HoN FF

By Katrina Blevins

Chapter One:

Life Anew

I can't say it was much of a surprise when I heard the frightened gasps. We all knew that Trackers were sent to every school and that our school would eventually be visited. I have seen a few kids marked throughout my life. Every time the kid would act like they had become some sort of abomination and the others would run screaming. Once, I saw a girl curled in a ball in a corner of the classroom. She had a bloody nose and a busted lip because some jerk decided to beat the crap out of her. I didn't see why becoming a vampyre was such a terrible thing; to become a vampyre was to be among the best of the best, an honor really. I had helped clean the girl up, telling her not to worry; if she completed the change she would be living an honorable life. As she calmed down she began to smile and soon, went off to a House of Night.

Now there was a Tracker, slowly making his way down the hallway, sniffing the air like a dog. His gaze passed over the kids around me, looking cold. I quickly shoved my things in my locker, preparing for the outbreak of fear. Some kid would be marked, and all the others would flee in fear or stay to attack the new fledgling. I vowed to be there to protect the fledgling, regardless of this cold that was trying to kick my butt. I watched the kids around me, my body tensing up. The tracker lifted his hand and pointed. Another gasp. It took me a minute to realize that the gasp had come from me. The Tracker's index finger was pointed at me while his lips curved into a small grin.

"Katrina Blevins. Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee; Hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!" Once the last word was spoken, I fell to my knees in pain. My head felt as though it might explode. I gritted my teeth as everybody in the hall ran away, well, not everybody. There was, of course, a small group of kids who stayed to beat up the fledgling while they were down. I heard their footsteps move closer to me and, through my pain, readied myself.

"Heh, look who turned into a monster." A boy named Kyle stopped in front of me. I saw his feet, but was in too much pain to look up. Two more pairs of feet came up on either side of him. Boys I didn't know. Kyle grabbed my hair and wrenched it back, causing me to cry out in pain as I looked at him. "Don't you know it is rude not to look at someone when they are talking to you?" His hand came across my face so fast that I couldn't dodge it. I fell back as he began to laugh.

The boy to his right spoke up, "Maybe if we beat her up enough, she'll die before she becomes one of them. Meaning, less of those fuckers to deal with."

The boy on the left, wait, I did know him, he was the quiet boy who sat behind me in world mythology. Why was he hanging with Kyle? "Guys, it wasn't her fault. If anything you should've gone for the Tracker."

I slowly stood and glared at Kyle. Before I could move I was pinned to the lockers behind me with his hand around my throat. I let out a growl, "You disgraceful piece of shit! To hit an opponent while they are down is to forfeit your honor!" With that I kicked out and nailed his privates with a heel. As he dropped I moved away and crouched down into a defensive stance. Pain shot through me again as my head throbbed. I saw Kyle stand through blurry eyes. Then I realized somebody was whispering to me. The boy, Timmy, was in front of me, looking into my eyes, "Get out of here before he kills you."

I slowly nodded and turned and ran down the hall with Kyle screaming at my back. My pride told me to turn around and fight back, but my instincts said to run and hide. I found a janitor's closet and hid in there. I must've passed out because I found myself waking up with a start, the pain in my head turning into just a dull ache. I lifted my hand to my forehead and pressed against the now sore spot. I sighed and stood up, swaying slightly as nausea swept through me.

I stepped out of the closet and went back to my locker. I grabbed everything out and headed to the student parking lot. The sun was setting but I still squinted my eyes. I suppose the Marking affected me more than I thought. I tossed my things into the back of my black '97 Dodge truck. Yes, I had a truck. Yes, I am a girl. No, I do not see anything wrong with that. Having this old thing was like having an impenetrable fortress and was much better than those new cars that are mostly plastic and would be totaled by hitting a deer even the slightest bit. I climbed into the cab and started the engine. I slowly pulled out and started on my way home. My phone gave a small buzz to alert me to a new message. I noted to check it once I got home and continued. Another buzz, this one longer and repetitive, let me know somebody was calling me. I slowed down and quickly answered, "Hello?"

"Katrina? This is Mr. Fineran. I have been informed that you have been Marked, is this true?"

I couldn't help but smile. Mr. Fineran was my knighthood teacher, at least that's what I called him. He taught a class on fencing and other swordplay, including kendo. He had the same views I had on most things. We both believed in chivalry and honor, and we even liked the same weapons. Most of all, he was understanding of the Vampyres and didn't believe them to be monsters like everyone else did. "Yes, it is true, and of course Kyle tried to kill me for it. I am on my way home now."

"I knew Kyle had tried something, you didn't pick up the first few times I called though so I got worried."

"I am fine. I passed out a little after the Marking so I must've been too dead to the world to answer."

His chuckle rang through the phone, making me smile again. "Which brings me to the other reason I called; you already know that, once Marked, you must go to a House of Night, correct?"

"Of course," I pulled into my driveway and shut off the truck.

"Do not go to the closest one to you. Do your research first and find which one will give you the best training in your combat skills."

My eyebrows knitted in confusion, "You mean that different schools have different specializations?"

"From what I can tell, yes. I understand that the High Priestess at the House of Night would know of your arrival before you are even Marked, but there is nothing keeping you from choosing where you go to school."

"Thank you, I will keep that in mind. I am home now so I will talk to you if I find anything."

"Alright then. Be safe Katrina."

"I will." I hit the end button and closed my phone. Yes, I have a flip phone. Yes, it is old. No, I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. I went into my house and walked into the living room where my parents were sitting on the couch watching TV. "Hey guys, sorry I am late."

My mom looked up and frowned, "Where in the world were you? There wasn't any practice today."

I nodded, "I know. I was Marked and some kid tried to beat the crap out of me so I ran to a closet and I guess I passed out."

My dad sent a glare my way, "Don't be a smart-ass; just answer your mother."

I sighed, a cough catching in my throat, and turned on the light then lifted my bangs. My parents gasped as they saw the crescent that undoubtedly rested in the middle of my forehead. My mom's hand covered her mouth as it gaped open.

"You were Marked!"

"Yeah dad, I just said that."

"But that means you're…" My dad's eyes widened, "That means you're one of those fuckers! What the hell are you doing in my house?!"

I glared at him, "I came to get my stuff from my room."

He jumped from the couch then, "You will not, you will get the hell outta my house!"

I let out another sigh, shook my head, and walked out of the living room and into my room. I had enough time to grab a box from my closet and start shoving books into it before my dad burst into the room with a semi automatic shotgun, pointed at my face. My eyes widened and I froze. My own father had just pulled a gun on me. I was still me, just with a weird tattoo on my forehead. His finger moved to the trigger, but before he could shoot, he crumpled to the ground. I looked up to see my mom standing behind him with the broom in her hand.

"Hurry and finish packing before he wakes up."

I nodded and dumped all of my books into the box then went back for my clothes and pictures. It took a while with me stopping every few minutes to cough. It was really the worst time for a cold. Once my box was full mom helped me get it into the bed of my truck. I gave her a quick hug then climbed into the cab of the truck. Before I closed the door, my mom put her hand on my shoulder.

"No matter what, you are still my daughter. Your father may not like it, but he will have to deal."

I nodded, "Thanks mom." I shut the door and restarted the truck. I pulled out of the driveway and drove a few minutes down the street to a convenience store and parked in the back. I picked up my phone and typed in Mr. Fineran's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. I was kicked out of my house before I could look up a school. I'm not about to try and stay longer because if it wasn't for my mom knockin' him out, my dad would've killed me."

He chuckled softly, "I doubt that, he is your father after all."

