by A. S. Oren
Dad helps him roll it out onto the table. “Good idea, Ed. You can never be too careful. Did Michael make these for you?”
Edgar nods. “Yup. They now include the dorm they’ve designated just for Avalon and the hidden passage ways he added to them.”
Dad shakes his head. “We owe Michael a lot for all that he’s risked.”
Sunday…
I bounce from foot to foot as Dad creates a Void for all of us to go through into Spearwood. I’ve waited all day for this. We can’t leave until two in the afternoon here, because there’s a fifteen-hour time difference between Tibet and Colorado. They really know how to pick a remote location. The school sits somewhere on top of the mountain Shishapangma,the fourteenth highest mountain in the world.
Mom hugs Amr. “I wish I could go with you guys, but I’m not a Dragon , so I can’t step on the grounds without setting off alarms.”
She comes to me next. I hug her, it’s still odd, but nice at the same time. “We’ll see each other again come summer.”
I nod. “I can’t wait to hang out with you again.”
She smiles. “I love you both. Stay strong and don’t let Spearwood break you.”
Edgar comes to stand in front of me. I stare up at him. The day we’ve been training for has come. He clears his throat. Is he going to cry? “I want you to have this.” He holds up a necklace. The oval, glass pendant swings from the silver chain. Inside the glass sits a green scale and a dried daisy head.
“It was my mother’s. She received it on the day she married my father. I was supposed to pass it onto my wife, who would then give it to our son or daughter. I never married, because I feared the curse and subjectin’ my wife to possibly losing a child or her life. I want you to have it. You’re like the daughter I always wanted.”
Hot tears prick the corners of my eyes. “Thank you, Ed. I cherish you too. I love you.” I wrap my arms around his torso and hug him.
He puts the side of his cheek on my head, before giving it a quick peck. “I’m not goin’ to step on the grounds of that hell hole. So, kick some ass for me.” He pulls back and hooks the necklace around my neck.
I grin. “You know I will.”
Dad clears his throat. “All right, everyone hold onto each other and form a train. Don’t let go, unless you want to get lost in an abyss of darkness for all eternity.”
Amr takes hold of Dad’s hand and reaches back for mine. I take it and hold on to Maverick. With everyone holding hands, Dad walks into the darkness. My heart beats faster. Finally, I don’t have to live in terror of being found and taken here. I can face my demons head on.
We come out on the other side. Dark green grass and a building in the style of an old English manor greets us. A small crowd of guys gathers in front of the doors. Two men stand on the stairs in front of them. I frown. Why is it so easy to breathe and not a flake of snow in sight? I peer up. Dark grey clouds cover the sky. We’re thousands of feet in the sky. Breathing should be harder.
Amr leans back to me. “We must be under a barrier.”
I nod. It makes sense. In these harsh conditions, even the strong would be weak after a day or two.
Dad clears his throat as he stares at the two men in suits. “Well, this is where I have to leave you five. I can’t go beyond those doors. I’m one of the parents now.” He hugs both Amr and me together. “Only trust Michael.” His voice tickles my ears.
He goes back through the Void before it closes. Well, this is it. The guys form a semi-circle around me as we step up to the crowd.
The two men may be brothers. Both the same height and build, with strong jaws. One with shaggy brown hair and blue eyes, while the other has close cut black hair with dark green eyes.
Green eyes smiles at us. “And you five make forty. All the new students are here. I’m glad to see we don’t have to go after anyone this year. Hello, and welcome to Spearwood. I’m Michael Perlow and this fellow is the Chairmen of the Governors, Oliver Rosemen. He always likes to join me on Freshmen tours of the school.”
I study him. So this is the guy who supplied us with the blueprints of the school, and who Dad wants us to trust?
Rosemen claps his hand together. I force myself not to narrow my eyes at him. This is the man who had us on the run when I was a little. The man who made me terrified of the dark until I was six. “I am so proud to meet the next generation of our great families. I’m also so pleased I can be alive to see the day when the first true female graces our grand halls. You truly are an inspiration, Miss Radcliffe.”
If looks could kill, I would be six-feet under right now. What does he feel I did to him that’s so horrible? I’ve never even met the man before. At least, I don’t remember ever meeting him.
All other eyes turn on me as well, as if just now they realise a girl stands amongst them. The guys inch closer to me. I swallow hard and lift my chin. “Thank you, Mr. Rosemen. I’m proud to be here.”
A smirk pulls at the corner of his full lips. “That’s wonderful to hear. Why don’t we start this tour now, Mr. Perlow. So that the students have time to acclimate to their new surroundings before classes tomorrow.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Follow me everyone.” Perlow spins on his dress shoe heel and claps his hands. The double wide, wooden doors open, revealing two more men in black suits with tails and white gloved hands. What in the world? Ed never mentioned servants working here.
We go past them. One of them has tan skin and Native American features. His eyes though, are one blue and one green. He smiles at me as we enter the large circular room with six doors. “I call dibs,” Amr whispers in my ear.
I smile and elbow him in the side. “Only if he’s part of your Fold. If he’s mine, I call dibs.”
Amr rubs at his ribs. “Fair enough.”
