filled the sky as a violent wind ramped up.
I stood in a large field, the green grass swaying against the wind like waves on an ocean. My hair blew all around my face, shielding my view. A rumble of thunder roared across the sky, and the ground below me shook, almost knocking me off balance.
“Brie,” a soft voice called.
Spinning around, I desperately began looking around for the source of the voice. It was soft and seemed to caress my soul.
“Who is it?” I called, but received no response.
Suddenly, a harsh rain began to pour from the sky, pelting my skin and leaving red marks. As I cried out in pain, I began to run forward, but I had no idea where I was going. In the far distance, I could make out Woodsong Academy, but the more I ran, the farther the structure seemed to get.
“Brie,” the voice called out again.
“Help me. Where am I?” I screamed, but my voice was faded by the loud roars of the wind howling all around me.
I wished someone would come out here and find me. Surely, my absence at the academy would be noticed, right? As I continued to push forward, something kept holding me back. Was it the wind or some unknown force…I wasn’t sure.
“Brie, trust the magic and you will uncover all that you are meant to be,” the voice sang out.
I stopped running, my breaths coming out in harsh pants. The wind knocked me around as though I were nothing more than a piece of debris caught in the storm. No amount of screaming or pleading for help seemed to work. I was alone and no one was coming for me. And the worst part was that the voice that kept speaking in riddles, never showed her face.
“Stop! Why can’t you help me? I just want to go home,” I cried out, begging for this horrific moment to be over.
“Brie, trust the magic. It will guide you through all of your questions,” the voice said one last time.
A spark of lightning flashed across the sky, knocking me off my feet and onto the cold, wet ground.
***
I was awakened the next morning by a loud buzzing sound. Shooting up in bed, my body was soaked in sweat and I was struggling to catch my breath. It took me a moment to realize it had all been a dream– No, a nightmare. Calming my nerves, I seemed to relax as I reminded myself that I was safe inside. Well, that’s at least the excuse I told myself for now.
A shrieking noise suddenly went off, blaring throughout the room like a Siren. It seemed to be coming from overhead, like the fire alarms that I had heard in school before. I sat up, holding my hands to my ears as I quickly remembered where I was– The Woodsong Academy
Quickly, I threw the covers off of my body and jumped out of bed. This was the last thing I needed right now. I tore open my bedroom door and noticed I was the only girl freaking out. All the other girls were casually walking around as they began their day. Was I the only one hearing this incessant noise?
The wailing was causing my head to pound like a jackhammer was fighting my brain.
As I stood in complete shock, a sudden hand on my shoulder knocked me out of my daze. For a moment, I thought I might be in another nightmare, but this was too real and there was no fire or smoke-- the two things that always accompanied my dreams.
“Hey, new girl. The bell is our morning alarm,” a girl with long, brown hair stated. I had to look up to meet her eyes, as she stood much taller than me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“Follow me,” she said, leading the way. “Oh, by the way, I am Jade,” she introduced herself.
“Hi, Jade,” I said, awkwardly.
Finally, the bell stopped its incessant noise and my heart seemed to calm down a bit. “We all eat a light breakfast in our kitchen area,” the girl spoke, pointing to the small kitchen area I had seen on my tour earlier with Ace. “We only eat dinner in the main dining halls. You have thirty-minutes to get dressed in your school uniform, before we are all scheduled to be in class. I will show you where you can find shoes and toiletries,” she said, before extending her silver and emerald wings and flying into the other room.
I marveled at the sight. In all my life, I had never seen Fae wings in person. Sure, my mom would show me pictures from stories she would tell me, but none had ever been real and in person. I couldn’t wait until I could do that, too.
I followed her into another room that looked more like a small apartment. We moved past a large kitchen table and into a closet that was the size of my bedroom back at my Aunt Marie’s house. Inside, there were racks of black and gold uniforms hanging by size. To my right, I spotted floor-to-ceiling shelves with black Mary Jane’s and black flats. Finally, a small cupboard sat in the corner and when Jade opened it, I saw shampoos, soaps, lotions, and other feminine products I would need.
“Take what you need. This is all here for us to use,” Jade said, with a smile.
It was refreshing to have a friendly face. The last person who had helped me had been Ace, and he had been nothing short of a monster.
“Thank you, this is great,” I said, grabbing my sizes in a pair of black flats and then my shower products.
When I was finished, Jade led me back to the main room and showed me where to find the breakfast items.
“So, Ace is your guide?” Jade asked, as she poured us both a cup of coffee.
“Yeah,” I answered.
She let out a slight laugh. “Good luck with him. He is always in a bad mood. Other guys around here are much more charming and pleasant to be around,” she giggled.
Her comment reminded me of Finn and I felt myself blushing again. She was right about Ace, though, he was not a nice guy.
Somehow, I managed to eat a bowl of bran cereal and drink one cup of coffee before I went back to my room and opened the closet. Inside, were several silver and black shirts with matching emerald green and black skirts. I knew instantly this was my uniform. I guess when Ace said everything was taken care of, he wasn’t kidding. It seems like they knew my size already—which made sense since they had been preparing for my coming here all of my life.
***
I stepped out of my room sometime later. I swear, I had spent nearly thirty-minutes just staring at myself in the mirror: The clothes, the room, and the mood created by the entire atmosphere almost had me mesmerized.
I walked out of our common area and back into the main hall that separated the upstairs covens. To my surprise, Ace was standing along the balcony railing, looking out over the massive foyer and grand entrance to the Academy. His hair was in disarray; and as he ran a hand through his locks, I let out a slight sigh. Ugh, why did I just do that? I had never been the type of girl who was boy crazy, but Ace invoked strange emotions in me.
