Tora (The Tora Trilogy Book 1) (6 page)

With some loud throat clearing noises, Eva jerked her head back to her desk. She could feel Francesca’s eyes scrutinising her from a distance and she pretended to be hard at work. Then another note flew by from Ariana and with one quick glance up to Francesca who had her eyes trained on a book, she unfolded it.

I can tell somebody’s distracted. That’s Daniel. And the guy next to him is Drake. They’re fairly new.

The more Eva looked at him, the more she wanted to know what he was doing at his desk, why he looked so serious and who he was. Her gut instinct was telling her she had recognised him from somewhere. But right now, she couldn’t think straight.

Eva flipped the data base back open and noticed there was a bar on the right of the screen with names leapfrogging on and offline. As she scrolled through the names she assumed to be in her class, she looked for Daniel. But he wasn’t there.

“Those of you who have done your work this lesson will be able to tell me about your family tree.” Francesca set her book on the table and rose from her seat.

Eva felt a knot of anxiety pull in her stomach.

She’d done virtually nothing the whole lesson… Or… She could look off somebody else’s genealogy. Eva quickly clicked into an anonymous family ancestry tree ending in her last name.

Francesca’s eyes scrolled through the roll. “Avan.”

He stood up quickly, an exercise book in hand. He was almost shaking and his first few words came out in stammers. Eva looked from Avan to Francesca. Francesca’s forehead was pinned in a large frown, her lips pursed and her eyebrows straight lines. She looked much older when she was cross than she had been when she had welcomed the class. How could someone’s mood change like that, when there was nothing to be cross about?

“The Treste f……am…ily. I was born 17 years ago in the Bunbridge village of Ingleburn in Florida. My father was a miner and my mother, a teacher. My grandparents were Scientists.”

“Good.” Francesca smiled a little, but Eva could tell it was forced.

Avan resumed his seat.

When Eva glanced over at Avan, he smiled, but he was visibly shaken. His forehead was knitted into a frown.

Francesca pulled out her pen and waved it around, then planted it down on her list. Eva avoided her eyes.

Before she could call out the next name, the bell rang out and interrupted the word on the cusp of her breath and with a few panted sighs from the students, history was over.

Five

~†~

Students piled into a large cafeteria that smelt like meatballs. Eva was queued up behind Ariana who had her eyes on the prize. But Eva wasn’t really paying attention. Her focus was on was the wafting smell of food. She usually wasn’t into camp quality food. But after she’d escaped the intense boring of her education, she needed something to satisfy her hunger. And right now she had quite the appetite.

“Salad or no salad.” One canteen lady said in a raspy voice that grated on Eva’s nerves as she slid her tray along the rails. “Scrambled egg or no scrambled egg.” The crisp burnt blonde haired woman’s voice was dry and croaky and her smile lingered for no more than moment. “Want a meatball? You look like you could do with some muscle.” She burst into hysterical laughter. She was clearly trying to be amusing, but Eva didn’t find it very funny. When the woman realised she was the only one laughing, she cleared her throat loudly and let her voice drown in the loud bustling cafeteria.

Just as Eva was collecting her cutlery, napkins and began to steer away from the serving counter did she realise exactly how busy and lively this place was.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and came face to face with a tall, skinny dark haired girl with tanned legs that stretched for decades.

“Oh, hey Eva.” She said when Eva turned to her. Her waning interest gave Eva the idea that she instantly didn’t like her and all she sought after was attention.

“Hi, sorry I don’t recognise you.” Eva replied sheepishly, trying to smile. But the girl stood at least a foot taller than her, so her chances of an equal footing were unlikely.

“Of course you don’t, I’m Taya.” She said in that silky voice of hers. “I’ve heard all about you.” Her eyes were an odd shade of blue, almost white. For a moment, they narrowed and returned quickly back to how they were. But she could have sworn she saw flecks of red!

When an awkward silence past between them, Taya said in a quiet voice, “I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.” Leaving the sentence hanging, she pushed past Eva and sat down beside Daniel and Drake at the popular table.

Wow. What was that girl’s problem?

She wasn’t exactly sure where she should head next. Long tables were almost completely filled. As she began to wonder where Ariana was, she nudged her on the shoulder.

“Head over there before someone else takes it.” Ariana pointed towards a large arched window over the eastern side of the room where Eva spotted a few of her classmates. Ariana led Eva through the isles over towards a bay window where a string of black and white bunting hung awkwardly over the glass.

“Hey Eva.” A voice belonging to someone sitting next to her said. She hadn’t even noticed until she whipped her head around and saw it was. Avan.

He looked glum, but resoundingly sharp at the same time. In the baby lighting, his skin looked a little paler than it had been in the dim peaky classroom.

“Hey Avan.” She returned, smiling a little, hoping it would help lift his mood a little. Eva since Francesca had given him a hard time, he looked miserable. She couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for him.

“So no hello for me?” Ariana blurted out, scrunching up her face.

“I already said hi to you on the canteen line.” Avan replied.

Ariana looked as though she was about to protest, but then her expression softened, as if considering it.

“Francesca was good to you.” Eva said turning to Avan, twisting her spaghetti around her fork.

