Title: The Queen's Gift
Author: T.R. Allardice
Publication Date: December 15, 2014
Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old, late-bloomer Jean Elliott dreams of becoming a Genie like her mom. When her family relocates to Tokyo, Jean is forced to use sleight-of-hand tricks to fool everyone at school into believing that she’s a normal Preternatural or risk expulsion. When her power finally appears, it comes in the form of the Queen’s Gift–an unspeakable magic that strips power from all Preternaturals and heralds the arrival of the new queen.
After an absence of two hundred years, not everyone wants the monarchy to return and they’re willing to go to great lengths to keep the status quo. When buried secrets rip Jean’s family apart, she has a choice to make: Walk away and hope for the best or embrace the power that’s known to lead to madness in order to save her family.
Jean’s greatest dream has turned into her biggest nightmare and no matter how hard she tries, there’ll be no wishing the Queen’s Gift away.
Excerpt from The Queen's Gift:
Everything I know about Tokyo can be found on page two
hundred and fifty-seven of the Preternatural’s Travel Guide to Japan. It
consists of three paragraphs—a whopping one hundred and fifty words—and in no
way prepares anyone for the crushing size of the city or the cultural whiplash.
Despite the upheaval that a move from Chicago to the other
side of the world created, my first day at Tokyo International Preternatural
School wasn’t much different from any other school day.
I was late.
To add to my humiliation, Mom personally dropped me off
outside the administration office.
“Jean, I know you don’t want to be here.” My mom, Queen of
the Understatement, Ruler of the Obvious.
There was no good way to respond, so I kept my mouth shut.
When I’d begged my parents to let me attend a Preternatural school, Tokyo
wasn’t what I had in mind. I thought we’d stay in Chicago. Near my friends.
Near my old school. In case things didn’t work out.
She brushed my long hair back to get it out of my face. “Do
you have everything you need?”
Mom didn’t mean lunch money or school supplies. She was
referring to my magical contraband. The items I use to trick Preters
into believing that I am just like them. I’m not. Not yet anyway. It’s my hope
that being around other Preters will jumpstart my powers. Until then, I’d have
to fake it.
When pressed, Mom says I’m a late-bloomer. I had my
doubts...but I was ready. I’m always ready. It was one of the
stipulations for attending this school. To prove it, I patted the hidden
compartments sewn into my shirtsleeves. “Good to go.”
“That’s my girl.” She gave me a peck on the cheek, then
rushed off to her classroom.
Did I forget to mention that my mom’s a teacher here?
I know. Lucky me.
Mom glanced back, when she reached the elevators, and said,
“Make a wish,” then snapped her fingers and disappeared. A plume of
glitter-like substance appeared in the air where she’d stood, then quickly
dissolved.
Make a wish. Same
principle as ‘break a leg’. Three simple words that when combined seemed
harmless enough. Most people associated them with birthdays or falling stars.
Happy moments. Special moments. Magical
moments.
Not me.
I hate those three little words. All they do is remind me of
just how common I am. No offense to humans. They’re born as Commons. They don’t know any
differently. I do. And I’m reminded every night when I sit down for dinner with
my Preternatural family just how much being common sucks.
My backpack slipped. I shifted it higher onto my shoulder
and glared at the heavy wooden doors that stood between the admin office and
me, wishing I could snap my fingers and disappear, too.
The red dragon handles on the doors were warm to the touch,
as if the dragons recently breathed fire. Maybe they had. Or maybe the school
cast a truth charm on the doors. Wouldn’t be the first school office that used
one. Wouldn’t be the last. Not that it mattered. The spell wouldn’t work on me.
One of the few perks of being powerless.
The doors were intimidating, but not half as much as the
administrative office itself. Located on the fiftieth floor of a high-rise, the
office had floor-to-ceiling windows that framed Tokyo and made it look as if
the city floated amongst the clouds.
“Elliott-san,
we’ve been expecting you,” a woman said as I stepped into the room. Small, with
delicate features, her dainty bones seemed at odds with the inch-thick glasses
perched on her tiny nose. The lenses magnified her eyes until they looked three
times their normal size.
“Not Elliott-chan?”
Chan was often used to address young
girls, or so I’d read.
Her lips curved into a smile. “Are you a child?”
“No,” I said.
“My name is Ieto-san.”
She gave me a bow.
Mom told me on the flight that bowing was another way to say
hello and show respect, but I didn’t understand how deep or shallow I was
supposed to bow. The whole thing made me feel uncomfortable. I gave Ieto a
quick nod.
Her nose crinkled and she sneezed.
With a flourish of my hand, I produced a tissue and handed
it to her. It looked like it appeared out of thin air, but actually it had come
from my shirtsleeve.
