6. Isla
Chapter 6
Isla
SATURDAY/SUNDAY
T hree loud thumps woke me from a dead sleep.
I had jolted up, looking around the room, trying to figure out what was going on, when a loud bang followed. Suddenly, there was a pile of suitcases and bags at the foot of the bed.
My suitcases.
How the hell?—?
Bricriu had mentioned my stuff would get to Greywood before whisking me away, but I had no idea they would literally be dropped into my room. Glancing around, I saw that my computer bag was on a dresser by the door, which was a relief. If that had been broken, it would have been such a pain in the ass.
First things first, I needed to pee, then I would look through everything. Making a run for the attached bathroom, I took care of my business and went back out to look over my bags. Dresses, skirts, blouses, jackets, hats, pants, and even some leggings and t-shirts were neatly folded in one. All of my shoes were thrown into the second, as neatly packed as they could be. The last bag was filled to the brim with all of my makeup and hair accessories.
On top of all of my toiletries was a box with my name on it. I would recognize the handwriting anywhere, knowing it was Ma’s. Inside was a letter from her and Mom wishing me good luck at school and telling me ways to keep in touch. My little brothers and sisters had included drawings, and Kearin, because it had to be him, had thrown in a hag stone. That boy loved his rock collection, and the stone he’d gifted me was believed to reveal the fae world if you looked through the hole in its center.
There was a letter from Demir as well, but before I could open it, a knock sounded on my bedroom door. A second later it opened to reveal Zhara-Rose, still wearing the same t-shirt from last night. She blinked a few times at all the bags before she chuckled.
“Did they leave anything at home?” she teased, leaning against the doorway.
I chuckled softly, not the least bit embarrassed about my love of fashion. “I don’t think so, but they knew they wouldn’t hear the end of it if they didn’t send me all my stuff.”
“You may have a problem,” she commented as I started putting some of my things away. “You’re not going to use witchy magick to put it all away in a few seconds?”
I snorted at that and shook my head. “That would be a neat trick. My magick doesn’t work that way. I can use my power with plants, and that’s about it. I can help heal them, strengthen their effects, and sometimes I can even control plants and make them grow faster, though I don’t do that often. But basic shit beyond some mental shields… nah.”
She sighed as she ran a hand through her frizzy red hair. “That’s slightly disappointing.” She barely suppressed a yawn as she leaned her head against the door, watching me settle into my room.
“Any idea what we’re supposed to be doing today? It’s not like I got handed a class schedule after being kidnapped last night.”
“We should be getting something soon, maybe after breakfast,” Echo said from beyond Zhara-Rose.
He glided up to the doorway, eyebrows raising in surprise at the amount of items I had started sorting through. The incubus was dressed in ripped black skinny jeans, a loose white t-shirt, and a pair of black dress shoes. Casual yet well put together, he looked amazing.
“That’s a lot of clothes.”
“That’s what I said,” the wolf unhelpfully agreed. “I’m going to get ready. I’ll wait for you, Isla. Obviously, I’ll be done before you given what you’re sorting through.”
“We can all go together,” Echo offered as I chuckled softly at her teasing. “Aizel is still getting ready, and we don’t mind waiting.”
“Sounds good to me!” I told them before Zhara-Rose agreed and shut my door.
Hurrying up, I rummaged through my clothes, deciding on a pair of red velvet suspender shorts, a flowy off-white vintage blouse, black tights, and black ankle boots with a small heel. I laid everything out on the bed then grabbed underwear and a bra before getting into the shower.
Thirty minutes later, I was showered, dressed, and doing the finishing touches on my hair. Luckily my makeup won’t take long.
‘Are you ever going to venture out of this room today?’
A swirling black cloud of magick filled the mirror until Cassius fully materialized. It looked like he was standing beside me, but I knew he wasn’t physically here.
He was the same height as me, just shy of six feet, but where my hair was black, his was a warm chestnut brown mess on top of his head. His tan skin was almost completely covered in black ink from his fingers all the way up and across his face. Some of them seemed magickal, but others appeared to be human tattoos. Amber eyes studied me as I watched him in the mirror.
‘One day, someone is going to see you,’ I commented to him before I opened the vanity drawers to get my makeup bags.
Cassius didn’t remark on the possibility. It hadn’t happened in the first nineteen years of my life, so I doubted it would happen now, but just because it hadn’t happened yet didn’t mean it couldn’t.
