Chapter 11

Anila POV

My entire body stilled.

Months?

“And we don’t have an official class for that here. Most students came here fully prepared, with enough basic guidance from parents for the shift,” Professor Howl continued to explain, shaking his head, before turning his gaze to Xaden. “You know your responsibility now, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Xaden stated without hesitation, “I’ll get her prepared, and teach her well.” His forest-filled eyes found mine, and I felt the anxious fluttering in my chest start to settle, “She is in good hands.”

Before any more words were exchanged, Xaden’s hands squeezed my hand gently as he pulled me from the room.

We descended the steps in silence, returning to the long, familiar hallway that seemed to run throughout the entire school.

“So, can all shifters use magic?” I asked, curious about Professor Howl's words. I wondered how much magic I would have learned if my mom was still alive.

“Not really. Bear shifters and werewolves have magical abilities; however, they’re limited. So, we usually focus on physical training. There are other shifters at this school as well. I don’t know too much about them, but I doubt they use much magic too. However, shifters born from witches have magic a lot more magic.”

“And normal witches and wizards don’t shift?”

“They have no animal. They can pursue a more extensive study of magic and strategy. Some are like a jack of all trades, but the real impressive ones are the ones who develop one area and achieve significant potential.”

Xaden spoke about it all so casually, that I found it easy to listen to him and understand his words.

“So… What about the Dragon Masters?” I kept my voice low; the reactions of Principal Rapport and Professor Howl were significant proof to keep this subject on the down low.

Xaden tightened his jaw, guiding me towards the doorway that led outside.

“Dragon masters are… special. They are a variant, chosen either from wizards, or shifters, by dragons…”

My feet tangle within themselves, causing me to stumble at his words, “So, Dragons are actually real?”

Xaden chuckled lightly, his hand snaking around my waist to pull me close as we walked towards the archway that led straight to the castle just beyond the circle that made up the campus.

“Yes, They’re real, ancient, and powerful. Dragons offer human wizards a beast to assist in battles, and they provide shifters with additional magical energy, allowing them to learn more spells.”

My eyes widened.

“They sound incredible. So, why the reactions when mentioned?” I asked, peering up at him.

“They’re dangerous. Dragons are seductive and powerful creatures. They choose ambitious masters, which allows them to draw out the dark desires of human souls. They used to be locked up in the dungeons, for hundreds of years.”

“Oh…” I said, staring at my feet as we walked. “Are there any at this school?”

“There was an old dragon king who was a wizard at this school. He was chosen by a particularly powerful dragon, and their partnered ambition of uniting the world, and releasing all dragons became consuming. He established the entire clan of Dragon masters, and became recruiting students and assigning them dragons, all so he could achieve his goal.”

“Unity doesn’t sound so bad.” I countered, and Xaden gave a mirthless laugh with a shake of his head.

“I can see why you would think that, but his plan… was evil. And violent, and displacing so many… species. Werewolves, other shifters, wizards, and even humans. It was death dressed in a ‘noble goal’ so he could further his own agenda. He and his Dragon were killed in battle by the combined efforts of werewolves, bear-shifters, and wizards.” He paused and I could tell he was gathering his thoughts. “Many of our kind died, the previous principal of the school included.”

I was awestruck, what an in-depth piece of history that highlights the brutality, and fear, coming from Dragon Masters. No wonder they were so afraid my mother became one, or that I was one.

“What happened to them?”

“They got a new leader, Jaxon Develson. So far, he appears to be a peaceful man and is powerful enough to keep the clan in line. But there are rumors that he is violent and terrifying. Probably how he manages to keep such an ambitious lot on a short leash. We tried to negotiate with him to lock up all the dragons again, but he flat-out refused.”

“Makes sense, being locked up sucks,” I mumbled.

For a moment, I feared he would get angry with me. But he just frowned, sympathy in his eyes.

“Yes, having no freedom is awful. There is a lot of bad shit in the world that gets blamed on the Dragon Masters but, the evidence is lacking, so there isn’t much we can do about it.”

As we walked into the castle, my jaw dropped at how huge the place was. It was strange because as soon as we entered, it seemed as if the castle was split into many different sections. There were indoor balconies on each level, overlooking the front foyer of the castle.

The foyer reminded me of a hotel lobby with a community living space. There were couches, and a few tables where some students studied, worked, and socialized. There was a lobby desk with a couple of people standing behind it and answering questions.

There were also a couple of vending machines and a coffee station.

I certainly couldn’t miss the giant grand staircase that sat in the center of the lobby. I also heard the pinging of elevator doors, and I was relieved by that, not wanting to climb up more stairs. The spiral staircase that led to Professor Howl’s classroom was enough for me.

