Chapter 12 #3
“No,” I answer. “I’m just new to the academy. If I’m being honest, I just discovered that magic exists a few weeks ago, so I’m trying to learn as much as I can about… well, everything to do with magic and the academies.”
“How much do you know?”
“Hardly anything,” I admit. “I didn’t even know that Fae were real until literally just now. I have no clue what sort of beings exist.”
Talia chimes in. “Well, you’ve got magicians like us, vampires, Fae, sirens, and shifters. Shifters are pretty rare, but there are a handful on campus, and same thing with sirens. The Fae and the vampires both have their own academies, so they rarely mingle with the rest of the world.”
“So, how do you tell the difference between them?” I ask. “Are there physical signs, or…?”
“There are some signs, but you can’t always necessarily tell,” Talia says.
“Vampires tend to have red eyes, but they can sometimes hide it if they have strong illusion magic. Sirens are always beautiful, and they have charisma and other traits that make it easier for them to manipulate people. Fae are also beautiful, but they tend to be less emotional than typical humans. Their magic is strong but more generalized, and they’re unable to lie.
Shifters are rare, like I said, but they usually don’t have any tells, and they’ve evolved to a point where shifting is optional. ”
“Shifters like werewolves?” I ask at the risk of sounding like an idiot.
“There are wolf shifters, but the whole werewolf thing is an exaggeration from human stories. I’ve only met a few shifters that I know of—they’re usually pretty private about it—and they’ve all been different types of animals. Wolf, serpent, rabbit, even a bird.”
“Speaking of information for new students,” Victor says with a razor-sharp smile, “have you heard about the students who have disappeared?”
Talia rolls her eyes. “That’s all hearsay.”
“It’s not, though. The academy just wants to cover it up.” Then, turning to me, he warns, “This place isn’t as safe as they want you to believe.”
“Why?” I ask in a small voice.
“Over the last thirty years, more than a dozen students have vanished from this campus. Gone without a trace. No bodies, no clues, nothing.”
A chill runs down my spine despite the warmth of the room.
“The administration claims they ran away or transferred, but that's bullshit. These were students in good standing, with no reason to leave, and the powers that be always seem to want to cover them up for some reason.”
“That's enough,” a smooth voice says, and everyone turns to see a new arrival.
The man is stunning in a classic movie star sort of way, with dark brown hair and a warm, charming smile.
He moves with easy confidence, settling onto one of the empty cushions.
“Not everyone wants to hear your conspiracy theories, Victor.”
“They're not conspiracies if they're true, Silas,” Victor shoots back.
Silas waves a dismissive hand. “Even if there's truth to it, which I don’t think there is, scaring the new students isn't going to help anything.” He turns to me. “Don’t listen to him. He likes to be dramatic.”
“I'm not being dramatic,” Victor insists with a scowl, clearly irritated but trying to maintain his cool facade. “Some people say the missing students have been sacrificed out in the forest.”
“And some people might say that you watch too many horror movies and shouldn’t believe all the urban legends you hear.”
A few people laugh, breaking the tension.
Victor rolls his eyes. “Well, not all of us have the luxury of having a professor for a dad to keep us safe. I’m simply keeping an open mind.”
Silas's smile tightens. “My father being on staff has nothing to do with it.”
Thankfully, the conversation shifts again, moving to safer topics like upcoming assignments and weekend plans. I finish my drink and go to get another. The alcohol softens my emotions, allowing me to let go after the intensity of the first week.
I lose track of time as the night wears on. I end up talking to several different people, learning about their backgrounds and their Affinities. AJ reappears at some point, still drunk but slightly more coherent, with Joanna guiding him as if she’s wrangling a toddler.
By the time midnight hits, I’ve decided I need to stop drinking and head back to my room.
I’m exhausted, and the room is spinning slightly.
I say goodbye to Callista and thank her for inviting me, then shoulder my way through the packed room that’s getting progressively more chaotic with every passing hour.
“I'm heading out,” I announce to AJ when I find him near the door.
“I'll walk you back.”
“You sure you're okay to walk?” I tease.
“Totally fine,” he insists. “Joanna, wanna walk back with us?”
She shakes her head. “I’m gonna hang out for a while longer.”
AJ and I make our way up the stairs and out into the cool night air, which is refreshing after spending so many hours in the warm, stuffy basement with so many bodies.
Campus is quiet, and AJ and I walk in comfortable silence until our dorm building comes into sight.
“I’m glad you’re here,” AJ says softly.
“Me too. This is beyond anything I ever could have dreamed.”
“And I’m glad we became friends,” he adds.
“Even though I’ll probably drag down your social status with my magical incompetence?” I glance over at him, smiling.
“Oh, that’s not a problem. It just makes me look better by comparison.” I elbow him lightly, and he laughs.
“Thanks for being my first real friend here. And also, as much as I’ve noticed your proclivity to flirt for sport—” he feigns offense at my callout, dropping his jaw and placing his palm against his chest “—make sure you don’t overlook the people who are truly interested in you past that charming smile. ”
He looks at me with curiosity as he opens the door to the dormitory building. “What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying, Joanna seems like a very kind, intelligent, and pretty woman.”
I swear he blushes, but it might just be the low light playing tricks on me. “Yeah, you might be right. Anyway, I’m this way.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder in the opposite direction from my room.
“Goodnight. Make good choices this weekend,” I add as one final taunt.
“No promises,” he calls out over his shoulder, stumbling over his feet as he heads down the hall, and I make it to my room with a smile on my face and an already sleeping roommate.