Midnight Moon-temporary title-

The castle set by itself, perched magnificently atop the snow peaked hills of Alaska. Certain as if it had been there since creations time. A string of wild ivy painted the black stone making it seem ancient. The angled-tipped towers floated elegantly above the soft gray haze or fog that hung lightly in the wintry Alaskan air, painted against the ice blue sky. It’s wide bay windows glinted brilliantly in the sunlight. A strange magic lingered through out the marble walls. Simply, it was breath taking.1

Even after one year, I found the Magick Academy enchanting and mysterious, what with it’s winding halls and candle-lit corridors. To many students, as well as myself, this fortress had become home. It’s secret passages and wild classes had become the one place where we all felt safe. At least most of us any way. For most of us shared the same history, abandoned and thrown away by our neglectful parents for the simple truth that we were different. We had gifts that those adults didn’t understand. Though, as we found our way to the school, we developed our own groups, our own families in a sense. We respected each other, trusted each other. We knew that we were all that we had.2

In my family there were six, including myself Jane Windsor was the oldest at nineteen. She was also the smartest of us, as well as my best friend. Then there was Oliver Navas, second oldest a month behind Jane. He was also Jane’s boyfriend. Then there were Ella Cromwell and Rebekah Maundrell, fourth and third oldest and bff’s. Both had grown up at the school and both were just a bit ditsy. Then there was Nikolas Davis, second youngest ‘Nik’ had been at the school two years after wondering most of his childhood on the streets of Chicago. He’d probably had it the hardest of all of us. Not only sleeping on the streets as a young black boy, but as a homosexual as well. Sometimes I swore I could still see the pain left over from those lonely nights in the dark, but he often kept it hidden behind his bright smile and carefree laughter.3

And then there is me. My name is Belle Towers. I am eighteen years old, abandoned by my rich, powerful parents. They had drug my from my home, my school and my friends back home in California and dumped my here at the Magick Academy. There claim had been that I had been to much for them to handle, with my Affinity powers, though I had rarely seen them and hadn’t even truly made an Affinity yet. One year ago today, to be in fact, (on my seventeenth birthday) they had walk away and never looked back.4

So here I stood alone, while my true family slept soundlessly within the castle walls. Night was slowly beginning to fall as we began our thirty days of darkness. I watched in astonished wonder at the beautiful display of lights panted across the eastern skyline as Apollo, the god of sun rode extravagantly across the horizon and Selen rose magnificently in the west. Strangely, I felt the true power, the incredible magick of our gods as Zeus began his midnight dance across the eastern horizon. “Thank you!” I whispered in awed gratitude. A calm breeze blew warm thunder gently across the land, as if the gods were all saying “Your welcome.”5

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” The voice was barely a whisper, yet he stood only a few feet away in silhouetted darkness. I felt my heart pounding slightly against my chest.6

“What are you doing here Wilde?” I demanded.7

“The same thing you are I’m sure.” Austen Wilde replied, 8

“Admiring the works of the gods.”9

“You’ve never appreciated the gods,” I laughed, “You hate being here. Everyone knows it.”10

“Glad to see you’re a fan.” He chuckled, “I apologize your highness. I assumed that it was everyone’s right to enjoy the night as they so wished. Now that I stand corrected, how do you wish that I spend my evening?”11

“You are such a jerk!”12

“Why, thank you.”13

“Why are you even here?” I demanded, feeling heat rise to my face, “You say you hate this place so much, and everyone hates you. So why do you stay here?” A dead silence filled the night. Even in the ice glow of the moon, I saw his dark chocolate eyes turn to fiery stone. I had won. In the span of a second, he was standing in front of me. So close I could feel his breath.14

“You want to know why I’m here?” He hissed, “Why are you here? Why is any of us here? Because these gods you so lovingly worship made sure we had no other choice. But here you go, walking around like this is everything you ever wanted! Walking around like you chose this life while deep down you resent everything about it, about this place. Well I’m sorry if it bothers you, but I’ve done enough pretending I can’t do it anymore. So I really don’t care if you hate me for being honest. Go ahead. I’d rather be hated and honest, then a sad pretender.” Before I could catch my breath, he was walking away.15

“Wait!” I called after his silhouette, “You can stay, I’ll go.” I offered feeling my checks flush. He paused before turning around.16

“Why did you come out here tonight?” He asked, frowning, the anger completely gone.17

“Nyx,” I replied softly and felt a soft breeze brush around me.18

“Nyx?” He repeated. “You came out to worship Nyx?”19

“No,” I shook my head, remembering the dream, “She spoke to me.”20

“Did she now?” He asked. I could tell he didn’t believe me.21

“It’s. . .” I paused slightly, “Nothing.” Before he could say anything else I turned and walked back toward the school.22

Winds of darkness rise. . . .23

The cracked voice brushed against my ears so quietly, at first I thought I’d imagined it.24

“Did you hear that?” I questioned, shocked to hear the small quake in my voice.25

“Hear what?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow.26

“Nothing,” I shook my head and turned around again. Before I had even taken a step forward, I felt the cold chill enter the room. Not the usual Alaskan chill, but something that chilled the bone, darker than the ice covered peaks.27

“Wilde, stop it!” My voice came out weak and uncertain.28

“I’m not doing it!” His voice sounded as terrified as I felt, “What’s going on?”29

