Chapter 1: Life as I know it

 

Oak Drive is as empty and silent as one of the secondary streets of a little Irish village should be. The sun hasn't risen yet, and I can't help but frown when I glance at my watch: 5:30! I'm usually a heavy sleeper, but yesterday had been, officially, the worst day of the year. The reason: summer holidays had just started.

Well, I guess it's time to explain: I'm an orphan. I was left at the doorstep of the police station of Blessington, an Irish village located on the Wicklow county. On the blanket that wrapped me, there was a name embroidered: Titania. So, that's how I was named by the young policeman who found me and took care of me until I was finally adopted by a foster family.

That young policeman is still on duty, but he's now on his late thirties, and his name is Owen Treadstone. Even though I was soon adopted by a family with a daughter of my same age, he never stopped concerning about me, and he paid me regular visits until my foster family forbade him. Since then, I'm the one who visits him every day at the station, always carrying a few hot doughnuts and a hot espresso.

My foster family isn't that bad. It's just that we're not truly meant for each other. A good example is my father, George Winters. Whenever they see him, people think he's the average Irish middle-aged man, with a loving wife and the perfect children. Well, that couldn't be further away from reality: at home, George reveals himself to be an impatient, avaricious and superficial man, stone cold and with no seen love for neither his wife or his daughter.

Mabel is a horse of a different colour: she is a housewife, and spends her spare time making my sister Erica's life easier and mine, a lot more difficult than it already is. Erica consents that, but she hardly ever harasses me as frequently as her mother, something I certainly appreciate.

But, although my home life isn't really homely, I truly feel part of this village. When I appeared and Owen took me in, the town acknowledged me as part of their own: every citizen knew me, and there were always volunteers to babysit me whenever he had night shifts. The idea of running away passed through my mind many times, but I just couldn't bear with leaving the village and its habitants, who had helped me so many times, and whom I had grown to see as my true family. Plus, avoiding the conflict just wasn't my style.

I cover myself again with the bed sheet in another attempt to fall asleep, which actually works. When I wake up again, it's already 9:15. I step outside my small dormitory to the bathroom Erica and I share. As usually, none is awake yet, and I resolve to be as quieter as I can. After taking my daily shower and brushing my teeth, I put up my chestnut-brown hair in a high ponytail, change myself into a colourful T-shirt, a denim miniskirt and a pair of flip-flops, and take my handbag, ready to go out.

Of course, they're already waiting for me downstairs. I close the main door and lock it, then I put my keys inside my purse and smile to my two dearest friends:

-¡Hey, girls! ¿Ready for some action?

Aine and Ciara just smile at me. We've been best friends since we were little, and we attended Saint Bridget's nursery school. Aine and Ciara are twins, but you can easily distinguish one from the other: Aine's ginger hair is much longer than Ciara's, and she has pink highlights, while Ciara's are purple. And yes, they're pretty fashion-crazy. Both of them.

"Were are we going today?" Ciara asks. "I just hope we don't have to put up with you stepmother anymore."

"What are you saying?" I reply, jokingly. "We're now fourteen years old! We're almost full-grown adults, and with a bit of luck, I won't have to see my parents or Erica anymore for the whole summer!"

"You didn't told us that" Aine says. "What's the great news?"

"Well, Owen has been saving money for quite a while, but I didn't know anything about it. On Monday morning, when I went to see him, he told me that we have enough money to live in Dublin for two months! We're gonna rent a small apartment in the city centre, and you can visit us anytime you want. We will go shopping every day, eat at the McDonald's, take strolls near the sea..."

Aine and Ciara start shouting. I can't help but to join them, and we embrace each other in a big hug. This is going to be my perfect summer, I know it.

"Girls, we have to celebrate it" says Aine. "How about ransacking the super and then go on a picnic?"

"Sounds great to me!" Ciara smiles.

I take my wallet out of my handbag and count the money inside: five euro. I look at the twins, hoping they have something on their pockets. Aine searches a bit and then hands me a two-euro coin. We look expectantly at Ciara, and she sighs as she gives me another euro.

"Perfect" I say. "With this, we can buy enough food for a feast, girls!"

 We head for ALDI, crossing the village. We only see a few people walking through Main Street, and one of them is Mrs. Allen, the florist, with her white terrier Sunny. We wave at her, and she smiles at us kindly.

Finally, we arrive at ALDI. We enter, but then I realize Ciara isn't following us. I turn around and see her talking with a group of people. At first, I don't recognize them, but then I spot someone that looks familiar.

"Caleb? What are you doing here?" I ask.

Caleb walks towards me and gives me a handshake; that's our informal way of greeting each other. When we join the rest of the group, I'm surprised to see my friends from school. Suddenly, someone hugs me with so much strength that I can almost feel my bones breaking. When it's finally over, I smile at Aiden, a slightly tanned redhead with tons of freckles and easy laugh. He's nearly two-meters tall, and the best rugby player I've ever meet, plus one of my best friends.

"Well, if it isn't our little Tania" he laughs. "We have to watch the Wolfhound's match together, you promised!"

