Finally Home
1576 Words
When Zuki got the all-clear, they headed back to class. Isa had no idea why she had said yes to his plan. She knew he was lying about something; it was in his nature to do so. The idea that she had slept with him still weirded her out.
Isa watched Zuki stroll over to his group of mentor friends and made her way back to her class. She had graduated a few years ago, and because she had nowhere else to go, she was required to train the new recruits. About halfway through the lesson, a strange, foreign smell hit her nose, pulling her attention away from the students. As she scanned the room, she noticed that no one else seemed to be reacting to it. Isa moved closer to the wall, confused.
The smell was unmistakable. It was human.
The Night Kingdoms were divided into thirteen regions, each ruled by a different monarch under the Dark Queen’s reign. Each kingdom kept strictly to their territory, and humans didn’t just wander into high-security royal academies on their own. Isa’s heart raced as she moved swiftly to the boundary wall, climbing it with practiced ease.
Peering down, Isa saw a little girl sitting within what seemed to be a salt circle.
"Hello, little girl."
The girl jumped at the sound of her voice, disrupting the salt circle. She quickly scrambled to her feet, pulling out a wooden stake and raising what looked like a silver cross in defense. Isa couldn't help but chuckle.
"Stay back, you vile beast!" the girl hissed, voice trembling with fear.
The sight was almost comical—except for the fact that the girl’s hands were shaking so violently, she could hardly hold the stake. Isa smirked. "Someone’s been reading too many vampire fairy tales."
With a quick leap, Isa dropped down in front of her. The girl squealed and scrambled backward, eyes wide with terror.
“What on Earth are you doing out here? How did you even get out here in the first place?” Isa asked, her voice sharper now.
“Please... don’t take me back inside.”
Isa stiffened, a cold shiver running down her spine at the girl’s desperate plea. A human. This was what the Headmistresses and the Crow had been fighting so hard to keep a secret? A human in the academy?
Ellie had every right to be suspicious, to think that Isa and Zuki were snooping. Holding a human—especially one who hadn’t been cleared for the feeding rooms—was a class-one offense. The punishment? A complete stripping of titles, lands, and any people under one’s command. It was a harsh punishment, but it kept everyone, especially the royals, in line—and it kept the humans safe.
Isa narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp as she moved toward the girl. The girl squealed again, and in that moment, Isa placed a firm hand over her mouth, silencing her frantic squealing.
The instant Isa's skin made contact with the human’s, an electric jolt coursed through her body. Her mind, for the first time in ages, felt... clear. No messy wires, no loopholes, no blockages. She felt lighter, almost more powerful. For a brief moment, everything clicked into place, as though some hidden part of herself had just come to life.
"You need to be quiet, or the Crow will find us," Isa whispered, her voice low but firm.
The girl nodded, her eyes wide with fear.
“Is someone out there?” she asked, voice barely a whisper.
The two froze at the sound of the Crow’s voice, booming from the distance. Isa pulled her hand from the girl’s mouth and swiftly picked her up, moving quietly away from the wall. Once she was sure they were out of range of the Crow’s gaze, Isa bolted deeper into the woods, finding a small cave to hide in.
Isa dropped the girl gently onto the ground, her mind racing. The clearheaded feeling she’d had moments ago was slipping away, replaced by the familiar weight of her thoughts and the tangled mess in her head.
They sat in silence for a while, Isa trying to figure out what her next move should be. She should call for Zuki. After all, this is what he had wanted. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Why did Zuki want this human? Or did he even know that the girl was human at all?
“What’s your name?” Isa finally asked, her voice breaking the silence.
The girl startled, clearly surprised that Isa had spoken. "Ava."
Isa hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Is that your real name?”
The girl’s eyes hardened a little, but she replied, “It’s the one my mother gave me at birth.”
Isa nodded. “Anna.”
The girl frowned. “Is that your real name?”
Isa turned away, staring out of the cave’s entrance. She hated the inability to lie, hated how this girl seemed to pull truth from her with ease. There was something unnerving about it. The plan was slipping away from her, her thoughts muddled. What had she meant to do? She couldn’t remember the details now, but she knew there was something—something important—that she needed to figure out.
“Where did you come from?” Isa asked, pulling her thoughts back into focus.
“I’m told I’m the child of two feeders. They’ve been moving me around the school ever since I learned to walk. I don’t ever want to be in the same room as the Crow again,” Anna replied, her voice tight with fear.
Isa chuckled, the sound bitter. “I don’t want to be in the same room as the Crow either. His feet... weird me out.”
Anna blinked at her, clearly not understanding the humor. Isa gave a dry laugh, but the weight of the situation hung over them both.
"If I untie you, will you promise not to run off or throw holy water at me?" Isa asked with a hint of exasperation.
Anna rolled her eyes but nodded. “Not like I have anywhere else to go.”
Isa sighed, cutting the ropes that bound Anna’s wrists. The girl muttered a quiet thanks and began rubbing at her raw wrists. Isa peeked out of the cave, but no one had come looking for them yet. It seemed like no one even realized they were gone.
“I need to head back,” Isa said after a long pause.
“You’re not leaving me here, are you?” Anna’s voice cracked with a mix of desperation and hope.
“Only until I bring someone back with me.”
“Not the Crow. I don’t want to be locked in a room forever.”
Isa rolled her eyes. “I’m not getting him, you silly girl. I’m getting someone I trust.”
Anna’s eyes brightened slightly as Isa ran back to the boundary wall. She scaled it with ease, moving swiftly through the combat grounds. The sun had risen a few hours ago, but most of the students should still be either asleep or pretending to be. She slipped into Zuki’s room, climbing through the window as quietly as she could.
Zuki looked up from his desk, startled. “What the hell are you doing?”
Isa rolled her eyes. “You know, you could try being less surprised when I pop in.”
Zuki pulled the dark curtains shut as the early morning light began to creep through the window. Isa stretched, feeling the soreness in her body from sitting in the cave for hours. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and sat down on the edge of his bed, her body aching.
“How long have you been in Austin’s body?” Isa asked, her voice a little too casual for the situation.
Zuki shrugged. “I don’t remember exactly when I came to this plane, but it’s been somewhere between six to nine years. Got so bored that I stopped keeping track.”
Isa stared at him for a moment, her stomach twisting. “So Austin’s never really been Austin since I got her?”
“That’s right.”
“Uh, I feel unclean.”
“Quit whining. I wasn’t related to that oaf you call grandfather, and if I had my way, you wouldn’t have ever been born in the first place.”
Isa grimaced, but she had no time to argue. “I have news, but I need to shower first. I reek.”
Zuki sighed but allowed her to pass into the bathroom. After a quick shower, Isa changed into fresh clothes and collapsed back onto Zuki’s bed, feeling a bit more human.
“So, news?” Zuki asked, not wasting any time.
“I found her... well, technically speaking, I found her.”
Zuki raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“The thing they’ve been moving around the school. It’s a pureblood human. Born from a night of passion between two feeders.”
Zuki’s expression darkened. “What’s so special about her?”
Isa hesitated. “I’m not sure how to explain it. But she’s so... pure. She undoes everything Charles ever did to me.”
Zuki stared at her for a moment, his eyes calculating. “Holy s**t. Where is she now?”
“Come, I’ll show you.”
- Writer
