Marked: Black Water Academy: Book One

by Murphy, Sloane

  “How do you not know this? What did you do as a kid, live under a rock? The Phoenixes are the wily, the thinkers, and the speedsters. Those who are able to rise from the ashes. The Lions are courageous and brave. Great strategic minds and think quickly on their feet. They’re meant to be born leaders. The Bears are the fearless and loyal. They look after their own, and God forbid if you hurt someone they love. They tend to end up being soldiers. The Scorpions are for the manipulative deceivers and tricksters. Those more inclined to the dark.”

  “What about the Dragons?”

  “The Dragons. They are meant to be the most powerful, but since the Uprising, and the death of the original families, the house is getting smaller and smaller. I heard only five students were put into the Dragon house last year. They’re the great minds, the all-powerful, and are thought to have powers that aren’t even shared with the rest of the world.” she says, and I feel my eyes go wide. No pressure at all then. I look back around the room, and I can’t help but see it differently after her explanation.

  A hush descends across the room as Laney begins a chant in the center of the stage. Blue light pours out of the center stone, rising upwards, then arching down until it creates a cage around the center stone. She quiets and waves her hand, waving forward the first student, who steps forward onto the stage hesitantly. He is passed a goblet from Laney, which he takes a sip from, and then steps forward into the cage. I watch with rapt fascination as his knees wobble and he nearly falls to the floor on the other side of the cage. Stepping forward, he reaches out his arm and steadies himself on the raised podium.

  He looks back to Laney who nods at him, and he picks up a knife from the top of the podium, and a gold bowl appears causing a gasp from the people around me. I watch on and wince as he slices his palm, before creating a fist and holds it above the bowl. There is a hiss as his blood hits the bowl, and smoke rises. Whispers run amok around the new students who have never seen this before, as the smoke rises black and changes color to blood red, before forming into a scorpion. The house behind me cheers loudly, and the student makes his way across the stage and down the stairs before joining Creed at the bottom of the bleachers for House Scorpion and taking a seat with his new family for the next four years, maybe more. I watch on as students around me are tapped by Mrs. Hale to join the line of students at the entry point of the stage and more and more people are housed. Scorpions, Lions, Bears, and Phoenixes, but no Dragons; though the house doesn’t look remotely bothered by it. The House Captains who sit front and center look nothing less than regal. Both dressed in their uniforms, with their light blue cloaks, their hoods up, and their pale blond, almost white hair peeking out the sides of their hoods. They must be Fae; they’re so still, and it’s usually the Fae who master such indifference to events around them. My gaze is drawn back to the stage as a gasp rings out, and I look at the boy stood in the middle of the stage surrounded by brown smoke as a bear wraps itself around him. The Bears stand and cheer and welcome him to their house. Finally, I’m tapped, and I notice I’m last. Awesome. I stand behind the girl who was sat beside me, and pull my hood down, and run my hands through my bright red hair, trying to calm the butterflies that have taken flight inside my stomach. I step forward slowly, and the few students in front of me undergo their housing ritual. Then suddenly I’m at the foot of the stairs, and Laney signals for me to ascend.

  I take the goblet from her and swallow down the sour red liquid, full of herbs. The tang makes my face twist, and I take a deep breath before I enter the glowing blue cage. As I step through, the pressure threatens to sink me to my knees, but I fight through, refusing to show any signs of weakness. I step forward to the podium, and that’s when I hear the high-pitched song, coming from the stone. Closing my eyes, I sway as the melody calls to me. I nearly fall, but remember where I am and step up to the podium and pick up the knife, trying to block out the call of the voices singing the song.

  I wrap my left hand around the blade and hiss as I pull the blade downwards to slice my flesh. I tighten my fist to try to stop some of the pain and then raise my hand above the empty bowl. The hiss seems even louder up close as my blood runs down my hand and into the bowl before it disappears, and the black smoke reappears. I step back at the gasp from behind me, the smoke is no one color.

