Appointed Read online

  The dream faded, and the blue door appeared. Anj grabbed the knob and turned it, then stepped through the door. All three of the Elders stared down at him expectantly. If Anj was supposed to say something or have some kind of a reaction, he was clueless as to what that would be.

  “Any thoughts?” Neil asked at last, leaning forward on his throne.

  “On what exactly? Denver being a creep? This isn’t anything I haven’t seen him do before,” Anj said, doing his best to keep his temper in check. He wasn’t particularly in the mood to play games, however, so he had even less patience than usual.

  “Anything else?”

  Anj narrowed his eyes, peering at them in disbelief. “What other thoughts am I supposed to be having?”

  “There is so much you need to learn about being a Fate,” Neil said with a shake of his head.

  “Please, teach me then. You say that often,” Anj said in his best attempt at laying off the sarcasm. I must not make them mad. Answers would be nice to have for a change. And he hoped Neil was reading his mind then to hear it.

  Neil sat back and folded his hands in his lap. “You’re right. We’ve been denying you answers, trying to see how perceptive you are on your own. Getting a read on how knowledgeable you are in your abilities without our instruction, so to speak. I’d hate to have to go over things you already know. That’s irritating to you, correct?”

  “So is throwing me into the water and seeing if I know how to swim,” Anj said. “How about you start from the beginning, again, and when we get to something I’ve heard before we can move on to the next lesson?”

  “That won’t be necessary. You know there are four different kinds of Fates, yes?”

  Anj sighed. “Those who see the past, those who see the present, those who see the future, and those who see a combination of the three.”

  “Continue.”

  He wasn’t quite sure what the Elders wanted him to say, so he started rattling off all the information he had on being a Fate. “The most common Fate is the one who sees the present. The past is the next common, and the future next after that. Future Fates aren’t allowed to see solid details but concepts, possibilities, as nothing is set in stone. There are many ways to see — dreams, visions, touching objects. Outside of not being allowed to talk about whatever I see, there isn’t a whole lot more I’ve ever been taught.”

  “Which is right where we want you to be as your next lesson begins. There’s no denying it. Your gifts are strong. Each time you come here, we can sense how your power has multiplied. It’s impressive and not something I’ve seen for a long time,” Neil explained.

  “So what are you going to teach me now?” Anj asked with a furrowed brow.

  Kale smirked. “How to hone your skills so you can get the most out of your visions. Over these past few years, we’ve been letting you get acquainted with your skills. Comfortable. Now that you’re at that stage, it’s time for you to really see.”

  “Ten years, and you finally think I’m comfortable? That’s not a few years. It’s a long time,” Anj snapped, and immediately regretted it. Thankfully, the Elders didn’t react negatively.

  “It seems like a long time, but a Fate of our level lives a lot longer than the average human. I’m not a thirty-year-old. I’m actually in my eighties. The same can be said for all of us,” Kale said with a nod, pointing to his comrades. “So yes, ten years seems like a long time right now, but soon it’ll be nothing but a blur.”

  There was so much for Anj to take in from that one statement alone. “So I’m not going to age the same as my friends and family? And what do you mean when you say ‘a fate of our level’?”

  “You will age as you choose to, depending on what you decide to do with your gifts. There have been others like you — strong, with a lot of potential — who decided to be as normal as possible,” Francis said gently. “Everything is your choice, just as it’s always been.”

  “But I could choose to live longer, is what you’re saying? Why would I?” Anj didn’t even want to think about what life would be like watching his brother grow old without him. It wasn’t something that appealed to him in the least. They would always be the same age together, both physically as well as literally. But what about Jewl? The Divine aged differently than regular humans, as well. If they were supposed to be together, then how was that going work? We have time to figure it out.

  Neil had a wide smile on his face. Anj instantly regretted thinking about Jewl just then. Giving the Elders more ammo against her wasn’t in his best interests.