"Really? 'Cause the barrel of that gun looked deadly, especially with his finger on the trigger."

His gasp gave me a small smirk, "He pointed a gun at you?"

"Yes, but my mom knocked him out long enough for me to grab some of my things."

"I see then. Well…" There was silence as he took a pause, "I have a guest room here if you want to do your research."

"Thank you for the offer, but I don't think it would be appropriate for a student to stay at a teacher's house."

He chuckled softly, "I am no longer your teacher. Besides, you can't stay long because you have to go to a House of Night as soon as possible. Don't think I haven't heard you holding back your coughs."

I gave a small smile. Mr. Fineran was like a father to me, or at least a big brother. He actually played both parts rather well. "Alright, where do you live?"

"You know that old run down gas station down the road from the school? Across from the convenience store?"

"Yeah, I'm behind the store now."

"Really? Alright, well go to the gas station, I will meet you over there."

"Alright." After we hung up, I set my phone on the center console and started the truck. I pulled into the parking lot of the gas station and waited maybe five minutes before I saw a figure step from the shadows.

I smiled as Mr. Fineran seemed to look shocked once he saw my truck. Was it really that much of a surprise to see a girl driving a truck? He moved to the passenger side and opened the door, hopping up into the seat with ease. "I suppose I should've known that a girl like you would have a truck like this."

I smirked, "You have to admit that it is better than a smart car."

He shrugged and gave a smile, "You've got me there. The house is down that way."

I pulled out and followed where his finger pointed. As we pulled into the driveway, I couldn't help but stare in awe at the house. It was old, yet somehow looked ageless. It was styled after the Victorian houses with a spire or two, and even a tower on the side. A chuckle brought me back to earth, which had me snapping my mouth shut in embarrassment. "Sorry. I just didn't think that many people liked houses like these any more."

He opened the door and hopped out, "Well, I guess that means I am one of the few who still like this style." He shut the door then went around to my side and opened the door as I finished unbuckling. I had to fight hard not to gape at him as he helped me down out of the truck. Another chuckle escaped his lips. "You expect me to teach the ways of the sword and chivalry, and not be chivalrous myself?"

I blushed a bit and locked my truck before turning to follow him inside. I just didn't expect him to help me from my truck. Open the door sure. But to take my hand in one of his while the other lightly gripped my waist for balance? I wasn't getting off of a horse… was I? I shrugged off my thoughts and followed him to the guest room. I smiled like a small girl when I realized the room was in the tower part of the house.

The walls were painted a deep red, the color of blood. The curtains that hung over the windows were scarlet trimmed in gold edging and embroidery. The queen sized bed that was off to the side was four posted and had a canopy hanging over it. I noticed that the covers were black with silver trimming and that the pillows were of the same design. On the other side of the room was a desk set up with a computer and even a bookshelf. I found it amazing that the room was decorated in such a way that the dark colors didn't seem ominous, but more mystical and sacred.

"This is amazing."

He patted my back, "Yep, I thought that a house like this shouldn't have regular modern rooms. I felt that the room should match the house."

"Well it does, and it is beautiful." I went into the room and smiled as I ran my fingers over the blanket. "Is this velvet? Or a mix of silk?"

"It is a mix of satin and silk."

"Wondrous…"

He chuckled again, "The computer is connected to the internet. If you don't find anything before the sun comes up, then you can sleep the day away, but you have to leave tomorrow night, before you get too sick."

I nodded and looked to him, "Thank you, Mr. Fineran."

His smile was warm and gentle, "I'm not your teacher anymore, just call me Sean."

I nodded again, "Alright then, thank you, Sean."

He smiled then left the room, leaving me to my own devices. That's when it hit me. I had been Marked. Life as I knew it had changed. Now I had just two choices left; die or Change. I shivered as I thought of it. How would I know if I would be strong enough to Change? What if I died? I shook my head and went to the computer. Now was not the time to think of that. I pulled up the search engine and typed "Best House of Night for warriors" in the search bar. The main thing that came up was that every House of Night taught warriors. I tried again. This time I came up with the best warriors from any given House of Night. I let out a sigh and tried one more time. An all-boys school, dedicated to training future Sons of Erebus. That piqued my interest. Would that not be the best school for an aspiring warrior?

No, I wasn't a boy. Yes, my hair was a bit long to even try playing a boy. And no, I had no idea how I was going to sneak my way in. There was a knock on the door behind me that caused me to jump, "Gods!" I turned to look and saw Mr. Fineran in the doorway, holding back a laugh.

"It seems you were really concentrating. I didn't mean to scare you."

I pressed my hand to my chest and said in an exaggerated southern bell accent, "Why, you nearly scared me to death!"

He gave a small chuckle before slowly moving to stand beside me, reading the computer over my shoulder, "An all-boys school? I don't mean to burst your bubble, but you aren't exactly a boy. That is, if you aren't hiding anything of course…" His worried look made me laugh.

"I'm definitely a girl. But it sounds like the best place to train." I gave a frustrated sigh and looked up at him, "Though, I do look more like my father than I do my mother."

He raised an eyebrow at me, "You plan to charade as a boy? But your voice wouldn't work; you wouldn't be able to talk."

I shrugged, "Strong silent type? Or maybe a prepubescent youth?"

He crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought, "If you really wish to go through with it, I think it would be safe to say both. But I don't see how you would be able to hide your…" he blushed a bit and motioned to his chest.

"My breasts?"

He nodded, "Most boys don't have them."

I smirked, "Well lucky me, I'm not exactly what you'd call 'well-endowed'. Some bandages would remedy that problem. As for my facial features, those are easy, no makeup. Oh, and no shorts, always pants. My hair might pose an issue… I know that most vampyres have long hair, but I don't think a fledgling boy would have his hair very long."

"You are part Native American, correct?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?"

He smiled softly, "Get a tan, and darken your hair and you should be fine."

I nodded, "That would work, if I had the time for a tan. I am, after all, only part Cherokee. Perhaps that will let my no-tan-skin slide."

"I see your point, so just don't wear it in any style that would make you look feminine, no matter the prepubescent-ness."

I nodded, "Alright, so we have a plan. Now I just need some guys clothes… and some new… well… everything."

"I have some if you want to wear them for the first few days, at least until you get your own clothes."

"Alright, that should work."

"Come, I will show you where they are."

I followed him from the room and into a master bedroom. This room was decorated in the same style as the guest bedroom, but with a grander, more elegant, scale. I kept back the urge to let my jaw drop and just stare, as I was then led into a walk-in closet. It didn't take me long to find a few outfits that fit me, but didn't fit so well that it showed my body. We packed them into a bag then inspected my belongings to make sure that they weren't too girly. My blanket definitely had to go, even though I had it since I was seven, but boys didn't sleep with pink blankets. Everything else I owned was good to go. Once we were done with that, we went back inside to check the computer for directions.

"It's all the way in Dallas, Texas?"

I nodded, "Apparently."

"You won't have enough time to get from here to there before the sun rises."

"I won't burn up, it'll just be… uncomfortable."

"Which you don't need to be while driving. Stay the night. I will wake you up half an hour before the sun sets; that should give you enough time to get to the school."

"Alright."

"And as for your name, I hope you realize that the High Priestess might know who you are."

"I'm going to hope she doesn't and that she asks my new name before then."

"I see. Alright then, I will let you rest now. The bathroom is down the hall to your right if you need it."

"Thank you, Mr. Fin- Thank you, Sean, for everything."

He smiled and patted my head, "No problem, just remember what I have taught you."

