Chapter 8
Cool knuckles brushacross my cheek, rousing me from the nightmares plaguing me. Nightmares I’ve never had before, but they’re scary nonetheless.
“We’re here, cor meum.”
Nope. I shake my head, dislodging his hand. I refuse to open my eyes. Because then everything that’s happened so far will be real. And I don’t want it to be.
“Come on, sweetheart, open those pretty pink eyes for me.”
Gah. Why does the vampire have to be so damn sweet? His words alone make me want to open them, no matter how much I don’t want to.
“Please.” Are my ears deceiving me, or does it sound like Axel’s pouting?
Peeking an eye open, I find Axel leaning over the center console of his car, his knuckles once again brushing featherlight strokes across my cheek and an honest-to-god pout on his face.
“A big bad vampire should not be pouting. What would the humans say?” I mock-gasp, my heart pitter-pattering in my chest at the sight.
His chuckle, smooth as honey, echoes around the confines of the sports car. It’s a carefree sound, one I wouldn’t mind hearing over and over again.
“I wish we could stay here all day, but Jasper is waiting for us.” He nods toward the front of the vehicle, drawing my eyes in that direction.
“What. The. Fuck. Is that a fucking castle?”
Another one of those carefree laughs echoes around the car, but I’m too dumbstruck to acknowledge or even appreciate it.
I wasn’t lying when I said castle. There’s no denying what’s right in front of my eyes. It looks straight out of freaking medieval times, with a dark stone exterior, turrets, and a wooden door that could double as a drawbridge.
Scrambling to sit up, I growl in annoyance as my seatbelt locks in place, holding me hostage. Axel laughs, this deep throaty sound, but I ignore his giggling ass. Stupid vampire. My cheeks puff out with a huff as I unbuckle it, then press my face to the window, taking it all in.
Oh my God. Is that…
“Axel.” I reach back without looking, smacking the man sitting next to me. “Axel… is that… a fucking gargoyle?!”
“Mhmmm,” he hums, amusement in his tone.
Without a word, I fumble the door open and jump out, racing for the main entry. I’ve always wanted to see a gargoyle up close. They’re one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. And it’s not like this one will know I’m checking him out. He won’t shed his stone until the sun goes down, so hopefully, I’ll be tucked away by then.
“Wow,” I whisper in awe, circling the massive stone creature. He’s freaking huge. At least seven feet tall, with dark wings tucked into his back, a tail curled around his leg, and horns on top of his head. The stone itself is almost life-like even in his form, all the veins and dips and crannies of his muscles so freaking well-defined.
My fingers brush across the stone of his wings, and I jump back with a squeak. “Holy shit.” The damn things just twitched. No. No. I shake my head. That’s impossible. He’s freaking stone. It’s just my imagination playing with me. It’s been a long day already, so I’m going to chalk it up to that.
Circling back around, I take a step back and look up, up, up. My gaze snags on the spiffy three-piece suit he’s wearing. Weird. I thought they wore loincloths or something like that. Oh well.
“So freaking cool,” I murmur, wishing he was crouched down so I could get a closer look.
“Well, thank you, little one,” a deep gravelly voice answers back.
“What the fuck!” I screech, scurrying away as fast as I can. My back slams into a hard body, making me scream as arms wrap around my waist, holding me immobile. My fight instincts kick into overdrive, my limbs flailing in every direction to dislodge the hold.
“Breathe, cor meum.” Cool lips brush the shell of my ear.“That’s only Jasper, the headmaster. He plays this joke on every new student.”
“Wha–what?” I stutter, the fight fleeing from me instantly. Leaving me to feel like I weigh a million pounds as I sag in Axel’s arms.
“I’m sorry, little one. If I’d known you were skittish like a little kitten, I wouldn’t have done that,” Jasper—the freaking gargoyle headmaster—murmurs in that ‘I’ve been snacking on rocks’ voice. His wings flare out from his back, blocking the view of the castle as he eats up the distance between us.
Oh, hell no. Skittish freaking kitten?! Maybe it’s time for him to learn this so-called kitten has claws.
I disentangle myself from Axel’s arms, march right up to the overgrown rock bird, and jab my finger in his hard chest. “I am not a fucking kitten. I’m dangerous.” My words end in a growl that sounds pathetic, even to my own ears.
