Adopted Into The
Supernatural
Hidden World book 1
By Francheska Fifield
Copyright © 2017 Francheska Fifield
Cover Art by M.B. Martin
Editorial Work by Lila Lockheart & Corey Brooks
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter One
Amber:
I put my pencil down and look at the teacher. My new school is awesome. The curriculum is harder, more intensive, and faster pace. It is about more than cramming information into your head, while giving you extra classes you pick to keep you interested in coming to school. There is of course history, reading/writing, math, science, and foreign languages.
Although, the science classes here are not just chem, environmental, and bio. No, there is also potions, human anatomy (for those who want to get a jump start on their medical career), and animal studies (for those who want to work with animals).
Math is not just algebra and geometry. It is practical math; finances, carpentry, etc. Things are taught while learning a job set, so everything is interesting, practical, and not always in a classroom.
I am taking potions and human anatomy for science, classic literature for English, finance for math, Scottish for my foreign language, mythology, and religion for history. A new favorite of mine…gym. I had never liked it at my old school. All competitive sports are the devil. My gym consists of yoga/Pilates instruction. Next semester I am taking kickboxing. Seriously, who wouldn’t love coming to school?
I had been picked up because of my weird ability. I have the ability to make medications more potent and cuts, bruises, and other mishaps heal faster. I am human, as human as humans come and thus an anomaly. But enough bizarre shit happened around me that I’d been spotted by a recruiter and dragged off to this weird school of super naturals and freaks of nature, like me. We are not allowed to ask who is a vampire and who is a Fae, but it doesn’t stop me from trying to guess.
I have a theory that the swim team is a herd of mermaids. I could be wrong, but the way they move is damn unnatural. They sure as hell are not human like me. I am a bad swimmer, I admit it, but they make the people in the Olympics look like newcomers to the swimming world.
Another group I am pretty sure are the werewolves. They avoid the girls that wear perfume, travel in a group, and have a clear hierarchy. They practically scream pack-mentality. We don’t get along. The first time I walked by one of them I got a nose sniffing, doggy duh, and sneers. I am human and everyone here knows it. It earns me a lot of shit; still, the interesting and sometimes practical classes are worth it. Not everyone has met another species of supernatural, but everyone has met a human and knows the smell.
No one has tried to eat me, drink my blood, or turn me into pot roast, so I figure I am good. Getting there and home each day is a hassle, translocation spells are no joke, nor are the potions that mimic them; but as I said, it is worth it.
"Amber, do you remember what we said yesterday about the Egyptians and their beliefs on the organs?"
I launch into my answer with enthusiasm and a smile. As I said, best classes ever.
Alastair:
Amber gives her answer, her usual smile in place. She always looks so happy to be here. She is human so it is a great honor and perhaps she is smart enough to realize that. I know she is intelligent, for every time we have to pair up for assignments, I am placed with her. She is the only one that can tolerate my silence and is actually intelligent enough that her suggestions don’t make me flinch in pain. There simply was no one left to pair me with when she had arrived. I had been working alone quite happily. Though I enjoy working alone, working with her doesn’t bother me as much as working with any of the others had.
"Alright class, pair up and pick the legend you will be working on from any you can find. I want a written report and an accurate physical depiction. It can be a drawing, a scene acted out. You know how it works."
Amber shoves her books into her bag and walks toward me, smiling. She is the only one to ever smile while looking at me. Most people think I am arrogant because of my preference to not suffer fools and my claim to nobility. I don’t care. Everyone leaves me alone, so I am more than happy to allow the rumor - that I think I am better than everyone - to circulate. Amber either hasn't heard the rumor or doesn’t give a shit. She always says good morning to me, talks to me when we work together, she even smiles walking by me in the hallway.
Adam snakes an arm out, and her smile disappears as he knocks her bag to the floor and grabs her arm. She physically cringes. She doesn’t like him touching her, but she is not strong enough to do anything about it. He is the alpha of, well, not the whole pack, but of the generation of wolves in this school. He is rumored to be fast and rather strong, but I haven't fought him so I can’t give him any credit. I know Amber doesn’t stand a chance even if he is the world’s weakest Were.
"Please let me go, Adam."
He sneers and leans in, whispering something that makes her go pale and start to shake. He releases her and picks up her bag, tossing it at her retreating figure. It lands right behind her and she quickly scoops it up and hurries over to sit across from me. It is almost laughable; she feels safer around me. Dogs like people better than vampires. We see nothing but food when we see humans.
Amber:
I sit down quickly, trying to push Adam's threats from my mind. He is a jerk. Jerks are in every school. The top dog thinking they are big shit. Here it is literal. He is a werewolf. I can’t prove it, but he has made enough doggy style innuendos that I am certain of it. I try smiling at Alastair, pulling out my notebook so we can pick a legend and plan our project. My hands shake and I can’t undo my zipper. Alastair takes pity on me and shoves his to me, blank page face up. He doesn’t say anything, and despite the fact that I usually try to get him to open up to me, this once I am glad.
