Apprentices: New Moon

How Do You Prepare For a War?

Nothing in life makes sense. People come and go, they face all the difficulties in their life, just to die in the end. Like everyone else. It’s a cruel circle, but it’s the circle of life. There’s nothing we can do against it.

But as my life takes a drastic turn, I can’t help but wonder, why does it even matter what I do? In the end, I’ll be gone someday, not knowing why I was bothering myself with all those troubles that are pestering me.

On the other hand, I’m not the kind of person to just give up on something so easily. If we’re all here, in this world. If we’re all together, then we surely must be here for a reason, aren’t we?

I wish that reason didn’t include us all, joining forces against my mother. But it’s not like we can pick the lemons that life gives us. We can only choose if we’re going to swallow them the way they are or use them to make a damn, majestic cocktail.

After graduation, everything changes for us. I keep staying with Cyrus, while most of my friends stay in their rooms. Usually, they’d all go to stay with their families during the summer holidays. But now that our world is so unpredictable, they chose to stay here and help out.

Their parents weren’t exactly thrilled about it, but they understood. Jake’s mom and dad are even choosing to stay here for a month or something like that. Marcus’s parents stayed behind to take care of the pack. It’s the same for other boys. Some have their families here, some stayed behind along Marcus’s parents.

Katie and Sheila both have their families living inside the Seminary, so it’s the same for them as it is all year round.

My aunt isn’t bothered by my relationship with my mentor anymore. Maybe because she’s also trying to rekindle an old flame of her own, like I suggested. Well, every time I ask her about it, she turns me down with the words that she has no time for such things right now.

My dad, on the other hand … Let’s say he’s still getting used to the idea of me and Cyrus together. He’s not exactly thrilled about it, but he doesn’t try to tear us apart anymore. Last week, they had a talk about those dark magic spells that he provided me with. I’m just going to say that my ears were full.

Still, despite being on a supposedly more easy-going schedule, I still have my hands full. In the morning we all still train with Cyrus, then get ourselves to breakfast in the Headquarters and continue our training with the warrior witches. Then we have a few minutes to breathe, eat lunch, get back to work, and so on until we go to sleep.

It’s a never-ending circle, but I’m already used to it. Nothing feels too difficult, especially now that I have to keep myself busy in order to forget that we’re having this preparations with one sole goal in mind. To eliminate my mother. No. Scratch that. To eliminate Amelia.

This way, it’s easier. Reminding myself that she’s not the mother I could have, makes me feel better about having this undying need about killing her. I hate everything she represents. And referring to her by her name makes me able to swallow everything a little less bitterly.

By now, I’ve heard about all the major points that makes soulthieves what they are. Because with warrior witches, we don’t just train. We also learn how to defeat our biggest enemy. One that Amelia is holding in the palm of her hand.

If she was already too strong for us in Portsmouth, I’m afraid how many undead soldiers she managed to gather in these past few months. I try not to trouble myself with it, but I know that I should be really worried.

During one of those lessons, Hugh is teaching us the basics of how to defend ourselves from a soulthief attack. I have to shiver as he projects a photograph of a soulthief. Who the hell takes a picture of that thing? Isn’t your first instinct to blow it away, then get the hell out of there, before it takes your soul?

Luckily, it’s the only photo of a soulthief that he has. Which makes me a little less worried about the warrior witches’ need for self-preservation. “They don’t hesitate to attack. Because our souls are their food,” he explains.

A young warrior raises his hand nearby, seeming like he’s a little confused. “But how does that happen? Do they just attack you without a warning?” he asks, making me raise my eyebrows. In that moment, I happen to meet Sheila’s equally stunned expression, and we simply shake our heads at each other in silent communication about how stupid that question was.

Seriously, how dumb can you be? Luckily, Hugh has just the right answer in store and he seems a little annoyed that he even let someone like this enter the Headquarters. “Let me put it this way, do you ask the banana, if it wants to be eaten?” he retorts.

I have to cover my mouth with my hand in order to prevent myself from laughing. In that moment, I feel a strange sensation that someone’s watching me. I turn my gaze into that direction, noticing my boyfriend just walking past our little study session.

He shakes his head at me in a disapproving way. He probably overheard all of that, which makes me motion with my head towards that young warrior, then roll my eyes. Cyrus offers me an amused smile, then shakes his head.

