was to come the next day. It would
all be okay, he reassured himself. All he had to do was believe in
himself. He had always wished for something more in his life when
he was back at home, and now he had that—and more.
CHAPTER FIVE
Someone shoved him, bringing his mind out of
the deep sleep he had finally fallen into. The morning light filled
his room, bringing with it all the insecurities he had felt the
night before.
“Hey, newbie,” he heard a male voice say.
Blinking a few times to clear his vision, he sat up and saw the boy
from the hallway standing beside his bed, smiling down at him
mockingly. The other boy stood by the door, leaning up against the
wall. “Morning, sunshine,” he said, smiling. Aiden ran his hand
over his face, wondering what time it was. His mouth felt dry, and
his stomach grumbled hungrily.
“We don’t mean to wake you from your beauty
sleep,” said the other boy, “but the High Priest has asked for you.
You’d better start moving faster than that.”
“Yeah, come on, newbie,” said the first boy,
pulling off his covers in one fluid motion. “We were given the task
of being your personal escorts.”
Great, Aiden thought. “Let me just
get washed up quickly,” he said, his voice sounding hoarse. Getting
up from his bed, he headed over to the small bathroom that was off
his room. He could hear the other boys talking while he splashed
cold water on his face.
“If it takes him this long to get going, he
is going to have a hard time managing,” said the quieter boy.
“Ah, it’s newbie’s first day. Give him a
break,” the good-looking one replied. That surprised Aiden, who had
figured he’d be ready to make fun of him at the first
opportunity.
“All right, I’m ready,” Aiden said as he
came back into the room. “I’m Aiden, by the way,” he introduced
himself.
“Nice to meet you, Aiden. I’m Wolf, and this
is Logan.” Aiden nodded his head in both their directions.
“Great, now let’s go,” the one named Logan
said, opening the door to the hall.
Wolf snickered and threw his arm around
Aiden’s shoulders. “Ignore him, newbie. He’s just in a foul mood
today, because he had a little too much to drink last night.” Aiden
smiled. “Didn’t you?” Wolf yelled at Logan.
They watched as Logan’s shoulder’s cringed
at the volume. “Shut up,” he said in a low voice, making Aiden and
Wolf laugh in response.
As they made their way through the streets,
Wolf pointed out all the important buildings to him, including the
taverns, which Aiden doubted he needed to know.
“And that there is Lila’s place.” Wolf
smiled, pointing at a low building with a perfume shop on the main
floor. “She is always up for a good time, if you know what I mean.”
He winked.
“She also happens to be like forty,” Logan
shot back over his shoulder. Aiden looked questioningly at
Wolf.
He shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
“She looks good for her age.” They continued on, until they came
out of a street and into a large open area, which seemed to be in
the middle of the city. Aiden turned his head and saw the palace
behind another large wall.
“Wow,” he said, amazed at the sheer size of
the place.
“That is the King’s palace, if you hadn’t
already figured that out. Nice, isn’t it?” Wolf asked, staring at
the place alongside Aiden.
“It’s huge,” he breathed. Wolf laughed
beside him.
“Aiden!” he heard a girl call out. Turning
around, he saw Elisa running toward the three boys.
“Hey!” he greeted her, happy to see someone
he knew—not that the present company was unwelcoming.
“I went to see you this morning, and you had
already left,” she explained, breathing hard from running. “You’re
going to the sanctuary?” Aiden looked at Wolf, not actually knowing
where they were going.
“Yes, we are taking him there,” he explained
coldly to Elisa. His attitude had completely changed when she
arrived, Aiden noticed. He was so
all be okay, he reassured himself. All he had to do was believe in
himself. He had always wished for something more in his life when
he was back at home, and now he had that—and more.
CHAPTER FIVE
Someone shoved him, bringing his mind out of
the deep sleep he had finally fallen into. The morning light filled
his room, bringing with it all the insecurities he had felt the
night before.
“Hey, newbie,” he heard a male voice say.
Blinking a few times to clear his vision, he sat up and saw the boy
from the hallway standing beside his bed, smiling down at him
mockingly. The other boy stood by the door, leaning up against the
wall. “Morning, sunshine,” he said, smiling. Aiden ran his hand
over his face, wondering what time it was. His mouth felt dry, and
his stomach grumbled hungrily.
“We don’t mean to wake you from your beauty
sleep,” said the other boy, “but the High Priest has asked for you.
You’d better start moving faster than that.”
“Yeah, come on, newbie,” said the first boy,
pulling off his covers in one fluid motion. “We were given the task
of being your personal escorts.”
Great, Aiden thought. “Let me just
get washed up quickly,” he said, his voice sounding hoarse. Getting
up from his bed, he headed over to the small bathroom that was off
his room. He could hear the other boys talking while he splashed
cold water on his face.
“If it takes him this long to get going, he
is going to have a hard time managing,” said the quieter boy.
“Ah, it’s newbie’s first day. Give him a
break,” the good-looking one replied. That surprised Aiden, who had
figured he’d be ready to make fun of him at the first
opportunity.
“All right, I’m ready,” Aiden said as he
came back into the room. “I’m Aiden, by the way,” he introduced
himself.
“Nice to meet you, Aiden. I’m Wolf, and this
is Logan.” Aiden nodded his head in both their directions.
“Great, now let’s go,” the one named Logan
said, opening the door to the hall.
Wolf snickered and threw his arm around
Aiden’s shoulders. “Ignore him, newbie. He’s just in a foul mood
today, because he had a little too much to drink last night.” Aiden
smiled. “Didn’t you?” Wolf yelled at Logan.
They watched as Logan’s shoulder’s cringed
at the volume. “Shut up,” he said in a low voice, making Aiden and
Wolf laugh in response.
As they made their way through the streets,
Wolf pointed out all the important buildings to him, including the
taverns, which Aiden doubted he needed to know.
“And that there is Lila’s place.” Wolf
smiled, pointing at a low building with a perfume shop on the main
floor. “She is always up for a good time, if you know what I mean.”
He winked.
“She also happens to be like forty,” Logan
shot back over his shoulder. Aiden looked questioningly at
Wolf.
He shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
“She looks good for her age.” They continued on, until they came
out of a street and into a large open area, which seemed to be in
the middle of the city. Aiden turned his head and saw the palace
behind another large wall.
“Wow,” he said, amazed at the sheer size of
the place.
“That is the King’s palace, if you hadn’t
already figured that out. Nice, isn’t it?” Wolf asked, staring at
the place alongside Aiden.
“It’s huge,” he breathed. Wolf laughed
beside him.
“Aiden!” he heard a girl call out. Turning
around, he saw Elisa running toward the three boys.
“Hey!” he greeted her, happy to see someone
he knew—not that the present company was unwelcoming.
“I went to see you this morning, and you had
already left,” she explained, breathing hard from running. “You’re
going to the sanctuary?” Aiden looked at Wolf, not actually knowing
where they were going.
“Yes, we are taking him there,” he explained
coldly to Elisa. His attitude had completely changed when she
arrived, Aiden noticed. He was so
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