Ex Nihilo Academy (2 page)

“Hello?”

He looks up suddenly and when he sees me in the window his
neutral expression turns into a frown. He nods curtly then turns back to his work.

“Are you Rowan?” I try again.

“I am.” He replies, keeping his back to me.

“I’m Lily Hughes. It’s nice to meet you.” I can see his shoulders lift and drop as he exhales. “I’m kind of busy right now.” He yells over his shoulder then stalks off in the direction of the shed that’s sitting at the edge of the property.

My throat constricts. Okay, he’s obviously not happy that I’m here, but why? Does he think I’m spoiled watching in the window while he has to work? Or maybe he resents having me move in. Maybe he took one look at
me and decided that I wasn’t worth his time. When Niall said he had a son I had a flash of hope that he might be someone I could get to know to make this place a little more bearable. I stalk away from the window and close my eyes against the rush of tears building. Despite my best efforts they slip down my nose and
off my chin. I cry hard then, the kind of awful shaking sobs that leave my body limp. I cry for all the things that I’ve lost and for all the things I‘ve left behind.

I’m waiting at the edge of the dock the next morning for the ferry to arrive to take me to school. I asked Niall if there was a public dock or something but he just shrugged and said the boat would come directly to me. I don’t know why a whole ferry would stop at my house just to pick up one
person but he didn’t stick around long enough for me to ask that question. The air is cold but the sky is a muted blue and it looks like the sun is trying to fight its way through the clouds. I’m silently watching the pelicans dive into
the calm water in search of food when the rumbling starts. It grows louder as it approaches, cutting the water around it into choppy waves and it turns out not to be a ferry at all but a sleek midnight black speed boat that pulls up to
the dock. A tall, stick-thin man with pale skin and white hair comes around the side of the boat.

“Are you my ride?” I ask. He nods and tips his black chauffeurs cap but doesn’t speak. He tosses a rope on to the deck then jumps
down to secure it. “I get my own boat?” I ask, scanning his face and focusing on his strange colorless eyes. He remains quiet and points his gloved hand toward the boat so I carefully step on to the deck. My flip flops slip on the
slick surface and he grabs my arm to steady me. Once I am on the boat he releases the rope and climbs back in. He heads toward the front, leaving me alone at the back. As the boat races away from the dock I look over my shoulder at the house and see Rowan in the garden. He is staring at us with a very
peculiar expression on his face; one which is part curiosity and part disgust. But I decide I’m not going to let him get to me today, especially not on my first day at a new school. The boat skims across the water and in minutes we
arrive at an isolated island. The boat steers us easily into the wharf which looks much sturdier than the one back at the house. The strange looking boatman doesn’t come out to say goodbye so I just hop off and walk up the stone
stairwell to the top of the hill. The school itself is perched on a rocky crag that juts right out of the water. The island stretches wide but it is so narrow that you can see the other side of it from where I am standing by the gatehouse. A smooth stone driveway leads to a rotunda and beyond that to an
oversized arched wooden doorway.

“It’s literally a castle.” I mutter under my breath. The school is tall and made of motley gray stones that are half-covered in creeping ivy. There are bay windows with freshly painted white frames that line the
lower floor and smaller sash windows dotting the upper level. The school is set against a backdrop of green so vibrant that it almost hurts my eyes to look at. It is imposing and seems to stretch upward into oblivion and is so unlike my
old school with its open air courtyards, potted palm trees and floor to ceiling glass windows that I am at a loss for words. Another thing strikes me at the same time; there is no one outside. No students on the grass or strolling in
through the doors.

“Am I late?” I say out loud to myself. I never wear a watch but I would assume the boatman has instructions to deliver me on time. I push through the heavy wooden doors into the main hall where I find someone waiting
for me.

“You must be Lily.” He raises his eyebrows and I nod. “Welcome to Ex Nihilo Academy. I’m Tristan Powers, your tour guide for the day.” He winks and I notice that his eyes are a startling shade of emerald. He
is only a head taller than me but he’s built like a football player - stocky and thick.

“You don’t have an accent.” I say.

“Is that a question?” He runs a hand through his closely-cropped sandy blond hair. “I’m from Ohio so no, I don’t have an accent.
I do however have strict orders to take you straight to the headmaster so she can introduce herself. Though if it were up to me I’d turn you around and take you into town for pizza to save you from all of this craziness.” His dimples
cave in when he smiles and I instantly feel a kinship with him. Maybe it’s the American thing but more than that it seems like he’s going out of his way to make me feel comfortable.

