Of the Noble
0. Prologue
She walked down a London street, casting frightened glances over her shoulder and listening intently for them again. Those footsteps. She hurried her pace, trying to get home. There was an alleyway up ahead, she noticed. Something was telling her it would be a good place to hide. That she would be safe. "Come to me," it seemed to be saying, "and I will protect you." She began sprinting and leapt forward into the shadows of the alley. And the shadows suddenly turned to light and swallowed her whole, like she was being submerged in water.
That was the last time our world would ever see the girl named Lynn Barrows.
The headline was printed on the newspaper two days later, the year at the top dated in blotted ink, 1851. "Local girl missing, yet another in a string of disappearances.? Maybe another in a string of murders. "Lynn Barrows was last seen at Gonzo's Bakery last Wednesday night, at approximately seven-o-clock. According to the shop's owner, the young girl was displaying odd behavior before her disappearance. Barrows is a Caucasian female of fourteen years with shoulder length, dark brown hair and green eyes. She is approximately 5'4' in height and 115 lb. in weight. If anyone has any?"
1. The Ball
The sun fluttered through the mansion's grand windows that stretched from floor to ceiling along his bedroom's north wall. Large curtains flowed around them, catching the dust and releasing it into the sunny rays. In the large posted bed, Jeb lay underneath his covers, in a deep sleep.
The fountain outside of the school and in the gardens flowed and splashed. Two students sneaked away from their tutors in order to take a nap somewhere beside the school's lake. Two boys raced their mighty horses through the school's forests, a place where the steeds ran wild along with other creatures. The school was grand indeed.
It was a new year, Jeb knew that much from the increased amount of students appearing at the school's front gate, seemingly unannounced but completely expected. Maybe more simply had chosen to answer the call. Maybe the school had been trying harder to call out to these noble youths, the darkness of their ancestors' pasts growing ever closer, but there were more new students this year than usual. He knew this because it had been three years since Jeb first found himself in their same position. Confused, scared, but utterly star struck at the possibilities and wonders this magical world beheld. The magic that he had always had but never knew suddenly arising and heating up his blood like some wonderful poison.
Another girl arrived at the gate, spewing forth from an explosion of light, the sight looking like she had been born from some bright, white blooming flower and swept up by the wind as it disappeared. The dark-headed, petite, brunette slowly rose from the ground, her jaw dropping as she took in the castle that greeted her. She spun around, to look at the direction from which she had came. There lay a stretch of road. In the distance a town could be seen. But as she turned to run she was pushed backwards by some invisible force, like the opposing end of a magnet.
The two greeters dressed in crisp white suits that stood at the front gate approached her. Although Jeb could not clearly hear them, their intention was obvious. "We've been expecting you," they said, Jeb echoing the same words in his mind that they had said unto him upon his arrival, "your majesty."
"Your majesty," the chime of a woman's voice brought Jeb back to reality. Suddenly he was traveling away from the front gate, past the garden, the forests, the lake, and everything else that he had seen. Flying over them reluctantly, like the stone that rested in the band of a sling-shot as it was being drawn backwards. Then, it was shot forward as Jeb's soul re-entered his body and he shot upright in his bed, his blonde hair wild from sleeping.
"Christ!" He shouted, and turned to his servant. "How many times have I told you not to wake me!"
"I'm sorry," the servant said, in a loud voice, and cowered behind a book that she was holding, "I forgot about your traveling sir! Please forgive me!"
Jeb huffed. "How could you forget?" He asked her, sarcastically, and at the same time reached for the book. "It is the reason I am here after all." He plucked the book from her hands. "Is this what you have woken me for? What is this?"
"Your instructor left it with Wayward this morning sir."
"Ah," Jeb said, flipping the book around in his hands. "He probably wants it read by the next lesson. Well, he'll just have to wait. Today is a busy day after all. It's the start of the new year and the academy has it in their heads that if they hold some kind of large ball to kick it off the new students will feel a little less like crying over their separation from their families and a little more like dancing and celebrating, which is utter rubbish if you ask me, but I say why not? I've already gotten over it, so might as well have some fun despite their expense."
"I'm sure that isn't exactly what they believe sir," the maid said, in her superiors' defense.
"Ah, but I am," Jeb said, and tapped his forehead knowingly.
________________________________________
"It seems like there is a good turn out this year," Estell Treaste said to Remington Greenwood, a tutor to students who hailed from the Kingdom of the Third, as they walked about the school's garden. "I believe the call is becoming stronger, or," she put a hand on Greenwood's shoulder, "the nobles' magic is reawakening in the human world... Oh wouldn't that be splendid! They'd be safe without having to leave their families, oh how heartbroken they are that they never get to see them."
Remington grinned as he looked down at Estell, the young headmistress of the academy. "Perhaps so, but that magic has been locked inside those on earth for centuries, without a smidgen of progress until now. I think it will be a while before it grows strong enough in the mundane world that its significance can be noted. Perhaps their magic is simply growing stronger in the mundane world because of the De-"
"Don't say that word!" Estell snapped at him.
"But-," he tried to protest.
"Today is a happy day at the academy. We will not ruin it with melancholy discussions."
Remington lowered his voice to a whisper, leaning in closer to Estell, causing her to slightly blush. "I've even heard there was a servant here of the Volpi society. Almost no one knows of their existence, they were thought to have almost died out with our homeland. Now suddenly they've come out of the shadows, one of them even has been sent to our school, at your request! Don't tell me you're not worried about the -,"
With a ?humph,? Estell picked up the hem of her dress and started marching back towards the castle and the great hall. She cast one last look over her shoulder, tossing her curly red hair and saying her words with a royal finality, "I thought I told you I would not let my day be ruined! Now, I have a ball to make preparations for; a happy ball. Go, inform all the students to be dressed and proper by six this evening. That is when we will begin this marvelous New Year," she grinned, with a wink. "Until then, adieu."
Remington shook his head, ?Impossible woman.
________________________________________
"Stop crying," her chamber-maid, who had been assigned to her as she entered the academy's dormitory for girls, comforted her. She rubbed a hand across her back, a hand that Lynn Barrows shook off begrudgingly. It wasn't her maid's fault. Lynn wanted someone to blame. She wanted to blame someone for stripping her away from her life and throwing her into this world she knew nothing about. This world that she had only just come to know from the information she had gathered from the other students.
