“Come on, you two,” Theo snapped.
“Yes, Dad.” Adelaide rolled her eyes. Looking at me and shaking her head, she muttered, “He’s so annoying.”
“I’m standing right here.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t notice you,” she said sarcastically to her brother.
We entered the room and it reminded me of a church with the tile floors, funky roof lines, stained glass windows, and dark wood everywhere. Even the seats reminded me of pews. For all I knew it was used for church services when we weren’t getting tutored.
The teacher, probably in his thirties, eyed us with irritation. I guess maybe we should’ve heeded Theo’s warnings more seriously.
The man leaned against a chalkboard that was on wheels and made eye contact with each of us. His eyes were a pale green which were startling with his mocha skin.
“I’m Perseus Donovan. You will all call me Donovan or Sir.”
“This sounds very BDSM to me,” Theo whispered from behind me where he stood.
Donovan continued, not having heard him, “You are all here to learn about your origins as an enchanter. You will not learn magic with me and you will not use it. If I catch you using magic here you will not be permitted through my doors ever again.”
“He’s got a stick up his butt,” Adelaide muttered on my other side. I wanted to giggle and placed a hand over my mouth so he wouldn’t see. I kicked Adelaide’s leg beside me.
Theo snickered in the back and caught Donovan’s attention.
“Ah, Mr. Meyers, we meet again,” said Donovan. I had no idea which student he had cornered until I followed his gaze and found Theo at the receiving end.
Theodore Meyers.
“Donovan,” greeted Theo.
“I understand the situation you and Miss Pryce are in so I cannot ask you to leave but you will not lean against the wall and toy with that piece of metal in your lip like a common hooligan. Stand up straight, Mr. Meyers.”
Theo rolled his eyes but complied. He shoved his hands in his pockets.
Donovan narrowed his green eyes. “Hands out of your pockets. Take your job seriously, Mr. Meyers.”
“I do,” I heard Theo mutter.
“Care to share, Mr. Meyers?” Donovan asked.
“I do take my job seriously,” he said with more volume, his eyes glinting with irritation.
“Good,” said Donovan but it sounded more like an insult. “Now—” he clapped his hands together “—first pew, stand and collect your books.” He pointed to a table along the side where the books sat. “Second pew, collect your books when the first row sits back down.”
He strode to his desk and sat. It was a small table with a chair that didn’t match. His eyes roamed the room and gave me the chills. Maybe I was being paranoid, but he rubbed me the wrong way.
The second row collected their books and then it was our turn. Adelaide stood, and I followed her to the bookshelf. The book itself was large and thick. It was bound in red velvet. The title was in another language, one I’d never seen before, so I had no idea what it said. I could only assume it wasn’t a spell book. Otherwise, Theo would have snatched it from me—plus, Donovan himself seemed pretty anti-magic for whatever reason. Adelaide and I sat back down.
Once everyone was seated with their books, Donovan stood and leaned against his desk with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I am aware that most of you already know the history of enchanters but some of you do not. And, as with any history, there is information you are only beginning to know and understand. You see, enchanters have a dark history,” he droned. My eyes became heavy.
Do not fall asleep, Mara, I scolded myself. This is important.
“Our origins were first recorded in Rome around the time of Julius Caesar but alas,” he laughed, “we enchanters have been around much, much, longer.” His pale green eyes met mine and I felt a shiver run down my spine. The guy seriously gave me the creeps. “As long as there have been humans there have been enchanters, vampires, shifters, and fairies. Our lives are tied to theirs. It’s always been that way. All the stories are true.”
“But why are we tied to them, Donovan?” spoke up a fair-haired boy from the front. “The humans, I mean.”
“What is your name?” asked Donovan.
“Owen,” he answered hesitantly.
“Thank you for participating in the discussion, Owen,” he said, flashing a smile at the boy. “To answer your question, we are tied to humans because we have evolved from them. Without them, we would not exist. Fairies are the least tied to humans since angel blood runs through their veins. It may be diluted but its presence keeps them from getting sick or dying young. They live unnaturally long lives. And of course, vampires can live forever if they are not killed. Enchanters and shifters live a normal human life span although we both tend to die young due to battles.”
“Are there many battles?” I asked. “Sir,” I added.
He grinned, his gaze swinging to me. “Miss Pryce, you were raised as a human, correct?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re a little lost, are you not?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m lost, merely curious.”
Donovan sighed. “Enchanters engage within many battles against The Iniquitous. Lives being lost has become unfortunately normal. We die young as do many shifters. They tend to fight within their clans, savage beasts that they are.”
Theo snorted in the back.
Oh, no.
“Yes, Mr. Meyers?”
“You make shifters sound violent. They’re anything but.”
“How would you know, Mr. Meyers?”
“I didn’t always live inside these pretentious walls. I used to live on the outside, as do many, and I knew a family of shifters. They were some of the nicest people I ever met. Much nicer than some enchanters that I know,” sneered Theo as his eyes darkened.
“Get out of my classroom,” yelled Donovan, spittle flying.
“No,” said Theo and his eyes turned black.
“Now, and take Miss Pryce with you.” His glare could’ve lit me on fire.
I sat stunned.
“Come on, Mara,” said Theo as he strode to where I sat. He grabbed my bag and slung it over his shoulder. When I didn’t move, he grabbed me by the arm and hauled me up. “Stay in class,” I heard him whisper in Adelaide’s ear. “And don’t do anything stupid,” he added. “Later, Donnie.” Theo saluted the teacher.
Donovan growled.
Theo’s hand slid down my arm before it entwined with my hand. My whole arm felt like it was on fire now. How could one person’s touch do this to me? I turned my face to the side so he couldn’t see. I knew I shouldn’t have these feelings, especially when he only thought of me as a nuisance.
I heard Naomi shriek in irritation as Theo left with me in tow.
He dragged me to the center of the manor, past the staircase, and into the dining hall. It was empty.
“What was that about?” I demanded as I took a seat. Theo sat across from me and slid the messenger bag across the table to me.
“Donovan pisses me off. He talks the talk, but he can’t walk the walk. He preaches about things he knows nothing about.”