Hii! Here's chapter 2! And if you haven't realized, the name after the chapter number is who's POV it's in :)
Vote, comment, add to library, fan, that kinda thing; it's all amazingly appriciated! So please & thank you!
And for the pic, that's Nathaniel :D (Andy Sixx) lol
So read and enjoy!
~Mel~
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Two – Nathaniel
A Letter
Loud, obnoxious pounding on my door woke me up. I tried to ignore it a first but it just kept going and going.
“Nathaniel! I know you’re in there! Open up!”
I groaned and pushed myself out of bed—the one I’d much rather be in than having to deal with someone’s annoying ass. I walked out of my room, through the living room and swung the door open.
“What the hell do you want Cooper? It’s seven in the fucking morning,” I said angrily to the man at my door.
Cooper smirked and held out a thin manila envelope with my name and address stamped in the middle. “This came for you a few minutes ago. The messenger said it was urgent. Take your anger out on him.”
I rolled my eyes and snatched the envelope. “Well if you can find him bring him to me and I will.” Then I slammed the door in his face and went to the kitchen. I was about to throw the envelope on the bar for another, less early, time when the return address caught my eye.
Ariocra Academy. My old school? What the hell did they want?
I tore open the envelope with my teeth and the only thing inside was a thick piece of parchment with old-time calligraphy scrawled across it. Seriously? Calligraphy? And letters? What was wrong with e-mail?
I pulled out the paper and scanned it quickly. The first part was just boring crap like ‘Hello Nathaniel how have you been?’ Then second half of the letter became more interesting.
They proposed a special offer to me since I was one of the few people the school trusted with out-of-school issues.
Ariocra Academy is prepared to trust a special student in your hands. You will become the student’s mentor; teach the student how to wield their Gift and fight because, for this student, that time may come.
We cannot give out any more information to you about this student until you accept and sign a contract. If you wish to accept come to the school and meet with Headmaster Harrison for the deal. We will offer you one million dollars to keep this student safe and teach them to their full ability.
We hope you accept. This is very important.
- Ariocra Academy
One million dollars, huh? To teach some random boy how to fight and keep him alive? Sounds easy enough. He’ll be out of my hair in a few months.
I sighed; but this meant I couldn’t go back to bed.
I pulled up to the Academy’s giant, iron gates and handed the silver slip of paper I found in the envelope—luckily before I left—to the guard standing post at the guard house. He waved me through immediately and I parked in the guest lot before heading to the front doors of the main building.
Pulling back the iron knocker and then letting it go, the door open to a petite maid. “May I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here to see Headmaster Harrison,” I said emotionlessly.
She surveyed me for a moment before nodded and stepping back to let me in. “Are you Nathaniel Grey?”
I nodded.
“We’re very glad you showed up. Please, follow me. And don’t mind the students,” she added as two girls walked by giggling and eyeing me.
I could help the tiny smirk on my lips.
We walked down two hallways before coming to a large set of double doors, the academy seal engraved in the dark wood. A gold plate reading ‘Headmaster’s Office’ was drilled onto one door. The maid held it open for me and I walked in. The maid didn't follow me in.
An older lady who sat behind a large desk eyed me suspiciously over her teal-rimmed glasses. “Mr. Grey, I presume?”
I nodded, not bothering to say anything.
She smiled a bit. “Headmaster Harrison wasn’t expecting you so early. He’s still dealing with a few kids at the moment. Please have a seat over there,” she said, gesturing to a row of cushioned chairs along the wall. I took the one in the corner and waited.
Twenty minutes passed before the Headmaster’s office door opened. I raised an eyebrow as two identical looking girls walked out, one walking backwards and fighting with a guy covered in brightly colored feathers and the word ‘CHICK’ written across his forehead in pink. I smirked.
“You look beautiful!” the girl walking backwards said. “I don’t know why you’re even so grumpy.”
“This will take forever to get out of my hair dipshit!” the boy yelled.
“Not any longer than it usually takes for you to get all the crap you put in your hair out,” she protested.
The boy rolled his eyes. “Just do me a favor and die in a ditch.”
She scoffed and turned on her heel as she past, not seeing me. “Like I’d do any kind of favor for you after you so rudely hated the feathers.” Then she grabbed the other girl’s hand and they took off running.
