Delayed Admission

by Heather Renee

  There was an ethereal beauty about the outside that had me itching to explore it, but the turrets and structure of the school had me equally captivated.

  “You choose. Sounds like you’ve done this before, so I’ll trust you on this one.”

  “Perfect. Inside it is.” She tugged my hand and pulled me toward the entrance to the History section. “During first year, we’re only supposed to focus on studies. Second year, we can take on additional duties for extra stipends. I welcome new hybrid students and give the tours. It’s been a busy week, but I think you’re the last of our new arrivals.”

  While we traversed the wide hallways, curiosity got the better of me, and I hoped she wasn’t going to think I was rude. “What kind of hybrid are you?”

  “Oh. Sorry. I rambled about the school and didn’t really introduce myself, did I? I’m half witch and half vampire. Thankfully, my appetite comes from the witch side, but my strength and speed come from the blood sucker part of me.”

  I flinched at the last bit. She didn’t hold anything back, it seemed.

  “Too much?” She winked. “You’ll get used to it.”

  I’d been told that one too many times in the last day. I didn’t want to get used to it. I just wanted to survive. As much as I missed my parents, I wasn’t ready to die yet, and the scavenger who attacked me had put the fear of death in me once the adrenaline wore off.

  Gemma continued to ramble, and I continued to take in the surroundings. The interior of the school was made mostly of stone, and everything surrounding the main turrets seemed to have been updated with magical elements that made the impossible possible.

  Every time I thought we had reached the top floor, another one would appear, but there was no way it was structurally possible. I opened my mouth to ask how, but realized I already knew the answer.

  Magic.

  That made me wonder, did the school’s magic have limits? Who created it all and controlled it? The walls and rooms seemed to be a moving entity, making me feel like there was a greater power around us that I didn’t know about yet. Gemma spoke so animatedly about the school that I didn’t have the heart to interrupt her well-practiced tour with my very human questions.

  When we reached the main level again, we headed toward an exit at the rear of the building. There was a barred-off door to my right before we made it outside. Three glowing locks were placed in the center of the door, but I couldn’t see a place for a key. My arm instinctively reached for it, something about it enchanting me.

  “What’s that?” I asked as I pulled my hand back to my side where it belonged.

  “That’s nothing you need to worry about. Just know this isn’t only a school. It is home to some of the most powerful beings in our existence, and some things are better left unknown. Consider this door forbidden and you’ll be fine.”

  For the first time, there wasn’t an air of excitement in her words. There was a darkness layered to them and damn if it didn’t make me want to race through the locked door. It called to me like a siren, but when Gemma opened the back exit, the light caught my attention making me realize how dark the ancient school was, and I willingly followed her out.

  “It’s almost dinner time, so we’ll start further out and make our way to the commissary.”

  Dinner? How had the day gone by so fast? I hadn’t even eaten lunch. The thought never occurred to me, but as soon as she mentioned it, my stomach decided to roar to life.

  She glanced over at me. “Did you not eat in your room when you were unpacking?”

  “There’s food in our rooms?”

  “Girl, I have so much more to show you! Yes, there is a tablet next to the mini-fridge that you order from. Menu changes daily, and you can order as often as you like. Did you not snoop around your own space? Not to worry. I’ll show you all the great things about living here.”

  “Okay, then.” I had no other choice but to trust her and, thankfully, that didn’t frighten me like I thought it would.

  “We’ll make this even quicker, so you can eat. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the parts you really want to see later on.” Her hand gestured left. “Out that way is the shifter forest. Don’t go in there at night. Not all of them have a handle on their beasts yet. To the right of that is the feeding area for the vamps. They have donors who are treated respectfully, so don’t think they’re off murdering people, but I also recommend not venturing there unless you have a specific reason to.”

  I was beginning to think outside wasn’t as peaceful as it had appeared when I first arrived.

  “Now, to the fun parts. There is the training building just in front of us, beyond the trees. You’ll likely have at least two classes there since you need to catch up. It’s a massive dome structure that changes terrains to make you feel like you’re wherever the teacher wants you to be. Desert, mountains, tropical forest. You name it, he can make it happen.”

  As dangerous as it sounded, I was also intrigued by it.

  We kept walking, never venturing too far from the main building, and I realized she wasn’t kidding about making the outside tour quick.

  “Over there is the Courtyard of Tranquility. It’s where magic users go to become one with earth. A lot of our power comes from magical elements beneath earth, and if you’re ever struggling, I highly suggest you spend some time there.”

  My eyes stayed on the courtyard, even as Gemma kept walking. I fell a few steps behind her as I took in the iron fence and what lay beyond. There were fountains made from rock that appeared like mini waterfalls, along with flowers and weeping willow trees. Between all of that were open grass areas the brightest green I had ever seen.

  That would definitely be high on my list of places to visit around the school very soon.

  “… and here’s the commissary,” she finished, and I had missed whatever came before that.

  The building before us was attached to the main structure but had its own entrance from the outside. I didn’t recall seeing it from the inside, but there had been so much to see, I wasn’t surprised I missed it.

  “On a scale of one-to-ten, how overwhelmed are you?” she asked.

