Page 32 of Faerie Marked

“The area is laid out pretty well. We have a map. And it’s not like we can get lost. The castle might be huge but at least there’s no reason to go outside.”

Better for me. Better to avoid the moonlight since I’d taken my first potion vial. It wasn’t a full moonyetbut I’d need to be cautious and find alternate routes for future moon cycles.

“I must be on your map too,” I joked with Mike, giving him a long look. “Because you keep finding me no matter where I wander.”

“You do tend to stand out. Not many people with this shade of hair. Makes you easy to spot.” Mike reached out and tugged on a corner of my braid. I almost sizzled at his nearness. “I’ll have to find you tomorrow to get your stuff out of my car.”

“What am I going to do until then?”

“Get a little sleep? I plan to pass out immediately. We don’t have anything on our schedule until luncheon, plenty of time for a few hours of shut eye. Then orientation in the afternoon.” He winked. “Here you are. Tamerlain.”

I stopped in front of a giant gray stone arch with a green-painted placard displaying the name of the dormitory in flowing script. “Already?” I’d been enjoying the walk and the company.

“Already. Have a good night, Tavi. I’ll see you soon. Try to get some sleep.” He inclined his head in goodbye.

“Thanks, Mike.”

I watched him leave for his own dormitory on the next floor, if I had to guess. I still didn’t know what kind of half-breed he was—why hadn’t I paid attention to his test results? —and he didn’t seem to be forthcoming with the information. I set my lips in a line. One of these days, I’d get to the bottom of it.

But I had a friend. I hugged the knowledge close to me, warmth spreading through my chest. I could use a friend in this place.

A gust of wind shook the eaves of the castle and echoed down the drafty hallways. Shivering, I pushed through into the dorm. Sleep, yes. Definitely next on the list of priorities.

The doors to Tamerlain Hall opened into a small common room with couches and a large fireplace housing roaring flames filling the space with warmth. Easing open a second door to the left, I walked into a square room bedecked in hues of red and orange and gold, lined with oak shelves like a library. Similar to being surrounded by an autumn wood. There was no hint of the dreary castle here. A low ceiling made the space cozy and intimate.

Each shelf, I now saw, was an alcove of bunk beds, giving the illusion of each girl having their own private space.

A long table sat beneath a window to the right of the long room, covered in books and writing utensils.

I squinted down at the paper in my hand and noted my assigned bunk number. So many, there were so many girls here. All half Fae and half human. My bed was the top bunk above a sleeping blond. Trying to be quiet, I crawled up the ladder and flopped down on soft sheets with my purse and papers and duffel next to me. The moment I went horizontal, the full weight of my exhaustion hit me. I yawned.

At least I had a change of clothes with me. Good enough to get me through a few hours of sleep without feeling like the living dead. And looking like it, too.

I tucked the bag near my head to keep my personal possessions close. I’d have to figure out where to store my things once the sun rose. When the room wasn’t dark.

Crawling beneath the covers, I drew them up to my chin wearing everything except my shoes. I was here.I’d made it. My heart seemed to calm at last.

And at once I realized how incredibly alone I truly was. I still had my phone in my pocket, and when I glanced at the lit screen, I saw I had full bars for service. But who would I text? I had not only walked away from Uncle William, I’d walked away from every aspect of pack life, including my friends. Everything and everyone I’d ever known.

Flash back to any normal day at home with Uncle Will and I’d be asleep now with the alarm set to wake me for my internship at the law firm. If I were home, I’d have a hot breakfast waiting for me, a smiling Cook telling me how she’d made my favorite waffles. I’d savor the pre-dawn moments listening to the chatter of birds outside my window.

Instead, this bedroom was far from silent, the beds filled to capacity, and a part of me missed the quiet hush.

I slept fitfully for the few hours before the rest of the girls woke with the sun. Soon the sounds of movement and whispered conversation were too great to ignore and I peeled my eyes open against a layer of grit and sleep.

Someone had thrown the curtains open and let the morning light filter inside. Someone I instantly wanted to strangle before I thought better of it.

I didn’t want to climb down. Not yet. I didn’t want to leave the solitude of my bed, and had to mentally slap myself to move. The girls were talking, laughing, as though they had already made friends and divided into groups.

How was it possible?

I sucked up any lingering fears and doubts, rising and stretching my arms above my head.

“About time you got up. What, do you think you can just sleep in while the rest of us are getting ready? There are places to be.”

Excuse me?

I frowned, craning my neck over the side of the bed to see the same blond girl from the bottom bunk. She stood in our alcove, with three other girls beside her that looked more like clones than separate beings. They were all tall, thin, with curves in the right places and near-identical heart-shaped faces. Even if I didn’t know anything about Fae, I would suspect something otherworldly about the three of them.

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