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Then I dry and change into jeans that are now too short and a cashmere jumper that I’m hoping will keep me warm in these airy old corridors.
Light spills in through the windows, a milky-orange dawn glow. I walk towards the window, realising this is my firstopportunity to see what’s beyond Castle Dracul in daylight. I swing open one of the lead windows and lean out into the crisp September air.
The first thing that hits my nose is sea salt. There’s an algae scent to the breeze that’s not unpleasant. In contrast to the quiet of my room, I hear the waves crashing against the rocks somewhere deep down. And, wow, we really are high up here. The ocean stretches out for miles. Blue sky travels up from the sea, all the way to the cloudy heavens above.
“This place is something else,” I murmur. Then I realise how much I keep talking to myself.
I’ve always talked to myself when I’m stressed, just chatting a lot in general, and it’s usually word salad that comes out of my mouth. But getting the thoughts out of my head has always come with its own relief.
No one should be telling me any secrets, that’s for sure.
Two short raps on my door pull me from the window. I’m pretty confident they came from the connecting door to Octavia’s quarters.
When I pull open the door, Octavia waits there with a smile. “Good. You’re up. It’s time for breakfast. I thought you might want to meet your new roommate, so I’ve asked Laila to go with you.” She gestures for me to step into her room, then we make our way into the stone hallway together. “Don’t worry about your things. I’ll have them moved into your new room.”
I can’t help but feel shy around her after hearing that conversation from last night. It’s clear the bedroom she put me in was enchanted to help me sleep, so I assume she thought I’d already fallen asleep by the time she spoke with her visitor. Ithink back to what I overheard, and my skin tingles when the wordroyalrolls through my mind. I suppose it’s all information I’m about to learn anyway. Except now I know Octavia pities me and that I could be in for a difficult time here because of something my family did. Something I know nothing about.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Octavia asks.
“A little overwhelmed,” I admit. “What with waking up in a new bed and everything.”
Walking through the castle this morning feels different. Last night, everything was still and silent, but today, I hear footsteps clattering in the distance. Soon, I’ll be stepping into a bustling school full of magical kids.
I’m not sure how well I’m going to cope with that.
“We need to get you a uniform,” she says. “But don’t worry. We have them made on the premises.”
I smile. “Okay.” Internally, I’m screaming. Idetestschool uniforms.
Someone who must be a teacher smiles and nods at Octavia as we walk past. He’s maybe thirtyish with dirty-blond hair and grey eyes. His gaze flicks over to me then skitters away. I can’t help but wonder if he’s the one who was talking to Octavia last night. The one who didn’t want me here.
Then we turn a corner, and I get my first glimpse of other academy pupils filtering out of their rooms. I’d expected to see dozens of other kids, but only five or six are out in the hall. I get a good look at the uniform, at least. The girls wear blazers and checked skirts, with the boys in blazers and black trousers. The blazers are red and the tartan skirts are a cute red-and-black pattern, which injects a little colour, at least. Ifeel like I just stepped intoClueless. Carrie and I loved that old movie.
“Oh, I stick out like a sore thumb,” I blurt out.
Octavia shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it. Most of the new students take a few days to adjust to the surroundings. Some have even had your issue about not growing up in a magical family.” She corrects herself. “Well, I know your family is traditionally a magical one, but you know what I mean.”
I nod.
Octavia then stops at the entrance of a grand hall. It’s like something out of Hogwarts, with long, mahogany tables stretching across the main area. Along one wall, there are two tables covered in pastries, juice, toast, cereals, and fruit. My mouth practically fills with saliva just looking at it.
Octavia calls over a girl with glossy black hair, introducing her as Laila. She’s tall—so far, everyone has been tall—but not thin like Octavia. Laila’s more Amazonian, with chocolate-brown eyes and well-developed calves.
“This is Kira,” Octavia says. “Could you look after her today?”
Laila looks at me. “Sure.” From her facial expression, she is not happy about babysitting me. But she obviously has to because the headmistress says so. As Octavia heads away, Laila flicks her shoulder-length hair away from her face and strides towards the tables.
Not knowing what else to do, I follow, practically skipping to keep up with her.
Once we get to the tables, she stops. “It’s a buffet,” she says, gesturing lazily. “Help yourself.”
“Okay,tha—”
But she’s already gone, sitting down alone and popping in her earbuds.
Wow, what a welcome.
I head over to the food and grab a plate and a couple of pastries. A group of students mills around me, but they don’t bother to introduce themselves. A boy with green eyes gives me a slight smile, but that’s it.
