The Heart Of Time. Amy Blankenship

mid-step, feeling eyes on her.

      As the breeze blew her auburn hair from her face, she looked up at the building wondering whose eyes were caressing her but couldn’t see anyone. She had been able to sense odd things in the past few years, and she knew without a doubt someone was there … watching her. She could almost feel them touching her.

      She thought she saw movement in an upper window, but on closer inspection, she found it empty. Kyoko heaved an inward sigh realizing the odd feeling was now gone. She softly bit her bottom lip waiting on the disappointment to go away. Giving up, she finally caught up with Tama as he entered the doors. Both of them froze as they looked around.

      "This place is awesome,” Tama whispered, as he looked up then leaned over to add in a serious voice. “You might want to keep that map… knowing you, you’ll get lost here.”

      Kyoko appeared to not hear him as her eyes wandered over the interior of the main hall. The room they were standing in was at least three stories tall, with stairs that wound their way up to the other floors in a spiral. On one side, there was an enormous library, while on the other side it looked like a recreational area, and directly in the middle was a gigantic chandelier hanging from the high vaulted ceiling.

      â€œI would really hate to see that fall,” she confirmed to thin air with a nod.

      Below were sitting areas with plush furniture. There were students already up and busy doing things, although it was very early in the morning. She had wanted to be here as early as possible, and it was now 7:30 a.m. She quickly looked back down at the paper, wondering where she was supposed to go.

      Groaning, she looked over her shoulder at Tama and pointed up the spiral stairs in front of them. They had four suitcases between them, since Kyoko was actually moving in, and they were very heavy.

      Tama’s expression fell. “You gotta be kidding.” He let go of the handle of the biggest suitcase knowing the wheels on the bottom wouldn’t help this time. “I’m only 12 years old for crying out loud.”

      She squared her shoulders in determination.

      Kyoko was startled when a masculine voice from behind her asked, "Are you Miss Kyoko Hogo?"

      She instantly turned around saying, “Yes.”

      Her eyes widened as she came face to face with a very handsome-looking guy. He had startling ice blue eyes and long dark hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. As she stared in awe, she felt a strange breeze caress her face. The ends of her soft hair tickled her cheeks as the breeze caught it.

      He was giving her a very charming smile. Then, to her amazement, he snapped his fingers and two guys came almost out of nowhere, took her bags, and started up the stairs with them. Kyoko’s eyes widened as she watched them, but before she could say anything, the other guy had taken her hand in his, and bringing it to his lips, he gave her a prince-like kiss.

      "My name is Kotaro, and I would not want to see someone as fair as you have to carry anything so heavy. Now, if you will follow me, I will show you to your dorm room." Keeping her hand in his, Kotaro turned with confidence and started up the stairs.

      The sudden heat that rushed through his fingers and up his arm seemed to continue spreading across his body… awakening his guardian blood. It was his secret to keep. Kotaro gave her hand a slight squeeze knowing she was the one he had so patiently waited for. He’d felt it the second she had stepped into the room.

      Kyoko raised a delicate eyebrow thinking to herself, 'Gods save me from chivalrous guys. What have I walked into?'

      Turning, she shrugged at Tama who was standing there with his mouth open. Kyoko cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Tama be careful, you might catch flies like that." Then before he could recover, she turned and followed the lithe form of the guy known to her only as Kotaro.

      She mentally chalked one for her on her imaginary chalkboard, where she was secretly keeping score for her and Tama. She heard him huff behind her as they walked up the stairs and new she was now winning the game.

      They passed another guy on his way down the stairs, and as he passed her without even looking at her, she felt a flash cross her heart and her breath stopped. All sound disappeared as he passed her almost in slow motion. Then everything returned too normal as her heart skipped a beat then sped up.

      A feeling of unease crept across her skin as if she was missing something… or more like she had lost something and missed it terribly. Trying to shake the strange reaction, she didn’t even turn to look at who had passed her, feeling that at the moment she was better off not knowing.

      â€œWell, at least there are enough guys around here for you to drool over,” Tama whispered making Kyoko growl mentally.

      At the top of the stairs she turned, following Kotaro down a long hallway with lots of doors on both sides. She assumed these were the dorm rooms but he never slowed down or stopped at any of them. At the end of the hall there was a doorway that read DO NOT ENTER. She was a little confused when Kotaro and the two carrying her bags gracefully walked through them as if they belonged there, only to turn to another flight of stairs.

      Tama closed in on Kyoko and taunted, “I think they are sending you to the dungeon.”

      Kyoko smirked over her shoulder at him, “We are going up not down you dummy.”

      â€œAn empty cold room at the top of the tower then,” Tama flipped her on the back of the head.

      'Well at least I’m gonna stay in shape,’ she thought as they reached the top of another elegant flight of stairs, then they turned down another hallway but this one was beautiful. It looked like the floor was even made of marble. The doors were very far apart. There were only three rooms in this hall, and she worried to herself that maybe Kotaro didn’t know where she was supposed to be after all.

      Kotaro walked to the last door, thinking to himself that she must be someone very special because there weren’t many people even allowed in this hallway, and he knew it to be the best room within the whole campus. He stepped in front of the door and waited on her and her young friend to catch up.

      Kotaro smirked, she was nervous. He could smell it. He looked into her stormy emerald eyes and already felt his heart faltering, but for now, he would do as he was told.

      He held his hand out, palm up. "Now I will take my leave, but if there is anything you need..." He handed her the key to her room, and giving her a look that made her blush, he actually bowed gallantly then motioned for the two men to follow him.

      Kyoko and Tama both turned and watched them with raised eyebrows until they were out of sight, then Kyoko glanced back to the door and gasped. Right there on the door a nameplate read Kyoko Hogo in golden letters.

      Tama tapped his sister on the shoulder snickering. "You know… you can catch flies that way."

      Kyoko rolled her eyes as she mentally erased the point she had given herself earlier. Taking the key, she unlocked the door and timidly opened it, peeking inside.

      Tama’s eyes got as big as saucers and he pushed his way past her. “No way! This room is almost the size of our whole house." His awe filled voice echoed in the silence. “You could open a freakin’ warehouse dance club in this joint.”

      â€œSo you like my dungeon?” Kyoko added the point back where it belonged.

      *****

      Two hours later, long after she had thanked Tama and sent him on his way, Kyoko was standing in the bathroom putting her stuff on the shelves. She again glanced at the bathtub that was big enough for five people.

      Groaning, she mimicked her little brother’s words, "No way!"

      She could feel the hair standing up on the back of her neck as she wondered again if it was all a mistake. “Yeah,” she whispered to herself. Someone would show up any minute to tell her to pack her stuff. She just