  “Let’s go back and make sure we cover all of these questions. Only one can be answered at a time, after all,” Neil said, maintaining his smug attitude.

  Francis nodded in agreement. “You asked about being a Fate of our level. That means having the gifts of those worthy of being Elders. Not just anyone can be appointed one of us.”

  “So you’re basically grooming me for your position?” Anj shook his head. “Not a job I want.”

  “We didn’t say anything of the sort. Don’t get presumptuous, boy,” Neil said. “All that’s being said here is you have a great ability, and it is what sets you apart from everyone else. Allows you these other perks, so to speak.”

  “Should I choose to use them.”

  “Yes, should you choose.”

  “But why? I thought only the Divine got to live an extended lifespan?”

  Neil nodded. “Yes, they do, as well as their spouses on occasion. Given the purpose for our gifts, Fates are sometimes also granted the same longevity.”

  Anj glared at him, waiting to be told what this purpose was, finally. If there was one thing he didn’t understand about Fates, it was why they even existed in the first place. What was the point of having such a great power if they weren’t allowed to tell anyone about it?

  “You’re angry.” Kale frowned.

  “Frustrated,” Anj corrected.

  Kale smiled as if he understood. “Our purpose is balance. We keep the Divine in line, similar to the checks and balance system of the United States of America’s government. It’s what makes the Divine fear us. Obviously there is more to it, but that should be enough to suffice. The political aspects will be elaborated on once you know how to understand what you see. Your visions are worthless if they mean nothing to you.”

  “Maybe I want them to be,” he whispered.

  “They aren’t going to go away if they’re worthless. They’ll only torment you worse,” Francis said.

  “Fine. Teach me how to hone my skills so I can understand more of what I see,” he said, agitated.

  “Your homework for the weekend is to revisualize what you saw, study the body language and the words being exchanged. Really analyze what happened,” Neil said.

  Anj groaned loudly. Not necessarily the smartest of reactions for him to show, but he couldn’t help it. Their assignment irritated him. “Why can’t you just tell me what to do and what I’m looking at?”

  “This isn’t like history or math. We can’t tell you the right answers and have you memorize a bunch of facts. You have to see and experience your visions, live them, in order to understand on your own. Think about it some more, and we’ll discuss it on Monday.”

  “Sure thing,” Anj said, and left the Elders, returning to a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  “It’s not okay. It’s not right! Why is he getting away with this, again? You let it happen twice at the beginning of the semester, and he’s still attacking her. Shouldn’t he be punished now?” Zes was shouting not too far away. Just down the hall was the bedroom Mr. Thantos was sharing with Denver and another student. It wasn’t even breakfast yet, and his brother already knew what had happened between Cheyenne and Denver. Denver must have gone ahead and bitten her, too.

  Anj sighed and walked down the hallway, briefly using his magic to see how far away the next room was. When he reached Zes, he put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, wanting to calm him because the last thing they need
ed was a scene.

  “There are things that make the situation complicated,” Mr. Thantos said in a surprisingly soothing tone. Usually, the dark angel wasn’t so gentle and understanding.

  “Yeah, but—” Zes started.

  “Believe me when I say I agree with you. However, this decision is not something currently in my control. If you have further complaints, I would bring them to the school headmaster,” Mr. Thantos stated.

  Giving his brother’s shoulder a squeeze, Anj said, “Let’s go eat breakfast.”

  “I’m not hungry,” Zes mumbled and pulled away from Anj’s grasp, heading back to the room.

  Anj followed after. Zes would change his mind and eat once they sat down and someone put food in front of him. His brother was known to stress eat, using it as an escape for whatever emotions he didn’t know how to deal with. The tension inside of him was ready to explode; Anj knew the signs all too well. The tirade he had released on Mr. Thantos was but a small portion of his anger, and Anj worried Denver would get the brunt of it. The guy deserved it, but Zes's temper was volatile, and Anj’d rather not see his brother get in trouble by doing something irrational. Plus, Denver fought dirty. Zes could get severely hurt if the two went head to head.

