by Megan Linski
She had me pegged. “Why don’t you just pull over?” I asked.
Delmare laughed. “And turn myself in? Never. This is too much fun.” She slapped the reins again. I glanced behind us as Delmare took a turn onto a side street that nearly made the carriage tip over. Odette and I clung to the seats like cats before the carriage righted itself and came slamming back down on two wheels again. Delmare took a few more crazy turns, zig-zagging around the multiple alleyways that Dolinska seemed to provide. I was getting dizzy.
Finally, the cries of the police were far in the distance. We must’ve lost them. “Whoa there,” Delmare said, and she pulled on the reins. The horses came to a slow walk, snorting. “Easy now.”
She turned around to look at us as the horses pulled forward. “So, Arcanea University, huh?”
“Yeah. First Year!” Odette peeped.
“Me too,” Delmare said. “Got any hobbies?”
“Ballet!” Odette said.
“Ice skating,” I rattled off.
“This is a school for jocks,” Delmare mumbled irritably under her breath. “Does anyone do art anymore?”
I shook my head. “I can’t draw worth a crap.”
“I crochet,” Odette added. “Does that count?”
Delmare let out a sigh. “Oh, well. I guess it’s only me.”
We left the alleyway and ended up on a wide road that led up a hill. There were a lot of carriages on this road, and it was packed with kids lugging their bags. This had to be the way to the university. “Why did you pick us up in the first place?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Delmare shrugged. “Seemed like fun.”
Delmare was definitely the impulsive type. Odette smiled and said, “You’ve certainly made my day. Maybe we can do this again sometime.”
What, run from the cops? No thanks, I thought. But Delmare laughed.
“I’ll drop you off at the gate. I should probably return the carriage.” Delmare grinned wickedly. “Bobby still needs a ride.”
My mouth dropped as we rounded the top of the hill. An enormous palace came into view. It was orthodox in style, with large domes, spiraling towers and warm, yellow stone. The estate was huge, several stories tall, with ornate windows and decorative statues of winged soldiers lining the outer edge, rooftops made of copper that had turned green over the years. A huge, fancy gold fountain was placed in front of the giant entryway into the palace. The courtyard was a collection of cobblestone and flora, bigger than my local state park back home. In the distance, a couple of students swam in a large lake that a dragon paddled around happily.
It looked like the Winter Palace in Russia, or even Versailles in France. It was that freaking big. This was a massive estate, a place for kings and queens. There had to be thousands of students that came here.
Odette leaned over and nudged me. “Welcome to Arcanea University. Aren’t you so excited?”
I was more excited than I’d ever been in years. A momentary bit of fear ran through me. The place was so big! How was I supposed to find my way around it for classes?
We came to the large gate, and Delmare pulled the carriage to a stop. Odette and I disembarked and got our bags. She gave us a salute as we waved goodbye.
“See you girls around,” Delmare said, and she trotted the carriage off. The way she said farewell was like we’d been friends forever. It was nice.
But it was also strange to me, so I tried to shake it off. I turned to face the university. There were hundreds of students mulling in the courtyard in front of the palace. Could I really do this?
Odette was giving me an expectant look. I decided I had to. I followed her through the thick crowd of people and past the gate. When we got inside, the garden was more beautiful than I’d imagined. The grass and paths were sculpted to make curling formations. Golden fountains and flowers were everywhere. Hedges had been trimmed in the shapes of wolvens, dragons, griffins, and alicorns. Parts of the garden had mazes to wander through, or shaded areas where students lounged and talked. Whoever the gardener was, he deserved a major raise.
“The university used to be the old palace for the monarchy,” Odette explained. “That’s why it’s so big.”
There were guys everywhere. They were acting especially boorish, punching each other and wrestling, calling out to the girls who passed by and looking desperate. They shifted into their animal forms, playing games and contests with each other to show off their strength. Some girls paid them attention, but most of the females who walked by simply ignored them.
