Declan
Beep, beep. My alarm clock went off at precisely 4:30 a.m. I turned over in my bed to turn off the clock, eyes still closed. My hand hovered over where the clock should have been. I opened one eye to look for it and nearly fell out of my bed from shock. If it wasn't for the twisted sheets holding me up, I would have sprawled right on the hard-wood floor.
Sitting on the foot of my bed was a teenage girl with knotted hair that must have been blond at some point. Her stained clothing was clearly way too big for her small frame. Her huge gray eyes looked ready to burst out of her head any second.
All humans have plain, gray eyes from lack of a power. Our powers give us our unique eye colors. Only rarely will one of us have gray eyes. It occurs because the pigment of their previous eye color faded until only gray was left.
How the hell did a human girl get into my room? Never mind my room, how did she get past The Walls and then into The Ward? The Sector Walls weren't supposed to open until around noon to admit any humans into The Trials.
Straightening back up, I gazed down at the human and was about to voice those thoughts when she stood up and darted for the door. I tossed my covers off and reached her as her small hand wrapped around the door knob. Prying her fingers off the door, I picked the girl up and threw her on my bed. She bounced once then looked up, glaring at me.
"What do you think you're doing here?" I accused, gesturing at my room.
She just huffed and rolled her eyes. If she knew what was good for her, she would quit being so stubborn. With my hands at my sides, I began to rotate my wrists. A gust of wind formed and blew the girl's hair across her face.
She reached up to move the hair from her eyes which were now locked on me. I pushed my hands forward and the wind blew the girl right in the air. She hovered over my bed, widely looking around.
"How are you doing that?"
"Don't worry about it. What are you doing here?" I repeated.
"Listen, I don't know how you're doing this but it would be the best for both of us if you just put me back down," she tried to reason with me.
Yeah, like I was going to listen to her. With another flick of my wrist, I cut out the wind and the girl flopped back on my bed.
"You know what, it's a long story about how and why I got here. Bottom line is, I came here because this looked like the structure The Trials would take place at. This looked to be the biggest building out there and figured that The Trials would happen at a place that looked like a freaking castle. I climbed up that tree outside your window. You should really lock your window at night, by the way. Anyway, when I got in here, I knew this wasn't the place where The Trials would be. So, take me to The Trials or I swear you will regret not doing it," it sounded like she threatened.
"Hm, cute. And you're going to wear that to The Trials?" I mocked, gesturing to her makeshift clothes, "You also do not know who you're messing with," I kneeled on the bed and leaned down so our faces were almost touching. She sucked in a breath and tried to lean away. I reached out and grabbed her upper arms. I was surprised to feel that they weren't as frail as I thought they were. This girl had some muscle. "You are not in any position to be threatening me. Get out of here before I make good on a threat," I said shoving her down on the bed.
~
Kiera
Holy crap. This guy was hot. He had long black hair that swept in his eyes. I wanted to reach out and move it for him. His eyes were silver and matched the bar piercing his right eyebrow. And he was buff. I could see his well defined muscles buldging under his shirt while he pushed me down on his bed.
Too bad he was such an ass. Seems to be a common theme around Nephilim. First Trev, and now this guy, jeez. And damn was he scary. Especially when he got so close to my face and practically spat on me to get out. Yep, I was so not hanging around here any longer.
Moving into my elbows, I fisted his black sheets in my hands. "Fine. Just tell me where The Trial Ceremony is," I demanded easily holding his glare.
His full lips pressed into a thin line that made his dimples more pronounced. Raising the eyebrow with the bar, he said, "What makes you think you will even last in The Trials? Go back to the Gray Sector and stay there. You don't belong here. I'll even call a Guardian to escort you back safely. You wouldn't make it a day in these sectors. Leave now while you still can."
"Yeah? And what's so bad about these sectors, anyway? Why don't you think I could live here?"
"You shouldn't even have to ask those questions. The fact that you are asking them proves that you can't be here," he said, "All of you humans are the same; weak. You all think you know everything about us. Well let me tell you, you don't know the first thing there is to know about us."
He was really getting on my nerves now. How dare he call us weak. Before I could think better of it, I grabbed his wrists and yanked him down on the bed next to me. Shock registered on his face as I jumped and straddled his hips. I leaned close and said, "Don't act like you know me. I am not weak. I am going to The Trials because I do belong here whether you like it or not. And you know what else? I will pro-"
The guy's finger reached up to shush my lips. Angry, I was about to continue talking when a woman's voice asked,
"Declan? Are you talking to someone?" I could hear her footsteps coming up the marble stairs.
Declan lifted me off of him and threw me in his closet. Just before he slammed the door in my face, a beautiful middle aged woman walked in the room. She had the same dark hair as Declan, only longer. Her eyes were the most intense silver I've ever seen. She was wearing a floor length white dress that perfectly hugged her curves. I should've recognized who Declan closely resembled earlier. Everyone knows who the rulers of each sector are.
This woman is Princess Veronica of the White Sector, also known as The First Descendant's wife and Declan's mother.
