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I brushed my hands through my hair. “It’s all so overwhelming.”
“I know it can be, but I’m sure you are going to make the right decision. If you are great at math, then dimensional manipulation is a great subject to take.”
“What is that?”
“You learn how to manipulate interior spaces and dimensions. Something might look small on the outside but could be big on the inside.”
I got what she was saying, and I had to admit, that sounded like something I could use in my future.
“Think about it, but I’m going to need your answer on those three subjects by tomorrow morning.”
“Okay.” I took the parchment from her.
We both got up and walked to her door.
“If you have more questions, ask. My door is always open.”
“Thank you, I will.”
She opened the door, and we stepped through the threshold onto the marble platform that led to the white stone steps.
“Healing magic is not a terrible choice for Spirit faes either. I remember the headaches, even if it happened a long time ago. The pounding is difficult to bear.”
My lips curved. “Thank you, Mrs. Beatty.”
“Call me Mavis.” She winked. “After all, our Spirit faes need to stick together.”
A skinny boy rounded the corner and rushed up the steps and came standing next to me. A sleek, stripy tail swayed behind him.
“A note from Hank,” the boy said, and Mrs. Beatty took it.
“Thank you, Trevor. Can you please show Sophie to Sovereign Reginald’s class?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” He saluted.
“That’s a good boy, now go.” She looked at me.
“Thanks for the help.” I ran to keep up with Trevor. He looked comical with his two front, prominent teeth, with the tail swinging behind him.
“I’m Sophie.” I reached out my hand to him.
He shook it fast. “Trevor.” He didn’t sound too enthusiastic about taking me to my class.
“Sorry that you won this duty.”
“It’s not that. It’s Sovereign Reginald. He can’t stand me and always humiliates me because of who my father is.”
“Your father?”
“A manticore that made his life a living hell.”
“You can point me in the class’s direction.”
“No, it’s divination. It’s tricky to get there.”
He walked faster as he looked at his watch and took the stairs to the foyer. He led me out the entrance that ended in the lanai with pillars and the decorated glass roof.
We took the steps to the left and entered the courtyard of the school, rushing in the tower’s direction.
The door was open now, and Trevor climbed the spiral staircase to the top of the tower. It had a dungeon feel to it, with the stuffy smell lingering in the narrow passageway, and the flat stone walls.
“So you are a manticore?” I knew he wasn’t, but I had to pretend that I didn’t see his tail, and I was dying to know what he was.
“You would think that, but no. With shifters, it’s not to say if your father is a manticore, you will be one too. I’m a drivine.”
The owl and hybrid image jumped into my head.
“Here you go. I’m sure Reginald will love you, being a Spirit fae and all.”
“Thank you, Trevor. Nice meeting you.” I smiled, and he rushed down the spiral staircase.
I was positive now that nobody else saw the ears and the tails. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
The class stopped when I entered. Sovereign Reginald wasn’t what I expected him to be, and neither was this class.
A pair of cargo pants hung from his hips, his blue and white shirt fringing the top of the pants. He had shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes that matched the color of the blue in his shirt. His nose was a bit too big for his face, but nobody could choose their features.
“Well, come in, or are you going to stand there the entire day?”
“Oh, sorry.” I walked fast to where he stood in front of a beautiful half-moon desk with decorative carvings on the bottom.
I handed him the slip that Mrs. Beatty gave me, and my eyes caught the giant glass orb resting on a brass ring behind him.
“Yeah, yeah.” He waved me away to sit down.
Brooke sat in the third row behind a long half-moon desk, waving at me. The space next to her was empty. I climbed the wooden steps and sat on the end behind the long desk that four other students shared.
She grabbed my necklace and smiled as she admired the stone in its steel cage.
A glass orb resting on a brass holder with claw feet sat in front of Brooke. Every single student in this class had a glass ball in front of them.
Madam Clementine, the gypsy at the carnival, reading fortunes inside a colorful tent, took up the space in my mind.
A book came out of nowhere and landed on my desk. I jumped, and Brooke snorted. “Expect that a lot today.”
The Sovereign carried on with his lecture as I paged through the book. I didn’t need the stupid orb to see the things that were going to happen.
The two dreams plagued me, too. What did the one with the phoenix mean? Was it a phoenix, or a phoenix griffin? How did the two dreams connect?
I pushed the dreams to the back of my mind as my eyes wandered. It didn’t fit with what Brooke had told me. She’d said this class was dark, or needed a dark environment. I didn’t feel like we were inside the tower at all.
It was light with wooden pillar walls. The top part of the window had a decorative brass design, running into five vertical lines, forming the lower part of the framework.
The delicately placed colored glass between the brass turned the windows into a masterpiece. A twin window stood right next to it.
Stone figureheads hung against each wooden pillar next to each window. The first one was the griffin, with its cat-like ears, then the frost eagle, and the manticore. Behind Sovereign Reginald, a green board filled the entire wall, and bookshelves lined the part above the board.
I turned around and found more glass bookshelves against the wall behind me, carrying more books.
