Chapter One
Alanna stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up at the imposing façade of the academy. How was she supposed to survive the next year here? The letter in her satchel had practically burned a hole in her hand when she’d opened it.
Dear Alanna Quade,
Your application has been accepted.
You have been selected to learn the ins and outs of writing competently. You will never have the excuse of “I didn’t know” to get you out of writing that essay, report, or summary again.
If you show promise, you will be allowed to continue in our hallowed halls. You may become a respected historian, play wright or novelist.
Please report for classes on September 1st, 2020
Your mentor and leader,
Maestro Weaver
Dean of Skills
PS: This letter must remain in your possession as proof of enrollment. Loss will result in the immediate dismissal of any student who cannot provide it upon demand.
At the bottom, the official crimson seal shone in all it’s waxy glory, proclaiming the missive as genuine.
“My application has been accepted. I never applied, and they know it,” Alanna thought again as she peered up at the towering spire of the main campus building.
“Hey, are you as scared as I am?” A quiet voice spoke in her ear.
“Not scared so much as annoyed. Why do we have to give up a year of our lives to learn how to write?” Alanna complained and introduced herself to the girl standing next to her.
“I’m Cora, Cora Warner.” The girl had brilliantly pink hair. “Because everyone has to do it. No exceptions.” She wondered what rock Alanna had been hiding under.
“Thanks for talking to me,” Alanna said, “I’m an empath and a healer. I already know how to write reports. This is going to be a waste of time. I’d rather be studying medicine. I want to be a doctor.”
“I had to say something,” Cora said. “I don’t mind coming here, but it means I’ll have to postpone treatment for my eyes.”
“What’s wrong with them?” Alanna’s healer instincts went on high alert.
“I can’t see colors. I’m totally colorblind. I want to see them so much, but there’s only one treatment.”
Alanna could feel the intensity of Cora’s desperation. “I wish I could just go in a fix it for you, Cora. But even I know, that has to be a special genetic alteration. Do you understand it could blind you if it doesn’t work?”
“I might as well be blind. This gray life isn’t much of a loss. Man, that sounds like a downer, I really want to be a scientist so I can find an easy cure for this. But if treatment works? I want to be an artist.” Cora said.
“Let’s go in and get registration over with. Do you have your letter with you?” Alanna asked.
“In my book bag,” Cora said as they started up the endless steps to the big brass doors of the main entrance.
“Hey, do you two know your hair clashes?” The young man who was following them up the stairs stopped them at the same instant. They turned to see who would be so audacious as to mention hair color. Their eyes widened. He towered above them, over six feet tall his silver braids swung around his shoulders as he stared at them, taking in Cora’s bright fuchsia locks and Alanna’s deep auburn curls.
Alanna’s heart did a quick flip in her chest. He was gorgeous.
“And who are you?” Cora said boldly. She was breaking her own rule of observing and not saying much to others before she got to know them better.
“Nikolai.” He said it like everyone should know it.
“Nikolai who?” Alanna’s tongue felt a little thick, she hoped her instant attraction didn’t show.
“Just Nikolai.”
“Well, could you send us to the right place to get through registration?” Cora requested. “We’re kind of lost.”
“Just follow the signs,” Nikolai pulled the massive door open and pointed at the ornate calligraphy declaring registration this way with an arrow pointing down the hall. “There are more of them that will lead you to the big gymnasium. Welcome.”
They stared after him with wide eyes. His hair swung back and forth, tight corn rows of silver braids swinging just above the shoulder blades of a well muscled back. He moved with the grace and assurance of someone innately strong, both physically and mentally.
“I wonder if I’ll see him again?” Alanna whispered, “Oh my God, he’s everything a guy should be, I think I might be in love.”
“Um, really?” Cora didn’t believe in love at first sight.
Alanna blushed. “I didn’t think I said that out loud.”
“You did, but I’ll admit he is great to look at. Pretty amazing actually.” Cora tugged Allana’s sleeve.
“Let’s keep going. I want to know which department we’re assigned to and if we might get the same residence.”