There were only a few students who occupied the lobby, and I admired their uniforms. It was obvious the school colors were blue, white, and gold. Students wore white collared shirts, with blue blazers. Men wore navy blue pants and women seemed to be wearing blue and white skirts. Gold stitches outlined the hems of the skirts and on the breast of the blazers had golden letters that read LA.

It was interesting because even though the uniforms were the same, they were all so different. Some skirts were longer, some were shorter. Some of the white collared shirts rested above the belly button and some weren’t. They were also decorated with different pins and stitched-in designs.

They were unique and I admired that.

Xaden walked toward the front desk area where a woman stood; when she saw us approaching, she offered a kind smile.

“You must be one of the new students,” she said, reaching her hand out to shake. “I’m Kendra. One of the dorm advisors. Can I have your name?”

She spoke quickly and I found it overwhelming, but I nodded,

“Anila Montgomery,” I answered.

She typed on her computer and her eyes narrowed.

“Looks like you are in my section,” she said with a fond smile. “It’s dormitory C. I’ll be your dorm advisor. If you have any questions, I’m here for you.”

She begins to stand.

“I’ll take you and get you settled…” she began to say.

“It’s okay. I’ll show her the way,” Xaden said, nodding to her as he pulled me along with him.

“It was nice to meet you,” I said over my shoulder.

“Oh, okay. Then, I will just catch you later!” she said in return.

We walked across the foyer until we went around the grand staircase. There sat the elevators. He pressed the up arrow and we waited for the doors to open. Once they were open, we stepped inside.

Instead of numbers like normal elevators, there were both letters and numbers. It was numbered from 1 to 10 and lettered from A to Z.

Xaden pressed the number C, and we moved up and then to my utter shock, which made me grab onto Xaden’s arm tightly, it started to move sideways.

To keep my mind off the strange movements of the elevator, I decided to ask more questions.

“Will my first shift hurt?”

I hated pain. I mean, who doesn’t, right? But I had hoped, with the still face of Xaden as he shifted before my eyes, that it was painless.

The deep frown creasing Xaden’s forehead told me it was wishful thinking.

“Yes.” His eyes found mine, his hand raised to my cheek as his thumb brushed against my skin, “But I will train you enough to block it out and make the process easier. It will be rigorous; I hope you’re ready.”

I leaned into his touch, basking in the warmth of his hand. I’m not ready, but I don’t have a choice in the matter.

Like a lot of things in my life, apparently.

The doors opened, and we stepped into what looked like a large living room. The floors were hardwood, but there was a giant rug in the center, and looked very soft. There were a few large couches in the room and reclining chairs with separate TVs and coffee tables.

There was a giant window with a nook on the far side of the room, overlooking the entire campus. The moonlight shined in through the window providing a little extra light.

Not that the room needed it; there was a big crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling which provided plenty of light. There were bookshelves and tables, and through an open archway, I saw a small kitchen.

On the far side of the room, I saw a spiral staircase and I wondered if that led to the dorm rooms.

Xaden walked over to a large screen that seemed to be built into the wall near the elevator door.

He typed my name into the search bar and soon the screen shifted, showing my name, my face, and what room I would be residing in, ’15.’

Just below it was another name and face, ‘Penny’.

“Is she my roommate?” I don’t stop the excited lilt in my voice. Xaden simply nodded, leading me toward the staircase.

We walked up the stairs and entered a giant hallway with a ton of other doors. We walked until we reached the door with the number 15 on it.

“How many other rooms are there?” I asked, glancing at the doors and the corresponding numbers.

“There’s 20 rooms in each section, not including the Dorm Advisor’s room which is located downstairs through the kitchen.”

“The door only opens for you, your roommate, and your dorm advisor,” he explained. “Oh, and Principal Rapport, along with emergency services. It’s enchanted that way for your safety and privacy.”

I nodded, amazed by that, as I reached past him and grabbed the doorknob, I turned it and pushed the thick oak door open, revealing a very spacious room. It was equipped with a couch and TV along with a couple of desks, a washer, and dryer area, and a huge window with flowing white curtains that expanded to the ground.

There was also a dining table with a smaller chandelier hanging over it.

There were two doors on either side that I was assuming led to the bedrooms and another door that was already open. Peeking inside, I saw that it was a bathroom.

Xaden tilted his head up, taking a few quick sniffs.

“Seems your roommate isn’t here right now. But she was. She must have gotten in today as well.” His gaze dropped back to me, his smile warm. “You should get some rest. You’ll see in your closet and drawers that they stocked you with school uniforms, generic undergarments, and pajamas. Orientation is tomorrow night, but I want us to get some training in for your first shift.”

I nodded as he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine.

Maybe because of our so-called mate bond, even a short kiss like this could melt me.

“I’ll collect you for dinner at 5,” he said as he turned toward the door.

“AM?” I asked, stunned.

He grinned.

“Welcome to your new life, Anila.”