The stars glittered in the dim sky and I found myself wondering if they watched me.
My mother once told me that when people died and went to heaven, they were allowed to watch us and that they were the stars in the night sky. I knew it wasn’t true, but I liked the idea of her being there. My suitcase rested on the floor and the seat next to me was my favourite backpack, a purple fuzzy monster with crazy googly eyes and a grinning mouth. I unzipped it and found a leather-bound book that was all too familiar. I opened it to see sketches of me and my sister grinning, playing, sleeping and pastel images of my father smiling, reading and working. It was my mother’s sketchbook. I flipped through the pages until I saw a page with writing on it in my father’s neat script.
Dear Lori,
This book meant a lot to your mother, she captured all she loved in these pages and when you shared her talent, it lit up her face. And she would want you to fill the rest of these pages with what you love. You have a gift Lori. Don’t let it go to waste. I wish with all my heart that you didn’t have to leave but I want you to know that I love you no matter what and that all of us will be waiting here for you.
With all the love in the universe, your father.
I shut the book gently and hugged it to my chest. It even smelled like my mother, like paint and chocolate icing. The sound of horse hooves going clip-clop echoed through the silent carriage and if I leaned out the window I could see a procession of carriages like my own before me. Further ahead was a castle building that looked like it came out of an Arthurian legend. The spindly turrets pierced the sky and the lights in the windows twinkled like stars.
The carriages slowed to a halt and I watched teenagers like me step out of them. I stepped out as well, shrugging on my backpack. My knee-high black boots thumped on the dirt road, dust clouding about my feet. The others were gathering up ahead and I took a deep breath.
“Alright Lorelei Lee Blake, you can do this,” I told myself sternly. I often spoke to myself using my full name. I started it when I was little but never grew out of it. I pulled out my suitcase and was relieved to find wheels on the bottom. It hit the ground hard and I yanked out the handle. I made my way up the hill towards the gathering of teenagers. They were all casually dressed and gawking at the castle. I set down my suitcase and edged closer until I could hear the conversation.
“Anybody here know what we’re supposed to do?” asked a lanky teenage boy with glasses resting on the crook of his nose.
“Do I look like I do?” replied a girl dryly. “I don’t want to be here. I’m not a goddamn witch. I can’t be. I’m the heir to a freaking fortune. I’m too important to be here.” She flicked a blonde lock over her shoulder in a probably well-practised fashion. She walked over to a broody-looking guy, swinging her hips so much it was as if she was trying to shimmy off her skin-tight jeans. “Hey, what’s your name?” the guy just looked at her with a bored expression. He had ink-black shaggy hair with electric blue-dyed tips and a pierced eyebrow. Hardly the guy you’d bring back home to Daddy.
“Kale Stone,” he said, his eyes going past her, skimming the crowd and resting on me. “And don’t think I’m trying to start a conversation, I’m obliged to ask this: and you are?”
“Chelsea Smyth at your service,” she said with a mock curtsey.
“I’ll be sure to call you up on that,” Kale muttered, moving past her and through the crowd to me. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I’d say the sky but I’m sure that you’ve heard that before,” I replied. I had a feeling that Kale was the kind of guy who kept a switchblade in his bag and the only book he owned was ‘illegal fireworks for dummies’.
“That’s nice of you,” Kale said, not in the least discouraged. “I’m Kale.”
“I’m Lori.” May as well get the introductions done.
“What are you going to miss the most?”
“My Dad, my sister,” I said, following his gaze to the distant lights of town. “My car. What about you?”
“I’m going to miss my little brother,” he said, a touch of wistfulness in his voice. “He’s only three. But my family won’t have anything more to do with me. So by the time he’s my age, he won’t even remember who I am.”
“That’s awful. I’m so sorry. I feel so fortunate to have my sister and my Dad...even his girlfriend Lisa. I might even miss her. Maybe.”
“But she’s no replacement right?” Kale said. He thought my parents were just divorced. I didn’t correct him. Last time it got out that my mother had died, I became a charity case and was dragged down to the councillor’s office every five minutes. Every bad grade was blamed on grief and anything I did wrong was explained away. To them I was like glass: broken, fragile, incapable of being a whole person. I wasn’t doing that again.
“No,” I replied. “She’s not.”
“Welcome children,” said a voice, interrupting our almost sentimental moment. We all turned to see a woman in a deep purple hooded gown, like that of the Sisters. Around her neck was a moon-shaped sapphire on a long golden chain. Her eyes were a golden shade of topaz and her dark brown hair fell around her face in flawless curls. Even I knew who she was. “I’m Ileana, the current coven queen. But here, I am simply your headmistress and you will address me as such. I know that the transition will be difficult for you all but I’m sure you will settle in and find Hemlock Castle to be your home.” And with that she turned and made her way towards the castle and we followed her in awed silence.
