Claimed By Darkness

CHAPTER 1

****JUST A QUICK NOTE: Odette and everyone else in this story are elves-- their ears are slightly pointed but it basically just means they have powers etc.)

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"We need to get you to the academy!" My mother yells as I grab my bags and try to walk down the stairs without falling over.

"I'm coming!" I say back to her, finally getting to the bottom of the stairs.

"I can't believe my daughter is going to get claimed today!"  Father says to me as he helps bring my bags to the car.

It was the thirty-first of December, the last day of the year. Meaning everyone born in the same year as me has finally turned sixteen, so now we all have to go to the academy. At the academy we will all get claimed and then attend school there to learn how to control our powers. Both my parents were claimed by Kalama, the goddess of fire. My older brother Jason was also claimed by Kalama, now it was my turn to follow.

"Have fun at the academy!" My brother said, pulling me into a big hug before letting me hop into the car. I started to feel my heart quench at the thought of having to live away from home for three years.

"You're going to have a great time at the academy sweetheart," my father says as we drive along the smooth open roads. "You'll meet tons of other students who have the same abilities as you, it'll be fantastic!"

"Honey, we still don't know if she'll be claimed by Kalama." My mother intervenes.

"Of course she will be claimed by Kalama! All of my ancestors were claimed by her, Odette will be as well." Father says, ending the conversation.

As we got closer and closer to the academy my stomach was in knots. I don't know why I was so nervous, I hadn't even gotten there yet!

After twenty minutes, my parents pulled up to a huge gothic looking castle. You see, the academy has been a place for people such as ourselves for decades. And now it was finally my turn to go there.

My father parks the car, I get out to see the hundreds of other sixteen year olds in their formal wear. They all looked so excited, I huffed in annoyance. Why can't we just get claimed and go home? Why have a huge ceremony and then force everyone to board at the school? My father tells me its tradition. Tradition is stupid.

I smooth out my dress and brush my fingers through my raven black hair. While my father takes out all my luggage, I help him bring all my stuff to my dorm room. Unfortunately, we all had to share rooms with about five other students. I see a few girls already in my dorm but I don't bother introducing myself.

"Let's get this over with." I mutter to my parents as I leave my luggage by my bed and we walk off towards the main hall.

All of the parents sit in a separate area to the rest of us, so I bid them goodbye and shuffle towards the crowd of teenagers.

"All right could I have your attention please!" A woman with bright red hair yells towards all of the students.

"I'm Mrs. Lowe and I am one of your teachers here at the academy! When I call your name, you must line up in front of this door."

People start to chatter excitedly but I roll my eyes. "This is not your cup of tea is it?" Someone says from beside me.

I whip my head around to find a boy with messy light blonde hair and a loop-sided grin on his face.

"No, I guess it's not." I reply nonchalantly.

"Me neither." He says. "Any God or Goddess in particular you want to be claimed by?"

"My parents are pretty keen on Kalama." I said.

"Hmm, my Mum wants me to be claimed by Aria, my Dad wants Kai." He replies looking around in thought.

"Huh, like it's their choice anyway." I scoff. The boy laughs.

"I'm Jude." He says, reaching out his hand to shake mine.

"Odette," I say happily shaking his hand before pulling away.

"Okay the first batch are... Penelope Kaiser, Finlay Godfrey, Dean Harrows, Juliette Mackintosh, Jude Winters......" She continues to call out names as Jude gives me a small wave and moves towards the line.

"Kieran Abbott, Benita Polio, Venus Castillo, Julian Hernandez...."

I cross my arms and silently examine the interior of the academy, my name wasn't called.

"Okay the rest of you stay here and be quiet! You lot come with me."

As soon as they disappear behind the door, everyone else who hadn't been called start talking again. I ignore everyone and go sit down on a nearby bench, next to a girl wearing way to much makeup.

"Penelope told me that she is going to get really mad if Aria doesn't claim her." The girl next to me says. Aria was the Queen of the Gods, and she's apparently very picky when it comes to choosing and claiming her pupils.

I feel the knots in my stomach get worse, and I nervously rub my hands together. Mrs. Lowe comes back and gets the second batch of students, I still wasn't called meaning that I am in the last group of kids.

I tap my foot on the ground and bounce my knee trying to get rid of the nerves.

"Okay, the final group please get into this order. Tiana Baker, Lindy Dinan, Everette Sable, Mose Benware, Sunny Jarman, Dominik Sustatia, and Odette Parks."

Great! I was the last one to be claimed. We follow Mrs. Lowe through to the huge hall, I see all the parents sitting patiently in their seats and all the students who were already claimed sitting excitedly in their seats. We all line up on stage and the first student in our group goes to sit on a huge throne that's in the middle of the stage. She sits down and a second later a water symbol appears above her head.

"Daughter of Beck!" A woman yells, and everyone cheers and claps. My heart felt as if it were to break out of my chest and I tried to take deep breathes to calm myself.

The line of students gets shorter, soon it's only me standing there alone. The boy in front of my sits on the chair. A earth symbol above his head.

"Son of Lionel!" People clap and cheer.

I shakily walk over to the throne, the woman whispers at me to sit down. Hesitantly, I sit down and everything is silent for a moment. Until gasps and words of horror erupt in the hall, I look around feeling confused. But then I look up at the symbol on my head.

"Umm, daughter of Caspian!" The announcer woman yells, I feel my head spinning as people whisper and scream in shock. I look through the sea of people and find my parents sitting there with their jaws on the floor. I start to breathe harder and more franticly, I happen to find Jude in the stands and he gives me a smile when our eyes meet.

I was claimed by Caspian.