Sorry for the delay. I was busy getting my first book published.

My time off from the academy was over way too soon. I did, however, manage to catch up on sleep and get some studying done. On the other hand, my book was still no where to be seen.
As I sulked my way downstairs, suitcase in hand, I saw Jim standing as the bottom.
"Are you ready?"
I gave him a confused look. "What?"
"I'm taking you back to the academy. Don't you remember talking about it last night?" He said it as a matter of fact.
I thought for a second as I retraced my steps from the night before...

I was just finishing up with my bath when I heard a knock on the door. "Yes?"

"Oh! I was just wondering if you were still in there." It was Sarah, and she was waiting patiently for me to get out, so I hurried up.
"The bathroom is all yours. Sorry I took so long." I told her.
Sarah smiled kindly at me. "No worries, Briar." And she stepped inside.
I finished drying off the rest of my hair and put the wet towel in the hamper. I felt so clean and my new pajamas were super soft. I had asked for a pair of pajamas with pants; my nightgown kept twisting around me during the night. I was so happy to have them.
At that time I wasn't yet tired and walked into the small living room. I didn't feel like being alone in that room. Luckily Jim was there. About a dozen candles were lit and the window was open a crack to let in the cool night air. The fireplace was out, too warm for that anyway. Jim was sitting on the sofa reading a book. He hadn't noticed me walking in.
I took a sat cross-legged on a chair sitting diagonal from him and stared at my hands. I would have loved to read my book, but it was gone and I didn't feel like reading anything else. Finally, a heaved a heavy sigh, not meaning for it to sound so dramatic.
"What's wrong?" Jim looked up from his book.
I shouldn't have been taken off guard by his question, but I didn't think he would say anything. "Nothing. I'm just thinking about my book."
Jim closed his and set it on the nightstand. "Why are you sitting all the way over there? Are you scared of me, or something?" He grinned.
I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I didn't want to bother you." Plus I was too shy to sit next to him.
This time Jim was slow to ask, "Is there anything else bothering you?"
I opened my mouth to answer him. I was going to say no, and then I remembered Silver. I hadn't told him yet. I didn't tell him at that moment, I never would. "I saw Silver." I said.
Jim sat up straight, almost ready to jump for joy, but his face remained serious. "What? You did? When? How? And where?"
I twiddled with my thumbs. "Two days ago in town when I was shopping with Delbert and the kids. I wanted to tell you sooner, trust me. I just wasn't sure how to."
Jim leaned off the side of the sofa, resting his elbows on the armrest. "What did he say? Did he look okay? Tell me!"
I had never seen this side of Jim before. He looked so eager, so hopeful. "He told me that Stickler has been around watching me. They all have; he has too. And he looked okay, from what I could see. I didn't have a lot of time to speak with him."
Jim cursed under his breath. "So that nasty pirate, Stickler, has been around. I knew it! Where the hell has be been hiding?" He said that last part to himself. He then said to me, "Silver said that Stickler was watching you?"
I nodded. "I think he still is...he and his pirate buddies."
Jim relaxed some and he sighed. "Looks like you'll be driving to the academy with me tomorrow."
I nearly blushed. "What?"
"I don't want you being alone anymore. You need a roommate, too." He told me this as he stood up. "Is that okay with you?"
I fought with myself to try and find something to say. "I...I guess so?"
Jim smiled. "Good. Then its decided."

I came back to my senses and Jim was still waiting on me. "Oh...yes, I remember. Shall we get going?"
"Just wait one second, you two." Sarah quickly walked toward us and handed us each a giant blueberry muffin. "Have some breakfast on the go."
I took the muffin, sniffing it before taking a bite. "Mmm. That's really good. Thanks, Sarah."
She smiled at us both. "All right. I'll see you two in a few months."
My heart sunk a little. A few months? It must have been so hard on Sarah, being away from her son for long. Even if he managed to swing by for a visit...I could only imagine.
As we headed out, Jim and I both finishing up our muffin, I wondered where on earth I would set my suitcase. "Uh..."
Jim wiped the crumbs from his mouth before saying, "No worries." And he took my suitcase. He set it down a few feet away from the two of us. He then lifted the seat of his motorcycle and pulled out an oval shaped device with a few buttons on it. He pressed one, pointing it toward my suitcase, and a bluish-white light scanned my belongings. We waited a few seconds before my suitcase started to change in size and shrink, resulting to nothing but a cube. "There," said Jim. "Now it will fit." And he plopped it in the same place where he got the oval device.
I pointed my finger. "Witchcraft!"
Jim laughed. "Never seen anything like that before, huh?"
I shook my head. "NO!"
He laughed again. "Come one. We need to get going." He got on his bike and started it up.
I was about to get on when he moved a few inches, making me stop. When I tried again he moved a few more inches. He did this a third time before I finally playfully smacked his arm. "Will you stop it!" I wasn't made though.
Jim grinned. "Okay, I'll stop. And hey, you're not supposed to hit your teachers."
I grinned back. "We're not at the academy yet. And as far as I'm concerned, until the bell rings, We're still on break, and you're not teaching."
"Touche." Said Jim, and we were on our way.