“Then lead on tour guide.” I smile back. He takes me down a
long wide hall, pointing out rooms to the left and the right. I doubt I’ll remember much of what he is saying because all I am thinking about is the headmaster. The letter mentioned that she would be the one with all of the answers.

She is seated behind a massive desk that’s been carved out of a solid piece of wood. The rest of the office is totally bare; the stark white walls in sharp contrast to the polished concrete floor. The only decoration in the room is a strange-looking picture of a bunch of stone bodies
that look like they are trapped under water.

“It’s a rendition of Fredrick Hart’s Ex Nihilo sculpture. Ex Nihilo is the Latin for ‘out of nothing’. Do you know what the motto of Ex
Nihilo Academy is?” She asks, raising her severe-looking eyebrows at me. Her black hair is wound into a tight bun that pulls back her eyes and stretches out the deep lines etched into her face. She is pale, with watery eyes that scrutinize me as I take the seat in front of her desk.

“Up until a few weeks ago I didn’t even know that this academy existed.” I answer honestly.

“Nosce Te Ipsum. Do you speak any Latin?” She asks and I shake my head no. I’m quickly getting frustrated because it feels like she’s
baiting me. “Then I suggest you learn it quickly.” I suddenly wish Tristan was with me but he was told to wait in the hall. “It means ‘know thyself’ which could not be a truer statement for the gifted students of this school. And by
‘gifted’ I don’t mean skilled at tennis or excellent at calculus, though those may be accurate as well. This is an academy for the supernatural races.” Her eyes bore into mine, daring me to speak.

“Supernaturals.” I say flatly and she gives me a patronizing
smile.

“There are five supernatural races that have existed since the dawn of time and who live undetected among humans. They are fairies, witches, vampires, werewolves and trolls. This school has existed for hundreds
of years with the goal of helping our young supernatural’s understand themselves. We teach students how to harness their powers and how to wield them in a mature and responsible way. In addition to standard curriculum like
sciences and humanities we teach supernatural curriculum. We have a stellar reputation internationally and many of our students continue on to Ivy League universities.” I grip the arms of my chair to keep from screaming and wonder what
I did wrong along the way to have my parents to send me to a mental institution.

“So what about the human students? Don’t they get suspicious when everyone is turning into bats and wolves and riding around on brooms?” I say, a little hysterically and she shoots me a level look.

“Ms. Hughes, I understand what a great loss you have recently experienced and that this must be a lot to take in. I never agreed with your parents’ choice to keep you in the dark for as long as they did but I
must honor their wishes now in helping you through this. To answer your question, with the exception of a few trusted individuals who work for us there are no humans on campus.”

“What about me?” I challenge.

“While you may feel human right now I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. Your mother and father were fairies and the truth is that you are a fairy as well.”

“Excuse me, but you must be joking.” I shake my head from
side to side, willing my brain to catch up but she just smiles thinly.

“I can assure you that I am not. Tristan will take you to your first class and tomorrow morning after you’ve had some time to digest
everything you will report to the training room. That is all I have to say for now, though I’m sure you must have questions for me?” For a moment I am frozen in place, then I stand on shaky legs and make my way to the door. “The only question I have is what my parents were thinking by sending me here. You, lady,
are officially nuts!” I throw open the door and run down the hall past Tristan, who jogs after me.

“Lily?” I can hear the question in his voice and I turn on him.

“Tristan, I don’t know what you think you know about me but it’s not true. I realize that I haven’t been acting like myself since my parent’s accident but if you think for a second that I need to be locked up with you people then guess again.”

“I see. You think that this is a mental hospital.” A smile pulls at his lips.

“Don’t laugh at me! Next thing you’ll be telling me is that you’re a hobbit or a leprechaun or something.” I shout.

“Don’t be weird, there’s no such thing as leprechauns. I’m clearly a fairy.” He laughs and my eyes widen.

“Did you seriously just tell me not to be weird? How am I weird when you are the one who thinks he’s a fairy?”

“Look, California, you need to calm down so we can talk about this.” He moves toward me and I step back. “I don’t think so. Look, I don’t mean to be insensitive to whatever you are going through but there’s obviously been a mistake. I’m getting out of here and don’t even think about
following me!” I move away from him and sprint toward front doors, then out on to the lawn. I can see the outline of the black speedboat in the distance so I keep running until I reach it. The boatman is waiting on the dock with his
hands folded stiffly in front of him.

“Take me home.” I say, bracing my hands on my knees while I catch my breath. I can see that he’s debating as his eyes flick back and forth from me to the school.