This world made her feel hungry. Her stomach didn't feel hollow, but she ached for something more. Something made her ache for sustenance. It was the magic, she had been told. The magic that had been stored inside her since her birth and now ached to get out, like a scream one sometimes felt coiled up in their chest. But Lynn couldn't scream. This was a world that, in Lynn's mind, seemed as if it was ready to crumble away and shatter if she did, and she?d fall into an abyss of nothing. It wasn't stable. It was like a dream, or more so a nightmare. Though, although she ached for it like her magic ached to be freed, Lynn didn't yell. She could only cry as she sat on her bed, her face down in her hands as her tears soaked them. "Don't cry," her chamber-maid said again, "you don't want your pretty face to be swollen for the ball."
"The ball!" Lynn looked up and gawked in the face of the maid, her eyes wide with shock. "The ball! Do I look like I want to attend a ball? Is the one who owns this school mad?"
The maid looked downwards, quirking her mouth to the side as if trying to keep it closed. "Well? a little eccentric maybe, but certainly not mad. Oh please go though mistress, I promise you'll feel better after you go. Nothing good ever came from holing yourself up in your chambers all day, sobbing into your hands-"
"I do not sob," Lynn said, like a child, "especially not in the company of strangers. And what good will come out of going to a ball? It won't get me home, that of which I am for sure."
"Now miss-"
"Don't pressure me," Lynn said, after she finished wiping at her cheeks she waved a hand at her maid. She couldn't cry much more, her eyes had been wrung dry. "Leave me alone and let me think," she pleaded. "Please?"
"If that's what you want," her maid said before getting up, her head slightly bent in a polite bow, before quietly stepping over to the doorway and exiting.
Lynn fell back on her mattress, her shoulder-length brown hair fanning out around her face. She stared up at the ceiling. The room was nice, nicer than her room back in London. In London she lived a simple life with her mother and father, her little brother and her dog Pumpkin. Her mother had fallen sick when Lynn was eleven, and so she quit school in order to tend to her needs along with their servant Natalie. It didn't matter anyways, her brother had been born by then and would surely go on to finish school and graduate from a prominent college for boys. Lynn would stay at home learning to cook and sew and clean like most girls.
By now Lynn had rolled over on her side and was fiddling with one of her pillows, adorned with beautiful stitching and covered with lace. It was indeed a wonderful work of craftsmanship. Certainly it was sown by a talented woman, but, despite how beautiful the pillow was, it wasn't something Lynn yearned to create. She'd rather admire the work of others than create it. She picked up the pillow and held it to her chest. But ah, how nice it would be to go to school again, at a place where she was treated like royalty nonetheless.
There was a knock on her door and Lynn huffed in exasperation. "Come in," she called, and the maid entered yet again, carrying a sweeping cr?me color gown with lace at the arm puffs and neckline. White trimming tapered down the center of it in a beautiful empire shape.
"Sorry to disturb you again madam, but I thought I should tell you that your dress has been delivered."
"This is my dress?" Lynn's eyes widened as she rose from the bed. She fluttered over to the gown as if she was walking on clouds and ran a weary hand over it, wondering if this beautiful garment could really be hers. It was impossible, right? She had only just gotten there?
"Yes, they had it made just before your arrival," the maid said, with a kind smile. ?Didn?t the greeters already say it? We?ve been expecting you Miss Barrows.?
"How lovely? but how? Oh, never mind." Lynn muttered, realizing that she didn?t really want to hear the explanation.
"And so?"
Lynn looked up at her maid, at first somber but with a slight smile spreading across her face. She nodded. Why not? "Well, maybe this ball won?t be so bad..."
________________________________________
The bell that hung in one of the castle's towers chimed a total of six times, signaling the beginning of the evening and the beginning of the academy's welcoming ball. Those of high noble lineage pulled up in their own horse drawn carriages that were driven by their servants, for students of high noble lineage lived in the most prestigious housing on campus and were given the most maids and servants to tend to their needs. This was all determined, or course, by how often your bloodline strayed from the noble line. The less, the better. Those that lived in the dormitories and were of lesser noble lineage traveled on foot, their quarters only being a short walks away from the school's main hall and ballroom, where the dance was to be held.
The gardens that led up to the large doorway were lined with flowers, beside those flowers on the cobblestone walkways, ornate Chinese lanterns were lit to light the students' way. As the headmistress had requested, the students all seemed to have worn their best clothing for the event. Girls wore full dresses in a variety of colors, decorated with flowers and lace, pearl necklaces that dangled around their necks and silk gloves covered their hands and arms. Their hair was tied up in an assortment of ways while some chose to wear it down in loose curls. Their faces were powdered and their cheeks pinched rosy red. The chatter of boisterous laughter and modest giggles could be heard through the air as the boys tried to woo the beautiful ladies and as the girls played coy to their escorts, who were dressed in sleek suits and other gallant attire.
Estell watched it all with bright eyes as the students flooded into the ballroom, her mood lightening at their happy faces and smiles. It brought joy to her heart to see them so lively and young. She smoothed out her coral colored gown, which was supposed to bunch at the hipbone rather than her waist, as it seemed to be fond of doing, and greeted another batch of students as they walked through the doorway.
"You seem pleased," Remington said, coming to stand beside her in a dark tweed suit and hat.
Estell reached up and brushed a flake of fuzz from his shoulder. "Of course I am. As I have said many times, this is a happy event for everyone," her eyes then landed on a petite brunette girl, who's slightly puffy eyes could not be hidden by the powder on her face. Estell shook it off after a polite nod and turned her attention back to Remington. "I don't know why you even bother to question me."
"Yes," he mumbled, "why do I bother?"
________________________________________
"Ah your dress is beautiful," one of the girls standing near Lynn chattered. The girl's face had been powdered white, her black hair slicked and styled until it looked like a sculpture. Her lips were a peachy pink and she looked like a little china doll. Her dress was a deep maroon, sparkling here and there from something that looked like? diamonds! Lynn shook her head. No, that couldn't be it. But there was no denying it, this girl's dress and wardrobe was far more extravagant and beautiful than Lynn's modest gown, which she happened to love because of its simplicity.
Her foreign appearance was striking as well, and Lynn had to recall that not everyone at the academy hailed from Briton, though a majority. Everyone spoke the same dialect, only differing in accent. Lynn could only assume it was a part of the magic of this place and didn't really question it. By the fake chime in the girl's voice, her false flattery was evident. Though, Lynn had to give her credit, at least she was trying to make conversation.
"Thank you," Lynn said, with a meek smile and small nod. "And what might your name be?"