“It’s just the boys,” Odette told me, rolling her eyes and waving a hand. “All unmated Companions go nuts when their mates show up, and at the start of every new school year, they get even stupider than normal trying to impress the new freshman who aren’t bonded. It’s rather sad, really.”
I felt like it was mating season and I was some kind of animal. It was bizarre. But when in Malovia, do as the Arcanea do. I copied Odette and kept my eyes forward as we passed the huge crowd of guys performing their Dumbass Olympics in the yard.
I didn’t feel scared or intimidated by the guys begging for my attention— more or less amused. It was kind of funny, watching them fall all over themselves trying to get a girl. The guys back home weren’t like this. Too many of them that I knew kept three or more girls on the side and didn’t commit to any of them.
“You need to get your uniform,” Odette told me with a bright smile. “Trust me, you’ll love them. They’re so fabulous.”
Uniforms sounded terrible. But I doubted this school would let you walk around in a tee-shirt and jeans. Everything looked so fancy. Odette led me to a covered table in the garden, where a group of students were handing out white boxes. They looked older than us by a few years.
There was a guy handing out boxes at the edge of the table. He was tall and lengthy, with blue eyes and blonde hair. He was wearing a polo shirt and khakis that I thought seemed too formal for summer. He blushed pink as we approached.
“Hello, Theo. How was your summer?” Odette asked pleasantly.
Theo seemed lost for words, before he cleared his throat and said, “Fine, Odette. And yours?”
“It was amazingly delightful!” she squeaked. “May we have our uniforms, please?”
Theo nodded. “I’m glad you’re finally here at the university, Odette. Last year was lonely without you.”
He was dropping hints, but they went over Odette’s head. “Thank you.” She batted her eyelashes, and Theo gulped.
“So what do alicorns do?” I asked him out of curiosity. “Do they practice magic like the Marked, or do they fight monsters like the other Companions?”
Theo let out a hmph. “Alicorns are fierce and respected warriors. We often don’t get the respect from the other Factions we deserve, though our horns and hooves are often bathed in blood.”
...O-kaay… somebody had issues about being a pony. I wasn’t trying to be rude, just genuinely interested. Odette reached up and ruffled his hair. “Oh, Theo. Don’t be that way. Emma’s new. She doesn’t understand.”
She kissed him on the cheek, and he stilled. He looked positively afraid of her. Some warrior.
Theo backed away and scanned the clipboard on the table before sorting through the group of boxes behind him. He hesitantly handed us two. “Here you go. Don’t get into any mischief, now.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it!” Odette exclaimed. She gave a little twirl.
Theo gave a grim nod. As we walked away, I jerked my thumb at him and asked, “What’s his deal?”
Odette giggled again. “Theo’s always been a little shy. Don’t know why, though.”
I glanced backward and caught Theo staring at Odette’s butt as she walked away. He turned red when he noticed that I saw him and hurriedly went back to what he was doing.
Shy, huh? More like a major crush. It seemed like Odette was oblivious about it. “Do you think you’ll bond with him?”
“Me? Oh, gods no,” Odette said in an alarmed way.
“Theo and I have known each other since we were children. We were in ballet class together. He’s a wonderful dancer. But we’re just friends. It’s not like that. He’s basically my brother.”
Odette sighed. “Someday, I’ll meet my alicorn prince, and we’ll be dancing away into the sunset. It’ll happen this year, I just know it.”
Theo was glancing Odette’s way again. The stare was longing and desperate. Seemed to me that Odette’s alicorn prince was right in front of her, and she didn’t even see it. “Yeah. I’m sure you will.”
“Come on. Our dorms are upstairs. They’re separated by Marked and Companions. I hope you’re by me,” she peeped.
When we stepped inside the castle, I became even more impressed. Paintings of Marked and Companions lined the walls. Expensive and elaborate drapes hung over huge windows, and matched the plush carpet underfoot. The windows themselves were huge and large, letting in copious amounts of light as we passed fancy sculptures, priceless vases, and royal artifacts of the monarchy in glass cases. The university was more like an art or history museum than a school. I wanted to stop and look, but Odette was hauling ass, so I told myself I’d be back later.
