Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space
A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned on the wall. To his left, was the grey hallway leading to the headmaster's office. Entiny sat tall on one of his shoulders, while Midnight and Leyan lay curled at his feet. However, his ears soon caught the sound of light footsteps from the corridor. He waited as the steps grew louder until the person he was waiting for emerged into his line of sight.
At first, her dark blue eyes registered shock and she jerked on her spot when she saw him. She calmed and blinked as she met his gaze. When she broke eye contact, she fixed her attention on the sleeping green Draeling snuggling her chest.
"Did they tell you why I'm here at the Academy?" he asked. Areisha's arms tightened around Emera as she nodded. Alec sighed yet again as he pushed himself off the wall. Midnight and Leyan stood and followed as he walked away from the brunette. He paused in his steps when she spoke though.
"I have a feeling that you want to say something other than that."
It took a minute before he looked over his shoulder at her. She was approaching him with slow strides. The long pauses she made in between each step gave him the notion that she was being cautious about nearing him. He looked back to his front and stared down at his boots.
"I wanted to ask a few things about your mother, but...I assumed that you probably don't want to talk about her."
"What made you assume that?" he heard her ask. "I love talking about Mama."
He fell quiet and he quickly asked himself why he decided to go through with it in the first place. He blamed his unquenchable curiosity for it. Areisha's dark eyes snapped him out his thoughts. Jerking back from their close proximity, he wondered how she got in front of him without him noticing.
"Follow me," she said. "I want to ask you some things too." She pivoted and walked to the direction of the main doors. Entiny's tugging at his pants made him move and he caught up to her after a few long strides. As they descended the small steps, Areisha took the path leading to the Academy Garden. The last time he passed through there was when he first arrived in Draeyer Academy. Now that he thought about it, it felt like a long time ago after all that had happened in the past month and a half.
"What are we doing here?" he asked. His eyes fell on the trimmed hedges and topiaries and different flowers as they passed.
"Talking about it in the main wouldn't be a good idea," she said. "Riki and the other academy pressmen of the Weekly Eagle often scoot around there."
"What makes you think they wouldn't come here?"
Areisha paused and she twisted her body to look at him. One of her perfectly trimmed brows rows before she shook her head. She looked to her front and strode over to a stone bench before taking a seat. She placed Emera on her lap and stroked the flower markings on the Draeling's neck. He stood before her as he waited for her answer.
"You're very intelligent but sometimes you're too lazy to make deductions," she said. One his brows twitched in annoyance at what she said but he forced his mouth shut. "You said it yourself. Your senses are much better when you're outside. You'll be able to tell if someone's approaching. I understand how private this matter is for Headmaster Donovan."
Alec huffed before his eyes fell on the empty spot next to her on the bench. Seeing it was too small for him to sit without making body contact with her, he settled for the grass near her feet. His triplets followed his actions and they lay clumped together next to him. While his eyes were trained on a patch of red roses, he spoke.
"Why did your mother have that blessed dagger?"
There was a brief pause before she answered. "I don't know. But yesterday, my father said that a friend gave it to mother as a present."
Alec craned his neck to look at her and tilt his head to one side in confusion. "Last I recall holy weapons were only made centuries ago, when kings and royal families existed. I doubt somebody would give up such an artifact as a gift."
"That's why I didn't believe him when he said it," Areisha said. "I didn't want to force it out of him especially since we're finally getting along again."
He opted not to pry at the last one. "Any ideas why she would have it then?" She only shook her head as her answer. He sighed and propped his elbow on one of his knees. Cradling his face on his palm, his fingers toyed with the grass. Silence fell on them both and it was filled by the sound of Emera's soft snoring and the rustling of the tree's leaves. They sat there, leaving each other to their own musings. Areisha spoke after a long while.
"Why would an Eimion and that bastard be after you?"
"The Eimion is after you too. As for that thief, I have no idea," he said. "But after seeing that he worked for that Eimion, I guess they have the same reason―whatever it is."
"Did you believe him, when he said he looked 'after us' when we were infants?"
His lips closed and trapped the words he was about to say. He shook his head, and he didn't have to turn and look to make sure she saw the gesture.
"Is Alec even your real name?" That question struck him like a lightning bolt. He found a bitter smile tugging at his lips for some reason. He released a sigh.
"My brother has been calling me Alec for as long as I can remember," he said.
"Beuen called you Cen―"
"Don't say it. Whenever I hear it I get nightmares for some reason. Don't ever call me that."
From the corner of his eye, he saw her stiffen from his cold tone. She looked away from him and plucked the small yellow daisy growing near her feet. As she plucked its petals one by one, she mumbled incoherent words under her breath.
"Do you still want to leave this place?" she asked him. His silence answered her question instead. He had been asking himself that question for a while now. So far, he hadn't come to a decision.
"Staying here isn't safe like Gael thought it would be. I'm waiting for either they decide where I go or they let me decide," he said. "Ever since I came here I was already putting the lives of the students in danger. But..."
"You don't want to leave?"
"I don't know."
Emera's yawn drew their attention to her. The Draeling's pink eyes fluttered open before she stood on the bench and stretched her body. She hopped to the grass and crawled to where Alec's triplets lay and went back to sleep next to them. Alec and Areisha smiled at the sight. The former reached out and petted each of their head, to which they gave a delighted purr.
"Nothing will change," he said. "You'll act like the headmaster didn't tell you anything."
"Do you really think I'm not capable of doing, bastard? What do you take me for?"
He faced her and smiled. "Thank you little squirrel."
Areisha abruptly stood and went to cradle Emera in her arms again. As she did so, Alec noticed the faint hue of red tainting her cheeks. It vanished though when she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I told you not to call me that!"
He couldn't stop himself and grinned while shaking his head. As a whistling sound escaped his lips, Entiny, Midnight and Leyan awoke from their brief nap.
"Hey, lovebirds!" a familiar voice called. Their attention fell on Solana who stood at the garden's wooden arched entrance. A huge smile graced her face as she waved at them. "It's lunch time. We've been waiting for you two." Behind her, Knox stood with his arms crossed and an amused smile on his face.
"Coming Lana," Alec called. He crossed the distance between him and the twins. His Draelings followed close with Areisha a few feet behind them. However, the moment they met with the twins, Solana and Knox yelled.
"Last one to reach the dorm won't get dessert!"
The twins zoomed away, and left faint clouds of dust above the cobblestone in their wake. Alec turned to Areisha with a raised brow. She only shrugged her shoulders. As they stared into each other's eyes, grins lit up their faces.
"Cheaters!" they yelled as they ran after their friends.
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For those who PMed me and asked if I'm a boy or a girl...I'm a girl...HAHA. Alec has fixed the confusion and helped me make my new bio
Oh yeah...I have an announcement after the next chappie
Bye for now coz I got exams.