Turning, Ace seemed almost startled to see me standing there. Embarrassment flooded through me, and I felt like I might burst into flames and turn into a pile of ashes at his feet.
“Good morning,” Ace grumbled.
There he was, the grumpy protector.
“Morning,” I said, trying to will my face and nerves to settle down.
My southern drawl seemed to be intensified whenever I was nervous, and, right now, it was stronger than ever.
“I see you found your uniform ok,” he said, his eyes raking over my entire body. I watched as a blaze lit up his dark eyes and he bit his lip in angst.
Oh wow. That one single action just caused my knees to buckle and my body to heat up to the point I swear I was sweating. Ace can’t look at me like that. I can’t have whatever these feelings are growing for him. Not now. Not ever. Besides, if I were to be interested in anyone, it would be someone like Finn. At least he smiled.
“Yeah, you weren’t kidding when you said not to worry about anything when I asked about my personal items,” I said, mustering a small laugh.
Ace’s eyes were still locked on me, and slowly they trailed up to meet my eyes. “Yeah well, I guess we knew more about you than you thought,” he smirked.
“Seems like it,” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone. We stood like that for a few moments, and even when other students moved around us on their way to dinner, neither of us budged.
Breaking the awkward tension growing between us, I took another step forward. “Um, I think we should head down for orientation,” I said, trying to muster a smile.
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” he said, a little breathlessly.
He waved for me to go first, a true act of a southern gentleman. I walked past him; and as I began to descend down the grand staircase, I could feel Ace’s eyes on me like a laser. I had to carefully focus on each step I took, for fear that my legs might betray me. I mean, I didn’t really want to trip and tumble down the stairs in front of Ace right now.
When we reached the bottom, I continued walking toward the large entryway where I had entered last night.
“We need to go to the auditorium,” Ace instructed.
Following him, I fell in line with other students who were also heading that way and it was nice to know I wasn’t the only new student here, too. We walked inside a grand room with silver and purple curtains hanging along the walls. The Woodsong Academy crescent hung over the large stage where a podium was already set up.
I spotted an open seat and, to my disbelief, Ace sat next to me. I expected him to sit with the other protectors or even the professors; but instead, he chose to sit with me. I tried to brush off the idea as him just doing his job, but I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it meant something more.
No, it can’t.
The loud chatter of voices of students filled the room as I sat waiting for the orientation to begin. Ace sat beside me, scrolling through his cell phone and being silent. Finally, Electra stepped onto the stage and I was grateful that this awkward silence was going to end. Her heels clicked against the wooden floor and everyone around us quieted at the sight of her presence.
“Welcome students,” Electra announced. A bright spotlight shined onto her and made her look angelic. She was so beautiful, almost breathtaking. Her long, silky white gown made her look just like an angel from heaven. “We are pleased to have you joining us for the new semester here at Woodsong Academy. Each of you were chosen or accepted for admission based on your family lineage or the powers you exhibited at an early age,” she continued.
I couldn’t help but glance around at all of the faces who, like me, were in awe of Electra. My mind wondered who here had a mother or father who was Supernatural or who had powers already. Until recently, I always feared the stories my mom told me had all just been fiction. I envied those who had powers and had been able to understand what they were before coming here. This was all so overwhelming, but exciting at the same time. It had been far too long since I felt like I belonged or could relate to anyone else. Now, I was surrounded by an entire school filled with people just like me.
“Today, you will receive your course schedule and tomorrow, classes will begin. Your guides will help you navigate through the school, but it is imperative that you follow the rules set forth by Woodsong Academy. They are important for your survival,” Electra stated powerfully. Her tone caused me to sit up a little straighter. I felt that familiar tingle in my arms as I listened intently.
Ace sat rigidly next to me and I saw a tick of his jaw. “You need to listen carefully to this,” Ace whispered next to me.
My head shot over and I stared at him. Though, he had already turned his attention back to the stage. A group of professors were now walking onto the stage and standing behind Electra. Each one looked regal and sophisticated.
“First and foremost, you will never enter the woods that surround Woodsong Academy. Only the Wolves are permitted because that is where they feed. We have several new members to their pack and their hunger and hunting skills may not be able to stop them from killing someone who dares to enter the woods. Also, there are other creatures in the woods that are very dangerous and lethal. The Sirens and Mermaids in the waters within the woods will try and lure unsuspecting people into their layers. You are to ignore their songs. Next, you are only allowed in the designated student hallways and rooms. If a room is off limits, you are not to enter. Finally, as young students, we understand that romances may be on the horizon, but remember that relationships between the guides and other students are not allowed. If you have any questions about any of these rules or your course schedules, please let myself or one of the professors know,” she finished, waving behind her to the now smiling professors.
All I could think about was the last warning; students are not allowed to date the guides. I wondered what all of that was about, but by the look of annoyance on Ace’s face, now wasn’t the time to ask.
As the orientation ended, students began to stand up and leave. I waited for Ace before I dared to move. When he finally stood, I followed suit and we left the large auditorium.
Once we were back in the large foyer, Ace pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. “Here is your schedule. It is also being emailed to you as well. I will take you and show you where each of your classes will be. I hope you paid close attention to Electra’s speech,” he stated, handing me the schedule.
I pretended to read over the schedule as my cheeks warmed. I heard her warnings loud and clear.
“Yes, I understand everything,” I said flatly.
“Good,” Ace retorted. “Let’s begin your tour.” He walked off and I had no choice but to follow him.
We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the school and learning which hallways I was not to step foot in. It was all a lot of information and by the time dinner arrived, I was starving and ready for a mental break. Tomorrow, I would officially begin my journey as a Fae at Woodsong Academy. I hoped I was ready for what I was about to experience.