Fear, love... and betrayal; that's what I feel about my new life.
It's a life I never asked for, at least not like that.
I certainly dreamed of adventure, of escaping from my ordinary life, but nothing prepared me for what would happen when my norma...
Zach promised to come and get me at the Academy at around seven o'clock to give me a tour of Jézabel's stables. As promised, he's on time, seated proudly on the back of his motorcycle and offers me a helmet. I put on the helmet, too curious and excited to talk. I get on the small bike and hold on to him tightly while he gives me tour of the city in a silence that I appreciate.
I admire the grand architecture that surrounds us and I can't help but look at Lord Black's sumptuous mansion. Seeing his house brings back the haunting memories of our dance together. Why did he leave so suddenly? I will probably never find out since I won't be having an occasion to see him again. Zach makes a tight turn and drives toward a small hill. At its base there is an opening that looks like a tunnel and we stop a few feet from the entrance.
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A tall, strong-looking man stands a few feet away from us until he teleports to land at our sides a moment later.
"Hi, Zach, so you've brought someone to keep you company while you do your forced labor tonight?"
"Yes! Lou is new here and she wanted so see our little friends. Tell me, where were you last night? I suppose you heard that the chupacabra escaped and almost killed this young woman?" answers Zach, motioning to me.
"You mean you were the one who completely incinerated Chupa?"
Oh,oh! Now he looks furious.
"He was going to attack her, it was self-defense you know! And anyways, she's still learning to control her energy..."
"Ok, I get it. Go ahead. Anyways, I don't know how Chupa got away since I had only just repaired his enclosure. I'm really sorry, miss. It's just that Chupa was my favorite and keeping watch over his enclosure was my responsibility. I fell asleep, that never happens. I'm really sorry."
I can see he's bitter; he must really have loved the...thing.
"Don't worry, it wasn't your fault. It was a series of coincidences. I'm really sorry about what happened to your...animal."
He shrugs and sighs, then instantly appears on the top of the hill. Zach helps me off the motorcycle and guides me into the tunnel. The stench of the place is overwhelming. It's worse than a pigsty! Seeing my discomfort, Zach laughs and taps me on the back.
"You'll get used to it, the first time I came here I threw up on Bethany's lovely shoes. Believe me, you're doing better than I did."
"Just wait, I haven't actually taken a full breath since coming in, so watch out for your shoes! Is this what the man meant when he said you had to do your forced labor?"
"I feed the animals. Actually, I offered to do it; I'm really fascinated by these creatures and I see it as a privilege. Plus, we're not just talking chickens and pigs here, believe me!"
"Ok, show me, I want to see! But first tell me, are these all Jézabel's creatures?"
"In fact yes, they are. There used to be another owner who had her same gift, but he was killed during a troll chase in Ireland a few years ago. Jézabel is now the sole proprietor. She works with two other creature hunters, and of course there is the keeper who you saw earlier. Jézabel and Bethany come from a very well off family of enchanters and when their parents died during a battle against black enchanters, they inherited a lot of money. Bethany decided to renovate and take over the Academy while Jézabel opened her creature zoo. She has the largest collection in the world."
