Caddie's POV:
I bounded up the stairs, still puzzled over the strange exchange I shared with Aleksander. I had expected him to fight a lot harder but he didn't. The comment about Dmitri stung; my heart literally felt as if it had been ripped in half when he said that. But after reminding me about Dmitri he stopped trying. Did my choice upset him? Did that really matter if Aleksander was upset with me? I shook my head. I had became an insecure girlfriend in the course of three minutes. Aleksander couldn't have possibly been upset with me, he had kissed me and said he wanted to see me later. None of his words had been laced with malice. And though his emotions did show some sorrow, I believed most of it was directed to the memory of Dmitri.
Killing people wouldn't avenge Dmitri's death, I thought, and Aleksander would realize that soon enough. Killing a killer doesn't change the amount of killers in the world. There were other ways we could honor Dmitri. We could throw a party, Alix would love that, she hadn't been to a an actual party in a year. Sure, we had gone to several dinner parties and balls but none of them truly satisfied her the way the crazy, booze infested, trashy raves had. Maybe if I dangled that idea over her head, she would stop being so uptight and have a little fun. I really missed the fun Alix, she had balanced me out and kept my anxiety controlled. Now, she was one of my causes of anxiety. Well- her and Jaxon- both of them used to be so much fun and then suddenly, out of nowhere, they had gotten some sort of superhero complex.
The crowds of people out and about had dwindled as the sun sunk lower into the clouds. Most of Nox Haven's intricate hallways were barren, except for a few stragglers who were chatting by the window sill. I didn't know whether or not 1816 Nox Haven had a curfew or maybe the other students were off doing whatever they wanted. The sound of my heeled boots echoed through the abandoned halls. Cool breezes of air washed over my body as darkness descended upon the school. The few people I did see gave me strange looks about my outfit. For a while I forgotten that I was no longer in my dress, but in a simple dressing gown. From the horrified looks in some of the girls eyes, I decided that wearing only a dressing gown was apparently 'improper'.
Oh well. I had never fitted well in the modern era. My clothes never followed the latest trend, my music collection was a bit too alternative for the mainstream people and I preferred books to tv shows. I liked being different. I didn't care if people gossiped about me or didn't want me to come to their parties. And to be honest- I couldn't befriend someone who didn't appreciate books. Those people were crazy.
Just thinking about them got me all riled up and I knew I couldn't afford to be angry when I got the HeadMinister's room. To get what I wanted, I needed to be the poster child of respect. I needed to keep a stiff posture, a compliant smile and a soft tone. Aunt Heidi had taught me several of those mannerisms before my first gala in New York. She had said it was out of outmost importance that I dazzled the coven leaders or else they would try to stop my inheritance of the title Dark Witch. Thinking back to that day, I realized, that perhaps if I hadn't done such a good job I wouldn't even be in my current position.
I turned down the HeadMinister's alienated hallway and took a deep breath. Standing in front of the door, with my aunt's tips in mind, I quietly rapped on the door three times. Like early that day, when Moria had first shown us around, the door opened but on it's own account. Without the natural light from the windows, the room was a lot darker. There were only a few candles lit, but their golden hues weren't strong enough to illuminate each part of the room. The room that was once filled with comfortable looking sofas and piles of books were now filled with shadows. The shadows seemed to be speaking to each other but their muddled voices broke off when they heard me take a step into the room.
"Welcome child," The HeadMinister said in a frail voice.
Following the sound of her voice, I looked in the direction of the left side of the room. I could vaguely make out her small, hunched bod standing behind her massive oak desk. Flanking her sides, were the other council members. Though I couldn't see them in vivid detail, I could the weight of their gazes on me as I approached the desk.
"We were just speaking about you and your friends," The HeadMinister continued. Making a flippant gesture with her hand, she quickly introduced me to the other members. "This Lord Carmichael- the Alpha Warrior and Lord Croft- the Beta Warrior. Lady Devereux and Lord Volkov- the Mind Manipulator and Heart Curator and, of course, Lady Acosta. The Dark Witch."
I had know idea who was who but I simply nodded and smiled. The thought of Roberto's mom being in the room knotted my stomach. From what he had claimed his mother wasn't a very nice person at all. That woman could never rival my own demon of a mother but she was still a cruel bitch.
"It's nice to meet you all," I murmured.
They responded with half-hearted pleasantries. None of them felt too comfortable around me and the feeling was mutual. To them I was an anomaly, someone so different and strange they might as well call me an alien. And for me, I was just scared that one of them might become too paranoid and decide to kill my friends and I before we could go home. Humans did that too often- even witches- fear could drive a person to do crazy things. I would know, I had been in that position many a times.
"What is it on your mind, child?" The HeadMinister asked.
I wanted to ask if they had learned anything about a way home but suddenly I didn't like the idea of being stuck in a dark room alone with a group of cloaked strangers. Especially, when one of those strangers was the mother of Roberto, the very person I was trying to hide the truth from. Only then with that terrifying that prancing around in my head did I realize that I had let my thoughts run wild while the Mind Manipulator was in the room.
