Blooming Life (Fate's Intent Book 10) (12 page)

Chapter 22

Seth

The days were passing. I’ve done just about everyone’s clothes and put together the new uniforms. They were waiting on forms in my room to be presented and I was becoming bored of this wait. Dirk wasn’t helping. He always seemed to have something to complain about and through it, we could tell that his voice was deepening. It was funny at times but he didn’t much appreciate the joking. He trained with his fire with me being more involved in the chase for a bit but then he started to seclude himself in his room when the week’s wait was almost at its end and sleeping more hours than what was truly necessary.

Another breakfast came and Darius asked the same question he always seemed to when he arrived.

“Where’s Dirk?”

And our answer. “Still asleep.”

It was always the same but on this day, Darius turned before sitting in his chair and left out the door he just came in.

“Good luck with that.” Bryce said, probably assuming he was going to get him up. “Heavy sleeper.”

“Is that a normal thing?” I asked.

My father looked up, attentive to my question. “Sleeping all the time?”

“A side effect of puberty.”

He shrugged. “It’s different for everyone. Dirk has probably started it months ago because the changes are starting to be more noticeable. It can make one tired and you grow more when you sleep.”

“Well, I don’t feel tired.” Bryce said. It was more in a grumbling way for himself to hear.

Troy laughed. “Don’t worry. It will happen eventually. We were all twelve and it’s near impossible to pinpoint an exact day. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you two had already started.”

“How would we know?” I asked.

“It’s not really a detailed conversation for mealtime.” My father said. “But as some quick advice next time you shower, look for a difference in size or hair you might not have noticed before. Everything usually starts internally first and you won’t notice until you can start to see the little changes.”

A loud grumbling voice stopped any question I would have asked next. Darius came back alone and had just cleared his voice for our attention.

“Don’t say a thing when he comes in here.”

“Why?” My father asked.

I heard his steps first and looked back to the door. Keeping in any kind of reaction was next to impossible. Dirk was, well—bigger like he had grown a foot or nearly a foot higher and his shoulders maybe a half a foot wider.

“Oh.” My father said lowly. “He has been sleeping hasn’t he?”

“Shh!”

He reached the table and took his seat between Bryce and I where he always sat. I had to look up a little to look at his face. He made us look like sick scrawny puppies.

“Good morning, Dirk.” My father said.

“Morning everyone.” His voice was even deeper almost like his father’s and it didn’t crack at all anymore. “Sorry I slept in.”

“Don’t be.” Troy said.

“What happened to you?”

“Bryce!” Darius and Troy snatched viciously at him at the same time.

“What? Honest question.”

“It’s okay.” Dirk said. “I know how I look.”

“Are you sure?”

“Bryce, that’s enough.” Troy said. “Don’t make him uncomfortable.”

“I’m okay. I’m trying not to make any of you uncomfortable.”

“You’re not.” My father said.

“Entirely anyway.” I said.

He looked over and slightly down. “I didn’t ask for this to happen to me.”

“I know that. It’s just now you make us look like we’re younger than you.”

“You are younger than me.”

“I meant by multiple years.”

“You’ll get there.”

I didn’t mean to but I stated the obvious. “We won’t get like you.”

“That’s not his fault.” Darius said. “You come from different gene pools.”

“Clearly.”

“I’m not that small am I?” My father asked.

“Compared to what?” Darius replied.

“Not to you obviously.”

“Your average, father but it is only average, not superior.”

“Size wise, maybe but it is all in the way you build yourself. Most men my age don’t have the muscle definition I do and that’s what makes me superior, not to mention my natural good looks. My smile can swoon any woman.”

“Why would you need to?”

“Not that I need to. Just that I can. I got your mother with this smile.”

Darius laughed. “Maybe not with those first few.”

“She learned to love it. Anyway, the point is, superiority isn’t measured in size.”

“But in definition? I still don’t have that.”

“Yet. It won’t be long. It was no surprise that Dirk was first. He is older than you even if it only is by six months.”

“I didn’t ask for that either.” Dirk said.

Troy tried keeping in his laugh and glanced at Darius. “No. You most certainly did not.”

