Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 2 - Secrets Discovered

Wren glanced back to the book, her heart thumping in her chest as she flipped through the pages furiously. She landed on an illustration of a woman holding a bow, ready to release the arrow. Below, the caption read: Eana practising archery in the palace's courtyard.

The next paragraph read:

Eana had always loved archery, ever since she was a little kid. She'd brought this hobby up, and had been famous for being a wonderful female archer. Before the day she disappeared, legend claims a bow and a sack of arrows were sprawled across her bed.

Disappeared.

Eana had disappeared. Mysteriously. And no one knew why. Wren flipped to the next page, excited and impatient to know more.

The King had disappeared along with his wife, Eana, as well. There had not been any witness to the scene, and until this day, His and Her Majesty has never returned.

Wren was breathless. Eana was a queen. How did her uncle know about Eana? Eana was no common name - not like Jennifer or Olivia. All of these were stories. Tales that didn't exist. Myths. Legends. And yet her uncle had spoken of Eana as if she was a real person.

Had she been?

'Who are you, Eana?' Wren murmured, her finger tracing across the pages of the book. Just as she was about to read the second chapter, a loud clap sounded her and she dropped the book in astonishment.

'Earth-to-Wren?' a familiar voice said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Ethan's face above her. 'You've been whispering to yourself for ages. What's up with you?'

'Nothing,' Wren said, trying to sound non-suspicious.

'Oh, come on. Something's off.' Ethan looked at the book she was holding in hand. 'What's that?'

'A book. What - what did you pick for Ms Jameson's literature project?'

'Oh, about that,' Ethan said, clicking his fingers as he leaned on the bookshelf. 'I wanted to ask you if Moby Dick was literature or not.'

'Yes. It's a classic. Where did you find it?'

'I dunno. It was shelved under Literature.'

Wren groaned. 'Jeez, you are a pain in the neck. If a book's shelved under Literature, of course it's literature.' She got up, snapping her book shut.

'Oh right. Good point.' Ethan said, nodding as he looked at the book. The bell rang. Wren groaned again. She looked at her book. She was going to have to borrow it then. She raced to the librarian's counter, not waiting for Ethan.

'I'd like to borrow this book please,' she said breathlessly. The librarian peered at her through her small round spectacles and took the book.

'Name?' she asked crisply. It took Wren a second to realise she was talking to her.

'Wren,' she said. On second thought, she added, 'Carezby.'

'Well, which one is it, Wren or Carezby?'

'Wren - Wren Capaldi,' Wren said hastily. 'Both. My surname's Capaldi.' The librarian scribbled something on a piece of paper and returned the book to her. 'You've got two weeks to return it. Any day later, and you will be fined ten pence.'

'Right. Thank you.' Wren dropped the book in her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Quickly, she dashed to her next class, relieved she had just made it in time.

                                                                                ⋆‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙⋆