Black Star

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ian. That’s the name I was repeating to myself over and over again.

Menodora told me that it would go just fine, but would it? Ian was Ella’s cousin and Ella is held captive with Arthur while I’m going on a date with her cousin. He didn’t mind that, but I was sure that he wanted to free Ella as much as I wanted to. But I was still excited for our date. I would get to learn more about him for once and for all. About Ella and about Colin Travis. I had to ask him if Colin’s last name was Travis or if he just liked to call himself like that. I knew people like that, who changed their family names into their first name. But that mostly happened in the books I read. Ian was cute. He was nice. He loved me. I guess that that date couldn’t go too bad.

One thing I’m very bad at: deciding which clothes to wear. I’m 0% fashion. I had to ask Menodora to pick out outfits for me. She went to the mall while I took a small nap. I had to put it all in my head, Arthur and all that Black Star gibberish. Menodora woke me up around four o clock and showed me the outfit she picked.

She bought a short one strap dress. It was red and simple. It had a brown belt which added a touch of class to the dress. I felt so fragile in the dress, like a child at birth. Unprotected, but loving. Menodora gave me her red and sparkled high heels. I wasn’t able to walk with them, so I had to put gold sandals. It was still pretty. My mentor—Menodora, naturally—did my hair. She did and French and high braid with my silky hair. She added makeup—but only a little amount. Less is more. I put on gold round earrings. They weren’t too big, just perfect. She gave me red lipstick.

- Why are you helping me? I asked her as she put the lipstick in my hand.

She smiled at me.

- Why, don’t you want me to? she told me.

- Yes, I do. But—you know…

- Ian is like a son to me. Since his mother died, I’ve been taking care of him with Colin Travis. We are like a family.

I nodded and just when she was about to leave, I asked:

- Ian is the son?

- Yes.

I smiled at the thought of Menodora as a mom to Ian. Then, I asked her suspiciously :

- Then, what am I?

She hesitated.

- You’re Ian’s girlfriend.

I threw a pillow at her while she laughed and closed the door behind her. I smiled once she left—to no one in particular. I added the red lipstick and looked at myself in the mirror. Beautiful. I was ready for my date.

Ian called me from the restaurant and told me to go at eight. Colin Travis was with him. He told me that Menodora could come because me and Ian would be at the other side of the restaurant anyway. I agreed and told Menodora the news.

- Oh! I’ll go in my room and change.

I nodded, wondering how her room looked like. I had a room, naturally. But, you know, it was a very simple room. Any typical teenager room. Menodora told me that that was the room the Black Stars had over the years.

- Diana? she asked through her door.

Her voice was muffled. She was probably putting on a dress or a fancy shirt.

- Yea? Having trouble already?

- Very funny, she said. Her voice was now clear and loud.

- What is it? I asked her after a few seconds of silence.

- Go to the training room and give me my red high heels.

- Didn’t you put them back in your room?

- No.

She didn’t explain me why she’d put them in the training room.

- Why did you put them in the training room? I finally asked her.

- You’re still here? What are you waiting for?

I rolled my eyes and left to the training room.

The training room was always clean. But even so, I couldn’t find her shoes. I went in the room where I’d killed the holograms. It didn’t seem prudent, but I knew I could defend myself if anything happened. I finally spotted the red shoes red-handed. Okay, I admit, that joke wasn’t funny. Maybe I shouldn’t make anymore jokes.

I took the shoes with my fingers, hanging them. I looked up and saw the closet. The closet. The one where Menodora always went to get my weapons. I wasn’t allowed to go in. I knew that. But nobody would know. But what if they did?

Curiosity took over me. I went in the closet and I nearly fell to my knees.

Weapons and magic jewelleries everywhere. Jewelleries like my ring. And knowing Menodora, they were probably enchanted. Like my ring that really was a disguise for my spear.

The ring I wore was aching me. The white diamonds were itching my skin. I didn’t take the chance of keeping it on for my date. I took it off and left it on a table. I left around the room and admires the sparkly bracelets and rings. Necklaces and earrings. Plenty of creative jewellery, each unique in its own way. I took one in my hand. I knew that it wasn’t smart, but I might never get to go in this room ever again. It was a bracelet, quite like my ring. Black and curved, decorated with small and white diamonds. It went well with my hair so I decided to take it with me instead of the ring. Menodora wouldn’t mind. I don’t even think she’ll notice. If Ian was right, she would be with Colin Travis at the other end of the restaurant. I took my chances and left the closet with Menodora’s shoes and the bracelet. I needed a name for the bracelet. Not Artemidoros.

Something that meant trust. Something that wouldn’t betray me even though I kinda stole it.

I got it.

Faith.

Beautiful. It meant trust and believe and it was English. A language that I actually knew.

- DIANA!!!

It was Menodora. I hadn’t realised that I was still standing in the middle of the training room. I quickly hid Faith in my chest and ran to give the shoes to Menodora.

- Where were you?

I smiled bashfully at her and told her that I was held up by a phone call. She rolled her eyes, not believing me but it was obvious that she didn’t want to know what really happened. I smiled and she opened the front door.

She locked the door too the headquarters twice and left a curse on it just to make sure. It just worried me even more when she did that.

I hated the Apollo bloodline. They called us “mistakes of nature”. They were wrong. I felt proud of myself for standing up like that. You know what, dear reader? I was going to prove it.

I was going to prove them that I wasn’t a mistake of nature.