I definitely lost track of which room was where. Judging from the bewildered look in Jessica’s eyes as she looked around the castle, she felt just as lost as I did.
One thing I did notice was that besides a handful of people who scurried by, the castle was nearly empty.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“Training or working,” Violet answered. “Here at Avalon, we’re preparing for a war—not lounging about hosting tea parties. Everyone has duties they must perform during the day.”
“I guess the training doesn’t happen in the castle,” I said.
“Of course not.” Violet raised her chin and sniffed, as if my comment had insulted her. “We don’t want to damage the property.”
Right. Of course.
She led us out into a beautiful courtyard, with a stone fountain in the center and trees in full bloom at the height of spring. Birds chirped everywhere, and the scent of fresh flowers filled the air. But I didn’t have much time to admire the gardens, because Violet rushed us through to the largest door on the other side. It led us through the back area of the castle and out into the open.
Behind the castle were luscious, green hills that appeared to go on forever. There were clusters of little cottages along them. But I barely paid attention to those. Because right at the top of one of the tallest, nearby hills was a massive, imposing, stone manor house. It was at four stories high, with a thatched roof, and was at least twice as wide as it was tall. Who knew how far it went in the back. A dirt road led from where we stood at the back of the castle toward the manor.
“This is the training house,” Violet said, looking at the manor with pride. “Or Avalon Academy, as we’ve started calling it.”
“That’s the school?” Jessica squeaked, looking more intimidated than when we were walking through the castle. I couldn’t blame her. When I thought of a school, I imagined typical boxy buildings and dorms. Not a literal mansion.
“Follow me.” Violet continued forward, clearly taking Jessica’s question as rhetorical. “The students are all training right now. But they’ll be back before sunset, so let’s get the two of you settled before they arrive.”
The double door entrance opened to a massive and ornate foyer. Everything was so traditional and grand, and as I looked around, I felt like I’d walked straight into a Jane Austen novel. The giant manor made the Montgomery pack’s compound in the Hollywood Hills look small.
Violet led us up the grand staircase and then down the hall to the left. She pushed open a majestic wooden door, leading us into a big, long room with beds lining the walls. Hardwood floors, sparkling chandeliers, and open curtains that let the light flood inside made the entire space feel warm and welcoming.
“This is the female vampire dormitory.” Violet smiled proudly, as if she’d designed the room herself.
Each bed was full sized and situated under a half canopy that jutted out from the above wall. The canopies gave each bed a feeling of privacy, even though there had to be over twenty beds in all. Slightly more than half of them had unique comforters on them, along with matching canopies.
Large wardrobes sat next to each bed, and there were also big trunks at the feet. It was downright heavenly compared to what we’d been forced to endure in the bunker.
The beds with colored comforters had nightstands with books and other knickknacks on them. Other than that, the room was perfectly organized and tidy.
“The open beds are the ones with white comforters,” Violet continued. “Jessica, please choose which one you’d like to be yours.”
Most of the beds that were taken were closer to the windows, whereas most of the open ones were closest to the door. Apparently the windows were prime real estate.
“I’ll take that one.” Jessica pointed to the next open bed in the line. It was the obvious choice—I would have made it too. Because choosing a bed far away from the others would have been a terrible way to make friends on the first day.
“Perfect.” Violet smiled. “Now, sit down on it to claim it.”
“Is this some kind of vampire thing?” Jessica asked. “I need to put my scent on the bed?”
“Something like that,” Violet said.
Jessica walked over to the bed and sat on it. The moment she placed her palms down on it, all of the bedding—the comforter, pillows, and canopy—changed to deep purple tie-dye.
She gasped, looking at the bed in shock. “It’s the same as my bed from home,” she said, turning to Violet with wonder. “I missed my bed so much. How did it know?”
“Mage magic,” Violet said with a twinkle in her eye. “My sisters and I designed the spell ourselves. Check out the wardrobe, too.”
She did—it was full of her favorite clothes. It also had a week’s worth of the academy’s plain black uniform with a small “A” insignia on the front left side, which Violet told us was to always be worn during training hours.
“The trunks are for your dirty clothes,” Violet continued, pointing to the carved wooden trunk at the foot of Jessica’s bed. “The housekeepers come by twice a week to get your laundry.”
“You mean there’s a spell for making all of our stuff appear in our wardrobes, but there’s no spell to do laundry?” I asked.
“Of course not.” Violet shuddered, as if the mere suggestion was disgusting. “Nothing gets clothes clean like a good old fashioned washing and drying.”
Both Jessica and I shared a look of confusion. Magic was weird.
“Now, stop sitting around,” Violet said to Jessica. “Get changed, and we can show Raven to her quarters.”
15
Raven
The human quarters were one floor up. By the time we were there, my legs were sore from all the steps I’d done today—back in the castle, and now here.
“Why make the humans do the extra set of steps when the vampires and shifters have supernatural strength?” I asked once we reached the top.
