Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Lena
The ivy-lined courtyard at the center of Havard Hall is evidently the hangout spot of choice for students. Stone tables and benches surround a water fountain at the courtyard’s center. I sit on one of the stone benches, waiting to meet Naomi for breakfast.
Somehow I feel both at home and completely out of place here.
When you switch up lives as much as I have, you learn to be comfortable in new and unknown places.
But this feels like more than my typical ease with the unfamiliar.
Despite my rocky start to orientation, something about being on campus feels different…
It feels right. There’s almost an imperceptible hum, an undercurrent of energy here, thrumming in the space between the brick pavers, flowing beneath the rich dark soil, crawling up the ivy, and churning in the air.
Like a light and living mist, it coats everything.
I can feel it, sense it, but I can’t see it.
“Hey, good morning!” Naomi comes to a stop before me, wearing a cheerful morning-person smile.
I’m not usually an early riser, but I was up and showered by six thirty.
Last night, after unpacking my new ugly things, I went to look for the closest bathroom.
I’d been fretting, thinking that every time I needed to pee, I’d be forced to trudge down the entire spiral staircase.
I found a small bathroom, tucked into an alcove a few steps down from my bedroom.
It’s not anywhere near as nice as the communal bathroom on the fourth floor, but it’s private and that’s a luxury.
“Yeah, I worried that it would take thirty minutes to trudge down all the stairs,” I confirm.
“Turns out I’m in better shape than I thought.
It only took me twenty!” I laugh and throw my lime green backpack over my shoulders.
It clashes with my outfit big time. I opted for a black tee, baggy jeans, and the Docs.
Everything hangs loose on me, and I needed to use my sneaker lace as a belt.
It’s the best I could do given my time and materials.
“I mean, go you, work those glutes!” she cheers, dropping into lunges as we make our way out of the courtyard.
Damn girl! Naomi looks like she works on hers a lot! She’s tall, having at least four inches on me.
“But why didn’t you use the elevator?” she yells over her shoulder as I follow her with much less enthusiasm and foregoing the lunges.
“I couldn’t get it to work.” I shrug and admire the clothing of the students socializing in the quad and heading to class or the dining hall. Everyone seems dressed to impress in silk blouses, oxford shirts, pleated skirts, and tailored blazers. There’s not a single sweatpant or hoodie in sight.
Naomi pops up from her squats and gives me a confused look. “Why didn’t you ask the front desk person?”
I blink at her.
“The desk is manned 24/7.”
“I didn’t know there was a front desk, let alone a front desk person.” I huff as we make our way down the path to the dining hall.
“Dude, they’re in the South Wing by the elevators.” She shakes her head. “It explains all of this in the handbook.”
“A handbook which I have yet to read.”
Naomi lets out a howl of laughter as we approach the dining hall. The pale gray stone exterior of the hall is breathtaking. Sculpted in high archways and large floor-to-ceiling windows open to an expansive veranda with outdoor seating, the building looks like a Romanesque church.
We step inside the marble entryway, and I stop in my tracks, gaping up at the thick intricately carved columns between each of the arched windows, which support the vaulted ceiling. Early morning light streams in, shining on students eating and socializing at long wooden tables.
Naomi elbows me, quite hard.
“Ouch.” I scowl.
“I was worried a gorgon turned you into a statue,” she chuckles.
With her around to keep me moving, my career as a mannequin is looking bleak.
“Come on, I’m starving.”
I follow her to a wall lined with touchscreen monitors.
“Just order here, swipe your ID.” She touches the screen, selecting a breakfast burrito and a side of fruit. “The food arrives at the pick-up window over there.” She points to a counter that has a large window to the kitchen.
“Modern convenience with old world charm.” I smirk. “Like a Panera inside the Vatican.”
Naomi barks out a laugh. “Has anyone ever told you you’re oddly entertaining?”
“On occasion.” I shrug nonchalantly as I order my food.
“I have a feeling you and I are going to have fun together.” She points her finger between us as we make our way to the counter. “Let’s talk about the welcome reception tonight. We’re obviously going together.”
“Okay, sure.” Although this was not obvious to me, it’s not like I have anything better to do, and I do need to get a better handle on my surroundings. “I may or may not recall seeing something about a mixer or whatever.”
“It’s the official kickoff of the semester.
