The geneva project comp.., p.66
The Geneva Project- Complete Series Boxset, page 66
Journey’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Where’s Sparrow?”
He had apparently hit his limit for patience and approached the white coat woman.
“We are waiting on one more. You will wait silently and then you will be joining the rest of the student body for dinner,” she replied without ever looking up from her paperwork.
My stomach grumbled at the word, but my brain protested. I was way too edgy to even think about eating. My eyes darted around the room taking it all in. This place was a bit less sterile looking than everywhere else in the medical wing. The walls were still white, but paintings of strangely dressed men hung on them. The white coat woman sat at a rich mahogany desk, in a wing backed upholstered chair. We were afforded comfortable leather chairs that sat on a pale grey woven rug that looked much too expensive to stand on, let alone get sick on.
We only had to endure a few more moments of uncomfortable silence before the door to our waiting room opened once more. All eyes darted to the slight figure that walked through. Poor Sparrow. She seemed to have gotten the worst of it. Either her Luxor had never learned his left from right or he was particularly cruel. Sparrow’s head had been shaved on both sides. It was apparent that the white coats had done the best they could, but her fine, mousy brown hair - though still long - only ran down the center portion of her head. Her amber eyes, which had an uncanny resemblance to Journey’s, were red and watering. Either the white coats had given up on the idea of cosmetics, or perhaps Sparrow had cried them all off. Tears streaked her cheeks and I stood to hug her.
I caught a glimpse at Journey over Sparrow’s quivering shoulders. The concern on his face was so endearing. It warmed my heart to know they could always offer each other comfort. I felt a twinge of sadness as I passed Sparrow to Journey, who drew her so near that it almost seemed she dissolved into him. Remi used to be that for me, my heart whispered as I watched Journey’s arms protectively encircle Sparrow, while he gently stroked her head. Now Remi stood rigidly against the wall. He hadn’t said two words to me since we arrived and seemed to be avoiding my gaze. I fixed my eyes on him, standing next to Nova. Somehow I’d lost them both.
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ.
An alarm pierced the air startling us.
“Time to go,” the white coat woman said ushering us to the door.
When she opened it, the hallways were alive again. Groups of white clad students marched past us. Two familiar looking Luxors waited outside the infirmary door. I recognized one as the soldier that had bound and gagged me. I glared at him and he wordlessly motioned for us to line up and follow. He paid no attention to my scowl and I was forced to comply, lining up behind Journey, with Remi on my heels.
Chapter 6
We followed the Luxors a short distance to the dining hall. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the familiar double doors. The dining hall had always been a refuge for us at the Troian Center. It’s where we laughed and become friends. It harbored us as we discussed theories and made our many plans. As I walked in past the doors, the fond memories instantly evaporated. Everything familiar was gone.
Our comforting little tables had been replaced with sleek long ones that appeared to be made of black marble. I could have cried, longing for those worn wooden tables where we’d etched our names and numbers. Our humble table in the corner had harbored us through so much. I felt I had taken it for granted as I stared into the abyss of strange students dressed in white.
It appeared we had arrived right in time for dinner. The nerves that had been suppressing my appetite could resist no longer. My stomach growled as the sweet aroma of food lured me forward, overpowering my wariness. The soldiers stopped beside the open double doors. They hadn’t uttered a word since their assault. I looked to my friends to see if they had any idea what we were to do next but they all looked a bit shell-shocked and tentative.
“Look out,” Remi said pulling me aside as a large Luxor rushed past, followed by a line of well-dressed students.
“I guess we’re allowed to go get something to eat,” I said motioning to the orderly line forming in the dining hall.
“Yeah, let’s get some food,” Nova said cautiously.
We hesitantly got in line with the other students. Even though we had been given identical uniforms and similar appearances, we didn’t have the courtesy of being able to blend in. I could feel all eyes upon us and I knew the hushed whispers were no doubt aimed at our arrival.
“Next!”
The voice broke me out of my scattered thoughts, and when I looked to see where it had come from I saw a familiar face. She was wearing gloves and a bonnet and motioning to me because I was next in line. I rushed over to her, so happy and confused.
“Ms. Breia! What are you doing in the dining hall?”
“Hush, deary. I’m not allowed to fraternize with the students. Just point to the protein you want.”
“Huh?”
This caught me off guard. Since when did we get a choice of what we wanted to eat at the Troian Center?
“But why are you in here? You’re our nurse,” I whispered as I surveyed the delicious looking meats. I pointed to the largest filet and she speared it and put it on a plate for me.
“Not anymore. I’m not good enough for the likes of them,” she said bitterly as she jutted her chin to the sea of white behind me. “Keep your head down, deary.” She turned away from me to serve Remi. “Next!”
I decided to heed her warning as I moved down the meal line. I chose my vegetable, fruit and starch from each labeled station. I could have taken forever staring at all the tantalizing options, but somehow I knew that would just land me another beating from the Luxors. My stomach growled louder and louder, and I knew I wanted to make sure I got a chance to eat this delicious meal. Before I knew it, the line ended abruptly and I was standing all alone in a swarm of foreign students.