  A rainbow flashes before me. Orange for Phoenix, then white for Lion. Brown for bear, then red for Scorpion, before turning a light blue and a dragon appears in front of me, before surrounding me with blue flames. It’s so quiet you could hear a pin drop in the room, but all I can hear is my blood rushing through my ears. I’m a Dragon?

  That’s when my house stands and cheers, while whispers and murmurs come from all around me as I make my way to my House Captain. The girl stands before me, with a small smile. She pulls down her hood and extends her hand. “Welcome to the Dragons, Eden. We are pleased to have a new recruit. My name is Ava, and your other House Captain is Kane. Please, come join us.” I follow her up the stairs and take a seat beside her as Laney claps her hands to gain everyone’s attention again.

  “Well, what an interesting start to the year this has been! House Captains, you will take your new inductees to their dorms and ensure they settle in. Second, third, and fourth years, you will help prepare the banquet hall for tonight’s celebration ball. If everyone would please leave in a calm manner and get to where you need to be. I wish you all a prosperous year, and a delightful time at tonight’s ball.” She claps her hands again, and it’s as if someone turned the volume up. Hundreds of voices, all talking at once, trying to be heard. Ava reaches out and touches my hand gently, her fingers cold as ice. “I will take you to get settled. Kane will lead the others to the banquet hall to prepare for later.”

  She stands, and motions for me to make my way down the bleachers, so I do so with her behind me, as Kane and the others descend the staircase on the other side.

  “Well, never would’ve picked you as a Dragon, though you’ve definitely got the fire for it.” Creed says as I reach the floor.

  “What do you want, Augustine? Kane is over there.” Ava snarls behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

  “Oh, hi, Ava. I didn’t see you there behind your cloud of pomp. I just wanted to check in with an old friend,” he smiles that smile, both dimples out in full view, and I can’t help the flip flop inside my stomach again. But now I know the truth about the Scorpions, I’m also filled with unease. Of course, the one person I’d had a decent conversation with here was Head of the worst possible house. I sigh, and then remember it’s probably for the best. Getting close to people isn’t something on my to-do list.

  “Well, you must be needing to get back to all your new students. A decent intake for you guys this year. Isn’t it funny how the bad seed just keeps growing.”

  “Now then, Ava. You’ll hurt my feelings. You know the Scorpions just get a bad rep. A few bad seeds don’t make for a bad crop. You can tell Kane I’ll pop by and see him later.” He winks at her and I hear her baulk before he turns back to me. “I’ll be seeing you around, Dragon girl.”

  I wave to him as he walks away, before turning back to Ava, who sighs and takes off ahead of me. I follow her through the crowd and back to the main entry hall, then down the first corridor to the left from the main entrance. The corridor topped with the engraved dragon. Her heels clip against the floor and I follow silently as she weaves through the halls, and up five flights of stairs. We walk to the very end of the hall of the top floor and come to a stop before a door.

  “We don’t have many new students, so our rooms tend to be larger than the other dorms these days. You’ll find all of your things, along with anything else you might need inside, including your uniform, robes, defense workout gear, books… well, you get the picture. Since the fourth years last year had the top floor, it’s now almost empty. Laney has advised that if the other houses are too full, they may overflow to here, but otherwise, this floor is basically yours, other than Kane who has the first room
as you reach the top of the stairs. I’m on the ground floor, because no one needs to do that many stairs all the damn time. Well, except now for you. The ball will start in three hours, so you have plenty of time to get ready. Laney said you probably wouldn’t have a gown, so she’s having some sent up for you. They’ll arrive within the next hour. Do you need anything else before I go?”

  “No, thank you. Oh… actually, erm… where is the ball?” I ask and she rolls her eyes.

  “The banquet hall is separate from the main building. I will have Kane escort you since you don’t have other new students to get lost with.”

  “Thank you,” I smile at her as she hands me the key to the door.

  “If you need anything else, just ask. Like I say, I’m on the ground floor. Last door in the hall same as yours. Oh… and just be careful of Augustine. He might be Kane’s friend, but I’ve never got a good read on him. He seems nice enough, but the rumors have to come from somewhere.” She gives me a small smile, before turning on her heel and floating away from me, her cloak floating behind her.