Alanna kept Cora’s fluorescent head in sight as she continued to follow the arrows pointing to registration. The corridors seemed endless and she wondered if there was a floor plan for this building. She was hoping to be able to go home at night, as her family lived only ten minutes away on the underground train. She didn’t want to be confined to a school. She’d have to pack her clothes and books, and they’d probably make her give up her studies toward her medical entrance exams.
Walking into the cavernous room, both of them skidded to a stop. It looked like they were a bit late getting there as long lines of new students stood at most of the tables. The letters of the alphabet were written on placards which hung from the ceiling indicating where they should go to register.
“Well, that’ll teach me to have a common letter for a last name,” Cora was disgusted. There had to be at least twenty kids ahead of her in line. “You have two ahead of you, Alanna. Will you wait for me?”
“I’ll do you one better. I’ll get through this as quickly as I can and join you in your lineup,” Alanna said, “Look who’s helping at your table.”
Clara moved to one side of the line so she could get a good look at the staff sitting at the sturdy table. It was loaded in files and three people were dealing with students, efficiently ticking of squares, and getting signatures. Nikolai waited patiently, as they worked and as three more were cleared, he jerked his head, to let them know to follow and headed out the back entrance to the gym.
“Okay, get yourself done, and come over. Maybe you can get another glimpse of him that way.” Cora agreed.
Alanna nodded. Making her way through the throng, she went to the table with the Q written on white cardboard fluttering under the breeze generated by one of the giant fans hanging from the upper rafters. One student had already disappeared, and she waited patiently putting her time to use observing as Nikolai reappeared from the back door he’d disappeared through a few minutes before.
“Hey, you must be Alanna Quade,” The liquid tone of the voice brought her crashing back to reality.
“Yes, I am.” Alanna shook her head dispelling the fantasy she’d been weaving. She approached the table. There was one file left.
“I’m Sapphire. Not many Q’s at all this year. Which is the only reason I agreed to man a table at all. Do you have your letter? I’ll need it to verify against our list of candidates for this year.” The woman was as striking as Nikolai. Pure white hair with skin to match, her eyes were peculiar, almost as if they didn’t have pupils. They looked like she’d used gold eyeliner. Weird. Well folks did come from everywhere to go through writer’s camp and training here.
Alanna swung her satchel onto the table and unbuckled the shiny brass hasps. Flipping through the books, she found her letter between an anatomy text and the herbal compendium Chin Chi had recommended. Handing it to Sapphire, she waited for her to scan it.
“This appears to be in order. Read this and sign it. You’ll be assigned to Alpha residence. Your department is the Relevant. You’ll be guided to the department and they will assign you to a room. You’re exempt from having a room mate. We are sensitive to mind readers and empaths.”
“But I was hoping to stay at home.”
“Take it up with your department leader.”
Alanna sighed. “All right. I hope I can convince them. I’ll just go over to wait with my friend. We’ll go up together.”
“I can’t blame you. I’ll slip out the back. Let Nikolai know which residence you’re in. They’ll take care of the rest from there.” Sapphire handed her the letter and winked. She added, “Don’t lose that. It’ll be the one way to prove that you do belong here. Lock it in the desk in your room once they assign it.”
“Why? Can’t it be replaced?” Alanna misplaced things all the time. Privately she wondered how Sapphire had guessed her interest in the tall silver haired young man.
“They’re magically encoded. It can’t be reproduced until they do the next batch next summer.” Sapphire wondered where this empath came from. Her family must have been out of the loop. How would this naïve child do with her assigned major? Did she even know what it was? Mystery/Thriller/Horror. Alanna Quade was a medical fast track healer. Would she even be able to weave a tale worthy of the final assignment? What the heck were the maestros thinking?
“I’ll be careful then. Thanks for the warning and the explanation.” Alanna tucked it back into the satchel, and silently chanted a protection spell. If anyone tried to get into it, they’d get a case of prickly itching rash which would give them away.
Studying the W line, she saw Cora’s bright pink head and started across. This wasn’t going to be as straight forward as she hoped.
