Circle Quartet: 22

Chapter 22

“No.” That’s the answer that I get from Grandma Zelda. I told her that I want to exchange my partner for the test but no avail. I know that Grandma Zelda is very strict but sometimes she can be persuaded in certain circumstances.

“But grandma, I really, really want to pair with Abbie,” I plead. I try to do the puppy-eyes, just like Raina always does, but it’s not working.

“Rule number one of this test, you have to be with other clan. So you can’t be paired with Abbie. Second rule, you can’t change your partner,” she looks at me with a stern face that makes me want to cringe.

I sigh heavily. I guess I have to stick with Stefan for the rest of my life. That is what everyone in our families wants us to be. Get married, have some babies, live happily ever after. Is this what we call a fate?

 “I know what happen between you two. Since that incident happen, you have changed rapidly. You hate Stefan so much and sometimes you never give any chance for him to apologize for what happen. And you even call him ‘stupid dog’.” Grandma Zelda clasps her hands and stares at me.

She knows about that? I’m going to be killed! I start to sweat but Grandma Zelda reaches across the table and gently places her hand on mine. She tries to console me, I guess.

“Jeff told me everything,” she says.

“Jeff told you?” I nearly raise my voice but somehow I can control it. Grandma Zelda nods. I’m going to kill Jeff!

You can’t change the past, Alice. There’s nothing you can do about it,” says Grandma Zelda in a soft voice. “I think it’s time for you to let go of your past, Alice. Let bygone be bygone. If you want to change something then change for the future.”

But in the end, I can’t change my partner for the test. I thank Grandma Zelda before I leave her room and off to my bedroom at the North Tower. I walk down in a hallway and stopped at the Great Parlour. There are portraits hanging on the wall. I take a look at those pictures. Grandma Zelda’s portrait hangs higher than anybody else because she’s the Chancellor. Below her portrait are the portraits of Grandma Maegan, Granddaddy Saba and Grandma Tanya, the Pro-Chancellors. Grandaddy Saba will e the next Chancellor in three years in time.

Then my gaze is locked to one portrait at the left side of the wall. Jeff’s portrait. I read the label below the golden frame; Vice-Chancellor. He’s superior to Dad and my other uncles! No wonder everyone bowed down their heads at that time. He’s the Vice-Chancellor and also the First-Class Commander of Assassin Squad! He never told me once about being the Vice-Chancellor.

 

“You look so quiet lately. Is there anything you wanted to talk about?” asks Abbie as I stare at the window. She’s right. I’m kind of quiet lately.

I smile and turn around to her. “I got distracted.”

Abbie sits next to me. “Alice that I know is never been bothered by any kind of distraction. Even that spiky-haired freaked wench, Cody, won’t be a bothersome to you.”

“This is not about Cody, Abbie. It’s something else. Something that makes me has to think and wonder. I don’t know how to convey this stuff, you know,” I sigh heavily.

“Hey, you have me here, Alice. You can tell me anything. Anything at all,” she puts her hand on my shoulder. Just like Jeff used to do when I have problems. “It’s about Stefan, isn’t it?”

I nod. I know she reads my mind and I’m letting her to read whatever I am thinking right now. Since I came here, living in this magnificent room with Abbie, she’s the one who I can freely talk to. Even though we’re not this close before, but being with her enlighten my heart. She’s like a dear sister to me.

“Yeah,” I blurt out. “It’s hard to tell, Abbie. One minute I hate him so much, the next I want to see him so badly. I hated him for what he had done to me ten years ago. But since I met him during high school, the feeling started to change. When he started to talk to me again, I think I’m longing for his voice, his presence,” I close my eyes and lean my head on Abbie’s shoulder.

“I never had that kind of feeling before but I think you should let go of something bothering you from the past,” she says, just like Grandma Zelda told me earlier. I chuckle. “What’s so funny?”

“That’s what Grandma Zelda told me when I met her this afternoon before lunch. She said that I should let go of the past and cling for the future,” I smile. Now I feel a little bit better.

“Well, great mind thinks alike,” she laughs and I laugh with her.

“Thanks, Abbie. You’re the best sister ever!” I hug her.

“Now that you’re not distracted anymore, why don’t we go to the gym? We still have one more day before the test start,” she lets go of my hugs and smiles.

I nod and we off the gym. The gym is located at the second floor of the North Tower and only few people are there. Abbie and I take turn in punching the sandbag. This is the best way to get rid of any disturbance and distractions that are tormenting your brains and feelings.

*         *          *

“Everyone, get in line in your partner in 10 seconds!” Jeff gives out the order and starts counting. He’s wearing the Assassin suit with his squad. He’s in-charge for this test.

Stefan and I stand in the front row and Jeff briefs about the test. We’re now facing the Dummy Forest. This is where our test will be held in 5 minutes. Each pair is given a small device called Mini – it looks like D-vice but much smaller, bag packs, weapons, blood supplies for vampires and food.

The test may seem easier. The pair who gets to the Old-Willow tree will be the winner. We also need to find 13 flags along the way. We have 8 hours to complete the mission. Inside this Dummy Forest, there are a lot of obstacles that we have to go through, even monsters exist in there!

Each pair is given numbers which represent the starting gates. There are 50 gates to enter the Dummy Forest. Stefan and I get the 7^th gate. When Jeff shoots fire from his hand, everyone dashes inside the forest.

Stefan lets me to lead the way because I’m good in reading map. And right now I’m reading the map in the Mini which looks like a GPS. We only had gone through one obstacle after been walking for two hours. I take out a bottle of my blood supply and sip it with a straw. The night is still young but I need to drink the whole bottle in case we run into monster’s den.

Stefan uses his animal instinct – his instinct is 99% accurate, to sense a danger. He looks calm and seldom talks while we’re walking. I also don’t know what to talk about to him. He makes me feel a little awkward after the incident at the spa.

Suddenly, he grabs my shoulder. “Stop. I sense something,” he whispers to my left ear.

I look around and hear something rustling nearby. I use my night vision and try to find the ‘thing’ which I think is getting nearer.

“Alice, watch out!” Stefan pushes me aside as the ‘thing’ attacks from the bushes. I stumble on the ground. How dare Stefan push me!

As I stand up and ready to pounce at the ‘thing’, my eyes widen. It’s a bear. A huge black bear wrestles with Stefan. I think it is 4 feet tall and I don’t think Stefan will win against it. Why bear? Why not goblins or one-eyed monster?

I take out my weapons, two short-swords, from the bag and attack the bear as Stefan has been hit quite bad. I kick the bear in the face and swing both of the swords to cut the bear but it doesn’t work. The bear is hard as steel. The swords only scratch it thick fur.

The bear claws me but I manage to dodge it and stab its arm. The bear screams in pain. Stefan and I use our super strength, punching and kicking the bear and we manage to send it flying 6 feet away from us. Stefan is panting hard and his head is bleeding.

“We need to get out of here, now!” I grab Stefan’s arm and teleport to any place that is safe for us. Unfortunately, I forget to grab my bag pack along.

I teleport to place near the river where we can wash our face and tend Stefan’s wound. His right arm also has been cut deeply by the bear’s claws. I help him clean his wounds.

“Why you didn’t turn into werewolf, Stefan? You can beat that stupid ugly bear and you’ll heal faster,” I ask him as we sit at the river bank.

“I can’t,” he mutters and looks down to the ground.

I frown. “You can’t? What do you mean, you can’t? You’ve lost your power?”

“No, Alice,” he sighs heavily and slowly looks at me. “I can’t transform into werewolf. Not in front of you.”