Everlasting Embrace (Embrace Series) (7 page)

A few students switch seats so that they are seated at the appropriate end of the table
, then
everyone digs in.
Florence has created an amazing spread
,
and it looks as if everyone is happy with what she has made. We only have
five
more vampires joining us, and we spoke with them upon their arrival about our eating habits
,
and introduced them to the synthetic blood as well as the animal/human blood mixture. It should be an easy transition for them as they were feeding off donors only and not causing harm to mortals. They appear to be enjoying the meal served to them today. Ebony and I also feed the babies; Elyn is even beginning to feed herself a little. Once everyone is done eating
,
Elijah pull
s
three names from a hat
,
and they are responsible for cleaning after meals for the day. Constance shows them what to do as the others prepare for their lessons.


  

  


Walking into the learning annex with Nathanial and my family at my side, I feel a sense of pri
de at what we
’
ve accomplished.
We walk down the stairs to the f
ront of the class. L
ooking up
,
I see the many rows of chairs all equipped with fold down tables. The students begin to get settled in their seats and pull of various types of note books.

Isaac steps
forward.
“
Thank you everyone. P
lease settle down. I would like to explain how things are going to work here. We
’
ve ordered homeschooling assignments
,
tailored to each of your educational backgrounds. We
’
ll be set up in the main corridor
,
and
first
each of you will see
someone at table one
and
will
be
issue
d
a school ID. Then you will proceed to the next table and g
et your books and assignments. T
he following table will issue you a locker and combination
;
then you may
go and put your books in your locker. If you didn
’
t notice
,
the lockers are located just down the hall from
here
,
i
n between the
classrooms
. When you return
,
go to table four
,
where you will receive a
Mac
-book and your
Internet
pass code. This will be very
important,
as
most of your assignments are on
line through a site called Moodle. We also use Rosetta Stone for languages; you will be required to learn at least French, Spanish and Latin. If you wish
,
you may take on extra language courses
as well
. The mornings will be allotted for educational training
,
and there will be instructors at your disposal for any help needed. We
’
ll be able to contact a
certified
teacher through the home
schooling department
i
f the help we have to offer does not suffice. Your physical and power training will be in the afternoons. All your fight training equipment is
already located in your rooms
. I
f you have not found it yet
,
I suggest you look in the drawer under your bed. Fight training will consist of learning of other supernatural entities, magickal powers and other training tailored to yo
ur unique needs and abilities.
We will be taking you in smaller groups after lunch
,
and you will each receive a proper tour. Anything
that you need is located here
, and
if it isn
’
t
,
we can get it for you. You are not prisoners
here and will have outdoor time
,
as well as free time. D
oes anyone have any questions?
”

We search the wide
-
eyed students, but everyone is quiet.
“
Alright then
,
we will meet you in the front in ten minutes. Thank you for your attention,
”
Constance adds. Then we proceed back up the stairs and out to the main entrance
,
where Alexander, Nathanial and Dakota
set everything up this morning.
Skah and his wife will be here later as they will be helping to run the school.
His
new
wife
,
Waniyya
, majored in mythology in coll
e
ge.
Although she is mortal, her knowledge and understanding will be much needed.
I think they will
both
be great asset
s
to the school.


  

  


Natha
nial and I take the first table and
as each student comes
up,
we ask their name, take their picture and
run
the
ir ID prints off within seconds
,
m
aking sure all pert
inent information is correct. We check
them off the printed roster as well.

Our new students are:

Anissa Reed, vampire
, age
16.

Mackenzie Wood, witch, age 19.

Shilah Williams, shape shifter (cougar), age 19.

Makaya Williams, shape shifter (hawk), age 13.

Mika Williams, shape shifter (cougar), age 14.

Yaneek Canter,
fairy,
age 19.

Ben Steel,
nephilim
, age 18.

Samantha Adams, changeling, age 15.

Carlina Johnson, fairy, age 16.

Russell Murphy,
drac
, age
14.

Kaylee Jones, fairy, age 20.

