Taking a deep breath, I faced the door and hitched up my dress enough for my mark to become visible. I couldn’t wait to put on the uniform so I didn’t have to expose my bare thigh.
The door cracked open as a wave of electrical energy sizzled through the air. I waved to Thorn, who had his hand on the knob, waiting for me to walk in first.
Letting out a steady breath, I pushed open the door and stepped inside. I barely registered the sound of the door closing behind me as I took in the furnished living space. A thin blue carpet that did little to hold warmth covered the floors, and the walls were a bland white.
The space was decent size, much bigger than any room we had in Alice’s home. There was a small kitchenette to my right that was made up of a mini-fridge, microwave, a sink, and a countertop.
To my left, there was a small black sofa and a gray end table.
There were six doors spread out in the room. According to the students from before, four were bedrooms and two were bathrooms. Two of the doors were closed.
I could see into the room that was directly in front of the entrance to our suite, and there was a woman sitting cross-legged with her eyes shut on the twin-sized bed, deep in what seemed to be meditation.
She didn’t notice me, and I didn’t want to interrupt her, so I moved toward the open door next to the closed one that was beside the bathroom on the left. A hint of peppermint lingered in the air, and it was empty except for a white fitted sheet, a white comforter, and a white pillow.
There was a wooden desk against the wall, adjacent to the bed with a wooden chair. An oak dresser was also against the wall. There were no belongings in the room that hinted toward someone having claimed this room, so I migrated toward the untouched bed.
Reaching my hand out, I ran it over the plush cotton blanket before sitting down on it. The bed didn’t creak, unlike the bed I’d had at Alice’s and it was a welcomed surprise. My butt sunk slightly into the soft mattress, and I let out a low hum of satisfaction.
“The beds aresocomfy, right?” A feminine voice trickled toward me.
I jumped a little and found that the woman who was meditating in her room was now leaning against the door frame with a smile on her plump lips.
I nodded, and heat bloomed in my cheeks.
“Oh my gosh, you’re so cute,” she cooed, her russet eyes lighting up. “You’re blushing!”
My palms slapped against my warm cheeks. “I can’t help it!”
Her laughter washed over me, and I relaxed a bit from the exchange. She gave off an aura of positivity and kindness, and it made me take to her immediately.
It was the first time someone had spoken to me out of the blue like that besides Thorn or Alice.
I wrung my hands together in my lap. Being here would be a lot different from the village or anywhere in Briesia, but Fate Hollow was my home for the next two years. I had to get used to it, eventually.
“I’m Trixie, and I’m a witch.” She pushed off the door frame and strolled toward me to offer her hand. “My special ability is that I can conjure mushrooms anywhere.Of all kinds!It’s pretty awesome since I’m a nature witch and convenient for potions too.”
My throat tightened as I stood up and took her hand in mine. Strawberry auburn hair fell slightly past her shoulders in soft waves, and she stood at least eight inches taller than me.
“I’m Wren. I’m an arctic fox shifter. I uh, don’t really have a special ability... yet... unless you count being the last of my kind.”
Her eyes widened as her grip tightened. “That sounds lonely.”
My heart fluttered, and I squeezed her grip back. “I’m managing.”
I’d read countless stories of friendships. The closest thing I had to a friendship bond was Thorn, and I had some more-than-friendly thoughts about him at times that I tried to ignore since I had mates out there somewhere.
But Trixie seemed to be a genuine soul, and I was excited to get to know her more.
Witches and warlocks were ranked sixth, and my curiosity was eating me up inside. I’d been sheltered in not only the Arctic Wolf Village but Briesia, and meeting other supernaturals was something that only really happened in Fate Hollow.
“I’m adopting you as my friend,” she declared, letting go of my hand and leaving the room for a moment.
“Oh.” I folded my arms across my body as a breath of warm air fanned over the back of my neck. Glancing back, I didn’t see anything but the bed behind me.
“Found it!” She let out a squeal as she skipped back into the room toward me and held out a silver necklace with a petrified mushroom on it. “This is a petrified armillaria tabescens, and I made it with my own magic. This mushroom is considered a friendship mushroom within my coven, and while we rarely give them out to any species other than witches, I know you’re meant to be my lifelong friend.”
A smile slowly spread across my lips as I took the mushroom necklace from her. My fingers traced the softness of the mushroom, even though it was petrified, and I was sure the preservation of the texture was due to her magic.