"We mean you no harm, dear," Lord Volkov told me as fear crawled into my heart.
"That is true for all of us," Lady Devereaux, the Mind Manipulator, assuaged my fears.
"I was just wondering if any of you had knowledge about how my friends and I could get home," I stated quickly- not wanting to seem easily intimidated.
A deep rumbling among the crowd began. They spoke so quickly, so intuned- I couldn't have even hoped to understand. The only voice I didn't hear partake in the conversation was the HeadMinister. Instead of talking, her quivering hands reached out and grabbed thick book from one of her stacks. Lifting the book in the air, with a great deal of effort, she released it onto her desk with a loud thud. The ramblings of her peers immediately broke off as they all turned to look at her.
"Does that book have information on time travel?" I asked.
"No," The HeadMinister said, "But it is very effective in getting them to stop speaking."
Struggling to keep my composure, I simply nodded and waited with thinning patience for someone to answer my question. I didn't need to wait long. The HeadMinister continued to speak when she was convinced the rest of the Council Members were on their best behavior.
"Though I have heard a few rumors on time travel over the years, I had never thought it was possible. It is a very strange black magic," The HeadMinister explained.
A husky, feminine voice continued the explanation, "I have spent my life dedicated to perfecting the arts of black magic but not even I can understand the complexity of your situation. Whoever sent you back to this time must not have been from our era."
My heart jolted in my chest when I realized that it had been Lady Acosta, Roberto's mother, speaking.
"What if it was though? What if we were sent back to this time for reason," I treated lightly and kept thoughts guarded.
"Was there a reason you four were sent back here?" Gauged The HeadMinister.
I shook my head adamantly, "I-I don't believe so. But what if there was?"
"At the moment we cannot determine that," The HeadMinister said, her voice was thoughtful. The cogs in her head were already turning. "For now, we must do more research on the possibility of time travel while you and your friends need to try to blend in. Like I had said before, it would not be in any of our best interest of this got out."
"But how?" I asked, "We're strangers here. We don't know how to talk or how to act. And I certainly don't understand the clothes you where."
"That was obvious," One of the male Council Members agreed.
"Ignore him," Lady Devereaux said in her sweet, sing-song voice. "Many of the students are at the bonfire. It's a big celebration in honor of the Fire Elementals recent win. If you want to fit in, you should go- make small talk, dance, have a good time. You'll seem less like an outsider if you partake in our actives."
"Just make sure to stay away from the liquor. Class is at eight o'clock sharp and a hangover is not a good excuse to miss it," One of the Lord's instructed with a deep chuckle.
I smiled to myself and promised him to avoid all alcohol. Bidding the rest of the Council Members goodbye, I turned from the HeadMinister's desk and navigated my way through her stacks of book. The door slammed shut behind me just as I made my way down the hall. Once again, I had found myself alone, in a dark place, with only my thoughts to keep my entertained. The halls were completely barren as I made my way back to the dorms and the blazing sun had been replaced by the moon. Looking out one of the tall windows, I smiled at the silvery orb as it faintly illuminated the massive black sky.
There was something to be said about the moon. Though it wasn't capable of generating light and energy like the sun, it did stop the night from being a complete blackout. It was the light in darkness. Our natural flashlight in the universe. It also stood for a balance that I yearned to have in my life.
Releasing a heavy sigh, I turned from the window and walked back to my dorm. Alix was in the room when I got there. She was lying on her bed, legs crossed and eyes closed. I had hoped she would stay asleep but her eyes popped open when the closed behind me.
"Great you're here. Let's-" Alix began to speak but I cut her off.
"We need to get dressed we're going out."
Alix sat up and arched a brow. "Oh really? Pray tell where we're going."
I flashed her a smile and walked over to the wardrobe. I pulled out the most non-traditional gown I could find. It still had too many skirts and the lace was looked like a grandmother's drapes but it was the only one that didn't give me indigestion just by looking at it.
"There's a bonfire tonight. I thought you were into those things?"
"Caddie, I think there are more important tasks we should be focusing on."
Where was my best friend? I wondered. She was always the fun one. The extreme party animal. When she was fifteen years old she had gotten her first fake ID and went to supernatural clubs. Now, she was turning down a little get together? I was seriously concerned with her mental health.
There was only one thing I could do. It could possibly ruin our friendship but I needed her to see sense.
"Alix," I took a deep breath, "You sound like your mother."
I tried not to laugh at the audible gasp she released. Her skin lost all color, her emerald eyes were wide with horror. I had honestly never seen her so frightened, not even when faced with an army of Dark Ones.
"Put that dress on," Alix ordered when she had gathered her wits, "We're going to a bonfire."
**This needs major edits (what else is new lol) but tomorrow I will look over it again and I fix the obvious mistakes. I hope you guys are having a happy Halloween weekend! Thank you for all your love and support. Remember to vote because the wattys are coming up and all books in the Nox Haven series have been entered. I'm not sure if they will win or be contenders but I thought it would be worth a shot, especially since you guys have shown so much support. In a year the Nox Haven series has gathered 600,000 reads collectively. So thank you!
XOXO,
Ro.**