by Shay Laurent
I nodded quickly and stepped away, emotions at war with each other. For months I’d begged Dad to let me go to the Academy, but I’d never thought about having to say goodbye. It’d been just the two of us since Mum had disappeared when I was three. I hoped we’d both be okay. My arms were around him again in no time, needing the reassurance.
Dad squeezed me back, then walked with me to the small carriage and helped me in. He loaded my suitcase into the small compartment on the back and embraced Miss Stone before helping her inside too.
She uttered a clicking noise at her horse, who immediately took off. I stuck my head and hand out of the carriage window so I could wave goodbye. Dad waved back, continuing until he disappeared from my vision. My stomach felt like I’d taken a long tumble down a steep hill.
Once the tears had dried on my cheeks, Miss Stone started talking to me about my life and I got to quiz her about the Academy. I learned lots of things, like that I’d be in her first year class “Sorceress Lore”, and that after lunch I would have specialist lessons. I was disappointed when she couldn’t tell me what they would be, but she just laughed lightly and told me I would find out soon enough.
When she quizzed me on my Pack history, my stomach tightened in anticipation.
I know where this is going!
‘It seems like you know most of the major history points you are expected to, except one. The Crone Infiltration. Would you like me to tell it to you now?’
I nodded. Then sat very still and waited, eyes wide. Hearing about the different Sorceresses and their magic was a rush, though since they were our enemies I tried to pretend I wasn’t interested. She smiled at me, seemingly amused, then began.
‘Back when the ancient Wolf Lords, Salvatore Niveus, Mikhail Furvus and Demetrius Canus, led the only Shifter pack in existence, the winter storms were deadly. To be trapped in a storm meant certain death, even for the strongest of Shifters. When one of the most horrific storms fell upon them, all of the Pack gathered in the castelet for safety.
‘On the first evening of the storm, three women arrived seeking shelter. The sentinels on duty sought the counsel of the Wolf Lords, for the law was to never let a human set foot inside the Academy, lest we be discovered and hunted down. It was said that the Wolf Lords deliberated, and eventually came to a decision—Mikhail, the middle brother, was outvoted by Demetrius and Salvatore—and the women were allowed to stay through the storm.
‘A warning was spread through the Academy to remain in human form, and to be particularly careful around the women. As days turned into weeks, tensions began to run high. The storm had them all trapped. Women started bickering over their children, men started fighting over the women, even the children would not play together with the same toys. Meal times had become hostile.
‘The Wolf Lords surveyed the Pack, and intervened when they felt it was necessary, separating fights and soothing egos. They prayed to the Wolf Gods for peace and guidance, but none came. What did come, was death.’
Miss Stone paused to look at me, a serious expression on her face, one that questioned if she should go on. I swallowed hard, and felt it burn down into my chest, but I nodded. I wanted to know. I kept my face as clear as I could, and breathed a small sigh of relief when she continued.
‘At first there was just one death; a wolf was killed in a fight. The Wolf Lords knew something was not right. They had lived through many winters and, though tensions had run high, no deaths had ever come to pass. They began to watch the women more carefully and had their sentinels do the same. What they discovered was alarming. During meals and throughout the day they saw the women whisper into the ears of the Pack members and then, in no time at all, arguments and fights would begin.
‘The Wolf Lords decided to confine meals to rooms in an attempt to keep their Pack from the women, but knew if the unrest continued much longer they would need to banish them to the storm; to their deaths.
‘Not one week had passed when the next death came. But this death was of the eldest son of Demetrius: Thrain. Murdered in his sleep by another Shifter. The Academy shook with Demetrius’ rage and heartbreak.
‘He led the other Wolf Lords and their two best sentinels to banish the women. They decided to do it themselves, because it seemed only those of the original bloodline were unaffected by their guests. What they discovered in the guest lodging was not the three beautiful women, but three wraith-like beings. Their faces were pale and drawn and held eyes as black and hollow as the night sky with no moon or stars to be seen.
