Chapter Two
Storm clouds formed off to the west, and the mid-day sky darkened, giving the appearance of night falling early. In mid-September, the sun set well after seven. According to Evie’s watch, it was barely four in the afternoon.
Bertha made an ugly racket as it screeched to a halt in front of a pair of beautifully arched gates. Intrigued, Evie leaned her cheek against the windowpane for a better view.
The solid iron doors of the gate rose at least thirty feet into the air. Ornate details carved into the metal, the intricacies impossible to make out from where Evie sat. Red-brick walls extended out on either side to run perpendicular to the road until they disappeared from sight.
Located in the Smokey Mountains, the Suoja Guild was snuggled away in the middle of nowhere. Henley, the only town within walking distance, was small, a village really, with a population of a few hundred people. The closest city to the school would be an hour away by car.
“Alright, everyone off,” the same guard from earlier spoke. Evident by the hard expression he wore, he expected an argument. “You walk from here. No vehicles are allowed on campus, except those utilized by the staff.”
Surprisingly, everyone remained quiet, most too tired from the long journey to offer up any resistance, others too eager to escape the confines of the small bus to protest.
“As you exit the bus, grab your bag from the undercarriage and form a single file line to the right of the gate.” With one last glance around, the guard turned and exited the bus.
Evie anxiously watched the others around her gather up their belongings. Eagerness thrummed through her veins, making her impatient. Seated in the middle section of Bertha, she waited for those ahead of her to disembark.
When the rows in front of her finally emptied, Evie gathered her backpack and walked off the bus. Stepping down onto the pavement, she breathed in the cool air, grateful to leave behind the stagnant odor of gasoline laced with sweat that permeated the bus during the long ride here.
Evie walked over to the gate, dragging her collected suitcase behind her. The loud squeak of the wheels caused a nearby bird to take flight. Up close, she admired the smithery used to create the spiraling pieces of iron framing the doors. Detailed designs etched into the metal formed words written in Surmatatarian, which Evie couldn’t read. An intricate and detailed language, humans lacked the ability to comprehend the vernacular without a Surmata mentor. One needed precision and patience to learn even the most basic sentences, the complexity different from any other form of written language known to humans. Evie hoped for the opportunity to learn it now that she was enrolled at the university. She knew a few common phrases, but would love to expand her knowledge.
No occupants remained on the bus. Everyone stood as ordered, but the gates remained closed. The guards made no move to escort them further onto the campus. Instead, they waited on something. Or someone.
A crackling sound erupted from high above as lightning streaked across the blush-colored sky, serenaded by the loud boom of thunder rolling lazily in all directions around them. The wind picked up, whipping Evie’s hair about her face. She pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head and huddled underneath. The storm moved in fast. If they waited much longer, they would be caught out in it.
Another noise sounded, coming from inside the gates. With bated breath, Evie turned to watch as the heavy iron doors swung open, revealing the sprawling campus. Her hungry eyes scanned the landscape. The campus boasted several thousand acres nestled back in the heavily forested area around Lake Lewis. The Guild prided themselves on their secrecy and offered the utmost protection and privacy to their students.
The lawn was immaculate with luscious green grass groomed to a precise level. Its velvety texture called out, compelling Evie to lie down on it to enjoy the last of the summer’s heat. Almost autumn, the time would soon come for the leaves to transform from summer’s deep green to the oranges and purples of fall. Acorns lay heavy on the ground, ripe for squirrels to pick for their harvest in preparation for the harsh months of winter when food became scarce.
Five large figures appeared on the path out of thin air, obstructing Evie’s view. Men dressed in dark clothing, arms folded across their chests, stood wordlessly observing their group. All over six feet tall with muscular builds, hoods covered their heads and shadows obscured their features. They looked like faceless specters, coming to behead their prey. But, they carried no visible weapons. They didn’t need them, their mere presence intimidating enough to make Evie want to flee in fear.
As one, they uncrossed their arms and walked forward, their steps graceful. Silence descended around Evie as the group of humans fought the urge to bolt. These beings exhibited a lithe strut indicative of large cats that hunted in the jungle, lying low until ready to pounce. These men were the ultimate hunters.
The Surmata had arrived on scene.
After surveying the humans quietly, the largest of the new arrivals walked over to the soldiers. A gruff, “Thank you gentlemen, we have it from here,” sounded out.
The guards nodded, giving a small salute, before making their way back to the bus. Bertha’s doors shut, and only a puff of exhaust remained as she drove off, stranding them in the middle of nowhere.
