Chapter 8
Mr Orichalcum
Sinta
I thought finding my way to the main office would be hard.
It turns out everyone was heading there, so all I had to do was follow the crowd and try not to get trampled.
It was a long walk up the pathway from the docks, and sort of dangerous with all the luggage being swung around and the over-eager people trying to climb over you.
The surrounds were beautiful though; trees and manicured gardens and small surprisingly green winter shrubbery.
The buildings were tall well-kept marble.
The pictures on the Academy brochures made everything look like a medieval castle, and it was, but a lot of it was modernised too.
As we neared the main courtyard my gaze was snagged by the huge fountain at its centre – chiselled from pure white marble and accented with gold, it depicted a blindfolded woman, her left hand grasping a sword, the right a shield. Emblazoned on the shield was a scroll, and the sword balanced a set of scales.
At her feet were hundreds of different types of Fae; sitting, reading, sleeping, fighting, hugging, dancing – even a dragon slumbering with a wolf.
The humans had their lady of justice – this was Lady Fate, one of the most beloved Deities of the Fae. A protector and a prosecutor. A guide and a warning.
The medieval-looking building behind her was just as impressive and had me pausing by the fountains edge, needing a moment to take it all in.
It wasn’t the kind of castle that made you think; old, dusty, drafty, probably has a few ghosts.
It had smooth finely detailed architecture, huge arched windows, flawless white marble, and a clean-cut calming feel to it.
Even the new additions to the castle and grounds were made from the same white marble – though they were easily distinguished by the red clay roofing. The older buildings were topped with light blue tiles reminiscent of the sky.
I could’ve stared at it for hours.
Having someone ram my shoulder and almost push me into the fountain crashed my daydreaming.
Scrambling for footing and managing to remain upright when my duffel snags on the fountain’s lip, I turn to confront the pushy asshole.
I lost my nerve upon seeing the group of Elite females, chatting and laughing.
Men in slacks and vests bearing the Academy’s seal walked behind them, hauling designer luggage with the utmost care.
“Sorry.” One of the males grunts, walking away with a stack of dangerously teetering mini suitcases.
He couldn’t even see around it.
“Poor guy.” I mutter and adjust my grip on my bags.
Gingerly edging back into the crush, I follow the mass of people towards what I was hoping to be the office.
Joining the long lines, I leaned out to glimpse the front of the line and saw a huge sign proclaiming ‘Office and Reception’.
Three women stood below it, checking off clip boards and directing people.
Studying the lines and just how long they were, I quickly came to the conclusion that I would be standing for some time.
Standing around with the hot sun trying to roast you and a freezing wind competing against it wasn’t the greatest thing in the world.
You know what was worse?
Hearing a familiar high-pitched laugh, instinctively looking towards it, and seeing your twin sister.
Surrounded by Elite.
Most of which were men.
Ducking and throwing my duffel up as a shield, I panicked.
Then realised I probably looked like a lunatic.
Peeking at the male behind me, who eyed me warily, I smile stiffly and slowly lower the duffel.
Then I raise my jacket’s hood and turn away.
It wasn’t like I was hiding from my sister. Or rather, not like I didn’t have a reason to be hiding from her.
Two days ago, once my passage to the island had been confirmed and I’d had everything packed, I’d left my foster parents house without so much as a ‘see you never you intolerable neglectful bigoted motherfuckers’.
I’d gone to a bank and set up my money there, gone to a post office to have my mail redirected here, purchased a new phone and messaged my sister from that number, and taken care of anything else I couldn’t do here on the island.
Then I’d wasted time wandering the city and eating some of the best hotdogs ever before boarding the Academy ship.
I also didn’t say goodbye to Aletha. Not a text, not a note, nothing. I sent her a congrats text, wishing her luck with her studies.
She’d left it on read and hadn’t tried to contact me.
On the boat I’d been resolved to move on and only address the matter if she decided to talk to me.
Since Fairview was a huge campus and we were definitely not pursuing the same courses, I figured our chances of bumping into each other had been slim.