Jasper looks down at me from his towering height, then back at Axel before they both break out in fits of laughter. I can feel the rumbling sound shooting into my fingertip and shaking my entire body.
You know what? F-this noise. I’m out.
The laughing hyenas are too busy cackling to notice as I slip from between them and start marching back toward the car. This is all a freaking mistake. A nightmare. I’m going to wake up in my bed at any moment; I just know it.
A shadow blots out the sun before the earth shudders as Jasper drops down in front of me, halting my steps. His face is flushed as much as rock can be from laughing, but he’s schooled his expression once more like it was in his stone form.
“I’m sorry, Bailey. It’s been a tradition to do that since the veil fell. Will you give me another chance?” He holds out his massive hand, something akin to hope in his eyes. Green eyes. Just like I had before I went into the lagoon, but his are greener, closer to an emerald color whereas mine were more of a grassy hue.
Something deep inside me wants to trust him, give him another chance. But damn, if this is what I have to look forward to in the paranormal world, I don’t want to be here. I just want to go home. But no matter how much I wish this was a nightmare, I know it’s not. This is my reality now, and nothing is going to change it.
With a quick glance over my shoulder, I find Axel in the same spot, his hands tucked in his slack pockets, rocking on his heels. He gives me a small nod, telling me he heard what Jasper said. I’ve grown to partially trust Axel, even though he’s a supe. So, I can trust Jasper, too. Right?
“Fine,” I mutter, slapping my hand into his.
“Good, now hold on.”
“Wai—what?!” A scream peels from my lips as Jasper wraps a meaty, rock-hard arm around me and shoots into the air. Wind batters my face, making my eyes water as we gain altitude a fuckton quicker than a plane would. He shoots toward a balcony off the side of one of the turrets, leveling out quickly and landing smoothly.
The moment his feet touch the ground, I break from his hold and fall to my hands and knees, trying to keep the meager breakfast I had this morning from revolting.
“What the fuck, Jasper!” a new voice shouts before soothing circles are rubbed on my back as I continue to dry-heave. “You couldn’t have walked her up like the rest of the new students?”
“No.” One word. That’s it. No explanation why or anything.
“Why the fuck not?” Good question. One I’d love an answer to also. “Are you okay? Can I get you anything?” The heaves finally subside, and I sit up, falling back on my ass completely at the sight of the light blue Smurf in front of me. Only I don’t recall Smurfs having pointy ears. Or being bigger than the size of my hand from what the cartoon portrayed. He sucks in a sharp breath, then cocks his head to the side, white hair like mine brushing across his shoulders, and a lopsided smile lights up his face. “Hello.”
“Hi,” I squeak.
“Here, let me help.” He stands to his full height, then reaches a pale blue hand in my direction, not rushing me but allowing me to take my time to decide if I want his help or not. The question is, though, do I? Can I trust he’s not going to let me fall on my ass the second he helps me up?
Fuck. I never used to be so damn untrusting of people. Humans. So untrusting of humans. But these guys aren’t human. Neither are you, my mind unhelpfully reminds me.
Might as well try to put my trust in my own kind now, no matter how hard it is for me to do so.
Slowly slipping my hand in his, I’m surprised it’s so damn warm compared to the icy color of his flesh. He steadies me on my feet as crystal blue eyes pierce my soul. With careful steps, he walks me through the double doors of the balcony into a dimly lit room, even with the sun shining into the space. A mahogany desk and a giant brown leather chair take up a good portion of the area, with comfortable-looking tan wingback chairs in front of the desk and a flaming fireplace surrounded by copious bookshelves.
Right as the Smurf stranger gets me seated in one of the comfy chairs, the door to the office is thrown open, and Axel waltzes in like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
Stupid Dracula wannabe. What took his ass so damn long? Did he have to stop and smell the blood bags or some shit?
“Ahh, Thaddeus, glad you’re already here. I see you’ve met Bailey Matthews.”
“We haven’t been formally introduced, but yes, I guess you could say we’ve met.” That lopsided smile is back on his face as he gazes down at me, his hand resting on the back of the chair. “It’s nice to meet you, Bailey. I’m Thaddeus Winterton the third.” I snort at his name, quickly covering my mouth as my cheeks heat. “It’s okay. You’re not the first to laugh at it and won’t be the last.”