A large, gold statue stands atop a round platform. It’s a man with a winged helmet and scale like armour. He holds a fisted hand over his chest, as he gazes up into the ceiling made of glass panels. He looks familiar. I feel as if I should know who this is right off the bat.
Perlow motions to the statue. “As you should know, this is our first great leader King Naverok. He is responsible for making our kind. He prayed to the Sun god for four days and nights, to help us win against the Sea Witch who had darkened the world for her own gain.”
I should’ve known that. Miss Nezbit spent a whole week teaching us about him and everything he did, good and bad.
“Isn’t the marble here simply gorgeous?” Perlow motions to the floors and walls, which are both made from white marble with gold flecks and meld almost seamlessly with each other.
“Now it’s time to enter the school part of this place.”
I glance around at all the other doors, I want to know where all of them go. We go through a far right door and down a long hallway made of the same marble, two more doors stand at the end of it. Perlow claps his hands and they open. These servants must be bored out of their skulls being on door duty.
We enter another large room, with a spiralling wood floor and cream coloured walls. “This is where we have school functions, like dances and reunions.”
I frown. What kind of dances can they have at an all-boys school? Well, it was an all boy school until today.
I tense as a hand touches my ass. Peering over my shoulder, I stare at the guy. He’s not one of my boys. He looks like something the cat would puke up. Somehow he inched his way in behind me without the other’s noticing.
A smile spreads across my face. He smiles back, thinking I’m flirting with him. No, I’m just happy about what I’m about to do. Grabbing his hand, I turn him and lock his arm, my other hand bends back his fingers, threating to break them.
He tries to fight me, but can’t figure out how to get out of the hold. He won’t last long here. “Ow! Let go of me, bitch!”
“If anyone touches me who I don’t know, or don’t want to touch me, I’ll break more than just your arm. Do I make myself clear?”
The g
roup clears around us. The boys stay close; they know I have this. I’ve done this move to them more than once, I just never actually thought about breaking their hands like I am with this guy.
“Let go of me, cunt. I’ll kill you!”
I tsk. “See, you would have been let go with just a warning, but then you had to go and call me that.” Pressing down on his fingers, I wait to hear the four pops. He screams and fights my grip more. Pulling back on his arm I spin, tossing him away from the group, towards the door we just came through.
He lies on the ground and screams, holding his now limp arm in his hand.
Rosemen pinches the bridge of his nose and snaps his fingers. One of the servants by the doors walks over to him. “Show Mr. Barry where the infirmary is.” He then stares at me. “Are there going to be any more problems?”
I blink at him. “No, as long as everyone’s hands stay to themselves.”
“Very well, let’s carry on.” He twirls a finger.
I guess Edgar was telling the truth. They don’t punish violence here. Survival of the fittest.
The kid named Barry screams more as the servant helps him off the floor.
Perlow clamps him on the shoulder I dislocated, causing him to wail. “Man up boy, or you won’t last much longer here.” The boy disappears with the servant through a side door. “Right, let’s keep moving this train.” He leads us through a different side door.
The walls go from light to a dark forest-green with wood panelling for the lower half. Dark cherry wood makes up the floor and the wood doors mirroring each other on either side. Number plaques hang next to the doors. Several hallways break away from the main hall, beyond that are more halls. It’s a freaking maze in here.
“It looks like the sixties threw up in here,” a guy in front of me whispers.
“You’re correct, Mr. King. This area of the school hasn’t been updated since 1964, in order to honour the late headmaster Ashwood, who died in one of these halls forty-eight years ago. This is the main part of school where you will attend most classes.”
I hold up my hand. Perlow nods.
“How are we supposed to navigate this place tomorrow? I’m not even sure a mouse could navigate through here with how far back it goes.”
Rosemen smirks. “You won’t be expected to navigate this alone on the first day. We aren’t entirely sadists here.” He laughs. A chill runs down my spine. This man scares me.
He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a black card. Holding it flat on his palm, it flies into the air and unfurls into a beautiful blonde woman, her hair twisted into a French-twist, a style I’ve always wanted to try.
Her grey eyes gleam at us as she holds her hands in front of her and bows. Rosemen gestures to her. “This is Jade, my Personal Assistant device or P.A.”
I frown. Why does the name Jade ring a bell for me?
“You all have your own waiting on your pillow at your designated bed. Your P.A. can look however you want it to. It will help you navigate the school. They also act as a phone and laptop. If you need to order something, you can do it through them. They have a direct line to the kitchen and the servants here as well. Jade, laptop please.”
Her body lifts into the air and she transforms into a small black laptop. He takes it and flips the keyboard so it sits behind the screen. “It’s also a tablet if you want it to be. Just know, the game apps will be locked if your grades start to fall. I don’t need anything else.” The laptop tablet thing morphs back into a black card, and he places it in his inner suit pocket.
The tour continues. Perlow and Rosemen lead us around several corners and down a couple of halls before coming to yet another set of double doors. They must love having a grand entrance. These servants are cute though. Why are they all men? Must be because it was an all-boys school.
We walk into a fitness centre, any and all types of exercise equipment lines the bright-blue walls and light yellow wood floors.
