I felt at first a thrill of excitement. Then as I crossed the campus and made my way to Halewick House, my nerves began to fray. I looked down at my clothes. I was messy and covered in dirt from camping. I pulled a twig from my hair.
I reached the quad and noticed several stares. There were plenty of students I didn't know that cast curious glances on me. That was concerning. Did I look that bad?
Across the main center of campus, I saw a familiar face. I tried to hide, but it was too late. Aria was walking over to me. I had never had a particularly positive relationship with her, but after she blamed me for her mysterious illness last year, I hoped I"d never have to see her again. She smiled at me, and I could feel that she was turning on her charm. Her magic wrapped around me like a bittersweet tendril. I was not immune to her spell, but now I knew what it was. She wanted something.
"Hi there Esther," She beamed.
"Aria," I nodded in greeting.
"How was your summer," She asked, feigning pleasant conversation. I could see the gleam in her eyes.
"It was pleasant enough," I said. I had no intention of sharing the details of my two months spent in the Realm of the Wild Hunt with her. "And you?" I added.
"It was wonderful," She said, then she turned in for the kill. "So tell me, Esther," My name dripped from her tongue like too-sweet honey. "Is it true what they're saying?"
This was a surprise. What did she know? "Is what true?" I asked, sounding defensive. I cringed. Now she would think it was true, whatever it was.
"The word around the Academy is that you're some kind of Goddess?" She laughed. Even when she was trying to be charming, she couldn't hide the mean streak that ran through her. Her face held some kind of discomfort. Was it jealousy? Why shouldn't I be a goddess? I didn't have to hide anything from anyone if I didn't want to.
"Oh that," I said dismissively. "Yes, I suppose that is true," I said, feeling a sense of power for the first time in a while.
Her expression was stunned, and the glamour she was casting over herself dropped. She struggled for words, but I cut her off.
"I've got someplace to be, but it was good seeing you Aria." I laughed and walked away. I was lighter than I had been in ages. I'd never been the person to come up with the right words at the right time, but finally, I had gotten to have the final word. It felt good. It distracted me enough that by the time I got to Halewick House, I was no longer nervous.
I knocked on the door and Maeve answered, looking as ethereal as ever.
She called out excitedly to the others, before embracing me in a hug. Ligeia and Sybelle piled on. I spotted a tall girl with long black hair, standing in the kitchen. She was watching us silently, with deeply observant golden brown eyes. Sybelle was the first to step away and introduced the new roommate.
"Esther, this is Asira. She's in your old room now." She stated.
"Nice to meet you," I said. She studied me with intense focus. She seemed suspicious of me at first, but that wasn't surprising given the rumors that were going around. "I hope you've settled in," I added, trying to sound friendly.
"Thank you, I think I've managed so far." She said, her tone flat. I turned back toward the others, ready to change the subject.
"I came because I wanted to see if any of you were free to go on a hike with me? It's for an assignment of mine," I explained my task.
Ligeia was the first to speak, "Girl, you know I want to come with you." She said.
Sybelle and Maeve looked disappointed, and Maeve chimed in "I have class in a few minutes."
I had forgotten. I felt stupid that I had forgotten about classes. Of course, they had class. I apologized and Sybelle also declined my invitation. At least Ligeia was still coming. She had been my first friend at the Mage's Academy.
The campus was huge. There was so much more to the Academy than what I had dreamed of when I first arrived. Although it was strange that nobody had ever made a map of the school before. I mused. Perhaps they had and Lucian was making redo the work for practice. That seemed like something he would do.
Ligeia weaved her arm through mine and we were off. Much of the campus was already notated on my map, including the area where I was staying in the cottage and the ancient dormitory, I'd found. Now the next step was to head to an area of campus I'd been avoiding. The Lycans' Den.
"Too bad Sybelle couldn't have come with us," I joked, thinking of her steady boyfriend, a friendly if somewhat quite Lycan.
"What?" Ligeia feigned an indignant look. "You don't think I can take care of us?"
"I know that's not an issue," I laughed and we were back to the way things were before.
But then, Ligeia cocked her head and added, "Besides, they aren't together anymore."
"Oh," I was surprised. "I didn't realize..." How much had I missed? I felt bad that I hadn't been there for her.
"I think she's alright," Ligeia mused. "I have a suspicion that she's found someone else, but she won't tell me who it is."
"That's not like her," I added, but then again did I really know her anymore? "I guess everyone has their secrets."
"I guess so," Ligeia grinned turning to me. "How was your Summer?"
I groaned. She somehow always knew what I was hiding.
"It was good," I said slyly, but my blush gave me away.
"It was more than good wasn't it?" She asked knowingly.
I nodded and
