Olivia pov
The papers that I got from the coffee shop sat on my desk as I contemplated looking through them. Erin did confirm that the coffee shop was an information guild. He went ahead and paid the fee for me since I did not know. Flipping through the papers it was a very detailed plan of how to survive the end of the school test. It was a trial that had to be completed in a week. Something did not feel right about it so I decided to head to the headmaster's office. His office was cosy. He had pictures of himself with other people all over the walls. There were several valuable artifacts on shelves along the wall.
" Miss Ashborn, what can I do for you today?" He asked, looking up from the stack of papers.
I handed him the stack of papers and said " I managed to get information on the end of year test."
He took the papers and gave them a quick look over. " These are some of the most detailed papers I have seen so far." He handed them back to me " I think you have some amazing luck Miss Ashborn."
" Is this not cheating?" I asked
" Here at Vycreek we believe in letting students find their own way. In our world strength is power. If you can get things going your way then that makes you strong. We provide a safe space for you to find who you are. If I am not mistaken you are going to be going to the politics course?"
" Yes sir, I plan on being a member of parliament."
" you will find out quite quickly having insider information. There are going to be students that will do whatever they have to do to win. "
I decided to not use the information. Most people want the top edge but I know that there will always be someone stronger. During basic casting class I was pulled out to do a special test. Apparently some students think that I am cheating somehow. Most of the test was gibberish. I did the best that I could and went one with the rest of my day. The day got worse as it progressed. My individual class was on fire. It still took everything in my power to not have a panic attack when I entered that class. It was the only class that I was not passing. I flinched everytime flames got near me. Mrs.Roberts even came up to me one afternoon to ask if I was okay. There was no way I was going to disclose my past. Not even Erin knows my past.
Victor stood at the entrance of a solid white building. Brenda was dragging me through the street towards the door.
" What are you doing?"
" you don't deserve the freedom" She said with no emotion in her voice
I pulled against her but it was no use because she was too strong. My voice became raw as I begged and pleaded for her to let me go.
" What did I do? I have tried my best to be a good friend." I cried tears streaming down my cheeks.
Victor slammed me on an operation table and strapped me in. This was something that I was all too familiar with. The straps bit into my arms as I struggled. Pain flooded all my senses as Victor cut into my chest. Brenda put a hand over my mouth as I screamed. A male voice called my name from a distance. As I started to lose consciousness it got louder. I shot up as Atlas' face appeared in front of me.
" Are you okay? You started to scream in pain."
Wiping tears from my eyes I said " I'm fine."
I got up and went to the shower to calm down. The cold water helped ease things a little. My mind raced as the fact that it could happen again washed over me. '
" He is supposed to be locked up," I whispered to the water. " Erin promised me that he would not enter my life again. And yet here we are. I am having to look over my shoulder as I walk through the street."
I cried into the water until Atlas knocked on the door telling me it was morning. I stepped out of the bathroom and he would not even look me in the eye. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something but he stopped. Things over the last few weeks had been tense. I don't know what I did to make him hate me. He keeps giving me dirty looks when he finds out that I have done better than him on a test. Him and the others would whisper as they looked at me. At this point as long as he left me alone it would be fine. I could not have any more bad news. I needed something to go right for once.
We have a big test in history. I was able to do well on it. I did my best to not make a hundred on it so that someone could beat me. She handed me back my paper and whispered
" I saw where you had erased your answers. Don't be afraid to shine."
After class Atlas slammed me against the wall and asked " What the hell is with you. How are you so good at everything?"
" I don't know what you mean." I asked, holding my hands in front of me.
" I have always been on top. I have to be on top. You're not even trying and you still make it. You have all the elements, can't you be happy with that."
" I did not want all the elements " I snapped, shoving him away. " You don't know what things are like for me. I tried to fail the test today and you know what she passed me. I don't know how to be more clear. I am not trying to do anything to you. You have had it out for me the moment we met. Just let me be."
I decided to skip my individual element class to head to Cepheus. The club was like home for me. After rescuing me from my father he brought me here and raised me like his own. That is how I met Brenda. Erin was sitting in his office working on the computer. He looked up as I walked in.
" Shouldn't you be at school right now?" He asked
Sitting down on the couch I said " I should be but it has been a long day and I needed a break."
" Well I hate to burst your bubble but we have the monthly meeting tonight." He said
" Damn it " I groaned. " I thought that since we had the emergency meeting there wouldn't be one this month."
" Sorry kid. You're not that lucky. But if you don't want to, you don't have to be here for this one."
I shook my head and said " Simon will not let me live it down if I don't go. I don't know what I did but he does not like me."
" He thinks that you are after his job. Since we are so close he thinks that I am going to pass the group on to you."
" Are you going to?" I asked.
" Not anytime soon. You have a lot to learn." he said.
" Like what?" I challenged
" You don't trust people. In my line of work you can't do it all yourself. You have to rely on others to help."
I sat there quietly as his words hit me. He walked over to me and tilted my head to face him.
" I know that it is hard for you. You have had a lot happen in your life, But one of these days you will have a group of people that you can trust."
" I wish that he had put trust into my DNA. He gave me everything else."
" You have it. It is just buried deep down. You will find it." He gave me a kiss on the forehead " And when you find it I will hand things over."
We all gathered in the meeting room. Mark gave me a hug when he walked in. He was one of the few people that knew most of my past. While Erin became a father figure in my life, Mark was like an uncle. He was a werewolf, a side effect of being a chosen one of the gods. I am ready to learn what all that means. Everyone that I have ever talked to about it just tells me the same thing over and over. Simon was the last one to walk in. He gave me one look and asked " Why is she here?"
" She is a member of the guild and she has the right to be here." Erin said
" She is the reason that we are in this mess." He said
" I'm sorry what?" I asked " What mess are you talking about? I have not taken a job since I decided to enroll at Vycreek."
" The escaped convict." He said matter of factually. " I bet that you missed your father so much that you broke him out."
" That is enough." Erin yelled out " we have already had a discussion about that. Unless you have something reasonable to say then do not speak another word about it. She had no part of it."
" Fine," Simon said stiffly " Can you at least tell me why the mutt is here."
" He is the head of the Lunar branch in Cenarnia." I replied " And he is not a mutt, he is a werewolf in case you forgot."
Simon just rolled his eyes and sat down.
" Now that is out of the way, let's get the meeting started." Erin said
Each of the zodiacs started to speak one at a time giving updates on what was going on with their cases. Some of them ask for help on theirs while others requested a new mission. Finally Mark gave his usual report. The Lunar handled most of the unlawful cases. Cerpus was sanctioned by the king so there were cases that we could not take seeing as they are against the law. That is why I suggested to Erin that we set up a branch in another region.
I zoned back in as he said " We also have a cult that has been expanding a lot as of recently. They believe that their god is superior to any other god. Several of them have created a petition to have access across the barrier. "
" That is ridiculous." Simon exclaimed " the constellations and spirits are stronger. That is what the great war was about."
As soon as those words were out of his mouth several heads turned towards me. " What? " I asked, feeling nervous having so many eyes on me.
" The great war is not something you find out about until the end of the school year." Erin said.
" How many things am I supposed to find out at the end of the school year?" I asked " So far when I have had any type of question I either get told that I should already know the answer or that I will learn about it later."
" There is a lot that we are still learning," Erin said softly " Just have patience, all will be revealed soon."
He turned to Mark and said " meet me in my office and we can discuss this more." To the others he said " Unless there is more that needs to be said I think this meeting is over."
Everyone headed out. I headed towards my own office to get some homework done.