Chapter 8 #3
She paused and looked at me, her eyes searching my face.
“You will find the answers you seek, Hannah. But what I can tell you is that, while House Phoenix is the strongest house, in many ways, it is also the most dangerous. We will have you with other students to learn, of course, but I think it’s best if we have a good amount of one-on-one time as well. ”
That was going to make sneaking around even more difficult, but I wasn’t in a position to pick nits. I was alive, and at this point, I was counting that as a win.
Cupping her hands in front of her, she continued on the path to the right.
“I will hold out hope that more of your own house will join you now that the gate has decided to open its arms to your kind again. For now, though, I will put you in one of the empty teacher’s cabins.
After a recent . . .” she looked away, pursing her lips before facing me again with a tight smile, “issue, I think the other students would feel . . .” Again, she trailed off, this time seeming frustrated.
It took me a moment to realize just why the other kids might be afraid of someone from House Phoenix. Nocta was House Phoenix.
I got the sense that this lady wasn’t used to being at a loss for words, and wasn’t a fan of the feeling, so I put her out of her misery.
“We don’t want to scare the other kids by making them sleep next to someone from the same house as Nocta, who murdered Doyen Elmwood two years ago,” I nodded.
“I get it. They don’t know me, and I’ve been marked as a wildcard. ”
Her voice was kinder than I would have expected from a Sage. “Thank you, Hannah, for understanding. I don’t think it will take long for them to accept you, and if no others arrive, we can move you into one of the other dorms.”
But, weirdly enough, there was a teeny, tiny part of me that suddenly felt raw.
The part that remembered being a teenage girl for real back at Neverthorn and being treated badly by the others because I couldn’t cast runes the way they did .
. . because I was different. Thalienne admitting that she wanted me in my own quarters until she could figure out if I played well with others – AKA, wasn’t a serial killer like Nocta – had exposed that nerve again, and I fucking hated it.
“Hey, I won’t have to share a bathroom, so you won’t hear me complaining,” I added with a laugh that sounded hollow even to my own ears.
Stop being a baby, Harlow. You’re not here to make friends. Find the coin. Find the Grym if you can. Learn what you can learn, that’s it.
Who gave a shit what any of these people – fucking teenagers – thought of me? I, along with my real housemates, was on task to save the world. If I didn’t get picked first for kickball, I was sure I’d survive.
We wove our way past the dorms for House Draconell, House Wolven, and House Unicorna. On the other side of the dorms were doyens’ cabins, mirroring the left side of the grounds.
“Here.” Thalienne lifted a hand and pointed to a cabin that looked not a lot different than Liam’s, right up against the wooden wall except that it was painted a deep navy blue.
“That will be yours for now. There is food out all day in the main hall of the castle, sandwiches, soups, fruit, and the like so people can graze when hunger drives them to eat. Dinner will be a sit-down affair at five bells, so we can assure that everyone is socializing and meeting students outside their dorms to some extent. Please go and put your things away and then head over to the western courtyard for your first lesson with Doyenne McCabe, which starts in one hour. You’ll find little boxes peppered around the grounds with maps that you are free to take, but you’ll head in that direction for McCabe’s class.
” She gestured to my left and then continued.
“New arrivals will start with a single class today, so they have time to unpack and get their bearings. Tomorrow, you’ll have a full schedule, that will include time with me.
Your evenings are your own, but feel free to make use of the practice spaces or libraries, et cetera. ”
Libraries. Plural.
Nice.
“Are we allowed to explore the grounds? And what time is curfew?”
“Curfew?” Her eyebrows climbed. “No, we don’t strip you of your free will here at Heathermoor, young one. If you decide to stay out too late to be alert and awake for your morning classes, that’s up to you. We trust our students to behave themselves or face the consequences.”
I paused and then took a breath. “What does my house motto mean?” Couldn’t hurt to try again. “Or is House Phoenix so scary you don’t want to tell me?”
Her eyes glittered and I was not sure if it was with magic or annoyance. “I am not scared of House Phoenix, Hannah. Best you remember that. Perhaps it is you who should be fearful, hmm?”
I pulled myself up and faced her square, feeling the challenge in her voice. “I’m not afraid either, Sage Thalienne. I’m ready to embrace who I am and learn.”
She studied me for a long while and then tipped her head. “Then we shall see how the flames of your house treat you. For not all within House Phoenix find their path. Not all live up to their motto. In fact, some allow it to destroy them.”
And with that she left me. Still with my unanswered question.
What the hell did luceo non uro mean?