Page 18 of Sold to the Devil
Aelys
I'm woken by someone shaking my shoulders and my eyes open slowly, meeting Mattheo's.
“We've arrived,” he informs me in a monotonous voice.
I nod and stretch, my back creaking and I wince in discomfort.
Not the best idea to sleep sitting up against someone.
He turns and heads for the compartment door. I get up and follow him. I can't risk losing him or any of the others since I don't know where to go. The group is outside the train, chatting happily. They smile at us, and Nancy links her arm with mine.
“You'll meet the girls in the main hall. You'll love them!”
“You already said it,” I laugh. “I'm sure it will be, Nance.”
My attention turns to the boys. Mattheo and Enzo are in front of us, talking together, while Arthur, Theo, Cameron and Tom are behind us, arguing about rugby. The Academy's official sport.
We walk for a long time before reaching the monastery. I can't believe my eyes when I see how big it is. A building in the center overlooks several smaller ones. Since all the students are heading toward the largest one, I deduce that it’s the main hall my cousin told me about. From what she told me, it houses a room where students and teachers gather for meals but also for meetings held by Principal O'Connor. There are also restrooms scattered throughout the building, a huge bathroom reserved for delegates, and a large common room for factions.
I vaguely glimpsed the other buildings she told me about: the one reserved for the boys' dormitories, the one reserved for the girls', and the one housing the classrooms. I didn't see the one with the teachers' private quarters, but I assume it's a little separated from the others so that the adults have some privacy.
We reach the main hall and a woman wearing a dark emerald dress and a large black hat greets us. She introduces herself as Professor Hicks and asks me to follow her. She looks exactly like what you'd expect a witch to look like.
What a cliché...
Nancy lets go of my arm and waves at me as I follow the older witch.
“We need to make sure which faction youbelong to, dear.”
I nod and she gestures for me to sit on a stool. She picks up an old dagger and approaches me. She motions for me to extend my hand, and I do so, frowning nervously.
What is she going to do with that?
I gasp in pain as she cuts my palm and quickly pours my blood into a cup that looks like it's made of silver. My eyes widen as a murmur rises from my blood and reaches my ears.
“Ah, another Hewloc. Cousins... Ah, yes, I see your lineage is interesting. Very interesting indeed. A warlock and a shapeshifter, isn't it? Oh, yes, I sense the shapeshifter blood running through your veins as well as the warlock blood... Where shall I place you? In the shapeshifter faction or the warlock faction? Hm, a difficult choice…”
My breath catches. Shapeshifter blood? No. It's impossible. My mother was a witch, like my father. I'm almost certain of it... I jump when the whispering starts again, bringing me back to reality.
“Oh, you weren't aware of your heritage. I see... It would be best for you to be placed in the wizarding faction, where you are familiar with magic.”
I realize that everyone has heard the last sentence when the students and teachers begin to applaud. I stand up, slightly shaky, and head towards the table Professor Hicks indicates, which I assume is the wizarding table. I spot Nancy and the others and hurry over to join them. She smiles brightly and officially welcomes me to the wizarding class.
“We need to ask our head teacher, Professor Stevens, for your dorm number. With any luck, you'll be my roommate!”
I nod, smiling, until I remember that I'm to be married to Mattheo, the Dark Mage's son, we have to share a room at Leroi Manor. Will we be sharing one here too? I hope not. Having a dorm with Nancy would mean peace and freedom while we stay here. Besides, Mattheo probably already has a roommate. Surely they weren't going to kick the poor guy out of his dorm so I could take his place. Right?
My irises land on the brunette I'm engaged to and I swallow nervously at the sight of the devilish smile that stretches his full lips.
I snap back to reality at the sight of the food appearing before us and the realization how hungry I am. I fill my plate and Nancy takes over the conversation, moaning about schedules she hopes will be less hectic than last year.
A thought suddenly makes me frown and I interrupt my cousin in her tirade.
“Did you say that Professor Stevens was in charge of the wizarding faction?”
She blinks, surprised to have been interrupted in her monologue but thankfully not offended since she nods briskly. “Yes, why?”
I shrug before explaining my thoughts. “From Mrs. Hicks’s clothing choice, I thought she was the one in charge of the wizards.”
