BLOOD AND INK

Chapter three: Wyrmsbane Academy

The scratching came again.Three slow strokes against my door.I froze beside my desk, my fingers still hovering over the keyboard. I didn’t breathe for several seconds .I glanced at the clock on the table.

11:47 p.m.

My roommate hadn’t returned. Most of the students I’d seen earlier were probably asleep.So who was standing outside my door?And why did they know where I was?I closed the page I had opened on my laptop earlier and stood up while putting on my phone flashlight. There was another scratch this time except it was slower.

“Okay,” I whispered to myself. “You’re at a supernatural academy. You already saw a creepy message from an anonymous person who somehow knows your name. Obviously, opening the door at midnight is the smartest thing you could possibly do.”My sarcasm did nothing to calm me. As I reached for the handle the scratching stopped. I slowly opened the door to meet an empty hallway. almost closed the door when a piece of paper caught my eye. I crouched and picked it up.There were only five words written on it.

YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME.

I stared at the neat handwritten message.Someone was watching me.And somehow, they already knew what I had come here to do.

********

I barely slept.

By morning, I had manage to convince myself that the note was meant to scare me and it didn’t but I was lying to myself. But fear had never been enough to make me turn around except it made me more determined.

I dressed in my uniform, tucked the mysterious note into my notebook, and headed downstairs.Wyrmsbane looked completely different in daylight,in a beautiful way though.

Students filled the courtyard.

“New girl.”

I turned.A girl with short black hair was standing beside me and smiling at me.

She smiled.

“You’re Teressa, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Elena.”

She looked me over, then glanced toward the main building.

“You’re the scholarship student.”

I nodded.

“That makes sense.”

“What does?”

“You have the look.”

I frowned.

“What look?”

She shrugged.

“Like you don’t belong here.”

Before I could answer, she laughed.

“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

I wasn’t sure whether that was supposed to make me feel better.

“So,” she continued, “what house are you in?”

“I don’t know.”

Her smile disappeared.

“You don’t know?”

“I only arrived yesterday.”

“Right.”

She leaned closer.

“Who are you assigned to?”

I hesitated.

Then I said the name.

“Brandon Mystica.”

Elena’s expression changed immediately.It was subtle but I caught it.

“You’re tutoring Brandon?”

“Yes.”

She stared at me for a moment before she gave a small, almost pitying smile.

“Good luck.”

“Why?”

“You’ll need it.”

Before I could ask anything else, the bell rang and students began moving toward the building.Elena disappeared into the crowd.I watched her go.Another person who knew something about Brandon and didn’t want to explain. Just wonderful.

************

My first class was History of Supernatural Relations.The name alone sounded ridiculous.I walked into the classroom and stopped.The walls were covered with enormous paintings of werewolves,witches,hunters and humans. There was even one painting depicting what appeared to be a dragon.

I stared at it and astudent beside me noticed.

“That’s not a dragon.”

I looked at him.

“Then what is it?”

“A Drakon.”

“What’s the difference?”

He shrugged.

“Ask Professor Vale.”

Then he walked away.

I sighed.Maybe I really did look like I didn’t belong here.Professor Vale entered a few seconds later.She was a tall woman with silver-streaked hair and an expression that could probably make a room full of criminals confess.

“Sit.”

Everyone sat.

She placed a thick book on her desk.

“Wyrmsbane was founded after the Northern War,” she began. “It became neutral territory for supernatural clans and selected humans.”

My pen moved across the page.

“Humans were eventually selected to study here under strict conditions.”

I looked up.

Selected humans.

That phrase bothered me.Why were humans selected?And who selected them?

Professor Vale continued.

“Wyrmsbane’s purpose is not merely education. It is preservation.”

A student raised his hand.

“Preservation of what?”

Professor Vale looked at him.

“Peace.”

The room became quiet.

“Remember that,” she said. “Peace is fragile and it survives because certain truths remain buried.”

My pen stopped.Certain truths remain buried.For some reason, the words made my stomach tighten. Everything was starting to add up.

Certain truths remain buried.

Maybe it was nothing.Maybe I was seeing connections where there weren’t any.But I had learned something after Theo died.Coincidences had a way of becoming evidence when you looked closely enough.