  I face the door, turning the key before pushing the heavy door open, trying not to dwell on her last comments and gasp at the view before me. This isn’t a dorm room, it’s a freaking penthouse! I step in, and the door closes softly behind me as I take it in. In front of me are two walls of full glass, looking out over the grounds. Directly in front is a sitting area, with sofa, table and TV against the wall to my left, and to the right, a kitchenette area with a small dining table and four chairs. The wall to my left has three doors. I open the first closest to the door and find a small cupboard with a coat hook, with a long, ice blue cloak hanging inside. In the next, I find a small bathroom with a shower. It’s well-stocked with everything a girl could need including a selection of Jo Malone candles! Behind the third door, I find my room. A spacious room with a King bed, a dresser to the right, two nightstands at the foot of the bed, and to the left of the bed, another entire wall full of glass. I spin and notice two doors on the side of the room with the dresser. I open one and find what is meant to be a closet, but this room is bigger than my last bedroom. Clothes hang on each side of the room, with drawers underneath, and on the far wall is just a wall of mirrors. I close the door, and open the second, which leads to another bathroom, with a clawfoot bath, and a shower. Holy freaking shit! This is not what I expected. The perks of all the space with almost no students, I guess? I go to faceplant the bed, when there’s a knock at the door. I almost skip to open it; I don’t remember the last time I was this happy. Opening the door, I come face to face with the glare of Ethan Beaumont. Wonderful.

  “Erm, hi?” I say, unsure as to why he’s here. He steps into the room, and that’s when I notice the petite raven-haired girl who was sat next to me earlier, hiding behind him. She smiles softly at me and gives me a small wave as she hovers outside the door.

  “Eden, this is Ruby Cheveyo. The Lions dorms are full, so she’ll be your new neighbor for the year. I’m sure Ava made you aware of the housing situation, just as I’m sure we’ll have no issues with you two being in such close confines.” He lords himself over me, as if to intimidate me; but I’ve seen much worse, and much scarier things than Ethan Beaumont. I stand taller and fold my arms in front of me.

  “That’s not a problem. It’s not like she’s going to be my roommate. No offense, Ruby, but after living at a group home, I am sooooo ready for my own space.”

  “None taken,” she says quietly. I take a deep breath and that’s when I realize she’s a Shifter. A wolf. And Ethan is a Vampire, just like me.

  “You see, nothing to worry about here. Will that be all?”

  “Not quite. I understand Laney is having some dresses brought up for you. Ruby will also need a dress, so be sure to let her know when they arrive. I’ll come to escort you both to the banquet hall before the ball begins.”

  “You don’t need to do that. Kane is meant to be taking me down.” I say with a saccharine smile, which he matches with a smug one, obviously wanting to rile me up.

  “I’ll speak to Kane. I’m sure he has more important things to be doing than looking after you.”

  “Oh, and you don’t?” I raise an eyebrow, enjoying our little sparring match.

  “Oh, I do, but I take my duties far more seriously than Kane. Protecting our new intakes is one of my favorite things in the whole world.” Sarcasm drips from his words and it’s all I can do not to roll my eyes so hard I see the back of my head.

  “Riiiiight. So, is that all?” I say, standing with one hand on the door.

  “For now,” he says before striding across the room to the door, when he leans down and whispers in my ear. “Be careful up here all on your own. Whispers carry all across the school, and there are already a lot of people wondering about who you are after your little show today.” I gulp, because I hadn’t really had chance to process what happened at the housing ritual yet. Apparently, more people than I wanted had noticed, and it wasn’t exactly your everyday occurrence. Just great. With his little warning finished, he eyes me with suspicion again and walks out of the room, leaving Ruby stood in the doorway, with no idea where to go, or what to do.

  “Do you want to hang out here for a bit, get ready together?” I ask her. She seems more than a little lost.

  “Thanks. I’m used to being around a lot of people. Pack animal and all that. It’s strange it being so quiet,” she steps into the room and I close the door behind her. “I promise not to encroach on you too much, but if I overstep just let me know. My dad always tells me I talk way too much and have no idea when I’ve worn out my welcome. I’m really good at just kind of inserting myself into situations without thinking first.” She takes a deep breath and I can’t help but laugh.

