Aura

Chapter 2: Manor of Angels

Tarka had completely forgotten about the school trip the next day, because all she could think about was the banshee and the harrowing message it had given. She mentally slapped herself for not knowing it was a banshee until she was told so, because what else could it have been? Her first sighting of a banshee was not a happy one, so it would seem. She arrived at school the next day in a daze, too lost in her thoughts to focus on anything else. However, to everyone else, this would seem like typical Tarka, with her mind always somewhere else. Aya knew something was wrong and interrogated her as they made their way from school to their trip destination on the bus.

"What's up, Tark? We know you daydream a lot but you wouldn't even acknowledge me or Scout this morning." Lines of worry etched on her mahogany face, her deep brown eyes filled with concern.

Tarka snapped to attention, as if for the first time today, finally awake. "Sorry. I guess I should tell you guys." Scout, nosy as ever, leaned in enthusiastically. "I saw a banshee last night."

That wiped a smile off their faces. Even Scout had a serious face now. "You're sure it was a banshee?"

Nodding shakily, she tried to turn the topic elsewhere. Her and Aya have been eagerly awaiting this trip and a banshee wasn't going to ruin it. With a forced smile, "So, Scout, why do you hate this trip so much anyway?"

She huffed and pouted. "You know why. All this magical rubbish isn't for me. Banshees are one thing but angels? That's a whole other ball park. Banshees are just old hags that know when people are gonna die, and sure they're creepy, but they're harmless. Angels on the other hand? That's the stuff you read in fantasy books. I never even knew about angels until a few months ago, and there's probably good reason for it."

Aya laughed in her smooth, melodic tone. "Don't be so sceptical Scout. Like I said yesterday, they wouldn't let us go visit unless they thought it was perfectly safe." Although Aya herself was feeling rather nervous about coming face to face with an angel, it was her duty to take care of the other two and calm their nerves. Tarka, unusually, wasn't fazed by the idea of an angel, not after last night. It couldn't be as horrific as a banshee, surely. At least when you see an angel it doesn't mean somebody's going to die.

The bus ride wasn't long at all, and the whole class was surprised at how close these angels lived to their town. It was practically on their doorstep. The bus pulled up to a large gravel carpark surrounded by tall, gothic iron fences. A weary Victorian manor loomed above them, unforgiving and cold, with ivy crawling along its walls. The sun had gone behind the clouds, which brought an involuntary shiver to everyone. Mrs Weeks was the first to step out, and seemed completely at ease with the idea of meeting angels. Dressed in her typical teaching outfit of sports leggings, coat and trainers, her high-pitched voice rang out.

"Listen up. I didn't want to ruin the surprise but you may have found out that we're visiting angels today. Not pure angels, but demi- angels instead. This is a private boy's school for demi-angels and their mentors, and we are to treat them with the respect you would give anyone else. Be polite, don't touch anything, and listen to what they have to say. I'm sure none of you have seen an angel before, but there's really nothing to worry about, as I said, they're not fully angel." As she finished her sentence, an old man stepped out of the manor with a limp in his stride. He wore a dapper suit complete with tie and blazer, but hunched over with a cane. Mrs Weeks then gestured to the man approaching the class. "This is Icarus, the only non-angel member of this school. He'll be showing us around today, and if you have any questions you can just ask away." The old man then greeted them with a kind smile, but hard eyes.

"This way, children." He flatly stated, then turned his back on them and continued up into the manor of angels.

By this point Scout was practically ready to run home. Her tall legs were shaking like a leaf, and even Aya's steady hand of reassurance didn't help. Tarka noticed this, and did the same as Aya. She hardly ever shows physical affection, and the shock of the unexpected gesture made Scout forget completely about her worries. The rarity of Tarka's affection made it even more appreciated, and she liked it that way.

Inside the manor, it was a few degrees colder than outside. The marble tiled floors echoed at every sound, the tall pillars dotted around the main hall were impressively high and intricately carved. Unlike the outside of the manor, the interior was freshly polished and well-looked after, not a trail of ivy in sight. Aya was the first one to see an angel, or at least she thought it was.

Silently, she poked Scout and Tarka and gestured to a boy, not much older than themselves. He was tall and slim, but had the face of a model. He looked like how one would imagine an angel to look like- flawless, ethereal, confident, and almost as if he gave off some sort of invisible glow, it was hard to describe. As they made their way further into the manor, in awe of the magnificent tapestries and architecture that adorned the building, they saw more and more angels. Nobody pointed out that these were actually angels, but they felt different from normal humans. Their presence was inexpressible, but it was no doubt that they were angels, in all their glory. As it was a boy's school, there were only boys. All of them looked around the class' age, give or take a few years, and they all had this ineffable aura around them- like they couldn't be touched, like they were beyond humanity. Of course, this gave the impression that they were quite alien, even if they did look exactly like humans. However, each one of them looked like a perfect human. There was not a single ordinary, plain boy among them, they all looked like models in one way or another. Although their appearances differed greatly, it was plain to see that they were all created beautifully.

As to be expected, each and every girl (except Tarka and Scout) were in awe, with gaping mouths and wide eyes. Tarka was too focused on keeping Scout calm, while Aya seemed captivated like all the others. Even the boys couldn't help but stare, and Harvey, one of the most popular boys in the school, was especially impressed, in a smug sort of way. He knew he was in the presence of angels, and that despite looking like an angel to everyone else at school, here he looked plain ordinary.

Mrs Weeks seemed unfazed, and it was assumed she had visited here before. As if reading the minds of her pupils, she remarked, "Every demi-angel here is strictly forbidden from any relationship that isn't with another demi-angel or higher. It's to keep the bloodlines pure, you understand." It was strange how she referred to the lives of these boys as if they were something to be bred rather than as living beings, but nobody wanted to question it. Something about her tone made it seem like a deadly serious rule that nobody would dare break.