  “I take it you saw Cheyenne already today?” Anj asked, trying to play dumb about what had happened between her and Denver.

  “We met to watch the sun come up by the pool,” Zes said. At the mention of Cheyenne, he seemed to relax some, but only a little. “When I saw her, she had a turtleneck on, and I just knew it had happened again. Denver, I mean, he—”

  “Bit her, yeah. I kind of put the pieces together, listening to you go off on Professor Thantos,” Anj said, trying to be gentle. Empathy wasn’t his strong point, and he wasn’t sure how to react, especially when he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Cheyenne had wanted Denver to bite her. Something about the words Denver had said to her the night before weren’t settling well with Anj.

  Zes pulled his body in tighter. “I hate him — Denver. I wish he’d disappear already. Nobody wants him here.”

  “Couldn’t agree more.”

  “She told me not to worry about it, to not get mad. That it wasn’t a big deal. I’m kind of mad at her too. It’s like she keeps defending him without flat-out saying so. She refused to turn him in. None of the teachers knew a thing until I banged on their door.”

  Anj nodded, showing he was listening. He still didn’t have the words, but it might be one of those moments when saying nothing was better anyway. Zes liked to talk a lot; it helped him process his thoughts. For the most part, Anj let his brother do what he needed to, but sometimes it was a little annoying. He wished Zes had the confidence to take a thought and go with it instead of analyzing everything so thoroughly.

  “This was supposed to be the perfect break,” Zes continued.

  “It can be still.”

  “I guess?”

  “I think if you eat something, you’ll feel a lot more relaxed.”

  Zes let out a frustrated huff. “Glad to know whose side you’re on.”

  “I’m on yours. Which is why I’m making sure you eat,” Anj insisted. He paused, knowing he should probably say something more, to try and sympathize a little better. His brother had been through so much pain lately. It was hard to know how to even begin talking about it all.

  He chose what to say next carefully. “It bothers me too, a lot. I just know working yourself up over it isn’t going to do any good. She needs you to comfort her, not start a war, and Denver honestly frightens me sometimes. We don’t know what he’s capable of, and I don’t want to see you hurt again. Last time was more than I ever want to experience in a lifetime of watching you in pain. And you’re better than him.”

  “I could take him,” Zes said under his breath.

  I give up. Anj walked the rest of the way in silence, pretty sure that’s how his brother preferred it. When they made their way downstairs to the fancier restaurant in the hotel, the girls were waiting for them. He could hear them talking about the orchestra.

  “I love music,” Cheyenne said. She stopped when the twins got closer. “Hey, guys,” she said in an awkward and quiet tone. Zes left Anj’s side to no doubt be closer to her, and Jewl filled the void that was left behind. Her touch gave him the strength he needed to handle the recent drama. When his brother was upset, everything felt off balance. Anj never knew how to help and that frustrated him to no end. Without her, he'd go crazy from agonizing over it all.

  She squeezed his hand. “I hear they have a full buffet today. Pretty awesome if you ask me.”

  Anj smiled weakly. Buffets were complicated for him. He had his magic, but he hated using it for something so small and trivial. Yet he hated someone else getting his food for him even more. On the plus side, he wouldn’t have to spend fifteen minutes debating what to get from the menu. Breakfast was by far his favorite meal of the day. He’d eat it any chance it was offered to him, even if it wasn’t typical breakfast hours.

  “So what’s on the agenda for today?” Cheyenne asked, still quietly but not sounding quite as uncomfortable as before.

  “Shopping,” the twins said in unison, completely unintentionally. Anj hated when that happened, but it got a giggle from Cheyenne so he was willing to make the sacrifice if it made things better.

  He heard a snort from Jewl. “Oh yes, how can I forget the trips to all of the high-end stores. A lot of students get a good deal of spending money to burn from their parents. It’s one of the main reasons we come to the city. Stores are a little limited back by the school.”