From what I’d heard, the coven was a monarchy, kings and queens, but the Sisters and Brothers were probably valued almost as much, they were usually the most powerful and were often the top students when they were at their respective schools, which were scattered all over the world. The kings or queens were the not bound to their title by birthright. They could earn the throne. It was a matter of equality.
The gate lowered as we reached it with a loud creaking sound, opening into a large courtyard where students walked around. The outer courtyard was archaic, but the students definitely were not, they wore modern clothes and some went to the extreme in personal fashion, lots of piercings, radically dyed hair and a rainbow of clothing. Beyond the courtyard stood the actual castle and the orb was hovering above it like a horror movie setting. But this wasn’t horror. This was home.
“Looks like they have a pretty loose dress code,” Kale whispered, coming up to walk beside me.
“Yeah, I couldn’t imagine you in a uniform.”
“I went to a Catholic school. I have worn a uniform and I must say; I looked fabulous in it.”
“I’ve never met a straight guy that used the word ‘fabulous’,” I said.
“There’s a first time for everything sweetheart,” Kale shrugged.
“Next thing you know, you do the ‘click, click mmhmm’ thing.”
“Don’t be absurd,” replied Kale. “Everyone knows it’s three clicks.” He then clicked three times across his body to demonstrate.
“You are so strange,” I laughed.
“Thank you.”
We came to a halt in front of Ileana and a few Sisters and Brothers. Ileana cleared her throat to gather our wandering attention. “Girls, see these sisters for your class lists, boys see the Brothers. The classes are mixed, but this method is a way to avoid chaos. Take your class lists which will have your dorm room number and up in your room you will find your school books and other equipment. Have a good first day.” And with that we each headed purposefully in the direction of our class lists.
“Lorelei Blake, yes?” asked a voice. I turned to see the Sister from Jo’s place.
“Umm...yes.” she handed me a slip of paper. I was in room 318.
“I’m Sister Siobhan, I’ll have you third session for art. I look forward to teaching you.” And with that, she turned and strode away.
“Well that was...weird...” I muttered. I looked around in confusion. Where were the girls’ dorms? The crowd slowly dispersed around me. “Ok, I’ll go in a random direction.” I shut my eyes tight and span around five times. I opened them and walked right into somebody and I was sent crashing to the ground. “I’m sorry; I wasn’t sure where to go.” I looked up into familiar blue eyes. He had pale, clear skin, sharp cheekbones and golden hair, the colour Jo’s used to be.
“Of course,” he said, taking hold of my hand and helping me to my feet. “When in doubt crash into someone, am I right?”
“Kind of,” I said. “Is your name by any chance Callum Tyson?”
“Yeah...why?” he asked. Arching an eyebrow. I’d always wanted to do that. He was looking at me like I was some weird stalker. Smooth Lorelei, smooth.
“I know your sister, Jo. She’s my best friend.” Callum’s suspicious face softened.
“How is she?” he asked, a wistful tone in his voice.
“She’s as nuts as ever. She misses you. She wanted me to tell you that. I said you probably knew that already,” I smiled.
“No,” he said. “I didn’t. How’s...”
“She’s fine,” I said, not wanting to talk about his mother. “So can you tell me where the girls’ dorms are? As you can see, my random direction strategy isn’t exactly working.”
“Sure,” Callum said, a smile playing on his lips. He put an arm around my shoulder and led me across the room into the far west wing of the castle. We passed Kale along the way and he shot Callum a suspicious look. Weird, did they know each other? “Who’s the dude giving me evils?” No. They did not.
“Kale Stone, don’t mind him, he’s an eccentric. Like me, like Jo, like everyone I know.” I paused. “Hey, that rhymed.”
“You’re a poet and you didn’t even know it,” Callum said quietly and my mouth twitched into a smile. His voice had a strange melody to it. It was like silk. We came to a halt outside a set of double doors. The sign on the door declared it as the girls’ dorms. “We have arrived at our destination.”
“Thanks Callum, I’ll see you around I guess,” I said.
“Anytime milady,” Callum said, a cute smile spreading on his face. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“So you’ll take me under your wing? Be my ‘big brother’ so to speak?”
“No,” said Callum, and I thought for a moment that I’d upset him. “I could never think of you as a sister.” And with that, he gave a little bow and walked away, leaving me to decipher what he’d meant.
I opened the door and made my way up stairways and down halls, looking for my room. I finally found my room and took a deep breath before entering. Inside, it was modern and you’d never know it to be a room in an archaic castle. I looked around quickly, checking where the bathroom was, before walking into the bedroom I’d share with my new roommate. But I realised she was already in there.
