Godfire: The Split Soul

Jinx's shoulders slumped as dissatisfaction radiated through her bones in waves. "Fine," she muttered in a dragged voice.

She turned and slogged back up the stairs, each step sounding heavier.

Five minutes later, she returned, wearing a long, straight brown dress with a high neckline and sleeves that went down to her wrists.

The fabric hung loosely, hiding every curve of hers.

Lena's face softened as a smile formed. "How do you feel wearing this?"

'This gives me the look of a Roman sister, or a sack of potatoes,' Jinx ranted in her thoughts as she stared back at Lena with a strained expression.

She curled her mouth inward, fighting a grimace. "I don't know," she said in a flat voice. "Let's go."

Kai, who had been listening to the exchange of words with his eyes closed, finally cracked them open.

He glanced at Jinx, who had now been engulfed in the voluminous brown fabric, and laughed. "I never knew you could wear this style of clothes," he teased, standing to his feet.

Jinx shot him a glare as they moved toward the front door.

The three walked across the paved driveway to the parking area and stopped beside Lena's sleek BMW.

Lena pulled her key fob from her bag and pressed a button. The car chirped; in a blink, all the locks disengaged with a soft thunk.

Kai moved and opened the front passenger door.

"Where do you think you're going? Get to the back." Jinx shouldered past him in a rough manner, claiming the front seat.

Kai's expression saddened as he tilted a pleading look at Lena, who merely raised an eyebrow, then looked resignedly at the back door.

"Don't worry," Jinx said, buckling her seatbelt with a click. "You'll be able to hear after we're done processing your papers."

Her tone was sweet, but her eyes held a glint of victory.

'I should have told Aunty about what you've been doing at night,' Kai thought loudly, sliding into the back seat, then folded his arms at his chest.

Vrooom!

The engine purred to life. "What about your car?" Lena asked as they pulled onto the main road from the estate. "Have you made arrangements for it?"

"Yeah," Jinx said, looking out the window. "I told Pablo last night to call his mechanic friends. To get it fixed and bring it back."

"Okay," Lena nodded. "Then I think that's why he hasn't reported to work yet."

'If Pablo hasn't reported to work, who will take care of the house while all three of us are out?' Kai thought as a flicker of concern passed through him.

He knew how large the estate was and how much Lena was particular about security.

"So who will take care of the house while we're at Vamus College?" Jinx asked.

"Didn't you see the new guy that opened the gate for us?" Lena responded, glancing in the rearview mirror as she merged onto the six-lane highway that led toward the city's center.

"The one who brought Kai's bags into the car this morning? He's covering the day shift."

Silence ruled in the car, giving way to the hum of the engine and the soft rush of air slamming on the window.

Kai kept his gaze fixed on the world flashing past his window.

From the blue of green trees, brown trees, the monolithic glass-and-steel buildings, the endless streams of other vehicles, and a kaleidoscope of colors and models that whipped by like shooting stars.

He became mesmerized as he watched them, using the index finger of his right hand to clear the faint fog his breath created on the cool glass.

At 9:30 a.m. precisely, the BMW glided into the visitors' parking lot of Vamus College, where countless vehicles were already parked, leaving little space for the rest.

The tires crunched over gravel, and a tiny spiral of dust and fallen leaves spun in the air, forming a mini tornado that danced for a moment before settling on the ground.

All three doors opened almost in unison. And as they exited, Kai felt eyes drawing on them, especially him.

They walked from the parking lot and entered into the ground floor of the main administration building. It was a modern structure of glass and steel.

Lena led the way, Jinx followed, and Kai being last.

The moment they entered the main hallway, a wave of murmurs washed over them like flames. At first it was a low, buzzing sound, but it escalated when Kai felt the vibrations.

All around him, students milled about, their imaginable glows: vibrant purples, deep blacks, pale greys, blinding whites, and colors he didn't even have names for.

"Who is he?" a voice whispered.

"He is so cute. I will shoot my shot on him," another said. This one was a girl with large, doe-like eyes, soft lips, and a petite nose.

She hugged her textbooks to her chest, cradling herself with her elbows.

Another girl, standing with a group, countered with a nervous giggle. "Can't you guys see he's not… normal? Look at the color of his eyes."

Soft laughter and a ripple of curiosity moved through the crowd, reflecting in the shifting auras around them.

Kai sighed, then turned his head toward the direction the last comment had erupted from. A cluster of students met his gaze and offered him a polite smile.

A few of the girls' faces flushed instantly, their glows shimmering with a sudden, rosy tint of blush. One looked away quickly, fiddling with her bracelet.

As they moved down the long hallway toward a T-junction, new kinds of glows and vibrations surfaced.

One in particular caught Kai's attention—a dull, steady grey from a boy who looked utterly average, but the vibration beneath it was like a deep, dormant drum.

Another piercing silver from a bald-headed boy leaning against a locker, made Kai's skin prickle.

The boy's stare was intense, so focused and penetrating that for a fleeting second, Kai felt as if his very soul was being caged and examined.

A genuine smile tugged at Kai's lips as he moved past the bald boy. 'Well, well,' he thought, the earlier awkwardness and irritation forgotten. 'There are others here. Others I can maybe… train with.'