Chapter 4: Awkward Family Meals

When she opened her eyes, the sky was dark outside the plane, and she sat up, her eyes darting in disorientation that slowly dissipated as she looked around the cabin. 

“Good. You’re awake.” Her aunt stated, lowering her knife and fork to either side of the dinner plate that sat before her. She gestured to one of the hostesses, and they served Caroline. As much as she wanted to be sullen and ignore the plate before her, she realized she hadn’t eaten since her family went missing, and the grumble of hunger was almost painful. Thanking the hostess, she picked up her fancy cutlery. Aware her aunt was watching her, and cut into the steaming salmon. Satisfied to see her eating, her Aunt leaned down and withdrew a stack of papers from her bag and held them up for one of the hostesses to collect. They were placed on the table before Caroline, and she begrudgingly looked up from her plate and glanced at the image on the front of the folder with equal parts annoyance and interest.

The picture was of an enormous chateau, three stories of grey stone, complete with steep, peaked roofs of dark slate tiles, laced wrought iron eaves, and Gothic-looking iron spires. She thought it looked like it should belong to an evil queen from one of her childhood fairytales. 

“What is this?” she asked, refusing to cave to her curiosity and open it. 

“That will be your new home.”

“You mean until my mom comes back…”

“Yes. Of course.” Her aunt replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“This is yours?” she asked with as much nonchalance as she could muster.

“Yes and no. I live there, and I work there, and while I technically do own it, it doesn’t belong solely to me.”

“You work there?”

“Yes. It’s a school. An important school and I am its headmistress.” 

Caroline groaned inwardly, “I’m going to be staying in a boarding school. This is just awesome. Tell me why I couldn’t just stay with Felicity again?”

Her aunt ignored her and continued, “I highly recommend you at least peruse the literature before we get there. You will inevitably have questions, and it will be less of a culture shock upon our arrival if you at least have some idea of what you’re walking into at the academy. Destine Academy is like no other school on the planet.”

“Great—so I get to share my last name with the school. That won’t draw attention. Why don’t you stick a huge kick-me sign on my back and be done with it?” 

Marguerite ignored her groans, “We have a few hours before landing, so I’m going to take a brief nap before freshening up. I suggest you do the same. When I return, I expect you to be ready to discuss what you’ve read.”

Caroline was speechless as she watched her aunt swivel her chair to the side and gracefully get to her feet and walk away. One of the hostesses swooped in and cleared her plate and wiped the table before she’d walked out of the cabin. 

Turning her attention back to dinner, Caroline took furtive glances at the folder beside her. She was torn between wanting the answers to her aunt’s cryptic warning, while also feeling incapable of handling any more changes. Everything was happening so fast, and all she wanted to do was be with her mother and brother, wherever they were. The meal had helped clear the last of the fog from her mind, and she thanked the hostess for clearing it away before sliding the folder into the center of the table. Inspecting the image of the chateau, Caroline shook her head, recalling her aunt’s description of ‘charming.’ It wasn’t the first word that came to her mind when she looked at it. She wondered what Felicity would say when she told her and took a photo on her phone to send to her once they’d landed. 

Opening the folder, she was greeted by a crisp, white piece of paper.

Welcome to Destine Academy – Home of the Elite and Exceptional

Caroline scrunched up her face, thinking it sounded a little over the top even for a private boarding school, while inwardly cringing at seeing her surname sprawled across the front of the building. Turning over to the next page, she saw it was divided into quarters, each with a strange symbol in the center. The top left was a green line that ran diagonally from left to right and had a green orb in the center of it, labeled with the word Magiques. The second quarter had a blue orb centered in a vertical line and was labeled Voyante. The third, a red horizontal line with a red orb in the center, labeled Surnatural, and the last was a yellow orb with four lines diagonally surrounding, but not touching it. This one was labeled Metamorphe. As she stared at the symbols, she felt strange, as though there was a mild vibration coursing through her, causing her recently filled stomach to churn and cramp. The symbols appeared to glow and pulsate right before her eyes like they had a life of their own. Caroline closed her eyes and gripped the edge of the table, willing the sensation to pass. Once she felt like she could breathe again, she slowly opened her eyes and sighed with relief to find the symbols were once again normal. Glad to turn the page over, she skimmed through the following literature, but none of it made any sense. From what she could gather, students didn’t apply to attend the school. They were recruited. The school seemed shrouded in mystery and claimed to have run—in secret—for over two hundred years. Caroline wanted to know more about the four symbols and the words assigned to each one. She figured the less she had to ask her aunt, the better. But despite all the literature in the folder, it only served to say a lot without really saying anything at all, merely alluding to the mystery and elitism of the school. To Caroline, it had a secret society vibe about it, and she could see her aunt heading such a project. All she could do was hope she wouldn’t have to stay there long enough to have to participate or socialize in any way. All she wanted to do was keep to herself and count the hours away until she received the news that her family was safe, and she could return home.