I wasn't exactly thrilled to see the pillars of the academy come into view. I wanted to continue to stay close to Jim. Having my arms around him was something I was getting very used to...
We zoomed by students were walking on foot. Lucard and Maria were one of them. When they saw us Lucard picked up his pace and started running; Maria followed close behind.
When we reached the academy I got off first and then let Jim open the latch to the seat and grab my cube-sized suitcase and the oval device, and watched him return my suitcase back to its original form. I was baffled. Everything was still in place.
"Driving fast on school property is not smiled upon." Lucard said once he had caught up. He was a little out of breath.
"You're just too slow." Jim told him.
Lucard gave him a sarcastic laugh. "That's so funny I almost forgot to laugh."
I snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. I failed...obviously.
"I'm glad to see you two getting along so well." Maria said once she caught her breath.
"Ah, Maria," Jim said. "Just the person I wanted to see. Can I speak with you for a moment?" When Maria nodded he pulled her to the side.
While he whispered to her Lucard scooted closer to me and asked, "What do you think their talking about?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. My guess is as good as yours."
The two quickly rejoined us and Lucard went back to where he was standing before.
"Okay," said Jim. "I'll leave you three to get situated into your dorms. Good luck with semester." He got back on his motorcycle and left us.
"What did you two talk about?" Lucard asked.
Maria giggle. "That's a secret."And she walked on ahead of us.
"What a minute. Maria!" Lucard quickly caught up with her.
I was about to join them, but someone ran into me and I fell to my knees. "Ouch!" When I looked up I saw a cat girl hovering over me. She looked angry.
"How dare you." She said.
I picked myself off the ground. "What are you talking about?" I brushed the dirt off my pants.
"Just because you get to ride with Mr. Hawkins to school and stay at his mother's Inn doesn't mean you have the right to be close to him."
I grabbed my suitcase. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Back off!"
I laughed. Was this girl serious? "Okay, okay. Sorry I laughed. Actually, no, I'm not sorry. I didn't do anything wrong, so I don't have to apologize." She snarled at me, which only made me want to go on. "First of all: Mr. Hawkins and I are just friends. Two: his mother was gracious enough to take me in after I lost my father to pirates." Okay, that wasn't true, but I did lose Silver over a fight involving pirates...and Silver was as close as I got to a father-figure in the God-forsaken place. "And three: I'm just here to get an education so I can survive in this world. Now, I don't know why you're here, and I'm not going to pry, so I ask that you leave me the hell alone because I don't care about you...and I certainly don't feel like getting involved with your little problems. I have my own damn problems to deal with." I smiled at her. "Have a great semester!" And I walked away leaving her speechless.

It was a good hour before the first bell would ring and I headed to my dorm to return my belongings and get reevaluated with my surroundings. Silver said there were eyes on me-that pirates from all sides were watching me. Were they here now? I didn't know.
When I opened the door to my dorm I was glad to be left alone and away from prying eyes...or so I thought. "Maria?"
She was sitting at my desk. "Oh! Briar..." She stood up to greet me.
"What are you doing in here?" I felt like I already knew the answer to that when I saw her belongings sitting in the room.
She cleared her throat before continuing on. "Jim-I mean, Mr. Hawkins has asked me to be your new dorm roommate."
I set my suitcase down. "I never had one to begin with."
She smiled. "Well I'm happy to the first. Hopefully it stays that way." There was an awkward silence between us for a few seconds before she decided to talk more. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding."
I quickly shook my head, putting up my hands and waving them gently. "No, it's fine. I'm just surprised...Do you want top or bottom?" I asked referring to the bunk bed.
Maria scanned the bed for a second and then looked to me. "It was your room first. What do you want?"
"I'll like the bottom. I don't like trying to climb down during the night when I have to pee."
She giggled. "Okay, fair enough. I'll take top then." She turned and started going through he things. So did I.
Once we were situated and about to head to class, I asked, "Hey, Maria...what were you and Jim talking about?"
She paused for a moment and I thought for a second she wasn't going to tell me. "We were talking about you."
I cocked my head to the side and raised a brow. "Me? Why?"
Maria sighed. "He said you needed a friend, and here I am. We are friends, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah..."

