CHAPTER 7

The morning had reached and I was in between moments of extreme anxiety or excitement there was no middle ground. My head was spinning as I finished some last minute packing. The idea of leaving Lucas and my dad to go somewhere I had zero clue what I was doing did not make it easier.

My shaking hands and constant cold sweats were making it abundantly clear my body was not responding well to the stress. I had no idea how to deal with lying to them about going to a college outside town instead of taking online classes and hiding all this from them.

"Hey, are you okay?" Emerson's calm voice spoke as he walked into my room bearing two cups of tea and a sandwich. "Here, I thought you might be hungry," I was beyond pleased to see him and very grateful for his thoughtful act. I was slowly beginning to eat normal amounts again and remembering how much I loved food I was eating alot. "Thank you," I blew him an air kiss, "And no I'm not okay, I'm very nervous and I want to sleep and forget everything."

"Don't be nervous, everything will be okay, you have me," his words registered and for the first time I noticed how comfortable I was when I was around Emerson, I could make jokes with him and tell him things with ease. I sipped some tea and knowing he would be there with me I felt my shoulders relax and a smile pulling on my lips.

I looked at him realizing he might be the first real friend I had. "What?" "Nothing, I just realized I don't hate you as much as I thought," he laughed, his smile so contagious. "Thank you Emerson, for everything," "And here I was thinking you were never capable of saying those words." I eyed him warily as I ate the sandwich and pointed at my bags for him to take downstairs.

***

Emerson had already left to take my bags there and get me set up so the walk to the border was just Rosalinda and I. "So do I get sucked into thin air or is it more like a door opening kinda thing?" I said, twisting my hands together.

"You'll see," she said, ``I really wish she would say more; her lack of words was pushing me more to the edge. "I heard you and Emerson in the shed the other night, gossiping about me,"

" Seriously, that's what you want to talk about," I looked at her, my confusion clear. "I don't really appreciate being compared to Dumbledore, anything a man can do a woman can do better and besides I'm more mean than him."

"And before you ask, Hogwarts is not real, a vile little duo the both of you are and gossiping in my shed too." I looked at her and laughed. I truly began to like Rosalinda in the past few days and appreciate her humor. She broke out in laughter too and wrapped her hands around my neck pulling me to her side. The most bizarre day of my life made me feel the most normal in a long time.

***

The border between Ciana and Castle Combe was at the edge of the forest , only a few miles from the house. When we arrived Rosalinda placed a small golden object in the palm of her hand, it looked like a coin and it had the same geometric shape my necklace had. "These are called realm-takers, they can take you back and forth between Ciana and the mortal plane, you just put your finger on the alloid symbol, it recognizes Ciana blood."

She gave me my realm-taker and in my hands the piece felt heavier than it looked. I followed her instructions and pressed my thumb to the symbol. A wave of anxiety pressured my body once more and I began to tremble as I awaited my entry. A mass of glowing light, like a tornado, engulfed my whole body a few seconds later. I could see all the colours of the rainbow effortlessly flowing in the light and in the blink of an eye I felt my feet plummet on the ground.

If there was a place where the souls of poets, artists and writers could get lost and express that caged desire to create it would be here, the real world would never be enough for them, quite honestly the entire universe would never be enough for those souls made of flames and blood made from stars. If there was a place where love came not by material desire but with all of one's being it would be here. If there was a place where music came from the heavens and lovers waltzed in the wind it would be here.

Peaceful, pristine and perfect, Ciana glowed with radiant energy. The academy was made of pure marble and its expansive, palatial grounds rose from the wealthy earthen soil. In all its dreamy glory it felt new and part of me was fulfilled but something was still missing. However, the beautiful architecture and gardens suppressed those feelings as its appearance stole my breath.

***

Rosalinda ushered me into the academy, not saying a word as she probably realized I was drooling over a building. Evester was as royal inside as it looked outside. Cream walls draped with snowy white curtains, glass windows artifacted long hallways and glowing crystals lingered from above. The central hall welcomed us through two shiny teak doors stretching to the ceiling.

A fountain of stone stood at the centre of the massive room and pedestals with pink peonies sitting in glass vases were positioned at each corner. The hall was crowded with students and professors. Everyone was in casual clothing though their style clearly expressed which element they belonged to.

The room was full of chatter and students, who I presumed would be first years, were busy with papers in their hands talking to professors. I was not a first year however, I was an heir which was rather strange thinking it out loud but my training would be done separate from the others.

I saw Emerson over the herd of heads and Rosalinda was already gone when I looked to my side. He had not seen me and was turning the corner of the hall and I hurriedly wiggled through the crowd to get to him before I lost him. My height betrayed me and I could no longer see him lost in the group of people.

I bumped into something hard, a hand immediately gripped me, the hold strong and firm. The long pale fingers circled my wrist supporting my body and as fast as it held me it let me go pushing me away.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you." I said, looking up to find the strangers eyes. I found them after trailing his unbelievable height and they were a captivating blue with a tinge of grey in the centre but they were angry. His dark eyebrows met, " watch where you're going next time," he arrogantly said in his deep voice and walked away.