by Jaymin Eve
My panic at being cuffed came and went in waves, and it was only because I could focus on all this other weird shit that I wasn’t rocking in a corner somewhere.
The noise hit me when we stepped into the common area. There were people—supernaturals—everywhere. I mean every-freaking-where. The commons was a large space, easily as big as a football stadium back home. From where we stood, I could see dozens of huge trees sprouting up across it, along with hundreds of tables. They were lined up like a cafeteria, only we were outside. “What happens when it rains?” I breathed, eyes locked on the scene. “You have no indoor cafeteria?”
Ilia shook her head before she pulled me further into the chaos. “Nope, this is where we all eat our food. The magic users take care of the rain if it comes across.”
We were starting to draw attention, and I wasn’t sure if it was the fact that I was restrained, that we had a goblin in our midst, or if Ilia was well known here, but many eyes landed on us and the noise died down.
“Why are they looking at us?” I whispered, trying not to meet any eyes while still taking in as much as I could from under my eyelashes. For the most part, all the supernaturals I could see looked like humans. Tall, beautiful, scary-as-fuck humans. Mossie was still the weirdest thing I’d seen, and a small part of me relaxed.
Ilia pressed closer to me. “They know I bring in the unknown cases. They’re just trying to figure you out, get a read on your energy.”
The energy that only appeared on occasions and apparently was not easily read at all. Great.
Deciding that I was done staring at my feet, I jerked my head high and walked along with as much confidence as I could muster. When we were about halfway across the open cafeteria area, a table of girls caught my attention—they were beneath one of the largest trees, with huge pink flowers scattered amongst the green foliage. Their stares felt heavy, and I had to physically force myself not to glare back. Best not to create enemies on my first day in the supe world.
“The Clovers,” Ilia whispered. “Stay away from Kate; she’s their head bitch, from a line of very powerful magic users.”
It didn’t take a genius to figure out which one was Kate. She sat center stage, her minions around her. Her vibrant red hair curled atop her shoulders, her eyes dark as she scowled at me.
“Is she gonna turn me into a fucking toad or something?” I hissed, panicked.
“No magic,” Mossie bit out, sending his own scowl in the direction of the queen bitch. “No magic allowed outside of classes. And definitely not against another student.”
Yeah, I bet all of the rules were enforced all the time here too. Seriously. School was the place where all the rules were broken. Before I could freak myself out further, we were striding past the mean girls’ table, and I turned my attention forward, to….
Holy sweet mother.
My brain felt like it was burning up as I met the gazes of the occupants at a table near the Clovers.
Five guys.
My mouth went dry as I tried to remember how to breathe and walk at the same time.
Each of them had me locked in their gaze, except one in the center who just gave a glimpse of black hair with silver-blond highlights shimmering in the sunlight. The nerves I’d felt facing Kate and her mean girls were nothing on how I felt in this moment.
The four faces I could see clearly were all cut from the same cloth. Powerful, dark, dangerous. I knew that look intimately. I’d been running from it my entire life, because girls who got involved with men like them usually didn’t make it to their next birthday.
It was the fifth one though, who still hadn’t bothered to even look my way, who sent a jolt of something through my body. That feeling was part fear and part … intrigue. His shoulders were so broad that he was taking up a good third of the table himself, and I knew he was tall—his long legs were sprawled out to the side. But it was the powerful aura that I could sense around him that really ramped up my fear.
How the fuck I could tell he had “a powerful aura” was beyond me, but I felt very certain about it.
“Don’t look at them,” Ilia said, sounding for the first time like she was nervous too. “Girl, you don’t want the sort of trouble those five bring. Stay off their radar.”
“Who are they?” I had to ask.
When I finally pulled my gaze from the guys, it was to meet her wide-eyed stare. “They’re all descended from the ancient—” She broke off and shook her head. “Never mind. Just take my word for it. They’re scary and powerful, and not a good introduction to this world.”
I nodded, already understanding. I really didn’t need her warning; I’d known it from the first moment I saw them.
They were trouble.
4
When we were out of the commons, my heartrate returned to normal. Ilia led us into a building close by, where my eyes took a moment to adjust as we pushed through a door and into a small room. It looked like an office, and a tall man was there chatting with a tiny blond-haired chick, both of them seated at a desk, plates and cutlery between them.
“Princeps Jones,” Ilia said, hurrying forward.
The princeps rose to his feet, and I was surprised by how young and good-looking he was: thick head of dark hair, dark brown skin that was without a single age line, and arresting blue eyes.
“Ilia, you found her!” While I was examining him, he’d examined me in return. “Pink hair,” he mused. “I like it.” He stepped closer. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Maddison James.”
I’d almost forgotten my new hair color; I self-consciously touched it. “Yeah … it was time for a change. And it’s … nice to meet you as well, Princeps Jones.” Despite the kidnapping, I actually meant that. For the first time, I didn’t have a listless sense of “this is just another shitty day” going on.
He gestured for me to move toward him, and it was only as I did that I noticed the slightest point to his canine teeth. “Vampire?” I blurted, before slamming my mouth shut.
