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The male recruitment guide scowled beside her. “Hey,” he gutted out. “Not cool.” So he was a wolf, then. I wondered where Melody belonged. She was so lovely, I’d bet Angel.
“No offense, of course,” Wisteria said to him. “Just taxonomy.”
“She’s kind of rude,” Aubrey said to me.
“Kind of iconic, I think,” I responded. “Also, am I crazy, or do almost all house leaders have names that use alliteration with their houses?”
“You’re not crazy. It’s considered good luck, almost like a tradition. Especially with the women,” Aubrey told me.
“Are you gunning for Angel house, then?” I asked.
“Absolutely.” Her smile lit up her face. “We have to strategize, right?”
“I can definitely see it,” I told her. “You have angel energy.”
“Thank you!” she gushed.
Rose House resembled a greenhouse, all flowers and vines. Flower fragrance wafted from all angles, and relaxation flooded my blood. I loved vegetation. It made me feel like I was transported to my backyard at home, growing fruits and vegetables with my dad.
After the tours concluded, we divided into classrooms for interviews.
The conversations went by in such a blur it was hard to remember them. Unfortunately, most of them carried the same topics.
“What heritage do you have here?”
That was always the starter question. I knew exactly what they were looking for when they asked: “Yes!” an enthusiastic pledge always piped in. “My mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunts, cousins, and sisters all became sirens!” The active members, or actives, would excitedly nod along, listening to her laundry list of loyalty to one house. And then the active would turn to me, and I’d have nothing to say. Unless I was in Fae house, of course. But whenever I was stuck in a double interview with a double, triple, whatever level legacy? I was all but forgotten.
“My mother’s Fae. Father is a Houseless human engineer. Grandparents never went to a magic college.” That became my line.
The actives would scribble down notes, and the frantic questioning would continue.
“Do you plan on living in the house?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
Sophomores had the option of living off-campus, but they rarely did. Magic was better wielded on campus, and stronger bonds formed from living amongst your own kind.
“What’s your major?”
“Zoology of earthly and mythical creatures.”
That was why I brought my camera to campus. Thanks to my mythical family friend, I’d always been interested in animals that weren’t human. As a side quest, I wanted to make an encyclopedia of all the creatures out there someday.
“Why do you want to join our House?”
There came the hard question. I battled between answering honestly and telling them what they wanted to hear.
“I believe in the values of Fae House, including academics, cunning, and ambition. Given the privilege of joining, I will devote my life to becoming the best Fae I can be.”
On the inside, I didn’t know what I believed yet. But I knew that I wanted a community. And a new form of magic would swallow the dark shadows within. So, I’d work earnestly to prove myself in any situation I ended up in.
After finishing the same conversation five times, I was nearly freed from talking. My head pounded. I had an overwhelming urge to hide from humanity for a few hours, but I still had Rose House left.
“How’s it going, Housemaster extraordinaire?” Lukas’ voice chased after me before my last round. He was still in a swimsuit. I couldn’t help but giggle.
“Okay,” I answered. “I think I’m exhausted, though. They spent a lot of time asking about me, and I got little time to ask about what makes their House special.”
I only got the bare minimum. Fae couldn’t lie, but they were masters of deceit and cunning. Angels could fly, but not all the way to Heaven. Wolves were strong as a pack, though not alone. Vampires had super strength at the expense of drinking human blood. Sirens could sweet talk, but they were no stronger than a regular human—as evidenced by Lukas pulling my arm with all the strength of my youngest brother.