Eva expected him to laugh it off, but he just shrugged.

“Francesca’s unpredictable.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin.

“Like the weather, you know.” Avan stared down at his plate, twisting his fork.

“Yeah.” Eva felt uneasy. She could understand where Avan was coming from, but the last thing she wanted was to get on the wrong footing again with her teachers. If this was the last school to accept a girl who had leapfrogged too many times to count in her life, she couldn’t afford to lose her last chance. Then, God knows where she’d end up. Eva – didn’t want to go there.

“By the way, where did you come from?” Avan changed the subject. “You’re accent, it sounds like –”

“Florida.” Eva finished. “Boca Raton.”

“I was gonna say, but I wasn’t sure.” He said. “I’m just surprised – that you’re here, that’s all.”

“Really?” Why was it surprising? She thought. Was it her clothes? She looked down self-consciously. If that was what it was about, she could alter her style to something that was more fitting. An all black dress code wasn’t hard to manage.

“Avan, we all are.” Ariana laughed, then gave Eva a look that read
you’re-all-right.

“Why?” Eva asked, looking from Avan to Ariana.

“You just don’t seem like the type to stuff up, that’s all.” Avan said.

Ariana piped in, “My first impression was, she’s’ an innocent angel. But what the heck is she doing at Combe Bank?”

Eva shrugged. “I’m really not as innocent as you think.”

Contrary to what Avan and Ariana thought of her, Eva was definitely not innocent. Much of her innocence had been lost as a child. The death of her parents had taken it all away from her. Life hadn’t always been smooth when she was growing up, even when Michelle was around to shelter her. In a way, having no biological parents to lean on forced her to grow up.

“Well Combe Bank isn’t really the school to bring out the innocence in people anyway, the tough systems’ in place to harden people up.” Ariana said in between a mouthful of food.

“So are you both in all my classes?” Eva asked, hoping it was true. She barely knew Ariana and Avan, but she could do with all the advice she could get to make it through the day.

“Pretty sure,” Avan grinned, eyes pouring over Eva’s timetable he pulled from her open duffel bag.

“Next up, is…GYM CLASS! His excited tone dipped to one of sarcasm. Ariana groaned and made a face.

Eva loathed gym class. It wasn’t that she hated fitness. Her old gym teacher, Mr Frost pushed them to their limits making them do intense drills in every session. If they didn’t try hard enough, he would be quick to punish. It wasn’t a very fair system for the unfit kids in particular.

Forcing down her unease, Eva tried her best to remain positive about the rest of the day.

Six

~†~

Eva woke, to threads of light seeping through her curtains. Automatically, she rose on her tip toes and peeked outside her window. Myriad of stars on a clear moonlit night. The moon seemed to light everything up, even the peonies growing outside her window.

Something shimmered in the distance that caught Eva’s eye. It looked glassy and wet, and Eva wondered whether there was some kind of river or lake out there.

Nothing could beat a midnight swim. If she wasn’t tied up, she drove her Chevy to Sapphire Bay in the middle of the night to enjoy a dip. There was something magical about being at the bay at night, something Michelle had never understood.

She loved how the waves lapped up around her and the instant rush of cool that came with it. The waves were exhilarating, but something about swimming in the dead of night all alone, was mesmerising.

Diving below the water sent her to another world, like being in another state of mind.

Suddenly Eva felt the urge to step outside and to find out what was there. The cool frost that almost burned her skin as sue met the night air, didn’t even put her off. She was as eager as anything to clear her head. Swimming in isolation gave her the thrill she was looking for.

Eva reached slowly for her towel hanging over the edge of her chair and wrapped it around her bare skin. She was only wearing her underwear; she hadn’t thought to bring a bikini, but she figured that would do.

Holding her breath, she crept across the dorm. A thought suddenly dawned on her.
Were the cams watching her?

No point living life in fear Eva.

Eva circled the building and searched for her window. The dorm Eva had been allocated was large and it wasn’t easy to differentiate any of the rooms. They were compact, square, simple brick rooms with small high windows. And there was about thirty of them.

The outside light was minimal, only enough for Eva to make out the outline of certain objects.

She was about eleven rooms down when she looked out onto the escarpment and saw it again. Trampling carefully towards the glimmer she heard a rustle and panic gripped her when she pondered over whether it was her thongs pounding against the leaves, or a snake.

As she got closer, the moon shone more brightly on the glassy surface. Soon it became clear, she was in luck.

Under the stars, the lake seemed to go on forever. The way the forest met the shore. Blue light that danced on the waters, blending the sky and lake together; in a binding loop that bonded the elements in unity.

Everything in front of her was perfectly matched.

Eva kicked off her thongs, slipped off her towel and headed for the shore. The water rolled over her toes and washed over her feet. She untied her hair, previously done up in a twisted bun so it fell loosely around her waist. Her hair seemed to glow in the light, to match her porcelain pore less skin.

But just as she immersed her body in the pool of water, she noticed something was not right.

Damn it
. Eva muttered under her breath, cursing herself for not thinking fast enough.

