Elements : Book One

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"You look off today." I look up at Alexandra. She is smiling down at me, but I can detect the pain behind the smile, the doubt in her eyes. "Has something happened?" She seems stiff. As if she is avoiding something, or someone.

"I am fine." I shrug my shoulders, large smile plastering on my lips. The feeling is still here. When I woke up, I believed that it was nothing, but a dream. But the mud on the floor suggested otherwise. And when I tried to find the door, that leaded me to the garden again, I could not find it, no matter how hard I tried.

The whole hall seems to be off. Everyone seems to be on the edge. Sebastian is talking with Michael, anger visible in his every movement. Michael is calm, yet I can feel anger and rage radiating off of him. Nikolas and James are talking in hushed voices, yet I can see the pleased smile spread on Nikolas's lips.

"What's the fuss?" I whisper to Luke as I sit next to him, putting the iron tray on the table. He looks at me, his doe like eyes sinking directly in my hazel ones. Even he seems worried about something, debating whether or not to inform me. "Luke?" I raise my eyebrows.

"It's nothing." He shakes his head, tiredness visible in his orbs. "The Base was attacked yesterday." He adds in barely audible tone. I blink in surprise, my hands tightening on the edges of the tray. "Today, Catherine young has arrived with the information." I raise my eyebrows once again at the said name, as I have never heard of it before. "Catherine Young is second assistant of Joana Finnley." He states with a shrug. "Anyways, currently, she is the medical ward, being treated and questioned. We have a lot of wounded. It turned out that The Dark Ones were searching for specific information."

"Which is?" I urge him to continue talking, while keeping eye on others. Sebastian seems worried more than angry. His eyes keep darting from place to place, watching over all of us.

"I don't know." Luke shakes his head. "It's all we managed to hear before they left the room. But from the sound of it, it is important and dangerous." He whispers in distress and sighs, rubbing his temples. "Whatever it is, they managed to get it, Cassie." He adds in hallow tone. "It only means that we are one step nearer to the end."

I nod at him. But I don't say anything. Whatever the information was, Luke is sure that it will bring the end. His eyes suggest that the information is about me, partly. With deep sigh, I push the tray away from me, instead of food, concentrating on people around me.

Jacob is nowhere to be seen. Kate and Marlee are sitting together, whispering something in hushed voices, while looking up at me from time to time. I cannot say that I miss them dearly, because I was not that close with them. Yet, I do miss Ellis. Sitting at the far corner, just under the window, she is staring aimlessly in the garden. Her face is hardened and she has lost look on her face.

"Cassie?" I look at Alexandra, who smiles at me nervously. The atmosphere around her suggests that something terrible has happened. Her usual smooth curls are in a mess, her usual smile is nowhere to be seen. The doubt is radiating off of her skin. "You have a lesson with Alvin." I nod at her and stand up. "He is waiting in the garden. The guards will not be attending today, I hope it won't be a problem."

"It's alright." I whisper with a small smile. I never really had a problem with Alvin, if anything being observed by the guards made me feel uneasy. "I will be going then." I offer her a smile, which is not returned. I doubt that she even noticed it.

I can feel eyes on me as I walk out of the cafeteria. The burning gazes that speak volumes of hate and doubt. But I do not blame them. I can understand what they might be feeling right now. Their home was attacked, their friends and family members might have been attacked and I am here, the reason why Dark Ones starting attacking in the first place.