Page 2 of Stormbringer (Tracthesian Academy #1)

Wave couldn’t place him. He looked ordinary enough to be human, with his pasty skin and rather dull, wheat-colored hair.

She highly doubted that he was, but there weren’t any noticeable traits of other races to latch onto.

Maybe he was an ogre, and this was his glamour to pass among the general population.

Knowing that ogres existed and seeing one in front of you were two completely different things.

“Thank you, Tony,” Wave said, while keeping her musings to herself.

It was rude to ask. She remained standing, but she set her bag back down.

Just breathe and be cool. It should all be in order.

They had invited her to attend—even offered a full scholarship.

She wasn’t trespassing. She belonged here by her own merits, not by her name.

She had worked damned hard to make sure of that.

“Ms. Spinwell?”

“Yes?” Wave almost knocked her bags over as she spun.

Mrs. Smith looked exactly as she had expected someone working here to look.

Her mahogany hair was pulled back into an immaculate low bun, not a strand out of place, and she wore designer glasses with a thick rim.

Her pale skin showed blue veins running under her face, but it didn’t distract from her looks, just enhanced them. Part water fey perhaps?

“Please, follow me.” Smith turned on her sensible heels, her skirt and jacket equally polished and pressed. Or they had a wrinkle-dispelling spell on them.

Hurriedly, Wave grabbed her bags and followed the woman into an office that, to her surprise, wasn’t as grandiose as everything else.

The desk had piles of papers on it, and she spotted a pair of sneakers hiding in the corner.

Mrs. Smith took a seat behind her desk and motioned Wave to take a chair opposite.

“How are you finding the campus so far, Ms. Spinwell?” Her kind, if reserved, smile allowed Wave to breathe.

“A tad overwhelming, to be honest, ma’am.” It was a lot to be among so many others . She had been living most of her life among humans, or hiding with Mother and keeping a low profile.

“That is understandable.” Mrs. Smith nodded. “However, I think you’ll fit right in.”

“That’s kind of you to say.” Wave forced her legs to stay still and smoothed her palms over her jeans.

They both knew she stood out like a sore thumb in her secondhand clothes and scuffed sneakers.

The fact that Wave could wear the finest clothes and jewels if she just sold her soul to the devil, or to be more precise, her grandparents, didn’t ease the discomfort she was feeling one bit.

“Now, first thing is your vow to respect the neutrality of Tracthesian Academy. We are very proud of our neutral status and haven’t had a serious incident in decades. We would like to keep it that way.”

“I promise to respect the neutral ground,” Wave hastily vowed.

She did mean it and really hoped others did too.

No one was actively hunting on the Academy grounds.

That was another layer of security for her and one of the reasons her mother had allowed her to attend.

Sure, they had fought over it, gone over contingencies, planned, and fought some more, but in the end, they’d reached an accord.

Mrs. Smith nodded. “Good. I looked over your paperwork, and all your transcripts seem to be in order. I do have to warn you, though, that the academic requirements are higher in Tracthesian Academy than in most schools. We offer the best environment to realizing your potential, if you are willing to work hard.”

“Of course, ma’am. I understand.”

“I have your schedule here, as well as maps of the campus and the dorms. Your scholarship covers accommodation, meals in the cafeteria, and any equipment listed in the class requirements. The rest is up to you, but the campus has some part-time positions available. I’ve taken the liberty of listing some of them for you.

” Mrs. Smith pushed a pile of papers over her desk, and Wave gathered them into her arms.

“Thank you.”

“Since you are our only scholarship student starting this semester, I asked you to arrive a day early so I could make sure you are all set for your orientation week. Do you have any questions?”

“I… um…”

“It’s alright if you want to read through the material first. I’ve included my office number and email in your file. Feel free to get in touch if you need any clarification. Tony will arrange your student ID on your way out.”

“Oh, wow. Yeah, thanks.”

“We really want you to enjoy your time in Tracthesian Academy, Ms. Spinwell,” Mrs. Smith said, a tad too sweetly. “It’s not every day a student as gifted as you joins our small university.”

“Small…” Wave choked, and Mrs. Smith chuckled.

“It’s all relative, Ms. Spinwell.”

“Sure, sure,” she muttered and glanced around the office again.

“Oh, and one more thing, Ms. Spinwell.”

“Yes?”

“Your parentage is listed as unknown, and your blood tests came back as inconclusive. Therefore, we couldn’t tailor your class schedule and assigned you to the ‘generalist’ dorm. If you have any clarifying information, please let me know.”

Ah, there it was. She wasn’t going to tell them anything about her parents.

Mentioning her father, no matter that he had been dead for a decade, would still cause a fuss.

Her mother… well, that would lead to a completely different kind of fuss.

One where Wave very likely would find herself in chains. Or dead.

She had worked hard to be noticed just enough to get the full scholarship, but not so much as to rouse any suspicions.

Tracthesian Academy offered the best path for her to protect herself and learn to train her powers, which too often threatened to boil out of her control.

She needed to be ready for the time when the shit inevitably would hit the proverbial fan.

Keeping an innocent, but slightly sad smile on her face, Wave nodded. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Smith. I will look over all of this,” she lifted the pile of papers and brochures. “And I’ll get in touch if I have any questions.”

Mrs. Smith smiled and reached for her phone. “Tony, please help Ms. Spinwell with her ID and send in my next appointment.” She glanced at Wave questioningly, still holding up her phone.

“Yes. Thank you again,” Wave hurried to say and jumped up. “I’ll see myself out. Have a nice day, Mrs. Smith.”

“You too, Ms. Spinwell.” She turned back to the phone. “Yes, she’s coming now. Yes. No. That is all. Send him in.” Mrs. Smith finished as Wave let the door close behind her.

All right. She had made it past the dragon.