Page 4 of The Cursed Fae

There were a few snickers, which Morgan silenced with a glare as she ushered me inside.

“Sorry about them.” She sighed and began peeling off her stylish gloves. “My guess is that was Tina; she's a water fae. Don't take it too personally. She would've been just as happy to see me fall as you.”

Morgan nodded toward the right.

“This is Maven Hall. East Wing, three floors—that's where most of your basic intro classes will be.” She cocked a thumb to the left. “West Wing is the dining hall, main lounge, and dorms. North Wing is mostly administrative on the first floor, including the Chancellor's office. Don't feel overwhelmed with trying to memorize the layout, though. It's my job to get you where you need to go on time.”

She led me down a hall with portraits, and I noticed that some of the bronze plaques bore my own last name. There was a trophy case that boasted a handful of championships in the state collegiate spelling bee, a silver medal for academic decathlon, and a slew of gold medals in sports ranging from rowing to football.

“Do you know your dorm room assignment yet?” Morgan asked.

I reached inside the pocket of my parka. “Um, yeah. I'm in D-313. Looks like my roommate is Kristina.”

As soon as I read the name aloud, my stomach sank. Unless there was another girl named Tina, I'd already made an enemy of my roommate. Awesome. Just freaking awesome.

“Oh, I see.” Morgan's tone had a noticeable bite.

“I guess I know why she doesn't have a roommate a week into term,” I joked.

Morgan didn't laugh.

Worried I had offended her somehow, I tried to backpedal and ended up rambling. “I'm sure she's great once you get to know her. Everyone has at least one excellent quality, right? I can be pretty bitchy sometimes too.”

“It's not that,” Morgan snapped, but then she caught herself. “I'm sorry. It has nothing to do with Tina. I just didn't know they assigned her a new roommate. That's all.”

It was an odd thing to get worked up about, but I let the subject drop.

We stopped at the end of the hallway in front of double doors with Chancellor Keene engraved on a plaque above them. I looked down at my room assignment form—same last name. So Tina hated me, we were living together, and her father was the head of the campus. The day was off to a banner start.

The doors popped open before Morgan touched them. My first thought was magic. Then I saw a guy with tousled hair, light gray eyes, and a scowl on his lips coming out of the office. He glanced from me to Morgan, and his frown flipped upside down.

“Hey, cuz.”

She gave him a tight smile. “Hi, Laz.”

“What's wrong with you?” He laughed. “You look like someone killed your cat.”

He brushed past us, twisted, and started walking backward. Though his gaze was on me, his words were for Morgan. “Heads up, the old man is in a mood.” Laz turned and strode away without another glance.

“I heard that,” a deep voice said from inside.

“Just speaking the truth,” Laz volleyed from halfway down the hall.

Morgan nudged me forward. I entered the chancellor's office to find a lean man sitting behind an impossibly tidy desk. He stood, rising to well over six-feet tall. His suit was navy with thin pinstripes, paired with a silver and paisley tie. The cufflinks on his wrists were sapphires set in platinum, and the signet ring on his right hand gleamed enough to see my reflection.

“Winter Sable, I'm John Keene. It is wonderful to have you at Arcane University. Your mother and I were good friends during our time here.” He gestured to the two chairs opposite him. “Please have a seat.”

So this was John. The person Mom had mentioned in the car. Interesting.

“I see my niece found you.” Chancellor Keene smiled at Morgan. “I know she will do everything in her power to make you feel welcome. We are only one week into term, so you shouldn't have any trouble catching up.” He eased back down in his chair. “We require all first-year students take a qualifier exam to gauge your magical abilities and aptitude for specific elements. I have spoken with your mother, and she informed me you have shown proficiency in both water and fire. Is that right?”

I nodded dutifully and said, “Yes, sir.”

“Very well. Mrs. Canterwald will administer the test later today. Now, I want to assure you that many of our students come to us under similar circumstances.” He flashed me two rows of bright white teeth.

I narrowed my eyes. “I'm sorry? What circumstances?”

The chancellor gave a short bark of laughter that made my jaw clench. “There is no need to be coy, Winter. You are among family, now. I understand your abilities are rudimentary, but give it a few weeks with our instructors and I bet you will prove just as strong as that firecracker great-grandmother of yours.”

---