Chapter Two
Bechora
My vision went black, and my stomach felt turned inside out. The strange man held onto my biceps as I stumbled forward and hunched over, dry heaving. My brain barely registered that we were standing on strangely colored grass instead of the gravel parking lot of Sinful Seduction.
“Just breathe,” the man grunted. “You’ll be fine. Portals take a little getting used to, but as long as you breathe, the strangeness you’re reacting to now will pass.”
“What the fuck,” I managed to get out between heaves.
The man didn’t answer, and I was tempted to aim for his expensive-looking shoes if I finally did vomit. Taking shallow breaths, I swallowed down the saliva pooling in my mouth as my stomach slowly began to settle. The stranger didn’t release his hold on my arm until I finally righted myself.
“What the hell did you do to me?” I demanded, whirling on him and jabbing his brick wall of a chest with my finger. I winced as my finger bent backward, instantly regretting the decision to poke the man.
“As I told you, I am your transport to Blackthorne Academy. Did you not read your welcome letter?” The man replied, frowning.
“That was a stupid theme party invitation!” I shrieked. “This is… You’ve kidnapped me!”
The strange man scrubbed a hand over his face in irritation.
“I assure you, Ms. Knight, the welcome letters from the Academy most certainly were not party invitations. We take educating the next generation of supernaturals quite seriously here. Now, if you don’t mind ceasing the dramatics, you have an orientation to attend. ”
He moved forward, crushing the odd orange grass underfoot and leaving me standing in stunned silence as he strode away.
Nothing about my surroundings was familiar, and I couldn’t understand how I’d been at work only moments before.
The longer I stood there, letting distance grow between me and the stranger, the more insistent the strange tug in my belly from the parking lot became.
It wasn’t long before I was chasing after him.
“You can’t just kidnap someone and then call them dramatic.” I huffed out between heavy breaths once I finally caught up to him. “Where the hell are we going, anyway?”
“As I said, Ms. Knight, you’re due for orientation. The Academy is just beyond those trees up ahead.”
I reached out and grabbed his arm, that strange jolt shooting through my hand again as I did. Jerking it back, I shook it out and scowled. “Hey, can you just... slow down. You’re fucking giant, and I’m practically running here to keep up with you, and I have questions.”
I could have sworn a muscle in his jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth, but he shortened his long strides so that I could finally walk at a normal pace.
“You’ll get all the answers you need at orientation, Ms. Knight,” he bit out as he scowled at me.
Deciding it was useless to press for more from Mr. Scowly, I followed him in silence as he led me down a dirt path through a copse of deciduous trees.
I allowed myself to marvel briefly at the strange coloring of their leaves.
Pinks and purples blended into more sedated reds and browns, with the occasional blue peeking out.
I was about to ask my grumpy escort how they managed to get the leaves such strange colors when a massive brick wall appeared, seemingly, out of nowhere.
We passed under a stone archway centered in the wall that looked straight out of the Middle Ages, and into a large courtyard brimming with activity.
Everywhere I looked, people were milling about.
Some of them were dressed in black slacks or skirts, with pressed white button-down shirts and a black tie.
Others were dressed more casually in outfits meant for weather ranging from the tropics to the Arctic.
Mr. Scowly drew to a stop just near a group of nervous-looking teens as I gawked at the surrounding people.
“You will follow the First Years to orientation. The instructors will get you settled from there.” He said, pointing at the nearby group.
“You can’t just kidnap me and then leave me here!” I whisper-shouted as he started to move through the crowd toward a nearby stone building.
“I’ve done my duty by escorting you here, Ms. Knight,” Mr. Scowly replied, grabbing my shoulders and turning me toward the group he’d singled out before and giving me a push. “I have other duties to attend to.”
I stumbled forward, colliding with a short, white-haired girl dressed in all black. Mumbling an apology, I looked back for the man who’d brought me here only to find he’d vanished.
“How do you know Professor Thrackborne?” a melodic voice spoke, calling my attention back to the goth girl with pale white hair.
“Professor who?” I asked.
