I let out a breath of relief and set my pen down. That wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared it would be. I glanced around the auditorium at the other students taking the same Calculus exam. There was already a few finished exams on Professor Redding's table down in the front of the room. I was always afraid of being the first one finished. It usually was a bad sign for my grades.
I checked to make sure my name was on my exam, and stood gathering my things before heading down the stairs to turn in my final.
"Have a good holiday, Mr. Stanwood," Professor Redding said as I added my papers to the stack. He looked up at me over the nearly destroyed copy of a romance novel. It was the same one he'd read during all of our exams this semester.
"You too, Professor. See you next year."
He arched an eyebrow up at me, and returned to his book as I left.
My roommate was waiting for me out in the hallway. John was a tall lanky kid and always hungry. I'd never see anyone eat as much as John did and stay skinny.
"Hey man, how'd you do?" he said, standing from the spot he'd claimed on a near by bench.
I shrugged. "Okay, I guess? I don't feel horrible about it."
"Let's head back, you probably want to drop that bag of books off before we do anything else. "
I readjusted the strap of my bag, moving it higher up on my shoulder. I thought earlier it'd might be a good idea to get some last minute studying in right before the exam, but I was too nervous to concentrate.
My roommate trudged alongside me as we discussed the horrible selection of questions Professor Redding had chosen. The dorms and the cafeteria were on the other side of the campus, but it really wasn't a bad walk. The sun had set while we were in the exam, turning the snow-covered campus into a dark and silent place. I always loved this time of night, when the campus was still, and the cold silence reminded me of the dark forests that surrounded my home. It made me homesick even though there was nowhere else I'd rather been than at school.
"So, you in for game night tonight?" John asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
I shrugged. "You know I'm not really great at those drinking games y'all play."
He slapped my shoulder with his hand, shaking my entire frame. "That's why we invite you, Ez! Besides, we've got to work on that tolerance of yours. You would think being from the country and all, you'd have better drinking habits than all of us, especially with those parents of yours."
I laughed with him, but kept my excuses to myself. It was easier to blame strict parents than to try and explain the truth: that alcohol could lead to some deadly consequences in my family's line of work. "I should probably clean up and study for my last exam."
"Whatever," John said as we turned the last corner to our building. "It's not like you don't have all week to do that."
A loud shriek of a bird called out over the little square between the buildings. The familiar sound froze me in my tracks and automatically sent my gaze searching the trees for its source.
"You coming?" John yelled. He stood with the door to our dorm open, waiting for me to climb the steps.
I shook my head. "Uh, no. I just remembered I need to go back, uh, to the library. I need to find a book." Gods above and below, that sounded lame, even for me.
John gave a look that he'd given me a lot this past semester. One that went with him shaking his head and muttering something about crazy country folk. Again, it was easier to let him make his own assumptions about my oddities than to explain the truth.
"Right, see you later then." He shut the door behind him, the automated lock clicking into place.
I waited a moment more, making sure that he wouldn't turn back, before walking around the edge of the building to the little wooded area that separated the dorms from the parking lots. The bird called again, a different sound this time, one that I was even more familiar with. I lifted my arm as a large black shape swooped down from one of the pine trees, landing on my arm with a gentle squeeze of his claws. I hugged the raven to my chest, tears pricking at my eyes.
"Poe, what in the world are you doing here?" I whispered.
He rubbed his head under my chin, his beak nipping at the hair pushed behind my ear.
"I missed you, too, but that doesn't explain why you're here."
The raven straightened, shaking out its feathers in a gesture that could only be described as a shrug.
"Poe," I said, finding it hard to be stern when I was so relieved and happy to see my friend.
Poe tilted his head, then bent to peck at one of his metal bracelets. The longer one on his right leg was meant to hold messages. I released the clasp on it, and pulled out the tiny scroll of paper that had been wrapped inside. Poe jumped up to his favorite perch, my shoulder, as I pulled out my outdated cell phone to read the scroll by its light.
