She hung up before the person could have possibly replied and went back to ignoring me. A few awkward moments later, a man in a plaid button-up and khakis appeared from another hall.
“Hi, Saige? Come on back.” He looked young, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties, and his clothes confused me. The woman wore a crisp blouse, and the headmaster wore a suit. Did he not have to follow a dress code? Or maybe he could be casual since it was Sunday. Did they have days off?
I struggled to pull my bags behind me, but I made it to the doorway where he stood. “Come in.”
He took one suitcase and rolled it inside before shutting the door behind him.
“Thanks.” It would have been nice if the headmaster offered to have them delivered to my room, or at least let me store them somewhere rather than dragging them around.
With a friendly smile, he waved me toward a chair in front of his desk. “Welcome to Drexel Academy, Saige.”
I sat. The office looked normal. Nothing that would have told me this place was for witches, shifters, and vampires.
“Thank you.”
“My name is Dallon Haddon. You can call me Dallon, most students do.” He shuffled a few papers around before finding a folder and bringing it to the front. “And it looks like you are a witch.”
Chapter 6
Words I never thought anyone would say to me.
“That’s right.”
He opened the folder and scanned the first packet of papers before sliding it out and turning it so I could read along. I noticed the star and circle again near the letterhead.
“What is that?” I pointed to the symbol, wanting to clear that up before my imagination took over.
“It’s a pentacle, and our school symbol,” he said without further explanation.
I tried again. “What does it stand for?”
“The five points represent the five elements our powers stem from, and the circle is for balance and harmony between the supernatural species.”
So no evil satanic stuff? Well, that was comforting.
He raised a brow as if asking if he could continue, and I nodded.
“This is a list of rules and expectations for students in your year. I’ll keep you with your age group rather than having you start at the beginning of the courses, so you’ll be quite behind.” He watched me for a reaction, but once again, I didn’t know what to expect, so I didn’t know what to think or feel. Was I one year behind? Two? Ten?
“Most students start with us after their abilities manifest, or in the case of shifters and vampires, at fourteen.”
So I was roughly three years behind. Great.
“There is a school rule that if you don’t pass your courses, you’re immediately expelled, so you must commit to getting up to speed with the rest of your classmates. Drexel Academy does not make exceptions—no matter who your sponsor is.”
His voice took on an edge. Bitterness? Judgment? Did he not like the Stones? That wouldn’t surprise me. On one hand, that made me trust him just a little, but on the other, it made me wary. What if more people found out who was behind my appearance here and did more than warn me about expulsion?
I curled the toes of my shoes into the thick carpet to steady my nerves. Once I got settled and I had a clue about what I was doing, I’d worry about that.
“I will do my best.” It was the only thing I could promise.
“That’s all I can ask.” He smiled, more relaxed. “Read these over tonight and bring the last page back to me signed.” He slipped the paper back into the folder and looked at the next one. “First thing tomorrow, you will meet Mrs. Hedgings for an assessment. Once you have the results, you’ll come back here so I can create your schedule.”
“Okay. Is there information on where and when to meet her?” I asked.
He continued to the next paper, turning it to face me. “Here is a campus map. You will meet here.” He tapped on the building in the very center. “Her room is on the third floor. Be there at eight.”
I made a note of the specific room number listed on the paper and agreed.