“Doumo arigatou,”
she said.
“You’re welcome.”
“Sorry, but your transcripts have been delayed.” I expected
this. “Should be finished with temporary schedule in moment.” Ieto’s imperfect
English trumped my knowledge of the Japanese language.
Transcript mix-ups came anytime you magically doctored
school records. Mom hadn’t finished working on them yet. Of course this school
didn’t know that, and I wasn’t about to volunteer the information. The last
thing my family wanted was for anyone to know I’d transferred in from a Common
school. Preters didn’t go to Common schools—ever.
It was too dangerous…for the Commons. Preters didn’t have
total control of their powers until they reached adulthood. I hadn’t attended a
Preter school since the fifth grade, not since the…incident.
That was also the year that Mom and Dad finally acknowledged
that the powers—my powers—they’d been insisting were simply slow to develop
were in fact totally nonexistent. Coincidence? I think not.
Ieto stared at me, her nose twitching, as she waited to see
if I had any questions. I didn't. As the perpetual new kid, I never had
any questions. Her nose twitched again and she blinked several times. I
wondered if she was a mole Shifter, but that question was impolite to ask in
any country.
After an uncomfortable silence, she pointed to an empty
chair. “Your Gakusei escort should be
here soon.”
Obviously nobody trusted me to get to class on my own today.
I parked myself in the chair.
The language may have changed, but despite the fact that
this was my first Preter school in five years, it would be like all the others.
I'd do my homework. Keep my head down. Kill time until we moved. It wouldn’t be
long. Never was. I’d learned a long time ago not to get too comfortable. It
only made moving harder.
This was what you wanted, so suck it up.
I opened my backpack and pulled out a notebook. The orange
binder had the names of my two best friends from Chicago carved into its
battered face. Three other sets of names had already been crossed out, marking
the other cities that we’d lived in over the past couple of years. I ran my
thumb over the newest names and swallowed the bitter taste of homesickness that
welled in my mouth.
Ieto went back to typing, my presence already a footnote in
her memory. The rhythmic clack, clack, clack poked holes in the silence.
My phone flashed the time. Least it was good for something
here in Japan. I’d missed most of first period, but it hardly mattered. Today
was orientation. I wouldn’t be attending any real classes until tomorrow, so I
put in my ear-buds and cranked the music.
A girl walked into the office and stopped in front of me.
Before I could put my notebook down, she plucked an ear-bud out of my left ear
and said, “Cell phones aren’t allowed in school. Neither are mp3 players or
headphones of any kind. You must be Jean Elliott.”
Yay, my student escort had arrived.
My gaze locked onto a pair of greenish-purple knees the size
of giant doorknobs that poked out from beneath a pleated black uniform skirt.
The boney joints undulated beneath her skin as she shifted her weight.
I’d worn my favorite pair of low-rider blue jeans and an
over-sized gray Chicago sweatshirt. No one had said anything about having to
wear a uniform. Mom conveniently
forgot to mention it. This school just kept getting better and better.
The girl cleared her throat. “You are Jean Elliott, the
spell-casting, wish-granting Sensei’s
daughter, right?”
Sensei was
Japanese for teacher. Why couldn’t she just say that?
“That’s me.” My gaze rose and rose until it latched onto a
Ghoul’s beaming face.
I shrieked and pushed off with my feet. My shoulders slammed
against the back of the chair, knocking it into the wall. It clanged so loud
that Ieto jumped. The move didn’t put me out of reach of the Ghoul, but at
least I had a chance of escaping if she attacked. I tried not to stare, but I’d
never been this close to a Ghoul. Like ever!
You would’ve stared, too.
All Ghouls are
big. This girl was no exception. At six feet and counting, her shoulders were
wide enough to shame an American football player in full uniform. Her earth
brown hair hung in two fat braids next to her ears. Dark blue-framed glasses
bisected her flared nose. Her smile revealed a mouth full of razor sharp teeth
encased in shiny silver braces.
“You look like her.” She sniffed. “You smell a little like
her, too. But I guess all Genies carry that flowery jasmine scent.”
Did I forget to mention that my mom is a Genie? And not just
any Genie, she’s one of the best wish-granters and spell-casters in the world.
As I watched, the Ghoul pushed her eyeglass frames up with a
thick finger and smiled wider. Visions of being swallowed whole flashed through
my mind. I’m not very big. I had no doubt she could unhinge her jaw and polish
me off in three or four bites without breaking a sweat.
“My name is Karen Kim. Most people call me Kim-gakusei or Kim-san, but you can call me Karen.” The Ghoul stuck out her hand.
