Our food appeared then, looking fresh and delicious. I tried not to think about what Ilia had said, focusing on shoveling the amazing food in my mouth. I didn’t really believe her, because this was no high school soap opera. I wasn’t an amazing, beautiful, funny girl who was going to snag all the guys.
I was a bit of a mess. A lot of a loner. And mostly … invisible. I mean, dinner last night and now breakfast with Ilia and Larissa was the first time I hadn’t eaten alone in years.
She was wrong. There had to be another explanation.
After finishing our food, we started to walk. I hadn’t gone beyond the commons and my dorm yet, and I focused as the girls explained the layout of the Academy. “The school is set out in a circular pattern and there are four main sections or quadrants,” Larissa said. “There are also four dorms, which are scattered around the outside of these quadrants.”
She pointed toward one massive building. “This section is where all the sit-down classrooms are, any class that requires book work. Your history class will be there. Along with Pronunciation of the Fey Language, Demon Mythology, and a few others that you’ll have during the rest of the week.” She turned and pointed to another building, one that soared a lot higher in the sky than the classroom section. “This is the herbalism quadrant, where all the plants are. Best that you don’t venture into any unknown rooms there. It has a forest in the center, and around it are lots of specialized herbalism and healing rooms. It’s a really cool, Zen sort of place.”
“So classes run Monday to Friday, and we’re free on weekends?” I checked. They both nodded. “And vacation days?”
“You’ll have days off all the time,” Ilia told me. “Especially at each of our special dates. We don’t follow most of the human holidays, like Easter and Thanksgiving, but we do have Christmas—mostly because we love presents.”
That made sense. From the little I knew, supernaturals didn’t follow the same religion or history as humans, even though the two worlds had clearly been mingling for many thousands of years. They would celebrate vastly different historical events.
“What are the other two quarters of the Academy?” I asked.
Larissa spun toward another building, next to the classrooms. “That’s the practical magic section. For hands-on learning outside of the textbook. Shifters learn to control their beasts there. Magic users practice spells. The fey burn trees down and then quench the fire with their water…”
“And it’s where vampires learn how to safely hunt their prey,” Ilia added. She chuckled as I shivered. “Animals, of course, even though that blood can’t really sustain them for long, but it helps to hone their instincts.”
Good to know the movies got something right.
“The last quarter, over there, is the water world,” Larissa supplied. This quadrant was huge as well, almost as tall as the forest quadrant. “This section we share with the demi-fey. There are all different specialized water zones, including pools, creeks, and even a magically created ocean. It’s kind of spectacular. That’s where you’ll go for Water Magic after dinner tonight.”
I couldn’t wait, my heart rate picking up at the thought of an entire area dedicated to my favorite element.
“First, though,” Ilia said, “there’s a start-of-year assembly.” Her eyes dropped to where I had my schedule clutched in one hand, books in the other. “And if you give me five minutes, I’m going to find you a bag.”
One of the downfalls in not being able to use computers … there was a lot of paperwork. I took a moment to be grateful that I’d never been able to afford a laptop, because I would have legit cried if I’d fried it.
“Thank you,” I said, “I really appreciate that.”
Ilia winked and then dashed away.
“How are you feeling today?” Larissa asked in her quiet, observant way. “Yesterday was … a lot. I mean, I can’t even imagine discovering that you’re not human and then being swept away to a supernatural school all in the same day. That’s, well, a lot.”
I leaned my shoulder against a nearby brick pillar, careful not to crush the trailing rose vine that was covering half of it. I gave her question some actual thought before I answered. “It’s like a dream, you know. I keep pinching myself to wake up. I’m not sure it’s actually hit me yet, but at the same time I feel excited and—” My voice broke and I cleared my throat. “Hopeful. For the first time since I was a young child.”
Larissa’s eyes were shiny. “I’m so glad that Ilia tracked you down. My dad said she never gave up.”
Something I was now beyond grateful for.
“Am I the only supe you’ve ever met that grew up outside of our world? That knew nothing?”
Larissa nodded. “Yes, it’s almost impossible not to know once your race energy kicks in. Your case is unique because of the block on your power.” She paused. “Actually, I did hear of one other like you.”
That piqued my interest. “Who?”
“A wolf shifter in America. She was spelled to hide her supernatural side and went through most of her life thinking she was human.”
“Wow, and she’s fitting in fine now?”
Larissa shrugged. “I’m not totally sure, but I believe so. She fell in with the leaders of the American supernaturals, so she must have something going on.”
Wow …wow!
A kinship with this chick rose up inside of me. I wished there was a way I could talk to her. I’d love to know how she dealt with all the new emotions, if she was much happier now than she’d been before finding out.
