Eden-South (11 page)

After climbing four flights of stairs, they
walked down a long hallway, stopping in front of a closed door.

“This is your room,” she said, motioning to
the door. “I’m right here,” she said, pointing to the door on the
other side of the hall. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to
ask.” He was surprised at how friendly she had turned out to be.
His initial impression of her had been completely off.

“Thank you for all your help so far,” he
said, smiling. Another door opened then, with three blonde girls
who all looked the same, and a fourth one with flaming red hair,
piling out into the hall. They were all laughing about something
when they crashed into them.

“Goodnight,” they were saying over their
shoulder. Aiden watched them leave, and then turned to look back at
the opened door to see two boys standing there. They weren’t much
older than him, but they were much bigger and stronger-looking.
Great,
he thought sadly.
This is who I have to train
with.
His depression began to sneak back in again.

“Well, well, Elisa, who do we have here?”
one was saying, walking closer to them. He wore only pants, his
muscular chest bare for the world to see. He had shoulder-length
hair, which was clearly messy from the company that had just left.
The other boy was also naked from the waist up. He was much darker
than the first boy, his skin tanned by the sun, and his hair a
darker shade.

“Go to bed,” Elisa replied, trying to ignore
him. Aiden felt a pang of hope, when he noticed the clear distaste
she had for the guy. He could guess that he was popular with the
ladies, but obviously not with this one.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” he
continued, not taking the hint.

“You can meet tomorrow, when you’re sober,”
she spat back. “Just go to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she
continued, turning back to Aiden. He nodded his head and quickly
walked into the room, locking the door behind him. What had he
gotten himself into? His nerves began to increase as he realized
how real, and how difficult this was going to be. It was just like
high school, but quite possibly worse!

The room they had given him was pretty
small, with only a tiny bed in the middle of one wall, and a small
night table beside it. A dresser sat on the other wall, and a tiny
carpet covered the wooden floors at the foot of the bed. It was
nothing special, but it would definitely do. He was exhausted, so
any surface where he could rest was welcome.

Walking over to the window on the far wall,
he looked out at the city that didn’t seem to want to sleep.
Everything was so different there. Looking up at the sky, he saw
the two moons there, and was still amazed at how big they were
here, and how odd it was that there were two. It truly was a
different world. Climbing into bed, he closed his eyes and tried
his best not to worry over what was to come the next day. It would
all be okay, he reassured himself. All he had to do was believe in
himself. He had always wished for something more in his life when
he was back at home, and now he had that—and more.

CHAPTER FIVE

Someone shoved him, bringing his mind out of
the deep sleep he had finally fallen into. The morning light filled
his room, bringing with it all the insecurities he had felt the
night before.

“Hey, newbie,” he heard a male voice say.
Blinking a few times to clear his vision, he sat up and saw the boy
from the hallway standing beside his bed, smiling down at him
mockingly. The other boy stood by the door, leaning up against the
wall. “Morning, sunshine,” he said, smiling. Aiden ran his hand
over his face, wondering what time it was. His mouth felt dry, and
his stomach grumbled hungrily.

“We don’t mean to wake you from your beauty
sleep,” said the other boy, “but the High Priest has asked for you.
You’d better start moving faster than that.”

“Yeah, come on, newbie,” said the first boy,
pulling off his covers in one fluid motion. “We were given the task
of being your personal escorts.”

Great,
Aiden thought. “Let me just
get washed up quickly,” he said, his voice sounding hoarse. Getting
up from his bed, he headed over to the small bathroom that was off
his room. He could hear the other boys talking while he splashed
cold water on his face.

“If it takes him this long to get going, he
is going to have a hard time managing,” said the quieter boy.

“Ah, it’s newbie’s first day. Give him a
break,” the good-looking one replied. That surprised Aiden, who had
figured he’d be ready to make fun of him at the first
opportunity.

“All right, I’m ready,” Aiden said as he
came back into the room. “I’m Aiden, by the way,” he introduced
himself.

“Nice to meet you, Aiden. I’m Wolf, and this
is Logan.” Aiden nodded his head in both their directions.