“I am Soturi Jaxon.” The gruff voice spoke again, his face still indistinguishable. The shadows seemed to cloak the Surmata, protecting them from human sight. “I am head of security at the Guild.”
Evie shivered and pulled her sweatshirt closer as the wind continued to pick up. Around her, the others clumped closer together for warmth.
Disgust edged Soturi Jaxon’s next words, menace emanating from him. “You’re lucky. If it had been my call, the fucking lot of you wouldn’t be allowed to step foot on this campus.” The angry Surmata rolled his neck with a loud crack. “I will say this only one time. You have been given a second chance. Be grateful, and don’t fuck it up.” He moved a little closer, but stayed ensconced within the shadows. “One step out of line,” Evie visualized his lip curled with repugnance as he spoke, “and you deal with me and mine.”
With this pronouncement, he turned his back on the group and waved to someone beyond the tree line, signaling them to come forward.
Evie’s eyes tracked the Surmata male as he stepped a few feet away, turned back around, and leaned against a nearby tree trunk.
Lightning cracked again as two golf carts appeared out of the distance, driving toward the group. The dust and gravel kicking up behind them gave evidence to how fast they moved. Debris sprayed Evie’s group as the carts came to a rest a few feet away.
Decked out, both carts sat eight people comfortably, seven with the driver. The paint jobs on each cart were unique. The front cart, painted black, had red racing stripes running down the middle, over the roof and small hood. The second cart, painted lime green, featured a yellow smiley face on the grill. Below a pair of blood red eyes, blood dripped from the corner of the smiley face’s mouth.
Two human men drove, their eye color non-descript, one with blue eyes, the other brown. Both were young, mid-twenties, with their hair cut military short.
Surmata males could not pass for human; their eyes gave away their heritage. Human DNA offered sixteen different base eye color genes while Surmata DNA consisted of a hundred times more strands. The result: a spectrum of color completely unknown to man. With this array of color, the eyes of a Surmata shimmered vividly. Their irises shined from deep within, which made it impossible for them to hide, even with a pair of colored contacts.
The man in the black and red cart spoke up, breaking the silence. “Welcome to the Suoja Guild. I am Lieutenant Kyle West. To my left is Petty Officer Patrick Smithson. We are human liaisons here on campus. We assist Soturi Jaxon when needed.”
When the lieutenant smiled widely, slight crow’s feet crinkled at the corner of his eyes. Evie raised his estimated age up a few years.
“Since this is a larger group than we anticipated, it will take at least three trips to escort everyone to the main building.” The lieutenant waved to those closest to him. “Gather your stuff and take a seat. We need to move fast if we are to have everyone inside before the storm fully arrives.”
Evie tried to shake off the dread instilled by Soturi Jaxon’s words while she waited patiently for her turn. The contempt he showed for the small group of humans was palpable. It saturated the air around them with tension, bringing Evie’s earlier anxiety back full force. She couldn’t blame him. Known troublemakers made up her group.
Biting her nails in agitation, Evie counted the minutes between claps of thunder until the carts crested the horizon, returning to pick up the final stragglers. She breathed a sigh of relief as she took a seat, hoisting her bag onto her lap and securing her suitcase by her legs.
Soturi Jaxon and his four guards faded back into the forest as the last passenger stepped onto the transport. With a few seats empty, Evie half hoped they would insist on riding back with them. For some unknown reason, her heart dropped when they didn’t join them in the cart.
The drive to the center of campus took time. They bumped along the small gravel path at a slower pace, but once the cart hit asphalt, Petty Officer Smithson stepped on the gas. Within minutes they arrived at a long, circular driveway leading up to the main admissions building. Smithson stopped long enough to drop off his passengers.
“Head straight up the stairs. Now is not the time to try to escape. You might not see the Surmata, but they are monitoring your every move!” he shouted before he continued on down the driveway.
The building in front of Evie loomed large, three stories high with a red-brick exterior. Light gray stones surrounded the large entrance. The same stones created the wide steps, ten high, reaching out about twenty feet on either side of the doorway. Statues carved from granite lined the staircase, one on each end of every step, twenty in total.
These stone soldiers were unlike anything Evie had seen before. Their heads bowed, eyes closed to give the illusion of submission. The visible features of their face were animalistic with broad foreheads and fanged teeth bared in anger, an ominous final warning to those who entered. Wings crested over their shoulders and ended at a point below the knees. Clothing indicative of ancient Spartan soldiers covered their muscular bodies. With no weapons visible to the eye, they stood sentry over the inhabitants housed within the brick structure.