I stared at the meaty catcher’s mitt with fingers and
thought about the story of a poor shark that had, had the misfortune of
attacking a Ghoul off the coast of Australia. By the time the thrashing
finished and the blood cleared, all that was left of the Great White was a lone
fin bobbing on the surface of the water.
Was it safe to shake her hand? Ghouls weren’t known to eat
other Preters, but they would if they were hungry enough and I wasn’t exactly
what you’d call a normal Preternatural.
As if on cue, Karen’s stomach growled...and growled...and
growled.
“Please don’t eat me.” Had I just said that aloud? My eyes
closed and I groaned.
Karen laughed.
Not the reaction I expected.
“Relax,” she said. “I’m not going to eat you.” She tapped
the fashion magazine under her arm. “I can’t go around eating random Preters.
Not if I want to be a supermodel.”
It took me a moment to tear my gaze away from her stomach.
Did she say model? I blinked. Was that supposed to be some kind of joke? I gave
her a small smile and continued to stare. No way would I comment on Karen’s
declaration. Let somebody else break it to her that there weren’t any size
eighteen Korean Ghoul supermodels. And if there were, they’d never graced the
cover of Magical Vague or any other
fashion magazine. Ghouls only came in two sizes, big and gigantic.
Before anyone thinks I’m being harsh, they should know that
at five foot two I won’t be a model any time soon either.
Karen's brow furrowed. “Am I your first Ghoul?”
I grunted noncommittally. It was either that or lie. Did
Ghouls attack if you insulted them? Didn't know. Didn't want to find out. I
looked to Ieto for help, but she steadfastly ignored my silent pleas. What kind
of sadistic school was this?
Karen snorted. “You look like you're going to be sick.”
"Sorry." Nice Ghoul. Easy Ghoul. Stay calm. I
pulled the other ear-bud out slowly and shoved the phone into my book bag. I’d
heard that sudden movements might accidentally trigger an attack response.
She shrugged. “I’m used to it." Karen’s gaze dropped
away and her cheeks turned Granny Smith apple green, a Ghoul’s version of a
blush. "Most people aren’t so honest about their feelings. I think we’re
going to get along just fine.” She glanced over at Ieto, probably to see if
she’d noticed, but the woman was immersed in her work. Karen cleared her throat
and got back to business. “The school has assigned me to be your student guide
for at least a week. I’ll show you where everything is, help you find your
classes, and introduce you to some people. If you—”
A bewitched radio roared to life on Ieto’s desk,
interrupting Karen’s spiel. The broadcast started out in Japanese, then
automatically switched to whatever language the listener spoke.
“The Common news reported another sighting of the white
monster. This brings the total number of sightings to seven. It was spotted
last night near the electronics’ district of Akihabara. This is the latest in a rash of strange creature
sightings from around the world. An emergency meeting of the Assembly has been
called. Steps are being taken to detain the creature. A reward has been offered
for any information on its current whereabouts. No further details are
available at this time.” The broadcast ended abruptly.
I rolled my eyes. “Some Common probably caught sight of a
were-lion, were-dragon or were-something in mid-change.” Surprising, sure.
Shocking, maybe, but hardly what you’d call news in the Preter world. “Must be
a slow news week.”
“No.” Karen shook her head, making her braids flop. “It’s
not a Preter. That’s already been confirmed. And it’s not the same creature
showing up all over the world. The descriptions vary from location to
location.”
Contrary to what she thought, I still believed the creature
was a Preter having a good laugh at everyone’s expense. “If it’s not a Preter,
then what is it?”
“Nobody knows.” Karen’s dark brown eyes glowed with
excitement. “That’s why a bunch of us are going monster hunting tonight. Want
to come with?” All that was missing from the question was I dare you.
I’ve been the new kid more times than I could count. I have
had several self-appointed “friends”. Some even became real friends. Most
resented the job and took pleasure in hazing me every chance they got. The
question was, what type was Karen?
“Sure, I’ll go.” I didn’t have a clue what I’d agreed to,
since technically we were the monsters. No doubt tonight would turn out
to be a pointless snipe hunt and I’d be the one left holding the
butterfly net.
“Great!” Karen flashed a frightening smile. “We could really
use someone with your powers.”
“Yeah.” I laughed nervously. “My powers are fierce.” They
were so fierce they hadn’t bothered to show up yet. Was it too late to bow out?
If Karen’s grin was any indication, then I already had my answer. I sighed.
Some girls dream of having big boobs. I dream of being a Genie. Until that day
happens...
Sucks to be me.
About T.R. Allardice:
T.R. Allardice writes young adult, new adult, and humorous horror stories. Most of what she writes incorporates several genres. The content won't always be 'safe'. What's the fun in that? She is a member of the Horror Writer's Association, Novelist Inc. and the Author's Guild. She has thirty-one books published under another pen name.
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