79 - Noble Girls

Kieran looked at her with interest. "You admit you are a noble?" he asked.

Annie stared back at him. "Yes. I don't remember much about my past or who my family is. I only know... that using magic means you are of noble birth."

"Prove it."

Annie's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

Kieran scowled at her. "I said prove it."

Annie bristled at his tone. It came off authoritative. "You want me to show my magic?"

Kieran was silent for a moment, studying her. "How old are you?"

"I'm thirteen." She was getting annoyed. She shook Aster's hand off her wrist. "What does my age have to do with me being noble?"

"It's well known nobles receive their magic at the age of ten. Do you know if you were kidnapped? Or did you run away?" Kieran asked.

Annie wondered what he was trying to say. Didn't she tell him she didn't have any... Was he insinuating something stupid? Her eyes narrowed at him. "No. I wasn't kidnapped. I didn't run away either. I was found with no memories of my past. I only know I can do this!"

She lifted a hand and snapped her fingers. A small flame danced above her fingertips. "Does this prove my noble blood?" she asked.

He muttered something under his breath and pulled some papers out. They were wrinkled and old. He started rifling through them. "What did you say your name was?"

She opened her mouth but Aster interrupted her. "Her name is Annie. Kieran, you seem to be slipping. Are you not hearing us properly?"

Kieran's cold blue eyes focused on Aster. "You are very proficient at being a good merchant. Your charisma has been a good tool to use. It has helped in many situations. Sometimes though... I wish you would shut up."

Aster closed his mouth. Kieran went back to looking through his papers. "There have been many children of noble blood taken after their ceremony. Not a lot to raise alarm, but enough that can be considered a pattern. Since you have no memories, I can only assume how and when you were taken."

Anemone looked down at the papers Aster had provided. It wasn't a list of names. There were pages that had a portrait of a noble child. Many were young girls. Each one didn't look familiar to her. Other pages were filled with information about the girls. Kieran gave her his papers. She looked through each one. "You want me to find one that resembles me?"

"We organized the pages per age. We've noticed they don't kidnap over fourteen. Which makes sense in a way. When you turn fifteen, you are enrolled in the noble academy. The place is well guarded and not easy to break into. If we find your family, we'll be able to return you back."

Annie hesitated on one page. A girl with red hair and fierce black eyes. It matched her looks but she wasn't sure if it was her. How many girls out there had red hair and black eyes? She covered it with another page.

Anemone Castiano.

The name seemed to leap at her from the page. A shrill sound filled her ears, like she was losing her hearing. The papers blurred and a huge migraine filled her head. What was going on with her? The pain increased unbearably. She gasped and clutched her head. "Vivi!" she cried out before she fell down, unconscious