Page 5 of Veiled

This is a cluster fuck of epic proportions. College is supposed to be my time to finally be out from my father's thumb. The perfect, magical family with two and a half kids and a white picket fence. You know, the American dream.

I look around my father’s perfectly maintained study. Custom desk, custom chair, and I’m sure the fucking air is customized for his highness. I scoff. American dream, yeah right. I’m sure the American dream doesn’t involve magical families living within their sweet bubble of normality. And I’m pretty damn sure it doesn’t involve one of those kids from some random magical family being adopted and thrust into our family, then suddenly moving in to maintain the perfect image for dear ol’ Magic Chancellor Jacobs. Or a mountain lion, now that I think about it, yet X is a fairly new development, and no one, except anyone on the estate that is, knew about her.

Everyone thinks my dad is charming, and I suppose he used to be before he suddenly wasn’t. My stepbrother moved in when I was ten and he was fifteen, apparently to show the American Council that my father cares about our magical youth. Suddenly, it’s Zane this and Zane that. My personal favorite, ‘oh Zane is excelling well with his magic, Hudson, you can learn a thing or two from Zane’.

Well, you fucking think? He’s five years older than me.

He snarls. “You’ll go where I tell you to go, things have changed. I donate way too much to that university for you to go to some random non-magic, human school in New York. I think not. You’ll be going to school with our people. You have a duty to this family. You’re a child of the council!” he sneered.

I roll my eyes. “Silly me, I thought I had the unfortunate honor of being your child. This is ridiculous, I’ve spent enough years under your tutelage. I’m the strongest user of any child of the council,” I punctuate that with air quotes and heavy sarcasm.

I mean seriously, after that fucktwat Zane left, things were finally a little easier around here. The prodigal son had left, and I was free at last. And by easy, I mean I’m literally able to walk around without the creepy fuck staring at me and laughing uproariously, with his own personal council, or band of dicks as I liked to call them. They were always with him, whenever Dad would comment on my magic. Council kids stick together, except me. I can’t stand the pretentious attitudes, the snark, and expectations that I’m supposed to be prim and proper underneath all of that. No. What you see is what you get. Sarcasm, top of her class in all magical classes and human relations. Another thing I took to piss my father off. He thinks humans are useless, I disagree. They have guns and we certainly aren’t bulletproof, so we need to get off our damn pedestal.

“You’re trying my patience, Hudson. You’ll not only be going to the university, but you'll be expected to be at the top of your classes and extracurriculars that I have chosen as well.” He hands me my new schedule.

DeLorean University of Magic. My heart stops. This is Zane’s school, but he should’ve graduated by now. I release a heavy breath. I never asked what he did after university. I assumed he left and died in a ditch, you know, naturally. Well, that was my dream anyway, until he showed up for the holidays and shit for like five years. Dream deferred, but a girl could hope. At least, I haven’t seen him in two years, not since I was eighteen. The last day I saw him, changed me in more ways than one. If I saw him again, I would probably nut punch him, or lick him. I haven’t decided which.

I shook my head and took a closer look at the schedule and my eyes flew open. “Father, this is an accelerated schedule. You want me to jam pack four years of study into two years? When am I supposed to be able to enjoy college? And how in the world can I possibly take all these classes?” I continued to read through the schedule and rule book as he ignored my complaints and screamed. “Dad, okay, seriously? This is insane. A UNIFORM,” I shrieked, “It's supposed to be university and I have to wear, what is this? A red pleated skirt, black blazer, a black button-down, and a freaking red cravat? Why couldn’t they just tie? And oh, this is rich, black kitten heels, that’s a major no. If I’m going to this forced Hell, I’m wearing my combat boots. How is anyone supposed to kick ass in heels, Father?”

He smiles, for a moment it looks like the father I remember in passing memories, then as quickly as it appeared, it disappears. Welp, there goes that possible sitcom moment. “Hudson, you’re leaving tomorrow to prepare for your schedule. You’re not there to have fun. You’re there to succeed and work for the Council, in whatever capacity we need you. Period. If it’ll shut you up, I’ll allow the combat boots, but not the ratty ones you insist on wearing. I’ll order several pairs and they’ll be in your apartment when you arrive on campus.”

