Chapter 6
"Wow." Ethan said, dripping with sarcasm, "Very exciting. Don't go into too much detail now." He was overdoing it. "Wouldn't want to forget any of this rollercoaster ride -"
"-Alright, I get it, okay." Kay took a breath. "My life may or may not be as interesting as yours, but what any business it is of yours, I... cannot, see," Her words started to get a bit jumbled up and she refused to look at Ethan, embarrassed. She tried to tip her head so that her hair would fall over her face.
"Alright, ice-queen." As Ethan said this Kay could almost hear his smirk. "We're almost there now anyway," he said playfully flicking a strand of hair concealing her face. She childishly whipped her hair away from his hand. It only made Ethan laugh.
They turned a corner to face a really old fashioned dark wooden door with a black iron frame. Ethan smirked at how Kay's resolutely folded arms contrasted with her nervous face. "I think your life is about to get a lot more interesting."
Ethan held his hand up to the iron square where the door handle should have been and... What was he doing? He stroked it so that it his fingers met in the centre of the lock, and it looked like he was pulling and invisible string when he sharply pulled his hand to one side.
Kay heard a distinct metal 'clink' from inside the mechanism. Her heart started pounding. Partly because for the second time this night she'd seen or heard something move without it being touched, and partly because she was certain she would see the dead bodies of his previous victims behind the door.
Ethan pushed the door open and sauntered in, stretching his arms wide once more to present his kingdom to her. This time Kay could see why.
The door opened onto a small stone balcony with a wrought iron railing, there stairs leading of to the left. She took a few steps forward until she had both hands firmly on the railing. Kay thought Ethan had never looked so pleased. In front of Kay was a huge circular room with yellow stone walls and red carpeting. Small lanterns had replaced the torches and there were a couple of benches with matching tables in the circular room.
There were four corridors leading away from the large room, the three closest to the stairs were large and darkened, the fourth was small and led straight away to a lit spiral staircase.
Kay looked at Ethan with a raised eyebrow, he smiled back, and for the first time relaxed her face. This would be pretty elaborate for a murder.
"What are... Where do all those places lead?" Ethan walked forward and leant easily on the railing. He pointed to each in turn.
"Dorms, library, practice, Master Bei Fong" Kay turned to Ethan,
"Dorms? People live here? Like a boarding school?"
"Yeah I s'pose, and like a home... At least for me it's like a home." there was pause as Kay waited for him to continue but for the first time since she met him he seemed quiet. He sighed and tried to laugh at her expectant face. He then looked at his hands which were clasped together in front of him over the rail. He looked Kay in the eyes, and she didn't know what to expect. He spoke in a low voice, as if what he was saying was the biggest secret he'd ever told anyone. "Thing is, we're not normal. But we're not just 'not normal', we're special. We can do these amazing things. We're powerful. No doubt we have power. But we're also just kids... Some of the people here," and the way he said some gave Kay the idea he meant himself, "they've grown up with the adults in their lives trying to use them for their power. They've spent they're lives running, and finally found a safe space here with Master Bei Fong. We're his students, not his army, or something to be looked down on, or a freak show used to earn money." Ethan quickly swallowed. He indicated the ground beneath their feet. "So this, this is home to me."