Chapter Nine
Audrey
T hank the gods that Diana and I ducked into the auditorium early for orientation. We were able to snag seats right up front before others started trickling in. Our suitemates managed to make it in early enough to snag seats near us since most people decided to come at the absolute last moment. Being there early saved me a lot of panic, that’s for sure.
The headmistress seems nice enough as she talks to us for four hours, but she has a voice I could listen to forever. She has some kind of lilting accent that isn’t always apparent, but it sounds lovely, and she has a lot of helpful information—after she finishes going over the boring student handbook and student code of conduct. Part of me understands why she feels like she needs to go over it with us, since I’m not going to lie, I probably wouldn’t have read it on my own, but it takes over two hours for us to get through just that.
“Now that we’re done with the boring parts, let’s move onto what’s most important,” Headmistress Donahue says with a smile. “Your classes. In the Scythe Academy app on your devices, you’ll find a link that says schedule. This has your schedule for today and the next two months. The way we’ve set up the academy, classes take place in two-month periods. Think of them like semesters. You’ll be in the same classes for each semester, but your teacher might change and your classmates certainly will.
“For the first two months, class sizes start out between one and two hundred students. This number will lower with each passing day. At the two-month mark, you’ll move into classes with other students who might be in their third, fourth, fifth, or sixth month. At that point, you stand a much better chance at continuing in the program. It’s also when you’ll be moved into the older dorms and have your own room. In months five and six, you’ll either remain in your dorm or have the possibility of moving into one of the houses.”
She holds up a hand when whispers break out through the crowd. “No, we won’t be discussing this today. Until you’re nearing that time, it doesn’t concern you.
“Near the end of the orientation, we will have a group of third month students join us. You’ll be broken up into groups of ten, and they will attend lunch with you before showing you around campus. You’ll meet your professors, who will provide you with syllabi. While it’s scheduled for two hours, if your group finishes early, you’ll be allowed to return to your dorm. We want to make sure that you’re prepared for your first day of classes, but not feeling too overwhelmed. Since you died on a Wednesday, your first set of classes will be on a Friday—which means just one day of class before you get the weekend off.
“There are a few nearby towns and cities that you can go to on the weekend. You’ll be able to go shopping, out to eat, whatever you would like. But for the first month, you’ll only be able to leave campus with a third month or above. If you aren’t able to find someone to take you off campus, there are options to have what you need delivered. For that, you’ll need to download the Demon Runners app on your device. You can order from any place there and pick up your purchases at the administration building. We have someone there at all times, so as long as there is someone working, you can get what you need whenever you need it.”
I hum to myself. It makes sense that there are cities in the underworld. I’m just glad that we’ll be allowed off campus—assuming I can find someone to come with me. I wonder if Donovan would be willing? He’s the only person I’ve met so far that didn’t arrive with me, so he’s currently my only option. Maybe I’ll meet someone else between now and the weekend?
Shit, but how are we supposed to pay for anything? We’re dead.
Headmistress Donahue’s words catch my attention once more. “The academy does provide a stipend for you each month. If you wish to earn more money, your professors will have opportunities for you to do just that. Those will be fewer for you during the first two months, but they’re still there. Death has made sure that you’re provided for in the best possible way during your transition, so there should be more than enough money in your account to get what you need. You can access your account via the Bank of Death app. You’ll have received an initial deposit and on the first of the month, you’ll receive your monthly stipend.”
I pull my phone out, clicking on the app. My mouth falls open when I see there is over five grand in my account. What the hell am I going to do with that kind of money? Especially with the first only a few weeks away. One thing is for sure, I’m getting a coffee machine of some kind for my dorm, so I don’t have to venture into the damn dining hall for caffeine every morning. I close the app and force myself to continue listening to the headmistress.
Eventually, orientation is being called to a close. “The third month guides are waiting outside for you, spread out a bit so it’ll be easier to locate your guide. Their name is listed on your schedule, and in just a moment, you’ll receive a location ping on your phone. This is where you’ll meet your guide. Some of them might offer you information, and if they do, I recommend you listen. They’ve made it through the first two months, so they know what they’re talking about.”
With that, pings sound out through the auditorium as Headmistress Donahue steps back. Glancing at my phone, I find it’s pulled up a map app that now has a blinking dot. “You’re dismissed. Please go find your guides.”
“Who’s your guide?” Diana asks as she leans over.
Pulling up my schedule, I find the name. “Brenden Sarafin. Yours?”
“Tia Harris.” Diana sighs, shoulders dropping. “I was hoping we’d have the same guide.”
