Chapter Three
A right turn followed by two left turns brought Evie back to the others. They stood in another large room, facing forward. The room was ornate like all the others. Hand painted portraits of aristocratic figures with puffy collars and starch clothing hung on wood paneling oiled to a glossy shine. Crystal fixtures decorated the room, refracting pale rays of light.
Windows lined the far wall, and Evie moved closer to them, wanting to stay out of everyone’s way. Entranced, she watched as rivulets of water cascaded down the frosted panes of glass. Distorted reflections of the others danced in a parody of misshapen silhouettes upon the glistening drops.
A loud boom shook the building, mimicking an earthquake in its ferocity. The windows rattled with the wind’s force, threatening to shatter at any moment. The storm finally arrived to release its pent-up pressure in a violent display of power.
A throat cleared behind Evie.
She turned away from her watery view to give the small man at the front of the room her attention. Dressed in a simple, light-charcoal suit, white dress shirt, and purple tie, he appeared older by more than a few decades. His hair, gray at the temples, receded at his hairline. Pretty unremarkable for a human, except for his eyes. Those were ice cold. A man who did not like to be crossed.
“I am Dean Richards. I’m the human administrator for this facility. I have been tasked with assisting you during your term here. Soma Dashiel, who you will meet later, is my Surmata counterpart. Together, we run this institution.” He paused, adjusting his tie with stiff, almost wooden-like movements while he gathered his thoughts. “Let’s begin with proper titles, shall we?”
He smiled haughtily at everyone, his nose turned upward. Disapproval shown in his gaze before he masked it. “All Surmata males introduce themselves with their title, then their first name. Last names are never shared. These titles must be used at all times unless given permission otherwise.” His hands moved to behind his back, one hand cupping the other, as he paced back and forth in front of their group. “I believe you have met Soturi Jaxon already?”
When he glanced around, Evie resisted the urge to peek back at the warrior who had lead her back to the group.
Dean Richards continued without giving anyone a chance to answer. “Soturi means warrior. That is his title. Jaxon is his first name. Most of your professors come from the warrior class, so it’s a title you will hear quite often. The next title would be Soma. This means leader. It can apply to the Surmata administrators of this school or the leaders of the individual units assigned to protect the populous. Lastly, we have the Kuuri.” He paused in his steps, his attention caught by something on the other side of the room. Evie glanced over, but didn’t notice anything unusual. He cleared his throat again. “They are our healers. They specialize in both Surmata and human medicine.”
“Surmatas get sick?” The words left Evie’s mouth before she even realized she spoke.
The air stilled around her. The ugly sneers the others cast her way signaled how badly Evie screwed up. Usually, it took her no effort to fly under the radar, but since boarding the bus, she kept making mistakes.
Warily, Evie watched Dominick shoulder his way through the group to stand in front of her. His face reddened in anger, and when he spoke, spittle formed at the corners of his mouth. “Shut the fuck up, Saunders! No one was speaking to you!”
Years of stringent discipline made her cringe, not in fear but in expectation. His eyes hard, they glinted in disgust at Evie’s slip.
“Mr. Townsend! That is quite enough!” Dean Richards’s icy tone had little effect.
Dominick would not be silenced easily. He needed an outlet, and Evie’s slip up gave him an excuse. When he turned his attention to Dean Richards, scorn slashed across his livid face. “Evie knows her place.” With his hands fisted at his sides, Dominick continued on through clenched teeth, “She knows the rules. She’s only seventeen, still a child. Not legally an adult. Children should be seen, not heard. They should only speak when spoken to.”
“What kind of medieval bullshit is that?” an increasingly familiar gruff voice bellowed from somewhere behind Evie, causing her to flinch at the unexpectedness of it.
Dominick glared over her shoulder at the man who spoke. “It’s the rules of the camp. Rules we all live by.”
“Well, you are here, not at that backwater hole you call a camp. Your rules don’t apply. Especially the stupid ones.”
Dead silence fell in the room. Evie jumped as Soturi Jaxon brushed past her, his hands touching the small of her back for a moment before his feet continued forward until he stopped beside Dean Richards.
The intimidating Surmata warrior scowled at the crowd. His voice rang hard through the air, making his threat clear, “Be mindful of your words and actions. This is Surmata territory. We do not follow human law or customs here. Anyone who steps out of line will be dealt with in the Surmata way.”
Dean Richards spoke, capturing everyone’s attention once more. “Right. Let’s move forward, shall we?” He stepped in front of the Surmata to make sure all eyes were back on him. “Our rules are pretty standard for any university.”
The dean picked up a pile of booklets from a small, wooden, antique secretary desk on his left. He lifted one from the pile, then passed the rest to the person closest to him. Slowly, the stack dwindled as books were distributed until everyone held a copy. The book lacked density, but its importance added weight.
Dean Richards lifted the copy in his hand. “Take a moment and read through the list of rules. I will take any questions about them after you are done.”
Evie opened the book, flipping until she found the page marked Rules of the Suoja Guild.
Rule One: Intolerance of others will not be permitted.
Rule Two: Tardiness will not be excused unless you have a written pass from your Soma or Soturi.
Rule Three: Five absences for the semester are allowed. More than the allotted amount, you receive a failing grade and will have to repeat.
Rule Four: The dorms are co-ed. No members of the opposite sex are allowed in your dorm room after curfew. Bathrooms, however, are not co-ed. No members of the opposite sex are allowed at any time.
Rule Five: Curfew is midnight. No exceptions.
Rule Six: Human law does not apply. Surmata laws will be taught in week one. Learn and live by them.
The rest, all standard rules, detailed appropriate conduct and academic ethics. Evie skimmed through them, then waited for the others to finish.
Dean Richards’ calculating gaze swept the crowd. “Any questions?” No one spoke. “Right then. You will each be called individually into conferences in order to obtain your class schedule. Afterward, you will be given an abbreviated tour of the campus. Due to weather, a full tour will not be possible. Lastly, you will be shown to your dormitory. Please wait here until your name is called.”