“Great, now let’s go,” the one named Logan
said, opening the door to the hall.

Wolf snickered and threw his arm around
Aiden’s shoulders. “Ignore him, newbie. He’s just in a foul mood
today, because he had a little too much to drink last night.” Aiden
smiled. “Didn’t you?” Wolf yelled at Logan.

They watched as Logan’s shoulder’s cringed
at the volume. “Shut up,” he said in a low voice, making Aiden and
Wolf laugh in response.

As they made their way through the streets,
Wolf pointed out all the important buildings to him, including the
taverns, which Aiden doubted he needed to know.

“And that there is Lila’s place.” Wolf
smiled, pointing at a low building with a perfume shop on the main
floor. “She is always up for a good time, if you know what I mean.”
He winked.

“She also happens to be like forty,” Logan
shot back over his shoulder. Aiden looked questioningly at
Wolf.

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
“She looks good for her age.” They continued on, until they came
out of a street and into a large open area, which seemed to be in
the middle of the city. Aiden turned his head and saw the palace
behind another large wall.

“Wow,” he said, amazed at the sheer size of
the place.

“That is the King’s palace, if you hadn’t
already figured that out. Nice, isn’t it?” Wolf asked, staring at
the place alongside Aiden.

“It’s huge,” he breathed. Wolf laughed
beside him.

“Aiden!” he heard a girl call out. Turning
around, he saw Elisa running toward the three boys.

“Hey!” he greeted her, happy to see someone
he knew—not that the present company was unwelcoming.

“I went to see you this morning, and you had
already left,” she explained, breathing hard from running. “You’re
going to the sanctuary?” Aiden looked at Wolf, not actually knowing
where they were going.

“Yes, we are taking him there,” he explained
coldly to Elisa. His attitude had completely changed when she
arrived, Aiden noticed. He was so relaxed before, and now he seemed
irritated and stiff.

Elisa’s posture immediately straightened
too, her chin lifting slightly. “Well, I’m going there too, so I’ll
take him from here. You guys can go back to your rooms and sleep
off your hangovers.”

“Oh, thank God,” they heard Logan say from
behind them. He walked back the way they had come, disappearing
into the side streets.

“Better go with him.” She motioned in the
direction Logan had just gone.

Wolf’s eyes narrowed, and Aiden could see
his cheeks slightly colour with either anger, or embarrassment, or
maybe a little of both. “I’m not hung over,” he said in a defensive
tone. “And I don’t need you to tell me what to do.” Turning toward
Aiden, he didn’t wait for her response. “Good luck.” He smiled,
rolling his eyes. “I’ll see you later.” Then he brushed past Elisa
and disappeared around the same corner as Logan.

Aiden stood there awkwardly, not quite
understanding what had just happened.

“It’s a long story,” Elisa said, looking
where Wolf had disappeared, probably sensing Aiden’s confusion.
“Not one worth telling, though, so are you ready to get going?” He
nodded his head, and the two of them started across the square
toward the side of the palace.

In the morning light Elisa was even prettier
than he had thought, Aiden observed. She was talking to him about
something, but he was too busy looking at her to listen. The sun
made her hair more golden, bouncing off each strand. He could see
her eyes better too: they were a mix of different shades of green
and brown. At one point she asked him something and waited for his
response, and he just smiled and nodded, since he hadn’t actually
heard the question. She accepted it and continued on with her
narrative. He sighed inwardly and tried to focus on the words
coming out of her mouth.

“The High Priest’s name is Alistair; I’m not
sure if Diana already told you about him,” she was saying.

“She did,” he replied.

“Good. Well, he is like a second father to
me, and very wise. You should listen to everything he tells you
with good faith, and trust him. He has only your best interests at
heart.”

They came up to a beautiful building that
sat behind the palace walls. As they walked toward the door, Elisa
held out her hand in front of him, forcing him to come to an abrupt
halt.

“Before we go in,” she began, “there is
something you should be aware of beforehand. You’ll be expected to
make a small sacrifice before entering the sanctuary—it’s a
requirement.”

