Ex Nihilo Academy

by Jennifer Watts

  “What about the trolls’ powers?” I ask and Lucinda answers.

  “Precognition. They can see the future, though the future can always change.” She looks distracted as she says this. “And they also have mind-trickery though they are encouraged not to use it and are prohibited from doing so on campus. It can be very alarming as they can cause you to hallucinate and see things that are not there.”

  “One more question—does everyone within the race have all the same powers?” I look around the group who all look like they are ready to move on. Cai is playing with the rings on his fingers and Wrath is staring at the ceiling.

  “The powers are all there more or less but in varying degrees. One Witch can be great at spells but not have the power to cause a flutter with their telekinesis. Or one fairy may be able to create a wave in a swimming pool while another can only swirl the water in a glass. Does that answer your question?” Her eyes are friendly and searching and I am so grateful to her for doing this so I nod. “Great! Then let’s get back to it. Wrath and Jewel you are up next so grab your foils. After you go we will move on to more cardio and weight training. Get ready to sweat class!”

  * *

  Lucinda wasn’t kidding. By the end of the day sweat runs from my hairline and drips down the back of my shirt in rivulets. Because I’m not living on campus the only showers available to me are the communal ones in the gym so I head to the change room to clean off. It is empty when I arrive because the bell rang close to an hour ago — apparently there is no set end time with training and it ends when the instructor thinks it should end no questions asked. I rest my bag on the bench and strip down before stepping into the shower. The hot water feels incredible beating down on my already aching muscles and I know that my body is going to pay for today’s workout tomorrow. When I am done I grab my towel from the hook and walk back to the lockers but my bag isn’t there. I look under the bench, in the locker across from it, then I check back in the shower stall but it’s nowhere to be found and I’m more than a little freaked out. That bag contained my favorite green sundress for the dance, my limited supply of makeup and even my dirty gym clothes so I have nothing to change back into. I know instinctively that someone must have taken it and I have a feeling I know exactly who that someone is.

  “I’m not going to cry, I’m not going to cry.” I chant to myself, my breath hitching. I sit down on the bench and pull the towel that barely covers my butt tightly around me. I consider what options I have - breaking into another locker won’t work without bolt cutters and the shower curtains are see-through so ripping one down and wearing it is out. After sitting hopelessly for about fifteen minutes I hear someone come in.

  “Lily?” I’m surprised to see Nissa walk in. “I thought you might be here.”

  “How did you know?” I sniff.

  “These are the only public showers on campus and I imagined you’d need one after training. I was coming to see if you were ready so we could head to the ballroom together.” She says eyeing me speculatively and a sob escapes me.

  “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m sorry to ask but I need your help again. Someone took my bag with everything in it and I don’t know what to do. Do you have a spell or something that can make me look like I’m wearing clothes?” I ask hopefully and she laughs but not unkindly.

  “Sadly no, but I do have these.” She spins her locker combination and pulls out gym shorts and a baggy t-shirt and hands them to me. “I’ll never understand why the school feels that supernatural’s need gym class. I suppose that teenage humiliation is universal. Do you know that they even make us square dance?” She looks horrified and I laugh out loud. It amazes me how she seems to know exactly what to say to make me feel better.

  “You lie.”

  “Cross my black heart and hope to die.” She replies as I fold the shorts over a few times to hold them in place and pull the t-shirt over my head. It slides off one shoulder but I’m covered enough to make it home.

  “Thank you for the clothes and for cheering me up. I guess I should head to the dock. I’m sure my ride is long gone and next student ferry doesn’t come for another half hour.” I’m saying all this more to myself than for her benefit but she watches me closely, her mouth quirked up at the side.

  “Come with me, darling. I may have something you can wear to the dance. I have many cute outfits that I used to wear before I decided to go dark and gothic. I know we’re not the same size but I have an eye for fashion and I’m surprisingly good with pins.”

