Things Never to be Told
Prologue
In a little cottage on the outskirts of Nottingham, an elderly lady sat and waited. Pans were scrubbing themselves in the sink. A broom swept the flagstone floor. She sat back in her rocking chair, glancing up at the grandfather clock whose pendulum swung without being attached to the clock itself. A spark of something gold illuminated the room as the hour hand twitched over the twelve. Midnight. When the border between dimensions was thinnest. The golden spark grew and grew and grew, forming a portal. From out of the portal stepped a man cradling something in his arms. He flicked his long blue hair out of his eyes.
"I cannot stay long, Xiamara. The Senators cannot hold the portal stable"
"Is Irena..."
"Dead. It was as we feared. He came for her during the night. . Here. Take her. I hope she will be safe here."
"She will be as safe as I can keep her, and certainly safer than she is in Synairn. What is her name?"
"Alexiai, Angel's blood. High Priestess Arias has, however, chosen to rename her Shade. Take care of her... I may not be her father, but..."
"But you care for her as your own. Worry not, Armen, I will raise her as my own daughter. Now go, before you are trapped here."
Armen stepped back though the portal, which closed behind him, leaving the room dark once more. Xiamara looked down at the infant girl in her arms. It was strange. The child was awake, but silent, as if she knew the severity of the situation, watching Xiamara with her strange eyes. One eye was silver while the other black. A shock of dark violet hair covered her skull. Xiamara sighed. Hopefully Earth was going to be safe enough to keep her from the dangers her father posed.
Chapter 1 : 11 years later
Xiamara stood in the doorway into the kitchen, watching the girl she had raised for the last eleven years. Shade was standing in the centre of the room, setting it in motion with a form of magic that had manifested only a month before. The elderly woman couldn't help but be impressed. It had taken years of intensive training for Xiamara to be able to master her magic, but Shade seemed to get the hang of it easily. She had breakfast going, the broom sweeping and the washing up doing itself all at the same time. Shade stood in the middle of it, concentrating hard, her strange eyes closed as she murmured spells under her breath. Xiamara coughed discreetly.
Everything stopped. The broom clattered to the ground. The washing up exploded in a volcano of soapy water. The toast burst into flames. Xiamara took pity on the sodden girl and used her magic to clean the room, putting everything back in order.
"I apologise, Akra," Shade said, using the formal term used towards women deemed to be highly superior in their home dimension. She fixed her eyes on the ground next to her feet. "I was trying to practise dividing my concentration and help you with the chores."
"It matters not, Shade, disaster often strikes those trying to understand their powers. It is not worth apologising for, else we spend our lives apologising. Come, sit. I will put breakfast on." Shade slipped into a seat, still not looking up at Xiamara. The elderly woman sighed. Something had happened in home dimension. This was not normal behaviour, but the girl had been submissive and obedient ever since she had briefly visited the other dimension a year or two ago. She refused to tell Xiamara what had happened though. She glanced out of the window. A speck appeared on the horizon, slowly growing larger until she could make it out as a bird. Xiamara smiled to herself.
An owl flew through the open window, landing gracefully on the kitchen table. Shade looked at it warily. There was an envelope in its beak, an envelope addressed to her. She glanced at Xiamara for permission. Her guardian inclined her head. The girl took the envelope from the bird's beak, watching it click its beak before flying off again. She turned the letter over, running her fingers over the old-fashioned wax seal. Sliding a nail under it, she opened the envelope, sliding out the strange feeling paper within. It was a letter inviting her to attend a school called Hogwarts. She glanced up at Xiamara questioningly.
"I thought it would help you to attend a proper school of magic. It is not quite the same magic, although it is close enough for you to be able to imitate the others," she explained. "Hogwarts had a reputation as one of the most excellent schools of magic and one of the safest places on this Earth."
Shade looked disbelieving.
"There will be no question in the matter, Shade Alexiai Parthenopaeus, you will attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry whether you like it or not!"