"Of course, Aiden. But remember you're in charge of the popcorn"

Everyone laughs. Caleb stands next to Aine and holds her hand, and I can't help but feel a bit envious. Caleb and I had been friends since little, and we played soccer together for years. For all of that time I had a crush on him, but unluckily for me, he only saw me as his sister, and secretly liked Aine. They have been going out for like five months already, and neither of them knows of my feelings for him. I just hope I can still pretend I'm okay with it for many years from now, because their relationship couldn't be better.

"So, girls, what are you doing here?" Caleb asks.

"We've just received wonderful news, so we're going to have a picnic at the forest" explains Ciara. "And no, you're not allowed to come"

"Why not?" Aiden begs. "I desperately need sugar to wake me up, I'm almost asleep! Please, girls..."

"It's a girls-only party" Aine says "Boys are not allowed"

"Please, sweetie" Caleb asks.

Before Aine gives in, because I know she will, I take her hand and her twin's and pull them into the store. Aine waves at Caleb before I push her towards the biscuit department. When we finally end our shopping, our bags are full of sweets, biscuit and chocolate. We meet the boys again, and before they attempt to steal something form us, I throw them a box of cookies. They thank us and, of course, start eating in a matter of seconds.

We take our favorite shortcut to arrive earlier to the forest, as it only takes 10 minutes instead of the 25 that takes going through the Main Street. When we arrive, I froze instantaneously. My family's car is parked right in front of us. They're here, and something tells me they're not gonna be very happy when they see me.

"Oh, no. This can't be happening" I hear Aine's voice coming from behind.

"They're definitely the party crashers"

Not even Ciara's attempt of joking with the situations manages to cheer me up. With all the determination and courage I can gather, I enter the forest with my two friends behind me.

 

2: Chapter 2: Across the forest

Chapter 2: Across the forest

 

I've only walked a few meters when I hear the voice I hate so much:

"George, my dear, why are we here? This place is so muddy, my new shoes are starting to get dirty!"

Oh my God, I don't think I can put up with an angry Mabel. My perfect day is getting worse and worse by the second. Aine whispers at my ear:

"Tania, just what are you planning to do? Seriously, I think the best idea is avoid them seeing us"

"Yeah, I agree" adds Ciara "I mean, otherwise, if you ruin their little trip, they can prevent you from going to Dublin with Owen"

Shit, I hadn't thought of that. They are very likely to ground me for the whole summer if I get mad at them. Well, I suppose I just have to go along with Aine's suggestion. She's damn right.

"Okay, let's go to the quarry. We sure won't be easy to spot there"

The twins agree, and we take a smaller path to arrive way before them. For a moment, I feel sorry for Erica, having to put up with such troublesome parents, but I shake those thoughts away from my head and focus on walking faster without dropping the bags I'm carrying, full of groceries.

Finally, we arrive to the quarry. We take a look around in search for a good place to stay, and we settle down behind a mountain of sand. It may not look as the usual place to have a picnic, but the forest has a special meaning for us. It was the place when we first met, and that's why it became our favorite hangout place, away from the gossips and rumors that were always circling through Blessington.

I sit down and start to take out stuff from the bag I was carrying: first, some Coke cans; then, an Oreo box, followed by a package of Kit-Kat. I laugh as I see Ciara drooling, and later Aine joins us. When everything is outside the plastic bags, Ciara attempts to throw them away, but her sister stops her and saves them in her pocket, saying she'll throw them in a bin later.

We start eating, but of course talking at the same time. After pressuring Aine into telling us her last date with Caleb, when they went to the biggest shopping centre of all Ireland, Dundrum, I can't stop laughing imagining Caleb trying on lipstick and eyelashes, and Ciara either. Aine blushes a bit, and I suddenly wish I could have the same relationship with Caleb. Well, life isn't that easy.

Suddenly, I hear a noise coming from the forest, and I prepare myself for the worst: having to put up with George and Mabel teasing me, and Erica laughing from behind. But, strangely enough, they're not the ones who appear.

A young woman is staring at me. I've never seen her, something really strange, because I know every single citizen. She isn't from here, I know. She doesn't even seem to be Irish.

"Are you Titania Summers?" she asks.

Well, now I'm definitively suspicious. Why does she know my full name? I stand up, and then I notice that she is not alone. Two figures walk towards us, and I can see one of them is a man, and the other is another woman. They're rather strange: the three of them share the same raven-black hair and sharp facial features, apart from the skin tone, which couldn't be paler.

The first girl asks again: "Is it you?" "Yeah" I nod. "Why do you ask?"

"Well" The man says "It's rather difficult to explain. We've come to find you, in behalf of your biological parents. They've been looking for you for ages"

My body paralyzes. I can't say anything, my mouth just can't articulate any sound. ¿My parents? ¿My true parents? They really did care about me, and had been searching for me... I am really moved, because I have believed for my whole life that my parents abandoned me and didn't give a damn about me.

Wait. Why am I trusting this people I just met and I know nothing about? This story doesn't make any sense.

"Excuse me, may I ask why my parents haven't come themselves?" I decide to bluff my way out, hoping their story is really true. Otherwise, we are in serious danger "I know who you are, and this type of lies aren't gonna work with me"

To my surprise, the first woman that spoke sighs and shows a smile.