“I don’t know!” I cried as the winds crashed around, howling dangerously, lashing painfully against us.30

. . .evil hinder their watchful eyes. . .31

The deep voice came again, this time stronger, “We’ve got to get out of here!” Austen screamed.32

“I can’t see!” I yelled back as the night sky was plunged into darkness.33

“Don’t let go of me!” Austen screamed back, his hand yanked on mine, suddenly pulling me to the ground. It took almost all the strength I had left to correct myself as Austen continued to pull me forward.34

. . .Thunder, lightening, rain abound. . .35

Two steps inside the castle doors we watched in terrified wonder as thunder crashed and rain poured blindly. I felt myself flinching slightly as the booms echoed painfully against the walls.36

. . .king of darkness, I call thee now. . .37

It was all over. The lights of the borealis had returned, the moon shone bright. Birds whistled. The only sign anything had gone on was the fact that both Austen and I were soaking wet. The deep cold feeling of dread disappeared with the warmth of the school.38

“Your soaked,” Austen informed me.39

“What was that?” I demanded, still starring out the doors.40

“It doesn’t matter, we need to get you warm.” He replied.41

“I’m not much help in that department.” Carefully he guided me down the candle lit hall until we found the Grand Ballroom sitting empty with it’s dark fire place. With one hand he summoned fire and lit the ballroom. Instant warmth spread through me. Then he pulled me against his incredibly warm body slowly messaging my arms and back. I clung to him, letting his warmth surround me until there wasn’t a rain drop left.42

“Are you okay?” He asked finally. I wasn’t ready when he pulled away, taking half the heat with him, leaving me stunned slightly.43

“I think so,” I nodded slightly, leaning toward the fire in attempt to return some of the warmth Austen had left behind. “I still don’t understand what that was!”44

“Me either.” He shook his head.45

“Was that a curse?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around what had happened.46

“It sounds like it, but I’m not sure.” His voice was stressed and frustrated.47

“Should we tell someone?” I asked, feeling a slight pounding in my head.48

“Not yet. Not until we’re absolutely sure.”49

“Yea, yea.” I agreed. “Right, what would we tell them? It got really cold and we heard voices? They’d have us committed.” At first, I thought Austen was crying and I didn’t quit understand it, but when he looked up, a grin was spread across his face.50

“What’s funny?” I demanded, before realizing what he was laughing at was me. “I’m babbling.” I groaned, feeling my face flush.51

“Your babbling,” he nodded and then we were both laughing.52

“That was just. . . really creepy!” I gasped, once we had finished.53

“Yea, I know.” He nodded, “And your freaked. I get it. I am to.”54

“You don’t look like it.” I commented.55

“Apparently I hold myself together then others.” We both laughed again.56

“You know.” I said pointedly. “This doesn’t mean I’m a fan or anything.”57

“Oh, you made that very clear.” He grinned, his brown eyes twinkling in the candle light. “I think we need to get back to bed before the Head catches us.”58

“Yea, I think I’m feeling better.” I nodded.59

“Good, I’ll walk you to your dorm.” He offered, standing up. He dashed the fire plunging the room into darkness. He moved unbelievingly close. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my neck.60

“This okay?” He asked.61

“Fine.” I nodded, leaning closer to his unusual heat. Austen was a Third Level Fire Affinity. His body temperature was always warmer then anyone else’s at the school.62

“Let’s go.” He offered, keeping one hand on my back. It only took us a few minutes to travel a little further down the main corridor and find that led to our outside dormitories. Dorms were separated two ways. First by Affinities. There was the Earth House, Fire House, Water House, Wind House, Spirit House and then the Common House.63

(This was my dorm, it meant that I hadn’t come into my affinity yet.) Then they were separated by Levels. There were Five Levels and Five Levels in every dorm. Then by gender. Girls on the left, guys on the right.64

When we stepped outside to meet the dorms, everything was normal. Unusually normal. The ground was crisp. The sky was clear. It was as if nothing had happened. We did, however, notice that most lights in all the dorms were on.65

“Weird.” He breathed in my ear.66

“This whole night has been weird.” I commented.67

“True.” He agreed. “But classes don’t start for another three hours. No one should be up.”68

“We were up?”69

“Not this many people.” He rolled his eyes.70

“I don’t remember hearing an announcement.” I frowned.71

“We were kind of distracted.” He commented.72

“Still, we should of heard something.”73

“True.” He agreed.74

“Is there a problem here?” A way to familiar voice demanded. Austen and I both turned around, coming face to face with Chris Matthews. I cringed slightly. Chris was my best friend. I felt Austen move away, taking his warmth with him.75

“Not at all Matthews.” He replied cordially.76

“We were taking a walk,” I told my best friend, “I go caught in a short rain storm.”77

“Funny,” Chris chuckled. “You don’t look wet.”78

“Thanks to me.” Austen replied.79

“Thanks to Wilde being a Fire Affinity.” I corrected.80

“How generous of you.” Chris commented, his blue eyes as cold as the night sky.81

“Both of you stop.” I ordered, frustrated, I turned to Austen, “Thanks for saving me tonight.”82

“No problem.” He nodded, his fiery brown eye on Chris. “Just be careful.”83