending the seminary course and etiquette classes.

The city was a maze and its people were a puzzle. Alleria didn't belong here and couldn't fit in. She felt as out-of-place as a dragon would be lounging in a pond alongside flamingos — only Alleria was smaller and with less fire.

On the end of the first day of the second week, Alleria walked out of the seminary door only to spot Cassel waiting outside on the bottom of the stairs. She quickly hid around the corner of the building before he saw her, and watched him leaning casually against the hand-railing with one hand in his pocket as he smoked a cigarette. Was he here for her? It was the natural thing to assume, but there was still a small chance that he was waiting for someone else. Since women couldn't attend most colleges, the majority of those attending the seminary with Alleria were female. Most didn't have the hope of ever succeeding in the Exams for the High Academy, but some were bright enough to have a fighting chance.

She tightened her hold on the handle of her book-bag and straightened her back before marching forward. Even if he was here for her, and even if a very small part of her lit up at the sight of him, she had no intention of being accommodating. It was too dangerous. She couldn't risk exposure. As she began stalking down the stairs, he changed his stance, casually tossing his burning cigarette aside on the pavement. He fixed her with a meaningful look.

"Afternoon, Alleria," he said.

She wanted to smile at him but tried to tell herself that Cassel was a wolf in sheep's skin. He was here to use what he knew against her. She couldn't afford to buy his current act and kept her face blank as she passed him by without a word. She could hear his footsteps following behind her. "You're angry?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"I guess that's a yes." He didn't sound sarcastic, although maybe she just had trouble reading the subtleties of his voice. "You've got every right to be, I was a complete prick." He picked up his pace and walked around her, turning to face her. "Which is why I've come today, to apologise."

Alleria had every intention to keep walking. If Cassel knew, if he really somehow knew about what she saw on the pond that night, she was already in deep trouble. But her upbringing was stronger than she was. Her parents always taught her that it was only the most brutish people who wouldn't listen to an apology when one was being offered. She stood and glared at him, trying to make him see that she would bear with his apology and nothing more.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know what came over me. I lost my head. I don't have any real explanation and I'm..." He ruffled his blond hair, making it stand on end. It was wavy and plentiful, piled on his head with each clump growing in a different direction.

"I don't know what you think you know or how you know it, but you went too far," Alleria said. She didn't intend to speak to him, but the words just came out. She looked left and right before lowering her voice to a whisper. "What would've happened if someone heard you? I could've been excluded from taking the Exam or even worse, I could've gone to jail." Anything to do with the occult and demons was strictly illegal in the empire. Alleria doubted that in this day and age anyone would be executed for dabbling in forbidden lore, but the legislation was complicated on the matter. The church no longer had the power it used to, but the laws hadn't changed enough to accommodate the secular government.

The prejudice of culture had changed even less. It was said that just meeting a demon was enough to have one's soul stolen from them.

"I'm sorry I said that," he replied, placing a hand on his heart. "I didn't say it for the reasons you think and I'd take it back if I could. I promise never to speak of it again. I only want to be your friend."

A friend? She didn't have any friends here. "I don't have time for friends," Alleria snapped and started stalking away. He continued to follow, trotting at her side.

"Alright, alright, not friends then, but if you could somehow not hate me — "

She stopped again to glare at him. "What do you want? What're you after?"

He pursed his lips together and bent away from her, apparently taken aback by the ferocity of her gaze. Had she come off too strongly? Her face flushed with colour, she turned away, drawing a deep breath as she continued walking.

"Look, even if I tell you I'm after nothing and all I want is to be in your good graces, you won't believe me," he said after a moment of walking in silence.

No, she wouldn't, but she didn't mention that. In fact, she had decided that this conversation was over.

"At least, let me walk you home."

She really couldn't prevent him from following her all the way home. He whistled a cheerful tune with his hands in his pockets the entire way. She stopped before the tall arched gate of her block of flats. She could smell Da's cooking from all the way down here.

Cassel stood there, looking at her with an almost smile on his face before he turned to leave without saying a word. It was unsettling. "Why're you doing this?" she asked.

He looked at her over his shoulder. "Because you're special to me."

What was that supposed to mean? Alleria didn't know what to say. Many people talked about how unique she was, to have such cognitive abilities at such a young age — but this was different and she hated the fact that she was touched.

"Is this because what you said? That I'm..." Demon-bait, she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"I was just being an idiot," was all Cassel said before he waved and walked away.

Alleria watched his retreatingback. She felt a mixture of many things which she couldn't name and found thewhole ordeal distracting. She was sure it wouldn't be wise to allow Cassel intoher life, but the same thing could have been said about her decision to come toCallivar in the first place.