Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy (4 page)

Princess Cassandrianna, Cass for short, wasn't used to the Human Realm. There were too many noises, for one thing. Granted, The Village had its share of hustle and bustle but not like this. She looked out the motel window at the cars and people hurrying from one place to another. She didn't understand why humans needed to move so fast.
Whatever it is will still be there if you take your time!
Cass thought with a sigh and sat down on one of the dingy beds. She had to beg to come on this trip, and even that almost didn't work. She had to use a "bit of persuasion," or at least that's what she called it. Ever since she was little, she had been able to talk people into things. All she had to do was tell them what she believed was right, and they slowly started to believe it as well. She never told anyone except Raine. It was her little secret.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror across from the bed and wondered, not for the first time, whether they looked alike. The Chosen One was related to Cass and her family, albeit distantly, but that didn't mean they couldn't share some features. Cass was small, the shortest and skinniest in the family. Her older sister, Helendrianna, called her "little pixie," which was a pretty accurate description. She kept her black hair short, to her chin, and her blue eyes were a little too big for her own tastes. But she was considered a great beauty in the Village; all of the royal family were.

There was a double knock on the door, which pulled her from her thoughts.

"Bestlinkanen," she said, eyeing the door.

"Frolendilin," came from the other side of the door.

Cass sighed and relaxed. It was just Raine. She undid the multiple locks from the door and opened it for her Protector.

Raine pulled his large frame into the room and quickly locked the door. Standing next to Cass, he looked like a giant with blond hair at all angles and a pair of crystal-blue eyes. "Everything all right since I've been gone?" he asked in his deep, rough voice.

Cass nodded. "Nothing happened. Did you find her?"

A smile slowly filled his usually stoic face. Everyone was excited about the Chosen One, even the most reserved Protector. "Yes. Hunter stayed to watch over her." His smile quickly disappeared. "We smelled a Shifter nearby."

Cass sucked in a breath. She never had personally seen a Shifter, at least none that she knew of, but she had heard enough stories to be terrified when one was around. "That's not good. If they get to her before we do..."

"It's all right, Princess," Raine said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Shifters are out in Human Realm all the time. It could just be a coincidence."

Cass sighed. "You don't believe in coincidences." She paused. "And don't call me 'Princess.' You know I hate that."

"I do. But it is also protocol," Raine said, walking to the window.

Cass rolled her eyes. She considered most rules dealing with Protectors to be archaic and felt they should be abolished. She hated being set apart for who her family was. Raine had been her Protector for years. Protectors lived and breathed their jobs once they were able to walk and talk. In a way Raine knew and saw more of Cass than her own family did. And yet he still insisted upon calling her 'Princess.'

"So tomorrow then?" Cass asked, sitting back down on the bed.

Raine nodded, still keeping guard by the window. "Hunter believes it's best to go in the light...maybe go through her parents."

"You mean, you want
me
to go through her parents," Cass said slowly.

Raine shot her a quick glance and a small smirk. He was the only one who knew of her talent, and only because he was
always
around.

"You didn't say anything to Hunter, did you?" Cass asked.

"Of course not. I told him you might talk them into it because you're so innocent looking."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, lying back in the bed. "Tomorrow then."

"Get some sleep," Raine said. "I have a feeling it will be a very long couple of days."

Cass smiled. She didn't mind the long days. It was a dream come true to find the Chosen One, and she couldn't wait to meet her.

Syney

"Did you guys want me to clean up?" Syney asked, picking up a mostly gone platter of food.

Joyce took it from her quickly. "Oh, no, you don't. Your party, our cleanup."

"Mom, I don't mind, really."

Richard walked up and put an arm around his daughter. "Honey, you know not to argue with your mother—especially about cleaning."

Syney laughed and put her head on his chest. "Oh, I know."

"Then you'd better shoo!" Joyce said, hauling a large garbage bag past them, which was almost twice the size of her body.

Syney and Richard watched her go.

"I think you should help her," Syney said.

"Yeah, I think so." Richard squeezed her a little and went off to help his wife.

Syney sighed and headed up to her room. She wasn't tired at all, but she was mentally exhausted. She needed a nice quiet night with
no
weirdness—if that was even possible. Lately it didn't seem that way. After Jess had pulled Syney back to the party, she didn't feel much like celebrating. She kept thinking about the wolf. He should have struck her with fear, but he'd had the exact opposite effect. If Jess hadn't been there, Syney would have thought she was hallucinating for sure—just like with the smoke arm at the carnival.

She walked over to the window and looked out into the night. The moon was almost full, shedding a ghostly white light on everything. Curling up on
the window seat, Syney rested her temple against the glass windowpane and scanned the backyard. Her parents never had taken down the large jungle gym they had bought for her when she was five, even though it took up a large portion of the yard. She smiled at all the good memories she had about it. And now she was eighteen—officially an adult and having hallucinations...probably.

A quick movement by the wooden fort section of the jungle gym caught her eye. She looked closer and saw a tuft of brown fur poking up through one of the windows cut into the wood. It would be crazy to go outside...just to see if her eyes were playing tricks on her, right? But maybe it would be a good thing. If it was the wolf, maybe that amazing feeling would come back. She easily could sneak out the back deck off her parents' room so they wouldn't see her leave. And she was a decent runner, so she could take off for the house if she needed to.

