Chapter 5

The light shining through the gap in the curtains made the room sparkle with sunshine. The curtains were obscure... Then I realised: they’re not my curtains. The room was painted a tasteful cream colour. There were two questions my mind was screaming: “whose house was I in?” and “how did I get there?”

Suddenly the door creaked open and in the doorway stood a girl – that looked a couple years younger than me – who had dark hair like Ace but it had red highlights throughout it. She had a centre parting and iron-flat straight hair. She had hazel sparkling eyes - that were coated in thick black eyeliner - which smiled when she noticed I was awake. She spoke in a soft, warm voice, ‘hi, I’m Electra.’

‘O-K, I’m going to need a little bit more than that. Where am I?’ I asked as I sat up – very- slowly.

‘You’re at my house. Ace carried you in last night saying that he’d explain it when you woke up and how you desperately needed rest but you couldn’t go home.’ Electra shrugged and then added, ‘oh, right! I’m Ace’s sister. We can lend you stuff for a shower and you can borrow my clothes if you want.’

I assumed that was my cue to get up, dressed and downstairs to explain myself. Oh and to find Ace. I took the clothes and wash stuff from Electra; got in the shower, got dried and dressed, bagged up my clothes with the carrier bag that Electra had got me and followed Electra downstairs.

‘Mum, Ryvre’s up.’ Electra sat down comfortably in one of the kitchen chairs. ‘Come sit here, Ryvre.’ I was just looking at them blankly from the doorway feeling a little unwelcomed.

‘Honey, you are welcome here.’ The little brunette curly haired woman turned around to face me. She had the same eyes as Electra. ‘Sit down and have a nice cup of tea.’ I followed the order and began to wonder where Ace went. ‘Ace went to get your boots and return those stupid shoes to your friend.’

‘Yeah,’ I laughed nervously, ‘I tried to tell her but...’

‘You’re a nice person.’ Electra said biting into some toast. I stared at her like she was crazy. ‘Come on, who else would do something they didn’t want to do but they did it for their friend?’

Before I could think of an answer, a boy that looked a year younger than Ace walked in, ‘hey mum,’ he slid into a chair opposite Electra and looked at me, ‘dude, you need to relax. Your air is way too intense.’

‘I’m not a dude.’ I said flatly but inside I was smiling – it was like when I first met Ace. I guessed that he was the brother that Ace had spoken about – the one that can control earth and sense your emotion from the air around you.

‘Yes I am. I’m Taran and your Ryvre.’ The boy smirked.

‘You don’t need to tell Ryvre her own name, stupid.’ Electra interjected. ‘Taran just because every angel can read minds it doesn’t mean that they like it.’

‘Hey she can block it if she wants to.’ Taran shrugged with a slight smile on his face.

I had no idea what they were talking about: “block”. What is that? I’ve never heard that been mentioned before. Taran looked like he was about to say something but just then Ace walked through the front door.

‘Hey, I’m back.’ Ace walked into the kitchen holding my boots. ‘Oh, you’re up! You should be resting.’ Ace handed me my boots and sat down in the chair next to me. ‘Have these two been annoying you?’

‘No,’ my voice sounded a little high, ‘Electra’s been a big help.’ I attempted a smile.

‘You’re such a good liar,’ Taran chuckled, ‘you’re so uncomfortable right now... you need to chill dude.’ He was trying to wind me up.

‘Ah, don’t worry about that he calls everyone dude – he thinks he’s flirting, which he shouldn’t try.’ Ace glared at his brother.

‘He should try to have some respect.’ I mumbled. Electra threw her head back laughing and Ace nudged me as in a “good one” kind of way.

‘Electra, did Ryvre say something?’ Taran asked grumpily. ‘If you heard it I should be allowed to know what she said.’

‘How did you hear what I said?’ I asked Electra, a little scared.

‘I can control electricity so I can control light and sound. One of the perks is that I can hear things from a quite a way away.’ Electra answered with a grin.

‘Mum, when are Hugh and dad coming back?’ Ace asked as he took hold of my hand underneath the table.

‘They should be here in five... four... three... two...’ And then the front door opened and closed. A man who was clearly Ace’s dad and a boy who looked a year older than Ace walked in.

‘Ryvre this is my brother, Hugh, and my dad, Randal.’ Ace made introductions. ‘Hugh; dad, this is Ryvre.’