We finally reached the girl’s dorms. When I got my room assignment, it nearly knocked me on my ass. My room was decorated in navy blue and silver, and had a four-poster bed next to a large fireplace, a comfy armchair, and a large rug. A beautiful armoire stood next to my open window, which looked down upon the gardens.
Luckily, Odette’s room was right next to mine. At least I’d have someone friendly nearby. I didn’t have a roommate, so she’d have to do.
“The uniforms are assorted by house. You’re a wolven, so all your outfits will be blue and silver,” Odette informed me. “I’m an alicorn, so all my outfits are white and purple. Dragons are red and black, and griffins are green and gold. Aren’t they just lovely?”
I took out the pieces of my uniform and laid them on the bed. There were two different versions of the outfit. One was a button-up white shirt with a blue blazer that had a silver wolf’s paw embroidered into the collar. It came with a blue tie, blue tights, and the choice of a knee-length blue skirt, or thick pants for the cold months.
The second uniform was a hunter’s coat, wool, long-sleeved and blue in color, with silver embroidery of flowers weaving throughout the jacket. The jacket was knee-length, and fitted to my body. I figured it was meant for use in the winter. The outfit came with Mary Jane shoes and knee high black boots.
The uniform also came with a heavy, hooded navy cloak, which I assumed kept out the cold when Malovia got super chilly. I put it on as an experiment, and I absolutely loved how glamorous it made me look. It was like… modern-day fairytale style.
Okay, I admit, I liked it. The Arcanea were pretty fashionable. They could certainly dress me better than I could myself.
Odette had already changed into her outfit. She was in no way shy about showing off her matching unicorn bra and panties. It was like we were sisters and she did this every day. Her uniform was identical to mine, except the colors were white and purple, and she had an alicorn hoof embroidered into her blazer collar instead of a wolf print. She put her hair up into a messy bun on top of her head and kept it in place with a pencil.
“You wanna walk around some? It’s lunchtime, and I’m starving. We could get lunch in the cafeteria,” she said.
“Sure,” I said. My stomach was growling. All this walking around had made me ravenous. We left our bags, and Odette led the way once more.
“I know my way around because my aunt teaches here. I’m lucky that way,” Odette said. “The cafeteria isn’t far. We just have to get through the grand ballroom.”
The grand ballroom turned out to be my own personal nightmare. The walls were lined with mirrors, and large chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lighting up the room. It was absolutely packed with students, more than what were hanging out in the gardens outside.
I wasn’t sure if I didn’t get along with people and that was what caused my social anxiety, or if my social anxiety made me not get along with people. Either way, the sight of a group of students my age in an enclosed space was enough to make me break out in hives. I stood frozen before the grand ballroom, not sure whether to walk into it or run away screaming.
“What’s wrong?” Odette asked as I stared at the crowded entryway.
I swallowed. “I don’t do well with crowds,” I said. “I’m… I’m not very good at making friends.”
Odette put her arm around my shoulder and gestured to all the people around us. “Look! Friends! And they’re all waiting to meet you!”
Odette sure had an optimistic view on life. I was certain that most of the people in here didn’t want to be my friend, but fuck if that deterred her. She guided me through the ballroom like this wasn’t my personal nightmare. At first, I wanted to freak out, but as I felt Odette’s warm hand on my shoulder, I began to calm down. She was right. There was nothing to fear about this. It was fine.
Then I saw him, and my entire life changed.
He stood no more than a few yards away from me. Even from such a distance, it was like I could hear his heartbeat— hear him breathe.
He was already wearing his school uniform. Blue and silver— a wolven, like me. He was only wearing the shirt, though, the white sleeves rolled up halfway past his elbows, and his tie was loose around his neck. His hands were shoved into his pockets, and his dark hair was really messy.