He lifts his hand before I object. “Yes, you’ll be living in an apartment instead of a dorm.” He shudders. “No, I had this apartment built on the outskirts of the university for easy access but still hidden from prying eyes.”

I growl, and X growls with me as we both stood up, ready to just fucking leave this stupid ass customized box. He rubs his nose, which pretty much means I’m getting on his nerves and am about to be dismissed anyway. “You won’t be alone. Some of the other Council children will be there, but you’re the only one on the accelerated path. I expect only the highest marks and I’ll be checking in often with the school board and your instructors.” He smirks. “Your extracurriculars will be focused on combat, both magical and physical. You’ve been excelling in those for years here, I expect nothing less. I even cleared it for your cat to be there with you.”

“You know, if you keep repeating the same damn words over and over again, it’s just going to cause your intellect to remain stagnant, Father.” I grin and walk out of his office, slamming the door before he can respond. If I’m being forced the fuck out, I’m going to make his life hell.

Chaos and cats are coming DeLorean, buckle the fuck up.

As I finish packing up my sluttiest outfits and sleepwear, with the occasional comfort clothing, a shit ton of tampons, and the necessary toiletries, I take one final look at my room. If I can help it, my ass isn’t visiting for the holidays at all. Not that my father cares. He’d be too busy, and Mother would be too far up his ass pretending to be a Council wife socialite, which means martinis at eight in the morning, so no one will notice I’m gone anyway.

Deciding not to bother to wait until tomorrow to leave, I take mine and X’s stuff downstairs. I load up my pretty, sleek, black truck, one of the few things I didn’t bother to argue with Father about. It’s a gorgeous Cadillac Escalade with all the latest technology and upgrades. He saw safety and top of the line; I saw the car I should’ve given my virginity to instead. At my insistence, he even had the inside reupholstered in deep purple and the console has a black glitter finish. It’s heaven. It can definitely fit a small army and I don’t need that much space, but he’s insistent. It’s a bit much, but it’s also kind of perfect, especially since X has her own space to lay back and relax. I even had my license plate customized behind his back to Hermione1. Humans may not really know the truth, but Harry Potter is pretty spot on. Although, I’m convinced the Council here is more on par with the Death Eaters aspect of it all.

The packet Father has given me already has my keys to the apartment, address, schedule, and apparently, the receipt of the delivery of all my uniforms. Gross. I set the location in the GPS and prepare myself for a twenty-hour drive from Colorado Springs to DeLorean. With a sigh, I turn back into my thoughts, I’m totally hemming the fuck out of that skirt. I will wear the uniforms, but to my new specifications of freedom. No more proper outfits, no more frumpy shit like I’m supposed to wear with Father. Nope, I left all of that back in my old room and packed my suitcases with my newly purchased hidden clothes and gorgeous matching lingerie sets I’d bought in hopes that I would be able to get to New York, but that’s not happening. I think that’s what bothered me the most, I was on my way to Washington State. Seattle to be exact. Yes, you read right. Twilight world. If I meet a sparkly vampire, my ass is running away with him, Council be damned. Guys didn’t really talk to me, not unless they were begging for mercy and even though I want to have sex again, I don’t think anything would compare to my first time. Granted, this isn’t for lack of trying but my dad being who he is, no one ever wanted to date or come around me anyway. Add my skills and crap half the time, no boy would even talk to me outside of school projects. And my only physical contact with boys in general, besides Zane and his friends, was during my sparring and martial arts training every day for two long ass hours. I guess that in itself would have got me off, there were definitely some gorgeous boys in my class, but even after, they would’ve run in the opposite direction as if I had the plague.