‘A pleasure, please call me Randy.’ Ace’s dad smiled and then patted his son on his back. Then he strolled over to give a kiss to his wife.

‘What can Hugh and your parents do?’ I asked even more scared as I was unaware of their powers and their strengths.

‘My dad can create force fields and is really good at telekinesis. My mum, Sonia can sense when things are going to happen in a room – like a shift in energy – all the time.’ Ace explained.

‘That’s why I’ve never gotten away with manipulating her mind – she knows when I’m about to do it.’ Hugh laughed with everyone else.

Ace said, from looking at my expression, ‘Hugh can manipulate your mind into thinking stuff he wants you to think.’

‘I do that by controlling your nerves in your brain and I can even cause pain because I have access to control your nerves.’ Hugh said, smugly.

‘So,’ I swallowed harshly, ‘you can... kill someone from inside their brain?’

‘No,’ Hugh answered with a smile, ‘that could kill me with the amount of power it would drain from me but I can cause enough pain to make you want to die.’ I was now officially scared.

‘The air around you says you’re scared.’ Taran pointed out. ‘You don’t need to be. We’re not black-souls. Mum, dad and Hugh belong to the white-soul dynasty. Ace, Electra and I are broken angels and we all plan on joining the white-soul dynasty when we turn eighteen.’

‘I told you that before.’ Ace squeezed my arm gently. ‘Ryvre’s also a broken angel.’

‘You’ll join the same year as Ace! That’s so cool!’ Electra clasped her hands in delight.

‘Wait, what’s the white-soul dynasty?’ I asked, confused. ‘What did Taran mean when he said “block” earlier?’

‘Ryvre, you should know what all of that is,’ Randy frowned, ‘your parents haven’t taught you well at all.’

My mind flashed back as far as it could. The only memory I had was when Scotia and Seth were driving me home. I shook my head and whispered, ‘I was adopted.’

‘That would explain it.’ Randy nodded in realisation. ‘So how do you know about angels then, if your parents don’t?’

‘My- I mean Scotia and Seth are angels but they’ve never taught me about that. They’ve explained to me about black-souls, white-souls and broken angels. I had to learn about twin-souls through a book that I had with me. I’ve never heard of anything more... It’s only recently that I’ve learnt how to use my power...’ I explained worried that I was learning something that I shouldn’t know.

‘What is your power?’ Hugh asked, politely.

‘I can control water and freeze it. I can also freeze your mind – so it’s like time’s frozen but it’s not.’ I tried my best to explain.

‘That’s awsome!’ Electra’s eyes sparked up.

‘Well, we can sort out what and why you don’t know certain things later, but for now, let’s listen to what Ace has to say.’ Sonia suggested.

‘Ryvre, if you don’t believe me then I can prove to you that twin-souls exist... just look at my mum and dad,’ Ace told me and the announced, ‘everyone this is Ryvre Storm and she is my twin.’

‘So that’s why you were desperate for me to let her have my room.’ Electra giggled. ‘How did you both meet?’

Ace, then, explained how we met in English, how we found out that we were angels and then he explained about the party which made me shudder. ‘It’s alright Ryvre. We’re going to deal with Sean.’

‘How did I end up at your house? I remember walking to your car but I can’t remember actually being in it.’ I felt like I wanted to hide.

‘The shock caused you to pass out and you had like zip energy left as you tried to fight the drug so I put you in the car and thought that I couldn’t take you to your house like that so I brought you here and sent a text from your phone telling Scotia and Seth that you were staying over at Georgia’s house.’ Ace explained as he rubbed my arm in a comforting way.

‘You’re pretty strong aren’t you Ryvre?’ Taran said, impressed.

‘I don’t know, am I?’ I asked doubtfully. Then I remembered how I revealed Talia’s secret which it was none of my business. ‘I’ve got to apologise to Talia.’

‘Don’t worry about that now.’ Ace pushed my hair back out of my face. ‘It’s Sunday, you should just have time to relax.’

‘I’ve got work. Hugh, can you drop me off before you go to the agency?’ Electra pointed out.

‘Where do both work?’ I asked.

‘Electra works at the local radio station and she sets up the electrical equipment and everything.’ Hugh answered. ‘I’m a secret agent so I can’t tell you where I work and I can’t tell you much more.’

Hugh and Electra got up from the table, said goodbye and left to go to work. Taran was looking at me, Ace had his arm around my waist and Sonia was washing up.