"Always." He left the room then and I turned to the window, looking up at the new moon. "I ask you, Nyx, help me when I arrive. I realize that lies and deceit are not the way to go, but I want to go where I will be of the most use. I do not plan on keeping my secret from everyone, those who need to know, will know." I turned from the window and curled up into my bed. It was warm and comforting, almost as if I had not left home. Again the severity of my situation overtook me. I checked my phone, which I had placed on the side table when I first arrived. Mom had texted, telling me to get to the House of Night as soon as possible, wishing me luck, and telling me she loved me.

I sent her a reply to let her know where I was and where I was planning to go. I told her I loved her too. Told her I would miss her. She wasn't happy about the plan to leave tomorrow rather than today, citing what the scientists had said about how I would get sicker and sicker if I didn't get around so full grown vampyres soon. I checked the time, it was almost one in the morning. My life was about to be very different. Hopefully I would be able to handle it all. Hopefully I would be able to make the change.

I stifled some coughs and decided to get up and make my way to the bathroom. I quietly shut the door behind me and locked it. Looking at myself in the mirror was strange. My bangs were long and covered most of my new mark, but I could still see the sapphire blue poking through. I tucked my bangs behind my ears to get the full view. It looked like a tattoo. Funny how one tattoo could mean so much. I wondered what it would look like after I made the change. Would the designs be delicate filigree? Or maybe fancy intricate blades. I shook myself from my thoughts and grabbed some tissue to blow my nose. I would need to take some with me for my drive, to avoid snotting all over myself. Once I was sure my nose was clear, I went back to the room I was staying in and slid back into the bed. I closed my eyes, and it was not long before sleep overtook me.

Chapter Two

The dream was fuzzy at first. I saw flashes of a castle, and a beach, and something like a waterfall. It was a waterfall. I saw myself enter a cave behind the waterfall, following a small stream. Then suddenly, I was no longer watching myself, I was myself. The images became sharper. That was strange, my dreams had never been so clear.

"Come to me, my daughter." The voice carried to me from the depths of the cave, sounding almost musical. I followed the stream deeper into the cave until I came to a small pond. There was a woman with long black hair in a navy blue dress. When she turned around to face me, I almost fell to my knees. She was so beautiful; I couldn't even put her beauty into words. Her eyes were the color of the night sky and her lips tilted into a caring smile. I gaped at her and felt utterly stupid as she chuckled softly, "Do not be afraid, my child."

I recovered myself and nodded slightly, "Forgive me, Nyx, for I do not know the proper courtesies one should perform while in the presence of a Goddess."

She smiled softly, "Do not fear, as long as you are civil that is all I care for."

I nodded again, "Do you… do you always appear to your children?"

"No. Only the special ones."

I tilted my head, "What do you mean?"

"I have chosen you for a specific reason. I wish you to be my eyes, my ears, and my warrior in your new life. Evil has taken root in your world. It must be stopped."

I blinked a few times, letting what she said sink in, "But, I'm still only a kid, and I am most definitely not the best warrior out there."

"Ah, but you choose to masquerade as a boy so that you might be the best. You have no quarrels with doing so either."

"But I'm a coward. Cowards can't fight evil."

"How, might I ask, are you a coward?"

"I…" I glanced at my feet to avoid the Goddess' eyes, "I am afraid of what lies in the darkness."

"There is wisdom in fearing Darkness."

"I do not fear darkness, in fact I find it comforting, especially when I wish to be alone with my thoughts, what I fear, are the creatures which lurk in the shadows."

She tilted her head, seeming confused, and then smiled, "Ah, I see. The night comforts you. But it is the evil which plays in her shadows that cause you unease. That, however, does not make you a coward. To fight, despite your fears, is true courage."

I nodded. She moved to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, "The choice you have made will lead you down a difficult path. Do not get trapped in your lies. Remember your purpose." I sighed softly and nodded. Nyx then leaned down and kissed my forehead. Then I awoke in my bed.

The rays of sunlight that escaped the sides of the thick curtains made my eyes sting. I sat up and looked around. I was up maybe an hour before Mr. Fineran would wake me. I sighed and decided to use the time to become a guy. It took me nearly half an hour to figure out exactly how I had to wrap the bandages around me in order to make my chest look like a boy's, without also causing me to hack up a lung from not being able to breathe all that well. The rest of the time I spent getting dressed and making sure my hair wasn't to sleek and tamed. When Mr. Fineran came in to wake me I was schooling my body language and facial features into a more masculine array, striving for strong, silent, and prepubescent.

"Oh my. Would it be an insult or a compliment to say that you pull off that charade very well?"

I turned to face him and gave a shy smile, "A compliment. I woke up an hour ago, and have been practicing since then. I think our choice to go with the leather jacket was a good one. My arms are too thin to play boy, and it fits the role."

"Good to hear," he gave me a smile then motioned out of the door, "I have breakfast ready whenever you want to eat it."

I gave a small chuckle, "Breakfast? Isn't it dinner time?"

"For me it is, but for you it is breakfast. I suggest you hurry and eat it so that you can leave as soon as- wait, your Mark, it's changed."

I tilted my head, "Huh?"

Mr. Fineran came closer and pointed to my forehead, "It is completely filled in."

"That's impossible. The Mark isn't supposed to fill in until I've made the change."

"Well it is filled in, no other marks, just the crescent."

I placed a hand to my forehead, "Huh, that's weird. Oh well. What's for breakfast?"

Mr. Fineran smiled and led me to the kitchen where he had set a plate of waffles and sausage. I finished my breakfast faster than I usually did and then said my goodbyes. I had a long road ahead of me, and I decided to leave a bit before sundown for a head start. My thoughts drifted to my dream and my newly filled in tattoo. Did I really speak with the Goddess? Or was it wishful thinking? And how did my tattoo fill in? I let out a sigh and turned onto the highway. My plan to enter as a normal guy had suddenly changed into being a weird guy. I hoped that it wouldn't affect my chances of getting in unnoticed. "Goddess, don't let this be what makes them turn me away."

It turns out that I still had to drive in the sun because it took me all night and half the day to make it to the House of Night. That wasn't even the worst part. I had started to feel worse halfway there, and I don't mean a sneeze here and there, and some coughing fits, I mean my stomach was trying to kill me. I had pulled over twice because I felt as if I would puke. As I pulled up to the large Iron Gate that blocked the entrance to the school, I noticed that there was a woman waiting for me. I turned off my truck and hopped out of the cab to greet her. The only problem was, her face didn't seem too welcoming.

"Katrina Blevins." Crap, there goes my, 'fool the masses' plan. "I am afraid that I must ask you to leave."

I sent a silent prayer to the goddess asking for help then spoke, "I'm sorry, but I must insist that I stay. There is no better place for me to train my skills."

Her head tilted and I knew I had said the right words, "What skills?"

"The skills of a warrior, ma'am."

"I am the High Priestess of this House of Night, and as such, it is my duty to inform you that this is an all-boys school." She put a great deal of emphasis on the words 'all-boy'.

"I have realized this, High Priestess. But my statement stands. There is no better place to train a warrior. For this reason, I propose a solution to my issue of… gender. As you can see, I have come in the guise of a boy. As I can guess, the only way you knew who I was, was because the High Priestess of my original House of Night, sent you word that I was coming, and that no word of a new male student came."

Her eyes widened and she nodded, "Yes, but that still does not change your gender."

"I ask that you let me attend your school, under the guise of a boy. I require no special treatment other than perhaps my own room. I can do what any other of your students can, and I guarantee that unless you or I tell them, they will not know of my gender."

"Why should I-" her eyes widened again and I noticed what she was looking at. My Mark. "Why… Why is it filled in?"

