by S. L. Morgan
I internally reprimanded the wolf, and it was as if I saw her silver snout twitch and then her eyes close in absolute boredom.
Listen, we are one and the same. I don’t like this any more than you do. So get in the game, and help me out so we can get through this crap! I hated internally talking to my wolf because I was pretty much talking to myself and subconscious. Though we were separate, we were the same being all in one. It’s how we shifters were.
“Please find your seat, young lady in the back,” a raspy voice came from the speakers, singling me out in front of the packed auditorium.
The wolf gave in and gave me my superior vision back, lighting this room up like they hit the lights just for me. I walked down numerous steps to the friggin front row because I seemed to be the last to arrive. What happened to all the smart, suck-up fairies who always wanted the front rows so they could start kissing their teachers’ butts? I paid zero attention to the scene I was causing as I found an empty seat on the front row.
“Sorry, kiddo,” a deep voice said seriously but with a touch of humor. “These seats are reserved, and they’re not for new students.”
I glanced over at a bearded man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, which wasn’t a surprise since all supernaturals stopped aging around that time. From the vibes I got off the dude, he was a vamp. Dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, his hair slicked back and plastered with gel. His skin was fair, letting his green eyes glint with an emerald sheen.
“Any ideas where I should sit? This place is sort of small from what the map shows, and it’s jam-packed in here.”
“There’s a middle seat in the row behind us that’s not taken.” He was curt and it just re-ignited my annoyance with the vampire race.
I stood and gave up on not making a scene with all the new students. I’m sure Tanner was trying not to burst out into a laugh that would echo in this small, yet elegant theater, and Vannah was most likely covering her eyes, unable to watch me continue to embarrass myself.
The freaking fairy row! I plastered the friendliest smile I could manage as I sidestepped my way in front of the stupid fairies. I was really trying not to hate this school, but it was like the school itself was putting me into scenarios I hated. First, a vamp roomie, now I got the pleasure of sitting awkwardly right smack in the middle of glittery-skinned, annoying fairies. Any shifter in my position would agree that Jenna’s ticket to Immortal Academy really sucked.
“Welcome!” A chipper voice came over the speakers and belonged to a short man on the stage. “I’m Sir Frederick Darium,” the short man with fiery red hair exclaimed. “I’m the assistant to Dean Edgewater, and I am pleased to be one of the first to welcome you to our beloved Immortal Academy. I hope your first few hours have been just as exciting as learning you were selected to attend our prestigious academy. You all should feel delighted to learn that you are amongst the 1% of all immortal supernaturals throughout the world. It’s an honor, and you all should feel privileged.
“Please allow me to introduce you to our first speaker and the dean of our academy. His family founded this much-needed academy for Immortals, and he’s very pleased you all are finally with us. Everyone, please welcome Dean Edgewater,” he said as he turned to his right and started clapping.
A tall man with long, smooth black hair crossed the stage, and I couldn’t have gotten a read on the dude’s supernatural heritage if I went into mediation. Sheesh. What the heck kind of supe was he? Tall dudes like him usually belonged to the elf family of fairies, but this dude didn’t have pointed ears. He couldn’t have been a vamp; although, he was certainly dressed like a pompous prick, but he didn’t have vampire eyes. The only other supe that could be as tall as he is would be a shifter. Please, God, let the dean of this school be a shifter! Dang it, I noted his gangly features…shifters were way too muscular. Crap. What was he?
“Welcome Immortals!” he tugged at his waistcoat. Yeah, this cross of whatever supernatural was in a tailcoat and everything. “We at Immortal Academy are looking forward to all of you having a fantastic first year. I’m sure you found your maps intriguing. We have our pixies to thank for creating such fun little creatures to help you enjoy learning your way around campus. They’re pesky little things,” he said in a corny voice that he seemed to find amusing, “so don’t upset them too much.”