“Let us worry about the bigger things.” Darius said. “Like how Ruby is going to react to all of this.”

“Ooh.” Troy muttered. “She’s going to lose it.”

“It will be handled. She couldn’t have really expected that he’d stay little.” My father said.

“Far from it now.” Bryce joked.

I was annoyed that he gets all of this great stuff first but I laughed too. “Maybe we should hide him when they get back. When will that be?”

“Two weeks or slightly less.” My father said.

“That’s still a while.” Dirk said. “You’ll have to find something else to occupy your time.”

“We go back to the Academy in two days.” Bryce said. “That should do it.”

“And I can’t wait.”

I was curious. “Why?”

“Let’s see Kent try to feminize this.”

He gestured to his body and my eyes rolled. He was already getting a pompous attitude about being better.

“Who’s this Kent?” Darius asked.

“Kent Mott.” I answered, the annoyed tone on my voice from my eye roll. “He’s the reason for Dirk’s—explosion.”

“I see and you want to get back at him, do you?”

“No. I want him to feel sorry and beg for clemency.”

“You mean fear you.”

“No. More like show respect for his future leaders.”

“Would you become friends with this kid?”

I laughed. “Kid? Kent will be sixteen soon and we won’t have to deal with him.”

“Sounds like good news.”

“I still want him to see me before he leaves.”

“Don’t accelerate it.” Darius’s voice was deep and demanding. “We don’t need any more problems shadowed on this family.”

“I won’t do anything like that.” Dirk promised. “I just want him to know that he was mistaken.”

“What did he say that caused it?” My father asked.

Dirk seemed unsure about answering or he just didn’t want to think about it again and get mad over it so I answered. “It was about the alternative class he was assigned to take and how it fit because he looked like a girl from getting his hair from one.”

I could feel the heat coming from next to me but he did well not to explode or even show steam.

“That’s widely mistaken.” Darius said. “Ruby—”

“Isn’t me!” Dirk rose to his feet, fire flaring from his hair and shoulders instantly. “She has no idea what I have to go through looking like this! Everyone thinks she’s perfect but I’m some kind of malformed freak!”

“Watch your tone!”

His chair was pushed back hard, slamming into the other tables and he stormed off, fire never tapering.

“That’s not what people think, is it?” Darius was looking at Bryce and me like he was asking us.

We shrugged simultaneously.

“I haven’t heard anything like that.” I said. “People would look, sure but Kent is the only one to say something.”

He let out an exhausting breath and got up from his chair. “Let me talk him down before you continue with your day. We have to have him over it before you go back.”

“If he even wants to go back now.”

“He will. Just give me a few minutes.”

We nodded and he left to go after Dirk.

“Did you know he felt that way?” My father asked.

I shrugged again. “He’s never said anything.”

“I don’t think so.” Bryce said. “He’s been proud of it before. Maybe it was just all of the sudden attention. There has been a lot of it.”

“Why don’t you boys go find something to do?” Troy said. “Just until Dirk has cooled down a bit then you can make your own plans.”

“Okay, father.”

We got up to do what we were told but neither of us had a clue about what to do. We still had two days before our lives could really start again and hopefully everything would work out.

Chapter 23

Bryce

Getting used to Dirk’s new look took some time but we didn’t necessarily want to cast him out any more than he was already feeling. We convinced him to go back to the Academy just so Kent could see him like he talked about and he became excited again. Everyone knew a happy Dirk would turn out to be a good day and I wanted nothing more than our return to be a good day.

The courtyard befell to silence when we stepped out of the West Hall. Everyone was looking at us but we didn’t stop. Seth took the lead and Dirk and I were a step behind at his flanks.

I didn’t know if it was fear I saw but everyone would move off the path if they were on it and shied away from us. So far, things weren’t turning out well.

Then something was different. Just as we reached the center of the courtyard, Kent stood directly in front of us with some of his older friends at his side maybe just to look intimidating. Seth stopped with us behind him and Dirk must have felt a confrontation coming because he stepped next to Seth, turning in his shoulder like he was blocking him.

“Have something to say?” Seth asked.

