Blood Oath (A Gabby Girls Adventure Novel, Book Two) (25 page)

She pointed to a red-faced
Neophyte
. The
Neophyte
looked at her, startled.

"The Conclave of Euros controls the element of air. The Conclave of Noteos controls the element of fire. The Conclave of Zephyros controls the element of water and the Conclave of Boreus controls the element of earth," she stammered.

Aceso smiled proudly. "Tatiana, that’s correct."

She looked around the class like a hawk. "Now, let’s talk
Elementi
. The
Elementi
created the first
Eternals
centuries ago by granting favored
Normals
supernatural gifts and powers in exchange for their service as protectors and Guardians of the Gates." She looked around the class quickly. "The first
Eternals
vowed their service and loyalty to them via a blood oath, and there was relative peace in our world for centuries, until…?"

An NA blurted out, "Some high-ranking
Eternals
started to grumble about serving the
Elementi
, and that’s when the fighting started."

She gave them a penetrating stare. "Correct, that’s when the
Eternal
war began. What are these rebels called?"

"The
Banished
," an NC shouted proudly.

Aceso responded quickly, "That’s correct. Their unfortunate alliance with the Underworld only makes our duty of keeping the balance of this planet even harder. Hunting down
Daemons
and the
Banished
is a nasty business."

I blinked quickly because of how easy the words "hunting down" rolled off her tongue—it was like she was talking about going to the mall and picking up some super cute skinny jeans. Like, no biggie.

I raised my hand cautiously. "Um—hunting down? You do mean kill, right?"

She gave me real cold glare. "Yes, sometimes, but war is a very nasty business,
Neophytes
. And death is inevitable, but you all will learn that soon enough."

I looked back at her with wide eyes.
Whoa—Eternals are hard-core.

Aceso cleared her throat and smiled warmly. "Class, my duty as your professor is to prepare you for your new path. There is no time to test the waters in our world; we push you in. Those that swim, great, and those that don’t…" She paused and arched her well-shaped eyebrow delicately. "So, let’s continue. Now, who can tell me the name of the leader of the rebelling
Eternals
?"

She quickly stepped off the platform and walked over to tap Dylan’s shoulder gently.

He turned three shades of red as he fiddled with his book nervously. "Pallas."

My breath caught in my throat. It was as if, just by the mere mention of his name, my body went into instant panic and flight mode.

Aceso walked calmly behind me and touched my shoulder. I felt a warm oozing feeling spread through my chest, then the rest of my body, soothing me. She strolled away as if nothing had happened between us.

"Correct, Pallas. Before his fall, he was a very respected and powerful
Eternal
." She smiled sadly. "The war was a long and bloody one, but ultimately ended with Pallas and his Warriors defeated." She nodded at Brooklyn. "What was their punishment?"

Brooklyn scratched her head before answering, "As punishment for their betrayal, the
Elementi
stripped the rebelling
Eternals
of their gifts and powers, then cast them to the Underworld for eternity."

She walked to the front of the class and looked at them shrewdly. "Regardless of what others might like to believe—we need the
Elementi
. This is a fact! And someday, you might even decide to take an
Elementi
as a mate, but that’s your choice. It’s all about free choice."

I sat up attentively. Was she actually talking about sex?

There were snickers and embarrassed looks on almost everyone’s face at the word "mate." It was like it was some sort of dirty code word.

She looked over at the clock sharply. "Okay, it’s coming to the end of class. Let’s talk homework."

Everyone groaned.

She sighed. "Like I said, homework, read chapters five through ten of
Eternals vs. The Banished
then summarize. Then read chapters one through ten of
Goddesses and You
and focus on the law-and-order goddesses. Now, class is dismissed."

She smiled warmly. "
Neophytes
Jessica, Gabrielle, Zora, and Rosalinda, you wait here." She walked over and handed us each a heavy piece of paper. "Here are your assigned mentors. Now scoot!"

We quickly walked out of the building and stopped in the middle of the crowded C-Yard as
Neophytes
milled around us in the rush to get to their next class.

Anxious, I looked at my paper, in a flash reading it.

Circle Mentor—Veda

Ares Mentor—Chaos

I gulped nervously. "Wait, what?"

Brooklyn looked over my shoulder, reading it quickly. "Oh, you’re so lucky. You got Chaos!"

I looked at her glumly. How in the world had I gotten stuck with him? It was going to be real cool having Veda as a mentor, but Chaos? He absolutely hated me.

Brooklyn looked at me like I was crazy. "Wait, you’re not excited about having Chaos as your mentor? I mean, he’s the
número uno Ares
. Seems like a win-win situation to me, staring into his gorgeous gray eyes as he shows some moves." She grinned.

I pumped my hand in the air with fake enthusiasm. "Um, yay."

Brooklyn rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we’ve got a break right now. You want to grab something to eat or just hang?"

Jessica looked at her watch. "Thanks, but I’m meeting my grandmother. Catch you later." She rushed off across the courtyard.

I looked over and saw a very familiar person striding quickly toward me. It was Grandma Celeste. "You guys go ahead. I’ll see you later." I ran excitedly over to her.

