The Revenant. [ Chapter 4 Part 1 ]
I'm not done editing so this is a preview kinda. Supposedly, I'm to update every two weeks but I wrote pretty fast. @-) I love being on a roll. Outlines really help, thanks to Melissa de la Cruz' advice. I love her. Her book broke my heart--but that's a different story. JACK FORCE. Yeah. So... on with it then.
[ intro. ]
[ chapter 1. ]
[ chapter 2. ]
[ chapter 3. ]
[ character profiles. ]
-CHAPTER 4 STARTS HERE-
The nurse drew back the grey blinds, bathing the room in sunlight. Caden shielded his eyes from the glare that the light gave off as it hit the white walls and similarly coloured bed sheets. On the bed in front of him, Chiara Mortensen lay asleep looking relaxed.
Earlier, Julian had caught her eavesdropping on their conversation with Luziano. The latter made sure she had passed out before asking Mikaela to wipe out from her memory what she had heard. They brought Chiara to the infirmary, telling the nurse it was just a little dizziness.
“That was close,” Helena said as they stood outside. “Anyway, I’ve had enough of this discussion for now. We’ll talk some other time, yeah?” She left with Mikaela following her.
“The girl’s memories might come back,” Luziano spoke to the remaining two. “Kaye is-please excuse the term-still a bit wasted, after all, thanks to her low tolerance for alcoholic beverages. Her spell will only be temporary.”
Caden looked at Luziano whose cold, midnight blue eyes showed a hint of worry. The small wrinkles on the man’s pale face gave him a look of age as well and his long, taupe coloured hair was a bit untidy. He was, clearly, pondering over what they had been discussing in the library that afternoon.
“Sir,” Julian began to ask. “Will you and the dean talk about…” but Luziano merely shrugged.
“There’s been something going on within the Concilium,” Luziano explained; his Italian accent suddenly very thick. “Not everyone can know-but I found that you four were trustworthy enough.
“Also, I may yet be corrected. If this revenant is not attracted to us, it may be the other way around. You may be attracted to it. Be careful. It’s not just a meagre revenant, it could be a-
Someone had lightly tapped him on the shoulder and Caden was immediately pulled out of his reverie. It was Maya Becker, a newly recruited Concilian.
“You know Chiara?” she asked him. Her accent had a slight hint of Australian in it, Caden noted.
“Algebra buddy,” he replied with a slight smile. “She passed out in the library earlier. Dizziness and claustrophobia…”
“Yeah, Riley told me,” Maya said. It was funny how news sometimes spread fast around Marianne.
His smile diminished. Judging what she just said, it was clear enough that the two were hanging out again. Helena, Caden thought, would not be the least bit pleased if she heard-everyone knew about her latest infatuation.
“So…” Caden broke the silence that had been getting more uncomfortable by the second. He found after speaking that he had nothing to say.
“The fall dance is coming up,” Maya tried to keep the conversation going, thank god. Unfortunately, the chosen topic for discussion was not too good and had yet to result into another awkward silence.
“I hear Riley’s going with-” Oops, wrong move.
“Helena, yeah,” she finished his sentence.
“Sorry…” he smiled apologetically.
She pushed it aside, saying it was fine. “They go together every year, right? I’m pretty used to it, I guess. Riley’s probably talking to me only because I’m, you know, part of the Concilium. I would’ve been going with Dave again but…” her voice faltered and sobs made their way to her throat.
Caden apologised again. “He was a cool guy. We were sitting together during some really boring assembly and…” he stopped, feeling stupid-he hardly knew David Clark anyway. It wasn’t the best time to be talking about such things with Maya who had been his closest friend-maybe more?
“Do you know how he died?” she tried to stifle her tears and spoke stammering. “He was found dead in some alleyway. It was a bloody scene, the dean told me.”
“You know exactly how he died?” Caden looked at her without any particular look plastered on his face. She nodded and continued.
“Diana said…he was stabbed or something. I saw the body, too, before they put him in the casket. There was this big gash on his back-I can’t get the image out of my head…
“His expression…he looked so scared and so traumatised. Like he was caught by surprise…or like someone he didn’t expect had just…”
“Stop,” Caden told her. “Don’t pain yourself anymore. Sorry, again.” He turned to Chiara who showed hints of waking up soon.
“She looks like she’s going to wake up in a bit,” he said. “I’ll see you around, then.” He took one brief look at Maya and left in a rush out the infirmary.
There was something amiss about Dave’s death. In fact, it seemed unnatural. What was Dave doing in an alleyway late at night anyway? Who would’ve wanted to kill a student at Marianne?
* * *
Andrei walked the halls, his snappy footfalls echoing and giving students the understanding that they should make way or else detention. Severe as he was, Marianne still valued him as a teacher. He exited the manor to spend his usual Sunday evening in the gardens. A couple of students greeted him on the way.