Ezra, your presence is required at home. Please return immediately.
The note was signed by William Stanwood, the head of the Family and my father. It was an order I couldn't refuse.
I stared at the dorms and the lights from the buildings of my university beyond them. This past semester I'd been normal. I'd fit in. Well, kinda fit in. There was only so much one could do to fit into modern society when they'd grown up without most common conveniences like computers or cell phones; there wasn't any reception for such things on our mountain. But here, I'd started to find myself. I could only hope I'd be allowed to return.
I left Poe in the square and returned to my room to gather what I needed to take home. I packed just a few things. Clothes were a given, considering I'd brought the only few sets I owned. I also grabbed my laptop, textbooks, and notes for the exam on Friday in hopes that I might make it back in time to actually take my exam. John had already left, so I wrote a quick note on his microwave - a place I know he'd see it soon, and went down to the student parking lot.
Poe was already waiting for me on the luggage rack of my beat up SUV. It had horrible gas mileage, but it got me around. I tossed my bag in the back seat and pulled the tattered plaid blanket from the trunk for Poe, curling it into a makeshift nest in the passenger seat before lowering him into the car. It wasn't the first time we'd road-tripped like this, and I'm sure it wouldn't be the last. I climbed in and started the car. Taking a deep breath, I checked to make sure I had everything I needed.
"Time to go home."
The orange glow of dawn peaked over the trees as I pulled my car up the long drive way. I'd driven through the night, only stopping briefly in the town closest to my family's house, to get gas and a bite to eat, but that was hours ago. I was so ready to crawl into bed. I forced my eyes wide as I turned the last corner of the drive, and the house finally came into view. It was nestled among the trees, perched almost precariously on the side of the mountain that overlooked the valley and river below. No matter how often I thought that I didn't belong here, it still called to me. This was home. There were two cars with out-of-state tags parked in front of the house. I didn't recognize them, but I had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. We never had visitors, especially ones from out of town. I parked and gathered Poe into my arms before climbing out of the car. The kitchen door on the side of the house opened before I'd taken even two steps towards it.
My father's study was too small to hold all of the adults and the 'kids', so they'd moved to the living room. Avery released my hand before turning the corner, as if she were afraid of their judgment. I couldn't blame her. The Families tended to look down on interfering with each other's affairs, and unmarried relations even more so. Arranged marriages were a completely different story, though, since they were a way to ensure that children continued to be born with necromantic talent. The Heads of the Families had to keep meticulous genealogy records to make sure we kept enough distance between the Families lines, and enough fresh blood to keep our Families strong. Avery left my side to go stand by her mother and sister, who sat on the far couch with my mother. My father stood near the fireplace mantle with my older brother, Liam, and Lyssa, the Head of the Amerson family, only a short step behind him. "Ezra," Nathan said, his voice flat and cold. He stood on the opp
I reached into the backseat of my car and pulled my bag from the floorboard. The early morning sun had been hidden by dark, snow-heavy clouds, and the air was growing colder by the minute. "You can't do this, Ezra. It's suicide!" Avery's voice was near hysterical. I shut the door and turned to her. I didn't know what to say. How could I tell her everything that I'd kept so buried in myself that I'd only just realized what it meant? How could I tell her that I was doing this for her, because I loved her? I dropped the bag at my feet and I took her hands into my own. They trembled a little as I watched her take a deep breath. "Ezra, I just lost my father, I..." she hesitated, gripping my hands hard. "I can't lose you, too." She started crying again. I hugged her tight, wrapping my arms around her like at I had earlier this morning. It was funny. I'd spent years sending letters to her, thinking of one day holding her like this and now, I feared t