Before I’m able to smile back, he already disappears behind the wall. My best friend leans towards me, making me flinch in surprise as she places her hand on my knee. “You should really start paying attention in class. You’re going to college soon. They don’t tolerate daydreamers like you there,” she whispers.

I pretend to be outraged by her words, but in the next moment, I already reply with: “It’s a good thing that I at least have vivid daydreams.” I wiggle my eyebrows in a suggestive way, making Katie’s lips twitch as he tries to hold back her giggling.

We soon return our focus back to Hugh, because we really don’t want to be exposed in front of all these young warriors, ready to serve. Not when we’re only here because … Well … I’m not sure if it’s because I’m the murderer’s daughter or because I’m sleeping with my mentor, who happens to be the commander of warrior witches. It’s a really close call, but I’ll go with the second option.

“In all the years that we’ve fought against our natural enemy, no one has been able to come up with a way to destroy a single soulthief. It puts us in a really tough position. Especially now that the witch we’re trying to capture, is able to control them. Starting today, we’ll learn how to defeat them as quickly and effectively as possible. Now, I think you’re all in need of a decent break. Dismissed,” Hugh tells us after twenty more minutes of lecturing us about how dangerous the soulthieves are.

Me and the girls practically run out of the place, thankful for the break. “If he kept talking, I’d be sliding under the desk by now. I’m in desperate need for some coffee,” I remark, looping my arms through theirs. We’re alone, because werewolves don’t possess magic. It would be stupid for them to listen to a class about how to use magic against soulthieves.

“Yeah, same here,” Sheila remarks, while Katie just shrugs in response. I can’t believe how she’s able to survive in this world without ever complaining about it. Well, it’s not like I’m saying all she should do, is complain. But it’s healthy from time to time.

“What about you, Katie?” I ask her, trying to get something out of her. But she’s just not herself. I don’t know what got into her. Lately, she’s been even paler than she usually is and she isn’t as energetic. Well, it’s not like she’s normally hyperactive, but still.

She shrugs again. “I don’t know. I thought we’d try out some spells now,” she speaks up, clearly having left her head back beside her desk. I sigh, shaking my head at her.

“Please, show us some life. If you want a shot, just tell me. I’ll get you one,” I offer, making her chuckle. Then, she’s the one who shakes her head.

“I wonder if you’re so loud and brave in front of your mentor-s***h-boyfriend,” she then knocks me back, making me gasp in surprise. Now that one I didn’t see coming at all. But before I’m able to say something, I already freeze.

Because someone already responds instead of me. “Oh, no, she’s completely tame when she’s with me,” Cyrus’s voice speaks up nearby, making me search for him with my gaze. He’s leaning that sexy ass on a desk, watching the three of us with his muscular arms crossed against his chest.

Just like in a dream, I completely forget that I’m with my friends. I even forget that two seconds ago, I was a cranky old lady in need for coffee. I walk over there and plant one long kiss on his lips. “I missed you,” I tell him as I pull away, holding his face with both my hands.

He raises an eyebrow, softly squeezing my hips. Mm, don’t tease me, Cyrus. “We were together less than an hour ago. And you saw me quite recently, if my memory serves me right,” he reminds me. I shake my head, like it’s going to prove that he’s wrong.

“It doesn’t matter, I always miss you,” I tell him, sliding my hands down, so I can put them together around his neck. He chuckles and shakes his head at me. However, before he’s able to tell me how silly I am, my friends already require my presence.

“Hey, are you going to come with us and get that coffee or are you going to stand there and make eyes at each other? You literally saw him an hour ago,” Sheila calls out, making quite a few head turn towards us.

I sigh, noticing the amused smile that appears on my boyfriend’s face. So, in order to spice things up, I tell Cyrus as loudly as I can: “Please, remind me why I agreed to be friends with her again?”

“Hey, I heard that!” Sheila protests, making me turn my head over my shoulder. By then, my boyfriend is already chuckling.

“Yeah, I meant for you to hear that,” I inform her, then smile. “I’m just kidding. I’m coming with you, right away,” I then add, making her shake her head, while Katie is smiling in amusement. As I turn back to Cyrus, I tell him: “But not before I smooch you again.”