Mortal

Chapter Two: New York City Sights

I step off of the airplane right behind my Dad. His jet black hair is messy from sleeping on the plane. I drape my carry on bag over my shoulder, as my Father drags his on the floor.
"Kai, really?" Father just shrugs at my Mother, who makes a face. I laugh a little, my parents are such opposites. My mother, a working business woman, and my father, an at home painter, should never be able to work as a couple, but, in some miraculous way, they have been married for sixteen years. "Charlotte? Honey, I'm so glad you came. It is a shame you are missing the last week of school before summer break, but this is worth it, huh?" I nod as I look up at the tall buildings and the beautiful skyline of New York City. The sun is just setting. I wish there were still stars. I have read about them only in history books, our atmosphere is blocking our view of the most magnificent things in the universe. I studied Astrology as an elective in high school.
"I wish there were still stars." Father says, reflecting my thoughts exactly. "I remember my mother once brought me to the equator and we could see only a few stars, but it was beautiful all the same. I paint it all the time, but paint does not quite catch their beauty." He puts his arms around me and Mom. Mother laughs and leans her head against Father. "Just like my wonderful ladies." He declares, gaining laughs from us. We continue to our taxi, but I am distracted. I think of Mother's secret, and what it is. I am so desperate to know! We get in the taxi and order him to drive to Crescent Moon Ave. The driver looks suspiciously at my Mother who seems to ignore him, except for a slight nod.

We arrive at our house in a few minutes and I am blown away. It's huge!!!! I run up to the doors and enter the house. I look around the foyer and run up the stairs, my father swiftly following my lead. No one bothers to take off our shoes. I enter the first room, which is massive.
"This," Mother comes up behind us. "Is where me and your Father will sleep." Father nods excitedly.
"Jackpot." He laughs. We high five. We walk down the hall to the next room, which is decorated in indigo and periwinkle, my favorite colors. I look around and laugh. I collapse on the bed.
"This is your room, Charlotte." I roll around on my bed, laughing. I get up and run to the next room. "No!" But Mother is too late. I enter the room and stop short.
"A..." I look at my parents. "Nursery?" My Mother smiles, embarrassed. "Is this the secret you didn't tell me last week? You're pregnant?" I look accusingly at my parents.
"No!" Mother says, sterling towards me. "I'm not pregnant, we are adopting you a little sister. Her name is Jasmine. She's four months old." I look at my Mother in bewilderment. She never mentioned wanting another kid before....
"What...what made you do this?" Mother looks at me confusedly. "Why did you decide to have another kid..." Mother nods and hugs her arms to her chest.
"Well, it has to do with..." She looks up at Dad, who nods. "Well, it is the fact that-" The door slams open and a man walks in. "Marcus! Stop!!" Mother tries to step in front of me, tears streaming down her face, but Marcus throws her against the wall.
"Mom!" I shriek, as Marcus grabs my arm and tries to drag me out of the nursery.
"Charlotte!" Dad starts towards us, but he falls back, pushed by an invisible force.
"Daddy!" It all goes black, and I am taken away.

I come to in a small room.
"Hello?" I look around and suddenly remember the events of last night. "Let me out of here!!" I yell, running into the door. I look around at the small room; it contains only a bed and a security camera in the top far right corner. I stare at it menacingly. The door clicks open, and I pounce. I land on top of a boy.... A very handsome boy. I scramble up and hug my arms to my chest nervously. He gets up and smiles, clearly embarrassed, I'm sure my cheeks blaze the same tomato red as his.
"I'm Charlotte." I say, breaking the awkward silence. He looks at me.
"I know. I was sort of sent to see you." I glance at him suspiciously.
"Why would you be sent to see me?" He smiles slightly, like he knows something that I don't. He definitely knows more about what is going on than I do.
"You're the new girl in the New York branch of the Academy!" I look at him like he is crazy.
"The Academy...?"
"The American Academy of Magic." I nod.
"Right. And you're a wizard, I'm guessing?" He laughs at me.
"Oh, no. Absolutely not. I'm a Seelie." He smiles wickedly at me. "A faerie." I am entirely certain he is insane. "I was sent to introduce you to the Academy, as you were enrolled without your knowledge. You haven't any idea of the magical world? Your parents never told you fairy tales about the World of Whispers?" I shake my head.
"My parents hated fantasy. Anything fictionous was banned from my home." He looks at me with pity all over his face.
"I'm dreadful sorry about your being in the dark, but I can help to bring you into the light." He held out his hand to help me up from my bed.
"Ugh. Really, Serin?" Another boy stands in the doorway. This boy has blonde hair and black eyes, opposed to the other boy, whose hair is the color of dyed scarlet red and his eyes are a blazing green. The first boy is slender and tall, but the second is muscular and tall. They are both equally beautiful.
"Xeraph, were you assigned to help young miss Belle, or are you here to try to push her into your court of UnSeelie faeries?" The new boy laughs and looks me up and down, taking in my scarlet red hair and green eyes, which are unparalleled to Serin's.
"Whatever." The other boy, Xeraph, scoffs, he has an accent identical to Serin, but I can't pinpoint where it is from...
"Miss Belle?" I am snapped out of my thoughts when Serin smiles at me and apologizes.
"For what?" I ask. He tilts his head to the side.
"Well, my brother interrupting us, for one...." I snap my eyes to focus on Serin instead of the empty doorway.
"That was your brother?" He nods and laughs, pushing his hair away from his eyes in that adorable way guys do.
"My twin, actually. We are complete opposites, though. My brother is my shadow self." He sighs. I look at him, questioning what he meant. "Oh! A shadow self, in this world, is a force that is so opposite of yourself, that it makes you believe there is a part of them inside of you. Although this may be true for humans, the fey aren't the same as mortals." I shake my head.
"I still don't believe you. This is insane." Serin nods, but persists. Can't he take a hint? I just want to go back home.
"I know it is hard to take in, but you, me and a bunch of others, were born of our late queen seventeen years ago. You were adopted, right? And they didn't know who your parents were at the hospital?" I look at him. How does he know that? "That's how it was for most of us. Others didn't find parents and came here. They are the most experienced." He rolls his eyes. Those kids are obviously the popular kids at the Academy. What am I thinking?? This isn't real. I'm at my new house in my new room. "But now, the Faeries need a new King and Queen. They are gathering all of the generation to have a competition for the title. But that isn't until next year. The girls will have their own battle type thing, and the guys will have one too." I look at him, doubtful. He steps in front of me and bows, lending me a hand. I take it and walk out of my room. The door led to a busy hallway, with people who were....
"Does she have a tail?" I hiss into Serin's ear. He laughs and says something I don't hear. He jumps and pulls me with him through what I thought was a window, but was permeable. I look down and scream joyfully. We are flying!! I look around at my surroundings. I look at Serin's face, which is lit with delight and relaxation. He does this a lot, I can tell. I close my eyes and feel the wind in my hair. I open them to see Serin smiling next to me, in the hallway once more. "What just..." I look at Serin, who beams uncontrollably.
"That thing I said earlier, the thing you didn't hear? Yeah, it was a spell that makes your mind and body think and feel something that isn't real. It is my specialty. I am especially good at that one..." I grab his arm.
"Do it again." He laughs a silvery laugh and shakes his head.
"Can't. Maybe another time, but right now, we need to find Headmaster Corel." I look disappointedly at my feet and nod. I can't believe I'm here, at an academy for magical beings, with a boy I just met, flying. I think I'll like this place just fine...if I can survive the classes...