Did Cheng see through my gasp?
Does he know that I'm dreaming about the queen? Why am I dreaming about her? Of all the women in Paegeia why her? Well I'm not going to tell anyone about that. They'll think that I believe in my mark and that I think I'm special or something because she showed up in my dreams. Whatever the reason, it's bound to start students asking questions thatcould invariably end up causing a lot more problems than what it’s worth. I had my fair share of dealing with problems too.
"What are you thinking about, Elena?” he said shaking me from my thoughts.
“I was just thinking about home, the other side of the wall.”It wasn’t a lie. I was sort of thinking about it.
“Do you miss it?”
“Except for my dad, no. It's weird how comfortable I feel on this side. I mean I never knew what friendship was before now. Here I have so many people looking out for me. It's nice, but sometimes I miss being alone. Do you know what I mean?”
He smiled knowingly. “If you want to call it a day, Elena, I won't mind.”
“I didn't mean it like that, Cheng. I like spending time with you, and I'll put in a good word for you with Master Longwei in making you the new history professor.”
He roared with laughter. It was so contagious that I joined in.
“Thanks for the compliment,” he said when he finally stopped laughing.
He started asking me questions about New York and the Empire State building and my mind wandered back to my old life. That much I could tell him,because we’d lived everywhere in America. The Golden Bridge was on his list of things to see too.
“Thank you, Cheng. Besides Lucian, you're one of the coolest guys that Master Longwei could’ve asked to tutor me.”
“You're welcome, Elena. I’m happy just as long as you learn something.”
On our trip back to the Academy, all the things I had learned started to swirl in my head. The queen was at the forefront. As if dreaming about her wasn't enough.
The nagging bit of information was the foretelling. How could mine have appeared magically in the book? What was it I had to decide on? How would I know what the Viden mean by “if I don't the truth will never be known?” Could it have been about somebody else that she happened to receive while I was there?
“What is it, Elena?” He asked as we reached the stairs of the dorms, noticing my deep thought.
“Nothing,” I said quickly.
“I can see there's a question burning inside of you.”
“There is but it's not important.”
He waited patiently for me to speak, crossing his arms so I would know he wasn’t going to let it drop. I took a deep breath, knowing that Cheng might be the only person who would ever tell me the truth.
“Does the Viden sometimes make a foretelling that isn't meant for you?”
“What do you mean?”
I cringed and almost stopped, but decided what the heck. “When I met her for the first time, I didn't like her very much, I still don't. She's vain and only has nice things to say to her prodigies, like they're the only ones that matter. It's all a load of bull anyway. When I got up to leave she said something. Could it have been meant for someone else?”
“Did the wind blow and her eyes light up?”
“You can say that,”I said, trying my best not to give away that it was the one he’d read out loud at the museum.
“Yes, Elena. It was meant for you and only you,” he said knowingly.
“Thanks, Cheng. That’s all I wanted to know.” I smiled and we said our goodbyes. I was tired when I reached the room, drained by today's trip and I fell on top of my bed. I was glad that Becky and Sammy were still somewhere in Elm.I didn’t have the energy to recap my trip with Cheng.
I was so frustrated that I didn't have the answers. I wasn't desperate enough to crawl back to that awful hag and begher to tell me what she’d meant.
I fell asleep only to be awoken by an over-excited Becky, who jumped on top of me.
“Wake up, sleepy head.”
I growled into my pillow, but it didn't stop her bouncing.
“I hope your learning about the past is over now.”
“Yes, and thank you, my lady, for giving me the time off to roam free,” I joked, my face slowly emerging from my pillow.
Sammy sat on the couch, sucking on liquorice, smiling at us.
“I've learned so much today about everything.”
“That happens if you mix business with pleasure,” Becky said.
“How was your day with George? I assume he was with you since he can't do anything without his Becky,” I teased, trying to do an old British butler accent.
Sammy laughed.
“Ha, ha, funny, did a clown swim in your cereal this morning?” she said, glaring in my direction.