The Heart Wants What

e road in its rays. It is unusual for a winter morn

d-time stories that Sheroa often writes on the large slate for us to read to sleep gives us a rough assumption of

my brothers. Chorsh is fifteen and Rubele is fourteen, and they are still in middle school, that starts earlier than the high school. School took place in the same premises in two consecutive sh

bele yells playfully at me. Their classes end half-an-hour before ours begin. I just give him an elabo

by calling Melinda my step-mother. She's the only mother that I've ever known. Moreover, the word '

e and I wave back at h

wned-out, half-naked trees. The dry grass of the ground is silent under my shoes, unlike the falle

official schooling facility available in Zaayes, runs to me and throws her arms around my neck, catching me

then turn around, intending to say 'Thank you', when I recog

with an undert

dr

blue ones. His eyes have an open-ness a

enever you're about to fall, its my duty to catch you before you fall?", he says in a creamy voice with a flirtatious lilt and a naughty wink. Evelyne slap

re included in

would want to reveal the real reason for looking 'pale' to, is Andre. However, one sideways look at his frowning face tells me that he already knows that something is wrong with me, and I am not revealing that to him. Andre is extremely perceptive and that frightens me to no ends. That is the

attending the dance at the annual carnival last year with him, he has never taken any of the 'no's negatively; probably b

position between his brows. He is still suspecting tha

d of the School Disciplinary Council - an old man with a huge built, matching grey hair and beard, pitch-black eyes and a bronze badge with HSDC inscribed on it - during which quite a few st

ven after sharing a common best friend for all these years. But now is no time to voice that question, since, I can sense the untimely rise of red in Andre's otherwise clear blue eyes. "Hey, hey! You know she was just trying to mess with you, right?", I use my softest and most convincing voice, and lightly place a hand on Andre's right shoulder. His taut muscles twitch underneath the thin barrier of his na

rs', however.

e been recently fearing more than anything else - my uncanny ability to calm him d

hing - he will stake his claim as soon as he takes over the warriors' council. Now, he

manage a slight smile for Andre's - no, my own - sake.

two and Andre's eyes continuously drifting towards me and away from the annoyed teacher, as usual. The teacher, however

or is actually just as romantic and teenage-infatuation-like as Evelyne found it; just as giggle-worthy. But, I know better - I know how th

ts knowing that her knowing smirk points at all the wrong things - she does not really know nearly as much about my life as she thinks she does. No one does. No one othe

arted expression can not mask. Evelyne immediately shoots up straight from her half-lying position beside me, at the very sight of Andre. Irritation radiates from

planned to spill, die down in their very origin. His gaze softens as the hot desire, that was almost making me flinch, is replaced by a look of s

quite have a grip on everything that my shifter feels" - his eyes momentarily drifts towards me, trying to convey the words t

do, right after the coronation; and now I realize that the apologetic look that I earlier saw in his eyes we

r eyes as her brows furrow. I bite my lip to hold back a giggle. But the smile fades soon. I know that falling for this creamy persuasive tone would be as easy as falling fr

gh of relief. I immediately break into a laughter, without letting too many unwanted thoughts haunt me. The tinkling sound reminds me of times when inspite of knowing about the 'monsters' and the differences between us

ot get such a golden opportunity to laugh so freely in the near future. Life in Zaayes, after all, is uncertain. The dark soldiers of the Land of Wudes haven't attacked in probably about a century, but they c

wish that the shifters within all the people around me - the monsters who were considered so 'sacred' - actually evaporate, never to ret

stops right after and gives me a concerned look. I reply with a reassuring smile. That's all that I can offer hi

the characteristic dangerous liquid copper-red hue very gradually beginning to rise behind the normal dark brown of his eyes. Evelyne gives me a quick hug, the red beginning to leak into her green eyes as well, before heading home. As I slip my hand into Sheroa's, I can still feel Andre's intense waiting gaze on my back. Sheroa's eyes meet him and a str

taking over now, and he is no longer a kind friend or a patient suitor but the soon-to-be ru

ckly smile and wave a goodbye before turning towards Sheroa and tugging slightly at his hand, signaling him to move. I know that Andre has yet again spotted the lack of the coppery-red hue in my

a, a deafening silence putting up a translucent wall

to pay more heed to my most unusual instinct. Maybe, I always take my instincts' opinions to heed because I know that a day is destined to come when the

ctions, I double-lock the door and window from inside, before going right back to bed and reading, completely

the nois

ion C

racter till now (other

rsh or

Aizea to get tog

sses regarding the my

____