Something was amiss. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was off, but I knew in my gut that there was something going on. Cassius didn’t just appear in the mirror to watch me anymore. That was one of the tactics he’d used when I was younger, frightening me until I was a crying mess. The stiffness of his posture and the weight of his attention felt heavier than normal. What is he thinking?
‘Cassius? What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing, beastie,’ he replied after a moment of heavy silence. ‘You should get ready. They won’t wait forever.’
‘Beauty takes time. I’ve told you that before,’ I joked, trying to lighten the mood as I sorted through my things. Cassius didn’t respond, but he didn’t fade away either. His gaze searched the room behind me, then focused on me.
Not wanting to keep them waiting a long time, I did some light makeup, using just foundation, blush, eyeshadow, and mascara. Finishing off the look with my signature black lipstick, I was all ready to go.
‘What do you think?’ I asked Cassius as I did a small twirl, feeling confident as hell.
‘Don’t play with any plants before you make new friends this time.’ His amber eyes sparkled with laughter.
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. ‘It was one time!’
‘Because I’ve reminded you ? —’
‘You’re horrible,’ I griped, rushing out of the bathroom and snagging my wallet.
‘ But honest, beastie.’
‘You’re honest now , Cassius. You haven’t always been.’
He didn’t respond to that, but I swore I could feel a pang of sadness before he quieted in my mind. Ignoring the disturbing silence, I walked out into the common area, where all three of my roommates stopped talking to look at me.
Zhara-Rose smiled at me as she stood up, her flowy sunflower dress swaying with each step toward me. “And I thought I was overdressed.”
The sleeveless dress showed off her tan and sprinkles of freckles all over. She also had on brown ankle boots that looked amazing with her outfit. No makeup in sight, and her curly hair seemed even more untamed. She threaded an arm through mine, and although I wasn’t used to having friends, let alone one who’d be so free with casual touch, it felt nice.
Aizel was slightly dressed up compared to his brother, but he kept the same color scheme. Black slacks, a white button-down shirt, the top two buttons undone, and shiny black dress shoes completed the look. The incubi fell into step on either side of us, genuine smiles on their faces.
“Beautiful women by our sides on the first day. We are lucky men.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” the wolf shifter warned Aizel with a light growl.
“My brother has plenty of ideas, Zhara-Rose. Better to just ignore him. You’ll get used to it,” Echo joked as we made our way downstairs and outside, ignoring the stares of other students. All the students were talking a mile a minute, trying to figure out what would be happening next, but the four of us just calmly walked out of the door like it was a normal day.
“Just Zhara is fine,” the redhead said as we walked outside. “The double name is a mouthful most of the time.”
“Noted,” I told her as I looked around. “Any idea where we’re going?”
“None.” Aizel lazily grinned, sticking his hands in his front pockets, while his brother glanced around, watching the other students milling about outside.
“Should we follow the smell?” Zhara asked before inhaling deeply. “Don’t get used to this. Let’s go.” She took the lead, confidently weaving in and out of the bustling packs of students. I shared a quick look with the brothers and hurried after her, not wanting to miss out on breakfast.
I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings, too focused on the prospect of food and keeping my eye on my roommate. Zhara walked straight across a big circular grassy space toward what I assumed were the lecture halls and a huge stone building.
The double doors had to be at least twenty feet tall. They were thrown open to show a busy dining hall filled with students and staff. It was hard to wrap my mind around all the different supes at the school. In just a few blinks, I identified fae, witches, and even a few centaurs in the far corner that stood high above most of the students. I was used to this melting pot at home, but the academy I had graduated from was a witch-only school, so I was only accustomed to this diversity in small doses.
All these supernaturals in one place… I wondered how the conservatory managed to keep itself hidden from the scrutiny of humans. We were all over the world, especially the United States, but humans had no idea of our existence, and most species wanted to keep it that way. But all this power in one place… That would take a lot to shield.
“Isla!” I jumped when Zhara yelled my name above the noise of everyone around us. “Any idea what you want? It looks like they have everything here.”
“I need coffee. I’ll start there then figure out food,” Aizel muttered, scanning the place.
I shuddered dramatically at that. “Keep your nasty bean water. I need some tea.”
“Bean water?!”
“How are we supposed to pay?” Echo added in, paying no mind to the way his brother dramatically clutched his chest.
