Tainted Legacy: The Ash Academy Series Read online

  The twins, like their clothing and look, were eccentric. And following a conversation with them was like a Ping-Pong match. Both talking so fast and switching back and forth that you regularly lost track of who was saying what.

  “You do realise that I have the most awful nightmares about that stupid 'little' storm. It really hurt getting all those knots out! “

  Ava complained, good naturedly, to her two cousins. She usually found it easier to go along with their train of conversation instead of trying to make sense of them.

  “Awww, Ava sweetie” Clarissa said teasingly, as she pulled on her hair, and Cassandra pulled on Ava’s arm to get her up.

  “OK slow poke. It’s time!” Cassandra declared in Ava’s right ear.

  “Yes it’s our turn to say our big farewell” Clarissa announced in her left.

  Ava shovelled in one last spoonful of Krave not willing to give up on the delicious goodness, even for her cousins. As they led her out of the dining room Ava pleadingly looked back at her mother comically mouthing ‘save me’. Lillian smiled indulgently at the scene.

  Once they were situated in the den, Ava had two pairs of identical eyes trained on her looking very serious.

  “We came..”

  “to say hello and goodbye.”

  “We can’t believe that you are already off to school”

  “We miss our school days and all the disasters which we reigned over the school”

  “Ahhh those were good times.”

  The twins were four years older than Ava and having finished at Ash Academy a year ago had started their own fashion line. Though their clientele were very specifically eccentric, they were very successful.

  At school, they had been known for the mischief they had created through harmless pranks. Like changing the school flag for a pirate’s flag on parents’ evening. They had managed to build quite a reputation for themselves. Something they felt obligated to maintain and work on even after they had graduated.

  Their intentions were good and Ava was so pleased that she got one final goodbye from them before she went away. She remembered her earlier conversation with her mother and the other fears which had been welling up, but didn’t want to bore her mother with again.

  She started with the fear that her mother had assured her all Gifted had. Though her mother had endlessly tried to ease this fear she never managed to minimise it in Ava’s mind.

  “I’m really worried about school, what if it’s all a big mistake and I don’t have any powers?” She asked hoping for a more tangible answer.

  Both her cousins looked at Ava with identical looks of sympathy and understanding. Unfortunately, this was a look she knew well from similar conversations with her mother.

  “Listen to me Ava, everyone will have their moments of doubt, it will get worse when your classmates all learn about their powers. You have nothing to fear and I know it probably doesn’t help for us to say that it is normal, but it is. Hell, even if you don’t have any powers you know that the whole family loves you and will look after you no matter what, so put that fear aside.”

  Cassandra nodded in agreement but neither of them had changed topics into something lighter, which was their normal style. This was pretty much what Ava’s mother had told her and what everyone had been telling her. Still her fear and trepidation hadn’t changed at all. If anything, by constantly asking about it, Ava was giving more life to this fear.

  Ava took a deep breath preparing herself for her next question she had to ask and get off of her chest.

  “This morning things were weird. I heard Mum and Dad say something about me not being prepared and when I tried to ask Mum she totally ignored my question. Do you guys know what that is about? Is there something I should know before I start school?”

  “ Ummm, Ava you know that you are our best friend and that we are always here for you no matter what.” Clarissa started.

  Ava nodded wondering where they were going with this and hoping that they would answer her question quickly. The suspense was too much as it was.

  “Well you also know that we built quite a reputation for ourselves at school.” Clarissa continued looking uneasily to her twin.

  “Though we are proud of our reputation and would never had done anything differently at school. What we want you to know is that for us, it was easier to be what everyone expected us to be. So, we changed into the two ravishing creatures standing before you. And though try as we might we haven’t been unable to corrupt you.

  “That’s a good thing, we love that you are so moral and ….. good, we wouldn’t want that school or other people’s expectations of you to change who you are. Like it did us.”

  Clarissa spoke sombrely looking at her sister who was nodding, whilst looking at Ava with the weight of the world in her gaze.

  Ava looked at her two cousins and saw something new in them that she has never seen before, a small vulnerability that they usually hid so well under all the loud hair and makeup. What she didn’t understand was why they were letting her see it.

  What were they trying to tell her? Why would the school make her want to turn less moral and good? Though the twins were older than Ava, she hadn’t really thought they had changed that much. Maybe they are a little louder and their stories are more outrageous than when they were younger.

  The speech just added unease, and didn’t really answer her question. She wanted to know what she had to prepare for. All this was doing was confirming that there was something she didn’t know. Something that she desperately wanted to know before heading to school.

  Before Ava could ask all the questions that were buzzing around in her head, her attention was caught as Clarissa pulled a necklace out of her bag.

  “We enchanted this necklace so that we would feel whenever you were sad or alone. Basically, whenever you may need some extra strength, we will give it to you. It will channel our power straight to you. Because, though we may not be there physically, we want you to know that we are always there for you. No matter what happens we love you for who you are not what people think you are.”

