Tales & Time (Lost Time Academy #1)(5)

“It’s better to end the relationship now, darling. Your new life has no place for a human. You will hurt him far more in the long run if you drag the relationship out. You will be happy with whoever the council decides you should marry,” mum says, her gaze is nothing but sorry, but pain shoots through my heart at the thought of dumping Quinton. Of not being with him.

“A planned marriage? Are you kidding me?” I spit out, because I can’t deal with how my mum could be right. There is no way in hell that is happening.

“Not at all. Even those of us with no powers have our marriages chosen. That’s how I met your mother,” he tells me, and she smiles lovingly at him. “The council always picks successful marriages. The man that chooses is a descendant of Cupid, and he is never wrong.” I almost go to question mum about how Cupid is a Greek god and not necessarily a fairy tale, but the panic about leaving Quinton overrides anything else.

“It won’t be that bad, and Quinton will understand,” dad says, like Quin’s and my relationship is nothing. I’ve known Quin my entire life, and even before we dated, I couldn’t imagine my life without my best friend in it. I give my dad a nasty look. He never liked Quinton, and I guess I now know why.

“No, he won’t.” I say, knowing he is going to worry when I don’t turn up for school. “I’m going to be late for school, I should—”

“No, Madilynn. You have powers now, powers that could hurt humans, and you have to pack for Lost Time Academy,” Dad interrupts me as I stand up, and I pause, realising that I can’t ignore this as much as I want to. This isn’t going to go away, and I can’t run from this. I can’t run to Quin like I always have when something is wrong.

“I can’t just disappear on him! I need to explain this to Quinton in person. Just let me go and—” I plead with them, wiping away the stray tears that fall down my cheeks, and my mum gives me a small shake of her head, looking just as upset. She practically brought Quinton up with me. Quinton’s mum never fed him, so at least three times a week, Quinton would be at ours for a meal. My mum even packs me two school lunches every day because she knows Quinton would share mine otherwise. Or I would give my lunch to Quin and be starving when I got home.

“You can’t tell humans about us, your powers, or anything, Madilynn. That is a death sentence for you—and him. The world you have just joined is very strict about humans and wouldn’t think twice about killing him, his whole family and anyone he could have told,” Dad says, and I hold my hand over my mouth. I couldn’t even think about losing Quinton, and even if we ran away, Quinton has family he cares for too much. Quinton has a younger sister who is only twelve. Even if she lives with her dad, they would kill her for knowing him, if my dad is right. Loving Quinton would get us all killed.

“No,” I whisper, my whole body shaking as my mum swiftly gets up off the sofa and comes to me. I don’t move, letting my mum pull me tightly into her arms as she tries to comfort me.

“You can stay his friend, in time. Only you will just tell him we got you into an exclusive boarding school that means you can’t contact him for now,” Dad suggests once mum lets me go and I have calmed down enough to even talk.

“Where is Lost Time Academy?” I ask quietly after a long pause between us all, where my heart feels like it’s breaking into pieces, and yet, I know this is the right thing to do.

“In Ireland, and we will take a portal there tonight,” dad simply replies.

“Portal?” I curiously ask.

“Every descendant family gets a key,” he says, pulling out the small key on his necklace that he always wears. I remember asking him about it as a child, and he always said that it was a family thing and never said anymore.

“I have one too,” mum says, showing me the bracelet with a small key hanging off it. Mum always wore the bracelet, and I never thought to ask about it as it looks fashionable and, well, normal.

“The key is a connection to the island where Lost Time Academy sits and many other buildings for our kind. It is the safest place, and every descendant knows to go there if anything goes wrong. You can take mine, and your mum can go with you. She can’t enter the school, only descendants with powers can, but she can walk you to the door,” my dad says, pulling off the necklace and handing it to me.

“You can’t come too?” I lightly ask.

“No. Only one can travel with a key,” he tells me gently, and I look down at the small gold key, the little “L” and a “T” that is engraved on the side. I never saw that before.

“Time makes all tales come true,” my dad whispers, watching me run a finger over the key.

“What does that mean?” I ask him, looking up to meet my dad’s eyes.

“The words engraved in the school symbol, but they are in Latin,” he explains to me.

“Latin?” I ask.

“Oh yes. Everyone has to learn Latin at Lost Time Academy. It’s not that bad once you get used to it,” he adds when he sees my face of disgust. Yes, it is that bad, but I’m not thinking of Latin, I’m thinking of leaving everything behind, including Quinton.





Chapter 3





“It’s time to leave,” my mum says as I stare down at the text I’m about to send to Quinton, explaining everything, and every damn word of it is a lie. Every word I’ve written and rewritten a thousand times, and I haven’t even got the strength to read the several messages he has sent me. Dad said I can’t call him, that Quinton would be able to tell I’m lying over the phone as he knows me too well. Dad is right. Quinton knows me better than anyone. It doesn’t stop me from wanting to press that call button though and hovering my finger over the silly contact picture I have of him. I press send on the text before I can think about him anymore, and a sharp pain feels like it rips through my chest when I imagine him opening it. I’m a coward; I should have called him. Then again, I can’t ever risk his life, and my dad said I would be doing just that. I don’t have a choice anymore when it comes to Quinton. I stand up, picking up my rucksack full of my clothes and things I need before walking to my mum where she is stood at the door. She smiles at me, and I look over at my dad, who comes over and hugs me tightly.