Not seeing her on the boat had backed that theory.
The universe and Lady Fate were now laughing in my face.
No longer cold, I cringed and shifted as nervous sweat gathered in very uncomfortable places, getting worse the longer it took the line to move.
By the time I was two people away from the lady with the clip board I felt like I should have been making squishy sounds while I walked.
Every hint of her voice had my shoulders curving, my spine rigid and at risk of shattering like frosted glass.
She was a line over and three people behind me, obviously distracted by her friends, and still I acted like a kid afraid of their own shadow.
I was so used to shuffling forward every time someone moved that I hadn’t realised I’d shuffled my way to the front.
The clip board lady clears her throat.
Blinking at the female in a pencil skirt with glasses and a tight bun, I honestly had no idea what I was supposed to do.
“Name and Counsellor.” She prompts.
“Sinta Cora.” I whisper. “And Mr Orichalcum.”
Flipping some pages, writing a few things, then nodding, she reaches for the small table next to her and hands me a form.
“Follow the signs inside to his office and take a seat outside with the others. Fill out the form and hand it to his assistant. He will speak with you briefly and then place you in your housing for the year.” She instructs before looking to the guy behind me.
The dismissal was clear.
Hightailing it through the doors, I locate the signs I need and run towards my Counsellor’s office like a lunatic.
More relaxed now, I waited in a quiet hallway alongside two other Fae.
My form was safely in the hands of the secretary sitting at a nice oak desk across from us.
I studied the paintings and tapestries decorating the space.
Other offices lined the hall, with more students waiting to be seen.
I wondered how many Counsellors Fairview had.
The door to Mr Orichalcum’s office opens, a female slipping out with a smile and some papers clutched in her hand.
She tosses us a smug grin before swanning away down the hall.
The secretary looks up, studying the three of us.
Then she selects a form. “Mr Rupert Cathar, he will see you now.”
“Oh, we’d like to be housed together, please. We’re twins.” The male closest to me says.
He gestures to the other male sitting beside him.
Both with different skin tones and different hair, I had to blink at them before remembering staring was rude and I quickly looked away.
The secretary must have been just as dubious but relented and held out both of their forms.
The males promptly collected them and disappeared inside the office.
A pang erupts in my chest. I shove it down inside me.
Trying my best to sit still and not fidget was harder than it should have been.
But I was nervous. I’d never been so nervous before.
Having a chat with my Counsellor and being sorted into housing should be a piece of cake.
The office door opens again, the two males exiting with large smiles on their faces.
“Good luck, yeah?” One of them tells me before they saunter away.
I suck in a breath and look to the secretary, who was already waiting, waving my form through the air.
“He’s ready for you, Miss Cora.” She prompts and jostles the paper.
“Right.” I jump up and gather my bags, rushing forward and practically snatching the piece of paper. “Thank you.”
Not letting myself think about it I pushed into the office, letting the door shut behind me.
Once inside, I wasn’t sure what I should do.
Stalling, I take in the large office with floor-to-ceiling windows, matching bookshelves, the nicely carved furniture, and the huge paper-littered wood desk with a figure seated behind it.
Said figure was only a head of thick silver hair and broad shoulders in a nice black suit.
Bent over as they jotted notes into a leather-bound journal.
After a moment of no direction and some nervous shifting on my part, I clear my throat into the silent room.
“Place your form onto the desk, then take a seat. I’ll be with you in a moment.” He orders.
I’d already done as he’d asked, surprised to find my ass parked in a fancy leather padded chair and my form set before his bent head.
I had no memory of moving. Magic, I suspected.
Forcing myself to shake it off, I study the male that would be my go-to for the next four years, taking in every detail.
His voice was deep like a bass drum, but not harsh. Smooth and calming, like an old whiskey.
It was a good voice for a Dom.
That was an inappropriate thought to have about my Counsellor.
His Dominance filled the room but wasn’t oppressive. It felt more like he let it roam in the space, a slight weight to the air.
It warned you he was a true predator, but didn’t come across as a threat.