“As a human training on Avalon, you need to be building your strength,” Violet explained. “We consider every way to help you do that, even if it’s as simple as putting an extra set of stairs in your daily routine.”
“Good to know,” I said as she led us down the opposite wing of the manor. It felt like we were going as far away from the vampire quarters as possible.
The door leading to the human quarters looked the same as the one to the vampire quarters. But inside the room, the curtains were shut, and all of the furniture was covered with plain white sheets. The only light came in from the hallway.
It was like a creepy haunted mansion.
“Sorry about that,” Violet said nervously. “I forgot we had the furniture covered to preserve it for when we reopened these quarters.” Quickly, she rushed to the nearest bed and pulled the sheet off of it. She did the same for the wardrobe and trunk for that bed, before moving on to remove the sheets from the chandeliers and open the curtains. The sunlight poured in, revealing a thin layer of dust blanketing everything in the room.
A hollow pit settled at the bottom of my stomach at the thought of staying in this big, quiet room by myself.
Each empty bed in these quarters had once slept a human who had pledged themselves to Avalon, entered the Angel Trials, and died instead of becoming a Nephilim.
“No need to worry about… all of this.” Violet motioned around the deserted room. “I’ll send the housekeepers in to fix it up while I give the two of you the grand tour. When we return it’ll be good as new. In the meantime, why don’t you claim your bed so you can change into clothes of your own?”
“I don’t want that bed.” I glanced at the bed she’d randomly chosen for me, looking instead to the one closest to the window. “I want that one.”
“Of course.” Violet’s cheeks turned red, and she hurried to the bed I’d pointed to, removing the sheets from it and its surrounding furniture. “Here you go.” She tossed the sheets to the side—I supposed for the housekeepers to get later—and gave me an encouraging smile. “I
t’s all yours.”
I walked over to the bed, sat down on it, and placed my palms on the plushy mattress. The moment I did, the bedding and canopy changed from white into a stunning, patterned, silk gold.
“Wow,” I said, taking in the regal-looking bed. “That’s definitely not my bedding from home.”
“The magic can sense what you need,” Violet explained. “Jessica got her bedding from home because she needed the comfort of it. You, apparently, needed something else.”
“Apparently,” I agreed, although I wasn’t sure what that something was. This bed was fit for a queen. Not for a human getting ready to enter the Angel Trials and potentially die.
I swallowed at the reminder and looked to the wardrobe, needing to think about something else. “I wonder what clothes I got,” I said, walking over to the closet and throwing open the doors.
Along with a bunch of the required black training uniforms, my favorite clothes waited for me in the dresser. Jeans I’d had since high school, t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, and my most comfortable sneakers and flats. The wardrobe appeared to be endless—or at least larger than it looked from the outside.
I was able to prop the wardrobe door in a way that gave me just enough privacy while I changed. There was even a hairbrush inside so I could smooth out my tangled hair. Once I was in jeans, a tank top, and comfortable flats, I closed the door and walked toward Violet and Jessica.
“All right,” I said. “I’m ready for the tour.”
“Wait,” Jessica said before Violet could take a step toward the exit.
Both the mage and I looked at her to continue.
“Raven shouldn’t have to stay in here all alone,” she said, gazing around the stark, empty room. “I want to live in the human quarters, too.”
“Really?” I smiled at my friend, humbled at the gesture. Of course I wanted her to stay with me. But I also didn’t want to stop her from bonding with the other vampires. “Are you sure?”
“Definitely,” she said, but she was cut off by Violet.
“Absolutely not.” The mage looked at Jessica like she’d said something insane.
“What?” Jessica stumbled a step backward—she certainly hadn’t anticipated that response. “Why not?”
“You’re a vampire,” Violet said. “Raven’s a human. Staying here with her puts her in danger.”
“Seriously?” I rolled my eyes. “As if I’m not already in danger by entering the Angel Trials?”
“Exactly.” Violet’s expression hardened. “Thus a reason not to put you in any more danger. Jessica is a vampire—a newly turned one at that. What happens if she loses control—even for a second—and decides to feed from you?”
“That won’t happen,” I said, although I knew Violet’s point made sense. “She’s my friend.”
“And you’re her food,” Violet reminded me. “Absolutely not. I can’t even believe we’re having this discussion.”
“I have excellent control over my bloodlust.” Jessica stood straighter and looked Violet straight in the eye. “Mary said so herself.”
“I don’t care what Mary said,” Violet said. “That was on the Haven. This is Avalon. We have rules here. One of those rules is that students at the academy must dorm with their same species, and same gender. There are reasons for these rules. And even if I wanted to let one person break them—which I don’t—I wouldn’t do it. Make one exception, and everyone will want one. So no. Absolutely not.”
While I hated to admit it, Violet did have a point.
“Thanks for trying,” I said to Jessica, giving her a small shrug. “But I’ll be fine here alone. It’ll be great, actually. After how cramped we all were in the bunker, I’m happy to have a room to myself.” I forced a smile to drive the point home.
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me, not having it.
Duh. Her gift was the ability to tell lies from the truth.