The girl looked aghast, as if Lynn should have already known. "Ha Mei Re," and Lynn wanted to laugh, she had never heard such a winded first name, "a second year, of the Fifth," the pampered girl continued.
"Well nice to meet you Ha Mei Re," Lynn said to her. "My name is Lynn Barrows? And I love your dress as well. It's simply? darling."
There was a slight sneer in Mei Re's smile. "Yes, it is ?darling? isn't it?"
Lynn returned the girl's corny and fake smile. Hopefully not every girl here was as blatantly stuck up as Ha Mei Re. She at least wanted to happily immerse herself in this magical world while she was there. Trying to treat it as a dream she would wake up from eventually.
As part of her immersion, Lynn tried to go over this girl's nobility in her head. This girl was of the Fifth, which meant she was from the Kingdom of the Fifth. She had been informed that centuries ago there were originally seven kingdoms that made up the dimension from which those who possessed Noble Magic descended from, and those kingdoms were known as the Seven Kingdoms.
The Kingdom of the Firsts' nobles were skilled enchanters, the Seconds' nobles were summoners. From what Lynn had learned, she was of the Second. The Thirds' were transformers, or shape-shifters. The Fourths' were Seers and mediums. The Fifths' were elementalists. The Sixths' were masters of the runes. And, finally, the Sevenths' were warriors and masters of strength and agility.
Lynn found a secluded area in the ballroom and leaned against a pillar, the gears in her mind turning and churning. It all sounded so silly; Noble Magic, the Seven Kingdoms, other dimensions and what not. "What am I doing here?" She muttered to herself. "When I should be worried about getting home?"
"Would you like to dance?" As Lynn was sulking against the wall, a boy emerged from the shadows beside her, his blonde hair brushed back and a black top-hat placed on top of his head. His suit was perfect, black, smooth and charming. His blue eyes were suave and dancing in the light.
"But I can't dance," Lynn said, trying not to give into the temptation of his looks and blush. So she looked in the opposite direction. Because she really couldn't dance and, if she chose to, she'd just embarrass herself. And she couldn't have that. Plus she didn't like dancing with strangers.
He grinned. "That's okay. I'll dance well enough for the both of us," he reached down and took her hand. "My name is Jeb," he told her, before pulling her out onto the floor behind him.
The orchestra began to play another song that seemed just for their ears alone, as she was lead out onto the chandelier lit dance floor made of pine. Everyone moved and glided with such elegance, the color of the girls' dresses blended together and separated like the pieces in a kaleidoscope. Jeb took her hand in his and placed his other at her waist. But he was standing a little too close for comfort, like he was already too familiar with her. He continued to grin, as if he found her discomfort amusing, even though she was trying not to let it show. She placed her other hand on his shoulder and gulped.
"Don't worry," he assured her, "just follow my lead."
He swept her forward, surprising her with how quickly and smoothly he fell into rhythm with the music. One, two, three, one, two, three, they stepped and spun in circles, her dress and hair fanning out around her. Even though she stumbled here and there, he'd bring her right back up to step and never missed a beat. He smiled down at her, and she wasn't sure if it was because he was having fun or if he was entertained by her mistakes. When the song was over, Lynn was dizzy, her feet still stumbling with the pattern. Jeb linked arms with her to steady her.
"Well," he huffed, "that was fun. You weren't half as bad as you thought."
"Well," Lynn said, embarrassed, "I didn't think I was that bad."
Jeb arched an eyebrow, bemused. "Of course you didn't."
"Jeb," A voice called out to them and the blonde-headed boy turned his attention towards one of the staff members. Remington, Lynn believed he was called, "nice of you to finally join us, though late as usual."
"Be lucky I even decided to come," Jeb scoffed. "But you and Estell seem to be having a rather fond time Remington."
Remington looked flustered. "Well of course. She's been looking forward to this ball for months. She wanted to speak with you; she's standing by the doorway now."
"I saw her," Jeb stated. He looked down at Lynn, now unlinking their arms. "Sorry, but I'll be excusing myself," he smiled, and with that he left with the older gentleman.
Lynn watched his back as he disappeared through a crowd of people then up the short stairs that led to the small landing just inside the doorway, where he was greeted by a small red-headed woman, who Lynn recognized as the headmistress. She greeted him affectionately, like a friend she hadn't seen in a while, and they both walked off to the left, towards the parlor rooms, leaving Remington by himself to welcome and say goodbye to the other students as they walked through the doors. As she watched them disappear behind a wall, her eyes flickered by Mei Re, who was looking at her with angry eyes, her mouth curved downward in detest.
The look made Lynn uncomfortable and she looked down and shifted her feet nervously. Maybe going to the dance wasn't the best thing for her right now. Right now what she needed was a quiet place to think; a place where she could just be logical and not like some fairytale princess. She needed fresh air.
"Leaving so soon?" Remington asked her, as she headed out the doorway.
"No, no," she muttered, anxious to get out but not wanting to seem rude, "I just need some fresh air."
"Ah," Remington said, crossing his arms and leaning back a little, "then you should go walk around our gardens. We have them lit nicely specifically for this evening. I must say they are rather beautiful at night."
Lynn nodded. The gardens would actually be a nice place for her to gather her thoughts, plus she loved her family's small garden at home. "I think I'll do that," she told him, before taking her leave into the breezy night.
________________________________________
"Has Remington mentioned it yet?" Estell asked Jeb, as they sat in one of the two parlor rooms connected to the ballroom. There were only two other people in the room, both having a discussion at a table on the opposite end of the room. The other parlor room wasn't technically open for this evening, though Jeb knew some of the students had secretly snuck their way inside to drink and gamble like every other year, only to be caught by one of the faculty. It was almost tradition. He'd normally be there alongside them, if he hadn't been called by Estell. He had a knack for gambling, one of the benefits of being a mind reader. "About the demons," she continued, her eyes pressing and trying to hold his attention.
"He said something about them," Jeb told her, leaning back on the red velvet sofa, "plus I became suspicious of the large amount of new students arriving at the academy this year. Plus, I can kind of read what you?re thinking anyways...."
Estell nodded her head, her expression showing she was too familiar with this bravado and his tone that spoke nothing but assured confidence. "Well aren't you just the informed one then," she told him, with a slight grin. "Then I probably don't need to tell you why I wanted to speak with you."
Jeb shrugged. "I have an idea. But who really knows what you?re thinking. You don?t even know what you?re thinking or planning to say half the time,? he mocked her.