“I’m so sorry, that was rude of me. I didn’t mean to,” I mutter behind my hands. He tosses me a playful wink, making my shoulders relax a fraction.
A creak sounds in the room, pulling my gaze toward the desk. Jasper’s large form settles in his seat, his wings flared out on either side of the backrest. He steeples his stone fingers on the smooth mahogany surface as he pins me with his stare.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we? My name is Jasper Stonewell, and I’m the headmaster here at the academy.” I hold my hand up, stopping him.
“Stonewell? I thought this was Stonewell Academy, right, Axel?”
Jasper doesn’t give Axel a chance to reply; instead, he answers my question himself.
“That’s correct. Stonewell Academy was built by my grandfather, but at the time, it was our family home.”
“H-how? There’s no way.” I shake my head in disbelief. “How the heck did humans not see a castle owned by gargoyles?” It just doesn’t make any freaking sense.
“These grounds were hidden by the veil, just as we were. And when the veil shattered, all was revealed, including the castle. But that’s something you’ll learn more of later in your classes.” I flop back in my chair with a huff. This is freaking madness. He has to be pulling my arm. “Behind you is Thaddeus, he’s our portalling professor and one of the best researchers I’ve ever known. Which is part of the reason why he’s here.”
Thaddeus steps around my chair and leans against the desk next to Jasper. “I’ll be giving you a fae glamour to wear in order to hide your true heritage until you’re proficient in your abilities, and I’ll also be working with you on your runes—what they are, what they do, and how to use them.”
“Okay. But who all is going to know what I am? Axel,”—I toss my thumb over my shoulder—“said no one should know, and with you two, that now makes five, including myself.”
“Five?” Jasper asks, his stoney brows—or at least I think those are supposed to be freaking eyebrows—pinch together.
“Yeah, the guy from the test this morning. He seemed to know what I was, too. Or at least I think he did.”
Axel sits in the wingback chair next to me and places his cool palm on my leg. “It’ll be a need-to-know basis. Right now, the only people that need to know are the ones in this room and Luka from this morning. No one else, though. Jasper will make decisions as they come on if another one of your professors needs to know.”
“Okay,” I murmur. I can live with that. “What about my roommate? Will I have a roommate or a dorm mate? Am I going to have to wear the glamour twenty-four-seven?”
“We’ve made a decision on that also,” Jasper takes back over the conversation. “Normally, you’d be placed with others of your kind, but given the circumstances and the extra need for protection, we’re putting you in your own room.”
That definitely makes me happy. There’s no guarantee I’d even get along with a roommate or more than one, and I’d hate to constantly lie to them about what/who I am. It’s just another way to protect myself. Something I’m super thankful for.
“Okay. I’m on board with that. But I only have one more question. If someone asks, what do I tell them I am?”
Looks are shared between the three imposing men in the room. They thought of something, right? There has to be a supe that’s close to what I am. Human-looking but can do a bunch of things.
Thaddeus is the one to answer my question. “It’ll probably be best if we tell them you’re some type of hybrid. Like a shifter and a witch. That way when you attend witch classes there’s no question when you do the things being taught, and same goes for transmutation and you shifting into your animal.”
“Here.” Jasper rifles through a couple of papers on his desk before he presents me with a slip of parchment. “That’s your class schedule.”
I take it gingerly before sitting back and checking out what I’ll be learning during my first year at Stonewell.
Stonewell Academy Year One Schedule
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
History of Paranormals - 9:00 am - 10:25 am - Room 213
Spells and Potions 101 - 10:35 am - 12:00 pm - Room 121
Portalling 101 - 1:00 pm - 2:25 pm - Room 160
Transmutation - 2:35 pm - 4:00 pm - West field
Tuesdays Thursdays
Combat - 9:00 am - 10:25 am - Gymnasium
Latin 101 - 10:35 am - 12:00 pm - Room 204
Basic Elements - 1:00 pm - 2:25 pm - Room 100
Self-Study - 2:35 pm - 4:00 pm - Location of choice
*Breakfast will be served every day from 6:00 am until 8:45 am during the week.
Lunch will be served daily from noon until 1:00 pm.
Dinner will be served from 5:00 pm until 6:30 pm.
Snacks will be available at all hours in between.*
Everything seems pretty straightforward. I happen to like the idea of being able to sleep in every day. It won’t be until 10 a.m. like I’ve been used to for the past few years, but I can adapt. Easy peasy. There’s only one problem.
