Shades of Starlight (Hiatus)

Book Two: Chapter Twenty-One

 "Sophie! Sophie. Sophie, are you even awake?" I asked, shaking her shoulder gently while Dame Aline read off the unimportant morning announcements during orientation.

"I'm just tired," she mumbled, leaning against me.

"Did you rem-" I glanced quickly at Dex. "Uh, finish your homework?" Dex didn't seem to notice the glance or the quick change of wording.

"No," Sophie groaned. "And I didn't sleep a lot either."

"What homework?" Marella popped up out of nowhere, the tiny braids in her hair bouncing from the inertia.

"Uh..." Sophie sputtered, looking at me. I laughed.

"Did you seriously forget?" I turned to Marella. "Sophie got an extra telepathy assignment from Sir Tiergan that she hailed me about last night, but it was a little complicated, and she was kind of freaking out about it." Marella tilted her head to the side a little and narrowed her eyes slightly at me. I presumed she was checking if I was lying, as Sophie was acting incredibly suspicious.

She seemed to be satisfied after a few seconds, though, because she cleared her throats and changed the subject.

"So, I hear all the Level Threes are doing Agriculture this afternoon."

"Ah, my favorite subject," Keefe said, making a grandiose entrance and immediately ruining it by ruffling my hair. I slapped his hand. Not the hair. Sophie raised an eyebrow.

"I see no possible explanation as to why you'd enjoy agriculture."

"Who wouldn't love to learn how to dig, plant, and rake to create the beautiful plants that keep us nourished?" He asked, throwing his hands in the air palms-up.

"Don't listen to him," I told Sophie. "He only liked agriculture because he could sneak Fart a la Carte into the veggies when he watered them." She giggled, and Keefe gave her an appreciative smirk.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Keefe said innocently, looking over at the projection of Dame Alina, who was finishing her daily speech, to avoid our eyes so we wouldn't see the sparkle in his. It was time to go to our first session. Sophie looked like she'd rather do anything else, no matter the cost. Keefe was weird but no weirder than normal, so I wasn't too concerned about that.

Sophie told me in between classes that she was having a difficult time concentrating, but that wasn't the case for me. In fact, I felt as though I was laser-focused on every assignment I was given. I was grateful for the distraction, and was glad that school still held at least some enjoyment for me.

My afternoon session was even better. Agriculture was held with all of the Level Threes, so after I finished planting my seeds with a very sweet gnome named Adima, Marella and I spent the session laughing at Sophie. Apparently, agriculture was yet another subject where her human upbringing interfered with the lesson.

The gnome she'd been assigned to work with (whose name, we later learned, was Barth) had panicked in such a way after every action Sophie took that even Adima, who was pretending not to listen by trimming a hedge, chuckled. Apparently, whatever gardening techniques Sophie was employing would destroy the roots/soil/seeds/entire universe, from Barth's reactions.

Sophie didn't seem to appreciate the humor in it.

As I regrouped with her after her lunch detention in the study hall, Dame Alina's projection appeared on the walls.

"Attention, prodigies. I've just gotten word from the Council that a special announcement will be made tomorrow morning. Your parents are being contacted as we speak, but make sure they know to look for an official scroll to be delivered to your home tomorrow morning with specific instructions for when to be read."

Dame Alina blinked off the white walls with no other words, leaving the prodigies whispering and speculating. But we already knew. I silently watched Sophie choke back tears, trying to convince myself that it would be better when everyone knew.

But my heart still sank when I watched from my bedroom window as a courier in a green cape delivered the letter. I made my way downstairs after a little over an hour, so I could be there after everyone else had already read it.

Keefe sat at the end of the dining table with his head in his hands, the letter open in front of him. Father stood, slightly puzzled, in the doorway, arms folded over his stomach. I blinked, a single tear falling from my left eye, and started off towards my brother. Once I had reached his seat, I gently pulled the paper towards myself.

There, in precise black script, were the words I'd been dreading to read, even though I already knew what power they held.

"It is with our deepest regrets that we inform you that Alden Vacker has been lost to us all. A seed will be planted in the Wanderling Woods at midday for any who would like to pay their respects."

"We will all attend in two hours," Father said sharply. "Cassia, I assume you will wish to stay with Miss Vacker during the ceremony." I nodded. He nodded back and swept away.

"You don't have to go, Cass," Keefe whispered, not moving a muscle. I smiled sadly at him.

"Yes, I do." And I, too, swept away, knowing that since the Vackers would want us to dress our best, I would have some work to do.

I chose a gown and emerald jewelry that Della had picked out for me years ago, one that she'd told me I'd grow into in enough time, with a slight sadness in her eyes. I hadn't understood then, but I did now, as I admired it in the mirror.

The bodice was deep green satin, with a straight neckline featuring a thin V in the middle, decorated with a slight ruffle and dark emeralds. As the dress went down, the color of the full skirt-covered by a thin veil of tulle-slowly became lighter, going from a rich evergreen to a dusky peridot, dotted with diamonds, jade, gold, and grassy turquoise.

When the dress was on, I drank several elixirs that made my hair wavier, shinier, calmed my nerves, and made my skin glow. Now there was just one thing left to do.

I snuck into Keefe's room, hoping that he would still be downstairs. After I'd made sure that he was, I quickly and quietly crept into the enormous bathroom. It took several minutes to rifle through all of the hair products, but eventually, I found what I was looking for.

It only took a few seconds for the dye to set in, and by that time, I was back in my room and done with my makeup. The two green strands matched the eye shadow Adelow had recommended. Adelow knew what was going on, I'd been confiding in her since... since Alden had bought her for me. She felt a connection to him too, even though she was, according to herself, 'just a stupid mirror', she'd said just before bursting into tears.

The planting was in just a few minutes. I covered the thin satin cords that held up my dress with a matching velvet evergreen-toned cloak and laced the dark viridian straps of my high heels.

As I rode in silence with Keefe in the Vortinator, meeting our parents at the Leapmaster, I fingered the golden wings of a pin in my palm. I still wasn't sure if I deserved to wear it. But as Mother called out the name of Wanderling Woods, I made my decision and pinned on the Vacker crest Biana had given me so many months ago.