Vallen: The Marking (Vallen series #1)

Chapter 14

I told Alaric about what I had overheard during social studies. He told me he was surprised that Rhys had a nice bone in his body, but not to pay too much attention to it.

"Just prove him wrong." He said to me. "Show him that you can easily match up to the rest of us."

I paid extra attention to the rest of the classes of the day. I was determined to show Kamau what 'stupid' humans could do.

Our second to last class was from the man himself, Professor Kamau. When I entered the class I made sure that the sleeves of my shirt were rolled all the way up to my elbow, showing him the mark. I belonged here. Sometimes I wished I didn't, but I only needed to look down at my forearm to see that I did belong here. I was marked, I was here to stay.

Kamau did not ask me any questions, instead he directed them all to Alaric. He was able to answer most of them, but the ones he didn't were immediately punished. He was asked repeatedly by Kamau if he was a moron.

"He probably doesn't get why we're friends." Alaric said as we were walking down the hall after I started apologizing to him. "It's fine. No one is as bad as Rhys."

I was starting to like Professor Rhys more, definitely after he stood up for me against Kamau. Besides, his classes were the only ones I understood.

Friday ended, and the wind finally started decreasing. After dinner I started feeling braver, so with the signed permission slip in my pocket, I walked to the first floor, where the caretakers' office was. Alaric offered to come with me, but I knew this was something I would have to do alone. Besides, I felt like I was intruding on his family time every time his brothers showed up.

There were three caretakers. I had only met Ms Penn once, the day that I got here. The other two I had only seen in the hallways, but never met officially. I heard that they were nice, but that you didn't want to pop up on their radar too often. They knew nearly everything that went on in the school, including me with my human parents.

There was one caretaker in the office. He had dark hair and a thick moustache and looked like he was somewhere in his fifties. I had seen him before in the hallways, or rather I had heard him. He always sang songs in languages no one understood. No one cared though, he had a lovely voice.

"Good afternoon." I greeted him, lingering in the door opening. "I was wondering if I could use the phone?" I grabbed the permission form from my pocket, God bless the person that invented skirts with pockets, and handed it to him.

"Ah yes, of course, Miss Lovell, we have been wondering why you took so long to get here." He smiled and pointed at an old looking phone in the corner of the room. It was one of those phones that still had a rotary dial. It used to be bright red, but in some parts the paint had started to wither, revealing some rusty spots. I thanked him and sat down at the desk.

My hands were shaking as I dialled the number. The caretaker stayed in the room but looked busy with some paperwork.

The phone rang and rang, but no one seemed to be picking up. I looked over at the giant clock on the wall and saw that it was only eight o'clock, they should be at home.

"Hannah Lovell." I heard my mother answer. I took a deep breath and smiled to myself. I hadn't realized how much I missed her voice. How much I missed all of them. It was clouded by my anger, by the betrayal I felt when I left.

"Hey mom." I answered. I could hear her gasp and her shushing a few people in the background. 

"Are you okay Eira? Are they being nice to you?" She spoke so fast I could hardly understand what she was saying.

"I'm fine," I answered. "I mean, most people are nice. Others can't get over the human parents part. But it's fine." I thought back to the conversation I had overheard between my two teachers and was on the verge of telling her when I realized that the caretaker was still in the room. I couldn't let him find out that I had eavesdropped on two teachers so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

"Just show them who you are. They will all love you." We talked some more after that. She told me how Madelena was enjoying her new school, though she missed me a lot. I wanted to talk to her, but I was told that she was having a sleepover with her friends.

"She stays with them whenever she can." My mom admitted to me. "She's still angry with us."

"Mom," I said. "Is Madelena a Vallen?" She went quiet for a few seconds.

"They weren't sure." She finally answered. "She was recovered from a village where both Vallens and humans lived. They found no trace of the parents nor did anyone remember a pregnant woman." It was even worse. She had no idea if she should plan a human future or a Vallen one.

"Where did you guys live when you adopted me?" I asked her.

"I don't remember exactly." She answered. "But I am guessing that you want to find your biological parents. I can only tell you a name. Gregory Welt. He was the man who gave you to us."

"Was he the one that named me Eira?" I asked.

"He told me that was the person who found you, he didn't tell me their name." She responded. "I'm sorry Eira, your father and I never investigated further."

"Would you hate me if I did?" I asked. The truth was that I was going to find out who they were either way. Her answer just determined whether or not I would share it with them. It was a harsh thing to do, but I needed to do it for myself. To prove that I was indeed a Vallen. That I did belong here.

"I could never hate you." She answered. "And neither could your father."