The Soul Thief

Chapter 3

I could see why they wouldn't include the whole 'graduate or die' thing in the opening spiel about joining the school but just a couple of hours later I was realising that surviving four years in this place was going to be much more challenging than I had thought. And I hadn't had particularly high hopes about my chances to start with.

After a whirlwind tour of the castlelike building, including a brief introduction of a magic map system which apparently took a dislike to me - because I laughed at the idea of a magic map - and would only direct me to the toilets, we headed to the dormitories.

Thankfully, it wasn't quite the Harry Potter four-to-a-room thing I had pictured, and we each had individual rooms. Mine was two doors down from Nancy so it was reassuring to know I wasn't surrounded by total strangers. In the short time I had known her I had decided I liked her, which was quite a compliment as I didn't just like anyone.

The room was just wide enough for a bed, desk and small wardrobe, not that I got to investigate further as Enzo insisted on dragging me to see another area before I could settle.

Like anywhere, you went there were going to be bullies, and I clocked my first set of them as soon as he led me into one of the common room spaces nearest my dormitory. It was a huge, airy space, decorated in varying shades of yellow and gold, with vast gauzy draped curtains and fancy oil paintings on every wall. The stern faces in those portraits looked disapprovingly over the surprisingly modern space.

In the centre was a circular fireplace which had a ball of fire hovering above it, like some sort of sun the rest of the room orbited round. Four deep mustard coloured sofas surrounded it and they spread out several smaller beanbags and tables to allow little groups to breakaway and chat privately. It was homely...in an expensive way. Bigger than anywhere I had ever lived before at least.

This was a tower specifically for witches and fae. Perhaps they had placed me here because they felt a human might be safer around these people. One look at the three near identically styled blondes narrowing their eyes at me told me they were very wrong.

"I'll grab us some drinks. Nancy will be here soon." Enzo said, making a beeline for the small kitchen style bit in the far corner.

I could have asked him to wait or gone with him. But I was never particularly good at picking the safest option. The girls watched him move away from me, eyes following him with undeniable interest.

I could agree that he was pretty nice to look at. If quietly brooding pretty boys were your thing. As he disappeared from view behind a cupboard door, I felt their eyes return to me and sighed internally.

They wore the same uniform as everyone else - including me thanks to Nancy tracking down the laundry room - yet somehow they looked more put together. Where my borrowed outfit hung off my frame, baggy around the waist and skirt rolled up twice to keep it from falling down, theirs looked tailored to their curves. Although the staff here had assured they would get some in my size delivered to my room, at the moment I looked like the poor relative with the hand-me-downs. I half wished I was still in my jeans and t-shirt. At least then I would be comfortable even as I stood out.

The girls' hair was perfectly styled, expensive jewellery glimmering from every available body part as they surveyed the room like they owned the place. Perhaps they did. I was acutely aware how little I knew about them and their world.

Other students actively avoided getting too close to them. Whether they already knew the girls were not something to mess with or just sensed it like me, there was a bubble of space around them no one dare penetrate.

"Wow, they really are letting anyone in now." the girl on the left laughed, tossing her hair, eyes on me as she spoke.

I looked back, allowing her to see the irritation in my eyes but didn't react. This wasn't my world, and I knew better than to pick battles with the unknown.