Atlantean. E.N. J.D. Watkins
glanced around the cafeteria, curious to see what the other students thought about this boy’s appearance. Astonishingly, several were girls eyeing him hopefully.
Were they seeing the same thing I was?
I remembered how Camilla couldn’t see the markings on my hands and was struck by a sudden inspiration.
Looking round the table, I saw that Nyssa’s cell phone was nearby. She was gossiping animatedly with the others so she didn’t notice when I subtly reached for it. Activating the camera, I pointed the lens at the sickly looking boy and found my suspicions to be correct.
Through the camera I saw what the girls of this school must have been seeing: he appeared to be very handsome. His face was still narrow but it was no longer gaunt and sickly; on the contrary, it appeared strong and healthy. He also had a full head of short, golden-blonde hair. What was interesting though was the fact that the marking on his face was still visible through the camera.
I placed Nyssa’s phone back on the table and wondered what it was that was masking my palm lines and this jade-eyed boy’s true appearance.
As I pondered this conundrum, Victoria’s eyes met mine for one instant and I quite literally felt her longing.
Just like yesterday, Victoria looked as though she wanted to tell me something.
The narrow-faced boy took her hand and I felt longing be replaced by fear. Whoever this boy was, Victoria was terrified of him.
It was strange to see her so fearful, especially after the way she dealt with my false parents. I glanced at the sickly figure of the boy and wondered what it was about him that frightened her so.
Then the he too looked at me and I once again heard the faint heavenly voice inside my mind.
“Amadeus.”
It was in that moment that I realized that it was the jade-eyed boy who had been speaking to me. This eerie talent to speak to me through my mind coupled with Victoria’s fear made me suspect that I was a locking eyes with a very dangerous enemy.
“I’m not your enemy Amadeus,” said the voice speaking once more through my mind.
“How’re you doing that?” I thought back unsure of whether or not he could hear me.
“Magic.”
I looked at him skeptically.
“Magic?”
“Yes. But now is not the time for explanations. I will tell you what I can tonight.”
I had no idea what he meant by this.
“Why should I trust you?”
“Because I’m not your enemy.”
“Then why is so Victoria afraid of you?”
“It is necessary for her to be afraid of me for the time being.”
“Why?” I snarled.
“All answers will be revealed in time,” he replied mysteriously, “But I will give you some answers tonight.”
I frowned.
Tonight?
“I plan to pay you a visit after dark.”
I got the impression that he was going to come whether I wanted him to or not.
“What time will you be there?”
He didn’t answer and I knew our little conversation was at an end because he had looked away from me. I held Victoria’s gaze for a moment longer then she too looked away.
I stared angrily at the boy’s haggard figure. He hadn’t given me much to work with and I was determined to find out more.
“Who’s that?” I asked interrupting the girls conversation and pointing casually to the boy holding hands with Victoria.
“Eli,” said Lindsey after she had turned round to see at whom I was pointing.
Eli.
No way was I forgetting that name.
“So he’s what—Victoria’s boyfriend?” I asked casually.
Camilla looked at my face trying to read it.
As if she could.
I was wearing a perfect poker face.
“Jealous?” she asked playfully.
“Hardly,” I said coolly.
I knew where she was going with this.
“She’s not my type,” I said feigning disinterest, “None of them are.”
Everyone at the table seemed to enjoy this revelation.
“So what is your type?’ asked Nyssa with a curious smile.
“My type is sitting here at this table.”
They all giggled at that.
I wish talking to Victoria was this easy.
“What class do we have next?”
“AP Music.”
Music? Now that actually might be fun.
I got up from my seat and the others followed suit. Sticking my hands in my pockets I began to walk out of the cafeteria. I stole another quick glance at Victoria but I turned away quickly so I wouldn’t catch the eyes of Eli. I wasn’t sure how his magic worked but I figured that Eli and I had to be locking eyes in order to converse silently like we had done.
His faint snickering in my mind as I walked out of the cafeteria let me know I was mistaken.
“Which way?” I asked as soon as entered the hall.
“This way,” said Nyssa looping her arm through mine and pulling me to the right.
It looked as if Camilla was about to loop her arm through my other one when Lindsay beat her to the punch. She didn’t show it but I knew Camilla was pouting. The hall was filling with students now that lunch was coming to a close and it wasn’t long before Nyssa had turned me into a classroom that was filled with instruments.
The instrument that caught my eye was the grand piano at the front of the class. The classroom was sparsely filled and Nyssa pulled me to a seat in the middle of the room. Lindsay sat down on my other side and Camilla and Stephanie took seats nearby. I could see that Camilla was still upset that she wasn’t sitting next to me.
The girls started gossiping again about nothing that I would call interesting. And all the while I couldn’t take my eyes off of the piano. I had a strange desire to play it. The odd thing was that I’d never had any piano lessons and yet I was sure that I could play. But stranger still was the melody that had just sprung into my mind. I was quite certain that I’d never even heard it before and yet it was familiar to me. Like a song I’d heard long ago.
I glanced around again. The professor was nowhere to be seen. I wondered how she felt about students playing the instruments.
Oh well. I guess I will just have to find out.
I rose to my feet.
“Where are you going?” Camilla asked puzzled.
“To play some music,” I replied nodding my head in the direction of the piano.
The girls all seemed to be impressed.
“You can play?” asked Nyssa.
“A little,” I lied with a crooked smile, “You think the professor will mind?”
“Not if you’re good,” answered Stephanie returning my smile with one of her own.
I smiled, walked over to the piano, and sat down in front of the key board.
Was I about to make a fool of myself in front of this quickly filling