Secrets

Uncle Bruno placed the last box on the floor with a thud.

"That's the last of it," he says, "Thanks Uncle Bruno," I say and we hug, he pats my back before stepping back "Have fun kiddo." He pats my shoulder again and turns to Aunt Mary, "I'll be in the car," than leaves the room, leaving me and Aunt Mary alone.

I can sense the bittersweet emotion from her and its evident in her eyes. I know she wants me to stay in the castle but she also knows how much I want this. She doesn't say anything and brings me into a tight bear hug "I'm going to miss you mí diablo," she croaks and I hug her tighter.

Saying goodbye is the hardest thing.

"I'm going to miss you too, Tía."  We hug each other for awhile. She clears her throat before stepping back and a tear escapes those soft brown eyes. I reach over and wipe the tear away with my thumb.

"Don't forget to–"

"Call every day and not a day longer," I repeat, "I won't forget Tía." I kiss her cheek and than kiss both her hands, "And if you don't your mother and I will come down here and pull you by your ear," she warns with humor dancing in her eyes. I smiled and nodded, her mood shifted and she was now serious, she gripped my hands tightly and looked straight into my eyes, "And remember, no one and I mean no one must ever find out what you are. You have to promise that you'll keep your secret hidden."

I don't have to sense the fear, its clear in her eyes. I've been reminded almost all my life how its important I tell no one my true nature and what I am.

I've been careful all my life, this won't be any different. But I won't say that, that just make her worry on top of that fear. "I promise." The fear reduces as she breathes but it doesn't disappear.

I walk her out of my room, making sure I lock than walked towards the car. I open the car door for her, she slips in and I close the door for her. The window slides down and I lean in, resting my arms on the door.

"Drive safe and let me know ones you guys get back home."

"We will, take care of yourself," Aunt Mary gently squeezes my arm. Uncle Bruno and I just nodded to each other and started up the car. I stepped back and watch as the black mercedi's pulls away from the driveway and drive out into the road.

"Well guess I have to get ready for my classes now." I head back to room and just grab my backpack. I look at the unpacked boxes and decide that I'll unpack them after school.

I close my door, locking it, than made my to the admissions office to get my books and my class schedules. My phone buzzes in my pocket, it hasn't been ten minutes and already she's calling me.

I check the caller ID and my brows nearly reach my hairline. I answer the call with a grin on my face, "Aw you miss me already."

"Fuck off." Annoyance lanced in his voice.

"Hey you called me not the other way around," I jest and I can already see Miguel pinching the bridge of his nose as he takes a deep breathe. I love how easily annoyed he gets.

"Your a pain in my ass, you know that," he says and I just continue to grin "Yet you're still on the line, its okay big bro, you can tell me you miss me."

"What makes you think I miss you?"

"Cause you do," I state matter-of-fact, "Or I could just be checking to see if you haven't gone loco yet," he points out and I sigh and roll my eyes "Dude, that was one time, one time. I was a kid. Besides–" I look around to make sure no one is within earshot, when I'm sure I don't sense anyone nearby I whisper into the line, "You'd have gone all demon if someone took the last gingerbread."

"You right, Tía's gingerbread is to die for," Miguel says like his not the one who took it and now I'm craving for Mama's gingerbread. Damn him.

"So, what do I owe this pleasure?" I've known Miguel for a long time. He and I are as close as brothers can be. Mama always says we are brothers from different mothers. So I know when he has something on his mind.

"Like I said, I'm just checking up on you." There was no humor in his tone but he did sound a bit off, "You're a terrible liar big bro, spill it." I find an empty classroom and I lean on the desk.

Miguel sighs, "The church came by earlier." The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my stomach clenched, I felt my blood run cold, "What did they want?" My voice sounds calm in my ears despite how nervous I am and how frantic the butterflies are going.

"They asked Tía about you saying they just wanted to check up on you and see how you've been but the way they kept asking about you didn't sit well with me," his voice is tight and I don't have to see him to know that he has his hands in his pockets, pacing up and down.

