her
cheeks flushed. I can tell she wants to feel more comfortable
around me, but she still reeks of fear. I can't figure out what's
so terrifying.
"They are boy's jeans," Deidra says petulantly.
I am embarrassed by this fact, and I keep my
mouth shut.
"Boyfriend jeans are fairly popular. No one
will notice," Marion says defensively.
My heart is beating so fast, I can barely
breathe. My throat still hurts, but the pain has lessened
considerably. With each new step, I feel my hands shake, and I
clasp them as tightly as I can to hide the problem. But the imp
notices. She is more observant than I'd like to admit.
"They need you trained as quickly as
possible. I don't think they'd throw you to the wolves this quickly
if they didn't," Deidra says sympathetically. Marion slaps Deidra
on the back.
"You aren't helping her any."
"Well, she needs to know," Deidra argues.
We are almost to the main building, having
left a large cottage behind us. The Chateau before us is huge,
grey-white stone and impressive. We are surrounded by gardens and
low stone walls. I pause on the lawn.
"The wolves?" I ask. Deidra's words make me
nervous.
Marion sighs.
"You are the daughter of Enepsigos. She is
one of the most powerful Demons in existence. You are going to be
automatically disliked."
Her words are blunt but soft. I just stare,
my cheeks heating. Deidra slips her hand into mine. I am too
ashamed to pull away.
"It's not you, Emma. Don't take it
personally. Demons, even hybrids, are power hungry. No matter how
much we want to pretend we aren't, we are. Other than the gargoyles
training us, there is not a single student here that doesn't have a
Demonic parent. You won't be judged for that."
"Then why the dislike?" I ask.
"Because they will be jealous," Marion
answers.
I am at a loss for words. I don't feel
powerful. I don't even feel like a Demon. I feel scared. I feel
lonely. I feel like crying. But I don't. I don't cry because tears
won't help anything, and they will be tinged with blood. Crying is
something I have to learn to control. Crying is something I have to
learn to do without.
"Come," Marion says. "You need to eat. We all
do. What you do after that will depend on your Guardian."
We walk slowly again, my feet dragging as the
door of the Acropolis draws nearer.
"My Guardian?" I ask.
Deidra's hand is still in mine, and she tugs
on it gently.
"We all have one. It's a gargoyle assigned to
make sure we don't lose control."
"That's not entirely true, Deidra," Marion
says firmly. She stops at the door, her hand resting on the wood as
she turns to face me.
"As Guardians, a gargoyle's first duty is to
protect the innocent, the defenseless. We stand between evil and
those evil attempts to harm." Marion is stoic, her voice even. Her
words sound memorized. "But, at the Acropolis, the Guardians
assigned to the students here are given two objectives: Guard and
judge."
The word "judge" sends chills down my
spine.
"Judge?"
Deidra snorts.
"As the children of Demons and mortals, we
are given leniency. We aren't killed because one of our parents is
human, innocent. It means we have the capacity for good. But only
the capacity. If we prove to be one of the so called "good"
hybrids, we are assigned a job among the gargoyles or another group
that protects humankind," Deidra says dryly.
I know the answer to my next question, but I
ask it anyway.
"And if we fail?"
Marion pushes the door open, her face solemn
as she gestures to the hall beyond.
"Some of us won't make it out of the
Acropolis," Deidra answers, her hand slipping from mine as she
steals into the Chateau. I don't move, my eyes blank. My body is
tight with fear, more fear than I have ever felt before in my life.
I am being faced with Demons both figuratively and literally, and I
am afraid of failure.
"You are a good person, Emma. You have
nothing to worry about."
I hear Marion's voice, but I don't
acknowledge it. I can't quit thinking about what I've already done.
I have
cheeks flushed. I can tell she wants to feel more comfortable
around me, but she still reeks of fear. I can't figure out what's
so terrifying.
"They are boy's jeans," Deidra says petulantly.
I am embarrassed by this fact, and I keep my
mouth shut.
"Boyfriend jeans are fairly popular. No one
will notice," Marion says defensively.
My heart is beating so fast, I can barely
breathe. My throat still hurts, but the pain has lessened
considerably. With each new step, I feel my hands shake, and I
clasp them as tightly as I can to hide the problem. But the imp
notices. She is more observant than I'd like to admit.
"They need you trained as quickly as
possible. I don't think they'd throw you to the wolves this quickly
if they didn't," Deidra says sympathetically. Marion slaps Deidra
on the back.
"You aren't helping her any."
"Well, she needs to know," Deidra argues.
We are almost to the main building, having
left a large cottage behind us. The Chateau before us is huge,
grey-white stone and impressive. We are surrounded by gardens and
low stone walls. I pause on the lawn.
"The wolves?" I ask. Deidra's words make me
nervous.
Marion sighs.
"You are the daughter of Enepsigos. She is
one of the most powerful Demons in existence. You are going to be
automatically disliked."
Her words are blunt but soft. I just stare,
my cheeks heating. Deidra slips her hand into mine. I am too
ashamed to pull away.
"It's not you, Emma. Don't take it
personally. Demons, even hybrids, are power hungry. No matter how
much we want to pretend we aren't, we are. Other than the gargoyles
training us, there is not a single student here that doesn't have a
Demonic parent. You won't be judged for that."
"Then why the dislike?" I ask.
"Because they will be jealous," Marion
answers.
I am at a loss for words. I don't feel
powerful. I don't even feel like a Demon. I feel scared. I feel
lonely. I feel like crying. But I don't. I don't cry because tears
won't help anything, and they will be tinged with blood. Crying is
something I have to learn to control. Crying is something I have to
learn to do without.
"Come," Marion says. "You need to eat. We all
do. What you do after that will depend on your Guardian."
We walk slowly again, my feet dragging as the
door of the Acropolis draws nearer.
"My Guardian?" I ask.
Deidra's hand is still in mine, and she tugs
on it gently.
"We all have one. It's a gargoyle assigned to
make sure we don't lose control."
"That's not entirely true, Deidra," Marion
says firmly. She stops at the door, her hand resting on the wood as
she turns to face me.
"As Guardians, a gargoyle's first duty is to
protect the innocent, the defenseless. We stand between evil and
those evil attempts to harm." Marion is stoic, her voice even. Her
words sound memorized. "But, at the Acropolis, the Guardians
assigned to the students here are given two objectives: Guard and
judge."
The word "judge" sends chills down my
spine.
"Judge?"
Deidra snorts.
"As the children of Demons and mortals, we
are given leniency. We aren't killed because one of our parents is
human, innocent. It means we have the capacity for good. But only
the capacity. If we prove to be one of the so called "good"
hybrids, we are assigned a job among the gargoyles or another group
that protects humankind," Deidra says dryly.
I know the answer to my next question, but I
ask it anyway.
"And if we fail?"
Marion pushes the door open, her face solemn
as she gestures to the hall beyond.
"Some of us won't make it out of the
Acropolis," Deidra answers, her hand slipping from mine as she
steals into the Chateau. I don't move, my eyes blank. My body is
tight with fear, more fear than I have ever felt before in my life.
I am being faced with Demons both figuratively and literally, and I
am afraid of failure.
"You are a good person, Emma. You have
nothing to worry about."
I hear Marion's voice, but I don't
acknowledge it. I can't quit thinking about what I've already done.
I have
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