Chapter 11
I don’t think I was unconscious more than a few seconds. I drop to the ground and inhale as much oxygen as my lungs will allow. I look at the scene unwinding before me. Domino stands with a mirror in her hand, holding it to Laithe’s face. He looks equally mesmerized and horrified by the reflection. Kole springs from his knees and places Laithe in the same hold in which he had me.
He whispers something into Laithe’s ear. Laithe begins struggling against Kole, but it is useless. By the time my breath finally evens, Laithe stops and the Headmaster falls to the ground beside me. The sprinklers were off when I awoke and my tail transforms into a pair of human legs. I realize I must have been out far longer than a few seconds if the water managed to drain so quickly. As a mermaid, my body absorbs any water near me and I dry far quicker than average, so it would have only taken a few minutes to switch back into my human form.
Kole drops Laithe to the ground and runs to my side. Domino follows closely behind. He falls to his knees and pulls me into his lap, holding me as close to him as humanly possible. No words are spoken as Domino grabs my hand and we accept one another’s comfort. It takes me a moment to realize that Kole’s shirt has slashes and holes all throughout, so there is one less barrier between us.
“I almost lost you,” he whispers into my hair, kissing the top of my head affectionately. I curl into him and allow the warmth of his body to seep into me. As a mermaid I am cold blooded. Vampires are more cold blooded than most, but their body temperature is still rather warm in comparison to ours. And after they feed on human blood, which they do only a few times a year, their body temperatures rise exponentially.
I almost forgot about the other presence in the room and I turn to Domino. “Honey, are you all right?” I ask, looking into her nearly black eyes. Her dark brown hair falls over her face and she nods. She will undoubtedly be scarred by this situation, but at least we are all alive.
“I heard him say that he doesn’t like mirrors, so I went and found one,” she says. I guess it distracted him long enough to save you,” she smiles.
“I see you three have stopped the assassin,” the Headmaster says proudly.
We nod and I pull myself to my feet, Kole’s arm never leaving my waist. “Did you know it was you? Why did he do this?” Domino asks.
“I did not know it was me, Miss. Elvy. Will you all follow me back to my office?” The Headmaster asks kindly. I take a peek at Laithe, who is still unconscious on the floor.
We each step over his body and the Headmaster whispers an incantation to Laithe’s body and it disappears. I don’t bother asking where the monster had gone. The wooden paneled hallways look completely different after everything that had just happened. I push myself further into Kole, knowing that my fears will subside if he is close enough.
We enter the Headmaster’s office and I take a seat. Kole remains standing and peels his shredded shirt from his body, still facing me. Domino stands directly behind him.
“So did he not mention his motive?” The Headmaster asks. We all shake our heads. “Well, if you haven’t heard by now, I am leaving Edmund’s Academy for a few years to assist in building another academy just like this. This year, I was planning on choosing an Elite to temporarily take over as the Headmaster or Headmistress. I don’t know how Laithe heard about the opportunity, but the power drove him to madness,” he says. I notice that the Headmaster called Laithe by his actual name. He stripped it of any form of respectful title. “But because of your accomplishments, each of you will run your own sectors of the academy while I am gone. If you accept, you will all three be in charge and can remain with us for as long as you would like.”
“Of course,” I answer immediately.
Kole merely nods and Domino jumps up and down excitedly. It is a great honor to receive this position, especially as a twelve-year-old.
“Spectacular,” the Headmaster says. He turns away and walks toward his desk.
Domino tilts her head and looks at Kole curiously. “How did it get shredded?” She asks, referring to the shirt he stripped. She still looks excited, but the distraction calms her. Kole turns in her direction.
“Laithe thought a knife would do damage to my skin,” he begins. I miss the rest of his statement as I look at his marking. The intricate drawings are clear and beautiful with two faceless souls connected in the center. Because I see only the part of his destiny most relevant to myself, I furrow my brows in confusion. What does this have to do with me? I widen my eyes in realization.
“I’m your soulmate,” I mutter, not trusting my voice. Kole turns to me and smiles. His white teeth and dimpled smile are gorgeous and I stand, staring at him.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” the Headmaster says, understanding the importance of finding a soulmate. He sets a sealed envelope on the sofa beside me as Domino follows him out of the room, giving us a suggestive look. I look at the letter in anguish.
“Open it,” Kole says. I look at him and don’t give my actions a second thought. I rush into him and crush our lips together. I don’t know what I was expecting, but he is so much more. He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls my body into him so we are linked together in virtually every sense.
His chest is warm and firm beneath my fingertips. One of my arms circle around the back of his neck as my fingers wrap themselves around dark strands of charcoal hair and pull at the tips. One of my arms remains pinned between us, laying gently on his chest. I groan onto his lips as he lifts me with one arm and presses me into the couch.
His lips break from mine and they deliberately work their way down my throat and onto the most tender sections. His touch sends sparks through me and I enjoy being with him. He pulls back as though it pains him to do so and grabs the letter from the table. “Snow, open it,” he demands. I don’t know what motivates me into listening to his demand with open ears, but I grab the letter and tear it open.
Kole sits in front of me on his knees and I lean forward on the couch, staring at the open envelope for a moment. This is from the people that abandoned me as a child and I don’t know how to feel about this letter. I pull it from the envelope slowly and examine the brown tinted paper. While I still have the nerve to do so, I open the letter and begin reading
My dearest Snow,
Do you know why you are named Snow? Your mother and I had experienced the last snowfall years before you were born. Like many animals and plants in this world, snow became extinct. I’m sure you’ve learned about it, but never seen it.
When your mother became pregnant, we hadn’t the slightest idea what to do with you. She was a mermaid, so she could live in the sea if she pleased, but as an infant, you couldn’t. I am human, but raising a mermaid child would mean death for the both of us, so that was out of the question. We loved you more than you will ever understand, but we had to do what was best for you, and that was Edmund’s Academy for the Gifted. There are schools for the gifted everywhere, but yours is the most prestigious.
Snow, I love you and your mother loved you. Don’t think for a moment that we don’t. Unfortunately, when your mom gave birth, she could not receive medical attention because of her origin. Nobody accepted her kind, so we had to deliver you at home. Your mother did not make it, but she loved you more than you can imagine.
Your mother and I had decided before you were born to send you to the Academy. When people see me walking in with a child, I will no longer be considered human, so as you read this, know that I did all I could to keep you safe. We never left you, Snow. We will always be with you.
I love you my dearest Snow—more than anything.
Love, Daddy
Tears run down my cheeks by the end of the letter and I set it on my lap. “You weren’t abandoned,” Kole comforts. A small smile finds my lips. My parents aren’t here, but they loved me. I want to be saddened that they are likely both dead, but I never knew them. I never even knew of them. I’m happy that I was loved, despite going my whole life believing the opposite.
I lean into Kole. “I had parents who loved me,” I mutter. The realization that I was never unloved is surreal.
“And you have me,” he says, kissing my temple sweetly. I skim the letter once more and look into his hazel eyes. We caught the murderer, made new friends, and found each other. And on top of everything, I now know I wasn’t abandoned. After all these years, my life finally feels right. I stare into his soft hazel eyes and push a strand of charcoal hair from his face. I couldn’t be happier; because for once, everything is exactly as it should be.
“And I have you,” I agreed wholeheartedly.
***
THE END