‘The sentinels immediately Shifted to their wolf forms and attacked, closely followed by the Wolf Lords. Before they could make contact, the Crones whispered words of powerful magic and the sentinels were blasted into the walls. They managed to get back up and join the fight—their role was always to protect the Wolf Lords. The women fought viciously with both magic and weapons, but they began to slow from injuries of tooth and claw.
‘When they realised they would not win, they fought harder to gain an advantage. They managed to stab Mikhail in the chest—not through the heart, but close. The sentinels circled as Salvatore and Demetrius dragged their brother away. The women used the opportunity to stand side by side and join hands. The two on either end pointed their palms to the Wolf Lords and began whispering words of power. As the light began to drain from the room, the sentinels launched themselves at the women. Just before the sentinels reached them, the dark light tore through them. They fell immediately. Dead.
‘Salvatore and Demetrius saw that the women began to waver, presumably weakened by their sorcery, and used the opportunity to launch themselves forward. But by mid jump one of the women had thrown a glass vial onto the floor. It shattered and the room went dark once more. When the Wolf Lords landed, the women were gone. As they searched the room in the aftermath, they discovered talismans and potions amongst their abandoned possessions. Some smelled so poisonous they burned the wolves sensitive noses.
‘The Wolf Lords told all in the castelet of the Sorceresses—who they later learned to be The Crones of Old—in the hopes that the Pack would understand that their behaviour and emotions had been influenced by dark magic. That they could return to normal. But the damage had been done. By the time the storm passed a week later, there had been countless more fights and deaths.
This was when the Pack was split from one and became three. Salvatore, the eldest, stayed to lead the Imperial Pack. Mikhail, the middle, left to begin the Cladden Pack and Demetrius, the youngest, established the Trevini Pack. Never since that day has a Sorceress of any kind been allowed to step foot into the Academy or onto Pack lands.’
Shocked, I sat in silence and just stared at Miss Stone. Finally I understood the hatred my dad so rarely spoke of but then recalled something else I’d learned from him. The Packs had liaisons who worked with the Sorceresses.
Surely they aren’t all horrible.
‘What about the Sorceresses that help us with protection from the Crones? There are some good ones, right?’
‘Ah, yes. Our liaisons do work with some of the Sorceresses created by The Ladies of Light so we can live in peace and safety, but they are still considered enemies and not trusted to enter our lands. It would take something catastrophic to change that, but that is not a discussion for tonight. You need to get some sleep now. Besides, you’ll get to learn more about the different types of Sorceresses in my class.’
‘I’m not even tired,’ I grumbled as I stifled a yawn. ‘But I suppose I can wait.’
I fought against heavy eyelids for as long as I could, but slowly the carriage went dark.
Chapter 2
A gentle hand shaking my shoulder roused me from my sleep. I blinked my bleary eyes and turned to see the halo of Miss Stone’s red hair glowing from the sunlit carriage window. I sat up straight and realised the carriage had stopped moving.
‘We’re here?!’
She smiled at me and nodded. ‘We’re right outside the gates that will lead you up to the Acad
emy. I sent a raven to let them know of your arrival, so you need to walk straight up to the main building and you’ll see the Administration Office. Just tell them your name.’
‘But... aren’t you coming?’
‘No. I need to go back into the town we just passed through and get Ivy settled with the stable master. You’ll be fine, I promise.’
I nodded, stomach tight with anticipation and anxiety, then hopped out and collected Dad’s suitcase. At the front of the carriage, I patted Ivy gently on the neck, then looked towards my new home.
A pair of ancient cast-iron gates stood tall in front of me, with the name “Lupine Academy” crafted in melded metal across the top of them. It looked creepy and I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to ignore the chill that ran down my spine as I walked between the gates.
As I moved along the gravel path, I looked at the washed-out, three-storey grey stone buildings that lined both sides. Dorm buildings, Dad had told me when I’d asked him about the Academy. They looked gloomy compared to our house at the base of the Sovereign Mountains, but it didn’t stop me from being excited that I’d be living in one of them soon anyway.
Outside the last dorm before the Academy I spotted a thin, blonde girl who looked about my age standing in the doorway on my left.