“The dragon shifter you were just talking to.”
“Uh, he kind of kidnapped me from work and brought me here.” I deadpanned, not sure what to make of the girl.
She let out a tinkling laugh. “Human realm, right?” She asked, not bothering to wait for me to answer. “That’s okay; you can stick with me for orientation. My sister just graduated from here last year, so I’m pretty familiar with the campus.”
“Thanks, I think.” I frowned. “But would it be possible for you to tell me how to get back home?”
“First Years aren’t allowed off campus. I’m Shadrie, by the way,” she beamed, grabbing my arm and looping it through hers.
“I’m an ice mage. Do you know what you are yet?
If not, don’t worry. They’ll sort you out during orientation.
Not everyone manifests before the school’s magic enrolls you in the academy.
I only manifested a month ago. I was so sure I was going to be a dud because everyone else in my family manifested on their sixteenth birthday. ”
“A what? I’m sorry, but I’m not following anything you just said.”
“Oh, I suppose this would be pretty confusing if you just came from the human realm.” Shadrie frowned before dropping her voice to a whisper as she began to lead me across the courtyard.
“A dud is a supernatural that never manifests. When I didn’t manifest any abilities by my eighteenth birthday, I was pretty sure I was one.
Before I could pretend I was just a late bloomer, even though the rest of my family manifested at sixteen like clockwork.
But look at me now, just turned twenty-one, and I have ice magic! ”
I rubbed my eyes with my free hand before mumbling to myself. “Maybe Geordie was right, and I need more sleep. This has to be a fucking dream.”
Shadrie shot me a confused glance before tugging me into a building that looked like a massive cathedral with stained glass windows.
Hundreds of people were seated in long rows of pews, the sound of their conversations a dull roar to my ears.
The raised dais, where an altar should have been, sat three long tables with neatly stacked envelopes on them.
Three women and two men dressed in long robes stood before the tables, watching as the rest of the students filed in.
More people moved into the cathedral behind us and jostled me closer to the front just as a woman’s voice boomed out through the crowded room.
“Welcome, students,” she spoke as I looked around for the speakers that had to be there, making her voice echo over the crowd.
“Welcome to Blackthorne Academy. Today, we will sort you into your houses based on your magic. Those of you who have already manifested, please move to the tables in the left transept. Professors Griselda and Malgarn will provide you with your house and room assignments.”
“That’s my cue,” Shadrie smiled. “It was nice meeting you…”
“B,” I replied.
“B.” Her smile widened, and I wondered if I’d just made a mistake giving her my name. “Good luck!”
Shadrie gave me a small wave and disappeared into the crowd, moving to the left of the cathedral. The roar of conversation kicked up again briefly, and I was pushed closer to the dais as people moved around me.
“Now,” the woman’s voice called out again. “The rest of you will be tested and then given your house and room based on the magic revealed in our testing.” The din of excited voices kicked up again. “If you would please form orderly lines, we will begin.”
The crowd surged again, and I felt myself pushed forward, stumbling into the back of a thin boy. He turned toward me and reached out his hands to grab my shoulders and steady me. His light brown hair and round face reminded me of Geordie.
“You alright?” He asked, pushing up the black frames of his glasses before his hazel eyes scanned the crowd behind us. “Bit rowdy today.”
“I’m good. I should be asking if you’re okay since I fell into you and all.” I replied.
“Not your fault. My name is Miles, by the way.” He smiled.
“I’m B. Nice to meet you.” I paused for a moment, committing his name to memory. “Miles, huh. That’s the most normal-sounding name I’ve heard since I arrived.”
“I grew up in the human realm.” He shrugged. “My coven was thrilled when I got accepted to Blackthorne Academy.”
“The human realm? That’s the second time someone has said that to me. Do you know how to get out of here?” I asked, my voice harder than I intended, causing Miles to frown at me and shift from side to side in discomfort.
“First Years aren’t allowed to leave campus,” Miles said, moving forward with the crowd. “You need a special pass that they don’t give us until Second Year.”
“That can’t be legal.”