Sovereign Reginald’s desk stood on a wooden platform, and the floor was a rose-pink marble with a green and gold star symbol. An antique brass ring chandelier hung from the roof. The room wasn’t big, but it was beautiful, like it jumped out of a storybook.
13
SOPHIE
Brooke swore she’d seen a butterfly fluttering inside the crystal ball. The revelation meant a change, but because she couldn’t tell Sovereign Reginald the color of her butterfly, he couldn’t say if it meant a wonderful change or an unwelcome one. A bell rang in the distance, and I followed Brooke to Sovereign Finley’s class. Students filled the hallways trying to get to their classes, and there were cat-ears and ram-horns everywhere.
The tails were harder to notice through the ocean of students.
Some of the cat-ears sniffed my hair as Brooke and I pushed through to get to Sovereign Finley’s class, which was in the opposite direction of the tower.
She said a quick goodbye and rushed further down the hall. I was one of the last ones that entered. I looked around as I waited for the Sovereign to come.
The walls were made of dark face bricks, and the desks were placed in a circle. There were three-tiered seating placed in half-moon formation.
The Sovereign’s desk faced the class.
On the walls, giant symbols glowed in bright colors, and the windows were in the same shape and form as the windows in the tower.
Students filled most of the tables, except for the one in the last row. Rows of glass cases with books lined the back.
Cali’s bright red hair grabbed my attention. She sat in the row opposite the Sovereign’s desk next to a girl with long blonde hair cascading behind her back with the bluest eyes.
I smiled at her, but the two of them glared at me. If I could trade legacies with her, I would.
The Sovereign came rushing through the door. She wore a long robe jacket over a pair of pants, and the top of a white blouse stuck out from a golden vest.
Her glasses rested on top of her nose, with a gray bun hanging loose behind her head. Her hair hung in messy strands, and to be honest, she looked kind of bizarre. I’d bet she was one of those people who was super-smart but noticed nothing around them.
She jumped as she saw me standing close to her desk. “Ah, the new Spirit fae, Sophia.”
“Sophie,” I corrected her.
“Sophia, please take a seat.” She ignored my correction and pointed to the only open table.
I climbed the steps and sat down in the empty chair.
The table had seen better days, and there were messages carved into the wood. The students with cat-ears all gawked at me. I pretended not to see them.
Leaves of paper flew around the class and landed on every table. Funny symbols mixed with math questions filled the paper. Math was my favorite subject, but the questions made no sense.
I did the mathematical parts of the equations, but the strange symbols behind some of them confused the crap out of me.
“Sorry, I’m late,” a guy said, and Cali shrieked.
A tall guy with dark blonde hair, almost brown, and sun-kissed skin walked in with his bag hanging from one shoulder, his hands in his pockets. A pair of cat-ears protruded from his gelled hair. His lips curved, showing a deep dimple on his left cheek. I didn’t like the slight change in my heartbeat that brought on heat waves.
From the way Cali shrieked and every single girl stared at him, I could only assume who that was—Chase Evans.
He walked straight in my direction. My heart pounded as he plopped into the chair next to me.
This was his table? I took a deep breath, hoping that Cali’s glare might be attached to this new revelation and not the Spirit thing. A powerful scent of something sweet with a musky undertone hit me full in the face.
The lecturer tutted and ordered the class to carry on with their quiz as a test fluttered in the air and landed in front of Chase.
He filled it in super-fast and put his pen down. A chuckle escaped his lips.
I took a deep breath, and his scent clouded my mind. My eyes flickered toward him and discovered that he was staring at me. “What?”
“The name is Chase.” He left out his hand for me to shake as his eyebrows furrowed, staring at the paper in front of me. “What are you trying to do?”
I eyed his outstretched hand and wondered if his touch would affect me the way his brother’s touch did.
I shook it, but there was no current or vibration at all. Maybe it was because it was the first time a magical being touched me. It had to be something as simple as that.
“Sophie, and I’m trying to fill in the questions for the test.”
His lips clamped tighter, looking nothing like his brother. Drake had different colored eyes and didn’t have the dimple. Well, he didn’t smile, so I didn’t know if he had a dimple. Drake’s face was more manly, too. Chase had a baby face.
I looked back at the questions on the paper and concentrated back on my test.
“You are trying to work it out? I’m impressed, Sophia.” He spoke my name with a slight mock to his tone. Did he hear what the teacher had called me? He wasn’t even in class? What if he owned enhanced hearing? Meaning all the cat-ears have enhanced hearing.
“It’s Sophie.” I corrected him with a slight tweak at the corner of my lips.
He chuckled again as he saw my answer.
My hand covered the paper.
“So, tell me, Sophie, what makes you tick?” he asked as I tried to fill in the following answer. Ignoring him would not be easy either, and I could see plenty of fire in my sudden future.
I took a huge breath. “We are busy with a test if you haven’t noticed. It’s not a social hour.”
“Don’t be a sourpuss. It’s an innocent question.”
“Shh.”