I have chosen you… The goddess' words echoed in my mind from my dream the night before, "Nyx has chosen me."

I could tell that the priestess was thinking hard as she continued to stare at my Mark, "Very well then, you will stay. What will be your new name?"

"Mindartis Wolfpup." My answer came fast, combining the name of my favorite character, and the welsh meaning of my last name.

She nodded, not seeming at all surprised at my choice, "Very well then, leave your keys in the truck, it will be parked and your things taken to your room. Meanwhile, you will follow me."

I nodded and, after making sure my doors were unlocked, I left the keys on the seat. I then fell in step behind the priestess, making sure to look as much like a guy as possible. "I am Velona. I have an affinity with fire, and I am able to tell whether or not somebody is lying. You will find the rules here are very strict. Based on your skills, you will be assigned classes. Classes start at 8 every night and end at 3 every morning. Your diet will be of healthy foods; absolutely no junk food. You will be expected to keep your training at its best. There will be no distractions and/ or disruptions during class. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Priestess."

"Very well then." She paused to open the door into the main building for me then continued her way down a large hallway and then up a flight of elegant stairs. "You will stay up here until your room is settled. Your classes will start the same time everybody else's does, so I suggest you get some sleep."

I nodded as she motioned me into an empty room that was only decorated with a small twin sized bed. I stepped in and she closed the door behind me. Well, at least I was in. I sat on the bed and let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Nyx." I then laid back and closed my eyes, ready to pass out. I drifted off to sleep, thinking of the day to come.

I must've known when the sun had set because my eyes popped open just as the sky finished turning from pink to blue. Velona was in the room, making me jump as I saw her. Jumpy much? "It is good that you have awaken. I have brought you your clothes and some supplies for class. Hurry and dress yourself."

I crawled out of the bed and took my clothes, thanking her as I turned away. Under her breath I heard a soft, "Everyone will flock to see your Mark."

I turned and glanced at her. No one must know. "Um, Priestess, it is vital that nobody knows of my Mark, is there a way I can make it normal?"

She seemed to blink herself from a daze before answering, "Yes, I will bring it to you once you are dressed."

As she left I found myself hoping that my Mark could be as beautiful as hers. From her filled crescent looped what seemed to be dagger tipped whips. Perhaps a clear sign that she was meant to be the High Priestess at a school for warriors. Once I was dressed in a black T-shirt and a pair of black jeans, I inspected myself. I still looked like a boy, which was good. Then I noticed something on my shirt. A silver maze in the shape of a circle. Must be a school symbol. There was a knock at the door as I finished slipping on my shoes.

"Come in."

Velona stepped in and handed me a small jar of cream. "This will cover your mark; I would suggest leaving an outline."

"Thank you." She pointed me to a door on the other side of the room, in which I found a small bathroom. I quickly applied the cream, making sure that I still had an outline of my mark then stepped out. I was led to my first class and handed a sheet of paper.

"These are your classes. There is a boy who shares the same schedule in there; I have instructed him to take you under his wing. If you have any questions ask him or your mentor. Your mentor is the teacher who will guide you through your four years here. He is our very own Sword Master, Sebastian Cline."

I nodded and gave her the ancient salute, fisting my right hand over my heart. She smiled and nodded before turning and leaving me behind. I took a breath and entered the classroom. I couldn't say that I was surprised to see a classroom full of boys, but I suppose I was surprised to find the classroom looking just like any other classroom. The teacher, a man about 5'11" with blonde hair and bright green eyes, tanned skin, and a tattoo of quill pens crossing his forehead, turned to me and gave a small smile.

"Ah, I heard that we gained an unexpected new student. Class, this is Mindartis Wolfpup. Sin, I believe Velona has paired you with him, please show him kindness and acceptance."

The boy named Sin smirked and nodded to the teacher then motioned me to sit by him. I sat by him and placed my notebook on the table. I snuck a glance out of the corner of my eye at him and noticed how well the name fit him. He had short but shaggy jet black hair and blue grey eyes. His lips were a bit full for a boy, but they worked well. His skin seemed flawless and soft to touch. He chuckled then and turned to look at me. "Is it the name?"

All I could muster was a startled, "Huh?"

"My name, is that why you look at me from the corner of your eye? I know it is unusual but it isn't what you think. You see, Sin is-"

"The Sumerian god of the moon. No, it isn't your name."

His eyes widened as I finished his sentence. "How did you…?"

I shrugged and gave him a smirk of my own, "I had a cat named Sin. My parents thought I was crazy because of the whole Christian sin thing. I knew what I meant though."

He nodded then smiled softly, "I see. So… you haven't reached puberty yet have you?"

I jumped and let my eyes widen, glancing around nervously. He only chuckled and continued, "Hey, it is ok. I'm sure you will get there soon. Just hope it is over the break. When I hit puberty my voice cracked all of the time. It was worse then than it was having the squeaky voice before."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Mindartis Wolfpup. What made you choose that name?"

"It's a bit geeky…"

"That's cool, just tell me, I won't judge, promise."

I smiled, "Mindartis was the name of an Eldarin ranger I played in dungeons and dragons. Wolfpup is the welsh meaning of my original last name."

"I see. And what's with the long hair? Don't you think it is a bit girly?"

I shrugged, "I'm part Cherokee. It looks better like this than it does when it is short, trust me."

He chuckled then hooked a thumb over his shoulder, "Well back there are the cubbies. You can share mine until the teacher assigns you your own. Each class has one so don't worry about remembering a locker combination or anything. Oh, and the teacher is actually called Professor Skylock. Hmmm, I think that is all you need to know so far."

I nodded, "Thanks."

"No problem. Oh, this is Vamp Soc. class by the way. This teaches us about our new vampire world, and mainly about what it means to be a Son of Erebus."

I smiled, "That's good, I thought I would be left to squander on my own."

"Nope. You have this class, the book that goes with it, and even a handbook. Not to mention every fledgling automatically gets a mentor. Who'd you get?"

"Ummm… I think his name was Sebastian Cline."

"Wow, really? He is the Sword Master, and, despite this being a school for warriors, he rarely mentors. You must be special somehow."

I shrugged, "Great, the squeaky kid is now special too."

He gave a chuckle, "It's not a bad thing, it just means that you are a good warrior."

The bell rang before we could continue, and, as much as I'd hate to admit it, I stuck to Sin like a small duckling. He showed me which cubbie was his and I put my book in it, and then followed him out of the classroom. That's pretty much how the rest of my day went. Sin showing me to a classroom, him answering any questions I might've had, then leading me out. I heard a few whispers about how close I had clung to him, which made me a bit embarrassed. I was supposed to be playing strong and silent, and yet I was playing more the part of a lost little puppy. By the time lunch came around I had schooled myself into keeping close enough to follow, but far enough away that I didn't look too helpless.

As we walked in he pointed to the line and the tables. I looked around and could barely hold back a gasp as I saw just how many students there were in this school. One boy who had just come out of the food line looked up and I swear his face was as red as a tomato. "Sin, what's wrong with him? Is he sick?"

Sin looked up to see the boy I was talking about then let out a small chuckle, "Nah, He probably likes you. That's Darin, our resident gay."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "Gay? I didn't think gay guys liked fighting, at least not the ones I know."

He frowned slightly, "Yeah, I think he wanted to be an artist, but his parents forced him to come here. They don't like the fact that he is gay."

A small growl escaped my lips, "I hate people like that."

No sooner had the words left my tongue, Darin had started to walk by a group of boys who had really mean looking smirks on their faces. One of them let out a shout, "Hey gay boy! Don't get your hopes up; the new kid doesn't play for your team."