Was that rude? I had no idea what was acceptable in this world.
Relief hit me when he smiled. “I see you’re adjusting well. Did you already know of our world?”
I shook my head, still staring at his teeth.
“Well, you’re correct. I’m a vampire, as is my daughter, Larissa.”
She got to her feet and stood beside her father. As I met her wide blue eyes—just like her father’s—I fought the urge to tuck her under my arm and fight the world for her. She was delicate, nothing like I expected from a vampire. Standing just above five feet, she had creamy brown skin and white-blond hair, which could have clashed, but she pulled it off nicely. She looked ethereal and sweet.
My eyes darted to the table filled with their breakfast, and I wondered why she ate in here with her father and not out in the commons.
Was he really strict?
On first impression, he seemed laid-back, but first impressions were wrong a lot.
“Hey,” she said, her voice as delicate as her face. Her eyes lowered and I got a shy vibe from her. Either that, or she was beaten on a regular basis—a look I’d seen on plenty of girls before.
I glared at the princeps then, wondering if his joviality hid a monster underneath. He was a vampire. Maybe they abused their children as part of their culture or something.
He stared at me curiously, and I waved my bound hands in front of me. “Care to relieve me of my chains?”
My words came out more clipped than it would have before I saw his daughter. He bestowed what seemed like a genuine smile on me. “My apologies. I hate to force you like this, but those raised with humans take longer to … accept their truth. I just wanted you to give it a chance.”
I didn’t disagree with his statement. I would have run if not for these magical restraints.
The moment my hands were free, the tension I’d had since they were first slapped on me eased, and I could finally breathe freely.
“So what now?” I said, rubbing my wrists even thoug
h they didn’t hurt.
“Now … you have a choice to make, Maddison Marie James,” Princeps Jones said, using my full name. “Do you want to stay here at the Academy, where you will spend the next four years learning about your abilities and supernatural heritage? You’ll make lifelong friends and grow more than you could ever imagine.” He paused. “Or will you throw it all away out of fear?” He paused again. “Be warned though. If you don’t choose this Academy, you still need to remain in our world until we figure out your race and train you. The closest town that can handle this is in Germany. I’m afraid that living with humans is no longer a safe or viable option for you.”
Well, when you put it like that…
Warring emotions fought inside of me, because I felt manipulated. At the same time, I was here now, and staying at the Academy felt like a better decision than an unknown town in Germany.
“Exactly what does this school offer me?” I said cautiously, “and how much does it cost?”
Princeps Jones smiled; we all knew they’d hooked me, but my motto was never make it too easy for them.
“I’m glad you asked. I’ll give you a basic rundown now, and then we can meet tomorrow in my office, before class, and I’ll go into more detail.”
That sounded like a plan I could get behind.
“You’ll have your own room here, in the magic users’ tower,” Princeps Jones began. “All the races have separate towers, and since we don’t know what yours is, I’ll go with witch for now. I’m fairly confident in ruling out vampire and shifter. So you’re witch or fey … or both if you’re mixed race. Either way, we’ll figure it out sooner or later.”
Witch or fey. I ran that through my mind, trying to connect with one of them.
“You will attend classes of your choosing,” he continued, “along with some basic ones that we assign—building blocks to your future in this world. Once we know your race, we can get more specific. As I said, you’ll make friends who are just like you, you’ll learn of your history, and you’ll find your place in a way that you never could in the human world.”
Because I was not human.
“Supernaturals have jobs? Like … after they finish school?” I asked, wondering what the point of all of this was.
He nodded. “Yes. Some work in the supernatural prison system, but there are plenty of other roles scattered through our communities. Depending on your race.”
“What do you think?” Ilia pushed, stepping closer to me, wrapping her right arm around me. “Please say you’ll stay. I need a real friend; everyone from my year has graduated now, and I’m left with catty bitches like Kate.”
The princeps’s lips twitched but he refrained from smiling. And he never reprimanded her for language, which I liked. It would be a cold day in hell before I stopped cursing.
“I’m still not totally sure,” I admitted truthfully. “It’s a lot to take in. A large part of me still believes this is a dream and I’m going to wake up.” I got more than one sympathetic smile. “It scares me that you can’t easily read my race, but I also … don’t want to walk away. You were right when you said I had no place in the human world. I’d like to find out if it’s different here.”
Ilia clapped her hands, jumping up and down a few times. Larissa offered me a shy smile.
“Fantastic. I’m very excited to have you joining our sacred school.” He smiled broadly. “We can meet in my office tomorrow before school. It’s the first day of classes here for the new school year.” He glanced at his daughter. “I’ll send Larissa to escort you.”
She swallowed hard, her throat working, but she didn’t argue with her father. “She’s the same age as you,” he continued, like she wasn’t standing right there. “This is her second year, so you won’t be in the same classes, but she’ll still be a great help to you.”
“Are you sure this really is basic stuff?” I asked, nerves getting to me. “I know Ilia told me you do junior schooling first, but … I mean, if you all grew up knowing you were supes, and in the communities and such, surely I’m going to be really far behind. Even in the first year.”