"Fred, I told you it wasn't going to work"

"Well, it was worth trying" answers that Fred person "Now I suppose we'll have to take care of things the hard way"

"What do they mean by that?" Aine asks me. From her tone, I can sense she's panicking. I'm also very frightened, but I try not to show it.

"Whatever they want, we're not going to give in!" Ciara answers bravely. "Make a run for it, girls!" she shouts.

I run towards the forest right away, and so do the twins. Each one of us takes a different direction, and I look back to see them split, one after each of us. I distinguish my pursuer's face as the woman who spoke to me first, and I start running as fast as I can.

"You can't run away from reality, Titania. Sooner or later, he's gonna find you, and none can stop him from doing so" she says.

What the hell does she mean by that? I'd like to hear an explanation, but I'm not going to stick around to find whatever they want from me. Running and not knowing sounds like a much better option to me.

As I reach the main path, I see my foster family walking in our direction. I have to warn them, because she has probably seen them already.

"George, Mabel, Erica!" I scream "Run!"

"Why are you so cheeky? No one gives me orders, especially you!" shouts George.

"I told you to run, for God's sake! Or do you wanna die?" I reply, tired of their stupidity.

Of course, the three of them start running, but the raven-haired woman is catching up by the second. I strongly hope Aine and Ciara are okay; I just can't imagine them in the hands of those people, or else I'll turn around and go to search for them. And that will mean getting caught by my pursuer or abandoning my foster family without mercy. And that's definitely not my style.

"Take the first path you see" I whisper to them when I finally manage to catch up "Do not turn around until you make sure no one's following you, alright?"

They nod and follow my instructions. When I look again at the mysterious woman, I notice she isn't interested in the Winters, but in me. She's starting to run faster, and I'm getting more and more tired each step I take. Suddenly, I trip and fall, and she finally catches up to me. I think I've twisted my ankle but right now, that's the least of my worries.

"Well, well" the woman says, getting closer to me "I admit you've ran as fast as you could. Like one of those pathetic actresses of the horror movies. But this is the end"

Though the darkness reigns in the forest, for a moment I can see her fangs, which are exceptionally long. And then, everything finishes so rapidly as it has begun.

3: Chapter 3: Enter the guys

Chapter 3: Enter the guys

 

"Hey, are you okay, beautiful?"

He is standing right in front of me, carrying an impressive sword with his right hand. Wait, a sword?

"Who the heck are you?"

"Matt O'Brien at your service, my beautiful"

"Stop calling me beautiful!" I shout.

"Why? You're beautiful, so I call you beautiful. Is there any problem with that?"

Uh, I just can't stand his cheeky smile. It looks like he has a superiority complex and is always laughing at the rest of the world. But suddenly, I remember an important detail.

"Thanks for saving me, I really mean it. But, what for? I mean, we don't even know each other, right?"

"Well... It's quite difficult to explain..." for the first time since we've met, he hesitates "Actually, it's very hard for newbies to understand..."

"I don't mind! Tell me!" I demand.

Then, I spot two people walking towards us, and for a moment I secretly hope they're Aine and Ciara. Nevertheless, I realize they're both guys: one of them is a redhead who carries another sword, and the other one is much taller and has short black hair.

"Hey, Matt. Is this the girl?" the redhead asks. For 'the girl', I suppose he means me.

"Yeah. I don't know yet if she has true blood or not, but it won't take us long to find out" he says.

Well, this creeps are starting to piss me off. First, when that strange woman was about to kill me (I think), that Matt knocks her out, and then, he starts to call me beautiful and to say he's gonna test if I have true blood or not... Definitely weird.

It happens so fast that I don't even have time to blink: Matt raises his sword and makes a cut on my shoulder. It starts to hurt, but then... the bleeding stops and the injury heals itself.

The guys don't seem to be as surprised as I am, but now I'm pissed off. Very pissed off.

"What the fuck? Why did you do that for?"

"I was only checking something, babe" Matt says nonchalantly "Don't sweat it"

"She's one of us, so I suppose we'll have to take her to the academy" the raven-haired guy says.

"You're not gonna take me anywhere without my consent, is that clear?" I point.

"Well, if you insist, I guess we'll have to force you... Believe me, I wouldn't enjoy hurting your pretty little face, but if it's my duty, I won't hesitate" Matt whispers at my ear. I can feel every part of my body shiver, but what I'm feeling now isn't fear.

"Wait, what about my friends? They were being pursued by those strange people from before..."

"If we bring them to you safe and sound, would you come with us?" the redhead asks me "Willingly, of course. I don't wanna deal with a rebellious little brat"

I'll just pretend I didn't hear the last comment.

"If that saves Aine and Ciara, I'm fine with it! But please, you have to help them!" I beg. The other guy sighs and says:

"Are we really gonna do it? I mean, it's just easier to grab the girl and return. No complications with those people"

Those people? Maybe they know the people that attacked us.

"She promised" Matt replies "She must really care about those friends of hers. I'll do it, Patrick. Don't get involved if you don't want to"

Is it my imagination, or did Matt just agreed to help me? That guy Patrick finally stops whining, and the four of us start walking through the main path, towards the quarry. No one says a word, and it's making me uncomfortable.

