Detention

I looked up to glare at the teacher for the millionth time. She looked away, uncomfortably. I smelt her salty blood race faster and faster through her veins. She took a quick breath to steady herself, patting her flat hair down for the millionth time. Her hand moved from her head to a small plastic box in front of her. She fumbled as she picked it up, it slid down her palm. Clumsily she brought up her other hand to catch it in an ungraceful finish. I heard Alec quietly snicker to himself. Satisfied, I looked back down at my History book that was strewn on the desk before me.

I hadn't done any of the work that the teacher, Mrs Hamlyn (?), had told me to do. Yet why would I be bothered? I could make up some lame excuse to Mr Sadler tomorrow. I wondered whether he would accept it. He was still fuming from finding us in the old block some hours earlier.

I tried to focus on the textbook, chapter 3: Medieval Entertainment. I sighed and questioned how Alec and I would cope with the chapter of medieval torture. Well, Alec would cope ok, How would I cope?

"Twenty minutes of your detention period is left, if anyone wishes to relieve themselves in the bathroom you may do so now." Mrs Hamlyn mumbled the words out of her mouth. I looked up again at the circular clock on the wall above the board.

"This isn't half bad, Janie," Alec whispered silently, approving his reading material in front of him. I turned my head slightly in disbelief. I saw him point and grin at a brightly coloured page much deeper in the book.

"We aren't up to that chapter yet." I reminded him. He looked up.

"Since when were you one to follow human rules Jane?" He challenged. I smiled, too true. I slid my fingers underneath a few pages and flipped them over. I scanned the black-printed words for a few moments then flicked over a couple more pages.

I found one chapter on the monsters they feared from so long ago; it made me laugh, until I went face-to-face with the page on witchcraft. I stopped, forgot to breathe, forgot to move. Alec noticed my frozen posture, and then noticed my frozen page.

I heard his tongue click as he forced himself to sit for the remaining minute of detention. His hands twitched as he acted against impulse. He tried to protect me, but he didn't know how. We both reckoned that not knowing, anything was the safest option. Taking history here? That had backfired on us.

The bell mirrored my rampant thoughts as it cried out in pain. Alec was the first to move. His quick, swift advancement to my side had the few students paralysed in awe for a few seconds. My book was flung off the desk as Alec grabbed my shoulders as subtlety as possible. The class was pushed out by the tension we had created.

"Breathe." He instructed, he face worried, he was angry at himself that I had had the opportunity to look at our past, at our accusations. "Jane? It's okay. Look at me, sister please!" I stared at a faint stain that was dyed on the wall. "Jane!" he growled.

"What's wrong with her?" Alec spun around standing tall in an attempt to intimidate the intruder. I sat still, listening. "Is she okay?"

I flicked my head to the right in response to the girl's voice. My vision was fuzzy, I wasn't concentrating.

"Leave, I can help her." Alec sounded frustrated.

"Hey," in a blur Felicity was crouching next to me, she placed her cold hand on my cheek. It was very relaxing. "Wow,"

"What?" Alec snapped. He swatted her hand away from my face so I glared at him. "Come, Jane. We have to go."

"You still have my book?" She inquired. I looked at her and nodded. She smiled. "Good, keep it safe."

"Do you speak Irish?" I didn't realise that I had questions to ask her. Not until know that was. With one question out the rest just wanted to follow suit.

She grinned, left eyebrow raised. "I was right!"

"About what?" Both Alec and I asked simultaneously, we looked at each other and grinned.

She kept smiling. "If it's in Irish, then my book is opening up." She sat on the desk that was in front of her crossed-legged. She lent in as if to tell a secret. "It likes you." She sat up and laughed in a way that made me want to join in.

"If it liked us then it would be written in English," Alec remarked. "Or Italian, or Latin, or Spanish, French, German, Greek, heck even Afrikaans or Portuguese would have been more of a help." She ignored his sarcasm and grinned.

"Portugal Portuguese or Brazilian Portuguese?" She questioned Alec playfully. He rolled his eyes, I laughed. "So, you can't read Irish. Good, that means they definitely won't be able to read it." She slid off of the desk. She walked quickly to the door. As she reached the entrance she spun.

"When you are just a bit more confused then come and see me." She was serious. She disappeared as mysteriously as she had come.

Alec tugged on my hand. "Come on Jane. Demetri is waiting." I looked out of the window. Demetri stared grumpily at me gesturing me to come to the car fast.

I ran.

"Where is Marcus?" I asked Renata as soon as I came through the door. She rolled her eyes.

"Yea, Jane my day's been fantastic, thanks for asking! I went hunting then came home and have been cram-"

"Upstairs" Heidi remarked. I glared at Renata as she blabbered off about her broken day, complaining that all I did was demand and never care. Sometimes I did, just not for the most of the time.

I was a blurred sight as I ran to Marcus' office, stopping at his door. I took a breath and knocked once, quickly.

"Come in." His sombre voice was barely audible as he spoke acceptance. I let the cold round doorknob sit beneath my fingers for almost too long before I opened the door to his room.

Though it was small it was very light. With a large square window behind the beautifully old desk Marcus' shadow flew out across a table that had been placed in the middle of the room. He looked up from a book to see his visitor.

"Jane, dear child why have you come to see me?" His voice was extremely calm, precise, entrancing. I pulled the book out from my bag that was hanging weightlessly in my hand.

"I have the book." I commented. Placing it on the edge of his desk I wondered how this man could be so peaceful. He reached out to bring it closer. I found Athenadora standing in front of his desk smiling.

"Wow, I haven't seen one of those in a long time." She observed. I frowned slightly at her comment, confused. She turned her head to look at me.

"Considering that there are only two in the world, Athenadora, this may well have been Anya's." Marcus looked up in acknowledgment of her presence. She nodded in agreement. I looked at them both.

"How do you know so much about this?" I asked them. They turned to face me. "I am so confused it's not even funny. What is this book for? Why is it so interesting? The pages are blank." They didn't look surprised at me.

"Jane, can you read Irish?" Marcus asked.

"No." I told him, trying not to be frustrated. He nodded; he wasn't expecting any other answer.

"Maybe it would be time that you learnt?" I stood straight, staring at a pen that had been disregarded in a bin in the corner. Marcus looked at the cover quickly. "'Gharda sé le do shaol'," he read. "That means 'Guard it with your life'"

Then the book shone.

Sorry this has been such a late update, I have been on holiday..hope you liked this chapter..as always your reviews make my day so please click that button! Thanks X