7: The Lost Hawk
Vincent smiled and turned his attention back to Phantasia. “You know what we Hawks are about, don’t you?” he didn’t pause for an answer, “We’re the future of this dump. Those Ravens you hang about with, they’re going nowhere. They’ll be dead before they hit eighteen. We Hawks, though, we’re going somewhere. The future lies in art and music and writing, in the expression of the true emotions we keep locked away inside,” he swept away his fringe and his eyes glowed with pride, “We live on the cutting edge of culture. We’re the ones who will change the world.”
The silence of his peers either meant that they agreed unanimously with him, or were too scared to disagree – Phantasia couldn’t quite tell. Shelley, at the very least, looked even smaller than usual.
“Well…” said Phantasia, searching for some kind of reply, “It’s good that you have an ambition in life!”
He sounds like a Fire faerie, she thought, same self-confidence, same passion, same fiery will…
“Well, it’s probably too much for a girl like you to understand,” he said, “You’re probably better off with the Ravens. They love strange kids like you,”
Then, without another word, Vincent turned his back to her and began talking to Elone and his other friends. Shelley was still at the side looking lost, continually glancing at Phantasia and then looking away before her peers noticed. Phantasia, feeling unwelcome, started to move away.
“The Gallery!” cried Shelley suddenly, “That’s where I’ll be! Tomorrow! At the Gallery!”
In an instant there was a mass of emotional blades levelled at her, and Shelley slipped back into the shadows of the wall, too scared to meet the glares of Vincent and the other Hawks.
Phantasia wanted to lighten the mood, but once again all eyes were on her, and the emotions behind them were less than positive. “I-I guess I’ll see you then,” she said, and skipped off before the corruption made her dizzy.
***
Kaori was unimpressed. In the space of a day, Phantasia’s first human friends had gone from admiring her, to avoiding eye contact at every conceivable opportunity. Gossip had spread fast about Phantasia’s attempt at socialising with the Hawks. Nothing Joel said made his girlfriend any happier. To avoid arguments, he would sit there silently under her gaze, unable to divulge anything about why Kaori disliked Shelley so much. When the day was over, Phantasia didn’t even get so much as a goodbye from her, and only a rushed, apologetic one from Joel. Their behaviour left her with an uncomfortable twitch in her heart, which wasn’t helped when familiar waves of malice came clawing back at her.
“I thought I would give you a warning,” said Astrid, framed by her subordinates, “You are new here, so no doubt you are not entirely familiar with how things work. You do, however, know this town is ruled over by the glorious Bishop Wotan Rosencrantz Garland – my father – yes?”
“I thought it was council-led,” said Phantasia. Astrid’s bared teeth told her that she hadn’t meant to answer, though, and she sunk back under the darkening pressure.
“You are impertinent and rude,” said Astrid as she pointed an accusing finger, “The Bishop controls the council, and he does not tolerate deviation in his lands. We are well aware there are students – and teachers – dabbling in heresy around here. We will be watching you as we do them, Ms. Celeste. Put a foot wrong, and it will be the last step you take.”
Phantasia watched them leave, then clutched her chest. Between them, Kaori and Astrid had drained her of energy. As she walked back to the church, she thought about how easily humans could hurt one another, and, with Kaori’s behaviour hurting far more than Astrid’s hatred, how much easier it was to hurt their friends than their enemies. For the first time since her arrival, she longed for the tranquillity of the Innerworld.
~ An invitation and a warning! How will these two worlds collide? ~
~ Next: Cliques and Outcasts! ~
