Chapter One: Where All Must Start
Will this guy never shut up? He says the same thing over and over every single day!!! Kaylee snickered to herself as she read the note her best friend had written and passed up to her. The extra exclamation points underlined Lyra's agitation all too well. She herself could easily fall asleep just listening to Mr. Stiles, and Kaylee almost never got sleepy at this point in the day.
"…so what are you memorizing for Friday?" the corpulent teacher with graying hair asked, gazing over the class in what he assumed was a friendly yet imperious manner.
There was a general groan from the class, and one girl, Talia, who was still partially awake and coherent answered, "Proverbs three, verses five and six."
RIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!
Kaylee slammed her notebook shut with a thud. "It's about time," she muttered, shoving the books she'd left on the floor to one side and made a beeline to the door. Lyra was only inches behind her, and the two of them raced for their lockers. Other students filed into the hallway from their respective classes, and soon it was like slogging through quicksand. Kaylee wished people would hurry up and get out of her way without stopping to socialize. As a senior, her locker was all the way at the other end of the corridor, and her next class was in the room she had just vacated so quickly. She needed her textbook, because they were starting a new chapter.
Someone crashed into her from the side, and Kaylee recoiled, dropping her binder. It landed just so that the papers popped loose from the rings and went scattering across the hall.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Kaylee let out a sigh, trying not to let her temper take over. It was too early to be in a bad mood. She squatted and began sweeping her papers together, before looking back over her shoulder to see Julie, a junior, bend down to retrieve the binder.
"It's okay Julie, I should have been watching where I was going," she sighed, cramming everything back into the notebook and turning away to spin the dial on her locker. Seven…nine…three. The door sprang open, and Kaylee's chemistry book fell out. She exhaled irritably, her breath hissing between her clenched teeth. Viciously she shoved her binder, loose papers and all onto the single shelf inside and pulled out her economics book before grabbing the errant chem book and stuffing it back where it belonged.
Sunlight glinted off the metal locker door as Kaylee slammed it shut, illuminating a strange scuff-mark right in the center. She spared only a moment to decide that she didn't what to know what had made it, before sprinting back down the hall, hoping to make it to class before the bell rang.
*******
"You did what?"
"I have chosen the Scout."
"Yes, yes, I know that. But another universe? You couldn't simply have picked one from ours?"
Shkena's velvety voice was calm. "It is no different than you selecting the Peacekeeper or the Healer. You have chosen them from other places as well."
Her opponent grumbled and sat back in his chair, folding his arms. "Yes, but at least their roughly within the same timeframe as one another. The Scout's society is much more advanced. Don't you think that she will have a hard time adapting?"
"Austus, you impossible man. One thing that you should know by now is that I never leave anything to chance. While she may find things difficult, I have placed an unconscious desire, curiosity even, to see this test through to the end." Shkena quirked a pale eyebrow at him.
"And I say that she will not last a week. You females and your meddling," Austus muttered darkly, snatching up a goblet of nectar from the laid table in front of him.
Shkena laughed lightly, her melodic voice tingling in Austus' ears. "That is what makes it so entertaining, do you not agree? Besides, I have found you interfering often enough to know that men, especially great and powerful ones like you, cannot resist dabbling in the natural course of events." Her silken dress whispered around her alluring frame as she moved to perch on Austus' knee.
He set his cup down, glaring up at her with his brown eyes. Then all rebelliousness melted away as he shifted so that Shkena fell into his lap. "I do enjoy these games of ours," he said as he kissed her.
When at last they broke apart gently, she smiled angelically at him, an expression that suited her lovely face, framed by golden curls. "But of course, my husband."
[A/N: I'm off on a bunny trail that was inspired by my locker. Seriously, there IS a strange scuff mark on it. Ah, the things that our muses run away with… pretty please review for me!!! I'm a poor low-esteemed author, help me feel better! ( ]
Will this guy never shut up? He says the same thing over and over every single day!!! Kaylee snickered to herself as she read the note her best friend had written and passed up to her. The extra exclamation points underlined Lyra's agitation all too well. She herself could easily fall asleep just listening to Mr. Stiles, and Kaylee almost never got sleepy at this point in the day.
"…so what are you memorizing for Friday?" the corpulent teacher with graying hair asked, gazing over the class in what he assumed was a friendly yet imperious manner.
There was a general groan from the class, and one girl, Talia, who was still partially awake and coherent answered, "Proverbs three, verses five and six."
RIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!
Kaylee slammed her notebook shut with a thud. "It's about time," she muttered, shoving the books she'd left on the floor to one side and made a beeline to the door. Lyra was only inches behind her, and the two of them raced for their lockers. Other students filed into the hallway from their respective classes, and soon it was like slogging through quicksand. Kaylee wished people would hurry up and get out of her way without stopping to socialize. As a senior, her locker was all the way at the other end of the corridor, and her next class was in the room she had just vacated so quickly. She needed her textbook, because they were starting a new chapter.
Someone crashed into her from the side, and Kaylee recoiled, dropping her binder. It landed just so that the papers popped loose from the rings and went scattering across the hall.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Kaylee let out a sigh, trying not to let her temper take over. It was too early to be in a bad mood. She squatted and began sweeping her papers together, before looking back over her shoulder to see Julie, a junior, bend down to retrieve the binder.
"It's okay Julie, I should have been watching where I was going," she sighed, cramming everything back into the notebook and turning away to spin the dial on her locker. Seven…nine…three. The door sprang open, and Kaylee's chemistry book fell out. She exhaled irritably, her breath hissing between her clenched teeth. Viciously she shoved her binder, loose papers and all onto the single shelf inside and pulled out her economics book before grabbing the errant chem book and stuffing it back where it belonged.
Sunlight glinted off the metal locker door as Kaylee slammed it shut, illuminating a strange scuff-mark right in the center. She spared only a moment to decide that she didn't what to know what had made it, before sprinting back down the hall, hoping to make it to class before the bell rang.
*******
"You did what?"
"I have chosen the Scout."
"Yes, yes, I know that. But another universe? You couldn't simply have picked one from ours?"
Shkena's velvety voice was calm. "It is no different than you selecting the Peacekeeper or the Healer. You have chosen them from other places as well."
Her opponent grumbled and sat back in his chair, folding his arms. "Yes, but at least their roughly within the same timeframe as one another. The Scout's society is much more advanced. Don't you think that she will have a hard time adapting?"
"Austus, you impossible man. One thing that you should know by now is that I never leave anything to chance. While she may find things difficult, I have placed an unconscious desire, curiosity even, to see this test through to the end." Shkena quirked a pale eyebrow at him.
"And I say that she will not last a week. You females and your meddling," Austus muttered darkly, snatching up a goblet of nectar from the laid table in front of him.
Shkena laughed lightly, her melodic voice tingling in Austus' ears. "That is what makes it so entertaining, do you not agree? Besides, I have found you interfering often enough to know that men, especially great and powerful ones like you, cannot resist dabbling in the natural course of events." Her silken dress whispered around her alluring frame as she moved to perch on Austus' knee.
He set his cup down, glaring up at her with his brown eyes. Then all rebelliousness melted away as he shifted so that Shkena fell into his lap. "I do enjoy these games of ours," he said as he kissed her.
When at last they broke apart gently, she smiled angelically at him, an expression that suited her lovely face, framed by golden curls. "But of course, my husband."
[A/N: I'm off on a bunny trail that was inspired by my locker. Seriously, there IS a strange scuff mark on it. Ah, the things that our muses run away with… pretty please review for me!!! I'm a poor low-esteemed author, help me feel better! ( ]