Vallen: The Marking (Vallen series #1)

Chapter 41

Professor Lourdes had to escort me down into the village. It kind of felt like he was taking me to detention, like I had done something bad. 

Why was that the general idea of my gift? I could do something no one in history had ever been able to do. Vallens were quick to believe things but in a way I had, again for the first time ever, actually given real proof that their gods exist. A lot can be said about humans, but they didn't have that. 

"Professor Woodville is already there," Lourdes told me when we left the common room. "I'm sure you've already seen who you are going to be talking to."

I managed to nod, but that's about it. Running into a burning building was less nerve-racking than this. With one conversation, they could not give their blessing and completely outlaw my gift. 

I should have said something to Eldon. Fuck. Literally seconds after putting his arm around me I risk the same fate as the girl he once loved. God, I hope Alaric is smart enough to see if Eldon is upset or not. 

"Dominic." Lourdes greeted Professor Dehaven. He looked nothing like how I had seen him before. He didn't radiate the warm friendliness he always did. Instead, he was carrying a chaotic pile of papers, his dark brown hair poking in every direction.

"Oh yes, that makes sense." He said when his eyes fell on me. Lourdes nodded at his coworker in a silent understanding, which I definitely wasn't apart of. 

With a small push in my back, Lourdes got me to walk again. I had no idea what just happened, but it seemed like I wasn't the only person who was a nervous mess. I liked Dehaven as a teacher, but I didn't know he liked me enough to be nervous for my future. 

We exited the castle. As we walked I noticed more and more people staring at me. Mainly the older students who were unwinding from a day of exams, but also some of the townsfolk. My resurrection had been big news, even now people recognised me. 

I spotted one of my classmates, Lyra, also heading into town. She had light blonde hair with a slight curl to it, like all those typical popular girls in the movies, except she wasn't that popular. She was kind of a loner now that I think about it, I made a mental note to talk to her more often. 

Focussing on Lyra walking by made it easier to forget the doom that was waiting for me. I had only been in Welkis that single day with Alaric and his family, and we had only hit the highlights then. The busy shopping street, the Violet bar. I had never ventured into the part of town that was just like any other town. Where people lived and worked their normal jobs. 

Vallens didn't have a city hall, instead they had something called 'the heart'. It was the centre of the town, though in our case the centre was a giant castle, so they chose a large enough building a bit further up north. It was where older Vallens met up to play Solitaire on Thursday nights, where the kids could have playdates when their parents were working and now, it was where I would be meeting the old families. 

The building had two floors, but we stayed on the first. It looked basic and barely had any decoration inside. It really reminded me of the doctor's office when I was still a human. It had uncomfortable chairs, the smell of disinfectant and a few abandoned kids toys in the corner of the room.

Woodville was sitting on one of the chairs. Lourdes silently sat down in the one across from him. I couldn't sit, not now. It felt like only a few moments ago I was waking my brain up from my Mythology exam. Really, they could have given me a little heads up.

I walked over to the window and looked outside. It was obvious that no one was waiting for them to come out, but they did really want to see them come back out. People were talking to each other, but occasionally looked back at the building. I had never seen a backstreet so crowded.

"It is best to answer truthfully about the possibilities and limitations of your gift, Miss Lovell." Professor Woodville said, breaking the comfortable silence in the room. "The gift department has already given their blessing based on the information I provided them. The Old Families just wanted to hear more from you."

Woodville hated me, even after my gift turned out to be powerful. He wouldn't have been positive in his review about my powers, so that at least made me feel a little better. His negativity couldn't sway the department to outlaw it, so if I just don't insult anyone's family, I should be good.

The door opened. Much to my surprise, it was Alaric's father who stepped out. I knew his family was in line to become an old family, I didn't know they had already joined the club. He smiled kindly at me though.

"They are ready for you now."