"Guys, I'm starting to sense them. I think there are two more vampires, a male and a female" the redhead says.

"You sure, Rick?" Matt says "They never hunt in groups, so why? It doesn't make any sense"

Vampires, he said? He must be joking, there's no way... Well, actually there is: that will explain perfectly the enormous length of that woman's fangs. And plus, his voice shows he's quite concerned.

"Let's go!" Patrick says, and the three of us follow him out of the forest and into the quarry. I start to look frantically around searching for my friends, and I catch a glimpse of ginger-coloured hair behind one of the sand mountains.

"Matt, I think I just saw one of my friends near that sand mound! We have to go and check!"

"Okay" he says as he starts heading towards there. I try to follow his pace while walking by his side, and so do Rick and Patrick.

"Wow, look at how much big shots do we have here!" I hear a familiar voice exclaiming "I would've never guessed that I would get to meet the famous First Generation! Matt O'Brien, aren't you?

"It seems you humanoids like to be informed about everything" he replies "Now, give the girl to us, vampire. I think you've drank enough blood for today"

The vampire guy from before is carrying an unconscious Aine bridal-style. I spot two punctures on her neck, and I realize what has happened when I see her face, much paler than normal.

"Oh my God! Is she okay? What if she has lost too much blood?" I shout.

"There's an easy way for you to help your little friend here" he suggests to me "Just surrender yourself, Titania, and she will regain her freedom"

"Don't trust him!" Rick says "He'll bite you, as he did to your friend"

"Unfortunately, I'm forbidden to bite this young lady here. The delivery has to arrive safe and soundly; they are the boss's orders"

I can see Matt's shocked expression, but I can't say I expected it either: vampires wanting to kidnap me on someone's orders? It couldn't be worse, but if I could save Aine... I've made a decision, and I step forward as I say:

"Alright, you won. Release Aine and return Ciara to us, and then I'll turn myself over, I swear"

"No, that isn't happening. Patrick, grab her. I'm gonna beat this bastard to a pulp" I've only known Matt for a few minutes, but now I know he's scarier that hell when he's angry.

I appreciate his words, but I can't let those vampires hurt neither Aine or Ciara, and the only thing I can do is surrender to them. But it seems the boys aren't willing to let me decide, because as soon as Matt speaks, Patrick grabs me by my waist and just throws me over his shoulder.

"Stop! Let me down, I say!" I scream.

"If you surrender, you will only put you and your friends in danger. Matt and Rick know how to handle this creatures, so don't worry, alright?" I nod, and he keeps crossing the forest. He's been nicer to me than before, and that makes me a bit happier.

Just when I'm starting to get used to my posture, I see Ciara bravely fighting against the vampire woman. And I can't be more surprised: against all odds, she's overpowering her enemy. I tap on Patrick's shoulder and point them out for him to see.

"We have to help her" I whisper.

"Alright, I've got a plan. I'll put you down and you'll run towards them to distract the vampire. At my signal, you and your friend will have to get down on the ground, understood?"

He's so bossy I'm starting to get mad at him, but I choose to keep quiet and comply, as my first priority now is Ciara's safety. I run towards them and throw the woman to the ground, although she immediately stands up again and keeps trying to bite us. Suddenly, I hear someone whistling, and I push Ciara's body and my own down to the floor.

I hear a faint noise, and I when I look up, I'm traumatized by the sigh: an arrow strikes out of the creature's chest. I know Patrick shot the arrow, and that doesn't make me feel better. He grabs my arm from behind and pulls me up, but now I'm very frightened, and especially by him. Ciara is shocked and doesn't seem to be able to talk, so I gently guide her through the forest as we head for the quarry.

4: Chapter 4: Revelations made

Chapter 4: Revelations made

 

Matt is standing right where we left him, with the seemingly lifeless body of the vampire guy lying in front of him. He sheathes his sword when he sees us, and I'm extremely relieved when I see Aine still unconscious, but safe and sound in Rick's arms.

"Did you finish him off?" Patrick asks Matt.

"He deserved it" he says "I just hate this type of creatures. They really get on my nerves"

"Let's say you weren't very nice to him either" Rick points "Anyway, shouldn't we get going any time soon? I see you've recovered her friend" he adds, referring to Ciara.

Shit, I forgot about my promise. Right now, going with them wherever they want me to doesn't exactly convince me.

"Seems fine to me" answers Patrick "But what can we do with those girls?"

"We can't leave them here. They need medical treatment" Matt says.

So he's also noticed that Ciara seems to be in shock. At least one of this weirdos shows a bit of care for other people. My best friend is holding my hand tightly, but her eyes seem void. Suddenly, my sight starts to fail, and I see Ciara's hand blurred. Noticing my weird expression, Matt says:

"Are you alright, beautiful?"

"I... actually hate...being called beautiful" I say with difficulty.

Then, everything turns black, and I fall. The last thing I feel his Ciara's grip on my hand loosening.

 

**********************************************************************************

 

"Hey, she's awake now, guys. Get away from her, or else she's gonna feel pressed" I hear a woman's voice say.

