Page 13 of Shattered Illusion

The moment his feet touch the ground, I break from his hold and fall to my hands and knees, trying to keep the meager breakfast I had this morning from revolting.

“What the fuck, Jasper!” a new voice shouts before soothing circles are rubbed on my back as I continue to dry-heave. “You couldn’t have walked her up like the rest of the new students?”

“No.” One word. That’s it. No explanation why or anything.

“Why the fuck not?” Good question. One I’d love an answer to also. “Are you okay? Can I get you anything?” The heaves finally subside, and I sit up, falling back on my ass completely at the sight of the light blue Smurf in front of me. Only I don’t recall Smurfs having pointy ears. Or being bigger than the size of my hand from what the cartoon portrayed. He sucks in a sharp breath, then cocks his head to the side, white hair like mine brushing across his shoulders, and a lopsided smile lights up his face. “Hello.”

“Hi,” I squeak.

“Here, let me help.” He stands to his full height, then reaches a pale blue hand in my direction, not rushing me but allowing me to take my time to decide if I want his help or not. The question is, though, do I? Can I trust he’s not going to let me fall on my ass the second he helps me up?

Fuck. I never used to be so damn untrusting of people. Humans. So untrusting of humans. But these guys aren’t human.Neither are you,my mind unhelpfully reminds me.

Might as well try to put my trust in my own kind now, no matter how hard it is for me to do so.

Slowly slipping my hand in his, I’m surprised it’s so damn warm compared to the icy color of his flesh. He steadies me on my feet as crystal blue eyes pierce my soul. With careful steps, he walks me through the double doors of the balcony into a dimly lit room, even with the sun shining into the space. A mahogany desk and a giant brown leather chair take up a good portion of the area, with comfortable-looking tan wingback chairs in front of the desk and a flaming fireplace surrounded by copious bookshelves.

Right as the Smurf stranger gets me seated in one of the comfy chairs, the door to the office is thrown open, and Axel waltzes in like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

Stupid Dracula wannabe. What took his ass so damn long? Did he have to stop and smell the blood bags or some shit?

“Ahh, Thaddeus, glad you’re already here. I see you’ve met Bailey Matthews.”

“We haven’t been formally introduced, but yes, I guess you could say we’ve met.” That lopsided smile is back on his face as he gazes down at me, his hand resting on the back of the chair. “It’s nice to meet you, Bailey. I’m Thaddeus Winterton the third.” I snort at his name, quickly covering my mouth as my cheeks heat. “It’s okay. You’re not the first to laugh at it and won’t be the last.”

“I’m so sorry, that was rude of me. I didn’t mean to,” I mutter behind my hands. He tosses me a playful wink, making my shoulders relax a fraction.

A creak sounds in the room, pulling my gaze toward the desk. Jasper’s large form settles in his seat, his wings flared out oneither side of the backrest. He steeples his stone fingers on the smooth mahogany surface as he pins me with his stare.

“Let’s get down to business, shall we? My name is Jasper Stonewell, and I’m the headmaster here at the academy.” I hold my hand up, stopping him.

“Stonewell? I thought this was Stonewell Academy, right, Axel?”

Jasper doesn’t give Axel a chance to reply; instead, he answers my question himself.

“That’s correct. Stonewell Academy was built by my grandfather, but at the time, it was our family home.”

“H-how? There’s no way.” I shake my head in disbelief. “How the heck did humans not see a castle owned by gargoyles?” It just doesn’t make any freaking sense.

“These grounds were hidden by the veil, just as we were. And when the veil shattered, all was revealed, including the castle. But that’s something you’ll learn more of later in your classes.” I flop back in my chair with a huff. This is freaking madness. He has to be pulling my arm. “Behind you is Thaddeus, he’s our portalling professor and one of the best researchers I’ve ever known. Which is part of the reason why he’s here.”

Thaddeus steps around my chair and leans against the desk next to Jasper. “I’ll be giving you a fae glamour to wear in order to hide your true heritage until you’re proficient in your abilities, and I’ll also be working with you on your runes—what they are, what they do, and how to use them.”

“Okay. But who all is going to know what I am? Axel,”—I toss my thumb over my shoulder—“said no one should know, and with you two, that now makes five, including myself.”

“Five?” Jasper asks, his stoney brows—or at least I think those are supposed to be freaking eyebrows—pinch together.

“Yeah, the guy from the test this morning. He seemed to know what I was, too. Or at least I think he did.”

Axel sits in the wingback chair next to me and places his cool palm on my leg. “It’ll be a need-to-know basis. Right now, the only people that need to know are the ones in this room and Luka from this morning. No one else, though. Jasper will make decisions as they come on if another one of your professors needs to know.”

“Okay,” I murmur. I can live with that. “What about my roommate? Will I have a roommate or a dorm mate? Am I going to have to wear the glamour twenty-four-seven?”

“We’ve made a decision on that also,” Jasper takes back over the conversation. “Normally, you’d be placed with others of your kind, but given the circumstances and the extra need for protection, we’re putting you in your own room.”

That definitely makes me happy. There’s no guarantee I’d even get along with a roommate or more than one, and I’d hate to constantly lie to them about what/who I am. It’s just another way to protect myself. Something I’m super thankful for.

“Okay. I’m on board with that. But I only have one more question. If someone asks, what do I tell them I am?”

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