“I’m from the woodland faeries. My family lives in Vermont. But I’ve only spent summers and Christmas there for the last few years. All faeries go to the Academy for Elementals in Denver when they turn 11 until they’re 20. Unless they get accepted to Animage Academy, of course. My three older siblings have already graduated. My two younger siblings are still there. I’m the only animage so far. Has your family always lived in New York?”
I was just about to answer her when Hudson appeared at our table. He looked as flustered as I felt. “Can I sit with you guys?”
“Yeah, of course,” I said, sliding over on the bench seat.
“Are you going to eat anything for dinner?” I asked. He didn’t have a tray.
“No,” he said. Gracie grabbed a toaster pastry from her tray and handed it to him on a napkin.
“Thanks,” he said. His eyes widened as he looked at the pile of toaster pastries stacked on her tray. “Like these, do you?”
“Love them,” she said. “We only eat what we grow at my house. Mom thinks it helps us be more in tune to nature and to our magic. Even the faerie school was mostly just fruits and vegetables, yuck. Give me junk food all day long.” I laughed as she started on her third pastry.
“You didn’t tell me your Dad was the dragon,” Hudson said. I barely contained a groan.
“Yep, that’s my father.”
“Not big on the family legacy?”
“Not really.”
“Totally get it,” he said. It made me curious about his family, but he didn’t offer any more information. “Don’t you have a brother?”
“What is this? 20 questions? Yes. He’s my twin. He didn’t get in.”
“Sorry,” Hudson said with his hands up in front of him. He was too easy going to be perturbed by my snappiness, though. “But if there’s a dragon in every generation, who’s going to be the next dragon?”
“How should I know? The dragon’s always been the oldest male in my family. Maybe there won’t be one this generation.” I shrugged and changed the subject to our classes the next day. Hudson was right, I didn’t like to talk about my family legacy.
Chapter Four
Without the familiar glare of my alarm clock on my nightstand, it took me a minute to acclimate myself when I woke up the next morning. The faint glow of morning peeked in from behind the curtains over my window. A red spark shot out of my finger as I mumbled a spell to light the candle next to my bed. It sparked when it hit the handle and consumed half of the wax in a small explosion. When I followed with a spell for water, a bucket’s worth came falling down. When it was over my nightstand and the floor around my bed was soaking wet.
“Huh, that’s new.” I fumbled with some matches in a drawer until I managed to get another candle lit without using magic. It was only 5 am. I rolled back onto my bed and debated trying to go back to sleep. A noise coming from the common room got me back up again. I grabbed the candle and opened my door a crack. The door to the hall was open and I could see the silhouette of a girl standing there.
“Hello?” I asked. I walked across the room to the coffee table and lit the lamp. The girl moved further into the room until she was visible in the light cast by the lamp. She was holding a tattered suitcase.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Did I wake you? I’m Willa. You must be Sophie.”
“No. I was already up. It’s nice to meet you. Are you just getting here?”
“Yeah, I… uh had some travel delays.”
“Well I’m glad you made it. Can I help you with anything?”
“No, that’s okay, this is all I have. Is this really our room?” She was looking around the huge room with wide eyes. “It’s like a fancy apartment.”
“Yeah,” I told her. “I was pretty amazed too. This is your bedroom.” I walked to the room beside mine and swung the door open for her. “I’m going to take a shower but let me know if you need anything while you’re getting settled.”
“Okay, thanks.”
I took my time getting ready. Even still, in the blink of an eye, it was time to put on my uniform for the first time. Like I was handling something fragile I pulled on the shirt and buttoned it up. Next was the skirt, then the tie. Soon I was dressed right down to the black socks and shoes. This was really happening. I was in the uniform. I was a student at Animage Academy. And I was going to prove to my father, and to everyone else, I belonged. The last thing I did was put on the necklace my father had given me.
When I came out of my room, I noticed Willa’s door was open. She was dressed in her uniform as well and was sitting on her bed, leaned back against the headboard with her eyes closed. I gently knocked on her door. She opened her eyes and smiled at me.
“Sorry, I just wanted to let you know I’m heading to get breakfast. Want to come?”
“Sure.” We grabbed our bags and headed toward the cafeteria.
“I guess you really haven’t had a chance to talk to anyone since you just got here, huh?” I asked as we walked.
“Not really,” she said. Willa’s conversational style seemed to be the opposite of Gracie’s.
“Well, I don’t know much, but I can tell you what I know so far.” Willa nodded, and I launched into everything I had learned since I arrived. I didn’t know a lot, but I knew enough to fill up the time it took us to walk from our dorm to the cafeteria. Willa didn’t say much, just nodded along and smiled anytime I tried to make a lame joke. I led her through the line. Willa was wide eyed as she looked around