Sitting on his familiar bench under an oak, he took out a book-one of his favourites, Notes From Underground-and read, however it was only short-lived. Caden Hall-whom he’d been talking to earlier-was approaching him with a curious look on his face. Andrei thought he’d had enough of seeing the boy for the day.
“Professor Luziano,” he greeted him. “Sorry to interrupt you.” He’d better be, Andrei grumbled inwardly.
“What can I do for you?” he closed his book and looked up at the boy. “If it’s about earlier-”
“It’s not about earlier,” Caden interrupted him. “I was with Maya Becker just now in the infirmary. You know, Clark’s friend?” he added after seeing Luziano’s puzzled face-the man never really remembered names of revenants well.
“Ahh, yes,” Andrei nodded. “Mortensen’s friend, as well. She’s been spending much time with Mister Walker…”
“Er…” Caden shrugged his shoulders.
“Well? What about her?”
“Just now… Oh yeah, Chiara woke up,” Caden side-tracked. “Right, so we were talking about Dave and, uh, how he died.”
Andrei rolled his eyes inwardly. “Don’t you think Miss Becker isn’t the right person to talk to about this?” he raised a brow. “She was his closest friend, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Yes, but she was the one who brought it up,” Caden said. “She ended up telling me how it happened and his death isn’t, well, natural.”
“Of course it wasn’t natural,” Andrei agreed. “He was murdered. Murder is not natural. Don’t you think so?”
Caden was lost for words. There was silence and Andrei began to look for the page where he had left off.
“He wasn’t a Concilian, was he?” Caden asked. “David Clark?”
“No.” Luziano replied curtly.
“Then someone stole a Spark from a human?” he went on. Caden’s curiosity irked him a bit.
“That’s impossible.” Disinterest was clear in the teacher’s tone. However, Andrei knew that it was quite the contrary from what he had said.
“Excuse me, professor, but I think you’re lying to me.” Caden said bluntly.
It was stupid for Andrei to forget that the boy wasn’t easily fooled. He was blunt and, should he not tell him the truth, would continue pestering him.
“So, you know how he died?” Andrei sighed in defeat.
“Only through Maya’s perspective, sir,” Caden replied. “She said something about a gash on his back. It sounded, to me, like someone or something out there is stealing-”
“Precisely,” Andrei nodded. “I’ll tell you of what happened the night he died-when Diana and I found him-but you must give me your word you won’t speak of this to anyone.”
“Yes, sir.”
Andrei Luziano closed his eyes, sighed and began to tell him what he remembered.
-CUT-
And there you have it. Uhm... I do hope it isn't erroneous.
[ intro. ]
[ chapter 1. ]
[ chapter 2. ]
[ chapter 3. ]
[ character profiles. ]
-CHAPTER 4 STARTS HERE-
The nurse drew back the grey blinds, bathing the room in sunlight. Caden shielded his eyes from the glare that the light gave off as it hit the white walls and similarly coloured bed sheets. On the bed in front of him, Chiara Mortensen lay asleep looking relaxed.
Earlier, Julian had caught her eavesdropping on their conversation with Luziano. The latter made sure she had passed out before asking Mikaela to wipe out from her memory what she had heard. They brought Chiara to the infirmary, telling the nurse it was just a little dizziness.
“That was close,” Helena said as they stood outside. “Anyway, I’ve had enough of this discussion for now. We’ll talk some other time, yeah?” She left with Mikaela following her.
“The girl’s memories might come back,” Luziano spoke to the remaining two. “Kaye is-please excuse the term-still a bit wasted, after all, thanks to her low tolerance for alcoholic beverages. Her spell will only be temporary.”
Caden looked at Luziano whose cold, midnight blue eyes showed a hint of worry. The small wrinkles on the man’s pale face gave him a look of age as well and his long, taupe coloured hair was a bit untidy. He was, clearly, pondering over what they had been discussing in the library that afternoon.
“Sir,” Julian began to ask. “Will you and the dean talk about…” but Luziano merely shrugged.
“There’s been something going on within the Concilium,” Luziano explained; his Italian accent suddenly very thick. “Not everyone can know-but I found that you four were trustworthy enough.
“Also, I may yet be corrected. If this revenant is not attracted to us, it may be the other way around. You may be attracted to it. Be careful. It’s not just a meagre revenant, it could be a-
Someone had lightly tapped him on the shoulder and Caden was immediately pulled out of his reverie. It was Maya Becker, a newly recruited Concilian.
“You know Chiara?” she asked him. Her accent had a slight hint of Australian in it, Caden noted.
“Algebra buddy,” he replied with a slight smile. “She passed out in the library earlier. Dizziness and claustrophobia…”
“Yeah, Riley told me,” Maya said. It was funny how news sometimes spread fast around Marianne.
