ALIX's POV:
I waited by the exit of the cafeteria as I watched Prince Aleksander flirt lightly with a very dubious Caddie. She held her binder tightly to her chest as a scarlet blush colored her porcelain cheeks. Prince Aleksander tucked a loose lock of golden hair behind her ear and planted quick kiss on her rosy cheek. He walked away with his signature smirk on his face. What a jerk, I thought to myself. He was going to make my job a living hell. It was my job to keep Caddie from getting hurt and I knew he'd be the first person to put a knife in her back. He had only came out of hiding last year and yet the whole supernatural community knew he was a player. He was the future Heart Curator, it's literally in his job description to play with other people's emotions.
"So that's the lost princess," Jaxon said as he walked over to me.
Lunch with my brother was amusing, to say the least. in his own way he had become Nox Haven royalty. The girls hung onto his every word and the guys looked to him for approval. And of course the amusing part was that he had no idea that they gave him special treatment. I suppose he was attractive and an excellent magician, but besides that, there was nothing to lose your head over.
"Yeah, Princess Caddie Mae Jones. Or I suppose Lady Bose will have her known as Princess Caddie Mae Bose." I told him.
"She doesn't look like much." Jaxon concluded.
He wasn't wrong. Caddie was a small, innocent girl who didn't know anything about magic. When I met Caddie, I didn't even realize who she was. None of us had known anything about the lost heir. But when the two men carried Caddie off to Heidi Bose, it seemed suspicious. The Dark Witch wasn't known for healing. And then it was even weirder Lady Bose had looked genuinely concerned at Caddie's unconscious state. She was cruel and most commonly known as the executioner out of the council members; and yet she looked soft and almost motherly when she saw Caddie.
I watched as Caddie made her way over to us. Last night I had seen a vision of Lady Bose calling me to her office, where she would formally bind me to her heir-making me Caddie's protector. I would have loathed the job if Caddie hadn't been so likable. She was quiet and innocent, like a kitten, I couldn't help but feel protective over her.
Jaxon chuckled and shook his head. "I still don't understand how my little sister got wrapped into all of this."
Neither do I, I meant to say, but Caddie was already in front of us.
"Hey..." She said awkwardly, glancing towards my brother.
I cleared my throat, signaling Jaxon to introduce himself.
Being the over-dramatic idiot that he is, he bowed to her and kissed the top her hand. "I am Jaxon Slade, your majesty. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Caddie looked startled. I should have mentioned to Jaxon that she wasn't a big fan of physical contact.
"Yeah. Sadly, that bumbling buffoon is my brother." I said with the most amount of affection I could muster. "Come on. If we leave now, we can still make it to first period."
My brother waved goodbye, his green eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Why do you do that?" Caddie asked, as I hauled her away from my brother.
"Do what?" I asked.
"You use school as an excuse to leave situations you don't want to be in." We stood in the middle of the crowded hallway as kids rushed to their classes.
I shook my head in denial. "School is important. Can you blame me for being an academic enthusiast?"
Caddie gave me a doubtful look.
"Listen if it was a good enough excuse for my brother, it's going to be good enough for you," I said with a sigh and pulled her to our class.
Most of the kids were still filing into the classroom. "Okay, your first class is in Room 228 with Ms. Brumswick. She teaches Algebra.
Caddie looked puzzled. "How do you know my schedule?"
I made a nonchalant gesture, "You left it out on your dresser, and it's my first class as well."
Caddie looked relieved as she followed me into the classroom. Whispers began to circulate the room as I pulled Caddie to the back of the class. It was a small class, probably only fifteen students over all. There was enough empty seats for us to space ourselves from the gossipers.
"It's hard for them to gawk at you when you're behind them." I joked.
"I don't think that's going to stop them," Caddie murmured.
My face fell as 15 pairs of eyes honed in on Caddie.
"All right, class. Let's give Miss Jones some room to breathe, and focus your attention to the board." Ms. Brumswick had swooped in and saved Caddie from hyperventilating.
She was an old woman, at the age of 223, but even I couldn't ignore the fact that she was good at teaching. She spoke clearly and concisely, and from what I saw, she didn't spit. Her hair was brushed back into a long silver braid, her skin was tanned and as rough as worn out leather. I tuned her out as she taught. I wondered if I would grow to be her age, I didn't want to look as old as her but it would be cool to see how the world changes. Simple cosmetic spells fix the wrinkles and gray hair. I stopped mid thought as I glanced at Caddie. It was silly for me to think I would be able to live that long. Most witches and warlocks can live to be a thousand years old, but we're often killed long before.