I went back up to my room, climbing the stairs as quickly as I could without dislodging Poe from my shoulder and found my father waiting for me. "Shut the door. We need to talk," he said from his seat on the end of my bed, his tone of voice that quiet harshness that parents get when before they really lay into you. I dropped my bag and did as he asked, already dreading whatever it was he wanted to talk about. Poe let out a soft call, rustling his wings as I transfered him gently to his perch by my desk. "Ezra, come sit down." I picked up my bag instead, setting it on my desk and unzipping it open. "I'd rather go ahead and unpack," I said, tossing a bundle of dirty laundry into my hamper. "I might not get a chance to later." "Erza, you can't go through with this. You can't take the test." The desperation in my father's voice made me turn around to look at him. "Why not? Because I don't have Talent?" I felt anger boil up in me all over a
Liam woke me late in the afternoon, as the sun sank below the tree line on the mountain. He set a plate of food and a bottle of water down on my desk and left as quietly as he'd come in.After letting Poe out my little window to find some food for himself, I ate dinner alone in my room, hardly tasting the food. I forced it down knowing I would need the strength later. Sleeping the little I did had helped, but my mind still spun with the story that Dad had told me. If I really wasn't a Stanwood, then why was I found in the Vault? Why would the Great Ones bring me to my mother and father?I closed my eyes trying to force the never ending stream of questions out of my mind. I needed to focus on the test. Dad was right. If I wasn't a Stanwood, I really shouldn't take it. What if we went up there and the Vault refused to open for me? Or worse, it opened but nothing happened.It was eight in the evening when I finally went downstairs. Everyone sat in the living room,
My heart pounded in my ears as my eyes fought to see anything in the darkness. What was supposed to happen next? I turned in a circle, feeling as if the darkness was closing in on me. Poe shifted on my shoulder again, letting out a soft caw."Hello?" I called out. My previous thought of the test not trigging came flying back to my mind. I'm Talentless, I'm not even technically a Stanwood. What if I wasn't supposed to be here?I tried to slow my hectic breathing as the blackness around me closed in. If I couldn't take the test, the door to the vault wouldn't open until it was time for the next test, or the next member in my family died.I spun around, trying to feel around for anything, a wall, the door.Pain shattered my panic, forcing me to concentrate on the sharp, sudden bite on my earlobe. Poe squawked loudly.Reaching up, I felt for his feathers, gently laying a hand on him. "Thanks partner." Poe had cleared my mind enough for logic to take ov
A cool hand was wrapped around my own. That was the first thing I noticed. The second was how much I hurt. Everywhere.I opened my eyes, thankful that it was dark, but confused when I found myself staring up at the ceiling of my own room. My body felt too hot, stifling under the blankets that were piled on top of me."Ezra?" Mom's voice was just a whisper from the foot of my bed, but her eyes were bright with relief when I looked down at her. She clutched at the foot board, trying hard to stay quiet."Mom," I said, my voice weak. "What happened?"Avery stirred next to me. She was sitting in my desk chair and had slumped over the side of the bed, asleep. It was her hand that was wrapped around my own.She opened her eyes, and they reminded me of something. Something that had happened."Your test, it took too long, the others began to think that..." Mom paused a brief moment, then forced herself to continue. "That maybe you didn't make it. But
I followed Poe through the door. The heat hit me immediately. I strained to see the tops of the trees that stood like giants around me. I was in a jungle, but where?Poe was perched on a bush not far to my left. His dark feathers standing out like a thorn against its bright flowers."There you are!"I whipped around to see a girl, tiny and delicate, stepping out of the undergrowth with a spear. She wore a wrap of bright orange, like a monk's almost. But even though the color was vibrant, her expression of suppressed fear and urgency was what really startled me."You're talking to me?" I asked her looking around.She nodded. "Come, my people need you." She motioned for me to follow her, and even took my hand when I hesitated, dragging me forward. "Come, Come!"I followed her as she ran barefoot through the jungle, barely able to keep up with her. Poe glided over us, never too far from my sight. We came around a large root of the tree on a hil