I open my eyelids slowly, and realize I'm in a infirmary. A blonde haired woman is sitting next to me, and the three guys from before are standing right behind her. The woman looks very happy to see I'm awake, and so do the boys. I try to stop a blush forming in my face, and I say with a dazed voice:

"Where am I? What happened?"

"You passed out, beautiful" Matt says.

"My dear, this is Penrose Academy in England. I'm the Headmistress, Miss Julia Adams" the woman says.

What? Did she just said England?

"England? Please tell me it's a joke" I say.

"No, it isn't" she laughs "Our plane landed on a field near the forest and brought you here. We're near Plymouth, in the South of England. Are you feeling better now? I'd like to tell you a few things"

"Err, yeah. Fine by me" I reply.

"Perfect. Guys, you can get back to class now, your mission is over" Ms. Adams says. The guys grin, and she adds "Missions are not a way of skipping lessons, I thought that was clear. Now, run or you'll be left out of class"

"Wait a minute!" I ask "What happened to Aine and Ciara?"

"Ah, your friends? We asked your foster family to take care of them. They promised to carry them to your village's clinic" Rick answered.

"What a horrible foster family! They just couldn't be more unpleasant"

I'm quite impressed: they really know everything about me, about me being and orphan and that the Winters aren't my real parents.

"Yeah. I have to say, they were really mean dudes" Patrick says with a smile on his face "We had to threaten them until they finally agreed"

All of us laugh and I sigh in relief, and I hope my family really complied to the boys' orders and have assured that my friends received medical assistance. The guys go, but Matt waves at me before closing the door, and I wave him back. Ms. Adams helps me get up and we also leave the infirmary. The headmistress guides me to her office, and I take a seat in front of her.

"Well, Titania, where shall I start? You've been brought here for the reason that I'm about to tell you. Rick, Patrick and Matt, the boys you've met before, are half-inmortals, and you are too"

"What?" I exclaim, and my mind goes to when Matt made a cut on my shoulder back in the forest "Their injuries heal instantaneously? It happened to me, and they said they were testing me"

"Yeah, about that: you're also a half-inmortal, that's why. You age, but more slowly than normal humans. Also, small bruises heal instantaneously, but bigger injuries don't. And that's because one of your progenitors was a full-fledged Inmortal, and part of the Order"

"The Order? What is it?"

"You know something about the Arturic Cycle, right?"

"Yeah, the whole Excalibur thingy, the wizard Merlin, and Ginevra and Lancelot's affair, right? Sure, but I don't know how it's connected with the so-called Inmortals... Whose existence, by the way, I still can't fully believe...This is just crazy"

"I know it's too much to assimilate at once, but you have to open your mind and listen to me carefully" she says "All those myths, those legends... They're all true, my dear. And by the Order, I mean the Order of the Round Table"

Well, now this really is too much. Does it mean that everything of Britain's mythology is real? It just can't be, right?

"Arthur and his knights, who formed the Order of the Round Table, are the real Inmortals: after the purest of them, Galahad, found the Holy Grail, they all drank from it and became invulnerable and inmortals. And all the students that attend this academy are their descendants, all of them half-inmortals because they were product of an Inmortal's union with an human"

"Wait a minute" I interrupt "I'm an orphan, so what can I do to find my real parents? Am I supposed to meet them all and then figure out which one them is my true sibling?"

She seems startled, but then she starts laughing.

"What's the funny thing about it?" I ask, quite upset.

"Sorry, darling, it's just that... The Inmortals swore fifteen years ago that they'll never have any more children. Here we divide our students in generations, because most of them are the descendants of their sons or daughters. You know, some of them are related to children the Inmortals had on the Middle Ages!"

Wow, this is really too much to take at once. But if I'm sure of something, is that the opportunity I thought I had of finally knowing a bit more about my origins and where do I come from, is gone.

"Don't worry, probably we'll find out who your parents are. Someday, I promise" she says, and I can see pity in her eyes. I feel a bit uncomfortable, but maybe because finding someone different from Owen and my friends that cares about me, especially someone like Ms. Adams who has known me just for a few minutes, is something new for me.

"Thanks a lot, and I mean it" I say.

"Well, after this long explanation, I guess you'll need some time to think" Ms. Adams replies "But before, I'd like you to formally enrol Penrose Academy"

"What? It's too sudden." I try to continue, but Ms. Adams interrupts me:

"Only for this summer, of course. Students from lower generations don't need to stay for such as long periods as the higher generations. Wait, I forgot to tell you an important part!"

"What's it?" I ask, curious.

"The Holy Grail is a dangerous object: it doesn't only transform humans into inmortals, but also into humanoids. If you drink from the Holy Grail without having either some Inmortal blood or Galahad's consent, you can turn into different types of humanoids: ogres, mermaids, nymphs, dragons...and vampires"

I suddenly stand up: everything is starting to add up.

"Does it mean...? The creatures that attacked me and the twins...? Could they be..."

"Humanoids, of course. All human fantasy creatures are truly humanoids, former humans that drank from the Holy Grail without having any Inmortal blood, but with different forms. Although I don't know yet the reason why those vampires wanted to capture you, I'm sure we'll eventually find out. Now, it's time for you to settle in your room"

"But, I have no personal belongings" I say "And I have no money to pay for my stay" Although I hate to say it. I'd love to stay here, but I have no way to pay her and my foster family just won't.