  “I noticed.” Cheyenne laughed.

  The group was led to a table. They ordered drinks before getting the okay to get food from the buffet line. Zes got up right away, and after some hesitation, Cheyenne followed. Anj and Jewl lingered for a moment, giving the two some space.

  “Wow, drama,” Jewl whispered.

  “Yes,” Anj said. “I woke up, found Zes gone, and threw on my clothes without taking a shower because I heard him down the hall, about ready to murder a specific someone. I feel kind of bad because I abandoned Teague up there, but it didn’t feel right waking him up either.”

  “It’s fine. When I checked in with him last night, he mentioned something about Halyn? I was only half listening, but she’ll find him. Even if she doesn’t, he needs to learn how to take care of himself anyway. How hard can it be for him to figure out where breakfast is? We have a printed itinerary,” Jewl said.

  “You’re assuming he can read,” Anj teased. That earned him a smack to the arm.

  “I’ve seen him do it. He knows.”

  “Halyn, huh?” he said, switching gears. “I’m not sure if I should root for them as a couple or not. That might be a little too much cute and fluffy for my tastes.”

  He almost shuddered at the thought of Teague, someone so sweet and naive, dating Cheyenne’s roommate, Halyn. She was a nice girl, but she was also hyperactive. Always speaking fast, wanting to know everything about everyone, and surrounded by people constantly. She was a much more aggressive version of Anj. Unlike him, she sought out popularity. While he enjoyed the attention, they wanted it for completely different reasons. Not a bad thing, but to pair someone like that with Teague could result in a lot of showy, sappy, public displays of affection that might rival even Zes and Cheyenne.

  “Probably,” Jewl agreed.

  “At the same time, I don’t want to hinder him from the idea of branching out and spending time with other people who aren’t you. But I’m kind of selfish like that,” he said.

  “I know, you can’t get enough of me.”

  “I really can’t.” He leaned his face toward where he thought hers was, wanting to kiss her. He caught her cheek and satisfied himself with that. Why did the Elders hate someone so perfect for him? I can’t believe they gave me homework to do on my last free weekend before classes start up again. I can’t believe they gave me homework period! They’re so aggravating.

 
; Jewl grabbed his hand. “I lost you momentarily, didn’t I?”

  “Briefly, yeah. I was lamenting the fact that some people have to make life so challenging for me — us — when we’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves.”

  “If Denver didn’t poop on a party, I think I’d die of shock,” Jewl said.

  “Oddly, I wasn’t thinking about him.”

  “Then… who?”

  “Let’s get some breakfast, and we can discuss this later? It’s one of those things only meant for your ears.” Hopefully, she would catch on. She must have, because her hand tensed up, as did her entire body.

  “Oh.”

  Not the reaction he’d been hoping for. Is she still mad about me telling her my secret? I know I didn’t give her a choice in the matter, but I thought she’d be over it by now. He didn’t need that complication too. She’d been fine before, so why not now?

  “Or not,” he said.

  “No, I want to know. It’s weird to hear you say it. I’m so used to you telling me it’s not my business. Unless you’re trying to dodge me again?”

  “Nope.”

  “You not being a man of mystery is a lot to get used to.”

  “I still have mysteries. Don’t sound so disappointed just yet.” He smirked. “Escort me to the food?”

  “Yes, dear.”

  For the first time since telling her his secret, he doubted the decision. Don’t let the Elders weasel their way into your mind and make you regret it. That’s exactly what they want. He had to stay firm and confident so he didn’t get pushed around. If there was one thing he didn’t let anyone get away with, it was that. Early on in life, he’d decided he wasn’t going to be a victim, and he wasn’t about to become one now.

  “Here,” Jewl said, putting a plate firmly in his hands. He held it, ready to flash on his magic so he could see what his options were, when Jewl continued, “Cheese hash browns — you’ll want these. Scrambled eggs too. Biscuits and gravy?”