by brett hicks
“Curfew is at three-a.m. every morning. Do be home before then, not that I really concern myself with what my students are doing with mortals.”
She sniffed and she gestured for me to follow her.
“Move along now, and stop bloody gawking at everything. Honestly, you're hobbled enough as things are, considering your heritage. I don’t have the first earthly clue what that blood-traitor was thinking raising you as if you were human.”
Blood-traitor? What the hell does that even mean?
I rushed to catch up to the taller woman’s long strides and my smaller legs pumped quickly to keep pace. We walked down the long stone pathway and finally, the wide dark-brown wooden doors to the keep opened for us. A pair of frosty- looking guards with cold eyes swept their gazes over me. They had swords belted to their waists that appeared to be clear crystal and pure frozen wintery icicles. They both wore the deep-blue and black uniform with a signet of three blades crossed over one another. I noticed that several of the long tapestries held that same symbol of three interlaced blades.
Curious as I was to know the meaning, I didn’t dare ask the haughty Headmistress. She seemed to put out just to be forced to accompany me inside the keep. There were some lingering students in the massive halls and the Headmistress snapped her fingers and gestured to a blonde girl a few inches taller than me.
The girl had silver-blonde hair and violet eyes that looked able to cut stone as they seared into me with such revulsion. She was wearing what seemed to be faerey teen casual wear. Her jeans looked as if they had been poured over her hips they fit so snuggly to her curves. Her pink top was flaked with shimmering glitter that shaped a heart across her chest. And her leather boots looked as if she had polished them to a new glow they shined so brightly under the many candles hanging from the ancient looking chandeliers.
She had a small pink handbag and was noticeably devoid of any bag or backpack.
“Miss Dory, show this one to her first class since it is the same as yours.”
I looked up at the tall pink-silver haired woman and mildly asked, “And how do you expect me to know where all my other classes are?”
She sniffed indignantly and flicked her wrist and held her hand towards the other blonde.
“Just follow Dory and you will find your way. She is also a freshman and her schedule is the same as yours for this semester.”
I frowned and I bit back pointing out how lazy the older woman was. I managed what I hoped past for a neutral smile.
“Fine, I’ll do that.”
She nodded stiffly and spun with her dress whirling around her like the waves of the ocean. The Headmistress took off like a dervish down toward one of the side hallways and was out of sight within moments.
I released a breath I did not realize I had been holding. That woman seemed to put me on an edge like I was expecting her to stab me in the back at any moment, or feed me to her plants for real this time.
I shyly waved to the other girl and gave her a small smile.
“Hi, I’m Amy.”
She sniffed and waved me off.
“Yep, Halfling daughter of the blood-traitor, I know. We all know.”
I blinked at that and just stared dumbly.
“Um, how is that possible? No one else was outside with me when my father introduced me?”
I asked curiously before my mind could think better of it. I was generally a very curious girl by nature, so it was just natural to ask.
The teen rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Magic, you little tosh cheeky cur.”
I blinked at her thickly British accented words and the obvious derogatory manner she had referred to me.
“What the hell does “tosh” mean?”
She looked at me as if I was stupid.
“Are you taking the piss out of me?”
I blinked again and she finally rolled her eyes dramatically and turned sharply.
“Come on then you bloody colonial savage.”
Well, at least I understood that one!
I bit the inside of my cheek and I followed the snotty little faerey girl down the hall. She took two sharp turns and didn’t check to see if I was keeping pace. We arrived at a class with about thirty or more students. Everyone was watching the door as we entered and despite her snootiness, I opted to be polite.
“Thanks for showing me to class.”
She smiled like the cat that just ate the canary and she sweetly said, “Trip and fall into the desk, you owe me.”
I felt some weight settle between us and I remembered my father and Gentry’s warnings about thanking faereys. I flopped forward as if out of control and I crashed into a raven-haired girl with purple streaks in her otherwise midnight colored hair. She was pale and frosty looking, similar to the two guards, but her ears were not pointed, they were humanesque round.
I made a loud sound as we crashed to the floor.
Don’t thank faeries and don’t apologize!
The blonde fae girl was cackling with a pair of equally blonde friends and I stood up in a rush. I helped the other girl up and I felt bad, I had rushed into her desk so roughly that her desk had busted down the center from the impact.
“She’s so stupid, she actually thanked me! Daft little tosser!”
My vision went red and I felt the air swirl around me. I felt my rage at everything in the last few hours come roaring to life through my body. I balled my fist and I lashed out so fast that the girl was still laughing, even as her eyes started to widen to notice the physical threat.
Her nose crumpled under my fist and she flew back three feet and slammed into the wall. Her friends turned as one and I looked at them and squared myself broadcasting my readiness to take them both on.
They stepped back and I walked over to the blonde and I picked her up by her hair and I rammed my fist into her face once, twice, three times! She made gurgling sounds as blood was gushing from her nose and her split lips.
