by AJ Anders
Noticing the quiet around her, Evie realized the others had left her behind again. Not wanting to be accused of holding everyone up, Evie moved her feet faster and followed the hallway to the right. Her head down, she rounded the corner at an almost run and slammed into a brick wall. The impact flung her backward. She fell hard on her backside, suitcase flying, and a startled scream burst from her as pain radiated up her spine.
“You alright?”
A hint of familiarity tickled her memory, but she couldn’t place the husky voice. Out of habit, she kept her eyes fixed on the floor in front of her, curling into herself to present the smallest target possible. When he continued to patiently stand there, curiosity overruled the innate need to protect herself, and she peeked up from under her eyelashes.
A pair of black combat boots, laces knotted tightly, stood in front of her. Silver blades rose over the lip of the boots, placed on each side, the handles easily accessible if needed in an emergency. Evie’s eyes continued the trek upward. Strong, muscular legs encased in black fatigues. Trim waist, wrapped by a utility belt. Another blade, longer in length, hung from the attached loops. A black, long sleeved shirt, stretched tightly across his torso, emphasized the hard planes of his chest.
Awareness sparked to life, causing tingles to spread over Evie’s skin, goosebumps rising on her arms. She swallowed tightly and forced her gaze up further. Bright, amethyst eyes, tinted with long, dark eyelashes met hers. Spiked hair tipped in blue and silver, stood out against his dark skin, the color of cinnamon. Heavy eyebrows arched in question.
Evie’s face flamed in recognition as she realized why she recognized the voice. Soturi Jaxon stood before her. Without the shroud of shadows to obscure her view, he was exquisite.
“Cat got your tongue?” He smirked. His hands rested loose at his sides, his pose relaxed.
Evie startled. The rich smoothness of his voice sent tendrils of electricity along her skin. Her body hummed with awareness as if being awoken after a long, deep sleep. A sense of safety enveloped her, and her muscles unclenched, releasing her from her earlier fear. Unnerved by these strange feelings, she stayed quiet, biting her lip in apprehension. Hands against the cold floor, she used them for balance as she stood back up.
“Oh, I see. You’re one of those. Too good to speak to a Surmata.” He sneered, his body going rigid. He looked her up and down, disgust clear on his face. “Come along. The others are waiting.”
Evie regarded him in confusion. Huh? What happened?
He was angry, but Evie didn’t know why. He muttered something about stupid humans before he turned on his heel and stormed away from her.
What an obnoxious jerk!
Evie fumed, shouldering her backpack and retrieving her suitcase. She pulled it forward as she hurried after him in the hope he led her to the others. He walked fast, allowing Evie no chance to keep up with him. She would do her best to keep him in sight.
Chapter Three
A right turn followed by two left turns brought Evie back to the others. They stood in another large room, facing forward. The room was ornate like all the others. Hand painted portraits of aristocratic figures with puffy collars and starch clothing hung on wood paneling oiled to a glossy shine. Crystal fixtures decorated the room, refracting pale rays of light.
Windows lined the far wall, and Evie moved closer to them, wanting to stay out of everyone’s way. Entranced, she watched as rivulets of water cascaded down the frosted panes of glass. Distorted reflections of the others danced in a parody of misshapen silhouettes upon the glistening drops.
A loud boom shook the building, mimicking an earthquake in its ferocity. The windows rattled with the wind’s force, threatening to shatter at any moment. The storm finally arrived to release its pent-up pressure in a violent display of power.
A throat cleared behind Evie.
She turned away from her watery view to give the small man at the front of the room her attention. Dressed in a simple, light-charcoal suit, white dress shirt, and purple tie, he appeared older by more than a few decades. His hair, gray at the temples, receded at his hairline. Pretty unremarkable for a human, except for his eyes. Those were ice cold. A man who did not like to be crossed.