"Yeah, so don't try it!"

Another boy stretched out a leg without Darin noticing and the poor boy tripped, his food flying. The group laughed and the first boy drew back a leg to kick Darin while he was down. I don't know how it happened but somehow I had appeared in front of the boy, kneed him in his privates, and then punched him in the face… in less than a second. Then next I heard someone screaming. It took me a moment to make out the words, and another to realize it was me.

"You bastard! Where the hell is your honor!? Your respect!? I don't care who you are! Being straight doesn't make you any better than anyone! You have no right to be such a jerk to anyone!" My eyes looked up and connected with those of the other boys, "None of you have any right!"

I turned around then and looked to Darin who, to my surprise, was looking at me with fear. I took a few breaths to calm myself then bent over and offered my hand, "Come on."

He hesitantly took my hand and allowed me to pull him up. I absentmindedly brushed some of his food out of his hair, not even caring about how the others would look at me, then put my arm on his shoulder and walked back to Sin, who was also looking at me with a strange expression.

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

Sin smirked then shook his head, "Not at all, it's just. Wow, you really do hate people who don't like gays."

I smiled, "Yep."

Darin glanced at me from the side then said softly, "You were scary."

I tilted my head, "Was I? I'm sorry; I meant to scare them, not you."

Sin chuckled, "Well you did appear out of nowhere and knock Loki on his ass faster than a blink of an eye. I was over here when you started screaming, and almost ran out of the room in fear; I swear one of those guys must've pissed themselves."

"That would explain why I was almost run over when I came in to see what all the shouting was for."

All three of us turned to see a vampyre with shoulder length black hair walking up to us with a smirk. The first thing I noticed, of course, were how bright blue his eyes were. They were almost the color of ice, but warmer and shocking, like lighting. With his black hair they seemed to pop even more. I had to give my head a small shake in order to stop myself from staring. My mom would probably have the same problem if she ever met this guy; she loves eyes.

"Oh, hello Professor Cline. I should've known that you would show up."

"Of course, as the Sword Master one should always expect me to arrive at the scene of battle, but what brought me here was simply the sound of a rather, terrifying rant."

I blinked and gave a nervous grin, "I guess I really was scary then."

Sebastian's eyes seemed to widen ever so slightly as he looked to me. "You? You were the one screaming? I could've sworn it was someone more… well… bigger."

Sin smiled and put an arm around my shoulders, "Yep, that's Dart for ya. I hear he is your mentee. After that, no wonder, eh?"

Sebastian tilted his head, "Dart? Ah, that must be Sin's nickname for you. It is nice to meet you Mindartis. Now that I have heard your… battle cry, I can't wait to see you fight."

Sin chuckled softly, "That's right; you weren't in second hour today. All I can say is don't spar with him. He kicked my butt. And apparently when he is ticked off he is faster than a bolt of lightning."

"Is that so? Tomorrow then." Sebastian turned and walked away then, leaving us to our lunch. Darin ate with Sin and I and then we headed to class. In archery I was surprised to find that every arrow I shot hit its mark. Even when the instructor told me to aim at a target forty yards from me. Everyone else's arrows stopped short a dozen yards, yet mine went straight to the bull's-eye. The students around me instantly branded it a gift from Nyx. I couldn't blame them. Before I was marked I had dumb luck with the bow. As in aiming-for-the-gut-of-a-dummy-but-getting-the-apple-on-his-head, dumb luck. So I was chosen to be an archer? I could handle that.

When archery finished, Sin led me to the stables. Horses? Great. Yes, I had always wanted to learn how to ride. Yes, I thought they were beautiful. No, I was not comfortable with trying to learn now.

"Hey, relax. It is fun. We all have to take at least the intro class. You never know when you need to get to your Priestess but have a broken car. The teacher is cool too; just don't get on his bad side."

"Is Velona the only woman here?"

"Well it is a school for warriors. She is only here because the school needs a High Priestess in order to be recognized. Then again, I think there are female nurses in the infirmary."

"I see. Well then, let's get this over with."

He first led me to a small room off the side of the stables. It was clean and looked to be an office. There was a man, a bit shorter than myself, with his back to us. He was bald and had a lithe yet muscular build. Sin cleared his throat, causing me to jump slightly.

"Excuse me, Professor Clyden, this is Mindartis Wolfpup, he has been assigned this class."

The man turned around and gave me a small smile. His Mark was of two horses pointed toward the moon in the center of his forehead, with their manes falling down his cheeks and ending at the corner of his lips. "Ah, hello there. Glad to have you. What experience do you have with horses?"

"Very little actually."

"I see and what experience would that be?"

"Well, when I was younger, I was part of a reenactment group. We had a gathering at somebody's house and they offered horse rides. The horse was bigger than me, and I couldn't jump up high enough to get on. If there were stirrups I could've but the owner wouldn't let us use stirrups. The owner got mad and yelled at me because I was laughing to hide my humiliation. After that I've been… unwilling to take riding lessons."

"Well then, you would be glad to know that we always use stirrups, and that I won't yell at you. But you won't be riding the horses just yet. Everyone starts out mucking out the stalls and bonding with the horses, then and only then do they ride."

I gave a shrug, "I can handle that. Just show me what to do."

Clyden gave a chuckle and patted my back as he led me to a stall, "That's what I like to hear. Now, each horse has their own brushes located on a rack in their stall. There are fresh hay and wheel barrows down the hall and to the left. The compost heap is behind the building. This is the horse you will take care of for today."

I looked into the stall and right into the big brown eyes of a full black Friesian stallion. "Oh my! He is beautiful!"

Sin glanced at me from the side, "How did you know it was a he?"

I gave a smirk, "I can always tell what gender anything is. Well, except fish, I haven't tried it on fish yet."

Clyden chuckled, "A useful gift on the farm. This is Shadow, for obvious reasons. You will spend the hour with him, if you do well enough then you may do so tomorrow as well."

"Alright," I moved into the stall and held my hand out to Shadow. After a sniff he pressed his muzzle into my hand. "Such a nice boy; a bit dirty though. May I brush you?"

Shadow gave a small whinny and pressed his muzzle farther into my hand. I smiled and grabbed his brush from the rack and began to run it over his back. I hummed softly and held back my laughter as Shadow seemed to sway with my tune. I could hear Sin and Clyden walk off, talking in hushed voices, but after that my thoughts were all on Shadow. I admit that I know nothing of horses except that they are very useful and, just like any other animal, were willing to be nice if they liked you. Shadow was as big as a Clydesdale, I was sure, and could probably squish me if he wanted to. What I couldn't stop wondering was why his coat was so matted.

Whatever the reason, I had his coat shiny in no time. I worked the knots out of his mane and tail afterwards, wondering why it looked like nobody had even tried to brush him. Once I finished I patted his side. "Alright buddy, I will be right back ok? I'm going to get some stuff to clean out your stall with."

I moved from the stall, latching the gate behind me, and then moved down the hall. Some kids were talking across the stalls as they brushed the horses; some just leaned against the wall, waiting for the hour to end. Those poor things. Maybe that's why Shadow was so matted. I moved into the room where the hay was and pulled on a pair of galoshes that were on the shelves around the room. I loaded two bales of hay into the barrow, grabbed a rake and a shovel, and went back to Shadow's stall. I pulled the hay from the barrow and stacked them against the stall before moving in again.

"Don't worry; I won't hurt you with these. If you get dirty, that just means I get to brush you again." I smiled and patted his side before beginning to rake everything into a pile in one corner of the stall. Once most of the area was cleared, I glanced to the area under Shadow. Well then, time to see if he is willing to move.

