The Aldean Chronicles: Spotlight (Part 2)

On Friday, I'm no closer to solving the riddle than I was two days ago. I just don't know what it means.

At 10 pm, I decide to take a stroll around campus. I'm seldom out this late.

In two hours, I will officially be out of the Blue Rose race.

All the streetlights are on and the wind is picking up gradually.

I walk past the combatant's training field and hear a soft laugh.

Right at the edge of the forest is the shed. The abandoned building students use to throw unsanctioned parties.

Two students, a guy and a girl walk through the door. They're both laughing and kissing each other.

I wonder what time Grey's party will end. And if he's worried about getting in trouble.

After careful consideration, I walk up to the building.

I knock twice on the door and it opens slightly.

"Password?" A girl asks.

"I'm here for my brother." I wrap my cardigan around my shoulders.

A head pops out and peers at me. "Oh, hey." She opens the door. "Your brother's at the drinks table. Come in."

She opens the door wider and I step in. There are more people than at Tristan's and the place is cramped. The music is lower, as are the lights.

I spot Grey talking to two guys at the table in the corner.

He spots me as well. "Look who's here."

I shiver. "Hey."

"I didn't know you were coming."

"Me neither. I was just taking a walk."

He gives me a disbelieving look. "At 10?" I give an insincere smile. "Do you want a drink?"

I'm about to say no, but change my mind at the last minute. "Sure. I might as well start mourning Blue Rose." I pick the nearest can and take a swig. "I wish I never tried out for it."

He walks to the nearest couch, clears his throat, and the couple making out get up and leave the building.

"Come on." He pats the space next to him.

"I'm going to be so embarrassed." I slump next to him and take more swigs of light beer.

He taps his knees. "Did you ask your annoying boyfriend for help?"

I nod. "And Kat."

He laughs. "Ah, Kat. I haven't talked to her since we left the Palace."

"Really?" He gives no inclination that he heard me. "Why not?"

He ignores that as well. "What did she say about it?"

No point arguing with Grey. "She said it doesn't make much sense. She said you can't hide concepts."

He sighs and takes a sip of hard cider. "Maybe she isn't hiding anything. Maybe you just need to work out the concepts."

"I've tried. All I came up with was the founding of the clubs."

"Where it was founded perhaps?"

I sit up slightly. "Articles don't mention what building they were founded."

"No," he agrees. "But they were all combatants."

The screws in my brain keep turning. "The combatant training space."

Grey laughs. "You think it's there?"

"There are two other lines."

He rests his back on the sofa. "What are they?"

"To move forward, we must understand the need for change. To attain progress, we must take a leap of faith."

He purses his lips. "Need for change. Is there a decaying building in school?"

"The shed?" I ask with a tint of hope.

"I doubt an illegal drinking den is on Collette's list of likes."

I think again. "The Sports hall." It's an old building in school. It contains half the sporting spaces in school. It's also where teams have their meeting rooms.

"Does Collete do any sports?"

Grey thinks. "I don't know. Beck?"

A tall guy playing beer pong answers without turning to us. "Yeah?"

"Collete Nicholson. Any sports she plays?"

He bounces a ball off the table and it lands in his opponent's cup. He cheers. "Yeah, she was really into Handball in second year."

"This school offers handball?" I ask Grey.

"My mum cut it a couple years ago. No budget."

I arch a brow. "You're kidding. This school's budget is insane."

"It is. For things people care about. Donors aren't lining up to give us money for sports they consider unnecessary distractions."

I nod. "Okay, let's say the second line is the sports hall. What next?"

"It's not my quest." He shrugs and finishes his drink.

I groan. "Take a leap of faith. Flying maybe?"

"Maybe."

"The air elementals. Their training ground."

He laughs. "I don't know, Cass. We might be spouting nonsense."

I leave my drink on the floor and get up. "I'll take the nonsense."

I leave the building quickly and rush to the air elementals training field.

I've never been there before.

The space is on the other side of the estate. Just past the little forest.

After a good five-minute walk, I arrive at a field. The plane is slightly elevated, the grass is two inches long and the wind feels stronger here.

After a ten-minute investigation, I find no blue roses.

I go to the two-story sporting hall next, nothing.

When I'm done searching the combatants training range, it's a quarter past 11.

I sit on the ground and suppress my tears. I've failed.

I'm the only Harrington to not practice magic till they were 13. I'm the only Harrington to grow up on Earth. And now, I'm the only Harrington to not be in Blue Rose.

This is just going to be something else I can't do.

After ten minutes of feeling sorry for myself, I stand up and dust the grass off my jeans.

I look in the direction of the forest and sigh.

I turn to the other side and see the sporting hall. I examine it again and notice something strange. They're all on different points of a triangle.