“I am Dean Richards. I’m the human administrator for this facility. I have been tasked with assisting you during your term here. Soma Dashiel, who you will meet later, is my Surmata counterpart. Together, we run this institution.” He paused, adjusting his tie with stiff, almost wooden-like movements while he gathered his thoughts. “Let’s begin with proper titles, shall we?”
He smiled haughtily at everyone, his nose turned upward. Disapproval shown in his gaze before he masked it. “All Surmata males introduce themselves with their title, then their first name. Last names are never shared. These titles must be used at all times unless given permission otherwise.” His hands moved to behind his back, one hand cupping the other, as he paced back and forth in front of their group. “I believe you have met Soturi Jaxon already?”
When he glanced around, Evie resisted the urge to peek back at the warrior who had lead her back to the group.
Dean Richards continued without giving anyone a chance to answer. “Soturi means warrior. That is his title. Jaxon is his first name. Most of your professors come from the warrior class, so it’s a title you will hear quite often. The next title would be Soma. This means leader. It can apply to the Surmata administrators of this school or the leaders of the individual units assigned to protect the populous. Lastly, we have the Kuuri.” He paused in his steps, his attention caught by something on the other side of the room. Evie glanced over, but didn’t notice anything unusual. He cleared his throat again. “They are our healers. They specialize in both Surmata and human medicine.”
“Surmatas get sick?” The words left Evie’s mouth before she even realized she spoke.
The air stilled around her. The ugly sneers the others cast her way signaled how badly Evie screwed up. Usually, it took her no effort to fly under the radar, but since boarding the bus, she kept making mistakes.
Warily, Evie watched Dominick shoulder his way through the group to stand in front of her. His face reddened in anger, and when he spoke, spittle formed at the corners of his mouth. “Shut the fuck up, Saunders! No one was speaking to you!”
Years of stringent discipline made her cringe, not in fear but in expectation. His eyes hard, they glinted in disgust at Evie’s slip.
“Mr. Townsend! That is quite enough!” Dean Richards’s icy tone had little effect.
Dominick would not be silenced easily. He needed an outlet, and Evie’s slip up gave him an excuse. When he turned his attention to Dean Richards, scorn slashed across his livid face. “Evie knows her place.” With his hands fisted at his sides, Dominick continued on through clenched teeth, “She knows the rules. She’s only seventeen, still a child. Not legally an adult. Children should be seen, not heard. They should only speak when spoken to.”
“What kind of medieval bullshit is that?” an increasingly familiar gruff voice bellowed from somewhere behind Evie, causing her to flinch at the unexpectedness of it.
Dominick glared over her shoulder at the man who spoke. “It’s the rules of the camp. Rules we all live by.”
“Well, you are here, not at that backwater hole you call a camp. Your rules don’t apply. Especially the stupid ones.”
Dead silence fell in the room. Evie jumped as Soturi Jaxon brushed past her, his hands touching the small of her back for a moment before his feet continued forward until he stopped beside Dean Richards.
The intimidating Surmata warrior scowled at the crowd. His voice rang hard through the air, making his threat clear, “Be mindful of your words and actions. This is Surmata territory. We do not follow human law or customs here. Anyone who steps out of line will be dealt with in the Surmata way.”
Dean Richards spoke, capturing everyone’s attention once more. “Right. Let’s move forward, shall we?” He stepped in front of the Surmata to m
ake sure all eyes were back on him. “Our rules are pretty standard for any university.”
The dean picked up a pile of booklets from a small, wooden, antique secretary desk on his left. He lifted one from the pile, then passed the rest to the person closest to him. Slowly, the stack dwindled as books were distributed until everyone held a copy. The book lacked density, but its importance added weight.
Dean Richards lifted the copy in his hand. “Take a moment and read through the list of rules. I will take any questions about them after you are done.”
Evie opened the book, flipping until she found the page marked Rules of the Suoja Guild.
Rule One: Intolerance of others will not be permitted.
Rule Two: Tardiness will not be excused unless you have a written pass from your Soma or Soturi.
Rule Three: Five absences for the semester are allowed. More than the allotted amount, you receive a failing grade and will have to repeat.
