The campus was sleepy as the cold September air mixed with the late summer sun. Kiara pushed her curly locks into a low bun as she picked up the hem of her long black dress and walked down the stairs. She found Killian waiting for her by the gates of the dorm with daffodils in his hands. The yellow flowers stood out against his black shirt like a target. Kiara smiled as he held them up.
"Did you remember to bring napkins?" He asked.
"Yeah," Kiara pointed to her purse. "I want to pick some lavender on our way too."
"Okay," Killian nodded.
They two set off towards the west of Rhea where the archway of olive branches gave away to the lavender and wheat fields. Kiara pulled out a small clipper from her bag and collected some lavender as Killian followed her. They walked toward the small town a mile or two away and headed straight for the cemetery. Not a single soul was up in the sleepy old town as Killian and Kiara walked through the streets. They did not say a word to one another as he held the iron gates open for her and they entered the cemetery.
"Should we start at the back?" Killian asked.
"Yes," Kiara nodded.
They followed the narrow dirt path that led to the back of the cemetery. The old broken and crumbling headstones were the only thing their eyes could see. A few random family mausoleums popped up here and there over the graveyard but Kiara and Killian were mostly interested in the moss covered headstones.
"Althea Manolis," Kiara kneeled in front of the headstone and read the name. She pulled out a piece of napkin from her purse and scrubbed at the moss as best as she could. "Here lies a beloved daughter, sister, wife, and mother."
Killian pulled out one of the daffodils and some of the lavenders. He gave it to Kiara and she placed the flowers down in front of the forgotten grave. When she stood back up, they moved over to the next headstone.
"Peter Kosta," Kiara read the name. "They can no longer die; for they are like the angels."
Killian watched her clean the headstone once more before she laid down the flowers. They went through the rows, picking out the most abandoned graves hidden within the depths of the cemetery. When there were no more flowers to lay down, Kiara touched the cold soil and said a small prayer for the resting souls.
As the town began to wake, Killian and Kiara made their way back to campus. He walked her to her room and waited until she disappeared inside to climb upstairs and jump into the shower. As he stood under the cascade of hot water, he felt his shoulders relax and his heart grow light. Kiara understood the magic of quiet mornings. She needed them for her soul just as he did.
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The senior class at the academy was a small affair. They had all known each other either since birth or since freshman year. But even then there was a blunt imaginary line that separated the in crowd from.....well, the not so in crowd.
Killian sat at the back of the room with his feet propped up on the desk beside him. He ran his pen across his paper mindlessly as Jacob and Brody chattered on about some party in the garden later on in the week. The class was slowly starting to pour in and Kiara was running late as always. Killian felt the presence of someone looming beside the empty seat next him and looked up.
"Is this seat taken?" Kenna, the red headed witch with werewolf genes, asked.
"Yeah," Killian nodded.
Kenna muttered under her breath before walking back to the front of the classroom and taking a seat beside some of the other girls. Killian had no interest in knowing what she had to say. The girl needed to get over their little one time hook up from junior year.
Ch. 2 Teams
Start from the beginning
