So this is the beginning of the first chapter of my novel. I've gone over it time and time again and was looking for some fresh eyes to read it and let me know what they think. Hope you enjoy!
Also: It didn't copy the quotes (don't know why it does that) so now I'm going back through and adding them.
Chapter 1:
Destiny is a scary thing. I never really thought about my destiny, at least not until I turned sixteen. Not until I was about to go back and rejoin the rest of my kind. Then destiny slapped me in the face, laughing maniacally and asking how Id ever forgotten it. Believe what you want about fate, but I know it exists. I just wish I didnt have one.
"Kira?" That was my mothers voice, pinched and annoyed in that way it gets when Ive done something wrong. At that moment, I had no idea what Id done. Id finished all my chores and packed my belongings into a suitcase. As I spun around in my desk chair, she opened the door without knocking.
I raised my eyebrows at her. "Yeah?"
"Its almost one. Are you ready?" she asked. Maybe Id been mistaken about her tone. Now she sounded more anxious than irritated.
I gestured at the suitcase on my bed in answer. It bulged with all the stuff Id shoved into it. I didnt have a very large closet, but one suitcase was certainly not enough to hold all my clothes. Now that I was sixteen, Id be going to a school for people like me. The Lucidus Academy only allowed students to bring one suitcase because of the limited storage space in the dorms. "Its only just after noon," I said. "I have plenty of time."
"Come down to the kitchen," Mom said. "I want you to eat something before you go."
"Im not hungry. Besides, theyll feed us dinner."
She clicked her tongue. "Dinner is a long time away. I wont have my daughter going hungry."
I sighed. "Alright, Ill be there in a minute."
She nodded and left the room, leaving the door open. I jumped out of my chair and swung it closed, only to have it open of its own accord the moment my back was turned. "Stop doing that!" I shouted down the hall.
"Stop shutting your door," Mom called back.
It was annoying have a wizard as an adoptive mother. True, I had my own powers, but I didnt have any control over them. Random stuff just happened around me. Thats one of the reasons I was going to the Academy, to learn how to use my magic. That was just about the only part I was excited about. I didnt want to leave my cozy human town in Cornwall, New York. I didnt want to leave behind my one and only friend. After five years, though, Id be able to come home, and I wouldnt have to feel useless anymore. I grabbed my phone off the desk and left my room, swinging the door shut behind me. Mom could keep opening it all she wanted. She wanted to play the stubbornness game? Bring it on.
Halfway down the hall, the aroma of cooking sausage and mashed potatoes reached my nose. It was enough to make my stomach grumble, and I had to swallow a few times because my mouth was watering. My dador rather, adoptive dadwas seated at the kitchen table, a book laying open in front of him. I smiled as I sat down across from him. "What are you reading now?" I asked. It didnt look like the same book hed been engrossed in a week ago.
He glanced up at me, peering over the top of his wire-frame glasses. The lenses were so smudged I was surprised he could see. "The Theory of Magic by Colton Weiss. Its very interesting."
"Really?" I feigned surprise. "From the complete lack of interest on your face I would have guessed the opposite."
His smile was faint, but it was a smile that I knew well. It was secretive and sly, like an unspoken promise between us, and there was this twinkle in his eyes that somehow made it seem bigger than a broad grin. I returned the smile, though I couldnt put it off half as well as he could, and he turned his attention back to his book.
Mom set a plate down in front of me. After scarfing down lunch, I grabbed my light jacket from the back of my chair. "I'm going to meet Westin!" I said, already halfway out the door.
"Kira, wait, you only have half an hour until..." But I swung the door shut behind me, blocking out her voice. I grabbed my bike from the garage and rode down to the Manor. The abandoned-looking mansion was owned by a wealthy business man, who moved out and had never sold it. It had quickly fallen into disrepair. The garden was overgrown with weeds and the porch, which had the distinct smell of rotted wood, sagged in places.
Westin was waiting for me on the porch when I got there. He stood up as I jumped off my bike. "Hey, angel," he greeted me. That little nickname always caused me to scowl. I wasnt the only Nephilim in the world, but he insisted on referring to my heritage instead of calling me by my name. The scowl was wiped off my face when he grinned at me.
