Page 6 of Cleo

“Thank you,” all four of us replied for two different reasons. Mine, to actually thank her, and theirs, for their warning instead of a punishment.

“Cleo, how about we walk you to your room and show you around a bit?” Jude offered.

“That sounds nice. I haven’t been past the lobby.”

When the woman at the desk called out my name, I got my things, including all the welcome packets. Rules. Student handbooks. Dorm key and my class schedule. The thing I hadn’t thought about was that I had exactly three outfits. The one on my body and two more. That, along with some meager travel personal care items, wouldn’t last me long.

When I walked back over, Pax took my bag from me and lifted it up and down a few times, cocking his head to the side. “I pack light,” I answered his unspoken question.

Chapter Six

Pax kept the frown on his face as he and the others showed me around campus. I should’ve said, around the expansive and tall building.

I gasped as the elevator doors shut. Immediately, I clapped my hand over my mouth, embarrassed at the attention I drew to myself.

“Are you scared of elevators?” Miles asked, leaning in. I smelled the cinnamon of his breath along with his scent, which was more of the same. Oak and cinnamon and maybe a touch of nutmeg. He was a warm drink I’d cuddle up with on a cold day.

“I’ve never been on one.” Another round of confused looks from the students around us.

“It’s going to be okay. You’ll get used to it.” Pax gently put his hand on the small of my back and pressed his warm palm against me. A wave of calm spread through my torso.

Pax was easily a foot taller than me. A soft smile took shape on his face when the elevator dinged, letting us know…something.

“This is you,” Pax said, low and slow, putting pressure on my back, but only the slightest bit.

“Oh, okay.” I stepped out and turned around to reach for my bag, but Pax moved it aside.

“We will see you all the way to your dorm if that’s okay, Cleo?” Jude asked.

I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself, determined not to do something silly as reaching for one of their hands or worse.

“Here we are,” Miles said, checking the number on the piece of paper I’d handed over once they decided to walk me to my room. Why I was so trusting of them, I didn’t know. My animalor my beast, whatever the magic that was inside me trusted them. She, as I called her, though there was more than that, found something in them immediately. A kinship. A soul-tie. Something I couldn’t explain…yet.

“Oh, I have the key.” I pulled it from my pocket and turned the knob. I felt such joy and freedom as I stepped into a room that was mine for the first time. Sure, I had my wing in the compound, but it wasn’t mine. Everything in there was picked out for me instead of me having my own things.

I felt a pang of guilt for even the few items of clothing I’d taken. I didn’t even like the style, but they were the only ones that seemed practical.

Everything was chosen for me.

Except this.

“Everything okay?” Jude asked, putting his hand on my shoulder. “You spaced for a minute.”

“It’s the first time I’ve had something of my own, that’s all. Wow, that was too much information, huh?” I tried to laugh it off, but no one joined in.

“This is it?” Pax asked, putting my bag on the desk.

“Yeah. Thank you. This is a great room.” It was smaller than my old one, of course, but it was a palace to me. It had one single bed and a desk with a lamp and a chair. A tiny closet and a bathroom all my own.

“I didn’t even know the academy had single rooms,” Miles said, opening the door to the closet all the way and looking inside. Checking for monsters?

I let out a breath. The bathroom had towels, thank goodness, and I would have to get some more clothes and personal items somehow. “Are we allowed to go into the city?”

Jude nodded. “Of course. Unless you’ve been put under restriction, you can go wherever you like. Is there something you need? Something we can help you with?”

“No. I’m fine for now, but thank you.”

Their smells mingling in this small room wound around me and strangely, not in the worst way, I wanted to bathe in their scents.

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