~
"No one, Mother," Declan lied. He moved to stand in front of the closest I was hiding in. Great, now I couldn't see anything.
"Alright. Your Father and I are about to head out to prepare for The Trials Ceremony. I want you to stay here and do any last minute training you need to do. I know you will perform spectacularly during The Trials, my son," Queen Veronica said and kissed each of Declan's cheeks. I heard her footsteps get more faint as she left the room and headed down hall and down the stairs.
I slowly inched the closet door open to make sure the coast was clear. When I was confident I wouldn't be caught, I opened the door all the way and stepped out. When I looked up to find Declan, he was already watching me. He raised that annoying bar again when I stood there like an idiot.
I cleared my throat trying to stall to give my mind time to think about what to say. You know how I am under pressure. With that said, it's not that hard to guess what came out of my mouth.
"You have a little something," I pointed at my own cheeks, stifling the urge to laugh, "here."
Declan squinted at me and said, "You think this is funny?" He wiped off his mother's lipstick from his face and stalked towards me. This so wasn't funny anymore. He scares the crap out of me. Looming a foot taller than me, Declan bent over to be level with my eyes.
"Get out of here, now!" He spat.
No need to tell me twice. I was climbing out the window faster than he could change his mind about letting me go. I swung one leg over the edge of the windowsill and reached out my hand to grab onto the tree branch. Then, I pulled my other leg through and gripped the branch with both hands. When I was fairly certain I was holding on tight enough, I scooted off the edge of the window and let my legs dangle in the air. My biceps started to scream with resistance of holding all of my weight up.
I've climbed trees many times before. I easily pulled my chin up to the branch and swung my body onto the whole branch. When I was satisfied I wasn't going to fall I crawled forward to the trunk of the tree. That's when I realized something was terribly wrong. The tree branch was cracked along the center and was making a strange moaning sound.
The branch broke completely in half with me still on it. For the second time in two days, I was falling through the air. I knew I would break a few bones or even die this time. Trev wasn't here to save me with his wings now.
A huge gust of wind caught me in its embrace and gently placed me on the ground. It felt unnatural and I remembered Declan doing almost the same thing to me in his bedroom. I stole a peek up at his window and watched as his shadow backed away from the edge.
No time to ponder that event, I sprinted away from The Ward and down the cobblestone streets.
~
Declan
That girl is going to get me in a lot of trouble. I shouldn't have let her go. She should be back in the Gray Sector, not recklessly roaming around here. She's going to get herself killed. Whatever, if she wants to be stupid then by all means I'll let her be.
I looked over at the red numbers on my clock and groaned. I had only fifteen minutes to get to The Trials Ceremony and I wasn't even close to ready. I ran downstairs and shoveled down a quick breakfast. Then I threw on a white button up shirt with white cargo pants. Entrants from the White Sector will all be wearing white. Those from the Black and Blue Sectors will also wear according colors. The Gray Sector, if any even show up, will wear whatever clothes are on their backs.
I jogged all the way to The Trials Ceremony. The building was the size of two football stadiums put together. It never fails to impress me. The black and silver arcs above the dome touch the sky. The huge gold double doors are wide open, welcoming everyone who wishes to partake in the ceremony.
I slowly walked in with my classmates and their families. The entrance had torches along the darkened hallway. We continued down the hallway and into the massive auditorium. The stage on the ground was tiled in gray and wrapped around the far wall. The Descendant's and their Queens of each Sector were seated in a neat row along the back of the stage.
The seats we were meant to take were arranged according to sector. The Blue Sector was on the far left. The Black Sector was on the opposite side of the Blue and the White Sector was in the middle because it was the largest. The Gray Sector had maybe ten seats on the ground in front of the Blue Sector.
I climbed the stairs to the top row of the White Sector and sprawled out on the last seat in the row. This place was packed. So many bouncy, nervous Nephilim and their families were still flooding in here. I spotted my mother on the stage sitting majestically next to my father and raised two fingers to show I acknowledged them. My mother gave a weak smile and my father remained stoic.
The seat next to me thumped as a body sat down in it. I turned my head and smiled at Justine.
"You nervous, Dec?" She asked.
"Me? No, how about you?"
"Of course not. We are the best in our class after all," she winked.
Justine continued to talk, but I wasn't listening anymore. I was too focused on the dirty blond haired girl walking over to the seats in front of the Blue Sector. She caught my eye with her plain gray ones and smiled triumphantly. She's not going to last one day of The Trials. Oh well, not my problem. I tried to warn her but she's being stubborn.
Justine realized I wasn't listening to her and looked in the direction I had been looking. I don't know why I didn't want her to see the girl from my room, I just didn't. I shook my head and said, "It was nothing."
Frowning, Justine raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything. The stadium was now full to capacity with entrants and family members. The Gray Sector had only three entrants.
The First Descendant stood up to address the crowd. He held up a hand to silence the room and everyone settled down. "Let's welcome the Known Family," he said gesturing to the adjoining door to the stage.