“A new student! How exciting!” exclaimed a girl with a Magique’s badge. She had chocolate skin and long dark hair held back from her face with red barrettes. She had high cheekbones and dark, almond-shaped eyes lined with thick, long eyelashes. “I’m Nadine Landry, head girl for the Magique’s faction.” She held her hand out, and Caroline shook it, grateful for a friendly greeting.
“I’m Caroline, uh…” she trailed off, suddenly unsure of herself. She spotted a guy standing slightly behind her, though at least a head taller than her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she gripped the locket that suddenly felt hot against her chest.
“Caroline Uh?” joked one of the boys, giving her a wink as he nudged his way to the front of the group. He had blonde hair, cut short and playful green eyes. He reached out his hand, but instead of shaking it, he raised her fingers to his mouth and kissed her hand. Caroline blushed. “I’m Corbin Chevalier, head boy of the Surnatural faction, a
A month laterCaroline stood before the black statue of a phoenix rising from the ashes and stared at the names on the plaque below it.Felicity BennettFleur ToussaintVale AbreoZara Del la CroixAldrick VieuxIt still felt surreal that they were gone. That Aldrick was gone. Caroline kept expecting to walk around a corner or walk into a classroom and see him there with his serious but handsome expression. Always so happy to see her. She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and exhaled shakily. Feeling a gentle squeeze on her shoulder, Caroline looked up and saw her father standing beside her.“How are you doing?” he asked. Caroline shrugged, “I miss them. I feel responsible.”“I know,” he replied, holding his daughter tight.“What did you decide to do with your sister?” Gaspar sighed, “I buried her in the woods on a small kn
It was then that Caroline remembered her mother’s warning. Now that Tempeste was gone, if anything was to happen to her, her powers could be absorbed by the female next of kin—her aunt. Caroline felt a chill run up her spine, and she tried to manifest the same powers she’d exhibited against Tempeste and The Entiere, but despite her focus, nothing happened. She looked up as her aunt chuckled to herself.“My dear, sweet, naïve niece. You can’t access the powers of the prophecy if the other half of the prophecy is deceased. It becomes redundant.”Caroline gaped at her.“Oh dear, would you have told him to leave if you’d known the powers could save you? Hindsight is a fantastic thing, don’t you think?” Marguerite seemed most amused with herself.“You’re no better than my mother!” Caroline spat.Her aunt turned to her in mock surprise, “Oh? But I am! Of course, I am—because I’m still here, and she isn’t…”“Not for long!” Caroline jumped to her fe
The whole academy was a raucous celebration, but celebrating was the last thing Caroline felt like doing as she stood in a small, windowless room, where Felicity, Fleur, Vale, and Zara were laid out before her. She didn’t bother to wipe the tears that still spilled over her cheeks, wondering if she could have done something differently to save her friends. “Caroline?” Aldrick asked from the doorway. She turned and looked over her shoulder, giving him a sad smile.“Can I join you, or do you want to be left alone?” he asked.“Of course you can come in. Though I thought you’d want to be celebrating with everyone else,” Caroline replied.Aldrick shrugged as he walked in, his hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans. “I just wanted to talk to you. About what happened.”“What do you mean?” Caroline looked up at him, her brow furrowed. “When you kissed me on the athletic field, I guessed it was in the heat of the moment. You know, like we
Caroline pushed him away, scurrying back across the grass. She barely registered that she’d sent Aldrick hurtling across the ground. A surge coursed through her, and Caroline looked down at her arms and saw spidery black veins sweeping across her skin, leaving a burning sensation as it spread. She was in agony as she got to her feet, her mind racing as the images refused to leave her.I don’t understand? If the prophecy meant for us to be together, then why is our future filled with death and despair? Caroline howled as the burning spread further, now feeling as though it was burning her from the inside as well as the outside. Just as she thought she couldn’t stand it anymore, it stopped, leaving her panting. Looking up, she saw a horrified expression on her father’s face as he saw her across the field, yet she didn’t feel anything. Her gaze went over his shoulder to an Entiere closing in.“No!” Caroline yelled, flicking her hand toward the enemy and o
Caroline didn’t like being told to hold back, but she trusted her father’s judgment. They looked on as Tempeste let go of her horse’s reins, and raised her hands out to the sides, palms facing up. She appeared to have her eyes closed as though she was praying, and The Entiere all bowed their bald, white heads. Suddenly, Tempeste whipped her arms upward, clapping her hands loudly together over her head. The heads of The Entiere flew upwards, and they charged forward.“Supernaturals!” Gaspar bellowed, and Caroline’s hair blew across her face as the Supernaturals took off at such a speed as to leave a wind tunnel in their wake. They flew forward in a blur of golden light, moving too fast for Caroline to pick out which was Corbin, and the knowledge terrified her. She bit her lower lip so hard that she drew blood, and she quickly wiped her mouth with her fingers. The Surnaturals barreled into the oncoming Entiere, sending many of them hurtling into the air. Followe
Caroline stood shoulder to shoulder with her friends. Certain their hearts were pounding as rapidly as her own. Soon it became difficult to separate the beating of the approaching drums and echoing of her thundering heartbeat in her ears. She jumped as a hand grabbed her shoulder, and Caroline turned around and saw her father standing behind her. In her relief, she didn’t think twice as she embraced him tightly, acknowledging as he hugged her back that they may never get to do so again. Quickly pushing the thought from her mind, Caroline released her father.“Felicity?”“Her body will remain safe and protected until this is over. Regardless of the outcome, Felicity’s body will be returned to her family so she can rest in peace,” Gaspar explained.Caroline nodded, choking up at the thought of yet another funeral. She forced herself to cast the thoughts aside.“Look who I found,” her father said, and Caroline frowned in confusion before Eloise stepped out f