  “A solid twenty,” I answered seriously, causing her to laugh.

  “Honesty. I like it. You’ll fit right in with my friends.”

  She pulled me into the commissary and as soon as we entered, my mouth began to salivate so much that I lifted my hand to check for drool.

  “The best part is when you look up,” Gemma whispered in my ear.

  My head tilted back, and she was right. The entire ceiling was made from a single sheet of glass. The sky shown through with clarity, but the brightness was muted so I could enjoy its beauty in its entirety.

  My gaze was transfixed on colors reflecting from the glass, and I once again zoned out what was going on around me. That was until warm liquid poured down my arm, then splattered onto my flats as a body slammed into mine.

  “Ugh! Walk much, Mutt?” a voice snapped at me.

  My gaze met hers and skin prickled at the malice she threw my way. “Excuse me?” I replied. I wasn’t sure I had heard her correctly, but if I had, she was going to get to know my fist really soon.

  “Do you have a hearing problem as well as a walking one? Watch where you’re going, Mutt.”

  That little bitch. I didn’t do well with prissy girls like her who thought they were better than others. My arm cocked back, but Gemma grabbed it before I could do anything.

  “Sorry, Lyssa,” she mumbled before literally dragging me away from the wench and a friend who stood silently behind her with a smirk.

  “What the hell?” I asked. “Who does she think she is?”

  Gemma sighed. “The queen of this school. If you want to keep your head down, stay out of her way. She’s pure elf and ridiculously powerful. Her parents are big donors to the academy, and it’s best to avoid her at all costs, even when she deserves a solid beating.”

  Fury simmered beneath my skin. Lyssa, as Gemma had called
her, was lucky I wanted to stay unnoticed, but if she spoke to me like that again, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold my tongue.

  After Gemma helped me wipe the hot chocolate off my arm, we headed to the buffet-style layout of food. Once she was satisfied I had enough food, she led me to a table where two other girls were already sitting. It was conveniently located far away from Lyssa’s, which I noticed Enzo conveniently sat at. Maybe they were related, or they were together. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if it was the latter.

  “Finley and Peyton, this is Raegan. With any luck, she’ll be in classes with us as a second-year student. She’s with me in the hybrid hall.”

  Finley, who had jet black hair cut in a perfect A-line with rich chocolate eyes and pale skin, greeted me first. “Welcome to Shadow Veil.” When she smiled, I also noticed her very prominent and extremely sharp teeth. Thankfully, it was only two of them, but they still made my muscles tighten in nerves for a second.

  “Thanks,” I replied, trying not to stare and seem rude.

  “I saw your run-in with Lyssa. Hope she wasn’t too much of a bitch,” Peyton added, who was Finley’s complete opposite with dark skin, light-colored long hair, and bright cobalt eyes.

  “Eh. Nothing I can’t handle,” I replied.

  “Did you already finish the tour?” Finley asked.

  “Mostly, but I forgot to show Raegan how to properly use her room earlier, and she needed to eat before I could finish all of the outside.”

  After that, the conversation turned to upcoming events for the first week of school and classes they had requested and hoped they’d be approved for. Things like Herbs and Potions, History of Shifters and Witchcraft, Origins and Mythology, and a few others that intrigued me. All except the combat classes that were mentioned.

  I might not be human, but I still felt very human, and going up against magical beings who had a shit ton more experience than I did wasn’t something I was looking forward to.

  Just as we finished eating, a shadow cast over me, causing Finley and Peyton to freeze in their seats. I was afraid to move, thinking there was some magical monster behind me, but then I heard a familiar voice, and my tension lessened.

  “Raegan. I hope you settled in okay. No problems with the headmaster or anything like that?”

  My head turned, glancing at the table he had previously occupied and catching the glare being cast my way by Lyssa. “Other than the hot chocolate your friend the ice queen spilled down my arm, everything has been great.”

  “You’re who she was bitching about?” His face tightened, but I couldn’t tell if it was annoyance or rage that caused his change in demeanor. Surprisingly, I didn’t care. “I’ll take care of it.”

  My hand reached out to grab his wrist as he turned away. “No.”

  His brows shot up, and a look I couldn’t read appeared on his face. “Excuse me? Did you just tell me no?”

  “I don’t need or want your help. I can handle myself, and Lyssa isn’t going to be a problem for me. I’m only here to figure out who I am and how to protect myself. I’ll be out of here as soon as that’s done, and you can forget all about me.”

  His face pinched in obvious irritation and he opened his mouth to say something, but promptly closed it before regaining his composure.

  “Alright, then. If that’s how you want it.” He pulled his wrist from my grasp, which I forgot I still held, and he walked backed to the center of the commissary without turning back.

  “How do you know Enzo? He’s the hottest elf in this school and never associates with anyone other than those at his table,” Finley whispered in a very nervous high-pitched voice that counteracted her attempts at being quiet.

  “He’s the one who told me I wasn’t human. Some scavenger attacked me, and Enzo happened to be in the area. He snapped his fingers and the creeper along with his shadow friends disappeared into thin air.”

  “You survived a scavenger attack with no magic?” Peyton’s face paled in surprise. “Not many people can say the same.”