Rule Four: The dorms are co-ed. No members of the opposite sex are allowed in your dorm room after curfew. Bathrooms, however, are not co-ed. No members of the opposite sex are allowed at any time.
Rule Five: Curfew is midnight. No exceptions.
Rule Six: Human law does not apply. Surmata laws will be taught in week one. Learn and live by them.
The rest, all standard rules, detailed appropriate conduct and academic ethics. Evie skimmed through them, then waited for the others to finish.
Dean Richards’ calculating gaze swept the crowd. “Any questions?” No one spoke. “Right then. You will each be called individually into conferences in order to obtain your class schedule. Afterward, you will be given an abbreviated tour of the campus. Due to weather, a full tour will not be possible. Lastly, you will be shown to your dormitory. Please wait here until your name is called.”
Chapter Four
“Evie Saunders?”
Evie glanced toward the lyrical voice that called her name. A woman, slightly older than the rest of the group, stood by the doorway, a clipboard held in her hands. The woman watched those around the room; her forehead creased with a small frown.
“Is there an Evie Saunders?” The woman pushed a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses higher on the bridge of her nose.
With a sheepish smile, Evie raised her hand in the air to catch the woman’s attention.
“Come with me please.” Her frown stayed in place, offering no reassurance as she turned to leave.
Evie gathered her stuff. She double-checked the area to ensure she left nothing behind before she walked over. The woman, already halfway out the door, motioned Evie to follow her.
A long hallway greeted them. Gray coated the walls from floor to ceiling, and the floors shimmered from the waxed surface of harsh, white tiles. The bare walls gave the corridor a utilitarian feel, reminiscent of a hospital Evie visited once. Thick, metal doors stood wide open at the opposite end. Evie preferred the warm wood tones offered at the main entrance.
She refrained from asking about their final destination. Following orders without question was ingrained within her at an early age.
After a series of turns brought them further into the heart of the building, they finally stopped in front of an oversized, steel door. Shut tight, the woman entered a long series of numbers into the security panel mounted on the right side of the door. With a loud beep, the locks disengaged with a click. Holding open the door, the woman gestured impatiently for Evie to walk through into the dimly lit room.
Evie hesitated, then complied with the silent command. When she crossed the threshold, the air around her shimmered, and her skin flashed hot for a split second. Unnerved, she peeked around the small room, taken aback by what awaited her. The room reminded Evie of the waiting area in a doctor’s office, but it lacked the sterility that would normally accompany it. Instead, the same wood trimmed walls, prominent in the rest of the building, decorated the room.
Occupants already waited inside.
Max sat beside another young man who she didn’t recognize as coming from the camp. They both turned to face her when she entered the room, and Evie was startled to find the stranger wore sunglasses. They sat on a forest green couch positioned on one side of the room. Two armchairs in a matching print sat on the other side. A glass coffee table separated the room into two sections.
“Hi, Evie.” Max grinned up at her, all teeth. The grin didn’t quite reach his eyes. Worry gnawed at her at this realization. Max was always happy.
Evie nodded at him, offering him a slight smile before she moved to take a seat in one of the empty chairs. She placed her bag on the floor next to her, along with her suitcase, and folded her hands in her lap. Her natural shyness kept her from offering any words.
The soft snick of the door closing caught her attention. The woman who led her here had left without a word. A throat cleared to catch her attention. She turned her gaze back to the couch.
“Evie, this is Caleb. He’s my...uh...boyfriend,” Max stuttered out, his cheeks tinged red.
He never mentioned anyone special before. “Nice to meet you, Caleb. I didn’t know Max had a boyfriend.”
Caleb smiled at her but didn’t say anything.
“Yeah.” Max rubbed his head sheepishly. His bashfulness put Evie at ease. She kept forgetting this wasn’t the camp. She didn’t need to remain guarded all the time.
Not used to socializing, she tried to make small talk. “How long have you two been dating?”
