Project Gemini (WATTYS 2016 WINNER!)

Chapter Three - The Chancellor.

DESPITE THE THAMES being a few hundred metres down the street the heavy dampness of it still infiltrated her nose as they walked down the road towards her house. Kingsley hadn't said a word to her since they'd left the unidentifiable building back in the warehouse district of London. London's not so glamourous Section Four that she always steered clear of.

As the whispers of early morning fog retreated back to the rivers of the city the road opened out onto a new street which bore the fragile marks of the explosion. Only existing in the hairline cracks on the limestone. Her part of London. The untouched, nearly idyllic paradise that was only hers to call home from her heritage—a nearly all human bloodline. She breathed deeply letting the cold air chill the inside of her lungs with a sharp sting as she read the street name in all its familiarity:

DARWIN STREET

The houses—including hers—along this road were primp and tidy under the early morning sun. The wrought iron fences and gates were painted a deep shade of near ebony green and behind every window were heavy curtains to shut the media out, more so today than normal. Kingsley let out a low whistle as he touched the wooden stake at the end of the road, touching the carved symbol. The ward.

"The whole street is warded?" he asked, a thinning eyebrow raised.

"The people round here can get a little...paranoid."

"Aren't you?"

"Not against witches I'm not."

"Hmph." He snorted. "Well, I have read the full conditions of the Litchfield's offer to you—"

Here we go.

"—and it's a little bit rough around the edges," he said, pulling off his hat and scratching at his head before he placed it firmly back on. His eyes wandered down the street.

"Meaning what, exactly?" she prompted him.

"Other than him, you and I are the only ones who know about your...condition."

"Excuse me? You're making it sound like a disease."

"How would you know? You've only harnessed your power once in the past twenty-four hours," he said. "You're not a superhero, Eva, you're a girl who witnessed a mass murder."

All the supressed memories of the other night threatened to return but she squashed them before they got the chance. She felt on the verge of throwing up from the thought of them, it was the shock she remembered them teaching her back in college.

"Shut up," she said, her voice shaking.

"And how are your parents going to react?"

Her stomach dropped and she forced a grim smile. "Let me handle that."

"So mummy and daddy's little darling finally decided to level a building—."

"Enough!"

The car nearest to her side crumpled inwards. A big dent crunched into its side as if something had pounded the side of it. Kingsley glared at her, his hazel eyes full of fear, only he didn't speak.

She felt the rush of adrenaline build up in her veins. The desire to do something stupid growing stronger, only not strong enough to break the block created by the sedatives still in her system. How much longer until they wore off, she didn't know, but she did know they needed to hurry the hell up. She shoved past him and stormed off down the street, her feet splashed through the puddles with each step. Kingsley fell into step several paces behind her but she could tell he daren't reply to her.