Dresses and shoes were strewn across the room, as I dug through my massive wardrobe. The Celestial Day celebration was in two hours and I had no idea what to wear. Never before had I dressed myself for such a fancy occasion- Alix or my aunt would always find me something to wear while I stood in a corner hugging my beloved sweatshirts to my chest. It was truly horrific that sweatshirts had yet to be invented. Everything in 1816 was much too tight around the chest, my boobs were either being suffocated half the time or falling out of the dress. Apparently, that was the desired look back then- but I didn't see anything attractive in looking like a high-class whore.
Alix claimed I was a prude and that was why I couldn't stand the sight of my own boobs out in the open- if only she knew what had transpired between Aleksander and I. I was itching to talk to her about it. Sex was a subject she was accustomed to or at least that was what she claimed. Either way, she was my best friend and there were just some things that I couldn't do without her. Talking about sex was one of them, and marching into a massive room filled with people with wandering eyes was another. By now, she would have already have found a dress, tackled me to the ground and shoved it onto my body. I winced as I remembered the last time she did that. We were in London, a month ago, meeting the Queen. The Queen was mortal but she had close ties to the Beta Warrior and Mira. I had been lectured by almost everyone, Aleksander, his father, my aunt, the Beta Warrior and Mira twice. They all knew that my version of fancy was a little different than theirs. I didn't see anything wrong with what I had on, I traded my sweatshirt for a nice cream sweater and a button down shirt. I even planned on wearing khakis with it, there's nothing more professional than khakis. But then Alix barged into my hotel room, in a sparkling ball gown and dazzling jewels. She was holding a green dress that could fit two of me in the skirt. We shared a brief moment of silence before I tried to jump around her and bolt out of the door. My escape attempt was cut short, of course she had seen me try to escape her evil clutches so before I could even get close to the door, she grabbed me by the waist and wrestled me into the damn thing.
I sighed, and leaned back against the post of my bed. Tilting my head towards the window I looked out at the expansive thicket. Things would never be the same, I realized. If we ever did get back home the world we knew and the times we shared wouldn't be the same. Sure, Aleksander would still be in my life but in what way? Would we still love each other, or would we hate each other? Being captured by the Dark Ones changed him, it made him a better man. Without them Cam and Dmitri would be alive but then Alix would never have to be my Guardian. We probably wouldn't have even met. And then a really frightening thought came to my mind. Without the influence of Roberto or the Dark Ones, would my mother still be alive? And if so, how would that change me?
"Caddie?" I jumped to my feet.
Aleksander was standing in front of me looking as dashing as ever. He was a in a three piece black tuxedo, his brown locks were concealed by a black top hat. The whole outfit was giving me sexy Abraham Lincoln vibes and I couldn't help but smile.
"You look g-great," my voice cracked.
His eyes flashed with concern as he took a step towards me. "Are you ok? You look like you're going to cry."
I brushed a loose tear away and just shook my head. He didn't need to know about worries. Alek was already doing enough worrying for himself after Jaxon revealed Alix's ludicrous vision. I could see it in the back of his beautiful blue eyes, the concern and fear. He was trying to behave and not lash out like he did yesterday and for that I was grateful but after I told Jaxon and him about Adeline's amulet and my plan for getting home, there was a strange tension between us. It was all a matter of time, I realized while staring at my beautiful boyfriend, and we were running out of it.
"You just look so great and I'm still in my nightgown," I lied, turning my attention to the shapeless white dress on my body.
"Yeah, I visited Alix earlier this morning and she told me you were going to have some trouble picking out a dress. So I've come to rescue you, m'lady." He did an overexaggerated bow and held out his white gloved hand.
I took it, revealing in the feeling of the smooth satin against my calloused hands, and pulled him into the monstrosity that was my room. He let out a low whistle as he eyes darted over the scattered pieces of fabric. "It looks like your wardrobe threw up."
"I couldn't choose," I said with a shrug, "All the dresses look the same. Big skirts, tiny waist and way too much cleavage showing."
Bending down to get a closer look at the pile of dresses I had been formerly sorting through at the bottom of the wardrobe, he chuckled. "Ah Caddie, ever the Saint."