We plan out a project and he asks about meeting after school a few days this week, so we won’t fall behind if they don’t give us time to work on it in class. I chew my lip. I will have to find out if I can. I am not allowed to stay on-campus past school hours, my mother is already angry that I am attending here, but with a full scholarship and a refusal to stay at my other school, she hadn't had much choice. This is a great opportunity for me and she can’t deny that.
She doesn’t know exactly what this school teaches, but that is for the best. I can’t tell my little sister, even though I know no one would ever believe Clarissa because of her disabilities. She would love the stories, but alas, I am sworn to secrecy. The most horrible thing about going here.
"I'll see if I can get here and back a few nights and let you know tomorrow."
He nods but says nothing, his gaze piercing right through me. Alastair is intense for sure and I understand not a lot of people—or things—here like him, but I can’t see why not. Sure, he is quiet, reserved, and not all that open, but having met some of the school's attendees, aka Adam, I can’t really blame him. He also looks tough, not like a thug, but with his square jaw, sharp nose, and other solid features (his build looks like a mixed martial arts fighter he stands out in a scary way. However, he is one of the most tolerant of my human status and has never given me any of the trouble I’ve gotten from others. He is, as far as I can tell, a rather patient and tolerant… well, not a person,
but, whatever he is.
I am glad I am packed up at the end of class. I grab my bag and run before Adam can get a hold of me. I run into the bowels of the mansion that has been turned into a part of the school and breathe a sigh of relief once in the basement. I love my potions class and my teacher loves that everything I make is more potent than normal. We have a great student-teacher relationship. I appreciate her class and she appreciates my finished samples. Another bonus: Adam is not a healer, not even close, so he never comes down here.
Once home later that day I start a writing sample of our project. Alastair won’t mind, he will start the art depiction. I have no talent for anything involving paint, charcoal, or even crayons. The writing part I can do. He has great hand-eye coordination and is actually a decent artist. Maybe he is a muse.
"How was school?"
"Fine." I never tell her about Adam. What is the point? Mom can’t do anything, and if she senses anything wrong she will move me from the school in the blink of an eye.
"How are classes?"
"Challenging and interesting." It is a constant battle with us. She doesn’t understand why I want a challenge or expected interesting.
"If it's too hard we can move you back to public school."
"It's not. I enjoy the work."
"I work tonight and your sisters are at friend's houses for the week so you and dad are home alone tonight."
"He isn't my dad and only one of them is my sister. Also, I might be coming and going a lot, I have a project and I need to meet my partner to work on it for the rest of this week."
"Well, tonight stay home and have dinner with your dad."
"HE ISN'T MY DAD!" My dad is dead and my mother's replacement is the lowest scum on earth. He sneaks into my room while everyone is gone. My sister's disabilities put him off her and he won’t hurt his own daughter, but his new wife's fifteen-year-old is fair game. I have been dealing with it the last six months since the marriage and my mother still refuses to believe me. She says I am angry that she is married and am making excuses. It is one of the reasons I wanted to move schools. Longer days mean less I have to see him.
"Don’t take that tone with me, young lady! You will behave and I don’t want to hear any more of your absurd accusations!"
I clench my jaw and give a slight nod. She slams my bedroom door. I look at the clock after I hear her drive out. He will be home in half an hour. I shower, pack some spare clothing into my book bag, along with an empty plastic bag, and grab my last translocation potion.
I run out into the woods, hearing his car pull into the driveway and him whistling. I shiver, fighting the memories it brings forth. I run faster, escaping the noise and finding my usual spot. I look around and since all is clear I down the potion, close my eyes and picture the school.
I don’t know where it is, only that the town it is in looks like normal suburbia unless you are invited in, then you see past the fey glamour and see the town that is both part of and not in this world. Two towns in the same location. One a normal human one, one a supernatural one protected by Fae glamour. That's where I end up. Breathing a sigh of relief, I always worry I will get sent to the regular human town, I walk around, avoiding the janitors as they lock up the building. I find a bench in the gardens, another science class I plan to take next year, and lay my head on my bag. Sleep doesn’t come easy but sometime in the early morning, it came.
Chapter Two
When I wake it is because the campus is coming alive. I finger brush my hair, quickly braid it, put on deodorant, and chew some gum. I don’t have breakfast and I am hungry, but I hadn't had room to pack food so I am going to stay that way until lunch. I brush off my clothing, hoping no one will notice I slept in them. It is spring and cold at night so I dressed warmly, I know I will regret it when the day progresses and I start sweating bullets, but honestly freezing to death on a bench in the middle of the night didn’t sound like the best way to go. I walk towards my first class, hoping I can avoid Adam. I really don’t think I can deal with him today.