‘Hurry up, Meena!’ she shouted into the dorm. ‘We’re already late. Just leave your hair as it is!’
I slowed right down as the girl rushed out of the dorm to join her friend, her long dark hair pinned into a perfect high ponytail. Before I could pull myself together enough to go and introduce myself, they’d already shot off in the direction of the Academy.
Once I’d passed the dorms, I moved over towards the tree line beside the gravel path to avoid the sun in my eyes. I passed through another gate and walked over to look at an old fountain. I ran my fingers along the smooth stone then looked up. The Academy was made of uneven charcoal stone slabs and it towered over me like the castelet that it was. The enormous structure had matching turrets on both sides, which framed giant wooden doors in the centre that reached almost as high as the entire first level. Iron edged the door, with large metal bolts holding it in place. Two levels above the doors, right at the top, was a magnificent stained-glass window of a wolf; it was made from all black glass surrounded by shades of grey ranging from the colour of storm clouds to one so light it was almost transparent. The Academy stuck out like a boat in the middle of an empty lake against the vibrant green grass and deep mossy forest that encompassed it.
My heart skipped a few beats when I spotted the two monstrous dark stone wolves sitting on either side of the steps leading up to the doors; ominous sentinels guarding the entrance, just like those that had guarded the Wolf Lords in the story.
I clutched Dad’s old suitcase tighter to my side and walked up the stone steps, following the smoothed-out imprints made from thousands of other Shifters before me. My eyes stayed forward to avoid looking at the wolves, but their menacing gazes followed me anyway.
Get a grip, they’re just statues.
I pulled hard on a round metal handle to open one of the gigantic doors, my muscles straining from the weight. The musky, canine scent of wolves hit me square in the face; even in human form, I could clearly make out the scent. I let the door go as I stepped through and it slammed shut behind me. All the kids in the entryway turned to stare. The silence was deafening.
Typical. Just keep walking.
Desperate to avoid being stared at, I quickly looked around to get my bearings. To my right, there was a door with a ragged wooden sign that read “Food Den”. Someone had drawn a wolf on it, with blood dripping from its mouth. I was willing to bet the food here would be just as bloody as the sign seemed to suggest.
Bleh!
To my left, there were two sets of stone steps, one leading up and the other down. Probably to a basement. I shuddered.
Why do creepy looking buildings always have a basement?
I looked straight ahead and found where I needed to be: “Administration Office”. For the first time since my dramatic entry I felt my lips curve up slightly; the name sounded perfectly mundane after the Food Den.
If the entry wasn’t so full, I knew my footsteps would have echoed around the large chamber. As it was, I could just hear the faint tap my boots made as I walked across the stone floor. I was so focused on covertly watching all the students, I didn’t notice there was a chunk missing from the floor until I felt my foot catch on it. My knee smashed into the ground.
‘Ouch! Oh, for the love of Salvatore!’
Knowing everyone would be able to smell the embarrassed sweat that trailed down my spine, I scrambled to gather the contents that had fallen from my suitcase and onto the dusty floor. I paused and looked up when I noticed another set of hands had started to help.
‘Don’t worry, I tripped on my first day too,’ said a cheerful, silvery voice. 'I’m Dominic. Dom for short. What’s your name?’
I took in the tall, lightly muscled frame and deep brown hair and eyes of the boy in front of me. His colouring would make him hard to spot in wolf form in the forests around here. At his sudden cough my eyes flew to his to find an amused expression. A hot flush rose to my cheeks.
‘I’m Elita. Did you really trip too? Or are you just trying to make me feel better?’
I cringed as he handed back the last piece of clothing that had escaped my suitcase, which was naturally my most unflattering undergarment.
Everything back in its place, he helped me up. ‘Nope, I definitely tripped. Embarrassed the crap outta my dad since he’s the Beta wolf here.’
The slight tinge of pink in his cheeks when he admitted who his dad was made me relax a little more. ‘Thanks for stopping to help me. I just need to go to the Administration Office so I can get my dorm keys and put my bag away.’