‘Ryvre, I think after brunch, we should go to the white-soul dynasty and teach you about the stuff that you don’t know.’ Randy suggested as he sipped his coffee.

‘Erm... I’m not so sure,’ I tried to find my voice, ‘but thank you for letting me stay here – my parents would have killed me if they saw me last night – and thank you for the breakfast and everything... and it was nice to meet you all,’ I was trying to be polite and get out of there fast, ‘but I think it’s probably best if I go home now... I...err...’

‘Ryvre, it’s alright.’ Ace held me closer to him.

‘What’s the matter, dear?’ Sonia burrowed her eyebrows in worry. ‘Can we help?’

‘Ryvre just has a hard time trusting people. But you can trust us, Ryvre, I mean, you trust me, right?’ I nodded in reply. ‘Well then, if you trust me then you can trust my family.’ Ace smiled reassuringly and when I smiled in return, his smile grew into “Ryvre’s Smile”.

‘Ace, go get your school report,’ Sonia ordered and Ace, willing to do anything for his mother, did as he was told. Sonia sat down leaning across the table, ‘he really loves you, you know.’

‘Sorry?’ Her sentence took me by surprise.

‘Ace is in love with you – and not just because of the twin-soul jurisprudence.’ Sonia elaborated. ‘And it’s easy to see that you feel the same about him... but... it’s also easy to see that you have doubts and fears.’

‘I guess I really am an open book.’ I muttered to myself.

‘Does something haunt you?’ Taran finally spoke.

‘No.’

‘Can you not unlock your full potential?’ Sonia stared right into my eyes. ‘You are afraid...’ her eyes shifted left and right but they never fell out of lock with mine, ‘you are afraid of the... consequences... of using your full power.’ What was this? Did I have it written all over my face? ‘Don’t worry, dear, we’re going to help you.’

The fact that Ace’s family wanted to help so badly made me start to trust them. ‘Thank you.’ I said quietly.

Ace walked back in, placed a piece of paper on to the table and wrapped his arms around me. ‘See mum? I told you I’m doing okay.’

‘Yes but not in English... science – you could do a little better.’ Sonia teased her beloved son. ‘What lessons do you share with Ryvre?’

I decided to answer, so it looked like I was making an effort. ‘We share maths, French, science and English.’

‘That explains it.’ Sonia nodded as if she figured out an answer to a question that no one asked. ‘Ace... You need to focus more.’

‘Sorry mum, it’s just... distracting,’ Ace glanced at me, ‘and I’m being tutored in English.’

‘Okay but if you really care for Ryvre you’ll want to make sure you both get the grades you need.’ Sonia was trying to suppress a smile.

‘Need for what, exactly?’ I slightly raised my hand.

‘You need good grades to get a glowing recommendation in the dynasty so you can have more uses and work in the department you would like to work in.’ Sonia explained but it was still confusing for me.

‘So... would it become a problem if I want to drop science?’ I asked, considering the idea and then bracing myself for the disappointing response.

‘No; it does not matter what you choose to study.’ Sonia tilted her head in a “why do you not know this?” kind of way.

‘I hate science too.’ Ace chimed in. ‘Mum, please can I drop it after this term? We still haven’t found a solution yet.’

‘Why did you choose it, if you hate it?’ I asked, curiously. ‘What solution?’

‘We thought it was a good way to find a solution – a sort of way – to control the fire that I release when I am angry. I have learnt to control it now but only to a certain extent.’ Ace placed his hands on my shoulders. ‘Mum, maybe now, that I have found Ryvre, it will be easier to control?’

‘Or it would be just another reason for you to add fuel to burn.’ Randy spooked me by suddenly talking. I felt a little unwelcome. ‘Ryvre may be used as a weakness against you, Ace, and we know how angry you would get if someone...’ he looked at me and replaced the word for, ‘upset her.’

‘I’m going to drop science and take Sport and Physical Education.’ Ace threw his hand up in a “and that’s final” sort of way. ‘Why did you take it, Ryvre, if you hate it?’

‘Scotia and Seth made me.’ Now that I thought about it: ‘I don’t know why? I’m no good at it. I’m good at maths but... I didn’t want to take it. The only things that I’m taking that I actually wanted to take are French, psychology and English.’

‘So why don’t you just switch?’ Ace asked.

‘Scotia and Seth won’t...’ My voice trailed off. I really did need to discuss this with them.