  Clarissa put it on Ava and did the clasp as Ava held her hair up. It was a heavy black diamond round pendant on a simple long silver chain, meaning that it was hidden underneath Ava’s clothes in the centre of her chest.

  She felt the warm buzz of power and a sense of calmness wash over her as it settled on her skin. She was at a loss for words. Ava had read of these enchantments in her books and it was a very rare gift, as the power it took to enchant them, is so vast. Secondly if they fell into the wrong hands they can be used to drain the powers of the giver. It was a great honour to receive such a gift and Ava was humbled by her cousins’ generosity.

  “ Thanks for the necklace! I think next time a simple ‘I’m gonna miss you’ would be fine.” Ava joked trying to lighten the mood in the room.

  Laughing, her cousins huddled around her making an Ava sandwich cuddle. Again Ava felt a pang in her heart as she realised she was going to miss this too. Though she will still be able to visit with her cousins, she had a sinking feeling, things were never going to be the same again. Cassandra was the first to pull away and studied her cousin.

  “Before you ask again about your parents’ weirdness it’s not something we can really talk about. If we are completely honest with you, there is something that they have been keeping from you, that in our opinion you should have been told.”

  Clarissa gasped at her twin’s words. This in itself, was a surprise because the twins never spoke out on their own and Ava couldn’t remember one ever surprising the other with their words.

  “Can you at least tell me why they haven’t told me.” Ava was fishing, she didn’t want to push the twins into telling her something they were clearly uncomfortable talking about. But she desperately wanted more information. Especially after Cassandra’s admission.

  “They just want to protect you. We all do.”

  “Nothing amongst the Gifted is as it seems anymore and you will have to figure out for yourself who is right and who is wrong.”

  “Having all these years not knowing is a blessing…”

  “and also a curse”

  “Our guess is , that it’s too late now. They don’t want to tell you now because they want to enjoy their last moments with you.”

  “Give them that. Your parents have been the best parents and we know how much you love them. So give them this one last day. Don’t push them for information or make them doubt their choices. They deserve this one last day.”

  Cassandra finished for both the twins. They looked at Ava expectantly. Ava nodded, the growing fear residing at the bottom of her stomach was increasing by the second. However, they were right. It was too late now. If it was something bad she doesn’t want that to taint the last moments she will have with her parents and her last moments of childhood.

  After this they changed the subject onto the boys at school and the twins gave Ava a lot of unsolicited advice about how to get her first boyfriend. They chatted for awhile until Ava received the proper goodbye she was expecting. With loud wailed complaints on what would they do with all their free time, now they didn't have Ava to keep them entertained.

  Not staying long they left, leaving Ava with their words of wisdom and a new fear for what her school might bring.

  Ava returned to the dining room to sit with her father, noting that her mother was off organising something. She took another cheeky bowl of Krave for luck. Her father passed her the Sudoku pages of the paper he was reading and produced a pen out of his front shirt pocket.

  Ava’s father was a man of little words, she remembered when she was little, how he would come out and play with a small smile on his face but not once in her 18 years had she heard her father laugh. It w
as just the way he was wired.

  Her mother once explained that it wasn’t that he wasn’t happy, it was just that he forgot how to laugh a long time ago. For all his stoicism Ava loved him and loved the safeness which she felt with him.

  She looked at her father trying to memorise the strong lines of his face, the dark hair the same colour as hers. The strong nose and jaw line that gave his face symmetry.

  Her mother, who was blonde and rail thin, always complained that Ava was exactly like her father. Ava agreed with her mother she had never been able to reach the ‘fashionably’ thin look with too many curves on her hips and boobs to fit into the sizes her mother did. Her colouring from her skin to her eyes was all her father. Her cousins described her eyes as hazel but she felt that was just a fancy way of saying ‘boring brown’.

  Silently she finished her puzzles keeping her father company until he had finished his paper. Today the silence felt weighted but Ava’s father didn’t say a word until Ava tried to give him his pen back.

  “Keep it.” He said quietly as he strode quickly out of the room. Ava held the pen preciously as she went to add it to her packing.

  It took Ava and her mother hours to do a final check list and load her trunks into the car. All too soon it was 11 o'clock and time to leave. Ava said her ‘goodbyes’ to all the loyal house staff, which they kept. Especially her personal maid and friend Stacy, who Ava had practically grown up with. She was really proud of herself for not crying, even though Stacy shook with tears streaming down her face when they hugged her for the 5th time.

  The household staff were like a second family to Ava. They celebrated all their birthdays and celebrations together. On holidays, everyone pitched in on the chores. She didn’t know how many would be able to make the long journey to her school to visit her, so she felt a real pang at the thought of not seeing them for 3 years.

  When Ava looked around the gathering at the front of the house she couldn’t see her father. So, she dashed back in the house to find him for their final goodbye.

  She looked in his study and all the rooms he usually visited throughout the house and she couldn’t find him. As her mother’s calls for her to hurry up grew louder and more frequent. Ava became more and more desperate to find her father to tell him how much she would miss him.

  After checking every room in the house twice, she admitted defeat and found her mother downstairs pacing.

