Chapter 4

The next morning the little green Volkswagen pulled up outside of the school gates, the only difference to the day before was that this time the car's arrival didn't go unnoticed. Standing there by the gates, there was a red headed boy waiting for the passenger to be released from the confinements of the car. Xandria pushed opened the door and swung her legs out so that they touched the pavement before leaning back slightly so that he mum could peck her on the cheek. Xandria's mum held her back though from getting out of the car when she spotted Colton. She felt bad because the boy seemed to want to genuinely be friends with Xandria, and that's all she had ever wanted for her daughter but, some things were more important than a person's wants.

"Your friend is waiting," she whispered in her daughter's ear and felt guilty when her young face lit up, she kissed her again on the side of the head before pushing her lightly towards the door. "Just be careful, you have a job to do and you don't want innocents to get hurt." Her heart broke just a little bit as her daughter froze, her back ramrod straight as she paused on the threshold of the car before her whole body sagged and she nodded just enough for her to notice before her little blonde head disappeared out of the car. She watched through the window as her daughter approached the boy, her whole face lighting up when he linked arms with her and started talking animatedly. Xandria had never had a friend, not a true one anyway and she couldn't help but feel that she was holding her back by reminding her of her destiny, but there was nothing that could be done. "I'm sorry my little girl but this is how it has to be." Her voice was soft but weighed with so much sadness that it brought a solitary tear to the woman's eye before she turned the key in the ignition and drove away.

Xandria listened to Colton's chatter with much amusement, he was recounting how he had helped his dad do some chores the previous day but they ended up having a Laurel and Hardy moment with the ladder. When his dad turned whilst holding a ladder Colton was knocked to the ground and now he had a rather large bump on his head. Xandria had no idea who Laurel and Hardy were but, wanting to seem normal and not like an idiot, she just nodded along in acceptance but the image his descriptions invoked made a smile appear across her face.

"It's not funny," Colton protested before grasping her hand and laying it on his forehead when there was a rather large reddish purple bruise. "See it's huge." He stared at her wide eyed waiting for her to say something but all she could do was press her lips together to keep the smile from returning to her face.

"Oh no, you poor baby," she crooned moving her hand up to pat his flaming red hair. Colton was appeased by this nodding at her fake sympathy and started towards his friends before he glanced over at her in mock hurt.

"Hey, say it like you mean it, don't make fun of me!" He pouted his lip out like a kid and refused to walk any further so that Xandria was forced to stop too because he was still holding onto her arm. She rolled her eyes behind her glasses.

"I'm sorry Colton," she replied, her face twitching as she tried to keep her face serious but her lips kept  quirking up at the corners.

He nodded his head in assent before continuing through the bustle of students until he reached his friends who were huddled around a bench on the far side of the playground. Several student shot envious glances towards them before they drew their attention back to their friends. Colton shook his head at this, he never quite understood with the other students felt so envious of them, it's not like there was anything special about their group, not that they could tell anyway. He led Xandria to the bench and helped her sit down next to one of the girls. She had at least spoken a few words to Xandria the day before but, because everyone else didn't want a newcomer, she did as she was told and turned her back on the new addition to the group.

Colton shook his head in disgust at the fellow members of the group and was glad for the fact that Xandria couldn't see his friends acting this way, especially Emily who had shown Xandria kindness before. He sat down on the concrete at Xandria's feet and chatted about inane things such as anecdotes of his family gatherings and how he and his friends met, being careful to omit the most important detail of the lot, what made them so different from everyone else.

They sat closely together for a while before there was a lull in conversation and the words of the rest of the group reached their ears.

"...is Simon? I haven't heard from him in days." A squeaky high pitched voice questioned and Colton who had been wondering the same thing, turned and faced Simon's little sister who suddenly got teary eyed as she ducked her head so that her black locks of hair fell in front of her face.

"He's sick; no one knows what is wrong or how to deal with it. One day he was fine and was his normal happy self and now he is on the border of dying. None of the doctors knew what to do with him; they've placed him in quarantine as a precaution."

Xandria's head snapped around and she stared in the general direction of the snivelling. "What are his symptoms?" she asked her, her tone of voice authoritative so that the poor girl blanched and immediately tried to answer her but, it came out in a spluttered stutter. "Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself." Xandria told her patiently, her voice changing to soft and soothing with a lilt in her words that made everyone close by relax instantly. It reminded Colton of how his mum always talked to him when he was a child and had gotten upset over something. She waited until the girl had stopped hyperventilating before she spoke again. "Okay, can you tell me what his symptoms are and when they started?"

Simon's sister Lila nodded in acceptance as one of the boys wrapped his arms around her in comfort before realising her mistake, and she started blushing red as she answered her. "Okay, well first he came up with a rash but it was unlike anything I have ever seen, it appeared only over his heart and it was black, like it had been drawn on with ink. Over the next day Simon started getting weaker and his whole attitude changed. It was like someone was stealing all of the light and life right out of him." Lila's voice quivered at the end but Xandria was too deep in thought to notice. She pulled off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose as she tried to think of why it sounded familiar.