"Here we don't charge any fees, Titania"

"Really? That's odd... but it's the same for me, I don't have any money, not even for eating!"

"Don't worry about it; the school will treat you as a scholarship student, and you'll have all the basic expenses covered, which includes clothing, food, accommodation and medical insurance. Though, you'll have to pay for your personal things. To get the money, you could start working at Penrose Town; I'm sure you'll find many job offers for students"

"Thanks a lot!" I yell, and I impulsively hug her. I'm starting to see her as a motherly figure.

"It's alright; now you'll have time to organize you new room and get to know the academy. Feel yourself like home" she says kindly "I'll guide you to where your room is, and then I'll have to leave you. Tomorrow you'll start classes"

"What types of classes? You mean English, Literature, Maths and P.E, like in school?" I ask. I just wanna be prepared for tomorrow, but I have to confess I'm not exactly in the mood for more boring lessons. It's summer vacations, please!

"You'll see" she smiles and guides me through the corridors, until we arrive to an area full of dorm rooms. Everything is peaceful and quiet, and I suppose it's because all the students are in class, including Rick, Patrick and, of course, Matt. What's wrong with me? I just can't stop thinking about him...

"We're here. This are the keys to your room" Ms. Adams says, while opening the room's door and handing me the keys she has just taken out of her pocket. With them, I open the door, and notice that the "153" carved on the wooded key-holder matches the room's number, shown on metallic numbers fixed to the door. It's a basic room, with an individual bed, a desk with a desktop computer and a little lamp, and a wooden wardrobe. Everything is very English-like, but also very beautiful.

"This will be your home for the next two months. Enjoy it!" she adds "Later, I'll send a student to show your way around the school's enclosure, is it okay with you?"

"Of course" I answer.

"Then, I'll be leaving. Please take care, we'll talk later" she says, and she smiles at me before turning around and taking the path that leads to her office.

I watch her as she leaves, and then I get inside my new room. Of course, the first thing I do is to throw myself on the bed. To my surprise, it's extremely fluffy and comfortable. Before I realize, I fall into a semi-dormant state, lost in my thoughts.

5: Chapter 5: Our secret encounter

Chapter 5: Our secret encounter

 

When I wake up, I get the feeling that I've slept for hours. I get up and look through the open window. It's almost sunset, and the sky's beautiful colours spread through the Westcountry's wonderful countryside. I look at my watch: it's almost seven o'clock. This day has probably been the longest of my life, and I almost can't believe that all of these events have happened to me the same day.

And I have just started to interiorize I'm a descendant of someone from King Arthur's court... Although Ms. Adams said she didn't want me to do so, I really wanna meet those Inmortals and ask them if they know about or recognize me. Maybe it won't work, but at least I'll feel at ease with myself.

Suddenly, I hear a loud noise, and then someone's hand covers my mouth. I try to scream for help, but my mysterious attacker grabs my right wrist tightly making me unable to escape.

"Hey, beautiful, don't make any noise or they'll discover us" I hear from behind me.

Beautiful? He releases me, but I already know who is it. I turn around and face Matt's characteristic smirk.

"Matt? What the...? You scared the hell out of me!" I whisper.

"Sorry, but I couldn't let you make any noise, or else we're gonna get caught by the corridor teacher" he notices I can't get a grip on the idea and explains "Male students aren't allowed to enter girls' rooms after a certain hour, you know why"

"Okay, I get it. Really, you're as blunt as a caveman"

"Hey, don't start insulting me. Remember, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't even be here"

"Yeah, whatever. Are you gonna keep reminding it to me all the time?" I ask.

Suddenly, I see anger in his eyes, and for a moment, I feel very scared. Then, he pushes me on the bed, and the next moment he's on top of me. I can feel myself blush, and I'm not the only one; as we are facing each other, he's also blushing a lot. I start to have butterflies, but then Matt seems to get a grip on his senses and stands out of the bed, still blushing. Well, I think this moment has earned 1st place on the list of my most awkward situations...

None of us says another word, but apart from confused, I'm happy. Yes, happy... because it's the first time I've ever feel desired by a man. I'm not sure: maybe Matt likes me, or maybe not, but at least he considers me a full-fledged woman... unlike Caleb.

Yeah, Caleb. Again, I'm thinking about him: he's been my crush for many years, my first and only crush. But he was unable to recognize me as a girl, just because I was a bit of a tomboy when I was younger. Because of my unreturned feelings, I've never loved any other boy, and no guy has ever been interested in me in an boyfriend-and-girlfriend way. So this is just new for me.

Because I fancy Matt. Now I know it, and I like him a lot more than I liked Caleb (yeah, in past tense, I'd like to believe I've already forgotten about him). And because of this, maybe he likes me too.

"How did you knew my room number?" I ask in a quiet voice.

"I listened to your whole conversation with the headmistress" his smirk was back. I sigh and let him continue "Beautiful, you have to understand me: I didn't wanna go to class! Boring lessons, for what? And I've just returned from a mission!"

"What are missions about? Ms. Adams didn't explain them to me..."