  * *

  It turns out that Nissa is surprisingly good with pins. Within twenty minutes she has my hair and makeup done and has me pinned into a black party dress with a ruffled skirt that is made of shimmery chiffon. She isn’t much taller than me so it hits at the right place just above my knees and the top is a tube style that she folds over to secure in place. Even though I rarely wear black I have to admit that it looks good.

  “Thank you, Nissa, it looks great.”

  “With legs like those you would look amazing in a garbage bag.”

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” I ask seriously and she squeezes my shoulders.

  “I have a unique ability to see people for what they really are. I can tell when they are genuine and good hearted or when they are fake and malicious and you, darling, are the former.”

  “Is that one of your supernatural powers?” I ask, studying my reflection in her mirror. “No Lily, it’s one of my very intuitive female powers. You have them too; maybe you just need to listen to them more.”

  * *

  “This isn’t the school gym." I say, my mouth hanging open.

  “Why would I take you to the gym?” I watch as the confusion flits across her face. “Back home they hold school dances in the gym with streamers hanging from the basketball hoops and balloons tied to the bleachers… ” I trail off.

  “Well that just sounds unsanitary.” She sniffs.

  The dance is being held in an actual ballroom. Three massive crystal chandeliers, ones my mom would have called ‘ostentatious’, hang from a gold inlaid ceiling and add a warm glow to the polished marble floor. Large arched windows line the right wall and bar height tables with burgundy tablecloths are positioned along the left. Candles are flickering on every surface and at the center of each table is a crystal vase stuffed with a red-tipped white rose. The only modern touch in the room is the raised floor stage complete with a DJ booth and huge black speakers. Most of the girls are wearing ball gowns and I breathe out a sigh of relief that my sundress was stolen as it would have been totally out of place here.

  “Not what you expected?” Nissa raises an eyebrow in amusement.

  “It’s nothing like I expected. Thank you again for saving me.” I smile and she shakes her head.

  “Do not even mention it. All that’s left to do now is ditch that ape of a date and find a nice-looking boy to dance with. Have fun! I am going to look for Cai and we’ll find you later.” She air kisses my cheeks before weaving through the crowd and I notice how striking she looks striking in her deep purple floor length dress. I sigh, remembering that I had agreed to meet up with Tristan. I had actually totally forgotten about our ‘date’ until Nissa mentioned it. I spot him walking across the room toward me in his black tuxedo with a big smile stretched across his face.

  “I was wondering when you were going to get here.” He greets me and links his arm through mine.

  “Sorry I’m late. I had a fashion emergency.” I mumble.

  “You look incredible. Want to dance?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer, instead pulling me on to the packed dance floor and sliding his arms around my waist. That’s another thing I notice right away - everyone is actually dancing and not pressed against the walls or congregating around the punch bowl. It makes me wonder if supernatural’s even drink punch but I shake off the errant thought and look at Tristan. “Your face is so expressive. I would love to know what you are thinking right now.” He laughs as he spins me around in a cir
cle.

  “Nothing important.” When he twirls me back around to face him I am struck again by his All-American good looks. Though he is not much taller than me he definitely has the features that most girls would drool over: light hair, light eyes and dimples. He’s handsome but not in an intimidating way and his body is a column of solid muscle. So I wonder why when I look into his eyes I feel absolutely nothing — not even the slightest spark of attraction. As if he can somehow sense my lack of interest he pulls me against his chest, forcing me to prop my chin on his bulky shoulder. He’s been so nice to me and the last thing I want to do is lead him on. While I’m thinking that maybe taking me to the dance is just his way of being nice to the new girl his hands slide down my back and graze the top of my butt. Maybe not. I am saved from having to move his roaming hands by the group of fairies who arrive. They are laughing and talking loudly and one of the guys whoops and calls out Tristan’s name, so he grabs my hand and pulls me over to them. When I spot Kennedy at the center of the group I freeze. She is wearing a tight red mermaid-style dress with a sweetheart neckline that leaves nothing to the imagination and slides over her every one of her curves like liquid. She fills out the dress well and easily looks closer to twenty-seven than seventeen. That’s when I notice Luca standing off to the side leaning against one of the tall tables. He is wearing a dark charcoal suit which is perfectly tailored to his body and a black dress shirt underneath that is open at the neck. He looks sexy, a little dangerous and totally unapproachable. The rest of the fairy group moves past us on to the dance floor but Kennedy stays behind.

