by W. J. May
Rae closed her eyes and wished the floor could swallow her up.
Headmaster Lanford seemed oblivious to the reaction. He simply told the girls to find empty seats. From the size of his belly, he seemed to be someone who didn’t like to miss a meal and maybe had seconds and thirds to boot. He probably pinches chips from other people’s plates too.
Devon’s voice rang across the silent room. “We’ve got seats for all of you.”
Rae was so relieved to see a familiar face, she nearly ran to him even with everyone staring. Would hiding under the table be any less noticeable? She settled beside Devon and stared at her empty plate.
“Hope you’re hungry,” the boy on her other side said. “I’m Andy.” He reached for the water pitcher.
His sleeve slid up, showing Rae his ink. Dark ink detail in black, grays and browns displayed a wolf sitting on its haunches. Rae’s natural curiosity over-ruled her discomfort with her surroundings. She couldn’t stop herself from asking. “Do you have the characteristics of your tattoo? Like Devon does with his fox mark?” Rae dropped her gaze and scolded herself for sounding like Molly with the back-to-back questions. She worried she had probably just screwed up royally, and managed to make an already bad situation even worse. Surprised when Andy laughed, she looked up at him.
“No, I’m a shifter.” He pulled his sleeve up all the way and traced the image with his fingertips, allowing Rae a better view. “Don’t worry, I’m a good wolf. There’s no need to be concerned for Little Red Riding Hood or the Three Little Pigs. They’re all safe from me.” He winked at her.
“Good to know.” She laughed, liking his teasing banter. “Are there any other shapesters…I mean shiftsters…shape-shifters?” She cringed inwardly over her tongue-tied, stilted conversation. Could I act any thicker?
“One other.” Andy pointed to a guy with a beak-like nose sitting further down at their table. “Rob. He shifts into an eagle. Lucky bugger gets to fly!”
“You’re joking?” Rae glanced at Rob who sat across the table, disbelieving the long-armed boy could actually turn into an eagle. She thought back to the large bird on the bus ride and wondered if it could have been him.
“He’s the only one at the school right now who can fly. It’s pretty cool and unbelievable at the same time.”
Rae smiled. “Everything seems pretty cool and unbelievable. Trust me.”
Devon leaned across Rae and grabbed the basket of buns. “Pretty much all of us here knew about gifting before we started, at the age of twelve. Plus our dads usually explained things prior to coming.” He chuckled. “Kinda like Dad’s ‘facts of life’ lecture.”
Not me, thought Rae. No dad to do that for me. And Uncle Argyle was certainly no help either. But she planned on getting answers as soon as she could. Now wasn’t the time to feel sorry for herself so she pushed the emotion to the back of her mind.
Rae carefully schooled her expression to hide her feelings and focused on gathering information. “You’ve been here four years?”
Devon appeared happy to fill her in. “Yeah, the school’s designed to give you three years to prepare for the gift and then another two to help educate you and train the gift. It helps you enter back into the ‘real’ world and do some good with what you’ve been given without revealing yourself.”
“Quoting the school manual again, Dev?” Andy nudged Rae to show he was teasing.
Rae smiled and played along, but held her hand up, as if to try and stop her thoughts. “Wait a minute.” she considered Devon’s words. “So…you mean, you get this ability and the school helps you hone your talents,” – she waited to see Andy and Devon nod their heads – “but then expects you to act like you’re normal and hide it?” It didn’t make sense.
Someone at their table coughed, and mumbled, “Like father, like daughter.”
Rae gave a slight jerk to her head, trying to see who’d said it. She’d heard it loud and clear, even if they were trying to muffle the words. She glanced around, but no one seemed able to meet her gaze, all of them suddenly too interested in their plates to lift their heads. She didn’t get the comparison, but knew it had to do with her. It sounded too similar to her uncle’s last words.
“It’s easier to hide it.” Andy patted her forearm.
“Why? Wouldn’t the government or the country want to know? They could stop bad guys, and surely, not everyone with this ink-stamp uses it for good.”
