Battle Wounds || Jasper Hale {2}

Chapter 12

The Academy hadn't changed since Ellie had been there for her trial. It still held the same tall columns and stately beauty that had been established in 1801. Those white walls held more history in them than most people would ever witness. Ellie was incredibly grateful that she would get to witness this history with her own eyes.

Walking up to the grand doors, she entered the complex and headed straight for the office of Anastasia Black. She was just about to push through the doors when she was grabbed by the arm and pulled away. Visions flashing before her eyes, she turned to face the culprit, "Who do you think you are?"

His black hair brushed against his eyebrows as he lifted his blue eyes up to meet hers. The action nearly caused Ellie's heart to stop. He looked just like him. Her heart began to race, and she tried to jerk her arm away from him, but he wasn't budging. He merely said, "I'm Dawson Knight. Anastasia isn't taking any visitors right now. She asked me to make sure no one entered."

Dawson? He wasn't Jesse. No matter how much he looked like him, he wasn't the monster that had destroyed her life, but that didn't stop her heart from racing. Jesse was still out there, and he would find her.

"You don't have to worry about my brother finding you here, Eleanor," he said, releasing her arm. The distraught look on her face was making nauseating. He hadn't realized the extent to which his younger brother had victimized this young girl. "There are too many threats to his existence here."

Ellie raised an eyebrow and tried to calm her heart, "Brother?"

"Yes," he said, nodding his head and gesturing for Ellie to follow him out of the section of offices. "My younger brother. He's been quite bothersome for the past couple of centuries now. I'm sorry he's pulled you into this mess. You didn't deserve it."

"Your younger brother? Centuries?" Ellie questioned, her eyebrows furrowed. "But you seem so young. How..."

A small chuckle left his lips, and he raised an eyebrow before saying, "An emissary stays as young as his coven or pack. As long as they're alive and young, you are. Unless you die."

This was news to Ellie. She had always thought that she would just live to an old age and die, but according to Dawson, she would live as long as the Cullens and never have to turn. Unless she somehow died an unnatural death. "That's convenient."

"Until you see the people you love die," he commented, walking toward a set of double doors. They led to a large, open room where five other emissaries were standing around talking to each other. They were each unique in their own way and were all in their late teens. Ellie could see the girl Garrison had been traveling with standing in the back with a lean, muscular boy watching her with curious eyes.

Dawson looked at Ellie and motioned towards the others, "This is where you want to be. Your main instructor will be around in approximately fifteen minutes. If you need anything, just call for me. Good luck, Eleanor."

He swiftly walked away, leaving Ellie wondering what other surprises awaited her, and if they would be as complex as the monstrous Jesse Knight having an older brother who appeared younger than she would have thought.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a hand being placed on her shoulder causing yet another round of visions to cloud her sight.

A young girl with long brown hair and chocolate eyes sat on a swing set, begging her father to push her higher.

The girl was older now and staring at her hands as if something was terribly wrong. With tears in her eyes, her flesh began to vanish from her very sight only to reappear when she calmed.

The girl, now a teenager and much taller, cried as the father she loved so dear told her she was not to come back, that she was as freakish as her mother, and he never wanted to see her again.

"I'm sorry," she said, gazing at her with her sad, brown eyes as she pulled her hand away quickly. "I didn't know that would happen."

Ellie sighed and offered her a tiny smile, "It's okay. It happens all the time."

"Is that your gift?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"No," Ellie said, watching her carefully. "I'm telepathic. That's just the danger meter my brain thought I deserved."

"Ah," the girl said before offering a hand to her. "I'm Felicity Evergreen. I, uh, turn invisible."

"It's nice to meet you, Felicity," she said, shaking her hand.  "I'm Eleanor DuPree, but you can call me Ellie."

"So are you as new as I am to this whole emissary thing?" Felicity asked, tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"Not quite," Ellie said, pulling her lip between her teeth. "I'm on my second group."

"That happens?" Felicity asked, wide eyed.

"Not typically," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not exactly sure what happened. All I know is that my best friend died, and another emissary was called to the plate."

Felicity pursed her lips and squinted her eyes, her thoughts taking flight. Bringing her eyes back to Ellie, she asked, "Your best friend wasn't the alpha, was she?"

Ellie paused, looking at the girl closely. She hadn't thought of it that way. Was it possible that the pack losing their alpha was the reason that she was no longer a part of their pack? "She was."

"It's a possibility," Felicity said, shrinking under her gaze. "I'm not saying you have to take that theory to heart, but—"

"I get it," Ellie said, stopping her rambling. "It's a plausible theory. It makes more sense than what I've been thinking."

Felicity nodded and gestured to the others in room, "Have you met anyone else?"

Ellie shook her head causing Felicity to smile. "Come on. I'll introduce you."

Ellie sighed but let the brunette lead her to the group in the back. There was a short awkward silence as they gazed upon her tall form, sizing her up, but Ellie held strong and didn't let her confidence waver. She had earned her place here just as they had.

Felicity smiled and started to introduce Ellie only for a tall, caramel skinned man to walk into the room. He looked no older than each of the emissaries present, but he held an air of authority that radiated off of him. He lifted an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes upon them before saying, "Follow me."

He swiftly left the room leaving the six emissaries to scramble out of the room after him. His strides were long and precise, causing the shorter members of the group to move faster. The man spoke as he walked, "My name is Guillermo Denahi. I have worked with some of the greatest emissaries known to man and beast. From now until your graduation, you will be under my instruction. You will train with me. You will sit through lessons with me. You will do your best to make sure I know you are prepared for life in the great unknown. Those of you who succeed will gain your emissary pin at the end of your training and will go on to do great things. Those of you who fail will be known for the disgrace that you are. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir," the group said, following as he led them up a staircase and down a long hallway away from the main area of the complex.

"This," he said, pushing open a large set of wooden, double doors, "is your dormitory. Your uniforms are on your designated sleeping space and reflect the chosen color of your supernatural sector. You will be wearing them from now until you leave. I suggest you settle in. I'll send someone for you soon."

He turned to walk away before looking back at the new recruits, "Oh, and welcome to The Academy."