Rooming with the Wicked

26 | team eleven

Standing in front of the mirror in our bathroom, I tightened my shiny, new textile armguards one last time. Jaydis had handed them to me just twenty minutes ago. They encased my forearms snugly, the metal on the outside light enough to ensure quick movements, yet hard enough to make me feel surprisingly protected.

I hadn't told him or the rest of the team, but this was the first genuine gift I'd received in ages, and despite it being for a specific purpose, it felt special.

The armguards complemented the rest of my outfit nicely too. Per Danox's advice, we were all to wear black or dark gray, comfortable but firm footwear—except for him, of course—and protective gloves. Apparently, some of the native plants in Ardua were worse than poison ivy. Lovely.

So, along with my favorite black running tights and sneakers, I opted for a charcoal-colored long-sleeved shirt and running gloves that I'd bought with the intent to start training, but then completely forgotten about. At least they'd come in handy now.

I tied the darkest hoodie I could find around my waist—navy blue would have to do—and once more adjusted my two Dutch braids. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't deny the excitement coursing through my entire being. After one last look in the mirror, I took a deep breath and made my way to the courtyard.

As it turned out, Capture the Flag was a much bigger deal than I could have ever imagined. Sure, I'd known it was a thing since I'd started my studies but having spent most of my free time at the library or with human roomies the past couple of years, I'd never been exposed to the hype of it all. And, boy, had I missed out.

The entire courtyard was crowded with students. Apart from a few lost-looking humans, they were all supernaturals. Most of the teams seemed to be sitting at or around the stone tables, but it was hard to tell due to the sheer number of bodies and the loud thrum of excited conversations all around.

What wasn't easy to miss was the gigantic sentinel positioned next to the iridescent glowing circle of crystals in the open space in front of the administrative building. A portal in the making.

Professor Renis and a group of students, likely the portal masters class, gathered around, talking amongst each other while adjusting crystals. Renis himself held the final missing piece; a glowing twin crystal.

It took me a solid five minutes to find the rest of my team, mainly because Kenas wasn't towering above those around him for once. For whatever reason he'd decided that sitting on the leafless grass next to the other three was a good idea. If it hadn't been for Jaydis's incessant waving from his spot on top of the table, it would have probably taken me a good while longer to find them.

I was used to seeing Danox wearing all black, everyone else, not so much. They kind of resembled a squad of misfit ninjas. Me included, of course.

Everyone except for Kenas and Danox had similar armguards. Danox had previously argued they would only slow him down in panther form and Kenas, well, thanks to his giant genes, his skin was thicker and harder and would provide him with enough protection in close combat. Instead, his torso was protected by a flexible-looking, tight-fitting garment. Like Jaydis and Haze, he too was wearing black cargo pants.

Jaydis looked like a shorter, darker version of Robin Hood. With a slim ebony bow over one shoulder and a quiver of the same color stuffed with about two dozen silver arrows, he sat atop the stone table, legs dangling back and forth rhythmically.

Haze was the only one who managed to look bored amongst all the excitement around him. Face as stoic as could be, he lounged on the bench, back against the tabletop and legs extended, combat boot-clad feet crossed leisurely. He exchanged a few words with Danox, but his expression never changed. Black suited him, that much was obvious.