Alastair:
Amber walks in and smells as if she spent the night with the botany club. She had mentioned wanting to take it next year, she is interested in plants as I recall, but more than her scent it is the purple under eyes that really catches my attention. She looks tired and not her usual animated self. She always looks mousy; she is small boned, too thin like she doesn’t eat enough, with brown eyes, and brown hair halfway down her back which she keeps in a braid most of the time. She doesn’t have a lot of physical presence and always makes me think of a mouse in a snake pit. In this school, that's exactly what she is.
She gives me a quick nod when she sees me but doesn’t say good morning or even smile and wave as is her norm. How odd. Instead of dwelling, I turn my attention to the front of the class to take notes.
When we split up she trudges over, flinching when Adam smiles in her direction. Usually, she tells him off right up until he grabs her. She doesn’t like being touched, nor do I, which is why her friendship doesn’t bother me as much as others. Most people feel the need to shake hands and hug. I find the practice to be time consuming and pointless.
Still, she has a mouth on her and would match Adam in a verbal battle. What she lacks in physical stature she makes up for in a different way. She has a lot of charisma; I can tell many of the others find her curious and intriguing but are so afraid of being targeted by Adam simply for befriending her that they tend to avoid her instead. Still, she draws people, even if they are too scared to act on it.
Perhaps that is why Adam targets her. Weres are ranked not just by strength, but by the amount of charisma they have. You can’t be Alpha if you can’t inspire people to follow you. She has more than him. Once figuring out that the only way to get on her was physical contact, she hadn't been intimidated by his complete lack of repertoire; he had been even more hellish to her in the early days when he hazed her because she was new and human.
He must realize the difference in her today as well because his smile takes on a mean edge. He follows her almost entirely to my seat, mocking and snarling. When he gets close enough, I give a growl of my own, causing him to glare in challenge. Bring it on doggy boy; I haven't had a good fight in a long time. One lifted eyebrow later and he snorts then leaves.
"This is what I got done last night."
She pushes her notebook toward me with one finger, careful to avoid looking at or touching me at all costs. Interesting. She has brushed hands with me before when we swap notes and it has never bothered her. Has someone told her what I am? Is she afraid?
I try to inhale subtly. The dogs aren't subtle so everyone knows a werewolf when they see one. Vampires are subtle and smart. I can smell fear on her, but I am not sure why. We are friendly enough for me to ask her and really the only reason I care is it will cause problems with our working relationship. If she can still do her half of the work it is not my problem.
She doesn’t ask to see what I have done, even though she usually does with a small smile and a look that says she knows I started early just as she has. It never fails to amuse me how much she thinks she knows about me. Though I suppose she has picked up some of my habits and made note of them. It makes her a more efficient partner so she can make as many assumptions as she wishes… as long as they are the right ones.
"This is a rough sketch of what I planned. I was thinking watercolor."
I shove the sketch toward her, careful not to touch her. Even so, she flinches. I haven’t even come close to physical contact. What happened to make her so jumpy? Is she that scared of me?
"Is there something wrong with my idea?"
"No."
How odd that I am the verbose one today. Usually, she speaks a mile a minute, though most of it is important to our work, so I excuse the little bits that are not. Today I have to tug single word sentences from her as one might a rotted tooth back when the humans used pliers and nothing else.
"Is something wrong?"
Normally I wouldn’t care, but we are getting nothing done this way.
"It's nothing."
She won’t even look at me and she expects me to believe that? I glare and sit back in my chair. When had I leaned forward?
"Alright. Can you meet tomorrow to work on the project?"
She nods. "Yes."
"Alright. Where should we meet?"
"I don’t know, anywhere but here."
I nod. She doesn’t live around here; she uses translocation to get here. Of course. "We can use one of the art rooms."
She nods. The rest of class she spends writing, chewing on her bottom lip, and glancing at the door as if waiting for the bell so she can bolt. It is more than halfway through the class and I am fed up. How can she be more scared of me because of what I am than of Adam who harasses her nonstop?
"Are you really going to be so afraid of me that we can't work together? Should I ask for a new partner?" I keep my voice even and low, not wanting the ones with good ears in the class to hear.
"What?"
She looks up slightly confused.
"A new partner? If you have something against working with me because of what I am…"
"I don’t know what you are. We aren't allowed to ask and you don’t really give any signs…"
True, I don’t drink blood in school, vampires eat regular food too so I do that while here and have my blood with breakfast and dinner so as to not offend the hippy Fae.
My parents thought it a fantastic idea to make me go through high school like a normal teen, rather than the homeschooling I had been getting. So despite being seventeen, I am only in my second year. They entered me as soon as we settled down, bought a house, and they had taken jobs that allowed us to live in one place. I am too smart for it, they know it and I know it, still, they think it important to socialize me and this is their idea of how to make that happen. While here, I am forbidden to get into fights or offend the others and make friends as per their orders. Amber really is the closest I have come to the last order because I find it a waste of time. I work diligently on the other two, but that is all they are getting from me.
Adopted Into the Supernatural Page 1