He smiled, picked up my suitcase and gestured to the room behind him. ‘After you.’
The room was simple. It had an old worn desk, a couple of wooden cabinets and a friendly looking lady who lifted her gaze to us when we entered.
‘Hi,’ I said quietly. ‘I’m here to check in and get my dorm assignment. My name is Elita White.’
At the sound of a barely stifled laugh, I whipped around to face Dom. Amused, I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him. Clearly my white hair and matching last name were just as funny to wolves as they were to humans. At least the clerk managed to keep it together as she handed me my keys and some paper.
‘Here you go, Elita. There is your timetable and you’ll be in room thirteen. If you go back out the front and down the lane, First Years are in the first building on the right. You share your dorm building with the Second Years. Girls live on the first floor and boys on the second. There are washrooms on each level; you just have to wait your turn or use them. On the ground floor is the co-ed Common Room. Would you like me to take you?’
Dom answered before I could. ‘It’s no worries, I got it Mrs. R.’
‘Alright, Dom.’ She smiled indulgently at him. ‘But you better hurry up so you can make it back for the end of your last class. Oh, and make sure you take Elita to the Library to meet Axel.’
He winked. ‘Sure, sure.’
Dom looked back at me and then pointed to the door we’d come through. I led the way carrying my keys. He still had my suitcase.
Once we’d reached the first dorm building, the one the girls I’d seen earlier had come from, he paused and pointed. ‘The dorms on the right all belong to the students. First and Second Years stay in this one. The older you are, the further from the main Academy building you live. The ones on the left are for the staff, and for visitors when they stay. You’d think they’d have made them look different, but I guess grey stone’s all they had when they built ’em.’ Dom shrugged, then continued walking again. ‘Could you open the door? Thanks... This is the Common Room, it takes up the whole floor. It’s pretty much where we chill out.’ He started gesturing to different sections of the room.
‘There’re games, books, a couple fireplaces and lots of comfy lounges. First Years usually hang on the left side and Second Years on the right. Don’t worry though, it’s not a rule or anything, we’ll still get to hang out if you want!’
I nodded along as I absorbed all the information Dom was throwing my way. When I eyed the shelves of books I nearly squealed with delight. ‘It looks great!’
‘Yeah, mostly. Sometimes it gets a little crowded, depending on the company. Let’s put your bag away, the rooms are up the stairs over there.’
At the top of the stairs I slowed to get my bearings. I stood on wooden floorboards and looked down both sides of the thin corridor, hoping the insides were more inviting than the outside seemed. There were maybe sixteen rooms in total.
‘First Years are on the left this year, Second Years on the right. It’ll be the opposite next year, so you won’t need to move rooms. Number thirteen should be on the left. Yeah, there it is.’
It was my turn to stifle a laugh. Dom sounded like he was starting to get puffed out. Probably from the pile of thick books I had sitting at the base of my suitcase. I was lucky they hadn’t fallen out when the clips burst open in the foyer. He propped the suitcase in front of my cupboard and then moved back to the door.
‘I’ll give you five to set up, then come back and take you to Axel if you like?’
‘Sounds great, thanks.’
I hastily placed my suitcase on my new bed and unclipped it. There was a small dent from the stone floor, but nothing too bad. I doubted Dad would even notice. I picked up a few of my favourite books and turned to survey the room. Aside from the bed with a small built-in side table and lamp, there was a cupboard for my clothes and a small bookcase. Carefully, I lined the shelf with my favourite books, spines out in perfect alignment and alphabetical order. There wasn’t enough to fill the shelf, but the prospect of borrowing some from the library when I got a chance was an exciting one.
I positioned my favourite childhood family painting on the bedside table. I loved the obvious resemblance between me now and my mum back then: I could see the similar shape of our faces and our matching amber eyes. A familiar swell of misery built in my chest, wishing I could remember her better. Dom knocked and burst into the door, eyes moving straight to the portrait. He gave it an odd sort of look. Before I could ask about it, he shook his head a little and gave me another of his friendly smiles then immediately led the way back out the door.