I bet you feel special once you read my poem further down this chapter! Ha-ha, in all seriousness, I'm really terrible at poem-writing. I tried though, but it's not good.
You are warned.
The Night Is Young
Chapter Three
Mille
Millie woke up to the comforting feeling of having her hair played with. She lay there a while just enjoying the caresses, then opened her eyes unwillingly to see Philippe sitting next to her. He looked calmer than the last time they had seen each other.
"Hello," Millie mumbled into her pillow. Philippe smiled to himself.
"I've decided you do deserve to know what happened to you, but… it's kind of a long and- in a way- complicated story. Do you think you can handle that?"
Millie propped herself up on her arm, resting her head on her palm. She nodded, but before Philippe could begin she smiled and said; "so… you decided I deserve to know what happened because… my entire back is skinned and if it hadn't been for the pain killers I would have been in searing pain 24/7?"
Philippe rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Let me tell the story, will you?" he laughed.
"The first thing I need to tell you about… is the Night World."
Millie nodded meaningfully as he explained.
"The Night World is a world next to the world you know. I mean, all you know about is humans-"
"And animals! You can't forget the animals, Philippe." Millie chimed in. Philippe smiled as he continued.
"-and the animals. But there is a world with more than that. We mix with ordinary humans like yourself, but we're not like you. There are vampires, witches and shape shifters. We live together with you and at the same time separately. Do you follow?"
Millie studied his face. He clearly believed in what he was saying. She nodded slowly. "I follow. Supernatural creatures are really natural creatures living together with humans in secrecy. Got it."
"You got it. Anyway, the day you were attacked… they were shape shifters. I think they were looking for me since one of them tried to attack me. Instead of me though, it got you… and that's what happened. You rose from your fall at the wrong time and the shape shifter clawed your back up. All the skin was gone. We were lucky we got here in time or you would have died."
Millie was quiet for a few minutes. She didn't believe it, but she also did in a way. It was the only logical reason she could think of why tigers were to appear in a classroom, yet it wasn't logical at all. She chewed her lower lip a bit. As she glanced up she caught Philippe examine her.
"Say I did believe you… will I become a shape shifter? I was clawed up by one, after all."
Philippe's face twisted in disgust. "I hope not. Shape shifters are horrible. Vampires, though, that's something! I'm a vampire, one of the ones who grow up and get children if they please. The lamia."
Millie blinked slowly at him. She ignored the vampire comment.
"Do you mean that if I do turn into a shape shifter you'll find me disgusting?" She couldn't stop her voice from sounding hurt.
"No!" Philippe answered. The reply came a bit too early, but Millie chose to overlook it.
She threw herself at him and hugged him. His arms fell around her instantly.
"You're the best, Philippe," she muttered into his shoulder.
As she lay back at the bed, she couldn't shake an ominous feeling starting in her stomach.
Adrien
The poem lay on his bed. Adrien was stalking around his chamber, thinking hard. He rushed up to the poem once more and read it again.
Full moon on the rise;
second week of December.
Two love each other dearly;
a fight tear them apart.
One as shriveled as the roses
perched on the windowsill.
The other filled with hatred
nobody see worse ever will.
Her spirit is the only chance,
his acceptance necessary.
Another bloke; his heart in confusion;
will settle the upcomingdecision.
The P is the catalyst;
the M the solution.
He groaned loudly. Nothing came to his mind, nothing about the poem anyway. He dropped onto the bed and fished out the other poem from his pocked. Reading it made him still smile foolishly to himself.
"I wish that poem could be as understandable as this one," he muttered to himself.
He tucked the poem back into his pocket and lay back on the mattress. His eyes were closed and he felt himself lose consciousness. Before he knew it he was asleep.
Adrien woke up with a start. He grabbed blindly after the poem and a notebook. In the notebook he sketched down his ideas excitedly and ran to the chamber doors. He stalked down the corridors to the Crown Chamber and had to force himself to reclaim his polite and sophisticated aura. He knocked exactly three times at the doors and waited patiently.
The doors slid open and Adrien walked confidently into the room. He was surprised to see that the Elders were still sitting at the table.
"I beg permission to talk about the Prophetic Poem," he proclaimed to nobody in particular.
"Permission granted."
Adrien looked at all the Elders. They seemed so powerless, but Adrien knew differently. He flashed one of his famous smiles.
"I believe that the poem is about Philippe de Bois, the vampire leader of the Circle Daybreak and his girlfriend Marion Mavis; the T and M the poem is mentioning. As you all know, Marion Mavis is the witch from which this poem was written. I think that in the second week of December at sundown they will get into a fight. And I strongly believe that this Marion is the key to the upcoming war. The one who has her, will win. But, we should observe the Circle Daybreak. Whoever fights with Philippe in two weeks' time is the M."
His voice was steady and sharp. He could tell the Elders agreed with his observations. Even so, he knew they would be asking questions. He prepared himself for them.
It turned out he had not needed to.
"Mr. Rivera, We need some time to discuss. You are excused from the Crown."
In the corridor on his way out, Adrien bumped into Darryl the Tiger. The Tiger ignored him and walked down the corridor, past Adrien's chamber and turned a corner. Adrien smiled and in an instant made up his mind. He dashed silently down the corridor after the Tiger.
Let the hunt begin, he thought.