Clearly Kent saw the change in Dirk, who stood tall enough to stare him straight in the face. I don’t know who wouldn’t but he didn’t act how I remember. He almost seemed sympathetic without using the actual word sorry.

“We wronged you; I wronged you and I just wanted to say thank you for protecting us from my mistake. We realized that things could have gone a lot worse if you hadn’t been there.” He was looking at Seth while he said it than turned his eyes towards me. “And I thank you for helping those that did get hurt because of me. You took their pain away and eased their minds, for that I’m grateful. Then there’s you.” His eyes turned to Dirk and this is the part that worried me. “What can I say? Blame you for it all? No and I hope everyone hears it. I blame myself. My behavior caused this and I truly hope I can be forgiven because you are bred from Seni’s finest and are our future.”

Other kids started to gather closer around us like they weren’t afraid anymore. He must have been important here or at least an authority figure because they listened to him and truly seemed to believe in what he was saying.

I would have jumped to accept but this was Dirk’s task. He’s the one that was truly wronged.

“I might consider it.” He said slowly. “If you can all look at me and prove you’re not afraid.”

His eyes were red and small flames blazed just around his shoulders and the top of his head, moving his hair as if it was in the wind.

I wasn’t quite sure if this was the way to do it but he looked around to make sure everyone saw. None of them said a thing but nor did any of them back up to show that fear.

“That’s a neat trick.” Kent said. “It looks—”

“Beautiful.”

The voice even caught Kent off guard and he looked behind him at Janie who was watching Dirk.

Of course, seeing her talk to him again put out the fires and it was like they settled in his eyes as the redness faded at the same time.

She stepped towards him as he stepped towards her and they kissed full on the mouth. I couldn’t believe it. It was a surprise to me as it seemed to everyone and applause started to sound around us.

All the kids moved in until the whole group was cluttered around us to celebrate our time back here. Things worked out better than we had hoped and I know Dirk thought so. He was given the best reward and held her under his arm with Kent’s approval.

Chapter 24

Dirk

I didn’t expect the day to turn out this way; I didn’t expect we were going to be praised but we were and life at the Academy got exceedingly better. Janie didn’t hate me anymore and I was thrilled but there was a problem. That was it; I was thrilled about it when I probably shouldn’t have been. I was supposed to be taking my father’s advice and not get attached to anyone but I was becoming attached to her.

I tried focusing and telling myself it was only because this is my first experience with a girl and my theories could have been right but she was getting attached to me too. I could see it. She held on to me constantly in some way during lunch like she was going to miss me when we went back to class. We didn’t share any of the same classes until I was going to take my alternative from combat training for the first time.

I stepped in the room to an all-girl scene. They were chattering loudly at their seats behind counters and I noticed that the room looked like a giant kitchen with multiple sinks and brick ovens in the back. Each station the girls sat at had pots, pans and other utensils hanging above them and each counter had two separate fire pits with iron grates over the top to cook on.

No one seemed to notice me yet so I took my slip up to the only female instructor in the entire Academy.

“May I help you young man? Are you lost?”

“No.” I said quietly, not to disturb all of the girls and their squawking. I handed my slip to her and she looked down at it.

“Oh!” She boasted in surprise. Other girls started to look up now and I was being noticed. “You’re the one we’ve been waiting for. I’m Madam Rose. It’s an honor to have someone so interested in culinary that you’ve braved to join us.”

Is that what she thought my reason was? Okay. I went with it.

“Yes. I’ve been looking forward to it.”

“Tell me, Dirk. Whereabouts have you studied this before?”

I tried keeping my eyes off all the other stares. “I wouldn’t say studied. It’s been more of a hobby but I’ve shadowed Adele in the kitchen all of my youth.”

“The Queen works in the kitchen?” She didn’t seem appalled but more impressed.

“As often as her time allows.”

“Well, find yourself a seat and we’ll catch you up on today’s recipe.”

I turned to the class and they were all looking at me now, giggling amongst themselves. My eyes found Janie almost instantly and she waved to me but she was sitting next to Becca without an empty space around her and I scanned the room to find one. There was only one. It was next to a lonely girl on the left side of the room.