My beast acknowledges it, rolling in my middle before settling with a low purr, content he didn’t mean us harm.
And I couldn’t smell him. He had no discernible scent.
“Name, please.”
Jumping, I sit forward with a start and clear my throat. “Sinta Cora.”
Head still bent he nods, flipping to a new page in his journal and scribbling my name at the top.
Reaching up he drags my form before him and begins to peruse the information, humming every so often.
Since it was only one sheet with eight or so questions he was done in moments and set it aside to scribble into his journal some more.
“Do you have a career in mind, or are you hoping to decide whilst studying?” He questions.
“Oh, no. I love art, but I also like physical fitness. I want a career geared towards helping people, but I also want to be interested in it.” Pausing with a cringe, I give myself a mental shake.
I’d had all of this prepared before even being accepted to the academy. Speeches, my courses, explaining why I chose them. I had everything planned out so that I wouldn’t fumble and look ridiculous.
Thank you, panic, for throwing me under the bus.
Straightening, I breathe in and start again.
“I think I’d like to pursue a career centred around the underprivileged of all ages. Something that’ll enable me to make changes for them. Art is more of a passion course, and I feel the combat and fitness courses I’ve chosen gear me toward a more physical career, so I have considered working toward a position with the Enforcers or a similar enterprise.”
There. Perfect. Straight forward and concise, easy for him to follow. Exactly as I’d practised.
I could almost pat myself on the back.
His bent head nods, hand gliding as he scribbles more notes. “Admirable. There are of course many positions within the Enforcers of each House that you could consider, and having a hobby like art can suggest a mind towards detail. We can look into courses for your second and third year further down the track and then of course decide your path for your fourth year, however the three you have chosen will suffice for now.”
That’s…… good? He didn’t scoff at me or laugh, didn’t dismiss my ideas.
I guess he couldn’t since I was paying to take these courses, but not everyone is usually so polite when I share my opinions.
I remember what Kenya said about him compared to the other Counsellors. Maybe I did hit the jackpot.
He moves, a flash of eyes that I swore were completely white before his head lowers again.
“Your paperwork states you are a latent snake shifter, with no obvious power. Is this correct?” He questions.
My flinch is involuntary.
He wasn’t rude about it, if anything his tone was bland and unassuming.
But no matter how many times someone said it aloud it still struck me like a blow and sent my beast coiling into a knot.
“Yes.” I admit.
His only response is a deep, drawn-out sigh.
The sound made my stomach cramp with nerves.
“Do you know what an Oracle is, Miss Cora?”
……. “Greek Fae. Blessed by a deity to receive visions and… um, stuff. I think they taught us about them in High School…” I hedge.
I only got to attend year eight and nine of those classes before my teachers decided it wasn’t necessary for me to learn due to my latent nature, and my foster parents didn’t disagree.
Thinking about that made my stomach cramp.
“Visions, yes. But we are also often gifted the ability to read a Fae’s species, dominance, and power. In my case, we can be further gifted to literally see a Fae’s form with a glance at their psyche.”
“That is very impressive….” I murmur, feeling confused and a little tense all of a sudden.
“It also comes in handy when Counselling young Fae, particularly those who lie on their entrance form.” He says idly, like we’re talking about coffee or cake flavours.
Heart stalling, my pulse in my throat, I feel my head tip and my eyes widen.
“I… I don’t understand? Did I answer the questions wrong? It said to tick the ‘Unknown’ box if you weren’t sure.” Fidgeting, half tempted to reach for the page so I could see for myself, I stared at his bent head. “I’ve never displayed powers, so I just ticked the ‘Unknown’ designation. I can redo it now if it’s a problem?”
Please don’t be a problem. Please don’t tell me I’ve already messed this up. I need this, I need to study here. Please.
“You will need to redo it, Miss Cora. Falsely representing yourself to the Academy is fraud, you may as well be assuming a stolen identity.” Head lifting, thick silver hair in a businessmen’s cut giving way to chiselled Greek features, his pearlescent white eyes snatched the air from my lungs.