At that moment, a loud chime rang out, making everyone fall silent. A second later, a magickally enhanced voice started speaking.
“New students! Welcome to Greywood Conservatory. We hope that you settled in last night and found your belongings were delivered to your rooms this morning. Help yourself to whatever food you want from the dining hall then proceed to Kastor Hall for a welcome speech. There, you’ll get a brief overview of the school, your schedules, and we will answer some questions as we see fit. The doors will lock promptly at noon, so be there on time. We will not unlock the doors if you fail to arrive in a timely manner.”
The chime sounded a second time, and the hall was silent for a full thirty seconds before the roar of talking filled the space again.
Pulling out my phone, I saw that it was ten o’clock. Two hours was plenty of time to eat and get to where we needed to be.
“I’ll grab us a table so we have a place to sit,” Zhara offered. “Then, when someone sits, I’ll get something for myself.”
“I’ll come with you,” Echo said. Aizel shrugged and immediately hurried off in search of his coffee.
“Let’s look by the windows,” Echo suggested, and Zhara nodded in agreement. Both of them headed off to find a place for us to sit while I waded into the chaos.
The place was insane but efficient. After walking around for a little bit, I found a serving line for a bakery and ordered a blueberry muffin, banana, and a large cup of breakfast tea. The server got it together quickly, and I was off before I even realized I had it all.
Thankfully, she had put the lid on the tea, so I didn’t have to worry as I weaved through the crowds until I saw one of the incubi sitting at a table alone.
“Where did Zhara go?” I asked as I hurried over and put my stuff down on the table.
“Bathroom.” Echo smiled at me and stood up. “You okay to hold down the table solo?”
“Yeah, go for it. I’ll be fine.”
He headed off as I sat down, and I totally understood the urgency. I was so damn ready to eat, my stomach loudly rumbling. Just as I was about to tear into my muffin, someone jostled me from behind, knocking my muffin onto the floor.
“You’re at my table,” a cool voice snarked.
I looked up to find a Barbie bitch standing by the table, her brown eyes glaring down at me. She was flanked by two besties, their annoyed looks matching their leader’s perfectly. They were all witches, and I figured they weren’t upperclassmen since they appeared to be the same age as me.
“I didn’t realize you needed assigned seats at this stage in life,” I deadpanned, not moving from my seat.
My jaw clenched when she slowly stepped on my muffin, smashing it into the floor and making a huge mess. What the fuck is this girl’s problem?
“Get. Up.”
“Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but I didn’t do shit to you. I’m also not getting up from the table I sat at first.”
Barbie’s eyes narrowed, anger making her cheeks flush, and she brushed white-blonde hair out of her face.
“You have no idea who I am,” she hissed. “You’ll be sorry.”
“Look, Draco, I can pick my own friends, and you coming out fully bitchy this morning isn’t putting you on that list. I have better things to do than stay angry with you.”
“Says the girl who’s trying so damn hard. Did you use every bit of makeup in your bag?”
“If I’m too much, you’re just too fucking basic,” I told her calmly. Aizel and Echo walked up to the table at the same time, their eyes trained on us.
“Is there a problem here?” Aizel asked sweetly, though his gaze was heated with anger. Echo, on the other hand, didn’t even try to appear nice. He glared at the witches, earning huffs from all three before they walked off. The twins might have drawn the queen bee’s attention momentarily, but I didn’t miss how she shot me a nasty look before she disappeared into the crowd.
“Are you okay?” Echo asked, claiming the seat beside me.
“Yeah.” I sighed. “My muffin is gone now, though.”
“Here.” Zhara came up out of nowhere and popped another muffin down in front of me. This one was orange-cranberry, but I wasn’t about to complain. “They were out of blueberry. I saw you guys headed over to intervene, so I thought I’d stay behind to get you another muffin.”
“Who was she?” Aizel asked, sitting down across from me. Zhara sat next to him.
“My first enemy, I guess,” I hazarded before taking a big bite of my new muffin. “It wouldn’t be an interesting year without one.”
A sudden burst of wind knocked the pastry from my hand, along with delivering a whispered ‘You’ll regret this, bitch’ that had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. Looking around, I saw Barbie shoot me a smug smile.
She had no idea the enemy she was making by targeting me, but I was happy to oblige her. After all, I was always eager to find new test subjects for my poisons.