Her cheeks were flushed red, almost like my hair when she knew that’s where I had to sit. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to be near Janie but maybe this is what I needed. I wasn’t supposed to get attached to her and having separation where I would have to spend time with another girl would be good for me. Besides, she was blonde too. I think I could handle it for a little while.

I walked to the open seat and set my books down. “Hi. May I?”

“Of course.”

I sat down and she was acting much too shy to get another word in but still kept looking at me so I thought the polite thing to do would be to introduce myself.

“I’m Dirk.”

“I know. I’m Lynn.”

“Nice to meet you.”

She smiled rather sweetly to my politeness and Madam Rose started class. “All right, ladies and gentleman. Let’s see how well you’ve studied the preparation you read from last night. The ducks have been delivered as if freshly plucked from the butcher’s shop. Imagine you’re just returning home from your morning run to the market to begin on the night’s meal. We will be cooking these in class tomorrow. Dirk.” She approached me and spoke a little more quietly while the class began on her instruction. “You may look on with Lynn here. I apologize. We’re short a duck for this exercise.”

“It’s all right. I came back unexpectedly.”

She nodded and walked off to monitor the room.

“So, Lynn. What are we making?”

“It’s roasted duck marinated in a sweet pineapple and honey sauce, served with boiled garlic potatoes and fresh greens.”

My mouth sizzled with its taste and it didn’t feel like I had lunch two classes ago. I was hungry now.

“Sorry if I drooled but that sounds amazing.”

“I hope it turns out that way. Getting the sauce to the perfect consistency sounded difficult. That’s basically all we do today. The duck will soak it all up overnight in the icebox and we make the rest tomorrow.”

“Where do we start?”

She smiled and opened up her book. “First, gather the ingredients. Come on. I’ll show you where everything is kept.”

She got up with the book rested open on her arm and I followed to the rim of the class and the wall of cabinets.

“One pineapple.” She picked a nice ripe one and set it on top of her book. “Jar of honey.” She opened another cabinet and grabbed a ceramic jar labeled ‘honey,’ setting it on her book with the pineapple. “Sugar.”

It began to look like it was too much to handle and I reached for the items before they would have toppled over. “Let me take those for you.”

“Oh.” My generosity surprised her. “Thank you. How nice.”

“No problem.”

“Ah, I think that’s it. The rest of our stuff is already over there.”

“Okay.”

I followed her back and laid out the three items on the counter.

“Now we need to get a nice fire going so the mixture can boil.”

Fire? I volunteered. “May I?”

“Sure.”

I lifted the iron grate and arranged the coals in the center.

“Are you going to use your ability?” She asked it as quiet as a whisper like she didn’t want anyone else to hear.

“You want me to?” I saw her smile and it was a good chance to show off.

“I’d love to see it, yes.”

“Shh!” I whispered like I wanted it to be a secret too.

I turned my back to the class and thought about something I hated; forced labor always did the trick.

She stared blankly at my red eyes and I filtered fire through my hand to ignite the coals. It worked instantly and we had a nice fire going faster than anyone else.

“Wow.” She muttered. “That was amazing.”

I was glad she wasn’t afraid and smiled. “Thank you. What’s next?”

She took a long breath like she wasn’t looking forward to it. “Well, basically, get the juice from this pineapple into this pot.” She took one from overhead and set it in the middle in front of us.

“Is it against the rules if I help?”

“You want to do it? It’s a lot of work. It has to be cut and diced then we squeeze out all of the juice.”

“Trust me.” I smiled. “May I do it?”

She still seemed unsure but moved the pineapple closer to me. “Okay. Knives are in the drawer to your left.”

“That’s all right. I don’t need a knife.”

She was obviously curious but I couldn’t give up this chance to show off again. I picked up the pineapple, whole as can be and held it over the pot. She was very interested now and watched as I put both of my hands around it and squeezed all of the juice out in one grip.

“Wow, Dirk. I was wrong.
That
was amazing.”

I smiled to the easy success to impress. “Just another day of being me.”

“And it’s perfect.” She took the strangled limp pineapple from me and split it open. “The pulp is already mashed for the topcoat.”

“Is that called for?” She nodded excitedly that she didn’t have to do it. “Then you’re very welcome.”