Crossing my arms over my chest, I huffed. I wasn't a saint. Saints do not have a record of killing people at least not the ones that I know of. I tried telling Aleksander that but he just laughed at me again and made a comment about how cute I looked when I pouted. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. That damn word! Cute. I was a vicious killer, what did he not understand about that!
"And apparently some saints do kill," Aleksander glanced over at me, and grinned at my death glare.
"I was doing some research on the Moon Goddesses, Alla and Aki. There are a lot of myths saying how they have wiped out masses of humans just because they don't like their specie. I don't really believe they exist but I guess that would explain some of the more aggressive plagues that came and disappeared out of nowhere."
"The Moon Goddesses do not exist, Aleksander." I scoffed. "The Council Members would have told us if so."
"I'm not so sure that's true," Alek mused, "I mean they didn't tell anyone what happened to me..." He trailed off quietly and stood up from the wardrobe with two dresses in hand.
The first was a light pink dress with diamond detailing around the halter neckline and waist. It was very pretty and I found myself taken by it immediately, then Aleksander turned it the dress around, revealing a very large pink bow. I scrunched my face up in distaste and gestured for the next one. The second was just as gorgeous, it was the kind of dress a real fairytale princess would wear with its midnight blue tulle skirt and lace bodice. I stood up, almost hypnotized by the sparkling gems nestled in the fabric. My fingers skimmed across the length of the dress, I expected the lace and tulle to feel hard and rough underneath my hands but both fabrics were gentle to the touch.
"I swear this wasn't in there when I looked," I told Alek but my eyes didn't stray away from the dress.
"Sure you didn't. How about you try it on, and I'll dig through the jewelry the Head Minister left you to wear."
Nodding absentmindedly, I gathered the dress into my arms and fled to the bathroom. Slipping out of my night gown, I grabbed the dreaded corset and sucked in a huge gulp of breath. Just remember, I told myself, the faster you do this the faster it's over. I felt like a child that had to its vegetables before it got dessert. When the corset fiasco was finally over, and I no longer had any feeling in my abdomen, I pulled the dress on. Looking at my reflection in the cracked mirror, I remembered the first time I ever wore a ball gown. It was the night I knew I couldn't ignore my feelings for Cam despite my intentions to keep him safe. In that moment he was my happy place, my solace and though I knew I had rising feelings for that boy who plagued my dreams I never thought they could match what I felt for Cam. Boy, was I wrong.
"Are you ready, Caddie?" Aleksander's voice brought me out of my musings.
I gave my reflection one last look, knowing that my hair and my face was as good as it was going to get without Alix's magical touch- and then I left the room. Aleksander was waiting for me by the door. His face lit up as he saw me in his selected gown. I didn't know what I looked to him but whatever he saw captivated him, and left him in awe. Taking my hands in his, he pulled matching satin blue gloves up my arms. When he was done, he let his finger linger on my arms for a breathless moment before trailing their way back down to my hands.
"One more thing," he murmured and pulled a sparkling item out of his pocket. It was a gold crown with sapphire jewels, I realized as he swiftly gathered my hair into a bun and clipped it into place.
"Now," he took my face in between in his hands, "You look like the princess you are."
He held out his arm and I slipped my hand through crook. Offering me one last charming grin, Aleksander pulled open the door and let me out into the hall. Jaxon was waiting for us in a similar black tuxedo as Aleksander expect he didn't wear a hat. He quickly took in my dress, and gave me a forced smile. I waved him off and pulled him into a hug. I knew he was reminiscing the last time both he and I went to a ball- Alix had been there and at the time her sight was perfectly intact.
"We'll be fine," I told Jaxon, "As long as everyone sticks to the plan."
Last night, when I managed to escape Roberto's clutches, I ran to the boys dorm and told them about the amulet. From there we decided it was time to take action. Aleksander would get the necklace from Adeline since they were close and Jaxon would steal Roberto away and sift through his thoughts. Hopefully, he'd be able to discover if the Dark Ones really are in the dungeons. My role was simple, all I had to do was go the party and make sure Roberto didn't become anymore suspicious. If that meant I had to endure his false sincerities and trade pleasantries with the sister he spoke so highly of, then fine. Whatever it took to make things right.
