“Oh, right. How did that go? Do you have your schedule?”
“Yeah.” I handed her the printout, and she looked it over.
“You have two affinities?” Her voice carried, and several heads turned toward us. I ducked a bit, but that didn’t help.
“Yeah, Earth and Water.”
Her eyes brightened. “That’s so cool! You know that’s super rare right?”
“That’s what Mrs. Hedgings said.”
“Everyone’s going to want to be your friend once people hear about that.”
I huffed a laugh. “I doubt that.”
She stared me down. “No, really. It’s all about power and strength here. You’re an anomaly as it is, but add this news in and you’re going to be known by everyone within days.”
That was an unsettling idea.
“We have history, science, and literature together, so at least we’ll see each other every day. Remember me when you’re popular, okay?”
I ignored that comment. “That will make studying together easy.”
She nodded and pulled out her phone. “I found a few more people to join our group. I think we should have all our bases covered.”
“Really? Thanks.” Hopefully, with their help and Mrs. Hedgings, I wouldn’t fail my courses.
She grinned and sat back in her chair as the lights dimmed and a spotlight appeared on the stage. A single podium stood in the center, and Headmaster Goldstein walked out from behind the curtains.
A few people clapped, but no one around me. Was he not well-liked? He didn’t really give off caring or friendly vibes.
“Good morning, students. Welcome back to a new term. The faculty and I are confident this will be another excellent year.” He paused, probably for applause. None came, so he continued. “We have a few announcements that are included in this year’s rulebook, but I wanted to cover it here to make sure you clearly understand. The barn and attached fields are only open to vampires, and students currently take agricultural classes. Anyone caught in or around that area will face detention, at minimum.”
I leaned over. “An actual barn?”
“They breed all sorts of animals. Pigs, cows, chickens, llamas.”
That only confused me more. Why would vampires be in charge of farm animals?
“Additionally, as a reminder, be respectful to the brownies. One report of harassment, and you will be suspended. Multiple infractions will result in expulsion,” the headmaster said in a stern tone.
“Brownies?” I asked. He couldn’t mean the baked good.
She covered a small laugh. “I keep forgetting how much you don’t know. Think of them like house-elves.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Like Dobby?”
“Yeah, but they’re not as cute as him. They are over housekeeping. We rarely see them since they clean the dorms while we’re in class and the classrooms while we’re sleeping. Some people aren’t very nice to them. They think brownies are beneath us.”
I frowned. That was horrible. “My aunt told me there were only three types of supernaturals.”
She rocked her head back and forth. “That’s sort of true, but sort of not. Witches, vampires, and shifters are the only . . . human species. But there are brownies, trolls, daemons, and demons.”
She whispered the last word, and a shiver ran through me. “Demons?”
“Yeah, but the school grounds are protected. Don’t worry about them.”
“Shh!” A girl turned and glared from the row in front of us.