His smile diminished. Judging what she just said, it was clear enough that the two were hanging out again. Helena, Caden thought, would not be the least bit pleased if she heard-everyone knew about her latest infatuation.
“So…” Caden broke the silence that had been getting more uncomfortable by the second. He found after speaking that he had nothing to say.
“The fall dance is coming up,” Maya tried to keep the conversation going, thank god. Unfortunately, the chosen topic for discussion was not too good and had yet to result into another awkward silence.
“I hear Riley’s going with-” Oops, wrong move.
“Helena, yeah,” she finished his sentence.
“Sorry…” he smiled apologetically.
She pushed it aside, saying it was fine. “They go together every year, right? I’m pretty used to it, I guess. Riley’s probably talking to me only because I’m, you know, part of the Concilium. I would’ve been going with Dave again but…” her voice faltered and sobs made their way to her throat.
Caden apologised again. “He was a cool guy. We were sitting together during some really boring assembly and…” he stopped, feeling stupid-he hardly knew David Clark anyway. It wasn’t the best time to be talking about such things with Maya who had been his closest friend-maybe more?
“Do you know how he died?” she tried to stifle her tears and spoke stammering. “He was found dead in some alleyway. It was a bloody scene, the dean told me.”
“You know exactly how he died?” Caden looked at her without any particular look plastered on his face. She nodded and continued.
“Diana said…he was stabbed or something. I saw the body, too, before they put him in the casket. There was this big gash on his back-I can’t get the image out of my head…
“His expression…he looked so scared and so traumatised. Like he was caught by surprise…or like someone he didn’t expect had just…”
“Stop,” Caden told her. “Don’t pain yourself anymore. Sorry, again.” He turned to Chiara who showed hints of waking up soon.
“She looks like she’s going to wake up in a bit,” he said. “I’ll see you around, then.” He took one brief look at Maya and left in a rush out the infirmary.
There was something amiss about Dave’s death. In fact, it seemed unnatural. What was Dave doing in an alleyway late at night anyway? Who would’ve wanted to kill a student at Marianne?
* * *
Andrei walked the halls, his snappy footfalls echoing and giving students the understanding that they should make way or else detention. Severe as he was, Marianne still valued him as a teacher. He exited the manor to spend his usual Sunday evening in the gardens. A couple of students greeted him on the way.
Sitting on his familiar bench under an oak, he took out a book-one of his favourites, Notes From Underground-and read, however it was only short-lived. Caden Hall-whom he’d been talking to earlier-was approaching him with a curious look on his face. Andrei thought he’d had enough of seeing the boy for the day.
“Professor Luziano,” he greeted him. “Sorry to interrupt you.” He’d better be, Andrei grumbled inwardly.
“What can I do for you?” he closed his book and looked up at the boy. “If it’s about earlier-”
“It’s not about earlier,” Caden interrupted him. “I was with Maya Becker just now in the infirmary. You know, Clark’s friend?” he added after seeing Luziano’s puzzled face-the man never really remembered names of revenants well.
“Ahh, yes,” Andrei nodded. “Mortensen’s friend, as well. She’s been spending much time with Mister Walker…”
“Er…” Caden shrugged his shoulders.
“Well? What about her?”
“Just now… Oh yeah, Chiara woke up,” Caden side-tracked. “Right, so we were talking about Dave and, uh, how he died.”
Andrei rolled his eyes inwardly. “Don’t you think Miss Becker isn’t the right person to talk to about this?” he raised a brow. “She was his closest friend, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Yes, but she was the one who brought it up,” Caden said. “She ended up telling me how it happened and his death isn’t, well, natural.”
“Of course it wasn’t natural,” Andrei agreed. “He was murdered. Murder is not natural. Don’t you think so?”
Caden was lost for words. There was silence and Andrei began to look for the page where he had left off.
“He wasn’t a Concilian, was he?” Caden asked. “David Clark?”
“No.” Luziano replied curtly.
“Then someone stole a Spark from a human?” he went on. Caden’s curiosity irked him a bit.
“That’s impossible.” Disinterest was clear in the teacher’s tone. However, Andrei knew that it was quite the contrary from what he had said.
“Excuse me, professor, but I think you’re lying to me.” Caden said bluntly.
It was stupid for Andrei to forget that the boy wasn’t easily fooled. He was blunt and, should he not tell him the truth, would continue pestering him.
“So, you know how he died?” Andrei sighed in defeat.
“Only through Maya’s perspective, sir,” Caden replied. “She said something about a gash on his back. It sounded, to me, like someone or something out there is stealing-”
“Precisely,” Andrei nodded. “I’ll tell you of what happened the night he died-when Diana and I found him-but you must give me your word you won’t speak of this to anyone.”
“Yes, sir.”
Andrei Luziano closed his eyes, sighed and began to tell him what he remembered.
-CUT-
And there you have it. Uhm... I do hope it isn't erroneous.