His smile was broad, and his teeth were glistening white, but the vibes coming off Dean Edgewater weren’t good. My wolf bared her teeth, and that told me this guy wasn’t going to help us if we needed it. I got the feeling we were all his little sheep, and he was the big bad wolf, waiting to pounce on the prey he held captive and eat when he got hungry. The thought made the hairs rise up on my arms. There had to be some dark stories hidden in this prestigious academy that he was running.
I shut my thoughts down immediately and fought off my wolf’s instincts. She backed off too, yet remained at full attention. At least she and I were on the same page again.
“Enough from me,” he laughed, prompting the auditorium to laugh along with him. “Let’s get to your professors.”
The vampire who had managed to make me stumble over my words when I first arrived seemed to float across the stage in a long, red gown. Dean Edgewater extended his arm out toward her, “Please welcome, from House Draugar, Mistress Sirena.”
He walked briskly off the stage, and my eyes followed him, not failing to notice his quick glance out at the auditorium and the sinister expression that came and went faster than I could blink. Yes. Something was up with the dude, and it was my responsibility to stay out of his office and not get busted.
“Very nice to see all of you promptly arriving today,” she started in her vampy, musical voice. “As I was introduced, I am Mistress Sirena. There is no need to ever refer to me by my surname, as that was the name of my father, and I despise him. I killed him long ago.”
The room all sucked in a breath at once, including me, until a mischievous grin appeared on her face.
“I guess we have no jokesters in the audience today? Forgive my attempt at a bad joke. Please,” she covered her heart, “I prefer Mistress Sirena.”
I grimaced. A vampire apologizing for a joke? Never. A professor vamp apologizing about anything ever? Double never. I was feeling uneasy, but it was a new school. New schools were like this. Right?
One by one, the different professors came up and introduced themselves. They explained the meaning for each supernatural house name. Apparently, we were all descended from these immortal ancestors, and these houses were the longest lasting in the history of immortal supernaturals. We were to learn more about the houses and their supernatural heritage through the first semester, which pretty much summed up my class schedule.
The professors all had their own weird sense of humor. It was almost like they were trying too hard. My wolf stayed with me, even during the boring parts. She knew I needed her as much as she was going to need me at this school. Instead of being excited by what I was hearing, I felt more of a sense of haunting coming off of this introductory presentation.
No one ever mentioned why shifters weren’t free to be themselves and shift more than only one hour a day. Maybe Professor Samson would explain that part when I got to his class tomorrow. I left with more questions than answers. This whole thing just seemed like some big show—a charade—to keep us intrigued. I gritted my teeth in frustration with myself when I realized I was the only one walking out with a confused expression.
I wasn’t a negative person. A bit set in my ways, yes, but not like this. I was getting some seriously bad vibes off the walls of this place, and I didn’t like it.
At least one great take away was I learned that my magical pixie-made map that carried Bug on it would transform to the map of whichever building I was in at the school. I was definitely going to take care of Bug and the map, or I would get lost. This place’s structures seemed to go on for acres, and as far as I could tell, there didn’t seem to be enough students to fill it.
&nbs
p; It was dinnertime, and I was starved. Unfortunately for me, I got the feeling that unless Bug could guide me to a bakery in this realm, I wasn’t going to be getting my precious apple pie—or any pie for that matter—any time soon.
Chapter Six
Finally! Finally! Finallllllyyyyyyy…this place had the dining area of my dreams. At first, I was excited to get into the Brignell Dining Hall building—yes, an entire building—just to catch up with Vannah and hopefully run into Tanner, but when the aroma of steak, chicken, and smoked pork hit my nostrils, I thought I’d died and gone to food heaven.
I glanced around at the steam gliding up from the many serving areas, loving how it was all divided up into sections with neat little fresh market signs above where people were walking in front of the counters, selecting their specific food variety for dinner.
I closed my eyes in euphoria when bacon hit my nostrils, and my stomach howled in delight for what was to come. The marble walls had large white pillars lining them and archways carved with intricate detail. The large windows that spanned the entire wall to my left made the gold carved into the marble walls on the opposite side of the room shimmer.