I felt hot masculine hands restrain my arms locking them and pull me back in one motion.
“Blimey, what have you gotten into now Francesca?”
I bucked against the restraining arms and I squirmed to free myself. I stomped down on an instep and heard the male voice curse lowly as he let me free. I spun as if to hit him but stopped in mid-motion. It wasn’t his looks that stopped me, but honestly, that didn’t help at all! It was the calm non-violent look he was giving me and the easy smile.
His hair was frosty blue and silver and he had long slender ears similar to mine. The cold seemed to seep from his pores like sweat seeped through mine or any other person I had ever seen. His body had been warm to the touch, but icy power seemed to coat him like a second skin.
“Ello, I’m Dylan, Dylan Weatherbee. You must be Amelia Edwards, no?”
I stopped and seemed like a deer caught in the headlights that was Dylan’s bright charm and easy masculine grace. His tone was similar to my father’s, musical. I swallowed a few times to clear the lump that had formed in my throat.
“I’m Amy…”
He smiled so brightly he could have blinded me with the ivory perfection of it.
“Brilliant! I’ve heard so many stories about your Da, is he really the best swordsman in all the dimensions?”
I blinked a few times at the random nature of his question. I shrugged and failed to keep my anger and bitterness at the mention of my father, from my tone.
“I wouldn’t know, there’s a lot he never bothered to tell me.”
Dylan shrugged as if my anger had no effect on him and he seemed to be oblivious to the fact that the rest of the class was now staring at us. I felt my cheeks heat up. I had been in more than a few scraps in my day, but never so publically, or during a school day. I was a soccer star so I couldn’t afford to get suspended!
What shocked me the most was the teacher—I would have to assume the thirty-something was a teacher—was watching as if this was his latest drama TV show.
“If you are quite f
inished greeting your classmates, how about we have our resident wood nymph fix Miss Cole’s desk and someone gives Miss Dory a healing charm or draws a medical rune?”
That was the extent of his verbal response to the open physical altercation in his class.
Francesca Dory looked up at me through bright glowing baleful eyes that told me she hadn’t forgotten, nor was she ever going to. I turned and I found the slim girl with the black and purple hair and I waved to her desk. I caught myself before I said “sorry.” I settled for something else.
“Well, I did not mean to mess up your desk.”
She grinned at me and I noticed long three-inch fangs were currently on display. Her eyes danced with amusement and levity. My shock must have shown on my face because the fangs quickly retracted and shrunk back to two pointy canines.
“Whoops, first day in all of this supernatural stuff and I’ve done flashed my fangs.”
I shrugged and I cleared my throat.
“No biggie, I have pointy ears.”
I pointed to them to further prove my point. She snorted and rolled her eyes at me.
“That’s the new normal around here babe. We round-ears are much more uncommon in this place. And, as far as I’m concerned, I would have given a lot more than my desk to see Francesca get laid out by another faerey. They are usually too busy kissing up to her. She never lets anyone forget how close her father is with the Empress.”
I nodded dumbly, more new information to cram down my throat along with the rest of the stuff I had learned today.
“Well you probably heard, but I’m Amy.”
I extended my hand and she shook it. She was warm like any other person, so apparently, she was not dead or undead like most myths suggest. She smiled an amusement danced in her eyes.
“I’m Casey Cole, and as you noticed, vampires are living breathing beings. We are born, just like every other supernatural.”
I blurted, “so you didn’t like drink one’s blood?”
She threw her head back and laughed vibrantly.
“That’s just a myth. I’ll give you the vampire birds and the bees later. Professor Cline looks like he’s about to drive a real stake through my chest.”
Seven:
My first class of the day turned out to be Faerey History. After my brash introduction to the other fae of visibly differing varieties, I had managed to be instantly outcast. Nothing but some leers and a couple of disgusted looks were cast in my direction during the rest of the class.
Francesca was plied with little crystals and a few other such trinkets by our classmates. By the end of the period, her swollen nose and black eyes had nearly faded completely. Even if I had wanted her to walk around with a busted face for a while, the healing spells were extremely impressive.
I had never seen magic like this, or like anything, before now. So, I couldn’t help but gawk in shock and awe at the rapid healing process and the faint white-grey pulse of light and mist from the crystals. Besides, the class itself was just this side of being subjected to a frontal cranial lobotomy.
Professor Augustus Cline was as boring as he was uncaring about his students. If this were a human high school, I would have been shipped off for the next week at best, worse if the bitchy “victim’s” parents decided to press charges or sue. That is why in some respects that was good for me, but not if she sought retaliation. Judging by the scalding looks she was sending me Francesca was not my biggest fan.
I was supposed to have weeks to gather up the courage and strength needed to face the rigors of high school. Now, thanks to the fact that my dad was a Moch Sidhe, I was stuck with the bitchiest of beings I could imagine and then several dozen kinds I had never dared imagine could exist.
