Chapter Six
Mrs. Solomon, along with a handful of other faculty members, ushered Evie and the rest of the group members down a long hallway, escorting them to an adjacent building. A human only dormitory, it would house them for the duration of their stay at the school. An equivalent building, located on the other side of campus, housed the Surmata students.
While the university allowed Surmata to visit the human side, humans were not offered the same luxury. The Surmata side of campus was strictly off limits unless given express permission to be there by the administrators. If caught in the restricted area, the perpetrator faced severe punishment, either suspension or expulsion, depending on the circumstance.
Outside, the raging storm made it impossible to access the dormitory from the exterior. Instead, Mrs. Solomon led them to a damp corridor that ran under both buildings. Evie hugged her sweatshirt tighter to her body. It felt twenty degrees cooler in the underground passageway. Puddled water on the floor seeped in from the storm outside, and the stones coating the tunnel walls did little to warm the air.
“There are several underground passageways throughout campus, but they are normally for faculty only,” she warned, pausing her stride in order to turn her attention to the group. “Students are not allowed access unless accompanied by a senior faculty member.”
“What about like tonight when the weather is bad? Are we allowed to use it then?” a woman in front inquired.
“If the weather is severe enough, classes will be cancelled. There will be no reason for you to use the passageways. Umbrellas can be purchased in the school store.” Forestalling any further questions, Mrs. Solomon resumed her march forward.
They exited the damp corridor. The group gathered in a semi-circle in the back foyer of the human dormitory. The nondescript room held little to grab of interest. A hallway led off to the left. On the right, an antique staircase hugged the stone wall. Curving gently, the handrail trailed in a lazy spiral as it wound upward.
“Each dormitory has an elevator, but most students prefer to utilize the staircases, even those on the third floor,” Mrs. Solomon announced. “Now, Mrs. Lowry will call out names for the students housed on the first floor. As soon as your name is called, please proceed forward.”
A cheerful, young, facility member stepped forward to announce those who were to remain. Fifteen members broke off from the main group and disappeared around the corner.
“Alright, everyone. Follow me, please,” Mrs. Solomon ordered as she started up the staircase.
Suitcase bumping behind her, Evie trailed her hand over the old wood as she followed the group up. Nicks and scratches in the old mahogany wood betrayed its age, a visible testament to a long history.
At the second floor landing, more names rang out, and this time a larger number of students followed a stout-faced, older man who kept sneezing into a handkerchief. Evie breathed out a sigh of relief when Dominick departed with the group. On the third and final floor, only Evie and five other people from the camp remained. Mrs. Solomon, the only other faculty member left, recited each of their names, checking faces as she went to ensure everyone was accounted for.
Feet hurting and back stretched to its limits from dragging the non-cooperative piece of luggage around, Evie heaved a sigh of relief. Soon, she would be ensconced in her room. She hoped she would receive a tolerable roommate.
Studying the faces of those around her, her chances weren’t good.
Mrs. Solomon walked them down a short corridor, offering instructions as she went. “I will leave you in a minute to find your own rooms. Please feel free to explore your new environment. You’ll find the emergency exit halfway down the hallway. Next to it, there’s a small kitchenette fully stocked with snacks and light meals for when the café downstairs is closed. Further down are the showers, women on the right and men on the left. Most students on this floor use these common facilities. There are a few rooms with ensuites, but those are reserved for our top performing students. Our best and brightest.”
She smiled warmly at Evie when she said this. Not used to attention, Evie shifted uncomfortably. She liked being in the background, finding safety and security in the veil of shadows cast by those around, like a warm blanket she wrapped around herself.
After turning a corner, Mrs. Solomon stopped at the first set of doors and handed out key cards to everyone. “You can find your room by the number etched on the back of the card.”
Evie turned hers over and noted the number, three hundred and twenty-five. She glanced at the door closest to her. Three hundred and one. Without acknowledging the others, she dragged her suitcase behind her once more as she walked down the hallway, checking the small plaques over the doors for her room. She passed the kitchenette and showers Mrs. Solomon mentioned and kept going. At the end of the hall, Evie found her room.
Scanning her card, she opened the door and took in her new home, expecting a room the size of a small breadbox. Instead, shock froze her in place at the sight of the expansive room. A corner unit, large windows hung on two sides of the interior. A full bed with a moss colored comforter sat against the far wall, shoved into the corner. An oversized rug took up most of the floor space, its muted colors imbuing the room with tranquility. A trunk sat at the end of the bed, extra blankets stacked neatly in a pile on top. A desk, complete with chair, sat under one window. A small bag sat on top of it, and she made a mental note to investigate it later. Against the opposite wall sat a small four drawer dresser. There were two additional doors besides the one she entered from. Evie toured the room, opening the first door. The miniature, three-piece bathroom in muted blues included a shower, sink, and toilet.
Evie continued her inspection and moved to the second door, expecting an empty closet. But once again, she was in for a shock. Clothing filled the closet, fully stocked with everything she’d been forced to leave behind.
During the camp raid, the Surmata handed out boxes to everyone, instructing them to pack up a suitcase with their essentials and to store the remaining items in boxes. They cautioned only to bring the items they held most precious. At the time, Evie believed she would never see the rest of her possessions again.
Even her shoes made it.
Row after row of Converse shoes in a rainbow of colors lined the floor in neat stacks. Even her flip-flops peeped out from behind the tennis shoes. On the top shelf, three boxes marked Evie’s Personal Effects waited for her to open them.
She shook her head in amazement. How did the rest of her belongings make the journey ahead of her? Tears welled up in her eyes. Logically, she knew she was overacting, but the events over the last few days, the revelations over the last few hours, suddenly overwhelmed her. The backpack Evie carried fell from her shoulder to land with a thump against the hard floor. Her body slowly followed, sinking down until she sat on the floor with her knees pulled up, head resting against them.
