The Iron Butterfly (Iron Butterfly #1)(34)

Chapter 10





My jaw dropped toward the floor in disbelief. This was the last thing that I expected. My heart felt like it was trying to escape my chest and the fingernails of my hand maintained a death grip on the door handle so I wouldn’t slide onto the floor in a faint of relief.

Glancing at Lorna to be sure that I had heard right and that my life wasn’t forfeit, I saw a look of satisfaction in her eyes and a hint of mischief. The ever intimidating Adept Pax Baton was nodding his head in agreement, while Breah sniffed in disdain, tracing a stain in the wood of the table with her dainty nail. Her actions shouldn’t surprise me, but somehow they did. Maybe it was because she was the youngest member of the Adept Council and, being young, she tended to wear her emotions openly on her sleeve. Or maybe it was because she felt she had to prove herself to them and was wary of anything that would cause problems. And to her I think I posed the biggest one.

I was beginning to feel wary of Kambel. I wanted to stay as far from him as possible for I had a feeling that if I walked past him he would poke me with a stick just to see my reaction and response time and then record it. That thought alone made me shudder. Cirrus, I had mixed feelings about, his help in the marketplace showed he was a caring person but I couldn’t find any faults with him, which made him seem too perfect.

“That settles it, you will enroll in the training program and start to learn everything you can from the teachers about your powers and how to use them,” Adept Lorna smiled, secretly excited about the Queen’s decision.

“You can’t be serious, Lorna. That would be unwise; you are going to teach her the secrets of the Denai? What if she runs straight back to the Septori? This could lead to the end of the Denai!” Breah had finished pouting and was up for another round.

“But what if you are wrong?” Adept Lorna turned on Breah. “What if she is the answer? What if she is the future? Maybe she can help us understand why we are going extinct.”

“We are not going extinct! I happen to come from a long line-,” Breah started.

“Oh shut up, Breah!” Adept Kambel spoke up. The room became still as everyone stared in astonishment at the small Adept, who until now had never raised his voice.

A small twinkling laugh erupted from the Queen, followed by more laughter from Lorna.

Adept Kambel looked around at the shocked faces of Pax and Breah, and nervously cleared his throat in embarrassment. “I think Lorna is right. We are going extinct, and if we can’t stop the Septori, then they will create more like her. It’s best if she helps us as much as she can by understanding her abilities to the fullest. Maybe then we can know what we are up against; as long as she promises to not hurt or endanger any student against their will.”

All I could do was shake my head since I was still in shock that Kambel stood up to Breah. I guess taking a few classes wouldn’t hurt, as long as I could control myself and not hurt anyone either.

With the Queen’s decisions made, I was ordered once again to go and pack my belongings so that I could be moved into the student wing of the Citadel; with a warning to never intentionally harm another Denai student.

Lorna nodded to Pax, then grabbed my elbow and led me out the door into the hall. Unbelievably, the door opened for her without her even touching it. Proof, that she was probably the one holding it closed.

They weren’t done discussing me I was sure, and they never even mentioned the attack with the dogs. But in their mind that was considered a small problem that Commander Meryl could deal with. They were more worried about the fact that there was now a potential for others like me if they didn’t find the Raven and stop his experiments.

The training program at the Citadel was established by the Queen because the Denai were slowly disappearing from the world. The Queen who was loved by all had a special place in her heart for the Denai, particularly. This gave the people of Calandry a skewed view of the Denai. They called them the Queen’s pets, and I had heard the slur whispered often enough on the streets.

Lorna had led me toward my rooms but stopped when we were almost there and spoke quietly to me. “Thalia, it would be better if you didn’t tell anyone about what happened to you. Try to fit in and don’t draw attention to yourself.”

“How do you want me to do that?” I asked.

“Pretend to be a Denai.”

“You want me to lie? I look nothing like you!” I scoffed loudly. Almost too loud, since Lorna winced and looked around. My head spun at what she wanted me to do. I was unsure about this; I didn’t want to deceive anyone. I was already an outcast as it was. And how was I to fit in? All of the Denai were beautiful, some more than others, but I knew that I fell short in that category. By my looks alone, no one would believe I was a Denai.

“Yes, do what you must, but hide what you are from the others.”

“But what am I? How can I pretend to be a Denai, if I’m not? How do you expect me to live this lie and attend classes and not participate? I don’t want to hurt anyone any more than you do. In fact, I would take it all back if I could.”

“I’m sure you will figure a way to practice, without harming anyone?” She looked at me slowly. Her eyes trying to convey what she couldn’t voice.

My head was reeling with hidden meanings and implications. “But you heard the rest of the Adepts, I’ve been forbidden, without their consent.”