  I shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it, and was glad when Gemma changed the subject back to Enzo.

  “I’d highly recommend staying away from Enzo, even if he saved you. Lyssa and he dated most of last year, but they called it off right before summer. It appears she’s ready to have her man back, and you don’t want to be in her way.”

  Letting out a groan, I ran a hand through my hair. I thought I was done with high school drama. I didn’t want to be in anyone’s way. I just wanted to do my thing and be done with it. I was even considering heading to New Orleans with Jules to get a fresh start if she went back home. Going back to Portland after learning my childhood had been a lie didn’t seem appealing any longer.

  When we finished eating, Finley excused herself for dessert at the donor building and Peyton announced she was going to the shifter forest. During dinner, I learned she was a wolf shifter from a very powerful pack in Wyoming. She had some serious points on her canines, too, but nothing as lethal-looking as Finley’s.

  “Want to look around the school some more or head back to your room?” Gemma asked when it was just the two of us.

  “Room, please. Today has been the longest day of my life.”

  “You got it.”

  While we walked back, I had no problem remembering where the correct hallways were and how to get to the dorms. Gemma joined me inside mine and showed me how to order food directly to my room, which would come in handy on the many occasions I planned to stay locked away, studying to catch up and avoiding people.

  If dinner had shown me anything, it was that I needed to try harder to stay unnoticed, especially from Enzo. I didn’t need him to feel any obligation to me just because he brought me to the academy. I would be fine on my own.

  At least, I hoped that was the case. I’d find out for sure the following day when my magic was released.

  It was sink or swim time.

  Chapter 6

  My foot tapped incessantly against the hardwood floor in the headmaster’s office. He’d kept me anxiously waiting for the last hour, and I was going to combust if he didn’t hurry the hell up.

  “Well, Ms. Keyes, it appears we have everything in order. Just waiting on one person to arrive and then we’re ready to go meet the council.”

  I was going to strangle him.

  Ten more minutes passed in awkward silence. Gemma hadn’t been able to join me, and after the first twenty minutes of forced conversation, the headmaster and I quit trying to force words. It had been the only thing I was grateful for that morning.

  Finally, a knock sounded at the door and a breath whooshed from my lips. About damn time, I thought, at least until I saw who was entering.

  “Oh, Enzo. I’m so glad you could join us. Since you’ll be mentoring Raegan, I thought it pertinent you be present for the removal of her binding.”

  Crazy old magic man say what?

  “Um, excuse me? Mentoring me? What does that mean?” I asked, trying to keep the attitude from my voice.

  “Enzo is top of his class. If you’re wanting to start as a second-year student, then you’ll need the best available to catch you up to speed. Don’t you think?” He raised a brow at me, challenging me to object.

  “Oh. Yeah. Sure. That’s just great.” Not fucking great at all.

  Enzo’s hand slapped down on my shoulder. “I’m glad you agree. I was quite excited as well when Headmaster Stone asked me.”

  He peered down at me, and I could feel his eyes on my face, but I refused to meet his gaze. He was going to ruin my plans for staying off the radar. His ice queen of a girlfriend was not going to let this arrangement happen without retaliation. There was no doubt in my mind about that.

  “Well, let’s be on our way. The council is waiting for us.” Headmaster Stone shooed us out of his office.

  I followed the two men down a hallway Gemma hadn’t taken me through the day before. When we reached the end, a door with a significant arch and aging
wood awaited us. There was no handle that I could see, but it opened within seconds of us being within proximity of it.

  As I walked through the threshold, I peeked around for anything that could have made it open other than magic, but there were no mechanisms on the inside, either.

  Before I could overthink the process, my attention diverted to the room before me. There was a glass cage large enough to hold ten humans set in the middle of the room, and four others stood around the enclosure. When they caught sight of me, mixed emotions were sent my way.

  A man on the end smiled, but the woman next to him grimaced as if I’d ruined her entire day. The next male past her wouldn’t even meet my eyes when the headmaster introduced me, and the fourth one looked as if he was about to piss his pants.

  His face paled, and his brown eyes widened when they took me in. He averted his stare as soon as he realized I was watching him.

  “Raegan, this is the council that makes final rulings for our supernatural community if there is ever a need. Starting on your left we have Alexander, Fiona, Bennett, and Desmond. The first three have been a part of the council for over fifty years with me, and Desmond joined us almost twenty years ago,” Headmaster Stone said proudly.

  He then gestured toward the cage. “We’ll need you to step inside the glass case. We don’t know what your magic will do once its released and it’s safest for everyone, including you, if we can keep it contained until we know more.”

  My throat tightened, and my legs froze. I wasn’t claustrophobic by any means, but I had no idea what was going to happen to me and being in the box made it seem a hell of a lot scarier.

  Enzo leaned in closer to me. “Are you afraid? Would you rather run away?”

  He was taunting me. The rational part of me knew that, but the not-so-rational part of me mentally said “fuck you” as I stomped toward the open door like a child.

  When Alexander closed it, my furious eyes met Enzo’s. His smirk said I’d done exactly what he wanted, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Though, either way would have been a losing choice for me.