She couldn’t hold back the flood of tears she’d dammed up over the last few days. She tried to be strong, to hold it together, but finally, in the privacy of her new room, she allowed her emotions to burst forth. Relief, terror, joy, all those pesky human emotions escaped in big, heaping sobs.
~
Evie scrubbed her face clean, trying to remove the telltale signs the tears left. She didn’t want to advertise her emotional breakdown. Her former camp mates would use it against her.
Hunger pangs assaulted her, and her belly growled at the lack of food. Unwilling to socialize anymore tonight, she didn’t want to visit the café located on the main floor. Instead, she decided to search the offerings of the small kitchenette located on this floor.
Grabbing her keycard from where she left it on the desk, she scurried out of the room. Evie’s muscles relaxed when she found the hallway deserted. Praying her luck held, she crept down to the tiny kitchen nestled by the showers. The plush, red carpet acted as a natural sound barrier to quiet her footsteps, and she didn’t encounter a single person along the way. Everyone must be either downstairs looking for something more substantial to eat, or they were holed up in their room, finally giving way to the exhaustion of their long trip from camp.
Glancing around, Evie took in the nondescript kitchen. A large, stainless steel fridge dominated one half of the room, the other side taken up by cabinets and a double-sink. On the counter sat a small toaster and coffeepot, the only other appliances present. Two round tables, each with four chairs, filled the remaining space.
Evie opened the cabinet doors closest to her. The first contained plates and glasses, but the next set held all kinds of treasure. Chips, crackers, cookies, and fruit cups, all lined neatly inside. In search of something heartier, Evie closed the cabinet and moved to the fridge. Inside, fresh made sandwiches sat in organized stacks on the middle shelf, wrapped in plastic with tiny product indication labels affixed to the front. Evie chose the one marked chicken salad. Spotting bottles of water on the bottom shelf, Evie grabbed one before she shut the door. Taking napkins from the sideboard, she moved to one of the small tables and sat, unwrapping her sandwich.
~
With her belly full, Evie cleaned up her mess. Spotting a trash can in the corner, she threw the remains of her dinner away and turned to head back to her room. She still needed to unpack the rest of her items, and she wanted to review the schedule Soma Dashiel gave her.
As her foot left the tile floor of the kitchen and hit carpet, a hard body rounded the corner at the last second and crashed into Evie. Arms grabbed her and pushed her hard against the wall. Taken off guard, Evie’s eyes flew up to meet Dominick’s hate filled gaze. One of his large hands moved from her arm to encircle her throat, squeezing. He kept his grip firm, but it lacked the pressure to restrict her airflow or cause damage.
“You think you’re so smart, don’tcha? You think just because we’re here you don’t have to live by your father’s teachings?” Spittle punctuated each word, his lips drawn tight over his teeth as he forced the words out. “I’m here to remind you we’ll be keeping an eye on you. If you step out of line, there will be consequences.”
For added emphasis, he tightened his grip, and Evie’s breath hitched. Banked anger blazed within his eyes, then turned to an almost maniacal hunger as his grip tightened further. Evie fought against his grip. Her chest heaved as she struggled to take in more air. Dominick leered and jerked her forward by the neck. Forcing her head up, he sneered as he shoved her head backward, straight into the wood paneled wall.
Bright lights exploded in Evie’s vision, followed by blinding dizziness. Two hits to the head in one day sent the room spinning around her. When Dominick’s features came back into focus, the intensity in his eyes scared her. Hatred bled from them.
“If you betray us, turn your back on the cause, I will make sure you pay in pain and blood,” he seethed, fisting her hair tightly. “Do you understand me?”
Evie struggled to nod, hoping her answer would appease him.
With anyone else, she would knee them in the balls, but something always held her back from hurting Dominick. Some unknown force made her limbs slow to respond to her body’s need to defend itself. Evie always chalked it up to him being the one to oversee her training all the past five years, a lifetime of conditioning not to fight back. But lately, it felt like something more.
Dominick released her throat, allowing her to gain a full breath of air, before he moved both of his hands into her hair, holding her tightly in place.
“Listen up, doll. You’re mine. Your dad made sure of it.” He smiled at her hauntingly.
“What do you mean?” Evie sputtered out, finally able to speak.
“Your father agreed to an arranged marriage when you turned eighteen. In a few weeks, we were to be married. Those plans changed with the raid, but you will still belong to me.”
Horror filled Evie. Her father knew exactly how she felt about Dominick. She adamantly refused a relationship with him after a few dates, even though it made her father angry.
How could the man who raised her possibly believe she would marry someone she hated? Someone exactly like her controlling and abusive father.
“Like hell I’ll marry you!”
The fist slamming into her stomach curled her forward. Through intense pain, Evie fought the urge to vomit. Tears tickled down her cheeks as she fought to breathe. Fingers twisted in her hair once again. Without giving Evie a chance to defend herself, Dominick pushed her upright and punched her again. The second hit, exactly in the same place as the first, landed on her right side below her ribs and drove her to the ground as her legs refused to hold her up any longer.
“You’d better learn how to speak to me, doll. Else, I might have to stuff something in that pretty little mouth of yours to shut you up.” Cupping himself, he made his threat clear.
Disgust spread through Evie. Lying on the floor, trying to learn how to breathe again, Evie prepared herself in case Dominick tried to carry out his threat.
Thankfully, Dominick moved away, turning on his heel. He laughed softly as he strode toward the stairs, leaving her curled on the cold tiles. Only when silence once more descended in the little kitchen did Evie let down her guard and slowly pull herself back to her feet.
Taking a deep breath hurt, but she pushed it aside and limped back to her room, wanting to lock herself inside and sleep for a week.