But the unofficial kickoff is in three weeks, and we’ll also be going to that!
” She explains that the institute wing captains are notorious for throwing an annual unofficial welcome party as we grab our breakfasts.
We find a seat at the back of the room, below one of the arched windows and near a huge, at least ten feet high, fireplace.
“Oh, so where is your room actually? Are you on the fourth floor?” Naomi asks before biting into her burrito.
“No, it is the fifth. Apparently they turned one of the turrets into a dorm room.” Taking a bite of my shakshuka, I moan at the sheer deliciousness. “Fuuuuck, this is gooood.”
“You’re in a turret? That’s wild,” Naomi says, as she absolutely destroys her breakfast.
“Solis.” A deep voice interrupts our conversation. Boden towers over our table, wearing a pressed baby-blue oxford and a frown. “I’ve been calling you for the last half hour.”
“Oh, what?” I ask, taken aback by both his sudden appearance and his general demanding vibe. I fish my phone out of my backpack and glance at Naomi, who’s staring between me and Boden, mouth agape.
“You’re required to have an escort to and from the residence hall.” He sighs. “Until the institute can arrange for a permanent guard, unfortunately I’m to assist.”
“Yeah, I was hoping Kian wasn’t entirely serious about that little development.” I grind my molars together.
“Kian’s always serious,” Boden deadpans. “I’m going to grab a to-go breakfast, but don’t move—I’ll escort you to class.” He dips his chin once to Naomi before briskly walking across the dining hall.
Quicker than Naomi demolished her breakfast, a million emotions pass over her face. She flip-flops between confusion, fear, and shock. Eventually, she lands on shock. “Holy shit, Lena is short for Vladlena,” she whisper-shouts. “You’re Vladlena Solis.”
“Uh, yeah,” I say, matching her volume. “Why are we whispering?”
She looks around. “I should’ve realized. Damn.” She shakes her head, continuing in a whisper, “You want to keep this quiet, right?…I have so many questions.”
“I mean, I think that ship has sailed,” I say facetiously. Thanks to Boden’s outburst, we’ve caught quite a few curious glances. “If that Q&A session yesterday was anything to go on, it seems like everyone already knows.” My brow furrows.
“Oh, I…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,” Naomi mollifies, but I wave her off. “I just assumed…because you know…”
“Because what?”
“Because of how most people feel about your family,” she says shyly, while pushing around a cube of melon in her fruit cup.
“How do people feel about my family?” Obviously, I put together that people have strong feelings. I’m just not really sure why.
“You really don’t know?” She glances around, worry settling on her face.
“No. I don’t know much,” I confirm as a blush rises on my cheeks.
This is starting to feel kind of humiliating.
“I’d never even heard of the Realm of Sidera or magicae or whatever until Saturday, when Kian and Teariki cornered me in a hotel room to offer me some ridiculous deal and a spot here.
I wasn’t sure I was going to take it, but then shit hit the fan and I didn’t have a lot of options.
” While admitting this is freaking embarrassing, I figure it’s better to be open and finally get some answers.
“I tried doing a Google and social media deep dive, but it’s like no one here has a digital footprint. ”
“King Kian and Prince Teariki? Okay, wow. And you were living as a human?” she asks incredulously.
I hum in confirmation.
She rubs the back of her neck. “Yeah, you won’t find anything on the human internet because of the wards and all. This is much bigger than breakfast conversation. It may require a trip to the library and a bottle of wine. Shit, maybe two.”
“Really? You’ll help fill me in?”
She gives a timid smile. “Yeah, sure.” She adds more confidently, “Okay, yeah, I’ll be like your magica connoisseur, and you can provide me copious amounts of entertainment.” Her smile turns mischievous, and I already know I like this girl.
Naomi and I find two seats in the middle of the large lecture hall. Boden’s not in this class, but he followed us here, a handful of feet behind, scowling the entire time. That’s going to get real old, real fast.
The small professor who gave the lecture on the history of the institute is standing at a podium at the front.
“Welcome, first years, to History of Sidera. I’m Dr. Eld.
This is a foundational seminar that all students take in their first semester.
While most of you took realm history in your kingdom colleges, we at the Sidera Institutione Altiorem Magicae like to guarantee that you are all equipped with the same historical knowledge. ”