She never felt this feeling before. Something rippled between her the water. It felt like a force, and it caused the liquid to bubble around her.

Eva was a strong swimmer, but when her legs started to get sore and lethargic, she knew to trust her gut instinct.

She bolted for the cave swimming fast and furiously. Eva glanced over shoulder to see what it was attacking her. With a shudder, she saw what had been haunting her in the past, had come back to her.

The shadows.

They were advancing. Quickening in speed with every pace.

Kept alive by pure adrenaline, Eva forced her legs to work even harder. She couldn’t afford to stop now.

The shadows hadn’t looked like this before. The grey ghostly shapes were darker and more monstrous than ever.

This is only a dream
, Eva reassured herself. She turned back once more, to see the shadows sizing up behind her. But one was particularly frightening. A dark silhouette, resembling an elongated arm and a large set of claws extended towards her. Eva’s back cramped in fear in anticipation of the horrible pain that would follow.

A firm, solid hand latched onto her shoulder. She didn’t jump in surprise, she knew eventually the shadows would get to her. Exhaustion washed over her whole body. Her limbs felt broken. A defeated sigh slipped from her mouth. Her body was trembling when she dared to steal a glimpse behind her.

But it wasn’t the shadows that she was seeing.

Or a dream at all.

It was Daniel.

Darkly handsome, standing steady in a trough of water rising up mid-calf, was the guy in her class Eva had taken a fond attraction to. Shirtless, he was even more attractive in the moonlight. She caught a view of his contoured muscular physique, his strong arms and his smooth chest wading through the murky water. In his presence, he seemed to glow more in the light illuminating the golden glow of his skin. But there was no time to be breathless and bashful about him. The shadows were what she had to worry about.

In one hand he was gripping her shoulder and in the other, he tried to warn off the shadows.

“Daniel.” She gasped in horror.

He didn’t look the least bit horrified by the shadows. In fact, hardly any emotion played on his expression. His eyes only seemed to widen in alarm when Eva called his name. But Daniel was more anxious about Eva.

She heard a loud whisper that sounded almost unearthly as it drummed inside her head. As Eva watched over Daniel’s shoulder at what he was doing, she saw the shadows gradually getting smaller and smaller until they were there no more.

In a last attempt to reach her, they dissipated as the deathly shadows hit the water and rushed towards her.

Daniel pushed in front of her and held out his hand as if to tame them, and suddenly they shattered in the water like glass.

As soon as Daniel was done, he turned back to Eva, grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back to the shore.

The shock of what happened prevented her from feeling anything of the freezing cold. Her whole body felt numb, paralysed. The vision of the shadows racing towards her replayed in her mind. Then the realisation kicked in that the shadows hadn’t gripped her shoulder blade instead, it was Daniel’s firm, reassuring hand.
But what the heck had Daniel been doing out here? And why wasn’t he spending time with his friends and that girl? Had Daniel just seen what she saw?

He held out his hand and the shadows just stopped in their tracks…..

Placing her down carefully over a rock, his eyes ran over her in concern.

“What are you doing here?” Eva fumbled. She let out a shaky breath.

“What are
you
doing here.” Daniel countered evenly.

“Swimming obviously.” Eva shrugged, but she didn’t feel near relaxed after what had felt like a near death experience.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Daniel informed, skirting over the reason why he’d been at the lake. He sounded annoyed.

“Says who.” Eva tried to sound flirty, but her voice seized up.

For a moment Daniel’s face darkened. “You almost ..” He paused, doubting his choice of words.

“What?” Eva frowned, unsure of what he meant exactly.

“Never mind. He sighed then added, “It’s not important.”

Eva became conscious of the distance between them. Their bodies were so close they were almost touching. She could feel the delicious heat radiating over her body.

When she looked up, she sensed he had noticed it to, in the way he avoided looking at her eyes and moved backwards slightly.

“But what were you doing here?” Eva insisted.

Daniel hesitated, his shoulders tensing up. His mind seemed to be elsewhere; his eyes distant and morose.

“It doesn’t matter what I was doing here.” He brushed off.

“Did you see the shadows?” Eva asked, terrified that they might come back to her any moment. “Surely you would have seen them.
”

She thought his expression would never change, but his lips formed a wry smile, like he was proud she had challenged him.

Daniel slipped his wet hand over hers. Warmth spread through her like an electric current and she stopped her hand from shaking. “Take a deep breath.” It was almost impossible to do when Daniel so close she could barely breathe.

“Are you okay?” He asked, but his voice was emotionless as he said it.

“Yeah.” Eva gulped looking down at her hand, feeling defeated and slightly annoyed at the same time. But what she really wanted to say was
no, I’m not okay.

“Look, you must never tell anyone this happened. Okay?” His eyes were so sincere, it hurt for her to look at them.

“I won’t.” She muttered absently. No one would believe her anyway if she told them.

But Daniel just kept staring at her questioning whether she was serious. “I will, I promise.” She wasn’t even sure why she was promising to keep her word. Eva reminded herself,
she barely knew Daniel.

They swam back to the shore and Eva thought she might see the shadows them again, but for some reason having Daniel behind, gave her a little more confidence.