"Yes," Estell told him, frowning a little, ?well I do know what I want to say to you this time. The amount of demons finding their way into the academy has been on a rise and I fear our guards might not be able to keep them out alone. There might be an increased number of casualties this year. They've figured out we're taking the nobles who possess magical powers and hiding them here. It won't be long before all demons from earth and Hell catch on and?"
"Get to the point Estell," Jeb told her, with a tiny roll of his eyes and an uninterested sigh. "This I know. But what do you want with me?"
"The students need to learn to defend themselves," she said. "We've been teaching them how to use their powers, but that's not enough. They have to learn to fight, if worst comes to worst."
Jeb nodded and sat up a little more, his face finally showing some enthusiasm. "I agree. I've actually spoken to Remington about this before, but he always shot me down. You should have started it earlier an?"
Estell held up a hand. "Please don't lecture me on my past mistakes now. It's too late to save those that have been lost because I didn't listen. What's important is that I've decided to do this now. I need you to spread the word. Students who wish to learn to defend themselves should meet at the entrance to the woods tomorrow at nine in the morning, that's where our lessons will first start. I know it is late notice. I will go and spread the word to those in the girls' dorms; Remington will go to the boys'. I leave the private housing up to you. You will be attending these lessons as well? I hope." It certainly sounded more like a question than a statement.
"I'll spread the word," Jeb assured her, "and I will attend the lessons, though I don't know what good it will do me." He sighed. "I mean, what am I going to do? I can just read minds. My powers aren't the combative type."
Estell's eyes twinkled, excited with the premise of her plan coming together at last. "One doesn't need their powers to fight. The mundane have been fighting without magic for centuries. And who knows, maybe you'll find something out about your powers that will surprise you."
Jeb looked down at his hands that were folded in his lap, laughing in a deep hush at Estell's complete unfounded optimism. "Yeah, maybe."
________________________________________
The garden was dark aside from the few paper lanterns scattered around it and placed on the side of the fountain, which bubbled and spewed in the middle of the weaving pathways and hedges. Lynn walked around the fountain, tracing her hand along its marble edge. There was no one out in the garden aside from her, with only the occasional chirping of a cricket or something else breaking the silence. Now that she had left the buzz and glamour of the ballroom, the melancholy expression had returned to her face. Her eyes were downcast, looking at her reflection in the fountain's pool as she circled around it.
"I need to go home," she muttered, watching as her lips moved in the reflection of the water, having a conversation with herself. "But home isn't safe? And I don't know how to get there?" But someone had to know, most likely the person who brought her there. But Lynn learned only summoners were able to send things to and take things from other dimensions. And only the summoner who took that something from a dimension would be able to send it back.
So? whoever created that portal, the one she had stumbled into in the Briton alleyway? That's who she needed to find. But how? When she had first arrived at the school, she was given a brief tour around the campus. There was a study hall dedicated to each of the Seven Kingdoms where students could study on their own time and be taught by teachers if they chose to. Everything as far as studying was concerned was very loose.
The school simply seemed to have been created, more or less, as an institution designed to keep the noble students safe. Aside from the study halls, dorms, and other housing, there was a dining hall, a ballroom, and a library. There was also a bell tower, which loomed over the rest of the school. The headmistress's office was located right beside the staircase that led up to the bell tower, the doorway located in the main hall. If Lynn was going to start looking, she'd best begin with asking around. Surely some of the other students had tried to acquire some of the same information. If that failed, she'd have to leave everything up to her own devise and some good sleuthing skills. She probably should start searching in the library, because that seemed to be the most reliable place when looking for information.
Her thoughts were interrupted by some rustling in the brush, coming from the forest that bordered around the school and touched the garden behind where Lynn was standing.
"Who's there?" She asked, wondering if it was simply some animal of the night or instead someone who had followed her from the ballroom. She saw something moving across the ground, as if pulled from the shadows that hung around the woods. It crept and slithered around on the ground like a snake and then black mirage like image snapped quickly to her right, behind some hedges.
Though something should have been telling her to leave this alone, she couldn't stop herself from creeping down the pathways, craning her neck and trying to see over the foliage just what this thing was. But when she rounded the bend, whatever had been on the ground was gone. It was odd; she could have sworn she saw something. But maybe it was just the flickering of the candles and the stress on her mind playing tricks on her eyes. She turned back around, the steady pat of her feet alone reassuring her that she was safe, but then she stopped dead in her tracks.
Out from behind the hedge, where she had been standing by the fountain, she saw a dark figure rise from the ground. Forming from a mere shadow on the cobblestones, it rose like someone was picking a black cloak off of the ground by its middle and then holding it like that in the air, as it took a human's form. Tendrils formed at its sides, they separated from the mass like smoke until they took on the shape of arms. Darkness melted away at the bottom of the figure until it formed legs. It was facing away from her and Lynn watched the whole thing in a sort of fascinated horror, afraid that the slightest movement would alert it of her presence. Then it turned its head, its face was unformed, though somehow Lynn could still make out the pits of its eyes and the pucker of its lips. It was like it was wearing an unfinished masquerade mask. And it was looking right at her.
It melted to the ground, forming a shadow once again then zipped out of sight. Maybe Lynn had scared it away. With a slight hesitation, she realized this would be a good time to run. So that's what she did. She scooped up at the top of her skirt so that she wouldn't trip over it and ran down the cobblestone pathway. Though she didn't know where she was going to go. The exit to the garden was past the fountain, past where the creature had appeared, and she sure wasn't going to go that way. There had to be another way out of the hedge maze. The padding of her feet against the ground was no longer reassuring. The noise in the silence was more frightening, just as frightening as her quickened breath, just as frightening as every shadow that lay across the ground.
Ahead of her, she saw a place where the hedges seemed to open up. It was also lit by lanterns, so it was probably another exit from the garden. She quickened her pace, her shoulders pumping back and forth as she gripped tighter onto her dress. Then she saw it beside her, swooshing across the floor like water but slithering like something alive. It quickly passed her and made its way towards the exit. This time it formed quicker, already remembering its human shape. She almost ran into it, face to face. She was so close she should have been able to feel its breath on her cheeks, but it didn't seem to breathe at all.
"You thought you could run away from me," A voice came from the black figure, though its mask like lips did not move. The voice was quiet, dreamy, though not at all comforting. It was like an echo, reverberating back from a deep and dark tunnel or cavern, "but you can't," it told her, matter-of-factly. "No one can."