"Hey, boy, come on over here so I can get the rest of it, 'k?" I waited a moment or two before moving over to him and gently patting his mane, "Please? I don't want to accidently hit you with the rake."

Slowly Shadow turned his head to look at me, gave a small puff, and lumbered over to my cleaned out area. "Thanks, I won't take too much longer."

I shoveled the soiled hay into the wheel barrow, making sure I got all the stragglers. I then rolled back down the hall and outside. I blinked into the darkness and let out a small giggle to myself. I had forgotten that I went to school at night and that it was probably almost three in the morning. The thought of being alone in the dark, however, had me rushing to the compost heap and back. Good thing too, because when I got back Shadow seemed a bit restless.

"It's ok, I'm back. Almost done. Just got to put down the good hay." I grabbed one of the bales and began scattering it around the stall. Once both bales were scattered I let out a small sigh and patted Shadow, "There ya go, nice and clean."

There was a creak and I jumped nearly ten feet before turning around to find Darin, opening the gate. "Oh, uh, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, it's just… it's so weird."

"What is?"

"How calm he is around you. He usually goes berserk if anyone tries to touch him, even Clyden. But he is completely at ease with you. You even talk to him as if he understands. You… you aren't like any other boy I know."

I gave a shrug and patted Shadow's side again, "I have a knack with animals, always have."

"It must be a gift from Nyx. You must be special to her."

"I don't know why, I'm just another guy, like you."

I held back a smile as Darin blushed and fidgeted with his fingers. He was so cute when he blushed. The only problem was he thought I was a guy, a cute one at that. The poor thing, me being nice probably gets his hopes up, and I'm not even a guy. His sigh cut off my thoughts and drew my attention back to him.

"Anyway, um, Cline had me come to get you. He is waiting for us outside."

"Alright, I will be there in a moment, I just have to let Clyden know that I am done with Shadow."

"No need. Did you think I would leave you with Shadow, knowing how he acts with others, and not watch over you?" Clyden stepped from the shadows, causing me to fight to keep from jumping, and gave a small smile. "Darin is right; you are the only one he is calm with. Tomorrow, I can teach you to ride him. For now, however, your mentor awaits."

I nodded and thanked him before turning to follow Darin. As I followed him I had the sudden urge to play with his hair. It was a light brown and curled ever so slightly at the ends. It looked almost like silk! "Darin, what do you do to your hair?"

Darin glanced back at me with a raised eyebrow, "What?"

"Your hair, it looks like silk, how do you do that?"

He gave a small nervous giggle, "I use a certain shampoo and… well… I brush it a hundred times."

I gave a small smirk, "Medieval royalty? Cool. I'll have to try that sometime. I used to when I was little, but always lost count."

He turned and smiled at me, "Really? I do that sometimes too, I usually just start over."

"Better than me. I'm just too lazy I guess. I lost count and was like 'Well, I guess that's good enough'."

We were both laughing when we stepped out to find Cline. "Ah, there you two are. Clyden told me that he placed you with Shadow. When you didn't come out, I had begun to worry that you had gotten hurt."

I gave a bright smile. So much for strong and silent type. "Nope, I'm fine, and I get to learn how to ride him tomorrow."

Cline's eyes widened, "Really? That's excellent news. Speaking of news, I've come to inform you that we have your things ready in a room." He paused and turned to Darin, giving him a small smile, "And that Darin will be your new roommate, seeing as Sin already has one. I thought it would be safe enough, since I heard why you were screaming."

I blushed lightly and nodded, "Heh, I figured you would. I'm… I'm not in trouble am I?"

Cline chuckled softly, "Of course not, you stood up for a classmate and perhaps even taught a lesson on honor and respect."

We all smiled at one another until something fluttered in my stomach. These are the only ones to know your secrets. Tell them if you wish, but no one else. Nyx, again. Why did she want Darin and Cline to know but nobody else? I understand that it is an all boy school, but was there a danger if I told someone else? The pressure in my gut told me yes.

"Alright then, Darin and I will escort you to your new room."

I followed them and studied each closely. Darin seemed to be at least a foot or two shorter than Cline, leaving me more than a foot or two shorter than Cline. Yet when he was close he didn't seem so tall. Cline had a well-built body, making him look like a teenage athlete rather than an adult warrior. Darin was a bit more on the bulky side. He wasn't fat bulky, but clean muscle bulky. It fit well on him, though it didn't fit the shy guy routine. We passed through a pair of doors that led into a dorm like building and climbed up a flight of stairs. We stopped in front of a door near the end of the hall.

"This is it. I will leave you to get settled in. I look forward to seeing your skill with a blade Mindartis. You two have a good night." As Cline started to turn and walk away, there was a tug in my stomach that had me calling out to him.

"Wait." I felt a heat spread on my cheeks as both Darin and Cline looked at me like something was wrong, "Um, can you come in for a moment? I have to show you something."

He raised an eyebrow, "Of course."

Once both of them were in the room I turned and shut the door, only to turn around to find both of their faces go sorta white. Oh great, they thought I was gonna strip for 'em. "Well um, you can't tell anyone what I show you. It has to stay between us and Velona."

"Why?"

"Just… trust me." I raised my hand to my forehead and rubbed off the makeup covering my mark. Darin gasped and put his hand to his mouth, while Cline's eyes widened in surprise. "Nyx has chosen me. But she doesn't want anyone to know. I think that if anyone else knew I would be in danger or that I would be unable to do what Nyx wishes of me. The only reason Velona knows is because I didn't have any makeup to put over it before I got here. Nobody else must know."

Darin dropped his hand and let out a slightly girly giggle, "The goddess really has chosen you. Maybe that's why you have so many gifts."

Cline raised his eyebrow, "Gifts? As in plural?"

Darin nodded his head eagerly, "Yep! He never misses a shot in archery, he can calm animals that are usually very wild, he is faster than any vampyre alive, his intuition is unbelievable, and, well… like Sin said, he is good with a blade."

I blushed slightly. Were those all gifts from Nyx? Cline gave an approving grin, "I see then. I suppose I have my work cut out for me then. Is that all you needed?"

I know Nyx hinted that I could tell about my gender, but I didn't want to tell a teacher. Especially when I myself didn't know whether or not I could trust him not to try and kick me out. "Nope, that's all."

"Very well then, good night."

As he left the room, I let out a sigh and turned to Darin. He, however, I could tell. I had to tell him, actually. I didn't want him crushing on me only to find out later that I was a girl. That would crush him. I listened until I could no longer hear Cline's footsteps before I pressed my back to the door, closing it completely, and then locking it. Poor Darin's face turned bright pink as he heard the lock.

"Um, w-why did you lock the door?"

Is it bad that I really wanted to play gay boy? He was so cute with that face. I let out another sigh and took my gay boy line, and made it a little less 'come here little boy.' "So that nobody comes in." I could've sworn his face got even redder with that. Heck, now I really wanted to play gay boy. "There is one more thing Nyx doesn't want me to tell others. But I'm telling you to save you the pain of finding out later."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Gods, you are too adorable when you do that. But anyway." I let out yet another sigh and sat on the bed that I was pretty sure was mine, "Darin, I'm a girl. I was born a girl. My voice is like this because I am a girl. I dressed like a boy so that I could get into this House of Night and become a warrior."

Darin's face went from red to white, "Really? You're a girl?"

"Yep."

"O-oh, well, that sucks."

"Something wrong with me being a girl?" I gave a small, hopefully playful smile.