"Well, missions are either to locate and capture troublesome humanoids, like the Yeti, for example" he begins, but I interrupt him:

"The Yeti? Really? He's in fact a humanoid?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" he says "Or either to locate and retrieve half-Inmortals who don't know about their blood and are in danger of humanoid attacks..."

"Like my case" I complete.

"Exactly" he replies.

"And why do people of higher generations need to stay here at Penrose for longer time periods? I just can't understand it"

"Simply put: the higher your generation is, the more amount of Inmortal blood flues through your veins. People with higher levels are constantly targeted by humanoids, because they can easily sense and track Inmortals and half-inmortals like us" he explains.

"Oh, I get it. And..." I hesitate.

 "Yeah?" he pressures me.

"Are you really a First Generation? What does it feel like?"

"Yeah, I am. It's... weird, different from my normal life. You see, I don't study at Penrose now that I'm older and I can take care of myself. And it's just so different from high school... Here, everyone treats me like I'm superior, their upperclassman. But that sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable, and wanting to be sometimes treated as a normal guy" he's opening himself up to me, and that makes me feel so happy...

"Are you King Arthur's son?" I ask, curious.

But I certainly didn't expect his reaction: he starts laughing, but in a low volume.

"What's so funny about it?" I ask, a bit angry.

"King Arthur is married to Queen Ginevra, remember? They have a legitimate son, another Inmortal named Troy Pendragon. However, almost all of us half-inmortals are product of an Inmortal's infidelity, but King Arthur isn't allowed to have any children by the members of the Order"

"Charming. And that's because?"

"Difficult to explain" he says "But, more importantly, guess which one of the Inmortals is my father" he dares with his always-present smirk on his face.

"Well, Arthur's out, so maybe... Percival?" he shakes his head "Gawain?" again, no "Gallahad?" incorrect answer again... I really can't remember any more knights of the Round Table, and he's a man because he said so before... "Wait, I got it: Tristan?"

"Wrong. My father's one of the more famous knights of the Order, if not the most" he says. A sad expression seems to cross his face.

"Lancelot" I whisper. He nods "The traitor"

"Yep, that's my old man. The adulterous knight that betrayed Arthur by having an affair with Queen Ginevra. He betrayed her again with my mother, an English young woman. Cool, isn't it?" he adds sarcastically.

"Better than not knowing who your real parents are..." I sigh. He puts his arm gently around my shoulders and says:

"Listen: there are more things that Ms. Adams omitted in the explanation she gave you"

"Tell me about it, please!"

Just when I finish the phrase, I hear someone knocking the door. Matt jumps to the edge of the window surprisingly fast, and I get closer to him.

"When will you explain yourself?" I ask, pretending to be angry.

"We'll continue this conversation later, beautiful. Goodbye, Tania"

The next second, he's gone. I walk towards the door and open it, wondering who is it. And the next second, I'm facing a gorgeous and extremely tall blonde with deep blue eyes and the longest eyelashes I've ever seen in my short and entire life.

"Hi, are you Titania Summers?"

6: Chapter 6: Enter the diva

Chapter 6

 The diva is here

 

"Yes, it's me" I reply, quite surprised.

"Hi! I'm Marilyn Mannering, Ms. Adams sent me to show you around school. You're new, right?" the blonde asks. I nod and she continues "Well, we can get going when you're ready"

"Okay, now is fine by me" I say.

I go out of the room and lock it with the keys Ms. Adams gave me. Marilyn guides me through the corridors, and explains:

"This is the scholarship corridor, on the first floor. Once we figure out which Generation are you in, you'll be transferred to their own bedroom area"

"So Ms. Adams told you I'm an orphan, right?"

"Oh, sorry about it. She told me so I could understand better your situation"

Well, I have to say I don't especially like the fact everyone around here knows of my 'personal situation'. I try not to think about it and ask Marilyn:

"And you, Marilyn? Which Generation are you in?"

"Oh, Tania, you can call me Mary. I'm one of the only two First Generations"

Okay, I wasn't expecting that. And that mean the only other First Generation was Matt... For some reason, the thought of them sharing class, corridor and who knows how more things wasn't precisely enjoyable.

"Cool!" I exclaim, trying to sound cheerful "So, what type of lessons do you receive here? Ms. Adams wanted me to find out tomorrow, but I need to be prepared"

"Well, if that's the case, I can't tell you..." she says with a playful smile "It'll be remain as a surprise for tomorrow. Now that we're talking about tomorrow, let me show you the class you'll be in" she adds. I agree and we continue walking.

A bit later, we arrive to a perfectly neat classroom, with like 30 seats and what seems to be the teacher's table. Marilyn opens one of its drawers and takes from its inside a paper sheet.

"Here you have! They always keep a spare copy of the class's timetable here" she gives it to me "Here's your schedule, with also the place where each lesson is gonna be held"

"Thanks" I reply "Are we in the same class?"

"No: I'm in Class 1 and you're in Class 10" she says "I'm afraid we won't see each other very often, but I'll always be available for you, whatever you need. So, I'll show you around and then I'll leave you alone, I promise"

"Don't worry, Mary" I say " I actually enjoy your company a lot! Thanks for taking care of me... and I really mean it"

The academy is bigger than my high school, but not as large as I thought it will be. It consists of a main building, where the classes are located, and from it three corridors spread: one directed to the girls' dormitory, the other one to the boys' dormitory, and the last one to the teacher's building, that includes their offices and personal rooms. Also, it has a wide garden with a greenhouse and a small forest, and an outdoor theatre for end-of-the-year representations and lectures.