I run my fingers through my hair. The church suspects something. Everyone in the castle has been keeping a tight lip about me, only sharing what is needed.

"They suspect something," Miguel says, voicing out my thoughts, "And by they looks of things, they have a reason to be suspicious."

"Do you know what it is?" I lean on one of the tables, my fingers start drumming against the table, "I don't, they kept their cards hidden but I don't have to tell you to be careful. I'm sure Mama and Tía gave you that lecture already." I simply roll my eyes "As if they haven't been since birth."

Miguel chuckles as if remembering all the lectures I've received about being careful. "Okay hombre, don't forget the reason why you're there as well. Call me if you find anything about the church matter."

We say our goodbyes and hang up. Miguel is right, I mustn't forget why I'm here. I step out the classroom and make my way to the admissions office, got my books and made my way to my first lesson.

The church is keeping a secret and I intend to find out what they know and why they so interested in me. Miguel and I have been doing our own private investigation when the church had arrived on my tenth birthday.

Mama had told me to hide while my father went to talk to them. Miguel had to pretty much drag me away, I wasn't really sure what was going on but I could sense that everyone was on edge and scared. I still remember like it was yesterday.

===

It was my tenth birthday. Mama had given me two bracelets embedded with sapphire's that morning. Miguel and I are in the large banquet hall, sneaking in some of the baked treats to take back into the quart yard.

Making sure the adults didn't spot us. Once we grabbed enough we quickly snuck back out without being spotted and made our way to the Richfield twins and the other kids who were invited.

"Took you two long enough," Alicia says, with her hands on her hips, standing next to her was her twin brother, who was surrounded by a group of girls. They don't even look like twins, accept for the same blonde hair. Alicia has ocean blue eyes and her brother – Tyler – has emerald green eyes.

"Relax princess, we had to make sure we weren't spotted," Miguel says as he and I laid down the treats onto the picnic blanket. All the kids eyes widen at the huge amount of stuff "Dig in!"

We all sat around enjoying the bounty. Alicia kept clinging onto my arm, feeding me while her brother kept glaring at me. Miguel just sat and watched with delight at my discomfort.

Alicia doesn't hide her feelings about me but I don't like her the way she likes me. And I've told her on many occasions. Alicia offers another cupcake and shake my head, I than notice Mama coming down the stairs. Her expression calm but I could sense the panic within her.

Miguel followed my gaze and there was a knowing look in his eyes. Mama smiled at us, ignoring the pile of treats "Miguel, could you please take Chaviv to his chambers for a little while."

"Can I go with him?" Alicia asks, smiling up at me, "Sorry sweetheart, maybe another time but I really need Chaviv to go to his room, just until its all clear." The fear was growing and I didn't want to find out what.

We got up and excused ourselves, without saying a word Miguel took my hand and lead me away from the party and through the secret garden until we stood in a dead end, "Its a dead end," I point out, "No it's not," Miguel smirks and reaches inside the thickness and I hear something click, pulling the door open.

"No way," I say out in amazement and Miguel just grins "Come on." He leads me inside, closing the door behind us and we walk up to a long winding path. We come to another dead end and just as Miguel is about to push the wall we hear voices from the other side.

Miguel and I peeked through the small gap between the wall.

Father stood tall as he eyed the priest. There was no emotion in his eyes and I couldn't sense anything, it was just...calm.

"King Arnold, I'm sure you know why we are here." The priest was a stocky man with a kind face, round glasses nestled on the bridge of his node . He wore the formal, red and white priest attire with hints of gold, his grayish blue eyes looked into my fathers hazel eye's and I shuddered. He may have a kind face but the look in his eyes tell a different story. I don't trust him.

My eyes travelled to the rest of the group. One of the boys was holding up a golden staff with the cross on it, behind him were four men standing in a box like formation, their hands were tucked inside the sleeves of their white gowns and someone stood in the middle of them, I couldn't see their face as it was covered with a white cloth. Deep inside me, I could feel it stirring. Slowly getting agitated, like something was bothering it.