Shiobhan Lutz, vampire, age 23.

Xander Phillips,
lycan
, age 21.

Enrique Hernadez, demigod, age 13.

Logan Chase,
d
alaketnon
, age
22.

Ethan Jensen, future
nephilim
, age 15.

Ian Rodes, future
guardian
, age 20.

Vaughn Crandel, half demon, age 15.

Celine Krinke,
mermaid,
age 21.

Jorden Black, vampire, age 20.

Shawnee Ulmer,
vampire
,
age 14.

Kenya Hayes,
pixie
,
age 14.

Janae Peterson,
skin walker,
age 13.

Zachary Martin,
wendigo,
age 23.

Renelle Martin,
skin walker,
age 18.

Tanner White, vampire, age
22

We then take Danika
’
s picture and hand her the ID card
.

Danika Pierce, vampire, age
15.

“
Are you excited about this
,
Danika
?
”
I question
.

“
I really am, although I think I would rather stay in the dorms with the other students.
”

“
That might not be a bad idea. Living in the dorms will help create bonds that you
,
living upstairs
, will
miss out on. I
’
ll talk to Florence and Elijah if you
’
d like.
”

“
Really? I mean
—
thanks
;
I
’
m just a little surprised you agree with me. Wait, unless this is your way of getting rid of me.
”

“
Danika, I can
’
t get rid of you no matter how hard I try. I know we
’
ve had
our
rough times, but we are better now
, just
accept it. W
e are family now. I accepted it.
”

Danika and I didn
’
t get along when she first
joined
our family just a few short years ago. Well
,
more like I didn
’
t care for her much. I had a feeling she would be trouble, and I was right
, although
we have a great family and together we have worked through our issues, even her kissing Nathanial. Through that Danika realized she was a lesbian
,
and I hope one day she can find someone to be happy with, someone
who
will accept her for who she is. Now that she isn
’
t struggling with herself as much, I find her much more tolerable. She
’
s
still a little sister though
,
and we
’
ll
surely butt heads again from time to time.

She smiles and goes to the next station along with the other students.

Our total number of students is twenty-
seven
, for now. I
’
m sure new students will be added as we find them. The diversity of the group is amazing. Some have major powers
,
or potential for it, w
hile others are here to learn how to
use what they have. We all have one goal th
ough
:
to protect the innocent. For s
ome of us
,
this is going against our nature, but it
’
s
so amazing to have us all here.

The next few hours
are spent
getting everyone sorted out. We were very careful in room placement as well. Creatures of the same speci
es are housed together, and no
one that is a threat to another will stay together
;
m
eaning the vampires w
ill not s
t
ay with a
mortal
, like a witch. Some room
s house only one
,
while we wait for more
students to arrive, while another
room has
the
three
Williams
staying together. The rooms are
pretty basic, similar to Ben
’
s
,
only with more beds and dressers. Also
,
the ro
oms that have more than one bed
have
single beds. This allows more space.

Skah, his wife, Dakota and Caspian are the head instructors and will also be living in the dorms, centrally located between the female and male dorms. We all felt it would be safer for Caspian to be magickally protected
,
in a similar way as Ben, from the Cerberus that may still wish to hunt him down. After the battle in town square, where the McCord
’
s lost their lives
, he has been hiding out. T
here is no saying what they would do to him after he betrayed the
m
a second time.

Earlier this year
,
when Danika ran away to Club VC (a club owned by the Cerberus)
,
Caspian saved her. Drake was determined to make her his queen in ruling the rogue vamp
ires. Caspian turned himself in,
to Drake
,
and was heavily torture
d
for thirty days. After the torture
,
he was initiat
ed into their cult and
was
watched
—
closely. Now
,
of course
,
he
is
working with us and providing
us with information about them. And
since Caspian has been helpin
g us all along, he is in danger
—
and this is the best place for him. The Cerberus
is fully aware of his betrayal
,
and we expect
retaliation
. Then
,
again
,
he will be surrounded by dozens of insufferable teens, which may not be much better.