Casters (Book One: Star Caster)

Chapter Twenty

Okay, nearly killing myself three times is one thing. Nearly killing my mentor, a whole other thing! After Nerissa left, I changed and went to go check on Cyrene. Which was a bad idea. Apparently, word gets around quick here.

Everyone was looking at me like I was some kind of monster. Whispering my name, moving just out of ear range when I walked by. Before I could even make it to the infirmary Lorelei found me first. She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the conference room without a word.

I was thrust inside and forced to face the elders.

Again.

Asherah met us there. The flowers on her dress wilting and drooping. There just seemed to be this feeling in the air. Like I was in really big trouble. The way they all looked at me like I was a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar after promising I wasn't the one eating the cookies.

No one said anything for a whole two minutes. All of them just looking at me as if wondering what to do to me or what to say. How to handle this situation. Before I could open my mouth and plead my ignorance, coach O'Ryan also joined us.

"It was an accident," my voice finally broke the silence.

"How!? How was it an accident? Explain yourself!" Lorelei demanded.

"Lorelei, hush yourself. You do not have jurisdiction here." One of the elders said.

"Well maybe I should, clearly none of you have a handle on this situation!" she spat.

I looked to Asherah for help and she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I didn't mean to!" I plead to the room.

"Why don't you start at the beginning," The same elder with the long slick black hair said.

I open and shut my mouth, nothing but gibberish coming out. How can I explain anything without telling them everything!? I can't trust these people, one of them might be behind changing me. I still don't know why I am here but if what Nerissa said is true it's becoming more apparent that me being here is no freak accident. Someone knows something, but I don't know who.

"What happened to you when you were in the fear simulation?" Coach demands.

"My powers just started going haywire. I don't know. I saw all this crazy stuff then my powers started reacting. My hands started glowing then it was over." I say.

The only way I'm getting out of this is to stick as close to the truth as possible. Especially since apparently it's a thing where my own energy gives away if I'm lying or not. That's extremely inconvenient. I never thought I'd say this but sometimes a lie is necessary.

"Where did you go after that?" Asherah asks.

"I went to the library."

"Why?" The elder asks.

"For research," I say.

"Our records show you checked out a lot of books on Time Casters," The scary elder woman says, the one with dark pits for eyes.

Lorelei looks at me then.

"Honestly?" I say.

They all look at me expectantly.

"Yesterday in class we talked about time casters, and after my powers freaked out, I freaked out. I went to the library to find answers, to confirm if they were real. To see... if maybe I could rewind time to before I became like this." I say.

They all look appalled and disgusted.

"Then Cyrene came to my room and talked to me. She calmed me down. I told her I couldn't get a hold of my powers and that I didn't want to be like this. I didn't want to do this anymore. She was trying to help me get control of my powers, use her energy or whatever to help push my energy along. Then boom! It all just happened so fast. Before I could stop it or get a hold of anything. I accidentally blasted her back or something. I don't know exactly what happened. I couldn't see! There was this blinding light coming out of me and I freaked out! The next thing I know Cyrene is knocked out and all the lights are off. I freaked! It was an accident. I didn't mean it, please, I'm sorry." I plead.