I struggle to breath, his dominance no longer light but crushing. Trapping me in the chair.
“I didn’t. I swear, I wrote down what I know…….I don’t know much about Fae history or power, they said I didn’t need to because I was latent.” I blurt, the dominance and the cramps stealing my tenuous calm. “I’ll fix it, just tell me what to….. what I need to put down. Please?”
Holding his gaze was too much, he was far more dominant than me and my head threatened to blow from the pressure.
Ducking my head I lace my hands, squeezing them tightly, knowing my cheeks were scarlet with embarrassment.
He lets me sit there in silence for several long heartbeats. Like he’s making me stew in my panic.
“Latent…” He eventually drawls. “Yes, that might explain a few things. Miss Cora, who informed you of your latent status?”
This wasn’t something I wanted to talk about. I didn’t think I’d have to after submitting the paperwork. An Academy was supposed to look at your academic scores and maybe your police record.
Not what, or how powerful, you were.
And it was private. Everyone in High School and my younger schooling had known about me. Bullying and catty comments had been my daily companion for decades.
The Academy was supposed to be different. A fresh start.
“Is answering that question conditional to my acceptance?” I ask instead.
“Yes. We cannot have an unknown entity on campus, it would pose too many risks to the students and staff.”
He didn’t sound at all regretful about it, just firm. Professional.
“I can’t stay if I refuse to answer? It’s private, like medical records. Shouldn’t I have the right not to answer?” I push. “Especially when I’m paying for the courses?”
“You are on a partial scholarship, and if you read the terms and conditions as you should’ve, then you understand that scholarship is conditional pending the enforced terms. If you do not cooperate, it will be revoked.” He recites and I chanced enough of a look to see him frowning, eyes narrowed upon his desk. “It is perhaps harsh, but it is done with good reason. I apologise if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“But its necessary.” I whisper.
“Yes.”
This was not at all how I thought this meeting would go.
“My mother. My foster parents. My teachers. My social worker.” I list stiffly.
“Not an Oracle?”
“I’ve never met one before. And my foster parents weren’t…… the greatest.” I offer vaguely and hope he leaves it at that.
“I see. And the assumption that you were a snake? How did that come about?” He demands before I hear his chair sliding back and the creak of leather.
The closer he gets as he rounds the desk the more the Dominance lessens and I can draw a proper breath, leaving only the anxious cramping seizing my middle.
“My Markings.”
He leans against his desk with a safe distance between us, posture relaxed, almost like he’s trying to make me comfortable.
I take in the long legs encased in nice black suit pants and dare to raise my head a little, peeking at him through my lashes.
He wears a solemn expression, his hands clasped loosely before him, and nods slowly. “Would I be able to see them, or would you prefer to describe them?”
Right, because not all Fae Markings were in appropriate places. Some bore their Markings on their thighs or even a butt cheek for an unlucky few.
“No, it’s fine.” I tell him and shrug off my jacket, pulling my shirt collar to the side so I could pop my shoulder out for his inspection.
His face is so stony I couldn’t glimpse a single emotion, not even a flicker of a brow.
His unusual eyes rove over the multi hue of green scales that grace my shoulder, travel along my collarbone, and dip between my breasts at my sternum. Obviously, he could only see the pattern on my shoulder, but the intensity with which he studied it unnerved me.
It unnerved my beast as well, the creature rearing up inside me, no longer comfortable with this male.
“As I thought.” He mutters. “Miss Cora, I’m afraid you’ve been dealt a great injustice.”
Shrugging my shirt back into place, I can’t help but stare at him, too afraid to say anything.
How much worse could this possibly be? Never mind, that sentence alone conjured scenarios that made me want to run screaming from this Academy.
It felt like……. Like I was teetering on a tightrope. And whatever he was about to say would throw me from it.
Whether I would land in the net or on the cold floor was still up for debate.
“You aren’t a snake shifter.” He informs me, rising and reaching for my entry form. “You are a Dragon Shifter. I’m afraid we’ll have to redo your paperwork.”