The combatant training field, and the path in the forest to the air field are opposite each other. In their middle is the sporting hall.

I walk about two hundred meters, scanning the grass on my way.

I stop when I see a spot of blue on the ground.

I dive down and begin digging with my hands.

Lying just one foot below the ground is a single blue rose.

I raise it in my soil-caked hands and smile. I don't even care that my manicured nails have dirt in them. I'm just happy I found my ticket.

"Great." A voice a few feet away says. "Just great."

I turn back and see Collete trudging up to me.

"I found one." I point out the obvious.

Her smile is stiff. "Are there any left?"

I shake my head. "Last one."

"Just great." She repeats. "Congrats, you're moving on to the next stage. The physical." She folds her arms across her chest. "There will be a meeting tomorrow at noon. You'll find out what the physical task is." She finishes.

My smile falters. "The? Just one."

This smile is sincere. "Yes. Just one." She scans the area, as if appraising her handiwork, then walks off.

I dust my hands and walk back to my dorm.

Sara is fast asleep when I get back. After showering, I take a picture of my bright blue rose and send it to a good portion of my contact list. I even send it to Aunt Freya as a joke.

The first to respond is Grey. "You're welcome."

"Shut up."

He reads the message but doesn't respond.

I yawn and at a quarter to 1 am, finally go to sleep.

***

I wake up so late the next day, I miss breakfast.

I don't have time to mourn that. It's almost noon.

I brush my teeth and hair, wash my face, and change into grey leggings and a dark red sweatshirt.

I'm soon out the door and racing to the building.

I get in through the stage door. I'm the last to arrive.

Half of the members aren't here. But Collette and the other six pledges are.

Collete glances up from her podium and rolls her eyes.

"Cassie." Sara is closest to the door.

"Hey, Sara." I smile. "When did you find your rose?"

"Thursday evening."

Collette clears her throat and I stand at Sara's side. "Well, pledges. You're in the last stage. And this one's the easiest." I visibly relax. "All you have to do is beat me in combat."

The colour drains from my face.

"There are seven of you. I will face one of you a day." She eyes all of us. "You just have to win against me. I truly don't care if none of you make it through." She looks like she doesn't. "So, who will it be today? Any volunteers?"

The guy closest to her steps forward. He's a fourth-year sword fighter called Will.

Collete smiles. "I'll give you time to prepare. Be at the arena by six pm. Everyone's dismissed."

I rush out of the building first.

Combat? I've never done combat before. Never. I haven't physically fought anything since those Ryppers in Dolma. And that turned out perfectly.

I distract myself with my phone and check texts from yesterday.

Most of them are congratulatory messages.

Seb says I should send my rose through Lilian to him on Monday.

I mention this to Grey and he responds with a picture of a glass case filled with blue roses. He says the case is at the Kenata manor in Taman state. It's all the Harrington's blue roses.

I text him back, "so it's that big of a deal in the family?"

He responds with, "not exactly. It's more of a gag thing."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

He takes three minutes to respond. "Don't take it the wrong way, but it was in case you didn't get in."

That stung.

I ignore it and text back, "I'm not in yet. There's still the physical."

"That's where Harrington's excel. Plus, you just took the pledge. Your magic is stronger now."

I feel another panic attack coming. "Yeah. But it's combat with Collette." I type.

"Interesting. Leaders don't usually request that. She must be sure of herself. But I know you'll be fine."

"What if I'm not?"

Ten minutes later, I realize he's not gonna respond.

***

That evening, Arin calls me.

"Hey, Cass."

"Cass? What's wrong?" I tease.

"There was an attack in Dolma. Four people died."

"I'm so sorry." I put my laptop beside me on the bed. "I didn't see the news."

"They were officers." I'm not sure what to say. He laughs bitterly. "That's not why I'm sad. It's my mum."

"Is she alright?"

"Physically, yes." He says. "But she's stressing everyone and herself out. She thinks she'll lose the election."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I sit up in bed. "Does she still want you to come to Brimstone?"

"Yeah."

"But would it be so bad?" I laugh. "You'll miss your friends. But you can talk to them on your phone. And it'll be like your old school. Same douchey students."

He doesn't laugh. "It would be. It's best if I don't attend Brimstone."

"Why? What's so bad here?"

"Forget it, Cass." He sniffs. "Good night." And ends the call.

I consider what that might be about and abandon the thought before I can fully process it.

One, I'd be very wrong. Two, it'd be very self-centered of me to assume he doesn't want to come here because of me. And Tristan.

No, that would mean he still has feelings for me. And he doesn't.

And I don't have feelings for him. We're just friends.

I place my laptop on my thighs and force all those thoughts out of my head.