The Cadre of Embers

Chapter 8

Weeks passed in a pattern of waking up, eating breakfast, training and spending the afternoon in the institution's library, studying the cadre and the various abilities its members possessed. She had gotten nowhere in her training and was beginning to believe she never would. It was no use, no matter what they tried, she could not summon the powers she had activated that night at Sir Herbert's manor. Althea was beginning to go mad.

    Jasper had told her that the vision he had of her a few weeks ago was interpreted wrongly by him, but Althea didn't believe him. Especially considering he had conveniently been working to avoid her in the time since then. She'd hardly seen him, as he hadn't been joining Monique and Althea for her training. And he was sparsely present for meals anymore. His excuse had been that he was working on something of immediate importance for the board. She wasn't sure she trusted him though, about that or anything he had told her. She was beginning to feel isolated from everyone here. Monique was an exception to this, but even she seemed to be acting odd. Always politely dancing away from questions, or giving short, vague responses. Which only made her wonder more, why were they deflecting, and what were they hiding from her?

    In the past weeks she had rummaged through what felt like thousands of books looking for anything containing information about her ability or why her skin grew so hot when she had activated it. But anything relating to it was limited. She did learn that fourth dimension manipulation is naturally a difficult ability to wield, and mastering it took years for most students. She also learned that all abilities are hereditary and passed down from a parent to their child and that someone may inherit more than one ability if their parents each have an ability that is passed down to their child. She knew her father had not had any abilities, to her knowledge, so that left her mother. Had she been able to slow time as Althea could? The question had pestered her relentlessly over the past weeks.

    She sat now glaring down at the open book in front of her. The large library was quiet, save for a couple of young teens speaking in hushed tones in the far corner. It had become a place where she spent most of her afternoons, which surprised her. She'd never enjoyed nonfiction reading when her tutor used to force it upon her. But now, each time she opened another book, she was able to expand her knowledge and understanding of this new world she'd been thrown into. Studying it had become something she actually enjoyed doing.

    Right now, however, her brain felt like mush as she stared down at the words, unable to read. Her training with Monique had mentally exhausted her today. Althea had fought so hard to think and activate her abilities that she now felt a sharp ache at either temple.

    With a huff she snapped the book closed and stared up at the large clock. It was just past five pm. They didn't eat dinner at the institution until eight so she had time to take a short rest before then. After putting the book back in its place on the shelf, she descended the stairs to the floor her bedchamber was on. When she made it to her corridor, she noticed Monique standing outside of her chamber door, poised to knock.

    "Monique?" Althea asked, raising a brow. She turned, wearing her usual wide smile.

    "Oh hi Althea! I have some exciting news to share with you!" Monique beamed, walking towards Althea and clamping cold hands over her wrists, "I came to let you know that the board has decided to bring in someone from a different city to help you with your training! I'm unsure who it will be, but they bear the same ability as you so they will be able to guide you much better than me." She was far more excited about this than Althea, probably because now she was free to spend her mornings how she pleased, rather than trying to summon nonexistent powers.

    "That's great," Althea said, trying to sound excited. Monique furrowed her eyebrows.

    "It will be! I do think this will be of great help to you Althea, I am just not the best trained for work like this, seeing as I've not done it before, but tomorrow when you start—"