It reached a hand towards her and Lynn couldn't avoid it. It was like she was trapped in its gravitational pull. Stuck to it like a magnet by the chest where its hand was aimed. Straight at her heart. She felt its fingers brush across her skin. She gasped for air as she felt the tips of its smoky fingertips pass through her. And she knew what this was. A demon. Just from its touch she could feel her soul slowly leaving her. Though her heart was still beating she felt numb. She felt confused. She didn't know what to think. And she sort of felt comforted, like all reason had left her as well.
Then something happened. Something Lynn couldn't quite process at first because of the demon's touch. Someone else had entered the garden, they moved almost just as quickly as the demon had. But this wasn't another demon. With black hair and black dress, aside from the white shirt underneath his vest, he came out of nowhere almost like he too was plucked out of the darkness of the night. He pulled a dagger from his belt and plunged it into the demon's shoulder and, instead of passing through the demon like smoke as Lynn had suspected, it protruded from its blackish skin. Darkness poured out from around the blade and a shriek that chilled Lynn to the bone erupted from the demon. It retracted its hand, sending Lynn flying backwards to the ground. She landed on her back, gasping for air.
The monster in front of her began to lose all form, expanding out into the star filled sky like a veil as it howled, then shrinking back down to the ground like a shadow again and shrinking away until it was nothing altogether. Lynn closed her eyes, as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. When she opened them, she realized the dark-headed boy had also disappeared and so had the dagger, leaving Lynn questioning if that was what had even happened or if something else had sent the demon seeping back into the ground.
Her already frantic heart jumped inside its cage when the large bell tower bellowed a loud nine rings. Lynn got up and brushed herself off, quickly picking her way back around the building and towards the ballroom's entrance.
"? will end this evening's festivities," Lynn could hear the voice of the headmistress announce, before she completely arrived at the entrance. "I hope everyone enjoyed their night and it was a pleasure meeting the new students who will be joining us at the academy this year. Now, if everyone will please return quietly and safely to their own dorms and houses. I wish for everyone to get a good night?s rest so that they may fully enjoy our first official day of the new school year. Remember, lights out by nine-thirty. Sleep well my children."
2. Let It Commence
The moonlight illuminated an old weathered house, smacked in the middle of a clearing, deep in the pines and foliage of a forest. The stairs were rickety and weathered, so were the porch and the old wooden columns that towered at the front of the house like twigs about to snap. The windows that faced outward to the porch had been smashed in. Shattered glass lay on the inside of the frame, the ridged edges that still clung to the pane stuck all around like teeth. Inside, the house was almost barren, except for the dust, dirt, and cobwebs that swept about the floor and the corners. Everything was quiet except for the occasional creak. An old staircase rose up from the middle of the parlor room, twisting upwards towards the second level in a spiral. Over the banisters, one could see two doors. Underneath one of the doors was the faintest glow of light.
?What do we have here?? A voice spoke to him and he spun around, behind him stood a woman, perhaps in her late thirties or early forties. She had bright red hair and dirty looking skin. She grinned and in the moonlight Jeb could see the yellow of her teeth. The smile eerily faded to a thin line, her eyes stared at him unemotionally. Dead looking. ?A projector, huh?? Her voice was a high chime, but the pitch remained monotonous. Like a squawking bird. Her voice became louder as she spoke. ?Stumbled across our little abode? Bet I surprised you, huh? Didn?t think I could see you, huh??
She stepped closer to him, bringing a rough hand up to brush his cheek. The yellow grin slowly crept across her face again. ?Ah, but I can. I see everything.? On the palm of her hand, Jeb could barely make out a scar. The scar had an odd shape, like a design. A rune. But this wasn?t a normal rune. Not one created by a noble from the Sixth. This one had been carved into the skin by hand, a rather shaky one at that. ?Be gone, pest.?
The woman placed her hand on Jeb?s cheek and blew in his face, her breath smelt like mud and ash. Jeb felt himself flying back to his house, without any control over what was happening. He landed on his bed with a thud, right where his body still lay sleeping. But all he could see was darkness, and he didn?t wake up like he usually did when his soul re-entered his body so quickly. He just breathed heavily and continued to lay there unconscious, until he wasn?t sure if what happened was reality or a dream.
________________________________________
The sunlight greeted Jeb unkindly the next morning. His brain felt like it was hammering against his skull. It was like he had spent the whole night downing bottles of liquor. He rubbed his head and glanced at the old wooden clock sitting on his fireplace mantel. He was late damn it. He rushed out of bed and threw open his armoire, shifting through the clothes without really stopping to look. He tugged on his underclothes and some dark brown pants, put a belt around them, pulled on a dark blue shirt and tucked it in.
?Where are my shoes?? He called as he searched for them.
It wasn?t long before his maid came scurrying to the door, carrying them both in hand. ?Sorry sir,? she told him. ?They were being polished.?
He took them both from her and pulled them on. ?Why didn?t you wake me?? He asked her, as he went to lacing them.
?Sorry again sir,? she said to him, ?but??
?Never mind,? he sighed with a huff, realizing it did no good to get frustrated over things like this with a maid, ?stop apologizing. I have to be going. If my tutor happens to stop by tell him I have some things to attend to with Remington this morning. Tell him to leave any of my work with either you or Wayward.?
?Yes sir. Sor?? The maid started, but quickly shut her mouth.
Jeb smirked at her before heading towards the front door and out of the house.
It was a wonderful morning to spend outside, as almost every morning was at the academy. There was something about the weather. It was always sunny and breezy unless the crops and plants needed to be watered. The atmosphere of this place, this little bubble the academy seemed to almost sit in, had been created just right. It must have taken some great time to craft, by whoever crafted dimensions. But maybe that?s why the world seemed incomplete. All life and substance rested solely on the academy?s grounds. Besides the academy and the small town where teacher housing and some shops were located, there was nothing. That is why all students lived on campus and that is also why the forest and lake were also located on school grounds. Once one walked past the town, they found themselves wandering through the forest, past the lake, and then onto school grounds, and then into the town again. It was a small world after all.
Following the path for a few minutes, past other residential houses and the school?s herbal garden, Jeb neared the entrance to the woods, where the path split off into two directions. Right in the middle of the fork, Remington was standing with two other teachers. One, the woman, taught those from the Seventh, the other, the man, taught those from the Fifth. There were only three other students there besides Jeb. Remington turned his head after finishing a conversation with the male teacher and waved a hand at Jeb as he noticed his approach. Jeb went to stand beside him.
?I thought I was late,? Jeb said, relieved. ?But it seems like I was wrong? Unless this is our turnout??
?I don?t believe so,? Remington said so confidently that he might as well just have said, ?No,? but that wasn?t in his character. ?Estell is still on her way. She had gone to fetch those from the girls? dorm who had wanted to participate in the lesson.?
?The girls!? One of the other boys, a young one with gangly hair and freckles, scowled. ?Why do we have to work with girls? I thought we were going to learn to fight. Ha, not sew.?
Jeb chuckled and jabbed his thumb at the kid while glancing over his shoulder at Remington. ?New kid I guess?? He walked over to the boy, who was plopped down on the grass, and bent down to pat his shoulder. ?Look kid, nobody asked for your opinion, but let me mind you, you?re not from around here. The expectations your society places on you in the real world? they don?t matter here! So don?t be pigheaded and pray those girls don?t beat you?re a??
Somebody cleared their throat and Jeb looked up. Estell loomed over him, her shadow beating down on him as the sun hid behind her.
?Harassing my new students Jeb?? Estell asked, her voice a mixture between sarcasm and a warning that was all too real. There was one thing Estell wouldn?t stand for, and that was bullies. ?Go on? Finish what you were going to say.?
Jeb laughed nervously as he got back up from his squat beside the kid. He brushed off his knee that he had been leaning on. ?I?d rather not ma?am. Ah, um?,? he put a fist over his mouth, hiding an amused smile, ?but may I ask what you are wearing.?
Estell grinned widely, taking a step back and gesturing down at her clothing. ?What? You don?t like it??
It wasn?t something a woman would normally be wearing. It was downright daring. Short pants, flat brown shoes, a shirt that?s sleeves wrapped around her arms like ropes and the bottom hem slightly exposed her midriff. A blue pendant necklace was around her neck, as always. Her hair was pulled up and out of her face and all the while Estell could stand there confident like nothing was wrong with it at all. Jeb could hear Remington face palm behind him. ?Well it?s not that bad!? Estell defended, also taking notice of the gesture.
?It?s bad.?
Jeb grimaced as he heard the familiar and annoying voice sprout from behind Estell, he saw Mei Re step forward, followed by the other girls. They were all also dressed strangely, though not as daring, in men?s britches and white shirts tucked down in them.
?She tried to convince us to dress like that as well, the buffoon.?
Estell pouted. ?Why, I thought it would be adorable.?
?No,? Mei Re corrected her, ?it wouldn?t. You could barely force me into these clothes.?
Estell laughed and rubbed a hand across the back of her neck. ?Well Mei Re, people can?t force you to do anything.?
?No,? Another voice, one Jeb recognized from the ball. He saw the small brunette, he remembered she was named Lynn, tucked in the middle of the five other girls, ?you said you?d string us up on the tower by our toes if we??
Estell walked over and put a hand over the girl?s mouth, an apologetic smile on her face in her behalf. ?Okay! Enough with all that. You girls very well couldn?t train in your dresses anyways. Wouldn?t want to get them dirty,? she put a charge forward fist into the air. ?Now, let the lessons commence.?
Sitting beside Remington was a box of wooden sticks shaped like swords. Everyone gathered around in a circle and he plopped the box down in the middle of them. ?Today, we will be practicing the fundamentals of defense.?
Someone, a young girl with her long blonde hair braided down the back, raised her hand. ?Wouldn?t swords be the fundamentals of offense? Isn?t defense, well, a shield or something??
Remington shrugged. ?Yes, well you can use a sword in the same manner, if you know how.?
The same girl raised her hand again. ?Aren?t we learning to defend ourselves against demons? Well, they don?t use swords.? The blonde Miss standing beside the girl leaned in slightly towards her and giggled in a hush, though that didn?t stop Remington from hearing it.
He grated his teeth. ?No, they don?t. But that doesn?t mean you can?t. Alright. Now just, everyone grab a sword.? He picked up one and tossed it towards the girl, who let it fumble in her hands before gripping it securely. Remington grinned, ?Oh, should we start with our coordination first then?? He asked in a sarcastic tone of voice. The girl pouted, apparently not finding humor in the comment.
?Alright!? Estell added in; always chipper when it came to the activities she herself planned. ?Find a sparring partner.?
?Jeb!?
Jeb?s eyes grew wide as he saw Mei Re quickly approaching him. He frantically searched around, looking for an escape, when someone caught his arm.
?Partner?? Lynn asked, as he turned to face her.
Jeb let out a relaxed sigh and nodded. ?Yes,? he told her, ?thank you.? He hesitantly peeked over his shoulder to watch Mei Re frown and stalk off, and then become cornered by the freckled boy Jeb had threatened just earlier. She seemed to be distraught, not knowing what to say, before finally agreeing to practice with him. Jeb felt a twinge sorry for the two, but he couldn?t help but smile at the situation and think about karma.
As expected, Remington handed most of the lesson over to the woman of the Seventh. Those from the Seventh Kingdom were all naturals when it came to physical combat. Jeb wondered why they, students at a school for magic, were wasting their time with something such as swords, but he trusted Estell and Remington enough not to question them. The woman told the pairs to face each other and showed them a proper, balanced stance for swordplay. She then demonstrated how to successfully block an attack from each direction, and asked that they individually practice with their partners as a part of the lesson.
Jeb twisted his hands around the hilt of the wooden sword. ?Ready for this Lynn,? he grinned. ?I won?t go easy on you. Sword fighting is all I?ve got.?
?Ah,? she knit her eyebrows and he saw her relax a little, ?I was just thinking I had forgotten to introduce myself. But why do you seem to already know my name??
Jeb quirked his mouth. ?When you?re at this school my dear underclassman, don?t question the odd. The odd?s actually pretty normal here.?
________________________________________
The teacher urged everyone to quit being so hesitant and begin practicing. Jeb was the first one to make a move. He swooped the wooden sword downwards, over Lynn?s left shoulder and towards her head and she had to think fast to block it. Her eyes grew wide with fright as she just barely lifted her sword in time for the two to collide together in an x-shape. Jeb shrunk back, his eyes wide. ?Oops, that was a little too much huh??
?Eh, yeah,? Lynn replied back meekly, still slightly shaken and in a ducked, shrunken stance, ?yeah, a little.? She sighed as she stood back up and reluctantly got back into her stance. They began practicing again, taking turns being the attacker and the defender, and this time Jeb wasn?t swinging at her like he intended to lob her head off. She still felt uneasy, though, and was in a daze most of the time.