He looked at her, confused and slightly
frightened. “Sacrifice? What kind of sacrifice?”

She looked at him, noticing the colour
fading from his cheeks. She hadn’t been able to see him properly in
the dark the night before, but now that they stood in the daylight
she could see all his features properly. He definitely wasn’t
bad-looking, although he was a bit too skinny. His hair was a shade
that wasn’t quite blonde, but not quite brown either—she couldn’t
decide. His eyes were large and expressive. It was almost possible
to read exactly what he was thinking through them. He looked
positively scared at that moment, which made her want to laugh, but
she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “A blood sacrifice,” she
replied, watching him take a step backward away from the sanctuary.
She couldn’t help but laugh again. “Don’t worry, Aiden. It is only
a small amount. They just cut your arm a little and take a drop.
Honestly, it’s just a drop.”

“I’m not good with blood,” he confessed.
“I’m not good with people cutting me, either—not really my
thing.”

She laughed again. “Come on, you big baby.”
Grabbing his hand, she pulled him toward the door and knocked
softly three times. Aiden looked like he was going to faint. She
almost felt sorry for the boy. The usual priest opened the door,
looking them up and down.

“The High Priest is expecting us,” she said
in a loud, confident voice. The man nodded his head, and brought
out a small dagger and a bowl made of stone.

“Oh, God,” Aiden said under his breath, but
she heard him. She held firmly onto him, making it impossible for
him to turn and run. The man approached Aiden first, waiting for
him to offer his arm. Slowly he did, and the man proceeded to cut a
small line on his forearm, holding the bowl under it. A drop fell,
and it was over. He handed Aiden a tiny handkerchief to stop the
blood flow, and then he turned toward Elisa. She tried to keep her
face calm, to show Aiden there was nothing to be afraid of. After
she was finished, they continued inside, the priest leading them
down a narrow hall with low ceilings, until they arrived at two
wooden doors. He knocked quietly.

While they waited, Elisa wondered what Aiden
would think of Alistair and the King … or her father, for that
matter. She thought the last with a shudder. Her father was sure to
try to intimidate him right from the beginning. For the second time
already that morning, she found herself feeling sorry for Aiden,
especially when she saw how pale his face was.

“Come in,” a voice came from inside. The
priest opened it, stepping back to allow the two of them to
enter.

“Ah, and here they are!” the man said as
they walked in. He was a very tall man, with white hair and deep
blue robes. He reminded Aiden of Merlin from the stories he read
when he was little. Alistair’s eyes were instantly on him, making
Aiden feel slightly nervous.

“Hello, Alistair,” Elisa said, bowing in
front of him. Aiden didn’t know if he should follow suit. He was
still embarrassed from how he had reacted in front of her about the
blood. She had made it look so easy.

“Why do you insist on greeting him so
informally?” came a deep voice from one of the chairs that sat in
the room. Aiden hadn’t realized there were two more people there.
The one who spoke was even bigger than the priest. He was probably
just as tall, but he was muscular, and his face looked hard. He had
a huge scar above his left eye, and thick, dark eyebrows. His hair
was short and black, and a huge beard covered the lower half of his
face. Even his eyes looked black in the lighting.

“Oh, come, Turk, she is like a daughter to
me,” the High Priest brushed him off. “Will you not introduce us,
Elisa?”

“Of course.” She smiled, turning toward
Aiden. He stepped forward to the spot she motioned to, as she named
everyone in the room. “Aiden, this is the High Priest of Eden, and
this is Turk, the Captain of the King’s army, and also my father,”
she continued, pointing to the large man. He nodded his head in
their directions. “Last, this is the High King, King Jameson, of
Capital City. Everyone, this is Aiden.”

The third man stood up, so Aiden could see
him properly. He looked much younger than Aiden had expected. His
hair was a light shade of brown, only slightly touched by grey on
the sides. He had no beard to hide his face, which still looked
young. He had kind eyes, not in the least bit intimidating, which
was what Aiden would have expected from a King.