A few more snickers erupted around the table. Rae glared.
It ticked her off that people would think her dumb for not knowing any of this. They’d all been raised in this world, and she had only just been shoved into it today. They know so much about me, don’t they know that too? She turned to Devon, wondering why his face had turned beet red.
Andy cleared his throat. “What would you do if someone shape-shifted right in front of you? Or while you were on a plane, you saw the stewardess boil water with no kettle, just her hand?” He shook his head.
Devon piped in, “If we let our secrets out, could you imagine how scientists or military people would treat us?
Andy replied before Rae had a chance to open her mouth. “Crap. They’d hunt us down, shoot first and ask questions later. We’d all be a bunch of lab rats.” He grinned. “Or lab foxes and lab wolves.”
Devon tossed a bunch of pasta on his plate and elbowed Rae. “Don’t stress about it. These are really cool abilities to have at sixteen, but as we get older, they get strong --”
“…And can become very scary,” Andy added.
Rae shuddered. Maybe that’s the reason why Uncle Argyle didn’t say a word about the real Guilder College. He didn’t want to tell me that I’m a freak and I have to go to school with superkids.
“Guilder just wants to teach you to appreciate the gift and use it to your own, and the world’s, best advantage. Lots of famous people attended here. It’s the reason King Henry VIII started this college in the first place,” Andy said.
Rae sat back in surprise. This goes THAT far back? “He wasn’t gifted, was he?” Nothing could shock her now.
Devon and Andy laughed before Devon replied, “No, he just wanted to find someone gifted to help get him a male heir.”
Molly rolled her eyes from across the table. “He should’ve thought about not wearing those awful-looking tights, or maybe spoken to a doctor to learn it’s the male who determines the sex of babies.”
Rae glanced sideways at her, wondering if Molly realized yet that the science of genetics had not existed way back then. If they had, good ‘ol Henry wouldn’t have needed a divorce, and England might still be part of the Roman Catholic Church. She decided to ignore Molly’s outburst. “I’ve got another question.”
“Hit me.” Devon slowly pulled his eyes away from Molly. The corners of his lips were twitching.
Obviously, he’s thinking it too, but won’t point it out. Handsome and nice…great combo. He just keeps getting better and better! He was looking expectantly now and Rae’s mind snapped back to her question. “You said your dad told you. What about your mom?”
“She doesn’t know.”
Rae had been about to hit him with her next question, but hadn’t expected that answer and got sidetracked by it. “Huh?”
“Dad’s inked. He never told my mom. She just figures it’s a tattoo from his teenage days. He told me the truth when I got the letter to come here.”
Rae tried to absorb that, wondering which of her parents had a tattoo, or maybe if they hadn’t died, if one of them would have told her about all this and sent her to Guilder three years earlier. The possibilities made her head spin, and it was only the continuation of the conversation that brought her back to the present.
Andy leaned forward, his voice slightly lower. “Only one parent’s inked. Except in –”
“It’s almost always the male.” Devon shot Andy a look.
Rae didn’t miss Devon’s smooth attempt to cut Andy off and prevent him from saying something, and glanced back and for
th at both of them. “What’s the matter?” Her voice rose slightly and conversations around their table stopped. She turned her entire body to face Devon. “Why so secretive? Seriously, what could be weirder than what I’ve already found out today?”
He made no response. Everyone around them sat there with a wide-eyed deer-in-the-headlights look that people got when they were caught by surprise.
That’s my look! I should be the one looking like that! Something doesn’t add up. Something isn’t being said and I have to know what it is. So she picked what she thought was a random response. “Does this have something to do with my dad?”
The entire hall became quiet. Everyone stopped eating. Rae felt hundreds of pairs of eyes focus on her. No one said a thing. Most expressions held dislike, others pity, which she couldn’t stand. Devon’s sympathetic face became too much to take. She stood, ready to go back to the dorm and pack her bags. This is bullshit. All of it.