  “What’s this, Tristan? Are you doing your charity work for the year?” She looks me up and down and smirks and Tristan shoves her playfully.

  “Now I told you to be nice, Kennedy.” He chastises but she ignores him and leans into me.

  “Hand-me-downs I see. What, didn’t your parents leave you any money? Or did they prove to be selfish even in death?” I recoil at her words and it feels like I’ve been slapped in the face. I would’ve preferred it if she’d just hit me. I glance sideways at Luca to see if he’s hearing this but he’s just standing there with his head bowed and brows furrowed. Tristan, who seems to think everything is a joke, mock-scolds her while I stand there with my mouth agape.

  “Why do you hate me so much? I don’t even know you.” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “Hate? You are not even worth the emotion. I simply have no use for you and I think that you should go back to wherever you came from.” When she sneers her gums pull back over her teeth making her look like a feral animal. I’m debating whether to burst into tears or gouge her eyes out with my bare hands when the music switches off and a familiar voice comes over the loud speaker.

  “Welcome, Ex Nihilo, to the first dance of the year but certainly not the last! I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a new student. Are you out there, Lily? Can you please come up to the stage?” Being introduced publicly is almost worse in my mind than taking my chances with Kennedy, but I like Lucinda and I don’t want to disappoint her. I slowly walk over and climb the stage to stand beside her, noticing that her platinum hair looks almost white in the light of the chandeliers. “Everyone, this is Lily Hughes. She recently relocated from San Diego and I’d like to ask you all to treat her like family and give her the warm welcome she deserves. Would you like to say a few words?” She hands me the microphone and I am momentarily paralyzed. Public speaking is definitely worse that having my hair pulled out by Kennedy. I mutter a pathetic ‘hello’ into the microphone and I’m about to slink off stage when I see one of the massive speakers bearing down on me. It’s all happening so fast and it’s too late to jump out of the way so I put my hands up to shield myself. Just as the speaker is about to come crashing down on top of me my body is thrown to the side. I land off stage with a hard thump and it knocks all of the air out of my lungs. I am gasping and trying to draw in breath but there is a weight on top of me. Luca. I hear yelling all around me and I see movement in my peripheral vision but everything else is a blur. He is cradling the back of my head and the only thing I can see clearly is him: the flecks of gold in his espresso colored eyes, the curve of his full lower lip, and the firmness of his chest pressed against mine. He smells clean, like soap and shampoo with a hint of spicy cologne. He looks at me expectantly as if he’s waiting for me to speak.

  “What?” I manage to croak while sucking in a short breath of air.

  “I asked if you are alright.” He repeats and I concentrate on the silky smoothness of his voice. I don’t speak and for a few seconds as we lay there staring at each other. When he finally stands I can sense the shift in him as he hoists me to me feet. Whatever door had briefly opened has quickly closed and won’t be opening again anytime soon.

  “Thank you.” I say as all the heat rushes to my face.

  “It’s not a big deal. I just didn’t want all the vampires in here licking your blood up off the floor.” He says it abruptly then turns away from me.

  “You saved my life. That’s a pretty big deal to me.” I say quietly.

  “Don’t read too much into it because I’m not interested in you that way. Trust me when I say that I’ve been burned by enough fairies to know that your kind is bad news.” He says it matter-of-factly but it still cuts deep.

  “You don’t know me at all.” I whisper.

  “Let’s keep it that way.” He stalks off into the crowd, elbowing by Tristan who’s rushing toward me.

  “Oh my God, are you okay?” He’s making a big show of checking my arms for cuts and bruises and running his hands through my hair.

  “Fine.” I say tersely and I notice over his shoulder that Kennedy is shooting daggers at me from across the room. “What’s her problem?” I incline my head in her direction and he looks back.