“Well, Evie, that’s a tough question. And to give you an honest answer, well, that would lead to more questions. Are you sure you want me to answer?” Max’s cryptic reply roused Evie’s natural curiosity, but the hint of caution in his eyes screamed at her to proceed carefully.
What kind of answer would elicit such a strong response?
Always one to pull the cat’s tail, Evie plowed forward, more curious than scared. She gestured for him to continue.
Max’s expression turned neutral, unreadable. “Caleb and I have been together for a long time. Longer than you’ve been alive, actually.”
“How is that possible? Were you childhood sweethearts?” Evie found it unbelievable. Then a thought formed. Her hands clenched in her lap, but she quickly relaxed, dismissing the ludicrous assumption. It couldn’t be true. She would have realized it by now. Wouldn’t she?
Max shared a look with Caleb, but the silent man shrugged, leaving the decision up to Max. Max leaned forward in his seat, his eyes intense as they stared into Evie’s. Trepidation slid down her spine, but she resisted the urge to bolt from the room. Soon, she would celebrate her eighteenth birthday. She needed to act like an independent adult, not some scared little child.
“Evie, Caleb and I are bond mates. We’ve been together for nearly a hundred years.” He paused, letting her absorb his words before he continued. “I’m not human, Evie. Neither is Caleb.”
Evie stared at Max, not believing what her ears told her. She’d known him for almost three years. Surely, he joked. He must be human. Her father, or one of his lieutenants, would have picked up on it if he was a supernatural.
“You’re lying,” Evie ground out.
Max loved to play jokes on people. He found humor in everything. His quick wit helped him out of more than one sticky situation before. But, Evie didn’t find this funny.
Max stood from the couch and moved around the coffee table. Warily, Evie watched as he knelt in front of her. He clasped her clenched fists within his large grip and rubbed them soothingly. His hands dwarfed hers. “Sweetheart, I’m telling you the truth. I have never been, nor will I ever be, human.”
Tears welled up in Evie’s eyes as the truth of Max’s words hit her. She believed him to be her only ally against the others. She thought they were friends.
“I am your friend.”
Evie blanched as she realized she must have spoken her thoughts out loud. Extracting her hands from his grip, she leaned further back in her chair. Max allowed her to pull back, but he didn’t move away.<
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“Unless this changes how you feel about me?” He rested his hands on the arms of the chair on either side of her. “Were you only my friend because you thought I was human?”
Evie huffed, exasperation making the air gush out of her. “What you are doesn’t matter to me. But, you lied to me, all this time. Why?”
“Sweetheart, I couldn’t tell you. When I was sent to infiltrate the camp, you were this tiny little thing. Wise beyond your years, but you were still so young. Only fifteen and under your father’s thumb.” Max frowned at the memory. “There was always a chance I would be discovered. If that happened, I didn’t want you hurt by my actions. I protected you by not telling you the truth. When the time came to get you out of there, I knew I needed to come clean at the first opportunity. It’s what I’m doing now.”
“What do you mean, get me out of there?” Evie asked, even more confused.
Max looked uncertain for a minute before his eyes harden with a decision. “You were safe until you reached your eighteenth birthday. Your father knew you planned to leave. With your skills, he couldn’t afford to lose you as an asset, so he made plans to prevent that. And, it was something we couldn’t allow. The Surmata elders ordered a raid on the camp. Our only goal was your extraction. Everything else was camouflage to hide our true intentions.”
“B-but…” Evie stumbled, trying to find the words.
“Sweetheart, you are special. The elders realized this years ago and tried to get you out when you were fifteen. But, your father turned down the scholarship, so I was dispatched. My orders were clear: protect you at all cost until you came of age.
“When I met you, I couldn’t help the friendship that developed between us. You were nothing like the other humans at camp. You were intrigued by the supernatural. You didn’t hold your father’s beliefs.” He reached out, lifting a curl that fell on Evie’s face, and placed it behind her ear. “You were a diamond among a bunch of coal. We found you, and there was no way we were going to let others take you away from us. You belong with us.”