Book One of the KARDIA Trilogy; Queen of Hearts

CHAPTER TWO

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty!" Audrey said to me. I groaned. How could she possibly do it so simple like this? Realizing I was not at home where my mom had to pour water on me to get me to awaken, I opened my eyes to see the blazing sun through the window.
   "What time is it??" I asked sleazily.
"Its 6am. Get up... its your first day!! Should'nt you be excited??" She emphasized.
    "6am?" I questioned woefully.
"Yes." She replied as she chuckled. "You dont want to piss off Rachel." 
   "Rachel?" I asked as I stood up. "Who is Rachel?"
   "She's the team captain. Go on, hurry." She emphasized as she helped me spread the bed. I gazed around for my towel and toiletries and headed to the bathroom.
   The cold water from the shower eased my anxiety for a while. I miss home, apparently since am in a new place, with definitely no one I could talk to and explain how I feel. It feels homey, but still, I need to feel comfortable here.
   I got ready as fast as Audrey insisted. We got out of the hostel and headed to the dining hall. The hall was not large, but with how the tables were arranged and how the students sat it definitely showed a difference between the black ministry and the white ministry. Not gazing around for so long so as to be termed as a new comer I decided to find our table.
     "Well, they've all arrived. Let's get something to eat and join them." Audrey said to me as she walked towards the cafeteria.
    I expected something grand. Being a foodie is advantageous, but then, not every place you go you'll find what your looking for.
   We got some scones and lentil soup. Disgusting. I walked slowly towards our table and I met a chair next to ...Lester.
  I smiled forcefully as I sat next to him.
"Hi." I said to him. He gazed at me and gave me a smirk. I gazed at him questionably
   "Enjoying your breakfast?" He said as he motion his hand on my plate. I sighed frustrated. "No." I replied.
   He snapped his fingers.  French fries , burger and mango juice. I almost fell from my chair..
   "How did you do that...???" I asked astonishingly. He laughed simply as he shrugged. "It's a little trick that you'll have to learn." He said as he concentrated on his breakfast. Well, maybe being a magic isn't bad after all. I smiled as I started having my break at ease.
    
      When we were done with breakfast we headed towards the arena. The arena was allocated for each of the groups inorder to avoid disturbances and destruction. Mostly Magics have powerful abilities and that's what I realized at the arena. Most people were dressed in workout clothes and were busy throwing whatever stuff a magic should throw. I stared at amazement and during that time I felt an urge to get to know my own unique abilities.
    "Amazing huh?" Audrey said beside me. I nodded apprehensively.
   "We all have unique abilities. When you are ready you'll be able to deal with them passionately. At first , it won't be simple to tackle them, but as you learn, they become one thing. Your magical abilities become engraved into your soul making you a perfect magic." She said as she wore her runners.
    "So do you know your abilities?" I asked her.
"Yeah. And it's lovely really." She chuckled as she stood up. "Well, better head to training. As for you girl, you gotta stay here and get to watch every move and memorize till you can't any more." She grinned widely. I groaned painfully.
     "Is there nothing I could try to find?" I said stubbornly.
   "It isn't your time , yet." She said as she walked away and meet up with our fellow crew at the end of the arena. I sighed as I gazed around. I've never been patient and right now it's unnerving.
  
     I realized an hour had gone for the arena training and we had to head to class. Thinking of class, I questioned myself what exactly we'll be getting to learn today. Thinking of a magical class, I smiled . It seems interesting. I thought of all possibilities on how my powers could be and heading to class wasn't something hard to agree into.
   