Before she changed her mind, she threw on a black button-up sweater and headed through her parents' room and out onto the back deck. She slowly and quietly climbed down the stairs. She looked over to the jungle gym from this angle and saw a tail poking through the wooden boards. She suppressed a giggle and crept toward the play set. The boards creaked as she stepped on the wooden stairs, causing her to stop mid-stride. The tail flashed away, and two brown eyes appeared at the top of the steps. It was definitely the same wolf as before.

"Hi. Sorry if you were sleeping," Syney whispered.

The wolf looked around, as if to see whether anyone else was around before backing up into the cabin area where Syney played house as a child. She followed him, as she glanced at her plastic appliances from so many years ago. She used to make so many mud pies right here. The wolf sat down and stared at her, looking her up and down. Syney self-consciously pulled her sweater around herself tighter and sat down across from the wolf. The two stared at each other for a while, almost as if neither knew what to make of the other.

"I'm Syney," she finally said with a little wave. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, wow. I am special. I'm introducing myself to a wolf." She laughed and shook her head. "Lock me up now."

The wolf seemed to hesitate for a moment but then moved to sit a few feet from her and lifted his massive paw out to her.

Syney eyed it for a moment before taking it and giving it a shake. The moment her skin touched his soft fur and the rough padding on his paw, the sense of calm returned, "Wow, how do you do that?" She inhaled deeply and rubbed her thumb along the soft fur. "You're like a huge Valium in wolf form."

The wolf made a small whine and tilted his head to the side, almost as if questioning her.

Syney yawned. With all her stress gone, she was overcome with tiredness. "Now I want to sleep." She let go of his paw, and everything came rushing back.

She looked toward the house. All the downstairs lights were off; her parents must have gone to sleep already. What harm would it do to sleep out here? It was warm enough; there was only a crisp autumn breeze in the air. She looked back at the wolf. "Do you mind if I stay out here with you?"

The wolf stared at her.

"I'll take that as a no." She gave a short laugh and lay down. She reached out and just touched his paw, letting the feeling envelop her. Just as sleep was about to take over, the paw moved away. Syney opened her eyes and watched as the wolf curled up alongside her, his back against her stomach. She put one hand on his fur and quickly fell asleep.

The dream was so vivid; it felt as if she were really there. Syney was in what seemed like a temple made entirely of stone. Five sections were set above balcony-like seating at a theater, except they were all around in one big circle. She stood in the exact middle of it at ground level. Around her were five stone chairs—no, more like stone thrones. Each had a different symbol carved into its back. She didn't recognize any except one. The symbol on her baby blanket and the amulet was etched into one of the chairs. It had to mean something; she just didn't know what. A hissing noise from above made Syney jump. She looked up at one of the sections to see two glowing red dots in the darkness. They were quickly joined by another pair and then another. A chill swept up her spine as she realized they weren't just dots; they were eyes. Glowing red eyes. She backed up and bumped into one of the stone seats. Another hiss made her jump and turn. On the seat was a black snake, its pink tongue darting in and out of its fanged mouth. Syney gasped and moved away from it as it coiled into a circle, preparing to strike.

"No!" she yelled, and threw her arm over her face.

Syney jumped up and looked around the wooden cabin as she caught her breath. It was morning, and she was alone—no wolf anywhere. She ran a hand through her hair and stretched the last bit of sleep from her body before crawling out onto the wooden platform above the slide. She looked toward the stairs but then opted for the slide. Why not bring some of her childhood back? She giggled a little during the short ride down and came easily up to her feet.

"Do you always sleep outside?"

Syney's smile fell when she looked over at the unfamiliar girl in front of her. She had to be around Syney's age, or maybe even younger. She was awfully small, very short, and super skinny.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," the girl said in a calm, almost dainty voice. "I'm Cass. I'm here from St. Dominic's Preparatory Academy. My colleagues and I were just about to sit down with your parents to discuss your enrollment."

"My enrollment?" Syney asked. She hadn't heard anything about this. Her parents had tried to get her into an academy years before she had started high
school, but they had promised not to send her away once she had started, and definitely not at the beginning of her senior year.

Cass smiled. "It's an amazing opportunity. Come in and let's talk."

"There you are!" Joyce said from the back door. She looked at Cass and smiled. "I tell you, she is spirited sometimes. Now come on inside, you two. Coffee is done!"

Syney eyed Cass suspiciously but followed her into the house, mostly out of curiosity.

Two large men were in the living room with Syney's father when they walked in. One was tall and blond and made the couch he sat on look like a miniature piece from a dollhouse. The other stood next to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out. Syney could only see his brown hair, which was curly at the ends, and his muscular arms and back under his T-shirt. She didn't want to be on the opposite end of a fight with either of these men. They probably could break her with just their pinkies.

Cass sat down next to the blonde and smiled up at Syney, who took a seat across from them. The girl seemed eager, as if sitting here in this living room with Syney and her parents was the greatest thing in the world. Syney eyed her even more suspiciously.

"This is so exciting!" Joyce said, carrying in a tray filled with coffee mugs, sugar, and cream. Richard and Joyce sat on either side of their daughter.

"So tell me more about this school," Richard said in his serious voice.

"Well, sir, St. Dominic's is one of the premier preparatory academies on the entire East Coast," Cass said. "We have state-of-the-art classrooms, modern dormitories, and all the amenities of home in a scholarly setting. One hundred percent of our graduates go on to fully accredited colleges, most on scholarships."

"Oh, wow." Joyce smiled brightly. "That sounds amazing. Now will it be a problem that Syn already started her senior year? I mean, it's only been a month."

"Oh, that's not a problem. From what we've seen of Syney, she'll catch up in no time," Cass said.