Page 11 of An Arcane Education
“Some other tidbits of information to be aware of: there are enchanted sconces in most buildings that serve as backup lighting for after-hours and if a storm knocks out the power here on the island. The dining hall is directly next to the castle and is typically open from five a.m. to nine p.m., though I’m not sure what the hours are this weekend. And there is a mandatory new student orientation on Sunday evening at six in the auditorium, which is here.” She taps an area on the map.
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“And it looks like your roommate, Maxine, is already checked in as well. This is also her first year at Arcadia as a grad student, so you’ll be in good company.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe I won’t be as alone as I worried I’d be. “Is she also new to magic?”
The woman chuckles. “Oh, goodness no. She comes from a long line of rather powerful vampires. She transferred this year from Avalon Academy.”
Avampire? I’ve just started coming to terms with the fact that magic is real, and now I’m being told that my roommate is a creature that I’d relegated to fiction alongside werewolves and dragons, and I’m supposed to sleepsoundly in the same room as someone who probably subsists on blood for the next year?
“Any questions?” she asks after I’ve been silent far too long.
Only a million,I think.Are werewolves and dragons and ghosts also real? Should I be worried for my safety with a vampire as a roommate? What and where is Avalon Academy?Instead, I say, “No, I think I’m alright. Thank you for all your help.”
My own residence hall thankfully is across campus, past the massive castle that I’d passed before. I step outside, and the heavy mist from before has now escalated to light raindrops tapping against the sidewalk. I keep my head down as I drag my suitcase behind me with rapid steps, but by the time I reach the building I’ll be living in for the next two years, my hair is plastered to my cheeks and my clothes are entirely soaked through.
My dormitory building is similar to the others on campus with its imposing stone structure. Ivy snakes up the facade, covering the bottom half of the dark stone with a blanket of green. It’s much wider than it is tall, though, with only a few levels by the looks of it.
I don’t have much time to examine the exterior as I rush in out of the rain. I pull the handle of one of the heavy, arched wooden doors and step inside.
I stop in the foyer, a medium-sized room with dark hardwood floors and matching ornate wainscoting covering the walls. There’s a large navy blue doormat that extends a few feet in either direction, no doubt to catch some of the mud that will be tracked in due to the rain, and a neat line of coat hooks bordering the room.
Hallways extend to either side, one of which holds themailboxes, and there’s a room directly ahead of me between the large spiral staircases that seem to wind upward forever.
Telling myself I’ll take the time to explore later, I glance at the paper clutched in my hand again. Room 330. I can only assume there’s no elevator in a building this old, so I take a deep breath and start the trek up one of the staircases. The staircase is just narrow enough to make navigating it with luggage awkward and clumsy. My bags bang against the metal spindles as I reach floor two then, finally, floor three.
The hallway is dim, lit by sconces spaced evenly between the doorways, and it’s eerily quiet. My rolling suitcase echoes like thunder in the emptiness. Most of the doorways are identical bare, dark wood, but some have decorations. I pass one with a wreath of dried flowers, another covered in photographs, and another with a chalkboard with blocky letters reading “The Chaos Room.”That sounds promising.
Finally, I reach room 330, the place I’ll be living for the next two years. My heart rate kicks up at the sound of movement on the other side of the door. My roommate is here. Correction: myvampireroommate is here. But the administrators would have the foresight to not put me in a room where I’d be in danger… right?
I decide to try the handle first, but it’s locked. The movement inside the room stops as I fish the brass key from my jacket pocket and turn it in the lock. It turns smoothly despite its apparent age.
The door swings inward with a push, and I’m met with the sight of a room that’s slightly larger than Iexpected. Each half of the room is a mirror image of the other, with two beds occupying each wall, dressers against the wall on either side of the door, and small desks at the foot of each bed.
The walls are an off-white that’s a stark contrast to the dark wood of the hallways and foyer, and there’s a window directly across from the doorway that lets in soft, natural light.
One side of the room is already claimed, as expected. The bed is made with a black comforter and matching pillowcases, and haphazard stacks of books lean precariously against the wall.
The desk is covered in various jars of what look like herbs, multiple candles in different shapes, sizes, and colors, and a collection of small stones.
Most importantly, sitting at the desk is the same woman who gave me directions earlier.
She turns as I enter, and recognition falls over her expression. Her countenance sours, like my presence is an affront to her very existence.
I go for a friendly approach first despite my discomfort at the apparent disdain my roommate already has for me. “Hi, I’m Vivian,” I introduce myself in a bright voice.
Still frowning, she cocks an eyebrow and introduces herself by simply stating her name. “Max.”
Alright then.
I wheel my suitcases to the unclaimed side of the room and toss the other bags onto the bare mattress, rubbing my sore shoulders as soon as the weight is off of them.
After a few awkward minutes of silence as I hang my clothes in the small closet, I attempt conversation again.
“The secretary said you’re new to this school too. I’m really excited to get out and explore the campus.”
She nods as she files her crystals into slotted drawers on a desktop organizer. “Mhm.”