She had crystal blue eyes and long, jet black hair. She had high cheekbones and a thin, tall body. She was already setting up pictures of her family and friends on her side of the room. My side, in contrast, looked bare except for a pile of books on the end of the bed. She turned around and looked at me. Her eyes ran up and down my body before resting on my eyes. She smiled warmly.
“Hey, I’m Sonya Montague, like the Shakespeare Montague. It’s nice to meet you. You’re not a Pledge, are you?”
“I’m Lori Blake and no, I’m not a Pledge, I’m not entirely sure what that is.”
“Thank god. I know that I’m supposed to be pro-coven, but I can’t handle the Pledges. It’s good that I don’t have to live with it.” she looked at my timetable in my hand. “Ha, we have Cultural History together first. You’ll be caught up on the intricacies of the coven in no time.”
I went to my bed and gathered up the books I’d need until lunch break and stuffed them in my bag. And almost immediately after I’d set up my side of the room, the bell rang and Sonya and I had to go to class.
It wasn’t all that hard to locate Cultural History, it was on the bottom floor and had ‘Cultural History’ written on the door in bold letters. Couldn’t miss that, right? We sat beside each other up the back and I spotted Kale sitting a few seats away.
“Hey Lori,” he said, coming up to me and grinning goofily. He shook his blue-tipped hair out of his eyes. “We’re in the same class.”
“Yes, I see that,” I said, intending on keeping up our sarcastic banter. “Either that or I’m in the wrong room.”
“Who was that guy before” he asked, he didn’t seem to like Callum.
“He’s Callum, the brother of my best friend, he was just helping me find my way,” I shrugged.
“I know you can take care of yourself but just be careful. Some people are not what they seem, even the kindest of people can have the darkest of secrets,” Kale replied. “I’m here for your assistance.” He gave a gallant and overly dramatic bow, not at all as charming as the sweet little one I’d gotten from Callum.
“Well wasn’t that disturbingly cryptic,” Sonya mused.
At that moment, the teacher, a Brother, walked into the room, my schedule told me his name was Brother Paul. He had tanned skin, dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail and his mouth was set in a serious line.
“Be seated,” he boomed. “Everyone.” Kale looked hesitant to leave me, but the stony look on the Brother’s face made him return to his seat. “The vast majority of you have grown up in the coven and know how we work. We are a monarchy. Our kings and queens used to be decided by bloodlines but after the tyrannous King Malachi was struck down by Sister Adonis, we realised the error of our ways. The throne should not be a birthright, it should be a privilege that each of us had the right to earn. A Sister may rule, an Unpledged may rule, a human born may rule. That is the beauty of our society. When it comes to the throne, family means nothing.” His unnaturally green eyes scanned the room, focusing on our individual faces.
I saw something flicker in his eyes as his gaze passed over me. Why did they always single me out? Why was I always the troublemaker ever since I started that fire in Mrs Johnsons’ chemistry class? I didn’t realise that liquid white out burned that fast. I really had no clue. But ever since then, I had been marked as a ‘delinquent’ maybe it was in my eyes. Maybe a teacher or other authority figure could just look at my face and think yep, they’re a problem child. A pyromaniac. At least, that’s what Mrs Johnson called me when she was done with the fire extinguisher. It turns out people put a lot of paper in the bin where I put the blazing white out.
“But it is, however,” he continued. I dragged my mind sluggishly from the past and tried to focus on his lecture. “Important to know our history, the history of the throne is a part of that. And today we will be looking at the most recent rulers and we’ll go backwards. Pull out your texts and turn to page three hundred and two.” He did a smooth flourish with his left hand and his sleeve pulled back, revealing a tattoo on the inside of his wrist, it resembled the sign for infinity.
Sonya saw me looking at the mark curiously. “Ah, you really are human-born. That is the Mark of Loyalty. A Pledge takes a vow and receives that mark when they’ve finished their training. Then they are forever marked as either a Brother, or a Sister.”
“Oh,” I said, unsure of how else to respond.
We worked through the text and the time ticked away painfully slowly, by the time the bell rang, I thought my head was going to explode with names and dates. “My mind is literally turning to mush,” I told Sonya as we walked out. Students spilled out into the halls around us. “I can feel it. If something falls out through my ears, let me know, it’s probably my brain.”
“Ew,” Sonya wrinkled her nose. “Gross mental image.”
“What do you have next?” I asked her, feeling a little grossed out by the mental picture myself.
“I’ve got, uh,” Sonya ran her finger across her schedule, resting the tip of her finger on one place. “Basic Rituals with Sister Ophelia, ugh.”
“So I guess I’ll see you at lunch then.”
“I’ll save you a seat,” Sonya said, an apology in her voice. The warning bell went, telling us that it was time to go. “We’d better hurry.” And with that, I was left alone.