“We can’t do everything together, you know,” I tease her, staying in my seat as everyone around us is jumping to their feet. I will be sitting right here until everyone else has cleared out. It might upset my guide and group, but I don’t care. “You’re welcome to go ahead. I’m just going to wait until people clear out.”
Diana looks torn, glancing over her shoulder at our suitemates, who are making their way to the aisle. “Are you sure? I don’t mind waiting.”
“I’m a big girl and have no problems waiting right here by myself. Go see if any of the girls have the same guide. If any of them have Brenden, have them let him know I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.” Diana hesitates again, waiting until I nod before she heads for the others. It’s not her fault I seem to have issues with crowds. I’m not going to hold her back because I have issues. I don’t think that’s the kind of person I am—or, at least, I hope it’s not.
When she reaches the girls, there are some cheers, telling me that at least some of them probably share a guide—lucky them.
It only takes about twenty minutes for most of the crowd to filter out, and I push to my feet as I check the time. It’s still before one o’clock, so at least I haven’t taken time away from anyone’s lunch. I follow the stragglers out of the auditorium and follow the map to my dot, which seems to be on the other side of the combat building. I pick up my pace and hurry around the corner, coming to a stop when I find only four people standing there.
“You must be Audrey,” one of the guys says as he steps forward with a grin on his lips. “I’m your guide, Brenden.”
His brown hair is a little too long and a mess atop his head, as if he’s been running his fingers through it. He’s taller than me, probably just under six feet. He’s slender and graceful. Both his nose and eyebrow are pierced—something I hadn’t realized was that hot until right now. His eyes are a beautiful honey brown that I can’t seem to look away from, as I nod like an idiot. Clearly, I really don’t have any game.
Shaking my head, I smile. “That’s me. Sorry. I’m not big on crowds, so I waited until it cleared out. I figured I’d be the last one to arrive.”
“You are,” one of the girls, the blonde, mutters with a glare.
Not understanding, I focus my attention back on Brenden. “Then why are there only four of you?”
“Because the other six candidates got to learn what it’s like to be at Scythe Academy,” Brenden says as his smile falls away. “Your time at the academy can be ended at any time for any reason.”
“Yeah, apparently complaining about being hungry is one of them,” the only guy mumbles, ducking his head when Brenden’s eyes land on him.
Brenden sucks on his teeth as he watches the other guy. When he runs his tongue over his incisor, I realize he’s a vampire. How cool.
“It seems to me that you also don’t want to continue your time as a reaper candidate, either.” Brenden’s smile turns wicked as he snaps his fingers. The guy’s eyes go wide before he just... disappears.
“What the fuck?” I jump back, looking around to figure out where the guy went.
Brenden chuckles. “You’ll get used to it. This is really the only time I get to use this power, but the professors use it all the time. His soul was sent to judgment. The guides are granted temporary access to the ability so that we can use it as needed.”
“And you just send his soul to be judged because he complained about being hungry?” I ask slowly, wanting to make sure I understand what exactly I’ve just gotten myself into.
Brenden shakes his head, grinning once more. “Not at all. I’m sure we’re all hungry. He and the others were sent to judgment because they were impatient and unwilling to wait for the final member of the group. Lunch doesn’t officially start until one o’clock, so it’s not like you were late.”
“You could have gone without me,” I say quietly, not liking that other people’s souls have been sent for judgment because of me. “I wasn’t planning to go into the dining hall, anyway. It’s just too crowded.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll happily run in and grab food for all of us. It’s a nice day out, anyway.” Brenden turns to the remaining two members of our group. “Does anyone have any allergies or anything?”
The two girls shake their heads and when he turns his attention to me, I do the same. His smile only grows as he winks before disappearing. Only I know he used his vampiric speed to disappear as the rush of wind gusts around me.
I turn back to the girls with a look of horror. “He really sent them to be judged because of me?”
The girl who hasn’t spoken shrugs, her blue hair fluttering in the sunlight. “Kind of? Three of them just tried to walk off, and it’s not like he didn’t warn them. All they had to do was keep their mouths shut and wait. It’s not that hard.”
“So it’s okay that he just killed them?” the other girl asks, an edge of hysteria to her words.
“Umm... you know we’re already dead, right?” the other girl asks with a laugh. “He couldn’t have killed them. He just sent their souls to be judged. You’re freaking out over nothing.”
The girl’s face turns bright red, and she looks like she’s building up to let out a scream when Brenden returns with two trays in his hand. “Everything okay?”
The blonde immediately collapses into herself, turning meek in an instant as she refuses to look in Brenden’s direction.