"I'm assuming you came to wish my son a happy birthday, I'll be sure to pass on the message," father says, clearly indicating that they are free to go, "Where is your son, I'd love to see him. I didn't even get the chance to baptize him." The priest says ignoring what my father says.

Father narrows his eyes but keep his cool, "We've already spoken about this your eminence, my wife wishes not to baptize our son. I don't see the problem with that." I could sense the priest getting agitated.

"I understand that you're following your wife's wishes but surely you must understand how important it is for children to be baptized the moment they are born." The priest starts walking around the room, "Arnold, you and I have known each other way back and we've never kept secrets from each other. So why start now, hmm?" The priest smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.

Father folds his arms over his chest, still eyeing the priest "Who says I'm keeping secrets from you Leonardo?"  The priest's smile falters a little but remains, the annoyance growing "Oh come now Arnold. No need to be cagey, besides I know about the boy." His eyes seemed to gleam as he watches my father.

Miguel and I look at each other, mirroring the look of fear in our faces.  Father doesn't even bat an eyelash at what the priest says, his expression is kept calm, as well as his emotions and that terrifies me. Not as much as the uneasy feeling within me was growing, I could hear its voice in the back of my mind, trying to push its way through.

The priest opens his mouth to speak but is cut off by an angelic voice, speaking from underneath the white vail "It's here, I can sense it." The whole room goes silent and for once I could sense the fear in my father.

The gleam in the priests eyes darkens as he looks at my father "Where is he?" The priest is no longer asking my father but the lady underneath the vail"I'm unable to sense its exact location. I'm being blocked by from knowing its whereabouts." I'm finding it hard to breathe and the voice is getting louder and angrier, clearly it doesn't like whoever that women is. The golden bracelets I got as a present start to glow and hum softly. I look down at my hands and they are slowly fading into black "Miguel..." I whisper.

Miguel eye's are already on me. Not waiting any second longer, Miguel grabbed my hands and we raced down the steps to get away from there as fast as possible, not even glancing back.

===

I'm sitting in class, trying to figure out where I can start my search when I catch the sight of raven black hair sitting four seats ahead of me. Making my heart skip a beat.

"I'd like everyone to open their Mystic books to page fifty, today we'll be discussing Fae seers." My curiosity peeks when I hear her heart beat quicken. I can sense that she's nervous. The rest of the class was either excited or interested but I focused on her while searching the room to see who else might have picked up on her emotion.

I already knew what she was the moment I met her. Everything about her just peeks my interest, even now I'm wondering what's going on in that beautiful head of hers.

"What's so special about Fae seers anyway they just the same as a normal Fae." I don't like the tone and that immediately annoyed me. Its like he's insulting her.

And that pisses me off.

"What's so special about them is they have the ability to see into the future, but no seer needs to look into your future to know you'll never get laid." My voice is surprisingly calm, despite how much I want to walk over there and deck him in the face.

The class snickers at my remark and the Shifter who spoke, has his jaws clench, glaring daggers at me. He can glare all he wants, there's only one look that can kill me.

And just as I focus my eyes back to her, I see her looking back at me and I catch my breath. Her hazel eyes are remarkable. I smile at her and wave, I know she's embarrassed when she smiles and waves back before turning to face the front.

After that I didn't hear much, I found myself watching her. The way she moved, how her hair swayed gently when she moves. I'm completely mesmerized by her.

The bell rang for the next lesson. I packed my books quickly so I can go talk to her but she was already out the door. As the lessons came and went I didn't get to see her again.

I was hoping to catch her when we head to the dorms but she wasn't there either. Feeling a little exhausted I decided to just head straight to bed and look for her tomorrow. I throw myself onto my bed when I hear my stomach growling, reminding me I hadn't eaten the whole day.

I sigh and push myself off the bed. I guess I should go find a place to eat.