Atlantis Academy: The First Element

CHAPTER FIVE

FAE's ridiculous green eyeball's peering down at me from a glass globe embedded in the ceiling.

Great.

Also... creepy.

"Everything's fine, FAE," I say lightly. Because... isn't it?

Why was I doom-spiraling?

I blew up a building, and they didn't kick me out. What's one spoiled ArchGuardian kid's tablet after that?

Laughter bubbles up my throat, and once I'm laughing, I can't stop.

Why am I letting Esme get to me?

Why am I even worried about the Trials... about proving I belong here? They put a magick-binding spell on me, and I used magick anyway.

Again.

"Whew!" I take another swig of water and wipe my mouth, feeling much better. I got this.

FAE blinks. "Do you require assistance?"

"I do, actually..." I smile up at her, trying to look charming. "Could you please deactivate Esme's keycard?"

"Absolutely not," she says tartly. "Do you require any other assistance?"

Well, it was worth a try. I squint up at FAE, trying to decide if I can trust her.

I mean, the answer's "no," right?

It's just that I have so many questions about The Atlantis Society and the Academy and Aether and the Trials... but Chloe warned me to keep my mouth shut, and I've already messed up by saying stuff to Esme.

My search history on FAE Google's probably visible to the higher-ups here, so I shouldn't take any risks.

"Well?" FAE asks.

"Do you know what time it is?" I ask. "And also... do you know when the opening ceremony starts?"

"It's 5:30. The opening ceremony begins at 7:00. There are one and a half hours until it begins."

"Can you set an alarm or something to help me make it to the Gathering Hall on time?"

There's a short pause, and I cringe. Oops. I shouldn't have treated her like an alarm clock. "FAE?"

"Would you like one alarm or several?" She sounds pleasant and not offended at all.

"Oh... I'd like several alarms. I'm always late."

"How long does it take for you to get ready?"

"I... have no idea." And I really don't. Because I can't feel time passing, like, at all. Thanks, ADHD.

"One hour is typical for females," FAE says.

"Sounds good to me."

"However, you should begin getting ready now, as you will have a fifteen minute walk to your destination."

My medication finally hits me, thank God, and everything seems to come into sharp focus. There's a new bounce in my step as I set off to find my room.

The bathroom's smaller than the one I had at the beach house, but it's still much nicer than the one I had in my burnt-to-the-ground house.

Sorry, house. Don't miss ya.

There are two bedrooms, and Esme's already claimed the bigger one—there's a pair of tennis shoes next to the king-size bed—so I haul my luggage and paper piles to the smaller room.

I'm smiling as I take it all in.

My room's got a queen-size bed with a fluffy white comforter, and there's a wide, intricately carved wooden chest against one wall, just like the chest I saw in Esme's room. The carvings make up a woodland scene, full of trees, ferns, and tiny woodland creatures. There's a bronze disc set into it—with that hieroglyphic eye again—and it's blinking red.