“Getting a wee bit frustrated, Ms. Kerrigan?” Headmaster Lanford stood at the head of their table. He appeared calm, almost oblivious to the reaction of the other students. His eyes held understanding without pity. “Would you care to join me on a walkabout?”
Yeah, I have some questions for Mister Combover. “Fine, let’s go,” she snapped, and then hastily added, “Sir.”
Chapter 4
Unwanted Answers
Rae and Lanford walked in silence. Rae grew more and more nervous with each step. She wanted answers, but now that they were outside, away from the expressions of strangers who knew more about her than she did, walking next to the one person who might have all the answers, the idea of asking seemed daunting, even scary. As they passed a sign marked Turret Hall, the headmaster started a seemingly pointless monologue about the campus, pointing at buildings with his cane.
“Turret Hall is the music and arts building. The Scriptorium is the English building and also includes the library with the history of our ink and gifts. Some of the gifts and ink stamps are documented on ancient scrolls dating prior to the Tudor era. Each dormitory is also equipped with a reference library and copies of the special ink charts and markings.” His fingers drummed a rhythm on the silver head of his cane. “This path here will lead you to the Oratory. That’s where students study their gifts and improve their skills.”
Rae nodded but said nothing. At the moment, she didn’t give a damn where classes would be.
They turned down the path, and Rae stopped to stare at the Oratory. Built in red brick similar to the other structures, this building was none-the-less distinctive. Ivy stretched across the tall, almost chapel-like octagon shaped building. The way the ivy grew, it seemed to emanate from the walls. She’d never seen anything so magnificent. The view belonged in the painting of a master artist. It was such a tranquil scene compared to the anger simmering inside of her.
“I’ve been wondering,” the headmaster murmured. “Did your parents teach you about their tatùs?”
Rae froze, one foot dangling in the air. He said parents, plural. That wasn’t a mistake. Both her parents had gifts? Yet another thing about me I didn’t know, told to me by a stranger. This isn’t fair! Why was she the only one who didn’t know this stuff? With rage surging through her veins, it took an effort to speak without screaming. “My parents never had a chance to tell me anything.” She shrugged, trying and failing to set her foot down on the ground normally rather than stomping it. “I was only six when they died in the fire, so I don’t remember much.” Most of her memories felt like dreams now.
Lanford stared pensively at the head of his cane and gave a slight nod. “Of course, the fire. How about Argyle? Has he explained anything to you?”
“Uncle Argyle?” He’d better not be bloody marked as well. “No, he never told me about any of this.” Plus, he likes talking in ridiculous proverbs. “I think Guilder’s made a mistake with me.” Rae felt all the different emotions of the day rolling inside her. The fear and confusion, the suspicion and frustration, the wonder and disbelief…it all started to overwhelm her. And to top it off, she hadn’t heard any of it from someone she actually knew. Anger began to override all the other emotions.
Lanford smiled and patted his combover down. “No, Ms. Kerrigan. You are, most definitely, the right person. Your mother only had one child, and that was you.” He tapped his finger to his lips. “I’m not shocked your parents didn’t have the chance to explain, but I’m quite surprised Argyle never took the time to enlighten you.”
“Yeah, join the club.” This seemed more important than a talk about the birds and the bees, which was, of course, another topic never broached.
The headmaster released a long, heavy breath. He pointed to a nearby bench with his cane. “Shall we sit? I think it’s high time you learned a bit of your own history.” Rae sat down heavily, realizing her posture, and most likely the expression on her face, made her look like a petulant child, but at the moment, she couldn’t help herself. Despite everything, she noted that for his large frame, the headmaster settled easily, almost lightly, onto the bench. “It’s time to shake that family tree up a bit, eh?”
Shake the family tree? That sounded like something her uncle would say. Rae gingerly balanced herself, paranoid the bench might topple over from his weight. It seemed likely. Having something other than her emotions to concentrate on allowed her to calm down. She needed answers. And apparently, Headmaster Lanford had them.
