Greyfriars Academy

Chapter 1

I stood on the side of the street under my umbrella waving stupidly as all the cabs passed me by. Why did it have to be raining on today of all days, I thought to myself. I zipped my raincoat just a little tighter, and I ventured closer to the curb as an empty cab pulled in front of me. I closed my umbrella and put my luggage into the trunk. "Thank you so much," I said upon entering the back seat of the car. "Where to?" the older man driving the cab asked. We made eye contact through the rearview mirror and time stood still as I saw his life through his eyes. His deepest secrets, fears, loves, and losses hit me all at once taking my breath away. Tom eventually broke eye contact, and asked me again, "Miss, where can I take you?"

"Right, um, Greyfriar's Academy." Tom gave me an apprehensive look and I could sense his feeling of unease. He quickly checked his rear view mirror and pulled out into traffic. He actively avoided my gaze in the mirror, like he was ignoring me all together. I grabbed my headphones and turned on some music trying to drown out Tom's anxiety.

The cab ride had lasted over an hour; traffic out of New York City wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. We had finally made it off the interstate, and down a narrow, forested road. Fall in the city was a different experience than fall upstate. The rain stopped falling, and the sun began peeking through the clouds. The road was covered by a canopy of leaves in every color of a sunset; auburn, mahogany, and honey. I could see a clearing up ahead, and as we approached the school came into view.

The red brick stood in contrast to the fall trees surrounding it. The school stood 4 stories tall with two towers on either end, which I assumed was where the dormitories were located. As we pulled into the courtyard we maneuvered around a fountain with a large glass ball. Students were walking with backpacks and books as the semester had already begun. Tom stopped in front of the main entrance and popped the trunk. I paid my fare and thanked him for the ride. I barely shut the trunk before he sped off, leaving me to face the school alone.

I gathered my things and began walking through the courtyard taking note of my surroundings. More and more buildings came into view within the trees; a beautiful greenhouse with the most exotic plants I had ever seen, a planetarium with a tower that extended past the tree tops, and a library which looked to be over 200 years old. On the other side of campus were the academia buildings and what I assumed to be more dormitories.

I opened the front door to the school, and I was amazed when I walked in. A chandelier hung in the middle of the entryway between two staircases that led to the second floor. The walls covered in Academy memorabilia, from old photos and maps to feathers and gemstones. I walked between the two staircases and ended up in the dining hall, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the nearby lake. Luckily enough, the dining hall was empty; too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. I heard footsteps approaching from behind me, and I could tell Ms. Finch was expecting me.

"Ms. Montgomery, I'm pleased to see you have found your way to Greyfriars Academy. I trust your travel was pleasant?" Her sapphire eyes landed upon mine with intensity, but her thoughts did not mix with mine.

"Yes, it was an easy ride. Traffic from the city was light today." I met her gaze with the same intensity, looking for more, but falling short.

"Wonderful my dear. I am Lophora Finch, the Headmistress of Greyfriars Academy." Her long, brunette hair seemed to move with a breeze only she felt. Her emerald-colored dress was well fitted, hugging to every curve; she took pride in her appearance.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Finch."

"Please, call me Lophora. I am not old enough to be a Miss yet." She smiled, but her eyes told me that she's said that line one too many times. "Now, Ms. Montgomery, do you know why you're here?"

"I found the letter on my doorstep. It said I was expected on the 5th of October, at 11 am at this location."

"Yes, dear. But do you know why?" Her sapphire eyes found mine again, and yet I still came up empty, unable to gain access to her thoughts like I could with many others.

"No, I suppose not. My family doesn't come from money. I graduated high school with mostly B's. I went to 2 years of community college. Nothing about me stands out or separates me from the average person."

"Interesting. Tell me, Eloise, what do you know about this school exactly?"

Shamelessly, I had to look up Greyfriars Academy prior to coming, but their website and online forums all said the same thing. A private school for gifted students. "Well, I know it's a private school..."

Again, Lophora's sapphire eyes focused on mine and for a fraction of a second, my mind was flooded with images, emotions, and physical sensations that passed through me more intensely than I have ever experienced. I fell to my knees and she blinked and it was over. I focused on my breath trying to ground myself to the world around me.

"Eloise, what did you see? What did you feel?" She walked gracefully over to the wall of windows and looked down at the students by the lake.

"I don't know..." The only thing I knew was I had never felt like that before in my life. She had control over what I could see and feel and she knew it. So why the hell was she asking me what I felt when she already knew the answer. Lophora turned back to me, and I was unable to meet her eyes this time. I did not want to feel that again.

"Eloise, Greyfriars Academy is a powerful place. It is filled with both knowledge and powerful beings. It's best you hear it from me first, dear. You are gifted. You have the ability to infringe on the most intimate moments of a person's life." Students began to trickle into the dining hall for lunch. "Do you see Luke over there," she pointed "He's a warlock. And Charlotte," she gestured to the girl entering the hall, "She's a witch." Lophora turned and faced the kitchen, "and Silas, he's a werewolf. You see," she turned and met my eyes again. "All these students are gifted, Eloise. Including you. Greyfriars Academy is a school for the supernaturally gifted. You were invited here with hopes that you will be able to control your gifts and use them for the greater good."

I had known for some time that I did not fit the societal norms, but now I am supposed to believe in witches and werewolves? What the hell is going on. How did my parents not tell me this when they agreed to send me here? As more and more people entered the dining hall, it became harder and harder for me to tell their thoughts from my own. Lophora could tell I was becoming overwhelmed, "Follow me, dear, let's reconvene in my office. We have much to discuss." She turned on her heel, her emerald gown trailing behind her and I followed her to her office.