Shattered

Chapter 2

The train ride to the leader's base was short. Dark air lingered my surroundings, leers whispering. Tom sat beside me, face facing upward snoring loudly and obnoxiously. I take a moment to take a good look at his jawline. Sharp, represents strength. His lips pulled down at the corners with the same plump limps. They're a different shade of pink today? Unusual.

"Estella, I would appreciate it if you would stop staring at me. Not very professional," he says, sitting up and wiping the drool dripping from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"S-Sorry" I stammered.

"Seems as though we're already here. Follow me."

He stands up, and I follow him. He hops off of the train first then grabs my hand and helps me down. We walk along the dirty asphalt road not speaking. Ahead, there stood a glass-like kingdom. 3 pillars surrounding the building with a ziggurat at top. The kingdom glowed, transparent to the messy woods surrounding it. The gate was twice my height with guards looking about sheepishly. I began to walk slower, one of the guards had a scar completely tuning out his eye. From my peripheral vision, I could see the crystalline structure of the King's sculpture ahead. As we approached the gate, the guards stop us short.

"Hello, we are here to see the leader. Estella is a newly found initiate and needs further instruction of whereabouts in the city she will be located and what she will proceed to do," Tom says, looking the guard straight in the only eye he has.

The guards remained silent and let us pass through. From a distance, the base looked beautiful. But now, being so up close to it, made it so much more perfect. The walkway was aligned with beautiful bricks, the grass perfectly green and a pond with swans swimming delicately within them. Crystal decals littered the front lawn of the base. If this weren't such a serious matter, I would think this was the front lawn of someone wealthy.

"When we enter the facility, you must remain silent," Tom said, eying me.

I chose not to reply, he should infer that I understand. He opened the front doors slowly, they door panel didn't squeak at all. We walked in synchronized silence. I let out a gasp, it's beautiful. Completely white walls aligned with sculptures and pictures of medieval leaders of the town. There were Knole couches surrounding a medieval fountain of Zeus. The place was simple, but beautiful. Tom guides me through parallel doors, I gawk at the beautiful boy sitting on the crystalline throne.

No one warned me that he was hot.

He sat, shirtless. His abs defined, his lips a soft pink. His eyes, glass, but an ocean blue shade. I could get lost in them forever. His skin a light bronze. Tan or no tan, he was hot. His jawline was perfectly defined. He was way more than reasonably beautiful.

"Estella. Estella... ESTELLA!" Tom yelled which snapped me out of my daze.

I look up, and notice the leader gawking back at me. His lips parted in a surprised way. I saw his pearly whites sticking out, too.

"Thank you Tom, you may leave now," the masculine, beautiful boy said.

Tom turned and stormed out of the room. I stood awkwardly, staring at the ground. I can feel his eyes burning through my clothes and getting to work on my skin.

"Hello, Estella," his perfect voice boomed, echoing throughout the room.

"Hi," I say, shying away.

"I'm Leader Jurette. But you may call me Jurette. Welcome to the City of the Caesars. As you may already know, this is the first circuit. In the first circuit, you will have to make one of your fellow initiates your mate. If not, you will not be able to move onto the next circuit. There are many requirements. You must get the glyph branded into your neck, to show your membership to us, you have to hunt, learn the basics, travel. Trust me, you will travel A LOT. I will be your elder, so every night around 10 o'clock I will be visiting you. Tom will train you, and Ax will guide you," he said, smoothly. He never took his eyes off of me once. "You're very beautiful, I hope you choose your mate precisely."

I blush. "Thank you."

"No problem. Your training will start tomorrow, be up at exactly 9am for role call. You may proceed to leave."

I stepped out of the room, Jurette's image clinging into my head like a Velcro ball onto Velcro. The way his lips turned down at the corners in a pout when he spoke. His voice echoed in my head as he said my name.