Realizing she stood gaping while the others moved on, Evie struggled with her heavy suitcase as she walked up the steps. The back spinner on her bag kept sticking, making it hard to maneuver. She jerked it forward a few times in frustration before the wheel’s lock released, allowing it to roll.
Huffing in annoyance, Evie stopped on the top step to catch her breath. Stalling for time as the others moved toward one of the doors, she examined the symbols carved into the stone walls. Delicately etched into the rock, the runes were written in the same language as the front gate, unreadable to Evie.
‘Suojelu Kilta’
Translated into English, it meant ‘The Protection Guild’. But over time, human students bastardized it to read ‘The Suoja Guild’. Evie had discovered this fact when she researched the campus three years ago.
In layman’s terms, the Surmata race, was the supernatural police force. They protected humans against demons and other supernatural forces. Not gifted in magic, the typical person could not identify a threat posed to them until it was too late. Even if they were somehow forewarned, they lacked the physical ability to fight against the monsters arising from within the dark. Not only could the Surmata battle and defeat them, they had the ability to send the demons back to hell before they caused more havoc.
The door closed behind the last of the group as they walked inside the building ahead of Evie, not interested in the beautiful architecture of the building nor the quiet strength vibrating from within the stone. Evie shook her head in disgust as she wheeled her suitcase forward and reached to open the heavy black iron doors leading inside the old building. They swung open with ease, catching Evie off guard when she applied too much pressure.
She stumbled, almost falling to her knees.
Righting herself, Evie craned her neck from side to side, trying to take in everything as she stepped into the large foyer. On the left, a fire smoldered in a large, quartz-covered hearth built into the center of a mammoth sitting area. Overstuffed gray couches, three in all, sat around the room. Mounted on the wall, a large, flat-screen television hung over assorted video game equipment scattered around a large console. The far wall held a large bookcase filled with books, some hardback, but mostly paperbacks.
Noticing the quiet around her, Evie realized the others had left her behind again. Not wanting to be accused of holding everyone up, Evie moved her feet faster and followed the hallway to the right. Her head down, she rounded the corner at an almost run and slammed into a brick wall. The impact flung her backward. She fell hard on her backside, suitcase flying, and a startled scream burst from her as pain radiated up her spine.
“You alright?”
A hint of familiarity tickled her memory, but she couldn’t place the husky voice. Out of habit, she kept her eyes fixed on the floor in front of her, curling into herself to present the smallest target possible. When he continued to patiently stand there, curiosity overruled the innate need to protect herself, and she peeked up from under her eyelashes.
A pair of black combat boots, laces knotted tightly, stood in front of her. Silver blades rose over the lip of the boots, placed on each side, the handles easily accessible if needed in an emergency. Evie’s eyes continued the trek upward. Strong, muscular legs encased in black fatigues. Trim waist, wrapped by a utility belt. Another blade, longer in length, hung from the attached loops. A black, long sleeved shirt, stretched tightly across his torso, emphasized the hard planes of his chest.
Awareness sparked to life, causing tingles to spread over Evie’s skin, goosebumps rising on her arms. She swallowed tightly and forced her gaze up further. Bright, amethyst eyes, tinted with long, dark eyelashes met hers. Spiked hair tipped in blue and silver, stood out against his dark skin, the color of cinnamon. Heavy eyebrows arched in question.
Evie’s face flamed in recognition as she realized why she recognized the voice. Soturi Jaxon stood before her. Without the shroud of shadows to obscure her view, he was exquisite.
“Cat got your tongue?” He smirked. His hands rested loose at his sides, his pose relaxed.
Evie startled. The rich smoothness of his voice sent tendrils of electricity along her skin. Her body hummed with awareness as if being awoken after a long, deep sleep. A sense of safety enveloped her, and her muscles unclenched, releasing her from her earlier fear. Unnerved by these strange feelings, she stayed quiet, biting her lip in apprehension. Hands against the cold floor, she used them for balance as she stood back up.
“Oh, I see. You’re one of those. Too good to speak to a Surmata.” He sneered, his body going rigid. He looked her up and down, disgust clear on his face. “Come along. The others are waiting.”
Evie regarded him in confusion. Huh? What happened?
He was angry, but Evie didn’t know why. He muttered something about stupid humans before he turned on his heel and stormed away from her.
What an obnoxious jerk!
Evie fumed, shouldering her backpack and retrieving her suitcase. She pulled it forward as she hurried after him in the hope he led her to the others. He walked fast, allowing Evie no chance to keep up with him. She would do her best to keep him in sight.