  “So… you’re a talker too. I think we’ll be fine. I’m more of the quiet, loner type; but since it’s just us and Kane on this floor for now, I have no doubt we’ll be seeing plenty of each other.”

  The dresses arrive, and I stay back as Ruby bounces across the room, cooing over the dresses with the third year Phoenix who brought them up to us. While it’s fun watching how excited she is, I’ve been kicking myself since I let her stay. Letting people in, letting them get close, is a death sentence. I’d say just ask my family, but yeah.

  The third year helps Ruby pick her dress, which she runs to the bathroom to try on. I wait just a few moments, and she reappears, looking unsure in the bright red floor-length gown.

  “You look amazing, Ruby.” The third year gushes, clapping her hands together, and Ruby beams. The amount of pep in this room right now is enough to make me want to hurl. She turns to me and I smile at her, trying to be as sincere as I can.

  “I’m not a dress kinda girl, but it looks good on you.” She darts toward me and hugs me quickly, before pulling back, looking a little shocked.

  “Oh wow, you smell… I mean, you probably aren’t a hugger, right? You don’t seem like a hugger. Sorry, I’m totally a hugger. Big, touchy feely family. Sorry, I’ll rein it in. But thank you. About the dress I mean.” She babbles, trying to ignore the fact that she was going to say how I smelled. Bloody wolves.

  “It’s fine. You don’t need to apologize.” I try to reassure her with another smile, but it must look strained because she apologizes again before clasping her hands over her mouth, and the third year giggles from the dress rail.

  “Shall we start on your hair, Ruby? Give Eden some time to go through the dresses?” I roll my eyes as Ruby claps with glee. Man, seventeen-year-old girls are so freaking peppy. I was never going to be that girl. The one who got excited about dresses and balls, and the latest hot guy. Give me a new, freshly-sharpened set of throwing knives though, and then you’ll see me smile. The girls leave my dorm and head to Ruby’s giving me some much needed quiet.

  I stare out of the windows, across the fields and forest, and watch as the sun spills pinks and oranges across the sky as it sets. Peace envelopes me as I watch, until it sinks below the tree line and darkness
takes grip. I blink, and when I look back, hundreds of soft warm lights glow across the grounds, illuminating the school in all its gothic beauty. Realizing I probably have less than an hour left until Ethan comes back, I stand and sigh. I look through the dresses on the rail: pinks, blues, reds, and greens; nothing that screams me. Until I come to the second-to-last dress. I pull the hanger from the rail, and I know it’s the one, even though it looks a little long.

  Taking it into my bedroom closet, I strip off my boots and clothes, before slipping into the lace. My arms slip inside the full-length sleeves, and the lace sits flat against my chest. I twist to zip up the dress, sighing in resignation when I can only get it halfway. I turn to look at the back in the mirrors, lifting my long tresses out of the way and gasp as the zip finishes closing itself, and the top button hooks. My eyes wide, I drop my hair and turn back to face forward. The black lace with white shift sits straight across the top of my chest, the corset pinching in at my waist, and the dead straight skirt with two thigh high splits hide my pale legs, which look even paler against the black of the lace.

  I notice a matching black lace choker on the hanger, and slip it over my head, pulling my hair through, letting it sit against the hollow of my neck. Somehow this dress covers everything, but I’ve never felt more on display in my entire life.

  I hear a knock at my door, so I pad back into the living room, trying not to trip on the dress. The door opens before I get there, and I see Ruby and the third year entering the room, and both just stop dead, staring at me with their mouths open.

  “Ha fucking ha, it’s not that weird.” I snap. “But, does it look okay?” I hate how fucking vulnerable I feel right now.

  “Eden, you look… magnificent.” Ruby coos and the third year just stands nodding in shock.

  “I never really pictured how my designs would look on people, but Eden, you look exactly how I imagined that dress should fit someone. You look spectacular.” The third year tells me.