“I bet we’ll be done first.”

We both laughed and continued with the recipe
together
. I liked that word and I was liking Lynn too. She was a great company. I wondered why she had no one to sit by her. It wasn’t like she sat on the right of the counter so she could interact with the other girls nearby. She stayed on the far left, not to be bothered with them.

Maybe it was because no one liked her but I couldn’t see why. She was fun and knew more about cooking than she really led on. It made her the perfect person to be paired with me in this class since I knew so much already too.

I tried looking around the room, maybe somehow figuring this out then I noticed Janie watching. I smiled at her but hers in return almost appeared fake like she didn’t like me sitting over here and worse that I seemed to like it. Was it some kind of jealousy thing? Did she somehow assume that I belonged to her because we kissed? Girls; I’ll never understand them.

It only got worse after class. I walked out with Lynn after putting our duck in the icebox and Janie was immediately at my side.

“Hey, Dirk. Ready to escort me home?”

She looked right at Lynn when she said it and took my arm. I for one had no idea I was going to do that but just guessed it was some female dominance thing.

“Okay. Ah, see you tomorrow, Lynn.”

She didn’t say goodbye. Instead she just ducked her head to get around us with an uncomfortable nod.

Janie laughed. “Don’t worry about that loser. Let’s get our horses.”

I ignored her insult so I wouldn’t get mad or start something I was completely unsure how to finish. “Why does no one seem to like her?”

“She’s disgusting. Hangs around dead people.”

“Dead people?” I was both confused yet unusually interested.

“Her father’s the city memorial director. You know, they clean up the dead so people can say their goodbyes then burns them. Right in their home too. It’s gross. She’s a freak.”

I felt the word burn inside me. Freak? I most certainly didn’t think so.

I looked in the direction Lynn went and she was walking all alone, her head still ducked from drawing an obvious unwanted attention.

“Come on.” Janie took my arm and began to pull me away.

I went with her to the stables and Bryce and Seth were getting on their horses.

“There you are, Dirk.” Bryce said. “Let’s go.”

“You go ahead. I’m escorting Janie home then I’ll be right there.”

They both looked at me, Seth showing the most unusual curiosity.

“Okay.” He said. “Just hope Darius will be okay with that.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand. See you at home.”

They nodded and turned their horses out of the stables. I readied mine and left with Janie. She rode really close and kept looking over.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

“So, where exactly do you live?”

“Just up the street here.”

“That’s cool, so it’s close.”

“Why? You didn’t want to escort me?”

“No. Nothing like that. I was just saying it was good for you that you don’t have to travel all that far alone.”

“I’m usually not alone. Kent takes me in the morning. Just sometimes he goes with his friends in the evening.”

“Oh. Is that why you wanted me to come with you? You didn’t want to be alone?”

“No.” She smiled. “Not just. I sort of—like you. A lot.”

My palms started to sweat. How was I supposed to react when I shouldn’t have liked her that way back?

“Oh. I like you too.”

“Like a lot?”

I was nervous and didn’t want to say the wrong thing but I also didn’t want her to think it was love.

“I’m still getting used to it. We haven’t had attention like this before.” I made sure not to single me out and talked about the three of us as a group.

“I hope you don’t think I’m being pushy.”

“No. I don’t. It’s still all so new for us.”

“Well, this is me.”

We stopped in front of a house and she ended our conversation about it.

“Would you like to come in for a bit?”

This was another question I was careful to answer. “I’d like to but I should probably get back. My father didn’t know I was escorting you.”

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed.

“Perhaps another time. I can plan for it so he wouldn’t send out the palace guards to look for me.”

Now she laughed. “All right. We’ll make plans soon then.”

She brought her horse closer and leaned to kiss me. I leaned back to help this situation and our lips met for half a second.

“Bye, Dirk. Thank you.”

“No problem, Janie. See you tomorrow.”

She waved as she went around her house to put her horse away and I turned mine to get back to the palace.

I turned onto the street of the Academy and Lynn was walking alone, much like I’ve seen before with her head ducked.

“Lynn?”

She was startled and looked up. “Oh, Dirk! Hello.”