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Tell me something I don’t know.I thought the words but didn’t dare say them out loud.
There were very few Kraken clans left in the world, and we were not well-loved by land dwellers. Instead of being recognized as protectors of the ocean, we were seen as man-killing, ship-sinking monsters.
Over the countless centuries, many a monster slayer had tried to make his name by killing members of my family. Heck, even the other magical beings saw Krakens as something to fear.
We could create whirlpools, tsunamis, waterspouts, and even hurricanes. And those things tended to be all that people remembered about us.
Never mind that we spent our lives trying to stop these disasters or that we tried to shield people from the brunt of the destruction and harm.
Nope. Everyone liked to focus on the damage wecoulddo if we wanted.
In fact, I’d been surprised when Headmistress Losia had written back with a letter of acceptance for Slaymore. More than one magical academy had refused my application, using the excuse of doing it ‘for the safety of the student body.’
Headmistress Losia must have guessed at what was going on in my mind. Leaning forward, she patted my arm.
“Every good fight is a hard one.” Her eyes held understanding and maybe a touch of sadness. “I know what it is to be where you are. And at Slaymore, we don’t discriminate againstanyone.”
I nodded. Losia was a dragon, another loathed race, and the path she’d forged had helped a lot of so-called monsters gain the rights of other paranormals. I could trust her to support me and keep my secrets.
“But there are some students who come from more… traditional families. We have a couple of slayers, a few descendants from the old heroes, that sort of thing. You’re listed in our database as a mermaid from outside one of the colonies, so no one will think it’s odd if they catch you going for a swim. I understand that you can keep your unique powers hidden?”
I held out my left arm, and she leaned in to examine the cuff. “It works everywhere, even in seawater.” There was no hiding the twinge of pride in my voice. I’d helped make it with our court armorer. “As long as I’m wearing it, I have to make the choice to release my tentacles.”
“Excellent.” Headmistress Losia turned back to her computer. “I’ll classify it as a medical aid in your file. That will allow you to wear the bracelet at all times, even during exams and events where normal enchanted jewelry is prohibited.”
Her fingers flew across her keyboard. When she finished typing, she took off her glasses and gave me a sharp look. “You do realize that keeping a secret of this nature will be daunting.”
“I won’t have a problem with it.” This wasn’t my first time visiting land, and all my life, I’d known we couldn’t reveal ourselves to anyone, either human or paranormal.
Sure, I hated it. I was proud to be a kraken, a shepherd of the sea. But I understood the necessity of keeping my secret. I’d attended too many Kraken burials not to.
“I hope not. However,shouldthe truth come out, as of this moment, you are an ambassador from the Bering Kraken clan. Any act of aggression against you is considered an act of aggression against the Bering paranormal community and the entire Kraken race.”
Sitting back in her chair, she opened a drawer and pulled out several papers. “Now. You’ll need a map, a room assignment, and your course list for the first semester.” Her brow lifted, and she pinned me with a sharp stare. “Are you sitting on coals, dear?”
I’d been shifting in my seat, antsy. Taking a deep breath, I smoothed my hands on my jeans and tried to appear confident, like the ambassador I now was. “Well, actually, I was wondering… someone said there were single rooms?”
“It’s our policy to give every first-year student a roommate,” Headmistress Losia said with a smile. “It can feel lonely, starting at the academy, where so many students know no one. We do keep single rooms on hand for people with special considerations, but I’m afraid we gave the last one away.”
“But the secretive nature of my race—” I tried.
Headmistress Losia slid her glasses down her nose. “You seemed confident you could keep that secret a few minutes ago.”
She had me there. Deciding whining about it wouldn’t get me anywhere since Losia seemed to dislike nonsense as much as I did. I pressed my lips together.
“Is that all?” she asked.
“Independent study,” I said quickly before I could lose my nerve. “I mean. I want to… I would like to follow a course of independent study.”
The headmistress was already shaking her head.
I licked my lips and tucked a strand of bright red hair behind my ear. “I have an optimal course list. I work well alone. You’ve seen my previous academic record—”
“You’re a gifted student, Seta,” Losia gently interrupted. “But life at Slaymore isn’t the same as life among tutors and waitstaff. The academy is designed to give you a valuable learning experience and important life experiences. I simply can’t let you take shortcuts with that. Should an individual professor grant you leave to study a subject independently, that’s one thing. But I can’t interfere with their courses.”
My own brow wrinkled. “You’re the headmistress. You can do whatever you want.”
Headmistress Losia laughed at that. “All right. Iwantyou to have the full Slaymore experience. A roommate, group learning, dormitory food and all.”