?Is something else bothering you?? She heard Jeb ask at random.
?Huh?? She paused for a brief moment and the wooden blade of Jeb?s sword came crashing into her thumb. She jumped and let her sword clatter to the ground at her feet. She quickly stuck her thumb into her mouth, like that would make it better.
?Sorry,? Jeb apologized and sat his sword down too. He moved closer to her, worried. ?It?s not broken or anything is it? Let me see??
Lynn thought for a moment about letting him check her thumb before thinking again and replying with a mumbled, ?No.? She left her thumb jarred in her mouth.
?So are you going to suck on your thumb for the rest of the practice??
She nodded yes.
?Just let me look at it,? he told her.
She narrowed her eyes. Persistence always had a tendency to irritate her. ?Fine,? she mumbled, before plucking her thumb out and holding it out. ?Look, see? Are you happy??
Jeb pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and motioned for her to hand him her wrist. He took it and wiped off her hand and fingers for her.
?It?s disgusting. I had it in my mouth.?
?It?s a handkerchief, it can be washed you know.?
She tried not to think about his hand and how his thumb rolled over her knuckles and between her fingers. ?There,? he told her with a smile, ?and now it?s not disgusting. I was checking to make sure nothing in your hand felt broken, though everything seems fine.?
?Oh, that?s alright,? she said quickly, pulling her hand back, ?you didn?t really hit anything but my thumb.? She looked at her thumb and noticed it was bleeding a little at the base of her nail.
?You should disinfect that when you can,? he told her. ?You want to quit sparring? You can sit this lesson out you know.?
Lynn shook her head. ?No, that?s alright,? she bent down and picked her sword back up. ?There?s something I want to speak to you about.?
Jeb furrowed his brows as he reached to pick up his sword as well. ?And what is that??
?Well, so?? Lynn pondered, ?You are from the Fourth, are you not??
The instructor yelled at them to keep practicing, so they both continued their blocking half-heartedly as they spoke. ?Yes, I am,? Jeb told her, he grinned. ?Found that out on your own??
?Impressed? It wasn?t very hard,? she smiled a little. ?Since you always seem to know what I?m thinking.?
?Not all the time,? he shrugged. ?And I don?t really have to use my Noble Magic to figure out what you?re thinking.?
?Huh??
?Well, you?re face is kind of like an open book.?
?Or maybe that?s because you?re reading my thoughts any?? Her smile faded. ?Wait, well that?s not good,? she mumbled.
?And why is that?? Jeb asked. ?It?s kind of nice.?
?Uh,? Lynn waved her hand at him, signaling that they had gotten off track. ?Okay, give me a moment. I was getting to that. Would it be wrong to presume that if I wanted information about this school, you?d be a rather reliable source to go to for it? Aside, of course, from the teachers.?
?I would guess?? He answered slowly, like he had no idea where the conversation was going, even with his mind-reading abilities.
?Well,? she told him, ?I need information.?
?Alright,? he said, casually, ?what information??
?For one, how do students get here??
?Through a portal.?
Lynn sighed. ?Yes, but how do these portals work exactly??
?Oh,? Jeb said. ?Technically, it would be hard to explain. Actually, no one really knows much about portals and dimensional travel. Only summoners can create a portal. Portals can be used as a link to two different places, worlds, dimensions, it?s rumored they might even be able to be used for time travel.?
?You sound like a walking encyclopedia Jeb.?
?I have been here for a few years Lynn.?
?And so,? she started, ?the portal that brought me to this school links between the mundane world and this dimension??
?It?s a one-way, multi-portal,? Jeb told her, ?and a very specific, advanced one at that. It branches off into many directions in the human world and all of those portals in the human world lead to the one outside of the school?s gate and only those with noble blood that are between the ages of thirteen and nineteen are granted passage into the portal. But the most important thing is that, once you?re here, you can?t go back through it. That?s why they?re always mentally preparing us here for becoming independent, and never seeing our families again.? Jeb shook his head. ?Very complicated stuff; must have taken its creator a long time to perfect it.?
Lynn was disappointed with this answer, mainly because it left more questions than answers, she hung her head. ?Great, so I guess you just answered my next question huh??
?Can you use the portal to go back home?? Jeb asked for her confirmation. ?No, you can?t.?
?And so,? Lynn wondered, ?what happens to you once you turn twenty? I?ve yet to have seen anyone over twenty at this school, aside from teachers, servants and such.?
Jeb inhaled. ?You know. I?ve always wondered the same thing.?
?Jeb come on!? Remington was looking at them, his face impatient. ?You can?t just stand there and talk, really practice!?
?There?s more I want to ask you,? Lynn said to Jeb, as she turned back to face him. ?After lessons tomorrow, do you think you could meet me in the library at around four? I?d like to do some research.?
Jeb nodded. ?Sounds fine to me.?
?Good.?
?Oh dear God!? They both heard someone exclaim and whipped their heads around yet again to see where it was coming from. Mei Re had her poor sparring partner on the ground and was smacking him in the side with the flat part of her sword. Her face was furious.
?You stupid oaf!? She spit venomously and switched to abusing his other side, as he cowered below her. She spoke between each strike. ?Don?t. Even. Come. Close. To. Hitting. My. Face. Again. Unless. You. Wish. To. Die!? When she felt she had vented enough she threw the sword on the ground beside him and stormed off, leaving the boy there shaking. Remington rushed to his aid.
?Mei Re!? Estell shouted, as she daintily ran after her. ?Mei Re! That was a foul!?
After that, their first day of private defense lessons came to a close.
________________________________________
?I can?t believe she beat him with the sword!? Estell shook her head, but couldn?t help but laugh as she walked beside Remington, back down the path that lead to the school.
Remington nodded and chuckled. ?Yes, but would it be wrong to think he deserved it??
Estell smiled up at him and shook her head. ?No, I don?t think so. Because even I think so.? She covered her mouth as she laughed again.
?Headmistress!? There was a servant running towards them down the pathway, his face distraught. He waved them down.
The two picked up their pace to his side. When they met up, he bent over, breathing heavily. ?What?s wrong?? Remington asked, straightening him up.
?It?s,? he breathed, ?happened again. In the west girls? dormitory.?
They all exchanged worried glances and then began running down the dirt pathway, kicking up dust at their heels as they rushed towards the student housing.