"No, of course not. But, I'm gay, and well, when you jumped in earlier, I was kinda hopin' that you were gay too."

"I know, and I'm sorry. But that's why I told you now. I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't."

He nodded, "Yeah, I get it."

I gave him a small smile, "I could play gay if you wanted me to. Would probably confuse the fuck out of those boys. Not to mention I'm pretty sure I could play boyfriend a lot easier than I can play strong and silent."

He let out a sputter of a laugh, "Strong and silent? That's what you were going for? That worked for maybe the first few seconds of you being here I bet."

I gave a fake pout, "Hey, I tried, and you have to admit it was pretty convincing."

He gave a chuckle, "Yeah the "I'm a guy" part was, definitely, but not the silent part."

"Well what do you expect? I talk and laugh when I'm nervous."

"Nervous? You could not have been nervous this whole time."

"Oh yeah? I'm shy as crap around new people. Add that to the fact that I am the only female fledgling in this place of manliness, and that I got paired up with a really cute mentor and a slightly cute kid who has the same name as my cat." I took a breath when I finished and shot a grin at Darin when I heard him laugh.

"Yep, definitely nervous. Well, at least you have me as a roommate and not some other guy."

"Oh no kidding. I'd have to watch my back every five seconds, just to make sure they didn't find out."

Darin tilted his head then, his smile fading slightly. "Why did Nyx say you could tell me? What is special about me?"

I gave a shrug, "For the record, I would've told you either way. But, I don't know. I think you are special to her as well."

"Really? But, I'm, well, you know."

I stood and moved beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving the brightest smile I could, "Do you honestly think she cares about your preferences? If she did there is no way either of us would've been Marked, and I definitely wouldn't have my gifts."

His jaw dropped as he looked at me, "Y-you're gay too?"

I chuckled softly, "Half-gay. I like guys more than girls, but I do like some of them. I'm picky 'bout my girls." I smiled then stifled a small yawn.

"Well it looks like somebody is tired."

I chuckled again, "Well it did take me about fourteen hours of driving to get here."

He smiled then motioned to the bed, "Well I guess you can already tell that that bed is yours. Go ahead and sleep. Just know that I won't let you sleep long. Dinner is in about two hours. If I can't wake you, then I will just bring back some food for you."

"Alright. Thanks."

"No problem."

I turned and went back to my bed recognizing the newly bought comforter and pillows. My phone rested on a bedside table, hooked up to a charger. I blinked and smiled. I couldn't believe that I had totally forgotten about my phone. I opened it up and noticed a missed call and a few text messages. All from Mr. Fineran. The texts were basically asking if I had made it ok and saying that I should text him back no matter the hour. I swear he was more like a dad than a teacher. I sent a quick text saying that I was fine and that I was taking a quick nap before dinner; then shut the phone and climbed into bed. Darin left the room a bit after, leaving me to sleep alone.

Chapter Three

I awoke to the feeling of standing too close to a fire. I bolted upright and looked around, thinking that maybe the building had caught fire while I was sleeping, but there was only darkness. A harsh wind blew around me, whipping my hair so hard that it snapped my eyes. I blinked the tears away and went to the window, thinking that it was open. It was shut, and latched. What in the world was going on? A bright light flashed to my left, blinding me momentarily before my eyes adjusted. It was a flame, floating in the air. Was I still dreaming?

The wind came again, this time bringing me the sound of Darin's voice. The sound of him, whimpering. "Where's Darin?" Almost immediately the flame began to move, and went to the door. I didn't bother with my shoes and instead ran to the door, threw it open, and followed the flame out of the dorm building into the night. It led me to a side wall of the school, under a couple of trees then vanished. I looked around and heard the whimpers again. This time there were other voices. Loki was back.

"Not so tough without the new guy are ya?! You pathetic piece of shit! It's a wonder you haven't just killed yourself already!"

"Please… just leave me alone…"

"We aren't stopping till you are dead!"

"Yeah! No gays allowed!"

Again, I have no idea how I did it, but I just… appeared in front of Darin. Just in time to catch a fist to the gut. Strangely, it didn't hurt. I looked into Loki's eyes and let out a snarl. "And you call yourself a warrior?" I admit, I did sound scary. My voice had suddenly become low pitched and echoed, like those bad guys in anime. "A warrior follows the code of chivalry and honor. You have no such code. If anyone should die, it should be you."

Loki's face paled and he withdrew his fist. "W-what the hell are you?"

I let my lips curl into a smirk, "Oh wouldn't you like to know. Darin..."

"Y-yes?"

"Did they hit you?"

I glanced over my shoulder to look at him, spotting a bloodied lip and an already swelling eye. He nodded and I turned my attention back to Loki, "Bad move." I moved so fast that I barely caught what happened. My fist slammed into Loki's eye socket, my knee came up to meet his crotch, and my elbow slammed into the back of his neck. As he crumpled to the ground I noticed the other boys staring at me in horror. I straightened and looked into each of their eyes. As I made eye contact, they turned and ran, leaving Loki behind.

"Come on Darin, let's get you cleaned up."

I turned and put an arm around his shoulders. On his nod we made our way back to our room. I sat him on his bed and went to the bathroom to search for the first aid kit. "I-I'm sorry. They made me drop the food."

"It's ok, I will eat tomorrow. I'm just glad I got to you before they beat you up too bad." I came out with the kit in my hands and sat by him on the bed. "If they had hurt you anymore than they did, I probably would've killed them."

"Why?"

"Hm?" I turned his head towards me, and gently wiped the blood from his lip.

"Why hurt them for hurting me?"

"Because you are my friend, and I am protective of my friends. Hold still, this might hurt." I gently wiped an alcohol wipe over the cut in his lip then inspected him for any other wounds. There was a cut over his cheek bone and one on the underside of his now blackening eye. I wiped the cuts gently and put a Band-Aid over the one on his cheek. He winced slightly but that was about it.

"Friend?"

I nodded and handed him an ice pack to put over his eye, "Yes. You are my friend."

He smiled, "Thank you, for being my friend."

I patted his back, "No problem. If they don't leave you alone after tonight, I don't know what will make them."

"They are a bit hard headed."

"A bit?"

We laughed and I set about putting the first aid kit away. I went to the bathroom and did a quick clean-up of my feet to get the dirt off of them before retiring to my bed. One thing was for sure. I was going to make sure Loki regretted ever hurting Darin. I let my eyes drift closed, but I didn't sleep. I first sent a prayer to Nyx, asking for her to possibly deepen my voice enough to let me sound like a guy. Not permanently of course, but maybe as a glamour. Then I thought of the events from the past few days. One day I am a normal kid, the next a fledgling who is forced out of the house by my dad with a gun, the next an extremely special prepubescent boy who has a filled in mark. Just three days? In just three days I've had more change and excitement than in my entire eighteen years of life. I let out a soft sigh and reached over to my phone.

Mr. Fineran had texted back. He asked how my day had gone. Well, that's certainly a good question.

I tapped back, "The same as any other first day, except that I apparently have a lot of gifts. Oh, and I got into two fights already. Both the same jerkface."

A few moments later came his frantic reply, "Fights? Plural? What happened?"

"The jerk and his buddies decided to pick on the gay guy. I thought I taught him a lesson when I took him down in a second flat. Oh, did I mention that when I am pissed off I apparently have super speed? Anyway, later, maybe an hour before sunrise, he starts picking on Darin again. Darin's the gay guy. And of course I beat the shit out of him again."

"While I admire you for protecting Darin, I don't think that was the best thing to do. Making an enemy brings more attention to yourself."