Grandma Celeste smiled warmly, her eyes twinkling with humor.

"Good order, justice, and peace."

"Good order, justice, and peace," I responded happily.

She chuckled huskily, pulling me into a big bear hug. "That’s very good,
Neophyte
. So, tell me, how’s the birthday girl?"

I hugged her back tightly. "Great now that you’re here. I missed you, like, a whole lot." I paused, looking at her with hurt eyes. "I mean, I saw you last night, but you didn’t even talk to me at all."

She sighed, giving me another big squeeze. "I missed you too.

More than you’ll ever know." She ruffled my hair. "Let’s take a walk and catch up a bit?"

It was a very sunny day, the birds were chirping, and students were milling around in clusters or just hanging out. We walked across the expansive courtyard, into the lushly green garden as a huge fountain splashed water deliciously. We weaved our way through the labyrinth of green-hedged pathways, passing a group of
Neophytes
.

They quickly stopped talking as we approached. "Good order, justice, and peace,
Circle
Celeste."

She smiled warmly. "Good order, justice, and peace to you,
Neophytes
." She looked over at one of them curiously. "Tabitha, how is your training progressing? Did that hold I taught you work in the match?" she asked.

"Absolutely, I pulverized him. I won, score five to one," Tabitha gushed.

Grandma Celeste laughed. "That’s good. Keep practicing, because I’m sure he’s waiting for a rematch. See you later,
Neophytes
."

We continued walking slowly through the gardens in a comfortable silence. Everyone waved or nodded at her respectfully.

I smiled at her proudly. "Wow. How do you know everyone?"

"I come here quite often. Plus, I was a
Circle
professor years ago, but retired when I left to come back to raise you. But they ask me to teach special classes from time to time, which I’m always happy to do."

She stopped at a secluded area surrounded by lush trees.

"Let’s sit here; it has always been my favorite spot. I found it eons ago, when I was just a
Neophyte
like you." She looked around with appreciation. "I can’t count the number of times that I would come here just get to get away or just to keep my sanity."

She chuckled warmly. "So tell me, what did you think about the meeting and then the ceremony last night?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

I huffed with frustration. "Honestly, I’m just so confused right now. Everything seems to be just a black hole of a whole lot of crazy."

She looked at me quickly before ruffling my hair.

"First, let’s start with the fact that the
Eternal
Council meeting was not typical. Let’s just say that everyone is a bit rattled after the attack on Vineswell and there are very big decisions that the
Eternals
have to make." She frowned unhappily. "And that ridiculous rule of not allowing
Neophytes
to attend meetings, it’s just simply ridiculous given the fact that the upcoming voting affects the
Neophytes
in a very big way."

"What was that all about anyway? The twin queens looked really pissed at each other."

Celeste shook her head with dismay. "There is an uprising brewing that is about to turn everything as we know it upside down. In a nutshell, some members of the council want to change our relationship with the
Elementi
. And they want to change our strategy for fighting the
Banished
and
Daemons
. The big problem is that the twin queens are our balance of reign in the
Circles
, and now I sense a shift in their relationship that will ultimately tear them, and us, apart."

Something about her statement made me very anxious.

"So what’s going to happen? This voting thing seems like a real big deal."

"Put it this way, in all my years as a
Circle
, I have never seen anything of this kind. That’s why it’s so important that I stay here to organize it, to ensure that it is done honestly and fairly."

She looked at me solemn expression. "Never mind all that dull business. Did they tell you who your mentors are?" She smiled. "Oh, I remember when I was a
Neophyte
. I was so nervous about working with my mentors, especially with my
Ares
mentor. So I walked into the Warrior training hall, ready to prove to him that I belonged and that I was worthy, and at our first sparring, he took me to task. That night I went to bed battered and bruised, but not just my body, my pride. But in time, I earned his respect, and now he and I are very close."

"Veda and Chaos," I blurted.

She smiled mysteriously. "Excellent! They have very strong skills, and both of them are next in line for leadership positions. Veda will make high priestess very soon, and Chaos will someday be the leader of the
Ares
. You are very lucky to be selected as their choice."

"I thought this was a random pick. You mean I was chosen?" My voice squeaked with apprehension.

"The reincarnation ignited a chain of reactions by the gods. You, the Akasha, are very important to them, and your protection is of the utmost importance, hence the Rite of Spirit ceremony. Goddess Ananke was sent to find and mark your Guardian bonds. That’s where Veda and Chaos come into the picture. Somehow your spirit is marked with a connection to them. The Guardian bond between you and Veda and you and Chaos has been deemed very important by the gods."

"So these Guardians are way more important than just mentors?"

"Yes. This Guardian bond is a commitment for life."

I gasped, "Wait, I’m stuck with them, like, forever?" Forever? I mean, I felt sick just knowing how deep this unbreakable commitment was. I could only imagine how they felt.

She paused. "There is also another. There are three Guardians marked by the gods: one
Ares
Warrior, that’s Chaos; one
Circle
Warrior, which is Veda; and another has been marked, an
Elementi
. He or she shall be revealed soon enough."