“Take me home or I swear to God I will swim there by myself!” I shout and he relents, his cold hand slipping around my arm as he helps me up on to the deck of the boat.

* *

I’m beat by the time the boat drops me off at the house. All
I want to do is take a shower, listen to some tunes and crawl into bed to work through what just happened but when I step off the dock I see Rowan and immediately cringe. I don’t think that I can handle another confrontation
today. He stops digging in the garden when he sees me.

“Good first day?” He asks and I hate myself for finding his Irish accent so completely sexy.

“I’ve had better.” I sigh and I wonder if I should tell him,
then decide against it. He will definitely think I’m nuts. Maybe I am nuts and I’m the only one who doesn’t know it. Why else would my loving and supportive parents send me to a place like this? I sigh again and he hoists the shovel he’s holding over his shoulder and turns toward me.

“I’ve heard about your school before. They say that it’s a pretty exclusive place.” “That’s not the word I’d choose.” I say as his eyes skirt over mine. His gaze is unwavering and up close I can see that his eyes
are a deep shade of navy. His messy, dark curls fall across his forehead and shine a rich auburn color in the sun.

“I’ve tried to visit before. I’ve paddled out all over the loch but it’s impossible to find. It must be a real fortress.” He says. I can
read the suspicion in his eyes and I think that maybe I’m right about it being an institution after all.

“No, it’s definitely not a fortress. It seems like a regular, boring old boarding school to me.” I laugh nervously and try to side
step him.

“You’ll have to show it to me sometime.” He steps in front of me to block my passage. His persistence is starting to get on my nerves.

“What about you? Why aren't you in school today?” I say.

“I graduated last year.”

“No college?”

“I needed to help Niall. There’s too much to keep an eye on here.” I listen for a trace of bitterness in his voice as we stand there
staring at each other.

“I have a girlfriend. She goes to school in Edinburgh.” He says matter-of-factly and I can’t help but laugh. It’s like he’s afraid if he doesn’t get it out in the open that I might jump his bones right there. I hate
it when guys think so highly of themselves that they feel they have to fend off every girl they come in contact with.

“Maybe you should just wear an ‘off-limits’ sign around your neck to keep all of the lovesick girls at bay.” I roll my eyes.

“What?” He seems genuinely confused by my comment.

“Never mind.”

“Whatever. See you later.” I say and he is quiet for a moment before he turns back to the garden. He is instantly cold and withdrawn
leaving me feeling even more tired and more than a little broken. I walk around him and find my way upstairs in a haze where I collapse on the canopied bed. I don’t even bother taking my shoes off. I just lay there, staring at the
ceiling, trying to slow my pulse as I process the crazy morning I’ve just had. Maybe this is all a dream and I’ll wake up tomorrow and everything will be back the way it was. I’ll wake up and go to the mall and then spend the afternoon on
my surfboard. Mom will make me my favorite lentil burgers and sweet potato fries for dinner and I’ll fall asleep on the couch watching an old movie with dad. Eventually my breathing evens out and my eyelids get heavy.

* *

I am in my room. But not my room in California, this room, here in the manor house with the light blue walls and canopied bed. I am wearing a white dress with a light green sash that matches my eyes. My hair is in pigtails and I am clutching a stuffed whale. Mom is sitting on the bed and
dad is half-standing, half-kneeling and pushing on the big wooden headboard. I walk over to the window and look out at the loch which is as smooth as glass. “Get away from the window, Lily!” Mom yells at me and I cower. She never yells.
I sit down on the floor and cross my legs while my dad keeps pushing on the headboard. “How is this going to help, Ayfred? She’s six years old. She’ll never remember this.” Mom makes a face and rubs her hand across her forehead.
He ignores her and calls me over. I walk toward him and he takes my hand in his. “When the time comes you need to remember that this is here. If something should happen to us just look inside the headboard and you will find what you need.” A tear slides down my cheek before he has a chance to catch it. “Why
would something happen to you, Daddy?” He bends over and wraps his arms around me, rocking me gently back and forth. “Don’t cry sweetheart. This is for your own protection. You are a very special little girl and one day you will come
back here and when you do I need you to remember.” “Remember what, Daddy?” I say. “Remember that you are a princess. Now close your eyes and repeat after me, ‘the answers are in the headboard’.” I sniff and wipe my runny nose with my
stuffed whale. “The answers are in the headboard.” He smiles proudly and I nod even though I have no clue what he is talking about. “That’s a good girl.”