“Let’s keep going,” Remi said softly as he put his hand on the small of my back.
“Where?”
“Just follow him,” Remi said motioning to the boy walking a few yards ahead of me.
I gingerly placed my plate of food next to the boy I had followed to the long table in the center of the dining hall. I smiled weakly at him but he ignored me. I slung my legs over the bench and sat down. Remi sat beside me and moved in close, pushing me uncomfortably close to the boy on my left. My elbow grazed his and he glared at me before getting up and changing tables.
Still great at making friends, Geneva, I thought glumly.
“Well some things are still the same,” I said looking sadly at Remi.
He smiled sympathetically at me. We were the only ones of our friends who were used to being outcasts. I watched as Nova, Sparrow, Journey and Jemma were given the cold shoulder as well and felt bad for them. I imagined they would have a tough time getting used to being treated like social pariahs.
As soon as Nova sat down he started talking.
“We have to get out of here, now. We weren’t prepared for this.”
“No, Nova. We have to find the Pillars and we’re already here,” I pleaded. “Besides – ”
“Tippy! It’s too dangerous. Malakai is here. We have to leave as soon as possible,” Nova interrupted.
“I told you not to call me that,” I fumed. “And you don’t get to tell me what to do. Leave if you want, but I’m staying. I have a destiny to fulfill.”
“Geneva,” Journey said calmly, “we’re here to help you, but I have to agree with Nova. We should regroup and come up with a new plan now that we know what we’re dealing with.”
“It was hard enough getting here. I think we should stay,” Remi said coming to my aid.
I smiled gratefully at him as he put his calm hand over my clenched fist, squeezing it reassuringly.
“Of course you do,” Nova said sarcastically.
“What does that mean?” Remi shot back.
“Knock it off,” Journey warned them both, his eyes darting around the table to alert us to the fact that everyone in the dining hall was watching us.
Our raised voices had attracted unwanted attention.
“Great,” I muttered. “Listen, we can’t just waltz out of here at this very moment, so let's try to get through today and see what we learn.”
Nova looked like he was ready to interject but I didn’t let him.
“If you all feel like we should leave tomorrow we can discuss it, but I at least need one day to explore this place to see what we’re up against. It’ll be helpful information if we need to escape or break back in.”
Nova shook his head but didn’t meet my gaze. The strategist in him knew I was right.
“Can we please just eat?” Journey asked. “I’m starving and whatever we decide we’ll need to eat first and then come up with a plan.”
I sighed and turned back to my tray of food. I was ready to dig in just as someone else sat down in the empty spot next to me. I bumped his tray as he was setting it down, knocking his silverware to the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” I cried not believing my luck.
“Not a problem,” he answered politely.
I hadn’t expected to be met with pleasantness. I turned to look at the dark haired boy sitting next to me and was greeted with a friendly smile, instantly offering my anxiety some relief. He had smooth olive skin and a kind, dimpled smile that lit up his face and made him look younger than he was. I was guessing he was probably about Nova’s age, sixteen. I looked into his deep dark eyes; they were contradictory to the rest of him. They seemed sinister, like they were concealing secrets. I shook the nervous feeling away and took in the rest of him. He sat anxiously pushing his shoulder length hair behind his ears. He was tall, with a lanky athletic build that he hadn’t grown into it yet.
“I’m Kai,” he said extending his hand.
His name caught me off guard, knocking the wind out of me. I felt Remi grab my leg to steady its shaking under the table. He was saying something to me too, but I couldn’t hear it over the pounding of my heart. I was staring at the boy named Kai and he just kept warmly grinning back at me, hand extended. His dark eyes, friendly and bright, seemed concerned.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.
“No, no. It’s just that your name, Kai…that’s my father’s name,” I whispered, finally shaking his hand.
“I know.”
“You know?”
“Yes. But keep your voice down. We’ll talk about this later. You need to eat your food. I’ll be taking you and your friends to orientation after this.”
Eat? How could I eat? My mind was reeling. Who was this boy named Kai? How did he know my father shared his name? What else did he know about me? Maybe we were related somehow? The Book of Secrets didn’t say anything about me having any other siblings or relatives, but at this point nothing would surprise me. Although I was certain I didn’t know him, something was familiar about him.
I pushed my food around my plate absentmindedly trying to pinpoint what was causing my feelings of recognition until Kai nudged me.
“You really need to eat something, Geneva.”
I dropped my fork.
“How do you know my name?”
He just smiled at me, his white teeth shining, but I was so confused I could barely concentrate on his features.
“I asked you a question,” I said desperately, unable to control my hands from shaking. I wasn’t sure if I was mad or scared, but Kai took pity on me.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to upset you. But everyone knows who you are. We’ve been expecting you.”
“You have?”
“Yes. Father and I arrived here the day after Headmistress Greeley’s demise. The rumor was that she chased a few orphans off into the forest for some unknown reason and then was attacked by vicious creatures. They suspect tarcats were the culprits and that’s why Father had them banished.”
I gulped and felt the color drain from my face.
“Is that so?” I asked weakly.