"Ah crap," she groaned after a minute or two which startled those closest to her, all of them having fallen into morose thoughts during the silence as the critical state of their friend drew them into despondency.

"What?" Colton asked as he spun around on his knees to face her, his hands reaching up to cradle her face so that he could look into his eyes as she answered him. When Xandria got the flash, she was startled to be as close to him as she was, her eyes staring straight into his bright green eyes. Colton noticed the change because her eyes when from unfocused to staring straight at him with recognition. He wanted to question it but he was more intent on knowing what she knew about Simon's condition. "What do you know?" He asked her, his voice showing desperation as he barely resisted the urge to grasp her shoulders and shake her slightly so that she would hurry up and answer his question.

Her eyes moved covertly over the top of his head and she noticed the rest of them were staring at her intently too. She sighed; it was too complex to explain, especially to those who weren't part of the covenant. "I know that this isn't an ordinary disease and I know that it is just the beginning. I just can't believe it's started already, I thought I had longer." The last bit was said under her breath but Colton heard it loud and clear.

"What do you mean, you thought you had longer?" He released his hands from her face and watching as her eyes became unfocused once more. "Does this have something to do with you?" His voice raised in volume so that it drew attention from other students who were passing by. He sent them all apologetic looks before turning his attention back to the girl before him. Her head was hung low and he noticed she had replaced her sunglasses.

"Yes and no but unless you or your friends are the ones I am looking for then I am afraid I cannot tell you. Just know this, unless stopped, this..." she paused trying to think of the right words to say, "This darkness is only going to get worse. We may still be able to save your friend. Take my phone from my bag and call my mum and then inform her of the situation. After lunch we're heading over to see Simon and hopefully we can save him before it's too late."

Colton opened his mouth to question her further but the bell rang for form period so he pulled Xandria up from the bench making sure he took her phone from her bag as she had told him and then guided her to their class. The two of them set the whole mood for that class and even the teacher was wary to approach the two of them as if sensing that there was something important on their minds as they brooded together. Colton spent a good ten minutes wording a text to Xandria's mum whilst the owner of the phone drummed her fingers over and over on the table as her mind raced a mile a minute.

"Colton?" Xandria began after a minute or two her voice cracking slightly at the possibility. He lifted his head from the phone as he pressed send and turned to face her.

"Yeah?" he asked as he pressed the send button on the phone.

"How many people are in your group normally, including Simon?" Her voice shook as she questioned him but it took everything in her will not to turn in his direction and grab whatever part of him she could reach and shake until he spat out the answer. Desperation and hysteria bubbling through her blood as she prayed his answer was different but all illusions that she was wrong melted away when with a puzzled frown he glanced over his shoulder into the crowded halls before turning back to face her.

"Including me there is usually eight of us, nine if you include you." Xandria's whole body sagged and she brought a hand up to her face feeling suddenly tired. This couldn't be happening. She now knew that the chosen was one of the members of the  group because the chosen always had 7 close followers, his disciples, his friends but that they are already being targeted means that evil knew too. "Why? What's wrong Xandria?" Colton asked bringing her from her thoughts as he reached up and tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ears before cupping her cheek.

At first Xandria looked anywhere but at him but finally she found her resolve and setting her gaze upon him, grateful for his touch so that she could see him as she spoke. "You and your friends are in danger. I can't explain it, but just trust me. You and your friends should always stay in pairs, they should never be alone, even you." Her voice was strong and gave no room for arguments so Colton, who was startled but the sudden change in her demeanour, just nodded and rubbed his thumb across her cheek before letting go. The phone beeped a moment later before the second bell which told them that they were late to class. Xandria wasn't particularly bothered by this and instead asked him what her mum had said.

"It's not your mum, it's someone called Caliban. He says the nest is ready to come and help baby bird." Colton's voice was puzzled but the message brought a smile to Xandria's lips. Caliban had always been a paranoid sod, texting her in code which she always thought was stupid because she couldn't even read it so she had to get her mum to do it for her but, she conceded that this his paranoia paid off. Colton did not need to know about the covenant, at least not until she knew who he really was.

"Can you message him back, No nest, mama bird has already flown the coop." Xandria smiled as she tried to imagine what Caliban's reaction to that message would be, especially because she had replied so soon but she shook her head at the thought and instead tapped Colton lightly on his arm. "We need to get to class." She reminded him softly, surprised to feel his bare arm under her fingers when she was expecting the feeling of soft cotton from his blazer.

"Yeah I suppose. Come on, your mum sent a message saying she will pick us all up at lunch and that Magpie will be there." Colton looked even more perturbed as he recounted the text messages. What is with the coded messages? Is Xandria is some kind of trouble?

Xandria on the other hand smiled at her mother's choice of help, Magpie was a little on the kooky side but she was a wise woman who knew a lot of the covenants history and would no doubt, be of great help in this grave matter. Somehow though, Xandria got the impression that she was going to have to join in too.

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