I was food swinging—my word for having a mood swing when I was hungry—and I loved everything and everyone right now. I practically waltzed to the meat section, picked up two plates, and placed them down in front of the chefs designated to carve meat. Steak chef was my boy, even if he appeared to be from House Fae.
“Serve it up, and don’t be bashful,” I said as I watched him slide his sharp knife into the juicy prime rib roast.
“One enough?” he asked with a knowing smile. “I know the male shifters have appetites, but female?”
“Call me a dude then because I want three of those steaks, bud.” I smiled at him.
He grinned and carved away. His orange hair led me to believe he was most likely an elf. Elves always had vibrant hair colors, and they were actually nice to the shifters. I didn’t know if I just liked the dude because he was contributing to my feast, or if he really was a friendly elf.
After piling both plates high with meat, some carbs, and hesitantly, vegetables—strictly so I wouldn’t have to hear Vannah’s objection to my unhealthy eating habits—I turned and walked through pillar archways where everyone was sitting.
The room was completely different than the bright, shiny room I’d come from. This room had dark red brick walls, ornately-carved wood ceilings, and what seemed like hundreds of candles flickering along the walls and hanging from large bronze circular fixtures floating—midair—and hovering overhead. I wouldn’t have been surprised if a few gargoyles were lurking around, but who cared. It was time to eat.
“Jenna!” I heard Tanner call from across the room. “Over here in the back.”
I spotted Tanner at a thirty-foot-long wooden table to my right. He was with a group of chicks, and Vannah was sitting across from him with a blue-haired dude to her left. She turned and smiled her usual ‘only Jenna’ smile when she noticed me weaving my way over to where they sat, balancing both plates of food as I eagerly made my way to their table.
“Glad you’re not trying to impress anyone,” Tanner grinned. “Good grief, Jenna, you could have toned it down and at least broke the school in easy on your eating habits,” he said before he took a bite of the ham on his plate.
I smiled, set my plates of delicious food down on the table, and reached across to steal a piece of bacon from his plate and took a bite. Tanner laughed while I let the flavors erupt in my mouth.
“Oh, my gawwwwd.” I savored the bite like it was a piece of hot apple pie, “Maplewood smoked bacon.” I sighed and shoved the entire strip in my mouth, closing my eyes in food paradise.
“Jenna, people are watching,” Vannah said in a whisper. “Get a grip on yourself.”
I nodded after slicing into my prime rib, admiring the perfect pink center before sinking my teeth into it and beginning to devour my food like I was the only one in the room.
If anyone ever wanted me to join the dark side, bribing me with this delicious food would’ve totally done the trick.
“Fresh desserts are prepared for those of you with a sweet tooth,” a voice came over the intercom.
I waved my knife in the air. “I can already smell the heavenly scent of baked goods hitting that food utopia in the other room. Hopefully, it will still be warm by the time I’m done with all of this delicious meat.”
“And vegetables.” Vannah giggled. “Girl, you never cease to amaze me. You know your wolf needs the nutrients from vegetables too, and still, you think eating proteins alone will help you and your shifter strength.”
“I’m eating carbs too, mom, chill out,” I said, stabbing my fork into my fully loaded baked potato. “See,” I held up my bite and made sure to put a chive on top, “I’m getting in my greens too.”
“Here, Jenna,” Tanner slid two wedges of warm apple pie in my direction. “You can have my slice. I still don’t know how you can handle all that sugar. You’ve got to be part fairy or something. Shifters hate sweets.”
I eyed Tanner with an unapologetic expression. “If you’re trying to make me lose my appetite, it’s not working,” I said. “And besides, what a perfect way to ruin a shifter.”
“Not to mention, that cross has never been accomplished before,” a girl with shimmery white skin and shiny platinum hair said, watching me curiously. “Although, I would imagine if a fairy and shifter were able to procreate,” a smile lifted on her opalescent pink lips, “this might be what their child would eat like.”
