by Jaymin Eve
He wasn’t looking my way, so I had no idea what his eye color was, but I could clearly see the dark masculine planes of his face, full lips, and defined cheekbones that could have made him look feminine, only there was literally not a single feminine thing about that guy. He was broad, and hard, and deep breaths. “Facial hair,” I groaned, and Larissa made a noise of agreement. He wore a five o’clock shadow like nobody’s business.
He was too much. Like … everything about him was too much. There was something fantastical about Asher, even in a place like this Academy, which was already pure fantasy.
Finally, I couldn’t look any longer, because I might have actually embarrassed myself by drooling. Pulling my gaze, I forced myself to turn to Larissa. Only she was staring at the five.
“Is he one of the magic users?” They’d said there were three magic users, one vamp, and one shifter. “Or … the shifter, maybe?” There was something feral, almost animalistic about Asher.
She sighed, rubbing a hand over her eyes like she was trying to break a trance. “Magic user.”
Refusing to turn back, I asked more questions with the hope of distracting myself. “What exactly happened to sink Atlantis? Does anyone know?”
If the history I knew was even remotely correct, it had happened thousands of years ago, but maybe they knew something.
“No one knows for sure,” Larissa said. “Our history books detail a supernatural race that was beyond anything we have today. Stronger, smarter, more powerful and advanced, even though they lived over ten thousand years ago. It’s believed that in their quest for power and knowledge, they pushed too far and angered the gods. One of them sunk the island and almost all of its inhabitants.”
My chest ached unexpectedly as I thought about all of them being struck down by a god.
“That’s why Asher feels so much … more,” I said. “Because he has a very pure Atlantean bloodline?”
Larissa nodded. “Yep, he’s unique, powerful, and … so hot.”
He was definitely all three of those things.
There was something about Asher that didn’t feel the same as the other supernaturals I’d met. It made me curious and wary of him, because he was far too gorgeous not to be an asshole, and on top of that, he was descended from powerful super-mage-fey.
My head turned to where they stood, chatting with someone at a nearby table. I couldn’t help but stare. Calen’s eyes snapped in my direction and he shot me a smirk with a knowing expression. Apparently he hadn’t forgotten our little conversation before. I returned a scowl and resisted the urge to flip him off.
I really didn’t want to be on their radar; I already had to deal with a psycho redhead witch. That was more than enough drama for my supernatural school experience.
I’d just turned away when Larissa started choking and spluttering. “Uh, Maddi,” she finally got out. “I think they’re coming this way.”
“Who is?” I squeaked.
Don’t look. Don’t look.
“Calen, Jesse, Rone, Axl, and…,” she spluttered. “And Asher.”
Five names. Until then, I’d only known Calen’s and Asher’s, and now I wondered which one…
Stop! What the hell was I doing worrying about their names?
Standing, I reached out and grabbed her arm. “I’m sure you’re wrong, but just in case … we should move,” I said with urgency. I didn’t need to rile Kate further, and I really didn’t need to drool all over the guys if they sat near us.
I needed more adjustment to this new life before I crossed that bridge.
Walking through the commons, I moved at a pace that got us back to the magic users’ wing and up the stairs in no time. When we were finally in my room, I slammed the door and leaned against it.
A burst of laughter drew my attention, and I turned to find Larissa doubled over, holding her stomach. There was something a little funny and pathetic about what we’d just done, but I wasn’t quite sure where her hysteria came from.
“That would be the first time,” she said, trying to breathe, talk, and laugh at the same time, “that any girl has run from them. You’re going to shake up this school, I can already tell.”
I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest before I relaxed and threw myself back on the bed. “I didn’t even finish high school. It’s insane to me that I’m back in this situation again, navigating cliques and … supernaturals.”
“You’ll get the hang of it soon enough. I’ve never been to human school, but I watch television. I think we have the same basic fundamentals and setup. It’ll be fine.”
She patted my hand and turned to leave. “I’ll be at your door at around 7:00 A.M. That way you’ll have time to talk to Dad before class.”
“See you tomorrow,” I said, pulling myself up to a sitting position. She was almost out the door when she paused. “Oh, and your uniforms would have been delivered while you were gone. They’ll be in the wardrobe.” She pointed to the hanging space above a set of drawers and I felt shock creep over my face. I had not expected uniforms to be a requirement here. I mean, this was basically college, and they were supernaturals, but … whatever.
“Wait,” I called, stopping her one last time. “Do those five all live here? In the magic users’ wing?”
She curved her lips into a smirky grin. “Still thinking about them, hey?”
I wanted to deny it, but that would be a massive fucking lie.
Her pretty face screwed up. “You know, I don’t actually know. I’ve definitely seen all five of them in this building before, but … who knows.”
Knowing my luck, they definitely all lived here. And why couldn’t I get Asher’s perfect face out of my freakin’ mind … his full lips, the five o’clock shadow…
No! No more.
“Asher is like the king of the Academy, so they probably do live here,” Larissa said. “My dad loves him and gives him anything he wants. Those five always stick together. Asher and Jesse especially seem really close.”
“Which one is Jesse?” I asked.