Unable to sit any longer, she got up and stretched her legs, which only led to the hostesses repeatedly asking if she needed anything. Finally, they took the hint and left her alone while she paced the length of the cabin, lost in thought. The rear door opened, and Caroline jumped, startled from her thoughts as her aunt reappeared. While she wore fresh clothes, they were still black and severe in appearance.

“I take it you’ve spent your time alone well?” she questioned, walking past her niece to sit back in her chair. Without having to ask, a pot of tea and a cup and saucer were placed before her. She gave a dismissive nod of thanks and leaned back into her chair, looking up at her niece expectantly.

“Uh…if you mean did I read that stuff, then yeah, I did. Not that it really tells you anything.”

“It says plenty to those who are meant to read it.” Her aunt replied, gesturing for her to sit, and Caroline found herself obeying before she could stop herself.

“Now. Questions.”

“I don’t have any.” She lied. 

Her aunt raised an eyebrow, and Caroline could see how well suited she would be in her head-mistress role. “The symbols. What do they mean?” she asked with a sigh.

“They represent each of the four factions that make up Destine Academy. The Magiques are our magical students. Alchemists, occultists, herbalists—there’s many branches of magic they can—and do—specialize in here. The Voyante are the oracles—seers if you will. The Surnatural are our preternaturals—students possessing superhuman powers such as strength, speed, and many other talents. Finally, you have the Metamorphe—our shifters.”

“Shifters? Like shapeshifters? Werewolves?” Caroline scoffed. 

Her aunt frowned, “It’s a common misconception of the common—and uneducated—majority that a shifter can only change into a violent mutt, but essentially a trained shifter can change into whatever—and whoever—they want.”

Caroline couldn’t speak. Her aunt was nuts; she had to be. But how could she explain the luxurious private jet with the staff waiting on her hand and foot? Or the chateau on the cover of the folder? Was it really hers? Or was this all some made up delusion of the rich and eccentric? Neither theory provided much comfort.

“Now, I have a question for you. When you looked at the symbols, did you feel anything?”

“Yes,” Caroline replied, and her aunt’s eyebrows shot up as she leaned forward. Caroline quickly rethought her answer, “I felt confused. That is all.” She decided she didn’t want to disclose her physical reaction to them. She needed to know a lot more about her aunt—and the mysterious Destine Academy—before she entrusted her with anything. Her aunt continued to watch her, and Caroline shifted in her seat at the sudden, intense attention. Finally, Marguerite sat back in her chair, and Caroline hoped it was because she believed her. 

“You will be at a disadvantage amongst your peers. At least until you find your key. In saying that, you’re a Destine after all, so I have no concerns. While this is most unconventional, I’m sure there’ll be no issue settling in…”

“Hold on just a minute!” Caroline cut in, “You’re talking as though you think I’m staying there. This is only a short-term gig. Mom and Justin are coming home.” 

Her aunt lowered her gaze and picked at some imagined spot on her sleeve, “Regardless of duration, I would think it pertinent you endeavor to fit in. You may surprise yourself and like it there.”

“Not likely…” Caroline muttered, swiveling her chair so that its back was half turned to her aunt, and she stared out the window. Part of her was curious as to what her aunt meant by ‘key’ but refused to ask, instead crossing firmly against her chest, planning to ignore Marguerite for the rest of the flight.