"I see your point, but that isn't gonna stop me from beating the crap out of him the next time he hurts Darin."

"You're very protective of Darin. Why is that?"

"He is my roommate, and he knows both of my secrets."

"Why tell him? What if he tells someone?"

"Nyx told me to. And he is gay. A gay guy who thinks I make a cute guy. I wasn't gonna be evil and let him think I was a guy."

"I see. Well then, it is very late, I suggest you get some sleep. While I have to get ready for work."

"Alright, have a good day."

"Good night."

I rolled over and opened a text from my mom, she was getting ready for work and was wishing me a good day. I smiled softly and texted her back saying that I was going to sleep the day away and that I hoped she had a good day at work. I put my phone back on the side table then closed my eyes. I slipped easily into a deep sleep, so deep that nothing could wake me. Except for the recently set sun. That woke me up like a cold shower. I sat up and blinked. Yep, the sun had just set. I looked at my phone and noticed that we had half an hour to dress and eat. I let out a small yawn and looked over to Darin's bed. He was still asleep.

I stood and stretched before moving over to Darin. "Hey, Darin, you gotta get up." Wow, I must still be tired because my voice caught a bit and grumbled slightly. Nonetheless, Darin groaned and rubbed his eyes.

I stepped aside to let him up and smiled at his sleepy pout, "Good morning, sunshine." This time I don't think it was exhaustion, nor do I think I was the only one to catch how my voice sounded.

"Um, you did say you were a girl right? Because you really just sounded like a guy…"

I blinked. Just a glamour. I gave a smile, "Nyx is helping my charade apparently."

"Ah, well as good as that is, it is sorta unsettling knowing you are now a girl with a guy's voice."

I shrugged and went to the bathroom to study my face. Nothing changed. "Well at least I don't have a super deep voice, because then it wouldn't match my features at all."

"That's for sure. I'll see you down at breakfast, alright."

"Sure, I'll be down in a minute."

As he left I got to work on rewrapping the bandages, brushing my hair, and brushing my teeth. I threw on some clothes and the jacket then shoved my feet into socks and my shoes. I was about to head downstairs till I remembered that my mark was still showing. As I reapplied the crème with one of my paint brushes, I froze. When I had gone to save Darin last night, my mark was showing. Oh gods, please don't tell me they saw it.

I finished and let out a heavy sigh. Hopefully it was dark enough. I left the room and met up with Darin just as he finished his breakfast. I checked my watch and noted fifteen more minutes. I took some sausage links from the fridge in the kitchen area and popped them into the microwave. As I was waiting, Darin waved at me as he went up to change. A sound to my right had me jumping, yet again.

A chuckle let me know that the perpetrator was Sin, "Still jumpy, eh?"

I smirked and leaned closer, "Hey, at least I'm not squeaky anymore."

I held back my laughter as Sin's eyes nearly bulged out of his face, "Wow that was fast. No cracking or anything."

I smirked and grabbed my sausage from the microwave, "I must be a master at puberty then."

We both chuckled and sat down at a table near the windows and ate. I finished my sausage just as Darin came back down the stairs. He saw Sin and I and raised an eyebrow at me in question, I knew what the question would be and shook by head before standing to get rid of my plate. All three of us walked together to Vamp soc. class. Apparently Darin was in all of our classes except literature. I think he takes poetry instead. We enter the classroom and that's when I notice that Loki has at least Vamp Soc. with us too. He sat in the back on the side closest to the door, while Darin sat on the opposite side of the room. Both of his eyes were black and one had a cut under it. He still came to class? Hm, better than me. I would've stayed in the room and treated my wounds. Then again, I also wouldn't have picked on someone because he was different. So I guess he deserves it.

We took our seats and, strangely, there were no whispers about Loki's face. In fact, nobody was even trying to catch a glimpse of the bruises. I looked to Sin and wrote a note on a piece of paper and moved it over to him.

"What are the rules on fights here?"

Sin glanced at me and smirked before writing down his answer, "The teachers think of them as training. If you lose it shows you have more training to do and that you are supposed to respect the winner. The warrior's way. If you are wondering why nobody is commenting on Loki's face, it is because it is rude to rub it in that he lost. If you lose you lose, if you win you win. That's all there is to it."

I nodded and went back to writing notes. So far, vamp school is way better than human school. A cough to my right caused me to look up. It was only then that I realized that I hadn't had a single cough since I got here. Which raised the question, who was coughing now? A kid two rows away, short blonde hair and tan skin, was hacking a lung, I swear. Then I saw it, blood. Blood spilling from his ears and eyes. What in the? Skylock sent a kid to go get Velona while I went to the kid to try and calm him down. I knelt awkwardly beside him and patted his back. Blood was going everywhere. I took a deep breath and matched my breathing to his. "Calm down. Freaking out will only make it worse." I continued to rub his back and his coughing soon became less frantic.

A small warmth washed through me and straight into him. He must've had an affinity to fire, granted only priestesses have elemental affinities, but fire could be a very useful weapon. The kid smiled and slid almost out of the chair. I caught him and held him against my chest. "Be calm and rest peacefully. The Goddess waits for you." He went still in my arms just as the door burst open. Velona rushed over to us and frowned at me. I turned the kid in my arms so that she could see him.

I noticed most of the kids around me were horrified at what they had just watched. Velona pressed her finger tips against the kid's neck, checking for vitals and let out a sorrowful sigh. "Sin, can you come grab Skylar and carry him for me?"

Sin nodded but I stood and looked to Velona, "I can carry him." Velona's eyes widened ever so slightly before she nodded.

"Very well, follow me."

I effortlessly carried Skylar to the infirmary and laid him on a bed. "Is… Is that what happens when we can't make the change?"

Velona turned to me and nodded, "Sadly, yes. But right now, I am curious as to what you have done."

"What do you mean?"

"Your voice."

"Oh, right. Nyx put a glamour on it."

She seemed to narrow her eyes at me before nodding slightly. "I see. She must really like you then. Head back to class."

I gave a salute and went back to class. I had just enough time to walk in and head to the desk before the bell rang. I grabbed my things and put them in my cubby. As I followed Sin out of the class I noticed that Skylar's blood had already been cleaned up. As if he had never been there.

Fencing class was quieter today. No doubt due to the recent death. After our warm ups, Sebastian had us pair up and spar each other. It wasn't long before I started to see what everyone meant about my gifts. No matter who I was paired up with, I had them within a minute. About fifteen minutes before the bell, we were told to shower. I on the other hand was called over to Sebastian.

I put my foil and mask up and jogged up to him, "You needed me?"

Sebastian nodded, "It appears Sin was right, you are quite deadly with the foil. But I wonder if it is just the foil. After your equestrian class, I want you to meet me here. I will test you with other blades."

I nodded and was about to head to the showers till I caught a whiff of rust. "Um, is it alright that I go back to the dorms for my shower? I need to change clothes."

Sebastian tilted his head in question.

"Um, Skylar couldn't make the change. I tried to comfort him and I think I got his blood on me."

Sebastian's eyes widened ever so slightly before he nodded, "Very well. Be sure you are not late to your next class."

It didn't take me much time to get back to the dorms. Once in the room I took off my shoes and socks and set Mr. Fineran's jacket on my bed before going into the bathroom. It took a bit to unravel the gauze around my chest. Sadly it was now stained with Skylar's blood and had to be tossed. Once I was undressed, I stepped into the shower and washed the day's trauma off of my skin. It felt good to shower after everything that had happened. I finished and stepped out of the shower and started drying myself off. I paused and looked into the mirror. It was my first time seeing the moon filled in. It definitely looked better than just the outline itself.