“The tallest one. He’s a lion shifter.”
“The one with the icy blue eyes?”
She shook her head. “No, that’s Rone.” She blushed a little. “He’s a vampire, and a moody asshole.”
Rone, the one who glared at me when Calen grabbed me earlier tonight. Moody was one way to describe him. “Isn’t dressing in black a bit of a vampire cliché?” I asked, feeling snarky toward the cranky bastard.
Larissa tried to hide her smile. “He’s always preferred black. For as long as he’s been at the school anyway.”
“What year are they in?”
“Second and third, but they went to the last few years of the junior school as well. It’s not on the same grounds as our Academy, but it’s in this area.”
“So which one is Jesse, then?”
“Jesse has green eyes and dark skin,” Larissa said.
I couldn’t remember if I’d seen him, but then again, Asher had been taking most of my focus.
Larissa left and I changed out of my clothes and into a tank top and panties, ready to crash into the soft bed. My mother always told me I was born at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. I’d never known if that was true or not; she was off her face and full of shit most of the time, but I still celebrated my birthday starting from midnight.
This birthday would definitely go down as the weirdest of my life.
And maybe the best.
8
I slept surprisingly badly considering how amazing the bed was. I couldn’t settle. My mind was awash with information and my body was filled with nerves. Being on my own allowed all the doubts to creep in. All the thoughts of not being good enough, of trying to wrap my head around the new fantasy world I’d somehow found myself in.
If the barrier hadn’t let me into the school, I’d have almost convinced myself by now that this was all a mistake.
At 5:00 A.M I gave up trying to sleep and dragged myself into the nearest bath
room. It was quiet in the hall, no one up and about yet, which allowed me to sneak in and out unnoticed.
Once I was back in my room, my long hair dry, I went in search of this uniform. It was exactly as Larissa had said, six sets, neatly hanging in my wardrobe. They were literally the only things hanging in there, because the rest of my clothes filled half a drawer.
Maybe I could find a part-time job here and earn some money to get new clothes in Queensborough, the nearby town. I’d ask Ilia when I saw her today. I also wanted to know how her date went. The thought of dating a supernatural sent a twirl of intensity through my stomach.
I mean, he was a shifter. What if he went furry while you were having sex or something? That felt really weird to me, but it might be normal in their world. I was definitely intrigued by the prospect of learning more about the four races. Hopefully I could “keep my human from showing” today.
I also really wanted to know more about the Atlanteans, and not just because of Asher. The myth of Atlantis was one that had long fascinated me; I’d always sort of believed it had been real. Even when it was just a Plato fable. I really hoped I was in some sort of history class here.
Pulling one uniform out, I laid it across the bed before ditching the pj’s I’d pulled back on after my shower. I’d have to ask about a washing machine soon, because I was down to my last clean set of underwear and clothing. I guess I could always wash them in the bathroom. Wouldn’t be the first time.
The uniform was dark blue and white, with orange piping and crest embroidery on the jacket. It was a classic private school uniform, and I wondered why they made college supernaturals wear a uniform. It still felt weird to me.
The skirt fell to midthigh. Black tights underneath, which I struggled to get on. This might have been the first time in my life I had worn tights, but I eventually figured it out. The white shirt buttoned up snugly and was tucked into the skirt. The jacket went over the top, and it was comfortable. Which I hadn’t expected.
It was almost as if these clothes had been tailor made for me. There was a full-length mirror in my room, so I checked myself out, and almost died at how different I looked. No one would be able to tell that I was Maddison James, street kid who basically raised herself.
I looked fancy.
I wasn’t sure I liked it.
“Lucky the orange is understated, or it would clash horribly with the pink.”
I let out a low shriek, jumping and spinning to find a stranger framed in my doorway. I was positive I closed that door after my shower—old habit from living in shitty neighborhoods—but it was clearly wide open.
“Uh, who are you?” I said, trying to catch my breath.
She strode forward, her long white-blond hair streaming out behind her. “My name is Deeann, but everyone calls me Dee. I’m a third-year magic user focusing on healing.”
I shook the proffered hand quickly, feeling a slight tingle across my skin when she touched me.
“Maddison, everyone calls me Maddi. This is my first day.”
Dee smiled, crossing her arms as she looked me over. She wore the same uniform as me, but she was short and curvy, filling it out in all the right places. She was pretty and cute at the same time.
“What sort of magic user are you?” she asked, her expression curious. “I can’t really get a read on your energy.”
I shrugged. “Would you believe that until yesterday I had no idea any of this even existed?”
She straightened, and her eyes got really wide. “A virgin.”
A snort left me. “Yeah, not for years.”
She shook her head, leaning into me. “No, a supernatural virgin. This is your first time interacting with our world?”
I nodded, wondering where this slightly odd chick was going with all of this. She let out a low whistle. “That’s really awesome. Do you know much about humans? I’ve never met any myself, but I’ve always wanted to spend some time in their lives.”
“How…?”
How could she have never met a human?
She must have figured out what I hadn’t asked. “Our communities are self-sufficient. I’m from Stratford, a supernatural prison community in America. I’ve never had any reason to venture out of our world.”
