(A/N: Above is a picture of Kace. Handsome, isn't he?;P)
"...I told him a story of two people. Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other."
― Jojo Moyes (Me Before You)
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My eyes fluttered open as the dream slowly receded from the edge of my vision. Outside, the sky was still an inky black, scattered with stars, twinkling playfully, seemingly mocking my dismal mood.
I felt sweaty and gross but most of all confused. Blissfully restful land my ass, I thought faintly.
What was that dream? And did I actually go back in the past? And that jade pendant, it couldn't possibly be the same one as...
I snapped open the drawer and heaved a relived sigh at spotting the necklace, still seating exactly where I left it. For some reason, I had expected it to disappear. At least, it was safe. But that still didn't answer the question about whether it was the same one that I saw in my dream. Even if it was, how did come into mom's possession?
I exhaled deeply and for the umpteenth time wondered maybe I should drink that mead. It might be able to tell me about the pendant and its possible history. Biting my lip, I gingerly touched the vial. It was just a drop, after all...
At the last moment though, I chickened out. I couldn't do it. I wasn't sure what it was that stopped me. Maybe it was the thought that I might not like what I find. Chewing on my lip, I put back the vial and snapped shut the drawer. I stole a look at my phone beside me. The time showed 3: 50 am. My eyes fell on the date displayed right below the time. I realised with a start that today was 10th October – my birthday (I always did like my birthday date by the way – 10/10.)
If anything, my mood became even gloomier. I recalled mom's plan to spend my birthday weekend together. Just us – mother and daughter. But now she was gone.
"Happy birthday, Ava," I whispered to myself. I was responded with the eerie quiet and darkness of the room. I sighed and thought, Well, so much for a happy birthday.
I crawled back into bed and was hovering in between consciousness and sleep, when a sharp urgent knock snapped me awake. I sat up straight, wondering who it was. Sighing, I got up and opened the door.
Standing at the threshold was Josh, almost a silhouette in the dim light of the corridor behind, that is, until the moonlight streaming in from my window caught his face as he turned to look at me. I sucked in a breath, struck with the abrupt and unexpected thought of how angelic he looked with his tousled black hair, his iridescent stormy blue eyes, the long lashes and the slight flush in his cheeks. For a moment, we both stared at each other. I could only guess the clammy, bedraggled mess I looked like. However, I caught something in his expression – something he must have assumed would be obscured in the dark – that suggested otherwise.
"Josh?" I asked softly, my voice betraying my surprise.
"Yup, it's my awesome-self all right. And you, Ava, look particularly pretty tonight, if I do say so myself," Josh drawled with his all-too familiar arrogant voice, eyeing my hair that resembled a bird's nest, I was sure. My eyes narrowed. So maybe I was wrong about the look in his eyes.
"God damn, don't just stand on the doorway, let us in before someone spots us!" whispered a voice behind Josh. I realised that there were two other figures standing behind Josh that I hadn't noticed before. Kace and Vanessa.
"Oh, um, come in, I guess," I said. The three of them shuffled inside quietly and I quickly shut the door behind them. Josh slumped down in a chair while Kace and Vanessa sat down heavily on my unmade bed. I looked at them, crossing my arms and raised an eyebrow. "Wanna explain what's going on?"
They looked at each other. Vanessa cleared her throat and started, "Well, you see, after our...uh, adventure in the Dwarf City, we had hoped to be included and provided a little more information on about the investigation and security measures being undertaken by the Council. But, as it happened, we weren't included."
Well, that was the last thing I thought they would come to talk to me about by barging into my room in the middle of the night. Somehow, a teeny-tiny part of me had hoped that maybe they had found out it was my birthday and had come to wish me. Not they have any idea when it was. Maybe a part of me had hoped they had gone out of their way to search my birth date, despite all the upheaval and turmoil happening that obviously demanded everyone's attention.
"We just got back tonight. They probably hadn't had a chance to tell us anything," I reasoned, pushing away those thoughts. I hoped I disguised the disappointment in my voice. It might sound vain, especially with all that was happening, but I've always enjoyed my birthdays. I always awaited them with barely controlled excitement. Not because I cared about gifts – oh, no, I didn't at all. It just felt like it was...my day – just special. Okay, forget it, that didn't make any sense.
"Oh, but they did. Did you know there was an emergency Council meeting after our return?" Vanessa said, oblivious to my thoughts. "And they didn't tell us! In fact, we never would've found out if Kace hadn't seen his father slip into the Hall, looking all furtive and stuff."
"What were you doing wandering the halls alone at night?" I asked Kace raising an eyebrow.
His hazel eyes widened and he spluttered something incomprehensible.
