Mount Asteria

Chapter Twenty One

It was immediately clear that Hestia and Daniel Brown had very little in common. Blond hair, yes. Blue eyes, yes. But that was where any resemblance ended. Daniel was everything you'd expect a seventeen year old spy-in-training to be; cool, suave and intelligent - looking. (Not exactly a description that fit Hestia) Hestia, on the other hand, was clumsy, girlish and hopeless at anything that involved being covert. That said, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that they were siblings.

"There you are!"

A loud voice with an unmistakeable British accent called out from the stair case. Alexandra looked up in time to see Hestia running to the head boy, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Daniel!" she shrieked as she was enveloped by his far larger frame.

"Hi, Hest. You're getting heavy," he remarked, though somehow Alexandra doubted that was a problem as he lifted her effortlessly off the ground.

Hestia punched his arm gently.

"Is this some sort of Knightsbridge invasion of the first floor?" Ebony said incredulously, though a small smile was tugging at her mouth.

"Ebony," Daniel said, setting his sister down. "I should have known. I'm sorry about this lot." He gestured to Max and his friends. "I sent them up to find Hestia. But now I've found her," his voice became sterner and he turned to the three boys, "you can go now. Thank you, fourth years."

Max smirked and made his way back down to the foyer, closely followed by Damien – who turned at the last second to wink at them - and the other boy whose name Alexandra didn't know.

"And next time it would be great if you could actually do what I asked you and not get held up by some pretty girls," Daniel called after them.

Ebony did not look amused. "Next time it would be great if you asked them to just stay in the entrance hall."

"Someone's grumpy," Alexandra muttered.

"You must be Alexandra," Daniel said, extending his hand. "Hestia's told me all about you."

"Oh, has she?" she said, sounding a little alarmed.

"Don't worry, she's just been singing out your praises. Only here a month and already getting approval from Professor Burke on your comparative studies on divided societies? That's really impressive." Alexandra blushed profusely. "And Bláth," Daniel turned the fourth girl in the group, "how's your sister settling in?"

"Oh, she's grand. Like she's been here her whole life."

"I'm glad."

"Daniel?" A voice called up the stairs. Laura Hunt appeared a moment later, looking excited. "Come on, we're about to begin. All sixth years to the lecture theatre."

"See you later," Daniel said, squeezing Hestia's shoulders before following Laura down the stairs.

"Then what are the fourth and fifth years supposed to do?" Hestia wondered as they returned to their observation point.

"They better not be just milling around the hall the whole time," Ebony muttered, just before they heard a voice call out from above, "Fifth years outside! Fourth years to the concert hall!"

"The concert hall?" Alexandra was surprised.

"Oh, I know!" Bláth exclaimed suddenly, as though she had had some form of an epiphany as they made their way through the corridors. "The Fourth Year Show."

"Show?"

"Yeah, every year there's a show done by the fourth years from Mount Asteria and Knightsbridge," Hestia explained. "It's usually a play."

"Oooh! I'm excited now!" Alexandra said.