The twerk of his lips showed me he was enjoying every single moment. One of the other boys stared at me, and I had to suppress my laughter the way Chase bent over the table and looked at him.
I got what Brooke had meant with the horror that would unleash on me soon. The boy looked away when he saw Chase’s glare.
Oh man, I was going to deal with a Fire fae after this.
The test ended, and the papers lifted off our desks and landed on the Sovereign’s table.
The Sovereign looked at the paper that was on top of the pile and frowned. “Chase Evans?”
“Sov. Finley.” Chase smiled with his hand in the air. He was an Evans alright. They both possessed the dreamy appearance.
“What are you doing in my class?”
Laughter filled the air as I closed my eyes. He wasn’t even in this class?
“Oh.” He got up and skipped down the steps until he reached her desk. “I forgot. Here is my slip. New schedule.” His tone dripped with honey. She looked at him as he walked back. A grin formed on his lips that probably made every girl’s heart flutter. He even winked at the one girl in the row below.
He was such a flirt.
Sovereign Finley looked at his schedule. “Humph.”
He’d changed his classes because of me?
My head felt like exploding after the hour of mathemancy and the endless questions popping out of Chase’s lips. Chase was definitely different from Drake. He was quirky, and I couldn’t help but like him. The bell rang, and I walked to history class with Chase at my side.
“You have history too?” I asked.
“Yep,” he answered.
“Is it a new class for you or an old one?”
“Old one.”
“Hey, Sophie,” a boy with red hair and cat-ears greeted me.
Chase growled as I squinted at the boy.
This one didn’t back off. He winked at me, driving a warmth to my cheeks.
“Sorry about that,” Chase said. “If you haven’t noticed before, Spirit faes are like catnip to griffins.”
“So everyone tells me. Why is that, Chase?” I was dying to know his answer.
“They didn’t answer that one?”
“Nope. They just said that I was going to have plenty of unwanted admirers. So what is it about Spirit faes that pull griffins to us?”
“Relax, I already told them to give you space until you settled in.”
“What?” My eyes grew.
He showed me his palms as he found my answer somewhat funny. “It’s out of my control. You need to bond with a griffin,” he said, sounding as if he wasn’t one. “It’s not my fault that your destiny lies with one of these asses.” His dimple dented into his left cheek. I had the urge to poke it. Thank heavens I didn’t follow through.
“I thought it only happens when the headaches don’t go away.”
He shrugged. “You can read up about bonds in the library if you don’t believe me. Prepare yourself for what’s coming.”
I stopped myself from reminding him what he was. “Thanks for the warning.”
“You are welcome.”
“So, out of curiosity, how long am I stuck with you following me around?”
“Until you find your way around. You’ll beg me to come back when I’m gone. It’s a horror show when new meat enters through these doors. Just ask Brooke.”
“But Brooke has found her match.”
“Still, it was freaky.”
I remembered what Brooke had told me about her and Xander sneaking around. “Could that be the reason Cali is so obsessed with you?”
Chase laughed. “No, I’m afraid that is pure attraction. I’m not a match for Cali or anyone.”
“Oh, I see. You are one of those special types of griffins.”
“Yup, I’m waiting for my fire to turn up any day now.”
“Like your brother?”
He grunted. “Of course you met the ass already. Yes, we are the same. I’m just a late bloomer.”
“Okay, so what you are doing is sort of keeping the other griffins in line?”
“Yes, I’m not as pathetic as they are. You are the new lost one, and Mavis asked me to help you for the first few days.” He called her by her first name, too.
“How kind of her.”
We walked into the class.
Chase went to sit next to the griffin that greeted me in the hallway. They were friendly now.
I went to the Sovereign’s desk when Brooke waved at me. The seat next to hers was open again. I rushed to her table and plopped down next to her.
She shook with silent laughter as everyone with cat-ears—girls included—turned to look at us. I closed my eyes and sighed before opening them.
Brooke kept snorting to her palm.
“Yeah, you told me it was going to be a nightmare.”
“Oh, relax, it’s not so bad. The idiots will stop soon if you do not show any interest in any of them. The bond has to come naturally. They can’t force it. Besides, it’s not why I’m laughing.”
“Okay, why are you—?”
“Later, too many ears in this class.”
My gaze fluttered to the griffins. All their ears turned in our direction and I couldn’t help the feeling that they have enhanced hearing. I couldn’t wait to find out what Brooke knew.
14
SOPHIE
Gigantic maps and a glass showcase stood against the back wall. The giant golden plate with a hand reminded me of an old sundial, but something told me that wasn’t one. In another compartment sat a beautiful white misty bottle with red wax sealing the lid. The feather ring next to it gave off a creepy vibe. The other artifacts were too small for me to see what they were.
Shelves of books filled the opposite wall and behind the Sovereign’s desk. The windows were the same as all the other classes and the floor had Coat-of-Arms patterns printed in red on a pink tinted marble floor. Orange-red colored curtains draped the windows.
Sovereign Danish was the same guy last night at the ceremony.
History was always such a boring class to me. I was more of a look-to-the-future-type of girl.