“Hi,” I shoved my empty, stacked plates to the side and pulled the pies closer to me. “I’m Jenna,” I said to her. “Shifter. Pretty much full-blooded shifter, but who knows.”
Tanner smiled. I could tell my guy was already crushing on this chick. “Jenna, this is Emma.” He ran his finger over a silver rune that shimmered on her forearm. It was some kind of symbol, a circle with swirls that continuously illuminated.
“You’re a sprite?” I asked, knowing that rune represented air.
All of the different Fae had runes to distinguish which element they controlled. Sprites controlled the air, though I’d never met one or seen their rune before. The only runes I’d seen up close were the pixies’ runes, thanks to Destiny and her friend Kira, the one who was whisked away in the dust cloud for trying to sneak on the bus.
The pixies had blue runes with a swirl of a wave in the middle. They controlled water with the power of their runes, but you’d think Kira and Destiny were sprites with their stuck-up attitudes. Of all the Fae, the sprites walked around like they owned the place. They were the vamps of the Fae, I guess you could say. They thought they were the most important of their species.
“Yes.” She smiled and then looked at Tanner, batting her white lashes over her purple irises. “I have to admit I feel like I know you already. Tanner talks a lot about you and the witch, Vannah.”
I lifted my chin, gulped down the pie I had been chewing on, and looked at her. “You don’t have to call her the witch, you know?” I felt my voice growl in annoyance.
“No need to defend me, Jenna, Emma is chill. She just did a project at her previous school about my family’s heritage. She knows a lot about the power that came from my ancestor.”
I turned to Vannah. “You’re cool with a sprite that Tanner is probably going to love and lose in a day calling you the witch? It’s rude.” I looked back to see Tanner glaring at me, and the sprite’s eyes were wide with whatever the hell she was worried about right now. Tanner cheating on her? He was a frigging player. Everyone knew that, and little miss air element should’ve been smart enough to pick up on that too.
“I’m sorry to have offended you,” she finally said.
“Don’t apologize to her,” Tanner grumbled, mainly to me. “Jenna is Jenna, but it’s probably best to stop referring to her best friend as the witch.”
“Good call,” I added. Tanner could be pissed at me all he wanted, but the fact th
at he was defending me after I popped on Emma told me this chick was gonna be old news quick. “So what do we do until lights out tonight? Seems they made it perfectly clear that we only get one hour a day to shift into our animal forms. I’d kind of like to give my wolf some time to sniff this place out for herself too.”
“If you paid attention, you’d know after dinner we are to report to our designated houses for further introductions. That’s probably where you’ll find out when you get to shift and get out of your crazy mood,” Vannah said.
I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t confide anything to my best friend with all these fairies and new people around, so I had to try my best to play nice.
“Who’s the guy?” I lifted my chin to the blue haired, pointy-eared elf sitting next to Vannah.
“This is Nikolas,” she said nicely. “He’s with my bunkmate, Isabelle. They’ve been together since they first got here.”
“Nice to meet you, Nikolas.” I lowered my voice, “Why are you hanging with your roomie’s guy and not her? Is she an elf too?”
“Call me Nick,” the electric-blue-haired boy exclaimed. “And Bella is with Lusa. They’re friends.”
My eyes widened, and I smiled at Vannah. “You got a vamp as a roommate too?” I laughed.
Vannah grinned. “Bella isn’t a vampire. She’s actually a shifter.”
“Wait. The shifter is best friends with a vamp and is dating an elf?” I looked at blue hair and back to Vannah.
Tanner laughed, “Crazy world. Awesome school.”
“You said your bunkmate is Lusa?” Nick asked.
“Yes,” I answered. “Should I be worried?” I arched a playful eyebrow at him.
“Never worry about the students,” a stammering voice came to my left. He had just sat with a plate filled with vegetables and fruits. His hair was cut short and was a white, platinum-blonde color.
“Hi there,” I said to the guy who had chimed in. He seemed to be just as enthralled with his plate of veggies as I was my steak earlier. “Why would you say that? You know them all?”