"She has healing, something Roslyn hasn't unlocked yet." Someone said from behind us. I turned and saw Jake. Despite me being salty about his plans, we were still friends. I knew that my makeup was done so I looked unlike me. He never cared and that's what I loved. He was tall, close to 6'3, and had blue eyes. His hair was cut short due to the job he had. He was wearing a suit for tonight but carried a concealed gun and atheme. His skill was Rune magic and protective spells.
"Hi Jake." I said.
"Can we have the room? Jessy, you are needed in the announcement booth. Caitlin, your boss is asking you to record what's going on. Cat, you know. And there is another child here I don't know." He said. Caitlin worked for the Records department that kept history and events of our underground society. She traveled sometimes to other countries as a delegate with Jessy. Jessy was a delegate herself but between domestic branches. Francesca couldn't leave unless I told her too.
"Francesca, you can return to your station. I hope to see you after." She nodded and wished me good luck. My friends filed out but not without a hug. Finally, it was just me and Jake. It was now 8:15, the test started at 9:15. I was last but I had to watch the others from a personalized balcony. There were six of us including me. We each got a half hour to an hour to prove we should be there. But I still believed this to be a formality but wasn't about to get cocky.
He closed the door but stayed on the opposite side of the room.
"You're nervous." He said. He knew how to read me. Of course he did, we dated for almost two years.
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" I turned to the mirror of the room and took a deep breath. "My entire life was planned when I left high school. I wanted to be a mentor or teach, but mainly a mentor. But when I didn't get accepted for that schooling I left for college in the real world. It was risky but we didn't have a program to teach me how to actually teach a child. I got signed off and everything, until my old mentor summoned me. She knew the owner of the safe house was dying and needed help to pass on, he loved me like a granddaughter so she brought me in. At the time she knew nothing of my family history, just that I had heightened psychic ability. Then the story came out, one that I had heard years in advance but never understood the application. He told her everything when I was in class one day. She then said she understood my destiny and had a vision one she wouldn't tell me until later, she recently died. I never knew my destiny. Something tells me this test has something to do with it." I just spewed. He had my trust for years and we had trusted each other enough to almost get engaged until he had to leave the state. But he still held my unwavering trust.
"Is that why the headpiece is so much more complex now?" He asked, having moved next to me in the
mirror. I turned to him and looked up at him. I was almost a foot shorter than he was but held my ground.
"It became more complex the night she died. That's how I knew. It glowed and the pieces became more abundant and in silver and blue rather than gold and red." I said. He was almost a foot away.
"I remember. Have you ever told them how you came to get that piece?" He asked. He knew he was there.
"No. Not even my mother knows, and now that you are engaged no one can know." I said. The night I got the headpiece was the night that we one, first slept together and two, almost agreed to get married right there. We didn't because it was late night and we guessed we should think it over in the morning. Which never happened.
A year later, it's a power symbol close to my heart which is why I wore it. He bought it because it looked like a crown that I should have. "You remember why you bought it?" I asked. He smiled at me, something that is rare even in a relationship with him. He turned me to the mirror and moved behind me.
"Of course." He said quietly. He placed both hands on my shoulders and rested his chin on my head. "I told you it was fit for you. My Princess of the Night and Fire. The oddest combination that made you who you are but it works so well with you. The mystery and strictness of the dark and the passion and brightness of fire. That's you. You will neve just be Roslyn to me anymore and I told you that. It's time you saw it too. This should help you see that." He let me turn to him. "You always look stunning without makeup and just in a sweatshirt and sleep shirts. But right now you truly look like the Princess I have always seen. This may be a step into your destiny, mentoring was for you. We all were upset by it, you locked yourself in your room for hours after finding out and I had to stop Cat and Caitlin from destroying their own careers. I remembered that night, you never looked so defeated when you slept that night. All of us were 18, you were just 17 going on 18 the month after graduation. I never stopped believing in you and you shouldn't have stopped that day. It seems like you did and just accepted it and moved on but never really let it run its course. It's time for that child to not be so hurt anymore. Get excited." He picked me up and spun around with me. I grabbed his neck and held on laughing. "See, there. That's the smile you need to have, the belief that you can do this. Your mentor wouldn't have chosen you for the safe house otherwise."
"That's all well and good, but you are going to wrinkle my dress and I need to look professional." He rolled his eyes and put me down. I hugged him after he did. "Thank you." I said.
"Your welcome." He let go. "Come on, we need to go to your balcony."
"We?" I asked while grabbing my case.
"You expect me to miss this achievement for you? Not a fucking chance. When I did the assignments for this I made sure that the General brought his own guard to be comfortable for the Elders who each have their own. I assigned my best men to your family then myself to you. You really think I was going to let you do this without me by your side? Not a chance." He opened the door and held it for me as we walked. "Oh, and one more thing."
"Yes?" I asked before he closed the door.
"We broke up, I am not engaged anymore." I blinked and looked him in the eyes. I was at a loss for words.
"Now, come on we have friends waiting for you to do something fucking amazing." I didn't know what to say. I followed quietly thinking, that's what I do. I think, analyze and then make a decision. I hate being unprepared, and that was something I was unprepared for. Cat met us a few hallways down and we hung back.
"I overheard something interesting." She whispered.
"I was told something interesting." I whispered back.
"Are we gonna tell the other two?" She asked.
"Of course, depending on how tonight goes we are going out remember?" I said.
"Are we bringing Happy and his girl?" She was referring to Jake, he was always so quiet and seemed unfeeling. That was so far from the truth and I knew it. He knew I knew so he never pretended, because I would know.
"No, just him. We have a few hours before I go. I will be sure to get alone time with the three of you." I said as we approached my balcony. My parents were next door, my mother would be competing too. She never wanted a mentor position, she loved her job. Maybe this entire thing was really just a formality. Jake opened the door and bowed, I rolled my eyes and went into the room. There were friends from high school and Jake's best men. There were snacks and drinks, a door that allowed my brother to come see me before this happened.
I went to the giant window that went to the floor of the room and showed the arena. There would lie my test of how much I actually earned this. Caitlin, Jessy, and Cat came to stand by me. "I am sure Cat told you she heard something interesting." The two nodded. "You already know don't you?" I asked. Jessy looked down and Caitlin inhaled sharply. That told me everything. "So it's true? They broke up?"
q"Yes. We wanted to tell you but word travels fast here and so does who knows what. He came to us and asked us not to, I think he thought we already did. He wanted to tell you himself, he seemed desperate. Trust me, he cares." Caitlin said. She always knew how to make me feel better.
q"That doesn't matter, we all know that we have opposite schedules. I would like to cuddle with my significant other when I go to sleep rather than their pillow. No matter what, he doesn't have the time for what I need." We were all sure to keep our voices down. There were some people here that we didn't trust. Jake knew I needed my girls for a bit so he hung by the door. "Besides, who said I was gonna have time for a marriage if I get this." Cat rolled her eyes.
"You will, I'll make sure of it." She said. I nodded. Jake joined us after a bit just hanging around making sure everything was good. I had something to drink and a snack before I went out. When my mother went up, she looked at me, smiled and then I turned to Jake.
"We leave now to go to the arena?" I said and he nodded. I waved at my brother through the doorway and he gave me a thumbs up and turned his attention back to our mother.