Being a Council girl sucks ass sometimes. It wasn’t like I was ugly, although I thought I was for like three minutes, but no, when I hit puberty my hips flared out and my thighs actually took shape instead of looking like noodles and my waist tucked in, leading to toned abs from the consistent workouts. I was shown how gorgeous I was for one amazing night and then it was taken away. I repressed the thoughts. Point is, I grew up and now, I’ve grown breasts! I shouldn’t sound so excited, but they literally just came out of nowhere last year. I thought I was going to be a sad A cup forever, but now I’m a solid D cup. Yes, at twenty years old, my breasts finally came in. They are so nice to look at, I even talk to them sometimes, but the Betty’s are heavy and make my back hurt like a bitch, so I pick them up with magic half the time. Anyways, when you pair all that with my long white, yes white, hair down to my ass and green eyes, I thought I was okay. Still sexless. Fuckery, I tell you. Pure fuckery, the Fates were prudish assholes who didn’t want me to get some, but they didn’t own Amazon, so I have a small arsenal of toys and Kama Sutra books. I had to get off somehow, right? In fact, I’m pretty much an expert at this point at getting myself off, and hopefully, when I do have sex again, I can impress them with my practiced skills. Practiced with a vibrator and porn, mind you, but what the fuck ever.

To be honest, I think about sex a lot more these days, but pretty much nonstop since the Christmas after I turned eighteen. It was the last time Zane had come home to visit, and holy shit, did he look amazing. None of the boys in training looked like that. It wasn't even fair.

“Hudson, come downstairs, dinner is almost ready, and Zane just got here. Come say hello to your brother,” Father yelled from downstairs. Okay, so Zane was here, and? Was that supposed to make me hop, skip, and jump in excitement? I rolled my eyes as I took a look at myself in the ensuite bathroom mirror and sighed. I hated these stupid dresses that were bought for me, two more fucking years, and I swear I was going to leave and completely replace my entire wardrobe. I took in the gaudy red and black dress that looked like a long Christmas potato sack and the stupid kitten heels I was supposed to wear. Well, Dad could go fuck himself, if it was just a family dinner, I was going to put on my damn combat boots. I was going to look like a potato sack going to war, but it was better than those fucking funeral heels. I shuddered.

I finished combing my hair, foregoing makeup, and walked into my room where Zane was casually sitting on my bed like he owned it. I stomped over to him, the overall effect lost, I’m sure, in this outfit, but the meaning was the same.

“What the fuck are you doing in my room, asshole? You could’ve knocked.”

“I did knock, but I’m sure you couldn’t hear me wearing a sack, it must be affecting your hearing.” He turned his head and looked at me quizzically.

I scowled, “Well yeah, it is hard to hear the sound of someone completely unwanted knocking on my door, then coming in my room like they belonged here…” He stayed silent with a smirk on his face. “For fuck’s sake, Zane, stop staring at me you fucking weirdo and let’s go get this pony show over with. Father has a Christmas dinner with theCouncil, I need to be sick by then.”

He laughed at that and stood up and gestured for me to go first. In my fucking room. I scoffed, figures. I rolled my eyes. “This is my room, Zane. You go first. You know, ladies first and all.” He glared and walked out of the room and I smiled with my small victory. I'll take them when I can. I didn’t even look at how nice his butt looked in his slacks, I was so proud of me.

I sighed and put on a smile before walking down the stairs and heading into the dining room, which was decorated like a Hallmark movie threw up and then played in its vomit. It was ridiculous, but it’s the only time of year my mother did more than drink and go to the socialite clubs. No, she just drank here and ordered the staff around to put shit places. I preferred her gone, when we were together, she would either stare at me or completely ignore me. I didn’t know if I liked the attention or the lack thereof, but it was my norm. I’m not exactly sure why she never wanted to be my mom, but it was the same since I was little. I didn’t really care too much, I trained too much to pay attention. What really hurt was when my father stopped caring and he brought Zane around. But then, shortly after, he had hired Kalen, my trainer who felt more like a father than Chancellor Jacobs did, and I ignored the pain. I was good at it too, until Zane came to visit, and the pomp and circumstance started up again.

We sat down and Zane and Dad joked around while Mother drank herself into a stupor and I sat silently playing with my food, lost in my thoughts and losing my appetite.

“Hudson, Hudson, Hudson…”

“Huh? I’m sorry what?”

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