“Did you know your father and Argyle attended Guilder together twenty-three years ago?”
Rae shook her head so slightly she wasn’t sure the headmaster even noticed. She planned on having quite the conversation with her dear uncle next time she saw him.
“Though your dad was a year older, they were best mates. From different ends of the country, your father from Manchester and Argyle from Edinburgh. Both started Guilder at the same time.” Lanford sighed. “School was very easy for your uncle, so we put him in a higher level. The two boys immediately became good friends. Both were extremely intelligent and promising young lads. The school couldn’t have been more excited.”
“So they were buddies.” Big deal.
“We were concerned about your father. He quickly grasped the concepts, but also argued with our ideals.” Lanford shifted and ironically, Rae didn’t feel the bench move. “He vehemently disagreed with the idea that we should be unvoiced about our gifts. However, most of us – I was a young professor at the time – felt he’d outgrow his rebellious stage when he received his ink.” The headmaster stared straight ahead, as if watching an old video replay.
“What happened?” Rae spoke in a quiet voice. The curiosity began to turn into dread as it settled in the pit of her stomach. Not sure I want to hear what happens, but scared or not, I need to know.
“Argyle influenced your father in a positive way. So it came as quite a shock when, a few months after Argyle’s fourteenth birthday, he informed us he’d be leaving.” Lanford smiled and patted Rae’s arm. “I remember him as a young boy, always a mess – clothes, hair, room…everything except his thought process. That always remained in perfect order. Brilliant lad. I’m sure he still is.” Lanford cleared his throat. “Apparently, Argyle had an older sister who’d just turned sixteen and been gifted. His father wanted him back home to show her everything he’d learned.” The headmaster smacked his cane across his knees. “Damn it! Such a good lad, and it was a shame to have to let him go.”
“My mom? But how? If Guilder gives you the tattoo, how’d she get it?”
Lanford looked as surprised as Rae felt. “Guilder doesn’t give you the tatù. It’s inside of you and blossoms on your sixteenth birthday.”
Her eyebrows shot up and she tilted her head. “Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say. So they just appear like magic? How does that work? But Lanford was already talking so she kept quiet.
“Ink stamps tend to be patrilineal; passed down to the men of the family. Most gifted also will only have one child. It may sound silly to you at the moment,
but with this power comes responsibility. It’s simply easier this way. Some will try for a second child if their first offspring is a girl. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“I th-think so.” Rae nodded. “Males are usually marked, but instead of Uncle Argyle, my mother got it.” You put the girl child out in the wilderness to be eaten by wolves. Rae bit her tongue to keep from saying her thoughts out loud.
“Correct. Your grandfather had been such an asset to this country during the Second World War, we had high hopes for Argyle. At the time, Guilder didn’t allow girls into the school, so we were never able to work with your mother.”
Rae couldn’t believe her mom had a superpower…or her dad. Oh yeah, Dad… “What about my dad?”
“Your father, Simon, turned sixteen and received his ink – a unique one. Unfortunately, he continued to fight against the teachings of the school. It seemed that without Argyle here, he became more self-absorbed.” The headmaster paused. “The summer Simon’s father passed away, he went to stay with Argyle. He planned on returning to Guilder for his final year, but he met your mother, Bethney. I guess they fell in love. The school, your grandfather and your uncle all opposed their dating.”
“Why?”
“It’s…well…it is believed to be dangerous.” Lanford fidgeted with his cane. “That’s one of the reasons Guilder remained an all boys’ school. It was thought best not to create challenges in our young adolescent boys’ lives when they’re challenged enough with what they have inside of them and gaining control over it.”
What? How does that make sense? Rae itched to interrogate Lanford, but cautioned herself against it. Skip it, don’t ruin the talkative mood, Rae.
“Until now.” What about her mother? Couldn’t she have benefited from the knowledge Guilder had to offer? Maybe she could’ve learned something and saved herself and Dad from the fire. They might still be here today if Guilder hadn’t been so chauvinistic.