Aleksander led me out of the dorm with Jaxon following closely on our heels. In the entryway, there was a huge mass of students waiting for their carriages to take them to the venue. The girls wore similar dresses to mine. Some were a bit more over the top with excessive beading or oversized bows, their corsets were pulled so tightly I was worried their ribs would break and their skirts were so large their partners had to stand at least three away from them. I noticed that witches and warlocks weren't the only ones coming to the celebration, but werewolves, vampires and the fae were also waiting to leave. Watching the separate species interact, it was clear that they had obvious strifes with one another. The vampires turned their noses and sneered when a werewolf would pass by, and the latter would let out a growl when they got a whiff of the bloodsuckers. The fae were casting the witches weary glances and the witches were ignoring everyone. It was so weird. In the future, the different species were so comfortable around each other- it wouldn't be weird to see a vampire playing ball with a werewolf or a witch and faerie showing off their magical capabilities in the courtyard.
"Are you Aleksander Volkov," A man with a deep, baritone voice asked, stealing my attention away from my classmates. He had a scruffy black beard, and beady eyes. He wore a simple tweed jacket and a black bowler hat.
"Yes I am," Alek responded, "You must be Oliver, our carriage driver."
Oliver gave him an affirmative nod and lead us out of the crowded room. Carriages were lined up outside ready to take their respective clients to the celebration. Underneath the full moon, I could faintly see the gold detailing on the black carriage that Oliver was leading us too. I smiled when I saw the Nox Haven emblem on the door, a griffon with six stars above it's head. It was nice to know that something's never changed.
The carriage ride was a new experience for me, I was used to getting around in sturdy SUVs or sleek limousines. The carriage was compact, leaving the three of us with almost no leg room but it was very comfortable with the padded velvet seats convenient curtains. The three of us didn't speak much, the sound of the jostling cart and our own thoughts kept us from engaging into any real conversations. Settling into my seat, I watched as trees fleas by. My eyes glazed over every rock and bush that passed. I didn't expect to see anything interesting, maybe a deer or bunny if I got lucky but as we were turning down a narrow path I saw a shadowy figure crouching by a large bush. Narrowing my eyes I tried to get a closer look, that was when I saw something bright and shining in the figure's hand. It was a flame. Due to the dark of the night, I wasn't able to see the figure move but I knew what would be coming next. Just as we were about to pass by their bush an explosion sounded and carriage crashed.
My body collided with Jaxon who was sitting across from me. The carriages continued to tumble as we shouted and pleaded for help. My stomach twisted as my heart pounded. This was not going to be good.
"Caddie!" Aleksander yelled, "Teleport us out of here."
I couldn't even breath, let alone teleport. I was about to tell him that when he and Jaxon reached out for my hands. They really weren't giving me a choice in the matter. Forcing myself to concentrate, I closed my eyes and thought of the forest around us. The wind whipped around our bodies, dragging us out of the tumbling carriage. When we finally touched the forest floor again the carriage was long gone and Oliver was nowhere in sight.
"Somebody tried to kill us!" Aleksander jumped to his feet.
"Who would want to do that?" Jaxon groaned, rubbing his head.
I was already standing, perfectly fine and untouched by the teleportation. Holding out my hand, I hoisted Jaxon to his feet and shook my head. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget that he wasn't used to the whole 'everyone is out to get me' ordeal.
"Perhaps, the only person who would have something against us. Meaning the person we're also out to kill," I told Jaxon.
"If that's how he wants to play then fine, let's play," Aleksander sneered.
I put my hand on his arm and matched his glare, "No! We're going to stick to the plan. Remember there's a timeline here that we can't afford to mess up anymore than it is. You get the necklace, Jaxon will get the Dark Ones and leave the rest to me."
**Boss Mode: Activated. Caddie's about whip someone's butt. So yes someone tried to kill our dynamic trio, perhaps it was Roberto or maybe it was one of his cronies or maybe it was none of the three- we'll have to wait and see. I don't know if any of you guys saw the updates I did on The Dark Witch but I published the prologue of Celestial Sisters and the first Chapter- please check it out and tell me what you think. I think for the next chapter it would actually be a really good idea for you guys to read the first bit of Celestial Sisters and pay attention the physical descriptions but you know that wasn't a hint or anything....
Thank you for everyone who is still faithfully reading and invested in the story!
XOXO,
Ro.**