Elementals: Entwined

Chapter 6: Amy

I didn't say anything when West streaked off, instead keeping my thoughts to myself. We were wary and on high alert as we approached Weatherstone's gates, but nothing else was coming for us tonight. The path there was clear.

Walking into Weatherstone was like entering Narnia from central London. The area enclosed by the high gates proclaimed it to be a military testing area, and no-one in their right mind would approach such a desolate place. It was only once through the gates that the illusion gave way to  the grounds of the place I called home. When I wasn't spending my time masquerading as a typical year twelve seventeen year old, I lived here day in, day out. Every time I returned, I was only reminded of how much of a nomad I truly was. Home? I had no real home.

 You didn't have to even walk up the path from the front gates to see the dorm building. A fifteen floor high tower of marble and glass, it was as imposing as it was luxurious. This building housed our bedrooms, the dining room, training rooms and the teachers' offices. It was early evening, and so students were flowing in and out of the building. Very few, if any, were Midnights since their classes would just be starting or they would have just woken. We hadn't yet approached the building, and I walked far slower than I needed to, knowing that as soon as I did, the stares and whispers would start. Really, I should have been used to them by now.

 Farther in the distance was the building that was the actual academy. It looked like a school, except that there was no escaping the polished marble, or the way it was almost as imposing as the dorm building. I was almost thankful that the only uniform we had to wear was a coloured badge proclaiming our parental status to the rest of the school. I reached into my pocket and clipped mine on as I walked up.

 The closer I got to the dorms, the more I could make out the trees at the back perimeter of campus. The school's woods held rock formations and a natural pool, and there was also an extremely large greenhouse which I couldn't make out. At the edges of campus were a series of cabins and cottages: the cottages were the homes of the teachers, whilst the cabins were for students' use for study, training, or (if you were Lily Ashton) making out with your boyfriend whenever you felt like. Despite being a school, Weatherstone was pretty lax in its rules when it wasn't something that involved personal misuse of abilities.

 Weatherstone Academy: both my home and my personal hell. When we finally entered the hotel -sorry, dorm building -I ducked my head and ignored the stares and whispers. Despite the intrigue about Tiffany's arrival, people avoided me like the plague and fawned around Lily, Martin and Shelby like they were celebrities. I may as well have not been involved. I used the distraction to split from the others and head for the infirmary.

 Did it bother me? No. I'd gotten used to it, even if the reason everyone considered me a freak was for something that was out of my control. I found myself biting my lip. Would Tiffany be like every other "friend" that had come through here and start ostracising me too? I pushed the thought from my mind.

 "Amy!"

 Before I could react, strong arms wrapped themselves around my waist, pulling me in for a hug. I relaxed at the familiar metallic scent and hugged Uri back, Tiffany temporarily forgotten. I was almost surprised by how much I missed him. Had two months really been that long?

 "You have no idea how much I've missed you," I told him when we finally pulled away, though Uri's arm was still lightly around my waist as though scared to let me go.

 "Same, though the constant phone calls were probably evidence enough," he admitted. He took in my dishevelled state and instantly lost the smile. "How many were there?"

 "Three. Metallo, Torrin and Caeli." I tried to keep the fear I'd felt from  my voice, but my words still came out a little shaky -I could never fool Uri. "I'm not sure if we would have survived without that West guy."