"I almost forgot to ask you that," Josh said with narrowed eyes. "Not rushing off to meet that Five-legged Reindeer, were you?"
"Five-legged Reindeer?" I asked, bewildered.
"A warlock who has five legs and also has a very red nose like Rudolph the reindeer," Josh explained matter-of-factly. "Kace has been crushing on him for years."
"I have not!" Kace said indignantly.
"You're gay?" I asked Kace with wide eyes. "And you like a guy with five legs?"
"I do not!" huffed out Kace. "I mean, yes I like boys but not Rudolph!" he added quickly.
"Oh my God!" Vanessa shrieked with frustration. "Shut it, will you? We can discuss about five-legged Reindeer later! We have an important task ahead! Please focus!"
"Gracious, woman, stop yelling. Anyways, what were we saying?" Josh said. "Ah, yes, the Council meeting. Now, obviously, we were offended at not having been included. Plus, we couldn't even spy! The storage room was disposed off as promised, all right. However, we thought that maybe if we helped them a bit more...like, say, provided a bit more vital info than maybe we would finally be included in the meetings!"
"Or maybe they won't include us still because we are children," I said.
"Talk about yourself. I'm 17, about to turn 18 in a few months. I have a right to be included, especially if Cuckoo boy is included too," said Josh.
It took me a moment to register that Cuckoo boy was none other than Cade.
"Why would he be included?"
"Because of his father," Kace explained. "Mr Stone, Cade's father, is an important and influential person in Morlean politics. He descends from one of the oldest and most revered families of Guardians. So, as you might imagine, all he needed to do was pull some strings so that his precious son might be a member of the Council. Granted, Cade is 18, so legally and age-wise he is qualified."
"Not brain-wise," Josh added helpfully.
"I should've known you'd be jealous," I said, eyeing Josh.
"Oh how high you think of me," Josh said glaring at me. "It's not jealously. At least, not all of it. We're curious. Plus, in the short time you have been with us, you must have noticed we never were the one to sit still and idle. We want to help, don't you?"
"I suppose so," I relented. "But how do you intend to do it? What's the plan?"
Vanessa smirked. "Well, in the time when we were down in the Dwarf City, you weren't the only one who could glean some useful data. I may have bumped into an elf, a very drunk elf and coaxed out some information out of him."
"More like flirted enough to make him hard," Kace muttered.
"What do you know about elves, Ava?" Vanessa asked, ignoring Kace.
"Not much. Just that they are beautiful and have superhuman strength?" I said with shrug.
"Right. They do have an ethereal beauty in them. They are skilled archers too. Apart from that, they have a deep appreciation for nature, art, music..." Vanessa paused dramatically. "And languages."
"...is that supposed to ring a bell?"
She deflated a little. "They know a lot of languages. Apart from the dialects in the mortal world, they also know demonic languages."
"And how will that help us?"
"Don't you remember the symbols etched in the chest of the victims?" Vanessa asked.
With realisation dawning on me, I gasped out an "Oh!"
She looked pleased. "So, you see, I had made a copy of these symbols right when I first saw them because my Mom asked me to. So, we had decided we're going to go and show these elves the symbols. I have no doubt these symbols are an ancient demon dialect. If anybody can translate it, it would be the elves!"
"That's a good plan, Vanessa," I admitted. "But don't you think Mr Blackwell would've already thought to translate these symbols?"
"That's right. He gave the research job to my parents as you might remember, that includes translating the meaning of these symbols. However, my parents and the group gathered by them have been simply too busy swiping through the archives for the possible meanings behind those other clues, like you know how the murders have been spaced three days apart and how it occurred at the stroke of midnight. They have yet to solve the symbols. But now, we can do it for them!" Vanessa explained enthusiastically.
"That is all very good, I suppose. But how are we supposed to get hold of the elves?"
"You forget, I am half-elf," Kace said, smiling his dimpled smile. "We could've gone to my mom maybe but then the Council would find out what we were up to. However, my mom's sister, my aunt, is quite close to me and if I'm not wrong, unaware of the murders. We could go to her and hopefully, she'll provide us with answers."
I didn't say it out loud but I was definitely impressed. They had it all planned.
"So, what do you say?" Josh asked, breaking the brief silence that had settled. "Will you come with us?"
I gazed out at the moon beyond in the black sky and my mom's face appeared in my vision. With a sudden determination taking hold of me, I replied, "When do we leave?"
Josh grinned, "Now."
~***********~
Kace *feigning anger* : Vote if you think these guys are bullying me!
Josh: Aw man, c'mon! You know we love you!
Vanessa: He's adorable when he's sulking, isn't he?
Kace: W-What? I-I'm not adorable! I'm the most manly man ever! Guys, vote if you agree! Let's prove these dim-witted idiots wrong!