His sly smile told me something was up. One corner of my lips curled upward. "What did you do this time?"
"What?" he asked. He sounded so innocent, but I knew better than to believe it. "I didnt do anything."
I crossed my arms and stared at him.
"Fine," he said. "I kind of repainted Mr. Willingers house orange. At least, thats what hell think when he sees it."
"You know, its really not fair to use magic to pull pranks," I said. "The poor humans just think theyre going crazy."
He winked at me, his forest-green eyes sparkling. It was hard not to stare at him when his eyes lit up like that. Really, it was hard not to stare at him most of the time, despite how long Id known him. With his inhumanly beautiful features and the sharp angles of his face, he was captivating to look at, just like all the fey. "Maybe they are," he said. "Maybe we dont really exist. Perhaps were just figments of human imagination. We could all we imaginary friends!"
"Except humans dont know about us," I pointed out. "So we cant really all be imaginary friends."
Westin pouted when he realized his theory was shot. I cleared my throat. "So, whats behind your back?" He'd been holding his arm behind him since Id arrived.
He laughed and withdrew his arm, revealing the bag of Doritos in his hand. "Just for you, angel."
I grinned despite the nickname. I hadnt had the delicious cheesy goodness in ages, since my mom didnt allow me to eat junk food. She had this idea that I was going to die an early death if I didnt eat carefully planned meals.
We settled down on the rotting porch. I felt the wood sag under my weight, and not for the first time I was afraid it would collapse beneath me. Westin opened the bag and the smell of nacho cheese Doritos filled the air, making my mouth water. I stared thoughtfully at the street as I munched on chip after chip. "What do you think the Academy is like?" I asked.
He just shrugged. "I wouldnt know. It didnt even exist when I was sixteen."
I gave him a teasing smile. "Just how long ago was that?" I'd know him for six years and he had yet to tell me how old he was.
He laughed and shook his head, brushing his feathery blond hair out of his eyes. "You'll never know."
I elbowed him in the ribs. He yelped and dropped the chip bag, which would have spilled all over the ground if I hadnt caught it. I silently thanked whoever my real parents were. My fast reflexes had just saved us from disaster.
Westin gave a breathy laugh. "Nice catch, angel," he said.
I smirked at him. "Maybe I'll just hold the bag," I said.
He smiled sheepishly and nodded. "So, how's your mom taking this whole leaving for the Academy thing?"
I groaned. "She's totally over-reacting is how shes taking it. You'd think I was about to embark on a dangerous mission to the moon."
Westin's expression said that her reaction was justified. "You know, I hear that they sometimes take fieldtrips to the moon at the Academy."
I smacked his arm, but he just grinned at me. "They do not, and you know it," I said.
"Okay, but they do take fieldtrips to some pretty wicked places," he said.
"Not dangerous places, though."
"I saw a group in Faerie once."
The blood left my face and I felt light-headed all of a sudden. "The Faerie Realm?" I asked. I'd heard horror stories about it. Westin and the other faeries seemed perfectly comfortable there, but then again it was their home. They belonged there.
He waved his hand. "Relax," he said. "They always take at least four elves with them. Its perfectly safe."
I looked down, trying to get over the terror that had welled up in my chest. The Faerie Realm. The place where time moves differently, where the landscape changes from one minute to the next, where magical beasts roam the land. I had no desire to go there. Ever. "You really believe that, dont you?" I said.
He shrugged. "Of course. Faerie isnt that dangerous, as long as you know how to avoid the danger. Maybe someday I'll take you there."
"Uh-uh. No way. Im never going there. Not unless I have no choice."
He shot me a grin. "I guess Ill have to not give you a choice then."
I shook my head, smiling. "You're a pain in the butt, you know that?"
"Its what I aim for," he said in that chipper tone of his.
I reached into the bag I was holding and pulled out another chip. I shoved the whole thing into my mouth and bit down, enjoying the crisp crunch and the cheesy flavor that flooded over my tongue. When the bag was empty--with our metabolisms, we could devour just about anything--we started back toward my house. Westin insisted on walking me home before he returned to Faerie. |