“Yep. Everyone here said Greeley had gone mad! My father did everything in his power to find you and bring you all back. He sent Luxors out looking for you. We’d just about given up hope. Some of the students were even taking bets on how long you’d survive out there.”
“Pruxes,” Journey muttered in disgust.
“Journey!” Sparrow scolded. “Don’t use that foul word.”
“Why? It’s the truth. They’re all a bunch of spoiled, pampered brats from Lux with perfect, privileged lives and no grasp of the real world. They were taking bets on whether we were dead or alive.”
Kai looked terribly embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that…”
“I’m sure,” Journey muttered sarcastically.
“Anyway, you were telling me about your father?” I asked, ignoring Journey’s vulgar comment.
“Yes, Headmaster Malakai. That’s how I got my name. My mother said it was the perfect name because it gave me part of my father’s namesake and part of the great Kai’s,” he said with obvious pride.
“The great Kai?” I whispered. “Did your mother know him?”
The boy laughed, almost spilling his drink.
“Oh, you’re serious?” he asked when he caught me still staring, waiting for him to continue. “No, I doubt she knew the Kai. You know he was just a legend, right? Besides, I never got the chance to ask her. She died when I was born. Everything I know about her, my father has told me.”
“Oh, I’m really sorry. My mother is dead too,” I said ruefully.
“I know.”
“What? How come you always say that? How do you know?”
“Well you’re in an orphanage, aren’t you?”
“Oh… good point,” I said blushing.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You ask a lot of strange questions,” Kai said with a playful grin.
“Yeah. Maybe I’m just hungry,” I said with a shrug.
I could see Remi trying to catch my eye, but I didn’t want to try to explain the conversation I was having with Kai to him. I needed more answers first. He was probably just being overprotective anyway.
I distractedly shoveled a spoonful of food into my mouth and my taste buds felt like they had been hit by lightning.
“Oh my gods!” I exclaimed.
“What?” Remi shouted, jumping to my aid.
“The food’s great, huh?” Kai asked with a sly smile.
“It’s incredible,” I mumbled as I shoved another spoonful into my mouth.
And it was. Each bite was bursting with flavor. I’d never tasted anything so amazing before. The fish was flaky, buttery and melted in my mouth. The vegetables were crisp and fresh, and the fruit, oh the fruit was divine. I shoved a large chunk of pineapple into my mouth and moaned. It was so sweet it made my jawbone ache. It was juicy and sticky and I couldn’t get enough. I felt like Journey as I sloppily piled food from my plate to my mouth, barely having time to chew or breathe between mouthfuls.
Remi shook his head and Kai grinned, trying to hide his amusement.
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ.
That awful alarm blared through the dining hall, echoing wretchedly and splitting my ears. It was so loud I squinted my eyes, already loathing its torturous blasts. Especially since they signaled the end of my delectable feast. I’d never tasted such heavenly food and I was in mourning as I followed the slow, single file line to the trash receptacles to dispose of our dishes and exit the dining hall.
Kai motioned for us to follow him. We stood aside and watched orderly groups of students follow assorted Luxors out of the dining hall and down the hallway. I searched for familiar faces in the crowd as I wondered where they were all headed.
“They’re going to study hall,” Kai whispered, as if reading my mind. “You’ll get to experience that tomorrow. All students attend study hall after dinner each day, you’ll get the hang of the schedule in a few days.”
“Why aren’t we going?” I asked, starting to feel a bit nervous that we were being singled out. Was this when Malakai was going to strike?
“Orientation. Remember?” Kai said warmly.
“Oh,” was all I could muster as I tried to smile back.
Journey stood next to me still licking his fingers. I grinned at him, knowing he must have enjoyed his meal immensely since he was such a food hog.
“Can you believe they were throwing away scraps?” he fumed incredulously.
Sparrow appeared at his side and silently handed him a napkin, simultaneously wiping a crumb from his chiseled chin. He grinned at her and she smiled for the first time since we arrived at the Troian Center.
“All right then,” Kai said clearing his throat as the room cleared out. “My name is Kai and I’ll be taking you to your orientation. You can consider me your guide at the Troian Academy. My father said to make you feel at home, so I’m at your service.”
My friends all stared at him, looking a bit dumbfounded.
“Chatty group, aren’t they?” he said to me with a smirk. “Well, don’t all make your introductions at once. Better yet, let me try. I’ve already met Geneva, so… you must be Sparrow,” he said looking at my slight friend who was standing in Journey’s hulking shadow.
She nodded and he clapped his hands.
“Then that would make you Journey?”
Journey only stared back at him, unblinking.
“I’ll take your silence as confirmation. So, moving on,” he said cheerfully. “That means you would be Jemma,” he said bowing in my sister’s direction.
She grinned at him and nodded.
“And that leaves you two. Remi and Nova, I presume?” he said accurately labeling each of my friends.
“How did you do that?” Nova asked skeptically.
Kai smiled genuinely.
“You really underestimate the rumor mill around here, don’t you? How many other escaped orphans do you think there are on this island? Follow me.”