He looked tired— there were bags under his amber eyes, like he hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. Still, he seemed cheerful. There was a beautiful grin on his face. I loved his smile. It was crisp and white. It lifted me up and made me feel everything good about the world. He was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen.
I really wanted to see him change— see what he looked like as a wolf. I bet he was gorgeous to observe. I wondered what color his coat would be.
The guy laughed, and lifted his hand to wave his fingers. Purple sparks and smoke flashed out of his hand. It was incredible to witness. I briefly noticed something change in his gaze.
That’s so weird. He did magic… and his amber eyes flashed violet. Just like the color of the spell.
He was talking to a curly-headed girl. When he cast the spell, she laughed, and a flash of intense jealousy rose up in me. It was hard to keep down. I wanted to walk over and punch that girl in the face for looking at him, though I didn’t have any reason.
As fast as it came, it was gone. I was left standing there, shocked. Why was I jealous of that girl talking to some rando guy? I didn’t know him. I didn’t even know his name.
Odette caught me staring. “I’d suggest looking the other way,” she hushed under her breath. “He’s taken.”
“I wasn’t looking,” I said, feigning ignorance.
She laughed. “Liar. That’s Ethan Nowak,” she told me.
My heart dropped. “He bonded with her?” I stared at the girl. Ethan told another joke, and she laughed again. I had no good reason, but I already hated her.
“No.” Odette shook her head. “He hasn’t bonded with anyone.”
A bit of hope rose in my chest, but I pushed it down. I was here to get an education, not find a man. “How can he be taken if he hasn’t bonded?” I said, confused.
“Well,” Odette said, flustered. “He’s been here for three years, almost, and he hasn’t found his mate yet. It’s assumed he’s never going to. He’s supposed to find a bride before he participates in the King’s Contest this December, and since he can’t find a mate, Chastity is probably going to be his first choice. They’ve been on and off forever, and she’s a wolven, like him. She’s the girl he’s talking to.”
Ethan’s eyes connected with mine. When they did, time seemed to stop. Everyone— and I mean everyone— in the square disappeared. Odette was no longer by my side. It was just me and him. My breath hitched in my throat and caught, and my heart literally ceased beating. A deep shiver started at the top of my he
ad and flowed throughout my entire body. The way he was looking at me, so intensely… I felt as if I could sink into those amber eyes and fall forever.
Ethan seemed confused. He stared at me with a blank look, his mouth slightly hanging open.
Then he did the most awful thing. He turned away. The effect was equal to feeling a knife slide into my chest. It hurt. Badly. I never wanted him to turn his back on me ever again.
In response, I faced away from him and headed the other way, in the direction of the entrance to the school.
“What’s the King’s Contest?” I asked, as a way to get my mind off of Ethan. For some reason, when he looked at me… I don’t know. Everything about Arcanea University changed.
“It’s the way the Arcanea determine who’s going to be king,” Odette explained. “Whoever wins gets the crown, but participants have to be bonded or engaged to enter. Prince Ethan just declared his intent to enter.”
“He’s a freaking prince, too?” Could this guy get anymore perfect?
“Yes. He’s part of the Malovian monarchy. If Ethan wants to participate in the Contest this December, he’ll have to hurry up and find a girl.”
“Oh.” The word came out in a tiny rush of breath. It sounded small and quiet.
“Well, even if you did want to be with him, you’d have to get in line. Every wolven girl this side of Malovia is desperately in love with him. The ones who aren’t are still after him, because they want to be queen,” Odette said.
I put the prince out of my mind. He was out of bounds. Off-limits. I was new here. I didn’t know anything about the monarchy. He was way out of my league. Ethan was a walking target, and I was no queen.
Odette was right. Best to stay away.
We finally left the ballroom, and Odette hooked her arm in mine. “Now, who wants crab legs? I’m starved!”
Chapter Seven
Ethan
My mate had arrived at the school. I could feel it. She was here somewhere, among the new arrivals.