The class dragged on and as each painful second ticked away, I found myself growing more and more bored. Can a person really die from boredom? Finally, the bell rang and I ran for freedom.
"Hey, slow down." Caddie yelled after me. "Geez, weren't you the one who wanted to get to class?"
"That was only because I forgot about how absolutely dreadful math is," I groaned. She nodded in agreement, a sweet smile graced her lips.
"Your next class is History with Bryant. Don't worry about going to your locker, you're allowed to leave your supplies in his class," I said after breifly searching the future.
Caddie frowned at the special treatment but didn't say anything in return.
CADDIE'S POV:
I was the first person in the class, except for Mr. Bryant. He was a balding middle-aged man who looked like he was running on 5 gallons of coffee. He welcomed me warmly, giving me my school supplies and offering me to pick any seat in the class.
I quickly made my way to the back even though that didn't work out so well last time. I heard the excited non-stop babbling before Mava and Irene made it into the class.
"Caddie!" Mava squealed. She and Irene ran to secure their spots next to me.
"Why didn't you tell us who you were earlier?" She asked.
What was I supposed to say? That I didn't actually know of my bloodline until a few hours ago? They probably wouldn't believe me, like Mira.
"It wasn't that important." Was what I settled for.
"Not that important." Mava scoffed. "That's huge!"
Irene made an agreeing noise. As the rest of class trickled in one by one, I watched as Mava and Irene gave the others cocky stares. They felt like they were better than the others just because they were sitting by me. Weird.
"All right, students, settle down. In honor of the beginning of a new era, I will be teaching a special segment on the council members and their individual powers."
Several people looked back at me when he mentioned their powers. All of this curious energy was giving me a headache.
"The Head Minister's magic has been around since the creation of mankind. Many believe that the Head Minister was the first supernatural creature alive. Some say his powers were a gift from the moon. The Head Minister can only create a mass of life forms or create mass destruction. There is no in-between." I pictured Kimone in my mind. My first impression of her was that she was pretty girl who liked to be in control. She was in control of everything. She seemed to measure everything she did. Nothing fell out of balance. Now, it was clear Kimone kept control of herself to find a sense of balance in her life.
"The Alpha Warrior and Beta Warrior are trained in the arts of defense. Their powers are used for quick attacks. They are known for having heightened senses, unnatural advanced agility, speed, and strength." Ryder was a warrior in and out. There was no question about that. Mira was terrifying, but I couldn't picture her on the battlefield.
"The Mind Manipulator and the Heart Curator are naturally born opposites. The Mind Manipulator has been known to be very technical. They value knowledge above feelings. They can manipulate thoughts, appearances, and vision. Any aspect of the mind can be easily manipulated, except for the emotional spectrum. The Heart Curator deals with love, lust, and heartbreak. Their powers can cause emotional havoc to a person. A simple kiss can bind you to the Heart Curator forever. You would be stuck in a sate of never ending love." I made a mental note to distance myself from Aleksander. He had an addictive personality, he was so kind and charming. It was hard not to fall under his spell, but that's what I had to remind myself. It was just a spell. Not that Maddox's power makes me feel any better, I didn't like the idea of someone browsing through my mind.
Mava raised her hand eagerly.
"Yes dear," Mr. Bryant said, taking a break from his lesson.
"I thought the Dark Witch's family were Empaths?" Mava asked, and again, the attention was back on me.
"Ah, good question. The Dark Witch and The Heart Curator have always had a close relationship, if you know what I mean," Mr. Bryant joked, which earned a few inappropriate snickers from the class. "As you all know, the Dark Witch is the only person able to perform black magic without falling under the influence. Some say that is because the Dark Witch was the creator of black magic, but others like to believe a much sweeter tale. The tale goes that the Heart Curator fell in love with Dark witch, even if his feelings were never to be returned. As the Dark Witch fell into the influence of her practice, the Heart Curator felt like he was losing his chance to be with her, so he cursed her with empathy. The Dark Witch stays on the right path because of her ability to feel for others."
The girls were at the edge of their seats, waiting to here if the Heart Curator ever did get his chance, but then the bell ringed and we were dismissed.
"Ah, freedom," I sighed in relief when I finally ditched my classmates.
"Not for long." A familiar Russian accent whispered in my ear.