I couldn’t figure out how I could take classes with adult supes who had known about this world their entire lives.
The princeps shook his head. “We spend our childhood learning the same sort of concepts as the humans. Reading, writing, science. We have to exist in the human world, so it’s important that our children can integrate if needed. Our secondary schooling is where we focus more on the supernatural side of our world.”
Pretty much exactly what Ilia said, which made me feel a little better. I’d been worried she was spinning her story to make me stay.
“You’ll be fine,” Larissa said softly. “You’ll catch up quickly.”
I doubted that. “I don’t want to stand out in a really obvious way,” I admitted.
Larissa chuckled sweetly, and I blinked at her. I wasn’t the only one. Even her father was watching her with wide eyes. Our stares eventually got to her and the laughter died off.
“You’ll never blend,” she said softly. “I can already tell you’re unique. Your power and race are not clear, but your blood smells strong and foreign.” She gestured to my hair. “And you have freckles and the prettiest pink hair. We don’t change our hair color much here, so your pastel pink is going to stand out.”
Ilia nodded then. “Oh yeah, you’re also hot as fuck. The freckles thing … I’m jealous. You have shit-all chance of blending. Even if you tried your best.”
I snorted. “Dude, as far as I can see, all supes are hot as fuck, so I don’t think my particular look is going to stand out.” I wanted to chuckle over the freckle love too. They used to be the bane of my existence, but these days I’d learned to embrace them. Even when I wore makeup, I didn’t cover them anymore.
I waited for everyone to agree and laugh with me, but no one did. “There’s an appeal about you,” Mossie said from nearby. “I don’t usually feel a pull toward non demi-fey, but you, girlie … there is something about you.”
Great, an appeal. That wasn’t going to get me into trouble.
“How come I didn’t see other demi-fey out there?” I asked. “Everyone looked … just like me.”
And Mossie definitely didn’t look like me.
“We have our own school,” he said shortly. “Across the other side of the water. Opposite to where we entered. Demi-fey prefer to … do their own teaching.”
I nodded, because I wasn’t sure what to say.
A loud musical chime rang through the air, and Princeps Jones started moving. “I’ve got a meeting, but I’ll see you tomorrow, Maddison. Look after her,” he called to his daughter and Ilia.
Then he was gone through the door, leaving the four of us staring at one another. “I gotta get back to Demi-fey Academy too,” Mossie said. He stopped at my side and nudged me. “Nice to meet you, Maddi.”
“Uh, same,” I said, surprised that I meant it. A lot had changed for me in the short time since I’d first seen his green, foreign features and screamed. I almost couldn’t believe it had been only an hour or so.
Was it normal to adjust this quickly? Something to worry about later.
After he was gone, the three of us stood there somewhat awkwardly. Larissa had gone back to staring at the floor, and since I was naturally blunt, I stepped into her personal space. Her head jerked up.
“Does you dad beat you?” I asked, hoping like hell I was wrong. Mostly because I would hate to think Princeps Jones could pretend to be such a loving father, and also because I’d never go to a school with an abuser as a principal.
I waited for her to deny it—almost all victims of abuse denied it. They knew more abuse was coming their way if their abusers ever found out they talked.
It was all about watching for the smaller reactions. Their “tells.” Which, granted, I didn’t know Larissa’s yet, but often the signs were still somewhat obvious.
She shook her head and blinked at me. There was no panic in her
gaze; she looked shocked, like completely stunned that I’d asked her that. “Oh my gods! No! Never! He’d kill anyone that hurt me.”
My relief was huge. Unless she was very, very good at acting, she was telling the truth.
She rubbed a hand across her face, before letting out a sigh. “My father protects me. I’m a vampire, but I’m weak. My mother died when I was young, her carotid artery ripped out by a rival of my father. There was … blood everywhere. When it was time for me to feed from the vein, I couldn’t do it. All I could remember was the scent of her blood everywhere.” She coughed, shaking her head. My heart beat faster as I felt her palpable pain. “So now I only feed on bottled blood,” she finished.
“So most vampires…?” I asked softly.
Larissa nodded. “Yep. Bite the vein and drink the blood.”
Right. I should have guessed that. I’d read one or two vampire stories before.
“I’m so sorry about your mother,” I told her. “I found my mother’s body as well. I know how that stays with you.”
Larissa shot me a sad smile, and something struck me then. The same way Ilia had predicted we would be friends, I somehow knew Larissa would be my friend as well.
“You’re going to sit with me from now on,” I declared. I hated that she was isolated in here, away from everyone else.
“And me,” Ilia added.
I smiled at her. “You’re sticking around?”
She nodded. “Yep. Princeps Jones promised that if I found you I could hang around for a while and make sure you were fitting into the world.” She shrugged. “It’s important to me. I’ve been relieved of all other duties.”
An unfamiliar emotion clutched at my chest, and for a brief moment I freaked out, until I realized that it was happiness. And excitement. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt anything except resignation.
I had to say, it was a nice change.
“I’d love to sit with you both,” Larissa said, more life in her voice. “Do you want any help finding your room now?”
“Call me Maddi,” I told her, “and I’d love some help.”