“Nah, I think we’re good,” the girl with the blue hair says, smirking. “By the way, my name is Yolanda. This is Harriet.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Brenden glances between the three of us before nodding his head toward the courtyard area. “Why don’t we find a table to sit at? We can chat for a bit, and then when we’re done, we can head out to meet your professors.”
“Sure. Want me to carry one of the trays?” I offer, already reaching for it, and Brenden shakes his head. With a shrug at Yolanda, the three of us follow him to the nearest table.
Brenden sits down on one side while Harriett quickly moves to the opposite side, as far from him as she can get. I bite back a laugh as my eyes fall on Yolanda, seeing her doing the same. She sits across from Brenden, leaving me to sit beside him.
“I got burgers and fries, as most people seem to like them.” He passes us each a plate and a bottle of water. “They do have sodas and things, but I wasn’t sure what everyone wanted.”
“This is great. Thanks, Brenden.” I shoot him a grin before biting into the burger, humming as it hits my tastebuds. “Damn, that’s a good burger.”
He laughs. “Yeah, that’s definitely one thing I can say for the dining hall—they have great food. We have one in our building that I usually hit up, so it’s not as busy. Since you’re not one for crowds, I’m happy for you to join me anytime you’d like, Audrey.”
“Really? I don’t even know what to say.” I frown, my stomach fluttering.
“Say yes, then I don’t have to eat by myself for every meal.” He laughs. “I’m still early enough in the training that people don’t want to make friends. Most of us keep to ourselves.”
“And you don’t care about that?” I ask, reaching down to snag a fry.
He shrugs. “I think life is very lonely when you have no one to spend it with. Our focus might be on making it through the program and becoming a reaper, but that doesn’t mean we can’t build relationships outside of that. Does it suck when someone just disappears without a word? Absolutely, but that’s what happens here. I don’t see the point in waiting until the final months to make friends. I miss the friends who didn’t make it, but eventually I have to befriend someone who’s going to make it, right?”
“I love the optimism,” I tell him with a laugh. “I’ve already made friends with my roommate. I’m not sure I’m one of those people who can just not make friends.”
A smile lights up his face. “See? I knew I was going to like you.”
“It’s just setting yourself up to get hurt,” Harriet grumbles, not even looking up from her food. “My roommate is already gone since they complained about not wanting to wait.”
Brenden hums, the smile falling from his face immediately. “Do you not like the way I’m doing things, Harriett?”
Her eyes go wide, head jerking up as she shakes her head. “That’s not what I said.”
“I don’t know,” Yolanda says slowly, a smirk forming on her lips. “Sounds like it to me.”
“No. That’s not it. I’m just saying that forming attachments here will only cause pain. I wasn’t saying not to do it, or complaining. It was just a comment. I should be able to say what I think without having to worry about being snapped away like we're in some movie.” Harriet’s face is bright red as she glares at Yolanda.
Brenden eyes her as he takes a bite of his burger. Once he’s swallowed it, he clucks his tongue. “That’s the thing about Scythe Academy, Harriet. Any of the professors can snap their fingers, and you’ll be gone without ever knowing why. There are too many candidates coming in daily. It’s just too competitive. You might not like what I did to your roommate and the others, but that’s my job today—not just to show you where your classes will be held or to meet your teachers. My job is to show you what being a student at Scythe Academy is really about, and this is a huge part of it.
“You don’t have to like it, but you have to accept it. You have to accept that being here tomorrow isn’t a given—that nothing here is guaranteed. It’s one hundred percent within my right as your guide to send you away right now, and with your attitude, it’s probably the best call.” He holds his hand up when she sputters at him. “I didn’t say I was going to. I said it would probably be best for you . I don’t think you have what it takes to make it as a reaper, but I’m not going to. I’m going to let you finish your lunch and join us on the tour. We’ll see if you make it through the rest of the day.”
I feel like I should be horrified by his words. He’s threatening to send her soul off to judgment because she’s complaining—something I still can’t get behind—but on the other hand? If this is how the school is run, then who am I to object? He’s right. I need to prepare myself for what’s coming.
It should also make me not want to be his friend with how he seems to switch so quickly from golden retriever energy to psycho energy, but, for some reason, I find it endearing. The way he speaks about it in such a matter-of-fact way makes me think he doesn’t necessarily enjoy it, but the look in his eyes says otherwise.
A shiver runs through me as I realize I’m attracted to this confusing man—to both sides of him. I don’t know what that says about me, but considering I don’t actually know much about myself from before, it’s an interesting thing to learn.
Deciding to focus on my lunch, I make quick work of it, as do the others, leaving us in a somewhat uncomfortable silence.
It’s definitely going to be an interesting day, that’s for sure.