Classes went on as normal. During Jim's class I eyed him the whole time, trying to see if I could see a change in his behavior, but nothing. He had asked Maria to be my roommate. Did he tell her that pirates were watching me? No. He would never do something as risky as that. He did say that I needed a roommate, and having another person around at all times would make it hard for anyone trying to get at me.
By the end of the day Amelia flagged me down in haste and ordered me to follow her. Surprised by her sudden appearance and the urgency in her voice I didn't argue; I couldn't even get out a word.
I followed her into the principles office, but the principle wasn't there. Instead, I saw Kate, Admiral Blake and Jim. And sitting on the table was my book. I gasped, reaching for it and held it close to my chest. "Where did you find it?"
"A terrorist." Kate informed me.
My eyes went wide. "What?"
Admiral spoke up. "A terrorist who was set up by Stickler. He's making his minions do all the dirty work." He held out a paper to me and I took it.
One side was blank while the other had a drawing of a large black circle. The middle was untouched, while the outer part of the circle faded out until nothing but the white of the paper remained. "What is this?" I asked.
"Its a warning." Jim said. "I final warning to a serious threat."
I gulped. "Let me guess...I'm part of that threat."
Amelia nodded. "Unfortunately, Miss Briar. We have a feeling the pirates want to kidnap you. They think that whatever they are searching for, you are the key to finding it."
"So...They know about me?" I asked slowly.
Jim shrugged. "Perhaps. They may not know exactly who you are, but what they are interested is your knowledge...of that book." He pointed at it.
I looked down at it.
"What can you tell us about that book, Briar?" Kate asked me.
I flipped the book open and started reading the Latin words aloud. "Aqua vitae; Igne natura renovatur integra. Flectre si nequeo superos, Archeronta movebo."
They stared at me. "What did you just say?" Jim seemed really impressed.
I would have smiled if this were under different circumstances. "Water of life; he conquers who conquers himself. If I cannot bend the will of heaven, I shall move hell."
"What does that even mean?" Asked Kate.
"The book is talking about eternal life and the sacrifices that come along with it and destroying anyone who gets in the way, even if its heaven or hell."
"I don't like that sound of that." Admiral Blake said, scrunching his nose.
Amelia sighed. "So, the pirates are after eternal life." She scoffed. "How typical." A device started beeping on her side and she cursed. "I have to go. You three continue on without me and fill me in later."
Admiral Blake sighed. "I should go as well. The main point of being here has been established, and I have many things to do." And he left soon after.
Kate then approached me. "Can you read more?"
I nodded and read another sentence. "In Vino Veritas...In wine there is truth. Fortis fortuna adiuvat...fortune favors the brave."
Kate put the meaning behind those words herself. "Don't spoil your mind and let secrets out...and be brave, because in the end its worth it."
I nodded. "Close." I Told her.
She sighed. "You're quite the person, Briar. Stay safe." She gently squeezed my shoulder and said goodbye. Now it was just Jim and I.
"Is there anything you want to know?" I asked him.
He stared at me for a moment, studying my face, and then said, "Can you tell me something about the stars...in Latin?"
I nodded to him. "Astra inclinant, sed non obligant...the stars incline us, they do not bind us."
Jim smiled. "I like that." He stood close to me now. "Mr. Langton was a spy." He suddenly told me. "He admitted to stealing your book and giving it to the pirates."
I gasp. "What..?" I would have never guessed. "Odreint dum metuant...let them hate so long as they fear."
"I like that, too." Jim said, standing even closer now. "One day at a time, Briar." I wasn't sure what to say to him, so I let him do all the talking. "Those pirates won't touch you. I will do everything in my power to make sure that never happens." I stayed quiet, closing my book and holding it close to my chest again. "How do you tell someone you care about them in Latin?"
I was a bit taken off guard when he asked me this, but I answered him nonetheless. "Te amo..." It was the only affectionate words I knew in Latin."
Jim smiled again..."Te amo...That's easy enough."
I smiled back. "I can teach you."
Jim stood up straight now, taking a step back from me. "Maybe someday. Better get back to studying. This semester is going to be harder than the last." He opened the door and let me through, locking it behind him. "I'll see you tomorrow." And we walked off in opposite directions.

As I said at the beginning I published my first book just a few days ago!
Here is the ISBN: 978-0692142875.
You can also search: Secret of Epping Forest in the search bar on Amazon. I would put a direct link, but Fanfiction doesn't allow that.
Here is a blurb on the story:
It's early summer as young Rose Fair travels to England from California with her parents. The house where she is staying has many secrets, and so does the forest behind it. Unfamiliar with rural life, Rose quickly becomes enchanted–and most of all curious–as she stumbles upon a secluded mansion. The residents, Edmond and Thackeray, don't seem to be from the area. They don't even seem to be from this era! Rose unravels their secret but then must choose whether she will stay or go. And she has just until summer's end to decide.

I've worked very hard with my editor and illustrator to make this life long dream of mine happen. I encourage you all to take a look.
And let me know what you thought of this chapter.