by Laura Tree
Chapter 13
“Orientation starts in fifteen minutes.” The perky blonde, once again, reappears. Apparently it’s all she has to say, because she walks away after the announcement. I’m still standing in the hallway trying to unlock my door.
Our newly purchased bags of brand--new clothes are sitting in the hallway when we arrive, compliments of Queen Merona. I can’t wait for a hot shower and a hot meal. The test took up a lot more energy than I thought it would.
I walk into the room to find it less spectacular than the rest of The Isle’s architecture. It’s a plain white room with a dresser, a nightstand, a desk with a wooden chair, and a twin--sized bed shoved in the corner. It looks like a typical dorm room.
The best part of the drab--looking room is the small window. I walk up to it and my breath catches at the view.
At least I will have something to look at when I get bored, I sigh. I pick up my suitcase and get to work unpacking my new wardrobe.
Five minutes later, barely enough time to unpack my underwear drawer, Damien is knocking on my outer door.
“Come on in,” I say. “Hey where did Merona get all of these clothes? They look like the perfect size. How did she know what size I wear?” My back is to him and I’m still unpacking my bags when he comes in.
The door clicks shut without a word, and suddenly he’s very close. I can feel him breathing on the back of my neck and realize that I’m holding up a set of intimates. Crap, he must be looking at my new undies.
Damien’s hands keep me from turning around after I shove the underwear in the drawer. The now familiar warm heat starts to radiate from my shoulders where his hands are placed.
I feel the brush of lips against my neck, and it sends out fire like waves all over my body. Trying hard not to think about us being alone together in an empty room, I close the drawer and take a step toward the dresser.
When I turn around, his eyes meet mine. I can see the raw passion and need there. It’s the same need pushing its way through my body now.
It makes me melt. He wants me. It’s a simple truth; our friendship is not enough anymore. I can feel his need, as if it is my own. It must have something to do with the visions I have been having lately. This magical stuff is too confusing for me.
I brush off the thought as his arms come around me. Fire is burning bright through my veins, as fireworks are exploding behind my closed lids. It’s all too much to handle.
A picture pops into my mind. I feel another vision coming on. The background is dark; it looks like we’re in a cave. There’s no sound, just a pendant. I have the distinct feeling that it’s the Azure Pendant.
It has a delicate silver chain attached to it. It’s shaped like a teardrop. It’s the most intense blue I’ve ever seen. The color is spectacular; I could lose myself in the ocean of blue. The Azure gem is secured to the pendant by silver tribal designs that wrap around the top of the teardrop gem.
It looks extremely delicate, but I have a feeling it isn’t. It feels like this Pendant is part of me; I know what it’s capable of, and the power that it holds. It’s like a siren, pulling me closer, begging me to touch it. I know that I have to find it.
When I come too, Damien is pulled back staring at me with shock.
“You saw the Pendant? Do you know how rare that is? Very few have seen the Pendant. Are you sure that was it?” Damien’s questions bombard me.
“How do you know that? I get the feeling that you’re inside my head sometimes. What is going on?” Anger wells up inside me; he’s not telling me everything, and I plan on hearing the whole truth, whether he likes it or not.
“It’s part of being a Protector. Once we make the initial contact, our connection grows; it gets stronger, until we can communicate telepathically. Pretty cool, huh?” Damien smirks at me.
“Not really. I mean I like you and all, but I’m not ready for you to hear all of my thoughts. Plus it creeps me out you can see my visions. You know, if you asked I would tell you all about them. Just stay out of my head,” I say, recoiling from him.
“What’s gotten into you? One minute you’re warm, the next minute you’re cold. Why the sudden change of heart?” This infuriates me; I don’t need Damien questioning me.
I’m not ready for him to hear see my visions and hear my thoughts. Besides, it’s not fair that I can’t hear his.
I’m here to get the Pendant and go home. I need to find my parents to do that. I’m not sure why Damien and I have this connection, and it clouds my brain every time I get around him. I don’t want it.
If this is what it means to have a Protector, I would rather not have one. Besides I don’t know anything about Damien, and he already knows more about me than my best friends do.
Frustrated, I push Damien away and turn to gaze out the window. I’m on the verge of telling him that I need time to think. When I turn, he’s not there, and the bathroom door is open.
...
Surprisingly, Damien doesn’t show up for orientation. Not that it matters. There are only five students in orientation with me. Apparently, orientation happens once a month, and enrollment is never very high, being that magical abilities are in less than two percent of the population.