“Umm. So,”—I wave the schedule around—“I don’t know how you guys expect me to pass any of these classes when I don’t have magic. Or, well, don’t know how to use the magic. It’s basically setting me up to fail. And transmutation? Axel said I’ll be able to change into an animal, which I’m guessing is what this class is about, but how? I don’t even know what I’ll change into!” I throw my hands up in exasperation, my schedule crinkling in my fist.
“That’s where I come in,” Thaddeus murmurs, crouching down to my height next to my chair. “Since it’s Friday, we’ll work this weekend on some basics for the beginning of class. But first, I need to see what runes you have so I can catalog them and figure out which ones you’ve been given. Not all curiomancers have the same ones. Some have less, some have more. That’s how to tell?—”
“How powerful a curiomancer is.” Thaddeus nods at my words as that customary lopsided grin tilts his lips once more. “Axel did tell me that.”
“Do you know how many you have?”
I snort. “If I said it looks like a tattoo artist went hog-wild on my skin, does that answer your question?”
“What?” Axel exclaims, putting a short burst of speed, knocking Thaddeus on his ass as he takes his spot in front of me.
“You don’t know?” Jasper questions, jumping out of his chair—as quickly as something made of rock can—and helping Thaddeus to his feet before standing next to Axel.
“You act like I’ve seen her naked,” Axel snaps. “She’s been dressed like this since I picked her up. And Luka didn’t say shit when I talked to him earlier.”
Luka? That”s the second time that name has been mentioned. Could that be the guy from the lagoon this morning? The name definitely fits with the sexy man I met earlier.
“Well, don’t you think this is something we need to know?” Jasper’s angry words, though not aimed at me, are starting to piss me off. Hell, both of them are.
A pissed-off vampire and an equally pissed-off gargoyle both turn to me at the same time, pinning me with their blood-red and emerald-green stares.
“Show us,” Axel demands, without even saying please. Fucking Dracula asshole.
“No.” Screw that. I’m not getting freaking naked just so they can ogle the black marks decorating my body.
“Now, Bailey,” Axel grits out, his teeth clenched so damn hard, I swear I hear one of them crack.
Again. The bastard can’t even say please. I’d be much more hospitable to his requests if he wasn’t acting like such a dick right now. But hey, two can play at this game.
Jumping up from my chair, the guys barely have a chance to back up before I whip my charcoal hoodie and black t-shirt off in one go, standing before all three men in nothing but my sports bra, joggers, and Vans.
A few crass swear words echo around the office from the three of them, but it’s Axel that just has to open his damn mouth. “Jesus, Bailey, you just had to show us your arm. Put your clothes back on.” Axel might be telling me to put them on, but there’s no denying the heat simmering in his red gaze.
Just to be a brat, I raise a brow and spin in a circle, holding my arms out. When I make it back to face the three men again, I drop my hoodie on the chair and tuck my thumbs in the waistband of my joggers. “Is that enough, or do you want me to drop trou too?”
“Alright, everyone needs to chill. It’s okay, Bailey. We’ve seen more than enough, and we’ll figure it out. How about I walk you to your dorm room so you can relax for the rest of the night? I’ll get your glamour set up, answer any other questions you have, and then we’ll figure out where to start tomorrow.”
“That sounds fabulous.” Snatching up my hoodie and shirt, I slip past the guys, throwing my top back on and making sure my hair is hidden once more. I start toward the door, ready to get away from their prying eyes, even though I have no idea where I’m going.
“Wait, you’ll need this.” Jasper’s deep rumble stops me before I can grab the handle and leave. Glancing over my shoulder, Thaddeus snags a folder from Jasper and then follows behind me.
“I’ll see you later, cor meum. If you need anything, you have my number.” The vampire winks at me before turning to hold a quiet conversation with Jasper. Asshole. See if I need anything from him any time soon after demanding me to take my freaking clothes off.
The door clicks shut behind us, and Thaddeus jogs to catch up with me in the hall before passing the folder over to me. I flip it open to see what all it contains. There’s another copy of my schedule tucked inside, along with an ornate brass key taped to a room assignment page.
Bailey Matthews/Foss Room 580 East Faculty Wing
What the ever-loving fuck?
Why the hell am I rooming with the damn professors?!