    As we sat in a class , a fat lady walked in. She wore a red skirt with a huge blouse that hugged her buxom tighter. She had huge eyeglasses, but when she stood at the front of the class, her face was as cold as steel. She had a funny body, but her mind was sharp and her eyes ...daring.
      "Well, hello. Am glad you are all here." She said as she gazed at all of us. Her eyes lingered for a while at me.
   "Ethela. Welcome." She said as she gave me a tight smile. I smiled back awkwardly.
    "No theory training today. We've got a greater assignment and you all know who. We've left two weeks to a monthly competition and this time I expect a winner here. Make good use of her." She said as she pointed her finger at me. I gazed at her doubtfully and she gave me the right smile that was daring me to say something. Being the new girl, I didn't want to piss her off with my rants.
       "Well. Have fun then." She said as she walked out of class. I released the breath I didn't know I was holding.
     "Is she always like this???" I asked Audrey.
She chuckled. "Yes. But don't worry you'll get used to it." She said as she stood up and walked towards the front of the class.
    "So people, what should we do with her?" She asked our crew members.
   "Throw her to the river." Adrian replied teasingly. I glared daggers at him.
   The rest of the crew chuckled.
"Okay. Seriously, we have to help her. What should we start with?" Kayla asked the rest of the crew.
  "We'll start with the simple ones.  Attention spells, breakfast spells, sleeping spells and protection spells." Audrey replied . She motioned for me to follow her at the front of the class. I stood up and walked towards her and stood beside her and gazed at the rest of the crew.
   "So how strong is your intuition?" She asked me. 
      "Uuumm..honestly I don't know. Sometimes I make out things through my mind..motions of the hands are very few."
  "Wow. That's very bold." She said as she cleared her throat. "Well we are going to start with the attention spells. You ready?"
   "Yes, yes." I replied nervously.
"Okay. Well we are in public. You shouldn't attract attention around since a friend is a foe. You need to get our attention so as we can leave and get to a better secluded area. It's an emergency of course. We have our spells but you need to start with yours." She beamed at me.
    "My own attention spell?" I asked ruefully.
"Yes baby girl. We all did that. It helps determine your strength, if you need a hand or if you are the mastermind." Lester said as he smirked at me. I glared at him.  Worst of all his smirks don't piss me off, they attract me. And those blue eyes like the color of the ocean...
   "Ethela." Audrey said to me. I snapped back to reality. I sighed with relief.
   "Okay. Just give me a second." I said to her as I tried to calm myself.  I called upon my intuition and concentrated...
         Sharp. Focus.
        Take away all their distractions
        Get them their full attention,
        For now is a time of great need.
  By then I realized, before I chanted the spell the rest of the crew were busy engaging themselves in whatever actions so as they wouldn't mind my chanting. After the spell though, I realized, they were held in some sort of a trance, staring at me to give the final say. I gulped hard and went on.
         Unnoticed.
         Now is the time to mend,
         May the session reach to an end.
  I sighed as the rest of the crew gazed at me awestruck.
    "Did she...?" Adrian asked Audrey.
"Who are you???" Kayla insisted.
   I laughed nervously.
"As I said..I don't know how much my intuition is..."
      "You are strong. Special. Unique. Wanted." Lester said to me. I gazed at him curiously.
   "Aah thanks, but aren't you all?" I phrased solemnly.
    "The kind of special he is talking about isn't the one you think about." Lilian said to me.
   "Anyway, we still have a long way to go," Audrey said to me. We are heading to the breakfast spells now. Anyway, not breakfast but food in general. What we are trying to do , is train you to be able to grant each one of us our favorites."  Audrey said to me.
   "Your.." I sighed almost half irritated..
"But I rarely know all of you!!!"
     They chuckled.
"As a matter of fact, your intuition does." Kian said as he winked at me.
    "He said it all." Audrey said as she sat comfortably.  "I have faith in you baby girl."
   I groaned inwardly. Okay relax, I can do this. I said to myself.
   I gazed at them and again focused my intuition. After minutes I was able to give every one their favorite food except..Lester.
   'Not you again!' I said to myself.
'It's okay' he said as he chuckled. I gazed at him dumbfounded.
  'Excuse me? What are you doing in my mind?'
  'Invading your territory.' He replied as he smirked.
   How I wished to wipe it off from his face.
'Ah, no privacy I suppose," I grumbled.
  'Haha , it's nothing really. We are in the same room . You've got all the privacy you need.'

"Ethela." Audrey gazed at me expectantly.
   "Yes Audrey?" I said my all full attention towards her.
   "What about him?" She asked me as she pointed towards Lester .
    'Your intuition doesn't lock with mine, Ethela. Tell her that.'
   I rolled my eyes and gazed at Audrey with a fixed smile. "He's a hard catch." I replied to her.
     "No no no." Lilian said to Lester. "Are you doing it again,???"
   "Doing what?" Lester acted dumbfounded. But deep down I saw a smirk form in his face.
   "You know what you do, you mind invader!!" Lilian said as she glared at him.
    "Ppsssstt." Lester hissed as he gazed at Audrey. "I didn't do that..!"
   "Is that a smirk I see on your face boy?" Kayla said to him. He gazed at me, his smirk visibly showing now.
    "I knew it!" Lilian said as she stood up and hit Lester with a book in his hand. "What a trouble maker!"
   "Ouch!! Stop it mad girl!" He said as he stood up. "It was just a challenge."
  "Great. Well , Lets go on then." Audrey said to me. I smiled at her sweetly.
  Lester sat down with a huge huff and Kayla poked him on his head . He glared daggers at her and Kian and Adrian just chuckled lightly.
  "Now the sleeping spells." Audrey motioned for me to go on.
   "Well Well Well." Kian said to me. "How I hate to sleep during the afternoon."
   "Oh please. It's about time you get some rest." Kayla said to him.
   I gazed at them as they kept on having their conversations. Again, I focused my intuition.
   Tired. Numb.
   Chaos. Noises.
   Sleep is what i seek from all this.

I sighed as I gazed at them. Some were already yawning, others were snoring and some were trying to fight sleep.  I smiled. Maybe I could get used to this. Maybe this is where I truly belong. They find me special. Unique . Wanted.

    Need to work, think, move.
     A bright power and strength,
    Take me away from this beauty sleep.

I chanted and sat on the chair silently. They woke up seconds later realizing it was afternoon.
   "I will ask this again, you really dont know who you are, Ethela?" Kayla insisted.
  I sighed as I gazed at all of them.
  "Well, am here to find out." I said as I smiled amiably.