  “Who knows? She’s probably just bent out of shape because you were talking to Luca. She’s still pretty territorial when it comes to him even though they broke up last year.” So Luca is her ex. Of course he is. Just when I thought things for me couldn’t get any worse.

  Chapter 6: I’m with the Band

  When my first weekend of freedom from Ex Nihilo finally rolls around I vow not to waste it by moping around the depressing old manor. The sky is gray and overcast as I set out down the path to the road. I’m about five minutes into my walk when I realize that I have no idea where I am going. I had been so distracted when Niall drove me here last week that I failed to pay attention to how far it was from town, and from the clouds in the sky it looks like the rain is about to start. I sigh and continue on, kicking at the loose rocks along the road with my shoe. I’m going to have to speak to my trustee about the possibility of getting a car and a cell phone, not that I have anyone to call since my friends in So Cal have probably already forgotten about me. A loud honk interrupts my thoughts and I jump back from the road. Rowan is sitting behind the wheel of that beast of a truck and he stops to yell at me from the open window.

  “Can I give you a ride?” I stare at him through the windshield and his navy blue eyes pierce into mine.

  “I guess it depends on whose driving: Rowan the carefree laid-back guy driving into town for the day or Rowan the angry groundskeeper who slinks around glaring at me all the time?”

  “You’ve got some cheek on you now, don’t you? First of all I’m six-foot-five - I don’t slink anywhere and second I’m not angry. Not at you anyway.” He says the last part more quietly and I pat the hood of the truck in response and motion for him to carry on. “Whatever you say. I’ll see you later.”

  “Just get in the damn truck, Lily. It’s a long walk to town and it’s about to rain.” He shouts and I glare at him and the sky in turn. Self-preservation finally wins out and a few seconds later I’m belted into the front seat beside him. He tells me the radio is broken so we ride in silence, with me stealing glances at him every so often. He has the arm that’s covered in the sleeve of intricate black tattoos draped over the side of the truck
while the other expertly steers the windy road. He is wearing worn, faded blue jeans and a Motorhead t-shirt under a fitted gray coat. He looks over at me, his eyes traveling the line of my neck and down to my outfit.

  “You do know that you’re in Ireland, right?” He’s obviously referring to my white shorts and pink Roxy zip-up and I can feel my cheeks heating. What is it with people commenting on my attire?

  “I have layers on.” I snap back.

  “Well at least you had the sense to wear trainers.” He nods his head at my favorite blue Chuck Taylors and chuckles to himself before turning his eyes back to the road. A few minutes later we enter the village of Strangford and I immediately recognize the dock that Niall stopped at on the drive in.

  “You can just drop me off here.” I say, shifting impatiently in my seat.

  “What kind of host would I be if I did that?” He says seriously and I roll my eyes and laugh.

  “The non-existent kind?” I say, confused. He doesn’t answer back as he pulls into a parking spot across from the town centre.

  “Come on then.” He switches off the ignition and hops out of the truck. I shake my head and slide out of the car after him, trying my best to figure out why he’s acting like a different person all of the sudden. We walk past a row of shops that are painted white and yellow and a gift shop before Rowan stops in front of a small café.

  “Coffee?” He asks and I nod appreciatively and follow him in. I’ve been missing my morning Starbucks but I’m too embarrassed to tell Niall that I don’t know how to work the elaborate coffee maker in the kitchen. The bell on the door chimes as we walk in and Rowan waves to the girl behind the counter, whose eyes widen appreciatively when she sees him. He doesn’t seem to notice her reaction as he orders two lattes, soy milk for me, and leads me back outside with the steaming cups.

  “It’s not raining yet. Are you brave enough to walk down to the terrace?” I nod in agreement and we walk back to the ferry dock and sit at a wooden bench right across from the water. We sip our coffees in a comfortable silence as a ray of sun peaks through the clouds and warms my face. Add to that the sound of the waves lapping the stone wall, the smell of sea salt and the screeching sea gulls and I almost feel like I’m home. Almost.