“So the supernatural towns around the world … no humans live there?”
She nodded hard. “Nope. Only supes allowed. We live under the humans’ noses, most of us never interacting. I mean, there are definitely supes that live out with the humans, but I’m not one of them.”
She paused, and then with an expectant look on her face, leaned even closer. I had to laugh at the undisguised enthusiasm she was displaying.
“So…” she pushed.
“Yes, I know a lot about humans. I lived with them for twenty-two years, thinking I was human. What do you want to know?”
Dee let out a little shout. “I made the right decision to check out the new chick. You’re already ten times more awesome than I thought and we’ve barely even talked.”
I’d never met someone quite like Dee. She was oddly excitable and a little weird, but also nice.
“Maybe next time just knock first,” I suggested.
Her cheeks went pink and she nodded. “Yeah, sorry about that. I just saw your door slightly ajar and decided to go for it.” Her faced brightened again. “Anyway, I’m meeting a friend this morning, so I’m going to take off. But hopefully I’ll see you around soon. Otherwise, let’s catch up at dinner.”
I waved but she was already gone, rushing off as quickly as she had arrived.
Shaking my head, I was about to go in search of my shoes when there was a knock on my still-open door. “Girl,” Ilia said, sashaying her way inside. “You’re just asking for trouble leaving your room open to the vultures in this school.”
I snorted, thinking that she’d probably have had fun meeting Dee and her eccentric ways. “I was kind of ambushed by another student,” I said, my words muffled as I stuck my head in the closet again. “She wanted to know about humans.”
When I emerged with a pair of shiny black flats, Ilia was sprawled on my bed. Luckily, I never made my bed—why bother when you were only getting back in there?—because she was flailing her arms around like she was making sheet-angels.
“What are you doing?” I said with a laugh, lifting one foot to slip a shoe on, followed by the other.
“I had the best night last night,” she said dreamily. This Ilia was very different to the one who’d collected me yesterday. Some of her professional façade had faded, and she felt more “real.” “Seriously. Josh is amazing. Too amazing. I’m no doubt going to screw this up soon, because I’m a mess.”
“You’re a gorgeous mess at least,” I supplied, quickly braiding my hair. I didn’t want it in my face today.
She pulled herself up to stick her tongue out at me before flopping down again.
“How do I look?” I asked, feeling those nerves kick in again. It was almost seven, which meant Larissa would be here any moment to take me to her father.
Ilia sat and checked me out with a slow, leisurely stare. I fanned my face. “You’re gonna make me blush.”
Her smile was huge, her eyes filled with mirth. “You look damn good. I’d kill for your curves.”
I sighed. “It feels weird, dressing this nicely for school. Usually I was lucky to have a clean shirt.”
She stood, placing both hands on my shoulders. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore. This is the start of your new life. One where you can forget the scars from your old one.”
I smiled, but I wasn’t sure I agreed with her. That was the thing with scars … you really couldn’t get rid of them. Even after they faded, the shadow of the injury remained. And it always would.
Maybe that was so you never forgot, hopefully learning from the past.
Changing the subject, I held up a pair of dirty jeans. “I need to wash clothes. Where do I do that? And is there any way for me to earn money so I can buy some new clothes in town
?”
Ilia did a little dance. “Yes! I finally have a friend to shop with. You get an allowance here … all the students do. It’s not much, but it’ll be enough to get you some basic clothing. Princeps Jones will explain all of that to you during this meeting this morning. I’ll check your schedule then too, and we can work out the best time to shop.”
“And washing?”
She strode over and pushed a small panel next to my wardrobe that I hadn’t even noticed. It popped open and Ilia nodded toward it. “Dirty clothes go in there. The building will return them clean and pressed in about twenty minutes.”
I stared wide-eyed at the panel for many long moments, and she laughed. “You’re going to love magic, trust me. It makes life so much easier.”
I imagined that it did, but there were no doubt instances when it also made life very complicated.
Before I could dwell too hard on that, Larissa arrived wearing the same uniform as me. Ilia was just in normal clothes, tight jeans and a black sweater, because she didn’t go to class anymore.
“How did you sleep?” Larissa asked.
I wrinkled my nose, lifting a hand to rub at my tired eyes. Ilia caught me before I could. “Panda eye is not a good look,” she said.
Oh, right. I’d put on makeup this morning. I could barely remember doing it.
“I think nerves got to me. I tossed and turned most of the night,” I admitted. “I’m pretty excited to see what today brings though.”
Understatement of the year. I was beyond excited.
And also freaking the fuck out.
9
We must have been early still, because I didn’t see anyone about as we wandered through the lower levels of the magic users’ tower. The couches were empty, books back on shelves, and it was silent in a comforting way. No noise meant no one was staring at the newbie.
“How often do you get new students here?” I asked as we walked.
Ilia shrugged, and Larissa pursed her lips like she was thinking.
“Almost never,” Larissa said. “Most of the first years come from the junior school that’s about fifty miles away. The last new new kid before you was Michael. He’s a vamp in his third year now. But he showed up at twenty-two as well.”