“Seriously?” She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “You think that works on me?”
“I guess not.” I focused instead on a real reason why it wasn’t good for her to room with me. “But Violet’s right. We just got here. It’ll be hard enough for me to fit in as the only human at the school. There’s no need to make you an outcast as well for living with me.”
“At least one of you has some sense.” Violet swung her dress around, shaking her hips as she made her way to the exit of the room. “Now, are you both coming?” she asked. “We have a lot of ground to cover, and I want to make sure you have your bearings before the other students return from training.”
16
Noah
Once Dahlia completed our orientation, she looked around the table at Thomas, Bella, and me. “If you all are finished with your food, I can show you to your quarters,” she said, standing up and straightening her dress.
It was just a formality, since we’d finished eating and drinking a while ago.
“I want to stay with Raven.” I stared straight at her, not leaving it up for discussion.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” she said. “Only students can live in the academy. But I think you’ll be pleased with what I arranged for you…”
She smiled and waggled her eyebrows, practically begging me to ask for more. After a few seconds, I couldn’t take it.
“What have you ‘arranged for me?’” I asked, quoting her directly.
“There are shifters from the Vale living in the cottages near the castle—which also happen to be close to the academy manor where Raven will be staying,” she said. “I believe some of them are from your pack…” She tilted her head, clearly dangling a carrot in front of my face and getting joy from it.
“I was in the Southern Vale pack,” I said, unable to resist chasing the carrot. “Are the surviving members here?”
My pack had been in the front lines at the war in the Vale. Not many had survived. I’d felt through the pack bond when each of them had died. And of the ones that had survived, I’d left for my quest before finding out if they’d decided to go to Avalon or remain in the Vale.
I hadn’t wanted to know their decision. Because if they’d stayed in the Vale, I might have stayed, too.
Not that they likely would have wanted me to stay. I’d fallen for a demon’s tricks and gotten us involved in a deadly war that got many of us killed. If my pack had wanted to throw me out, I wouldn’t have blamed them.
The supernatural community as a whole still generally looked down upon me—the infamous First Prophet of the Vale. I swear, I’d never be able to get rid of that awful title. Hopefully completing the Earth Angel’s quest and making it to Avalon would do the trick. But only time would tell.
“There are members of the Southern Vale pack living in Avalon,” Dahlia confirmed. “They have a cottage behind the castle. Would you like me to take you there?”
“Yes.” I stood up, not needing to be asked twice.
“I thought so.” She smiled. “First we’ll show Thomas and Bella to their rooms in the castle, and then the two of us will continue on back to the wolf village. I’m sure your pack will be thrilled to see you again.”
I wished I could be as sure as she was.
“The banquet is this evening, after the sun sets and once true night begins,” Dahlia said as she led us down the castle hall. “Everyone will be there, including the Earth Angel.”
“What time is that, exactly?” Thomas was unemotional and distant. He’d been that way since Dahlia broke the news that none of the humans had survived the Angel Trials and that Annika couldn’t leave Avalon.
I didn’t think he was planning on staying on Avalon until Raven came by and told us she was still going to enter the Trials. Now, all hope for freeing Sage was on Raven.
I’d have to keep my eye on Thomas. He was going to want to push Raven so she’d hurry up and become a Nephilim as quickly as possible. I couldn’t allow that to happen.
Truthfully, I didn’t want Raven to enter the Trials at all. I hated that sh
e’d be putting her life at risk.
I wished I could do it instead. But only humans could become Nephilim. Which meant we were all counting on her.
Deep down, I believed she could do it. I’d seen how stubborn she was. And I trusted that Rosella wouldn’t have steered us astray.
I just wished I wasn’t so damn scared for her.
“Like all technology, clocks don’t work here on Avalon,” Dahlia told Thomas. “We plan our schedule based on the patterns of the sun and moon.”
“Then I see I have my first task here set out for myself,” he said. “Because you all need a more practical way to keep track of time.”
“Let us know what equipment you’ll need,” she said. “We’ll make sure you have it.”
She showed Thomas and Bella to their rooms in the castle, which were fit for royalty. King beds with canopies, private bathrooms, and the works. They both appeared satisfied with their accommodations, looking immediately at home.
But I understood why the shifters wanted to live somewhere else. Our animal sides craved to live close to nature. Being holed up in a stone room in a castle would feel suffocating after a while.
“I take it the redhead is your girlfriend?” Dahlia asked as she led me across the courtyard.
“We’re imprinted on each other.” Calling Raven my girlfriend was far too casual a term for what she meant to me.
“Lucky girl.” Dahlia smirked, her eyes roaming up and down my body.
“Yes.” I walked further away from her, making my disinterest clear. Not that I should have needed to—she knew Raven and I were together. But from the glint in Dahlia’s eyes, she liked to play games. And I wasn’t having it. “She is.”
We walked in silence until reaching the back wall of the castle. There, Dahlia pushed open a large door, and we walked through an arched hall to exit the castle grounds.
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