Of Fae and Hate

CHAPTER ONE: NERYS

Whatdoyoudo when you find yourself standing in front of the gates to hell?

A sane person would run, but I don't have that option, considering I'd find myself right back here in a few hours. I promised my mom I would give this shit a try after all.

And technically it isn't really the gates of hell, but the gates to Nadouraz Academy.

Which is just as bad as Hades’ realm.

Letting out a sigh, I swipe a hand through my thick lilac curls, trying to gather the nerve to put one foot in front of the other. I stare at the gates that are made of hard steel and even though I know they've been here for centuries, there isn't a single dent in them.

The good maintenance is no doubt the work of magic.

Inhaling one final breath, I move forward, watching as the gates come open in front of me, welcoming me in. I scrunch my nose, thinking back to the invitation I received to even get into Nadouraz.

"Neryssa!" My mother squeals and I jerk up in my bed, hopping to my feet. I run in the direction of the kitchen where the scream came from and I pull up short in the doorway.

My mom is standing just in front of the stove, pops and crackles coming from the skillet behind her. The smell of bacon is in the air. My mother's gray eyes are wide, her mouth slightly ajar and I follow her gaze, my chest clenching when I see the slight figure floating in the air.

Barely the size of my hand, the sprite is beautiful. Smooth, brown skin, wavy blue hair that glitters, flowers intertwined in the strands. Her wings flutter behind her, the vivid colors beautiful. It's hard to believe she's a literal demon when she's so beautiful. She turns her head in my direction, as if hearing the thought, her wings carrying her closer.

"Neryssa Amalie Ebirac," she says, her voice light and whimsical. "I am here to formally invite you to-"

My stomach drops, knowing the words coming next. This is the last thing I want. The thing I thought my mom and I were in agreement of, but apparently she'd gone off and enrolled me even after the fuss I put up.

"Nadouraz academy," the sprite continues, clueless to the internal turmoil I'm going through. "As a first year student. Your first day starts two weeks from the night of twelve. You will take an entrance exam your first day to determine your house and your classes. Congratulations." And then the demon is gone, leaving a puff of glitter and brimstone in her wake.

"Oh my goddess, this is amazing," my mother says in excitement, her eyes sparkling. The stove behind her is still popping and crackling, the mesmerizing smell of the bacon turning into a nasty, burning stench. "I knew you'd get in."

I can tell she's waiting to get some sort of reply from me but I don't even have a clue what to say to her. Maybe I should start by saying there's no way in hell I'll be stepping a foot on the academy grounds. Then I should continue the conversation by letting her know she just violated the agreement we came to not even a week ago. And lastly, the question I need her to answer.

How in the hell did I get into the fae academy when we have no idea if I’m even fae?

Like a fool I'd kept my mouth shut, letting my mom jump in joy unbothered, and now here I am. She’d never asked much of me, but it’d become clear months ago that her dream was for me to attend the academy. We’d gone round and round in circles about me not attending, with us finally agreeing that I wouldn’t. I had no idea she’d gone and put in an admittance application anyway.

When I saw the genuine excitement and hope in her eyes, I caved.

Now there’s no backing.

I'd signed the stupid admittance papers and contract which means if I drop out of the academy without permission, the council will be on my ass, going to prison a highly likely outcome.

Well here goes mother-fucking-nothing.

I continue to stride forward, my heart beating faster with every step. The second I cross the gates, I'm bombarded by students galore. The academy only holds about a thousand students at most, the exclusivity of Nadouraz like no other fae academy. And yet it looks like every student in the school is out in the northern quad.

Fae are vibrant souls, from their hair, to the way they dress and as I stare at all the students, I can't help but to feel a little overwhelmed. Fuck Skittles, this is what a real rainbow looks like. I pause, just taking it all in slowly to try to keep from going into full on sensory overload.

A group of girls lounge under a tree, their different colored hair bright and beautiful. Not too far from them is a mixed group of girls and boys, forming a circle. There's one guy on the inside that I'm just barely able to see over the group. He's standing proudly, a smirk on his face. He's tall, his limbs long and I watch as they grow shorter, the color of his flesh changing from a peach to black, feathers morphing along. His body grows even smaller in size, contracting until a raven remains in his place.

Shapeshifter.

I haven't met many of them, but I know that they're notorious for being showoffs, just from what I've heard my mother say. The circle around the shifter let out whoops and cheer him on, far too impressed with the little parlor trick.

Pinching my lips, I switch my gaze to the other side of the quad, pausing when my eyes land on a couple. They're leaning against a tall tree and the shade of it almost manages to cover them, but not quite. The guy is tall, and even from where I'm standing, I can see the thick muscles beneath his shirt. They flex with each movement. His platinum hair is cut short. The girl in front of him is slightly harder to see, her emerald green hair the only thing visible.

The girl's back is pressed firmly against the tree, the guy folded against the front of her. His head is lowered, his lips pressed to her neck. Her hands are wrapped around his back, gripping tightly and as she hikes a leg over his waist, I think he must be kissing her. That is until he pulls back slightly and I see the red staining his mouth.

Is he really feeding in broad daylight? I thought it was illegal for students to feed on each other on campus.