1903: Fated

Chapter 5 - Downtown Seattle

The rooms Sofi and Dani had been assigned were much more extravagant than they were used to, especially after a couple weeks of sleeping in Sofi's truck. Wood panelling lined the walls and grand curtains lay hanging on either side of the windows. Instead of a small single bed, there was a huge four poster against the right wall. A long chest was placed at the foot of the bed, with a small stack of books neatly arranged. To the left of the books was a somehow even neater pile of clothes, seemingly all black.

'Woah...this is mine?' Sofi gestured to the room, looking back at Hannah.

"Yep." Hannah popped the 'p'. "It's a little grand for my tastes but I've changed my room over the years, made it my own." She was leaning against the doorframe.

'How long have you been here?' Sofi slowly spun in a circle, taking in the sight.

Hannah chuckled and pushed herself off the doorframe. 'Ever since I was a kid. Thanks to being from a family of Witches, you get identified earlier than most. Also the more powerful you are the easier you are to identify. I was identified when I was 5.' She moved her hand around in the air, leaving a trail of purple energy.

Sofi rolled her eyes. 'Of course you're from an influential family.' She crossed her arms.

'What's that supposed to mean, Hidden?' Hannah narrowed her eyes. 'My family happens to be one of the High Families. I could get you banished if I wanted.'

Sofi chuckled. 'Good luck with that. Norah seemed like they needed both me and Dani when we were back at the party.'

Hannah groaned, turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. A few yells could be heard as she disappeared from view.

It took about half an hour but eventually Sofi got her room how she wanted, putting the very small number of possessions she had in it. Clothes in drawers, jackets on hooks and her glasses case on the bedside table.

However due to her lack of possessions, Sofi was left with a lot of spare time. She took one glance around before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

'Ah, there you are!' Dani jogged down the hall, catching up to Sofi.

'Dani...haven't seen you since the ball, you been avoiding me?' She cocked her hip to the side and crossed her arms.

Dani rolled his eyes. 'Not at all. I've just been working on this whole Nephilim thing with Hannah.'

'You've been with Hannah the entire time we've been here?' Sofi felt cold all of sudden, like a sharp breeze had gone through the corridor. A cold fire seemed to stir in her stomach.

'Sofi...' Dani took a step forward.

'No. No it's fine. Spend time with the girl you just met as opposed to the one you spent 3 weeks with...alone...together.' Sofi flared her hands and shoved past Dani, the small clicks of her boots fading.

It wasn't long before Sofi ran into another person, this time Riles. The two quite literally collided, causing the books Riles was carrying to fall to the floor.

'Shit sorry.' Sofi bent down and helped him pick them up. One of them had fallen open, the page was on Cambion and Nephilim abilities. 'Cambion...that's what the guy at the ball called me, right?'

Riles tilted his head. 'You're a Cambion? That explains why the Council were so nervous to bring you here in the first place. Cambion's are very rare and if one is found by a Keeper, they're usually killed on sight. Cambion's are too powerful to be kept alive.'

Sofi's eyes widened and she took a step back. 'Then why...why am I not dead?'

'Just because you don't remember doesn't mean they haven't tried...the Council have a very powerful memory Witch on hand for matters like this. Maybe they couldn't kill you...' Riles shrugged and helped her up. 'There has been the odd occasion where powerful beings like Cambion's haven't died by the Council's hand, instead by Angels or Nephilim. Especially if their demon parent is a high demon...much more difficult to kill.'

The two of them stood in the corridor for a while, just standing there. The reality that someone could've tried to kill her, but she simply didn't remember, sinking in. She'd known the Council was werid but...erasing someone's memory?

'Riles...could you find out if someone had taken away your memories?' Sofi gulped.

'Of course. If it is the Council's resident memory Witch then it'll be very tricky to find out but...I should be able to help if you want to know.' Riles rubbed his chin. 'Very tricky...'

Light streamed in a stained-glass window. The sun catching blues, reds, and vibrant purples. Stone pillars lined the walls, standing guard as silent soldiers. Oak wood lined the floors, almost pushing the wonderer down the corridor.

Various grunts and yells echoed down a corridor. The odd yell added into the mix. Strings of Latin curses could be heard from several rooms away.

"Yield, frater!" Hannah pointed her quarterstaff at Riles' throat.

'I'll yield when you've won, grande soeur.' Riles smirked. He grabbed his quarterstaff and shoved it between Hannah's legs, twisting it. As she fell, he rolled out of the way, so his opponent didn't fall on him.

"Control your emotions! You must be calm during a battle, young ones." Norah called out from outside of the arena. Sofi, Dani and Bart were sat on the side-lines, all dressed in black athletic clothes.

Bart chuckled and leaned towards Norah. '5 gold, Hannah wins.'

They kept a straight face, looking out at their apprentices' sparring session. 'I'll take that bet.'

Riles did a dramatic backflip, seemingly with no effort. He flung his head back, a massive grin on his face. His and Hannah's quarterstaffs clashed at almost inhuman speeds, the brown of the wood blurring.

Hannah frowned, groaning. 'Bloody Keeper's and their weird abilities.' Small beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. His grin just widened.

'Says you, Witch.' Sofi and Dani glanced at each other, both slightly concerned.

'Are they flirting or sparring?' Norah glared in their direction, quickly shutting them up.

In the 3 weeks that Sofi and Dani had been there, Norah had given the dubbed 'Death Glare' numerous times.' Usually when they'd caught the two sneaking out.

'Sorry Councillor.' The two of them chimed, perfectly in sync. Within a few minutes the sparring session finished with Hannah holding Riles in a headlock. He tapped her arm 3 times, indicating a yield. They bowed to each other and then stepped off the mat.

Norah put their hands behind their back and stepped in front of the group. 'There. You have seen 2 of the finest fighters of this generation go head-to-head. That is the level I want everyone to achieve. You need to be able to defend yourselves during an attack.'

Hannah, Riles and Bart all looked at each other in disbelief, seemingly exchanging thoughts.

'Councillor, Hannah and Riles have been trained since they were 7 years old.' Bart stood up and walked over to Norah, talking in hushed tones, and leaving the teenagers alone on the sides.

Hannah stood up and crossed her arms. 'Well...I'm gonna hit the showers. I'll see you after the adults are finished keeping secrets from us.' She rolled her eyes. Riles joined her as she left the room, their footsteps barely audible.

Dani cleared his throat loudly after a minute. 'Um hello? We know you're talking about us...literally about 10 feet away here.'

Norah looked over Bart's shoulder at him, glaring. "The Council hasn't permitted you to know of what we are speaking." At that Bart put his hands on his hips, sighing heavily.

'They deserve to know, Norah. Regardless of what The Council thinks.' He stared at them. 'This affects them more than any of us.'

Norah moved their glare back to Bart. "Be careful of what you say, Bartholomew. I may be your old friend, but I am a Council member first.' With that, Norah spun on their heel and marched out of the room.

The tattoos on Bart's body glowed a brighter blue but then calmed back down to their normal dull glow. 'Sorry kiddos...what The Council says goes around here.'