“As you can tell, this is our fitness centre. Anything you could ever need to train with sits within these walls. You will be expected to log, at the very least, six exercise hours a week here. You must stay fit, or become fit if you aren’t already.” His eyes linger on a boy near me. As long as someone can keep up with me, I don’t care if they’re big. I saw plenty of guys in Edgar’s camp not even break a sweat but look like they were at least a hundred pounds overweight.
“If you go through that door,” he points to a door on the left side of the room. “You’ll find a double-sized Olympic pool and two changing areas. We added a changing area just for you, Miss Radcliffe. Only you can access it with your P.A.”
I nod. “Um, thank you.”
“Let’s continue.” He backs up before turning on his toes and walking toward the door in the centre of the wall on the other side of the room. “Now we’re coming to where you can come to relax or study.”
We walk through the door into a short hallway, with a circle of doors at the end. Black and white checkers make up the ground, while the walls stand out with a brilliant red. A sign hangs above each solid door: Library, Games, Movies, and Dormitories.
“In your off time, you’re welcome to peruse these areas. However, if your grades slip, all but the non-fiction library will be locked to you. Your P.A. serves as the key. You should carry your P.A. with you at all times. You can explore these areas more after the tour. Now, onto your dormitories.”
The next room mirrors the last, but with more doors and numbers, from one through sixteen, on them. Only one door at the very end doesn’t have anything on it.
“All of you, except for Miss Radcliffe, will be within a room in dorm one. Your name will be next to the door to your room. Each room has a shared bathroom and a small kitchenette, if you like to cook.”
“Miss Radcliffe. Your apartment is behind the unmarked door. You can only access it if you have your P.A. If for some reason you forget your P.A., it will open the door for you, but only if it knows it’s you by your voice and heat signature.” Perlow reaches into his inner suit pocket and pulls out a black card. “This is your P.A. I’m giving it to you now, so that you can explore your apartment later.”
I step forward, out of the group to take the black card, sliding it into my front pocket of my jeans. “Thank you.”
“There is only one rule for you Miss Radcliffe. No boys past the threshold of your bedroom door. You’re welcome to hang out with your friends in your living room though. The Watchers will know and sound the alarm if you break this rule.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Do they honestly think not having access to a bed will stop me, or them, from making out or having sex if that’s what I want to do? “I understand.”
“Good. Now, I’ll show you all where the dining room is, and then our outdoors.”
CHAPTER TEN
Another half an hour passes before Perlow finally lets us go to explore and do whatever. Our classes begin tomorrow. Somehow, we’ve made it back to the dorm area. I place my hand on the doorknob to my apartment. A small beep echoes into the hallway as the door unlocks and lets the guys and me in.
Maverick touches my arm. “That’s cool. At least we don’t have to worry about any strange guys entering here when you’re asleep.”
“I’ll be in my dragon form then. I’ll scare the shit out of them if they try anything.”
The boys laugh. Amr clears his throat. “I’m going to go see who my roommate is; I’ll be back in a bit. Let me know when you guys decide to go try the horseback riding.”
“Okay, see you in a bit.” He leaves and closes the door behind himself. Obviously, whoever decorated the entrance and dining hall of the school did my apartment as well. White and gold are the only colours. White carpet, marble walls, a fireplace, and two loveseats that face each other.
A coffee table with gold accents rests between the couches. Off to the right of the living room, stands a small kitchen with tiled floor and everything I would ever need to cook.
I walk
over to the two white doors across from the entrance. “They really go all out.”
Paden trails a hand over a kitchen counter. “I wonder if our rooms will look this grand.”
I open the door on the right and peek in. It’s my bedroom. A painting of a fluffy, cloud filled sky covers all the walls. The room’s massive; I could fit at least one, if not two, of my dragon forms in here. A small, comfy looking bed stands off to the side, with a few retro white shelves on the wall.
A gold knob glints on the far side of the room. If I hadn’t noticed it, I would’ve never guessed a door was there. I cross the threshold and open it. A closet as big as my room back home greets me. Several white shirts and black skirts hang on the bars, with dark blue blazers to go with them. “Fuck!”
“What?”
I glance over at Jericho who stands just on the edge of the threshold. He remembered the rule. “I have to wear a skirt. It’s the school’s uniform.”
A smile tugs at the corner of his lips, and he laughs. “You’re so cute. What’s that behind you?” I spin on my toes. A triple wide glass door stands on the far side of the closet.
“No way!” I cross it and open the doors. A grey stone platform extends from the doors, large enough for me to transform on. If I so choose, I could go flying at night! It’s been a long time since I was small enough to go flying, without being seen by Norms.
“What?” Maverick and Jericho call.
I tiptoe to the edge and take a breath in. I can’t even see the bottom from here. I hurry back into the closet. I’ll feel safer out there when I have wings to help me if I fall. “They put in a platform so I can go flying at night.”
“That’s awesome! I wish I could see it,” Maverick yells.
I shake my head as I cross the threshold back into the living room. “We’ll figure out some way to bypass that stupid rule. They’re morons if they think it will stop me from doing this.”