********

By lunch, I had learned three things.First, the food at Wyrmsbane was surprisingly good.Second, everyone knew Brandon Mystica.Third, nobody wanted to tell me anything about him.

I carried my tray toward an empty table when a tall blond boy deliberately stepped in front of me.

He looked at my tray, then at me.

“You’re the human.”

I frowned.

“That’s usually how introductions work?”

A few people nearby laughed and his eyes narrowed.

“Careful.”

I smiled politely.

“I’ll try.”

He moved closer.

“You’re tutoring Brandon.”

“Yes.”

“You should reconsider.”

“Why?”

“Because Brandon doesn’t need a human following him around.”

I stared at him.

“I wasn’t aware tutoring involved following.”

He looked annoyed and that was exactly my aim. I picked up my tray and walked past him.

“Hey.”

I stopped.

“Stay away from him.”

I turned around.

“That’s the second warning I’ve received today.”

His expression hardened.

“Then maybe listen to this one.”

Before I could answer, someone spoke from behind him.

“Is there a problem?”

The entire table went quiet.I knew that voice. I turned to Brandon as he stood several feet away in his black uniform. His expression was unreadable as yesterday. His eyes moved from the boy to me.For a moment, neither of us spoke then his gaze dropped to my tray.

“You’re sitting here?”

I looked around.

“Apparently.”

He walked toward us which made the blond boy step aside immediately.Brandon stopped in front of me.

“You shouldn’t be talking to him.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“And you should?”

His jaw tightened.

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

I held his gaze.

“Funny.”

“What?”

“Everyone keeps saying that.”

He stared at me.

Then something strange happened.His eyes flickered and for less than a second, I thought I saw something almost silver in them then it disappeared and Brandon looked away.

“Your first tutoring session is tonight.”

I blinked.

“You’re actually showing up?”

“Don’t sound so disappointed.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You were.”

I watched as he walked away. The blond boy leaned toward me.

“You really don’t know who you’re dealing with, do you?”

I looked at him.

“No.”

He smiled.

“Then you’re about to find out.”

*********

The library was enormous.It had three floors, hundreds of shelves, and enough dust to convince me some of the books hadn’t been touched since the academy was founded.

I arrived ten minutes early and Brandon arrived twenty minutes late in all his glory.

He dropped into the chair opposite mine.

“You’re late.”

“I know.”

“You’re supposed to be learning.”

“I already know what I’m supposed to do.”

“Clearly.”

He looked at me.

“Do you always talk this much?”

“Do you always avoid answering questions?”

His eyes narrowed.

“What questions?”

I opened my notebook.

“Why do you hate humans?”

Silence.Then he laughed and I was certain It wasn’t a happy laugh.It was quiet,cold even.

“You really don’t know when to stop.”

“No.”

“That’s going to get you hurt.”

I held his gaze.

“Is that a threat?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“A warning.”

I leaned back.

“Everyone at this school loves warnings.”

Brandon’s expression changed.

“Who warned you?”

I didn’t answer.He studied my face.For some reason, I felt like he was trying to read something beneath my skin.Then his eyes fell on my notebook.

“What are you writing?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar and an annoying tutor.”

“I haven’t tutored you once.”

“Exactly.”

For the first time, the corner of his mouth lifted.It was barely there.But I saw it before it disappeared.He leaned forward.

“Let’s start.”

I opened my textbook.

For the next forty minutes, Brandon actually listened to me.He was annoyingly brilliant and it made me wonder what he needed a tutor for.

At one point, I asked him about the Mystica family and his hand stopped moving.Just great Tess.

“Why?”

“I’m curious.”

“Don’t be.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It is if you listen.”

I closed my notebook.

“Do you know anyone named Theo?”

The words came out before I could stop them and I watched Brandon freeze completely. As his eyes met mine, I saw something c***k through his expression. It was fear.

Then he stood abruptly.

“Tutoring’s over.”

“What?”

“I said we’re done.”

“Brandon—”

He walked away and I watched him disappear between the shelves.My heart hammered.He knew Theo and I was certain of it.