Our class was nearly empty by the time it occurred to me that I had zero clue where my next class was. Hell, I didn’t even know where I was supposed to sleep tonight! For a bunch of magical beings, these faereys seemed to be very lax in handing out directions or keeping any real order in this chaos.
I peeked out into the long halls at the mass of milling students of a surprising range of ages. Some of the students were elementary or middle school aged mixed in with the high school students. Some were practicing shimmery bright spells and others were just looking to move on to their next class.
None of the ones I spotted were from my class and I had plenty of time to memorize the faces scrutinizing me earlier.
“Do you not have a guide?”
I spun on my heels and I almost raised my hands as if ready for another fight. Bright purple eyes greeted me, eyes attached to raven and purple hair and a shiny silver nose piercing.
Casey Cole.
“Hi, um a guide?”
My voice was defensive and confused at the same time. Her light violet eyes danced in amusement at my deep confusion.
“You can relax now, Amy Edwards. I do not make enemies with faereys stubborn enough to cross the little princess of our fair academy.”
Her tone was all American now and my eyes widened in shock.
“I’m not the only one from the States here?”
She grinned and shook her head slightly.
“Nope, but you’re the only one willing to piss off another Moch Sidhe on your first day out of the supernatural closet.”
I blinked at that comment and I sighed.
“I’ll process that little bit of information once my mind catches up and I end up curled in a ball for a week.”
Her eyes softened further and she nodded slightly.
“I remember how horrific my own puberty was for me. I went from a diet of cheeseburgers and pizza to biting into the first warm neck I could get my teeth on.”
What does one say to an errant vampire, when trying not to offend her?
“I guess you win the suck contest, huh?”
Belatedly I realized the pun of epic proportions unleashed upon my classmate. Casey threw her head back and roared in laughter.
“Damn, that’s one of the better vampire puns I’ve heard since coming here.”
I nipped on my lip and I remembered our current problem.
“You wouldn’t happen to know where my next class is, would you.”
Casey shrugged slightly and waved for me to follow her.
“We have practical Magic and Glamour next. Follow me and don’t worry, vampires do not often count favors, but if we do, it’s typically in blood.”
She grinned and then she seemed to clam up, as if afraid of something. I studied her for a moment, and then I realized she was worried she might have spooked me. I found myself laughing before I knew what my body was doing.
“Casey, I’m about as comfortable with you as I am with anyone around here so far. A few blood jokes aren’t going to scare me. I am an unabashed tomboy.”
Her smile was instant and wider than before. I could make out relief in her features.
“My bad, I’m just accustomed to all the leech jokes from the other faereys. I meant no offense to you personally, Amy.”
I waved her off and I kept giggling like a lunatic.
“It’s whatever. I’m just glad that not everyone is psycho around here!”
She snorted derisively at this and shrugged.
“Well, a girl does strive not to be perceived as psychotic, unless she is staring in a slasher flick.”
“Didn’t those pretty much die with the end of the nineties? Well, at least the good ones died anyway.”
She nodded in agreement and hummed lowly.
“Yeah, except for the random Scream sequel, I think all the others dated after ninety-nine sucked!”
I pointed at her excitedly and my voice raised an octave.
“Exactly!”
Casey was a vampire, but I was beginning to see that in my new reality, looks and species were misleading. The more beautiful the rose, the sharper the thorns—not that Casey was at the least unattractive. Her species is constantly depicted as blood-craven monsters that spend all their free time ripping through human
populations. I was already more inclined to believe that would be truer of my fellow Moch Sidhe.
We crossed through a huge archway and I found myself out in a wide central courtyard. Roses and various other species of wildflowers bloomed into massive versions of the normal species I was accustomed to back home.
“Wow, how do they get the flowers so big?”
Casey pointed to one of the pink flowers that were about two-and-a-half-feet tall and said, “That’s the Headmistresses ability. She is a nature-aligned elf. Just don’t accept any beverage from her, or from anyone around here, without knowing exactly what’s in it. Poisons and potions are her second most potent abilities, next to creating plant life and even miniature plant-monsters.”
My eyes bulged at the implications and I kept walking to keep up with Casey as she cut through the courtyard and headed off to the left and then north. The weather was beginning to grow colder with every step. She gestured to the thick mists around the area.
“Try to conjure yourself a coat; we are passing into the castle’s domain of winter. Even if there are no faerey courts named after the seasons, all supernatural species are split into affinities that align with the four seasons. My people are a winter species and you would be considered either a spring or a summer faerey species, from what I can tell of you. Probably summer, since the red mists like you so much.”
She stopped and frowned as if just realizing something.
“Then again, you could be a one of the rarer autumn Moch Sidhe. Red is in both summer and autumn.”
She shrugged and waved her hand dismissively.
“Don’t mind me; I’m all about figuring people out by reading them and the auras of mist around them. You are…confusing.”