  “Where have you been? We were supposed to have left ten minutes ago. Seriously, today is not the day for you to be your usual late self.”

  Ava’s mother never told her off, but even the strangeness of her mother putting her foot down didn’t mask the sadness she felt for not finding her father.

  “I was looking for Dad but I couldn’t find him anywhere”

  The sadness in Ava’s voice got through to her mother immediately, and gone was her anger.

  “Oh honey, your father is no good with ‘goodbyes’. I know that doesn’t excuse him for not being here to see you off but he’s going to miss you terribly. We all are.”

  Putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders, she slowly lead Ava to the car. Lillian was the first to hear footsteps from behind them, and turned to find her husband striding towards them looking very determined.

  By the time Ava turned, her father pulled her straight into a fierce hug. Though the hug made breathing impossible, she clung back to him holding on for dear life, to the man that she knew no others would measure up to.

  Bending his head, he whispered into her ear. “You are my only daughter and I have done everything to protect you, you have grown up into a magnificent person and I am proud to be called your father. You will spend the next three years at school unable to come home, but promise me if anything happens you will call me because I will break into that place and take you away and God help those who try and stop me.”

  “ Just say you love her and are going to miss her and let her go Horace. She is starting to turn blue from lack of oxygen.” Lillian’s voice trilled at her husband.

  He did let go and took a step back, kissed his only daughter on the forehead. “I love you baby girl. Return to me.” With that he abruptly turned and practically ran back into the house, before Ava could say that she loved him too.

  Numbly she got into the car. Its wasn’t until they were driving away and she saw everything that she held dear slide out of view, that she let the tears fall silently down her cheeks.

  Chapter 2

  The journey to Ash Academy was a long one and they didn’t arrive until just after 5 o'clock that evening. In that time Ava collected and prepared herself for what awaited her at the end of the journey.

  Pulling into the school, Ava was amazed by its grandeur, with towers at every corner and gargoyles staring down at her with evil intent. Why do Gargoyles have to be so scary? She thought. Why not put happy little chubby angels waving down at you with their chubby hands inviting you in?

  The car park was full of new students, like Ava, nervously getting out of their cars. What Ava did notice was how the other students seemed to know each other. They were all looking up at the intimidating architecture like she was. Though they seemed so comfortable when greeting each other.

  She knew that her upbringing may be different and had prepared for people having pre-formed friendships. However, seeing it play out in front of you is something entirely different. Everyone was already forming groups, segregating themselves from different groups. Ava was starting to drown in that uneasy feeling in her stomach. How was she supposed to meet people and make friends, if nobody wanted new friends?

  She got out of her car and went to her mother’s side to see an expression she had never seen before on her mother’s face. It was a closed expression, an almost snobby disdain, it was so far from the happy open expression she had always worn before.

  Ava thought it was a joke until one of the other mothers looked their way. Her mother, very pointedly, stared back with that expression. Almost daring the other woman to come over to talk to her.

  Something wasn’t right, Ava knew it wasn’t her imagination. After her cousins warning and now this weirdness. She couldn’t help but dread to find out what was so obviously wrong.

  As they followed the crowd into the large grand hall she thought she caught some parents and students staring at her. Shaking it off she scolded herself for her paranoia.

  She wasn’t dressed too dissimilarly to the other girls. She did notice that the majority of the girls had blonde hair and blue eyes and thin, tall figures, like her mother. This did make her stand out with her brown hair, brown eyes and curvy petite figure. But she wasn’t the only one, so surely that couldn’t be the reason for the attention? It definitely wasn’t her paranoia either, she was starting to hear her name in the hushed whispers around the hall.

  Ava strained to listen to a mother who was whispering furiously to her daughter. “For God’s sake Sky, are you paying attention. Did you hear me? Don’t you dare shame your family by talking to her, OK? She’s dangerous all of them are.”

  Not sure who they were talking about, Ava looked around the room for this dangerous person, promising herself she wouldn’t talk to her either. The last thing she wanted was to shame her family.

  Then the girl, Sky, looked up and Ava noted how different she looked from her mother who was all fake. Blonde hair, tanned with pink, talon like nails, like most of the women in the room. Sky in contrast had black hair, skin so pale it was almost translucent and big violet eyes which were now focused on her.

  They stared at each other for a second until Sky’s mother made a strangled sound and dragged her daughter away whilst muttering under her breath. It took a moment for Ava to realise that the person they were talking about was her.

  It made no sense, she wasn’t dangerous so why did that woman say that? It was all some big misunderstanding. Turning to tell her mother, she wanted to see if she had heard, and find out why everyone was whispering about her.

  Before Ava could get the words out, the room went dead silent in an instant. The only sound was the click clack of a woman’s heels as she strode across the stage at the back of the grand hall.

  Ava stood on her tippy toes to get a view of the woman who held that much power in a room full of powerful people. It was a little plump woman who oddly resembled Mrs Tiggy Winkle. This must be Miss Violet, the headmistress, a woman known for being the first female Gifted sentry (which is like the Gifted police force).