Ring of Mist by Hailey L (good short books TXT) 📕

Kali

I violently stabbed the period onto my final paper, threw my ballpoint across the room, and fell back into my flower-printed quilt. “Let me sleep!” I called towards the opening door of my dorm room.

“No way am I letting you sleep in, Kali. You need to turn in your essay to Mr. S.” Sophia's mocking tone caused me to giggle into my pillow. Sophia and I have been friends since we met early on in a foster home.

I rolled over as she left the room with a sigh. I stood up on my bed and tied my hair back. Quickly scratching out Tuesday from my calender, I went over what I had to do. I yanked on a tank top and a pair of worn-out jeans as I eyed the clock. 7:46 AM. Engineering and Tech starts at 8.

Humming rapidly, I slipped into my jacket and put on my sneakers. I then grabbed my 6 pages on “Lesson 14: Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP)” and shoved them in my bag. I jumped down from my bed and opened the door. The halls were filled with students. Girls were waving their arms around and excitedly talking to their friends while others just carried their laptops and kept their heads down. I walked down the halls, not paying attention, my feet already knew where to go after months of routine.

When I reached Room 273, it was 7:58. I collapsed into the third row and quickly scanned what the projector was showing. Kids began to file in. The wooden seats encircled a podium in a half-circle, they were old and not very well taken care of. The edges were chipped and vulgar sketches were carved into the chocolate brown paint. Down three steps,the teacher's small space was some-what like a stage. The floor of the platform was a dark gray carpet with stains of all colors and shapes.

Winchester Santeniero, the tall and lanky professor of Computer Science, sauntered in with ease. He was holding his computer and clipboard in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. “Alright, alright. Sit down.” He called out, checking his watch. “You know what day it is.”

I rolled my eyes and clapped sarcastically along with the rest of my class. “Come on, Mr. S.” A guy in the row behind me whined. “We just finished that entire paper!”

“Welcome to college, Jeremy.” Mr. S retorted, handing out our tests. “Get started, everyone. You'll have all class-time to finish it. When you're done, drop it off in the bin along

with last night's assignment.”

The rest of the day went along like that. Tests and quizzes, all ensuring my certainty that I could not wait for Spring Break. As I sipped my favorite drink from Jamba Juice, I started to walk down the hall towards my room. The cheap wall sconces cast no shadow other than my own, yet the I could feel the hair on my arms rising as I reached for the knob to my room.

Shuddering, I opened the creaking door. Everything seemed to be in it's own place, messy, but seemingly just as I had left it. There was a cool breeze coming from somewhere in the room. I took a few cautious steps inside. As I did, the shades to my tiny window fluttered.

Kali

“Hello?” I questioned the silence. Nothing. I walked in, shrugging my bag up on my shoulder and then dropping it onto my bed, “Is anyone in here?”

Out from under my side-table rolled an object. I stared, gaping. I took quick, quiet steps towards the miscellaneous thing. Breathing heavily, I bent down and picked it up. A sound, something like a sharp intake of breath, came from somewhere in the room. I shook my head, lifting my hand up. It was a ring. Intricate marks covered the gold and the gem encased was a greyish color.

A shuffle from behind me and the a large slam into my shoulders sent me flying to the floor. I hit the wood so hard and fast that I didn't have time to catch myself. Squeezing my eyes shut, I held tightly onto the ring as if it could protect me.

Aiden

 “Aiden, you need to get yourself together. How in hell did you ever think bringing a mortal here would be a good idea?” Rowan lectured me.

“I'm not sure she's a mortal.” I replied bluntly.

“What?”

“She has Dawners following her. They were set up on her roof, about six of 'em. When I got there one was about to get her.”

“You put him out?” Rowan asked coldly, staring at the beautiful girl laying on my cot.

“Yes, but not before he could draw her in.” I said, remembering the events that had taken place.

“Well, who is she? If she has Dawners on her trail she must be important.”

“I'm not sure. When she wakes up we can ask her.”

“Alright. Leave her be. The healer can watch whoever she is while I attend to business.” With that, Rowan left, his green cape billowing behind him.

I turned to look at the sleeping girl, her features were soft. Her lips were pink and turned into a frown.

“Who is that?” Eloise's voice asked from behind me. I turned and she sneered.

“I don't know.” I said under my breath.

“Well,” She sashayed over to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, “why is she here then?”

I carefully peeled her body off of me and took a step away from her. “She isn't mortal, but we can't figure out why she is being followed by Dawners.”

“Dawners?” Eloise said in mock surprise. “She probably killed someone.”

“It doesn't matter. Come on.” I tugged on her hand as I made my way to the exit of the cabin. She followed me, laughing, and I smiled against my own will. When we got outside, I turned and pulled her closer to me. I put my forehead onto Eloise's and looked into her deep purple eyes.

“I have to go. Shop closes at sundown and I need to be there to get everything in order.” She whispered to me. Frowning, I kissed her and then let her go.

Kali

 I heard crickets chirping. My entire body tensed as I struggled to open my eyes. There was a pain coursing steadily throughout my whole body until nothing was numb. I opened my eyes. Blinking rapidly, I looked around the small room I was in. The shelves were piled with herbs in jars of all sizes and shapes. The floor and wall were made out of wood and the door was just a curtain covering a hole.

I felt to see if I still had the ring, but it was gone. I strained and finally sat up. Gasping as I took in the view through the window, I blinked slowly. I quickly got to my feet, forgetting the ensuing agony, and went to the curtain. Luckily, before I walked out, I looked down. I was wearing, well, I was wearing rags.

I started to look around my environment, checking for any sharp objects. Really, anything I could use to protect myself. But there was nothing but herb, and a few cloths in a bucket that did not look clean. I squeezed my fists and pushed aside the curtain with my foot.

I nearly forgot about my kidnapping. There were tall trees on either side of a path. The branches reached inward, creating a canopy of dark green leaves. I started on this road, it was not paved, just worn. The soft dirt caressed my feet, coaxing the pain out and seemingly removing it from my body. My pounding mind cleared and I finally wondered out loud, “Where the hell am I?”

“Who are you?” a harsh, angry yet curious, voice came from behind me. I spun around, clutching my abdomen, to face the origin of that threatening tone. There was a tall women, with long, silver hair. Her sad eyes shone with the scars of many years, yet her features were young. She stood high and confident, raising an eyebrow at my outfit, her eyes returned to my face. She frowned to herself and shook her head, she was wearing a beautiful ensamble of silk and leather.

Even more self conscious than I already was, I replied, “Where. Am. I.”

Her frown slid into a mischievous grin as she answered, “Right at the next turn.” And then she disappeared.

“Hey! Hey!” I yelled to the empty place she had left. “Answer me!” I began waving my arms around, but I knew that I had been left alone.

I sighed. Silently crying, I turned and started to walk again, not bothering to listen for attackers. When I reached the turn that I guessed she had meant, I went to the right. I heard laughter up ahead, once again making fists, I moved towards the sound.

Up ahead, about 50 meters away, was a metal gate. The noises were coming from inside. I ran the following distance. There was an old-school town, with log cabins and dirt roads. Horses stood tied to posts and in the distance, a medieval castle loomed. The setting sun gave the place a pleasant orange glow.

I walked to the nearest building and knocked on the small, wooden door. A small, frail old woman was the one who answered. She looked up at me with raised eyebrows. “Who are you?”

I was getting that a lot. “Do you have any idea where I am?” I asked sheepishly, my eyes darting around.

“Oh, dear. Your the one the assassins are after. Go away,