“Girls, don’t run!” I turned to see the Headmaster walking out of his office, sighing. He was a slightly balding man with beady black eyes and a wrinkled forehead. Probably from those three.
“Sir, Mr. Grey is here about the offer,” the lady at the desk said, motioning to me.
Headmaster Harrison turned to me, surprised. “Oh, Mr. Grey. I didn't expect an answer so soon. Well please, come in.”
I stood and brushed past him into his office. I took one of the seats and noticed pink and purple feathers on the floor on the other side of the room.
“So, Mr. Grey, I hope that since you’ve shown up you have decided to accept our offer?” Headmaster Harrison asked, taking a seat behind his desk.
I tilted my head to the side slightly. “I just want to clarify; one guy, one Gift, and keep him alive for one million bucks?”
He hesitated a moment. “Uh, yes that’s our deal, except I would like you to know it is a female, not a male.”
I blinked in surprise. Why would they want me to take care of some girl? What’s so special about her? “How old?”
He shook his head. “I cannot allow more information until you sign this contract,” he said, pulling a thin folder out and handing me said contract. “It just points out that she must master her Gift and be able to protect herself if need be. And, of course, she must be properly cared for. Also, that is a confidentiality contract; she must stay as much as a secret as possible and when she is out of your care you will not speak a word of her to anyone.”
I flipped through the few pages, skimming it. “When do I get the money?”
“Well the idea is for the money to be put towards her. Whatever is left is yours to keep, and if you do an exceptional job with her training, you’ll receive another half of a million dollars. And if it so happens her budget is spent we’ll cover all funds.”
I glanced up at him. “So five hundred thousand for myself and one million for her?”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. He looked nervous. Why?
I leaned back in my chair, surveying him with my eyes, making him squirm even more. “I want one million for myself,” I finally said.
He hesitated. “Mr. Grey, two million? That’s an awfully pricey deal.”
I shrugged and tossed the contract onto his desk, standing. “You’re the one who wants to keep the girl safe and have her master her Gift.” I started for the door.
“Wait!” he called when my hand fell on the doorknob. I smirked. “Deal; two million.”
I walked back and sat again. “That’s more like it.” I scrawled my name in a quick signature then said, “Now tell me about my new apprentice.”
He nodded and when to a filing cabinet behind him. He took out a thicker folder and handed it to me. I flipped it open as he said, “Her name is Juri Sorlin. She’s sixteen years old and she has a twin sister named Suri. The reason I need her to stay hidden is because she controls the Gift of Blood Manipulating.”
My head snapped up, my gaze piercing. “A Blood Manipulator? Does such thing even exist anymore?”
He nodded again. “She and her sister are proof.”
“How do you expect me to train her? No one has been born a Blood Manipulator since thousands of years ago. No one knows how it works.”
“You are Nathaniel Grey. You have the second rarest Gift in the world and you have mastered such ability. If anyone can train her it’s you.”
I sighed angrily. Did this guy not know how difficult this would be? If possible at all. “I had a mentor with my Gift, it made it thousands of times easier. I know nothing of Blood Manipulators. This is most likely impossible.”
“She has been at this Academy for three years and she can do a few things, but there is no teacher qualified enough for her other than you.”
“I’m not qualified.”
He took a breath. “You must be able to imagine how desirable her Gift would become if others knew. If she can’t learn anything here and goes out into the world she’ll be in incredible danger. She can’t protect herself. That’s why I’ve called you.”
I rubbed my temple. Great, just what I needed; a frickin’ headache. “Fine. I’ll do it. But I can’t promise you she’ll master her Gift. This is a one in a million chance we’re talking here.”
He nodded. “I understand. Now, as you can see in her profile, she once existed out there. Her parents were killed protecting them from others when the girls were ten. So I’ll also need you to sign this paper here.” He handed another sheet to me. “It’s like a temporary adoption. You’ll be responsible for her well being and if anything is to happen in the human world you’ll be considered her guardian.”
I scanned over it then signed. I can’t believe I’m doing this.
After more information about my new apprentice and more signed papers, the two mill was transferred into my bank account and I left for my house. I was to meet Juri and her sister later this afternoon.
I flopped down on my bed and let my eyes close for a nap.