When I think the tour's over, Marilyn points out a tower I hadn't seen yet.

"And that's where the Order's meetings take place. They usually come on winter holidays, when many of the students are here, and of course, on solstices and equinoxes!"

"Wait, that means... They're gonna be here in two weeks!"

"No, they'll come a few days before the 21st of June to prepare the meeting, and we're gonna skip class those days. We students have to organize everything, because we host a festival with different events each year"

"Sounds cool. Will I be able to participate, even if I'm new?"

"Of course! From now on, you're officially a member of our community!" she shouts, and the she hugs me. Marilyn is very girly-girl, but I like her.

"Now, you have to meet my friends. And so, if you want, you can hang out with us whenever you want! The boys are pretty good-looking, and kinda womanizers: they'll probably hit on you! But don't worry, they're really nice people."

She guides me through the girls' dormitory again, but this time we take the elevator to get to the 4th and last floor, in which there are only two doors. She turns to the right one and opens it.

"Hey guys! I'm happy to introduce you to the newest member of Penrose Academy: Tania Summers!"

She gently grabs my wrist and gets me inside, where I face three familiar faces. Those of Patrick, Rick and Matt.

 

After a while, we finally end our explanation to Marilyn about how we met each other.

"Wow, I'd have never guessed the mission you three were assigned was related to Tania" she says, quite surprised "I guess you didn't need the presentations back then..."

All of us laughed, and then Matt said to me:

"Well, Marilyn showed you around, right? Tomorrow, you can hang out with us at lunch break, we're usually around the park"

"Fine by me" I reply. It's nice, being the new girl and already having a group of friends. It makes me feel a lot more relieved.

"So, which class are you gonna be in?" Patrick asks me.

"Class 10" I reply. Suddenly, everyone is glaring at me.

"No way! That's the worse class, girl!" Rick exclaims, and all of them start laughing. As for me, I don't really get what they're talking about.

"And why is that for? Just because it's not yours?" I say, a bit jokingly, but they stop laughing.

"It's the class for the people who are from Generation 16 or more" Matt explains to me "It's the most numerous, and the people there... They're just green with envy"

"And that's because..." I ask.

"Because our parents care more for us than for them, who are almost non blood-relatives to them" Marilyn says "The girls there are vipers: all the other classes are kind and respectful, but that ones... They really get on my nerves"

"Hey, hey, our little girl here carves for more attention" needles Patrick.

"Patrick, stop the teasing!" she says "You guys don't understand, you only care about girl if they have pretty faces. Which, unfortunately, aren't commonly found in Class 10"

The four of them start laughing again, but my tension increases more and more each second that passes. I try to change the subject several times, but they just won't listen.

"And there's a guy in Class 10... I think his name is Sean. Well, he's so cocky, for just a hopeless bastard with no fencing knowledge... I think one of this days I'll challenge him to a duel, and he'll get the beating he deserves. I bet he'll never forget it, being defeated by a true man" Matt adds. Everyone starts laughing and badmouthing this Sean guy that I haven't yet meet, but already feel sorry for him.

That reminds me of how the twins and I used to be laughed at in primary school. It was very difficult to put up with the 'cool kids' from then, and we solved the problem becoming secondary school's new version of those cool kids: we were, basically, the most desired girls. Everyone knew us, everyone admired us. Many boys whose name I didn't even knew asked me out each day. But, as usual, the only one I wanted was the only one I couldn't obtain.

But that is gonna change: here at Penrose, I am just gonna fit in my class. And if I have to ditch Matt and the others' company, without a doubt I will. But now, I can't gather the courage to stand up to them:

"Well, tomorrow you can learn all of Class 10's dark little secrets. After all, I'm gonna spend the whole day with them" I say, trying to sound casually in order for them to realize they're scaring me off. And it actually works: they change the subject to one of their subjects, and as I have no idea of what they're talking about, I kinda disconnect.

"Why are you so absent-minded?" Matt's voice startles me "I bet you are actually nervous about tomorrow"

"I don't think you need to be a genius to figure that out" I say "Any advice?"

"My first day was horrible. So don't worry, even if it turns out bad, I'm here to comfort you whenever you need me to, beautiful" he replies.

"Another beautiful, Matt? Can't say I'm really surprised, but you met today. Isn't it going too far?" Marilyn says defiantly.

"I never called you beautiful, Marilyn" Matt says, a bit more seriously now "She's just a friend, don't need to worry about her. Really, your jealousies can be so annoying..."

"Jealousies? What do you mean by that?" I say, kinda lost. I'm beginning to hate the turn this conversation's taking.

"Marilyn and Matt have known each other for ages" Rick replies "They dated until a year ago, when they broke up. Since then, Matt has earned quite a playboy reputation around the school, while Marilyn... seems to be unable to accept it yet"

"They were together?" I ask.

My whole world seems to crumble around me.