When they arrived at the dormitory, all the girls were crowded outside, whispering something about a fire. The servants had covered up for the incident and were doing a good job at keeping the students at bay. Estell and the two men had to push past them to get to the entrance. They hurried through the foyer and quickly ascended the stairwell to the second floor. The door to room 203 was open; a man was leaning against the doorframe as he looked in. Apparently he was the one who discovered the girl. He was hanging his head, his face pressed into the palm of his hand. They approached the room and the servant who fetched them put a hand on the man?s shoulder to comfort him.
Estell and Remington both entered the room. One of the teachers and the girls? dorm supervisor were leaning over the body, the supervisor was crying. The girl that lay on the bed was just sixteen and was named Jessica Tolkum. She had black hair and dark, long lashes that fanned over her cheeks when her eyes were closed. As they were now. Her chest was moving up and down at a frantic pace, like she couldn?t catch her breath. When Remington touched the hands folded over her stomach they were cold.
?We kept trying,? the female teacher said in hysterics, ?but she just wouldn?t wake up!?
Remington leaned over her and lifted her eyelid. Her eye was white and empty like chalk. He stumbled back and Estell put her hands to his back to catch him. ?He was right,? he told her in a whisper, his voice shaky. ?It?s happened again.? Remington then composed himself and cleared his throat and looked up at the two women. ?Could you please leave the room?? He asked them and then turned to the two other men. ?You two too,? he said. ?Take them downstairs.?
They all nodded their heads and obediently left the room. When the door closed behind them, Estell rushed over to Remington and hugged his arm tight, like a kid begging a parent for something. ?Again,? her eyes started to well with tears. ?I can?t do this again!?
?It?s the humane thing to do Estell,? Remington urged her. ?You know we have to do this.?
She sniffled as she reached up to her pendant. She took it off and started twisting the part where the necklace attached to the stone. The top part of the pendant came loose and out of the stone she drew a long, pointed needle. A tear slid down her cheek as she stared at it. ?I can?t,? she sobbed, not moving her eyes from the dripping tip.
Remington put his hand out to her. ?Give it to me,? he said, ?and I?ll do it.?
Estell hesitantly obliged and placed the tiny needle in his hand. Remington rotated it into his finger tips and leaned over the girl once again, positioning it at her chest.
?Sleep,? Estell mumbled through her tears, ?well my child.?
He pushed the needle into the girl?s chest. Keeping his hand there until he knew. Her heart frantically beat no more.
________________________________________
Darkness set over the school grounds and Jeb had returned to his home. He sat in the parlor room on the couch, in front of a crackling fire, fanning through the pages of a large book. His face was serious. The page he was reading was about runes and about those from the Kingdom of the Sixth.
?Only a true noble from the Sixth was capable of producing a true rune through their magic. Every rune held the power of words and spells that had been passed down for generations. Often times, a rune would be associated with a single noble family?? He shook his head. This was not what he needed to know. He continued to let his eyes scan across the pages.
?The power of runes is the only magic a human would be capable of harnessing?? The page then continued to detail many various instances where the following was proven to be true. When mortals who came to be known as witches and wizards used the power of what are called false runes and blood to harness various kinds of Noble Magic. Below the information, at the end of the chapter, a page illustrated the different true runes and false runes. His eyes grew wide as he came to recognize the one he was searching for. The one he had seen carved into that woman?s hand was a false summoning rune, which could be used to summon objects and sometimes creatures from nearby dimensions.
Even from the underworlds.
________________________________________
Lynn entered her dorm room to find her chamber-maid standing over her bed. ?Ah Nat?? Lynn stopped as she almost addressed her chamber-maid at the school by her servant?s name back home. ?I mean, Sarah,? she said, sighing. Sarah was putting new linens on her bed and taking Lynn?s old ones and her clothes to be washed. She had also brought Lynn?s meal, turkey and some greens, which was sitting on her desk, still steaming, and started a fire in her fireplace ?I really do want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday, I was just??
?Oh it?s quite alright Miss Barrows,? Sarah told her, as she stretched the sheet across the bed and let it fall to the mattress and then fluffed the pillow and propped it up against the headboard. ?I understand.?
?... Still,? Lynn insisted to her. ?I wasn?t very kind to you. Thank you, for trying to comfort me.?
Sarah smiled. ?Well then, you?re welcome.? She wiped at her eyes.
?Have you been crying?? Lynn asked. As she walked closer to her she saw that her maid?s eyes were puffy and pink.
?Ah well,? she told her, a little embarrassed. She wiped at her eyes again. ?There was an incident at the west girls? dormitory today. There was a gas leak and,? her voice caught, ?apparently a girl passed in her sleep.?
Lynn gasped. ?That?s terrible! Why am I just hearing of this??
?It?s sad indeed, but no one wanted to cause any unneeded worry for the students,? Sarah told her, ?so the teachers and headmistress would like to keep quiet as possible about it, though they will be holding a small service for the girl tomorrow. Are you going to attend??
Lynn nodded her head assuredly. ?Yes, of course I will,? she said to her.
Sarah smiled. ?Good,? she scooped up the old linens and Lynn?s clothes in her arms. ?Well, then, I?ll be taking these to be washed. Goodnight Miss Barrows.?
?Goodnight Sarah,? Lynn told her, and watched as the maid headed out of the door and closed it.
Lynn walked over to her desk and slid one of the drawers open. She reached into a pocket that was built into the men?s trousers she was wearing and pulled out a note. She opened it and read it again. ?We apologize deeply Miss Barrows,? the letter said, ?but we have yet to find an available tutor for your lessons. We are currently searching for someone who has time that coincides with your schedule. In the meantime, please be patient and have faith in us. Yet again, we are sorry. Sincerely, Estell Treaste.? That is what she found when she arrived at the study hall for the Second. The woman that managed it handed it to her as soon as she stepped through the doors and inquired about her lessons.
She then spent the time that was supposed to be dedicated to her studies walking around the lake, thinking about just what she might find tomorrow with Jeb in the library. Lynn placed the letter in the drawer and slid it closed. As the drawer clicked into place it was followed by another click, and then the sound of a door closing. Lynn turned around to look at the door to her room, thinking Sarah had come back in to get something.
Instead, a young man a little older than she stood in front of her closed doorway. He was wearing a servant?s uniform and had dark brown hair. He stood there for a moment, his eyes wide as if he hadn?t expected her to be there, but he quickly moved into action. He strode across her room and grabbed Lynn?s shoulders tightly. He put himself in front of her and made sure Lynn?s back was to the wall so that she couldn?t run. ?Be quiet,? he said. ?Don?t scream.?
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