I’m directed to the office. The first place on our tour, The Isle’s main office is what I would expect from a college campus. It’s cozy. It has plush carpet floors in a beige color. There’s a couch and loveseat set up in the lobby with a coffee table between the two. Past that is the front desk.
There are several desks scattered throughout the room. Toward the back is a larger open area that has a rug surrounded by bookcases featuring a fireplace in the center.
Like everything I’ve seen in The Isle, it’s stunning. The level of comfort and class found here is unequaled.
There’s a young man in the front of the group, handing out class schedules. I can’t wait to see what classes I’m expected to take. I always did love school.
“Name,” he queries as I reach the front of the line.
“Layla Sanders,” I reply flatly.
His eyebrows touch the sky.
“What type of magical creature are you?” He says, his face lighting up like the North Star.
I shrug, grab my paper, and join the rest of the group. As the tour guide is showing us the rest of the room and explaining its function, I steal a moment to peek at my class list.
Layla Sanders-- unknown species
Period One: Magical History /C4
Period Two: Witchery /A2
Period Three: Potions and Spells /C9
Period Four: Powers /B3
Period Five: Lunch Assignment /Cafeteria
Period Six: Combat /Courtyard
Period One begins promptly at 8 a.m.
Combat? I’m expected to take a class in combat? I hope they aren’t expecting me to pass it. With an inward sigh, I push it out of my mind. I may not be a wimp, but I’m not strong. What have I gotten myself into?
The blabbering of the tour guide pulls me back. He’s speaking as if he were checking off a list, notifying us of each point.
“Breakfast is served daily from 5 a.m. to 7:55 a.m.”
“Lunch is given at designated lunch times only.”
“Period Six ends promptly at 2:30.”
“Dinner times are from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.”
“Skipping classes without permission will not be tolerated. You will be found and escorted to class.”
“Leaving The Isle will not be accepted for any reason without permission.”
“Curfew is from 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.”
“At the completion of your courses, you will be required to make a declaration.”
“Declaration? What’s that?” I ask, mainly to myself. Everyone turns toward me, as my face begins heating up again. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud. If only Damien were here, he could have answered me quietly and saved me from this embarrassment.
“A declaration, Ms. Sanders, is when yo
u will choose. This is a school of the Council, and therefore not aligned with the Light or Dark. At your declaration, you will declare a side. Think carefully; once declared, you can never change,” the tour guide proclaims.
It sounds serious. I hope I can get out of here before having to go through my declaration. I am not planning on staying in this realm after I find the Pendant. I know that time travels differently here, but I’m hoping it doesn’t take too long.
I tune out the tour guide again as he shows us the wings. There are three different wings to the facility: A, B, and C. They all look the same; they just go in different directions. I know this because I’ve already seen the map attached to my class list.
“Next up on our tour, the library.” He motions through the double French doors. My eyes start to glow the second I walk in the room; it’s a large wonderful library, full to the ceiling with books. It has bookshelves that are so high they require a sliding ladder to access them all.
It’s a circular room with the reading area in the middle. The roof is constructed of several arched glass panels; you can see straight through to the sky.
There is a telescope featured in the center of the main room. Very comfortable looking couches and chairs, a fireplace, and a few beanbags are placed precisely around the stacks.
Behind the seating area are some cubicles that are filled with desks and office supplies. To the left is the main checkout. Next to the checkout are some computers.
The second story is accessed by a set of staircases on either side. They wrap around the room like a shawl. There are seating areas at the top of the second story, and more shelves, full of glorious books.
There are also separate rooms for private studying off to the sides of the second floor.
I can’t stop taking it in. My heart flutters as I recognize my new favorite spot on campus.
I’m saddened when we’re pulled away to our next destination, the cafeteria. It’s not a typical cafeteria. It looks more like a mall food court filled with booths. There are several different choices of food. “You can find food from any realm here,” the tour guide announces as we walk through.
The floor is tiled with large tan tiles and white grout. Surprisingly, with all the foot traffic, the grout is extremely white.
It has the same Victorian feel as the rest of the building. The seating is not exclusive to inside. Past the revolving door, there is also an outdoor seating area with picnic tables and regular tables and chairs.
“Since we’re here, we might as well have lunch. We will meet back here in thirty minutes.” The tour guide briefly tells us how to get our food, and the group splits up.