I gave them both space over the next three days, spending my days in the village. The pub owners decided to take a mini vacation to their daughter’s wedding in Spain, and would be leaving the pub to me for the weekend. Of course, that weekend wasn’t for another two months, but they asked that I train a few days each week. They were paying me, so I didn’t complain. At least I was being useful.
When I returned to the castle on the third day, I found a beaming Alexander and Roan waiting for me inside the front door. “What’s going on?” I asked as I stowed my umbrella. It had been drizzling all day.
“We have a surprise for you,” Roan said, voice quivering with excitement.
“Come on!” Alexander grabbed my hand and dragged me to their portal room. We stepped through, no hesitation or build up, and out into a room filled with couches. Riley and Doryu sat on one couch, but hopped up when we entered the room.
“Surprise!” everyone shouted at the same time. I turned in a circle once the portal closed. The room had chalkboards, office supplies, and comfy sofas and chairs.
“What is this place? It looks like a weird classroom.”
“It is! It’s your new classroom. Sort of yours,” said Riley. She was all smiles.
“Okay, someone fill me in.”
“You are now officially the manager of the Junta’s new school for recently turned Unseen. We’ve been calling it the Unschool.”
“You’re joking.” The idea sounded too good to be true.
“No. This is a building on the Junta compound in New Zealand that hasn’t been used in years,” Alexander said. “We called in some witches and some favors with a werewolf I know that owns a construction company. It’s not finished—we only had three days—but it’s a good start. When Sárkány come through from Galdiart, as well as most of the ones already here, they’ll come here to learn from you and others how to survive on Earth, how to acclimate.”
Riley walked over and took my hands. “And when we find Sárkány who are changing, or when we figure out our lineage, they can come here to acclimate as well. You and I, alongside Doryu, Axoular, and others can teach them their heritage, their history.”
“That’s not all though,” said Roan. “Orphans have been a problem in the Unseen world for… well, forever. Every once in a while a baby is born that nobody knows what it is until it’s grown. We thought we might eventually make that a part of the services here. Both adoption and schooling. Unseen parents can pay a fortune to send their children here one day. The sky’s the limit, Jen. And it’s yours.”
“How do you know I’ll do well?”
“Why wouldn’t you, Jenny? You always second guessed yourself. You’re college educated. You’re smart. You’re not afraid of hard work,” Riley reasoned.
All those things were true, but I’d never been put in charge of anything. I never even told them how I came to lose my symphony position. Maybe I never would. “This is amazing,” I murmured, eyes filling with tears. “Thank you.”
They gave me a tour of the rest of the school. It had dorm rooms as well as private bedrooms, several of them. It had a portal room. Apparently all the hip homes had a portal room. It made life easier. There was a gym, a pool, a computer lab, a music room. Everything I could need to help people learn to be human, or learn to be Un.
The Unschool. How cool.
CHAPTER EIGHT
As soon as I returned to the castle, I ran right out the doors to go tell Kelly. She’d slowly, during lots of delicious meals, become my best friend.
I didn’t quite run to her shop, but I definitely walked at a brisk pace, and found myself out of breath as I entered the village, so I sat for a moment on a bench near the town square to calm my breathing. The light of the day was fading.
When I wasn’t out of breath, I continued on my way to the book shop. I was surprised to find the door unlocked. It was definitely after business hours. I peeked my head in. “Kelly?” I called, but got no answer. She probably forgot to lock the door and was upstairs. I walked through the shop to the back stairs, but stopped when I heard voices coming out of her back room.
I altered my course to go through the doors to the storage and restroom area, but stopped short when I heard my name.
“Jen doesn’t suspect anything?” A male voice asked. I shrank back into the shadows of a bookshelf.
“She doesn’t, but I don’t like lying to her.” Kelly sounded tired, worn down.
“She’s the enemy, don’t forget that. They’ve got Dumadi prisoner, and they killed Peter. How could you feel any sort of good feelings for people like that?”
“Jen didn’t do those things.” She sounded indignant.
“She would have if she’d been in her cousin’s shoes. But that doesn’t matter. He’s asking for a report. You must come, or you know what will happen.”
“I’ve been here for twenty years. I won’t blow my cover now.”
“Then let’s go.”
