Chapter 2 Arrival

Arabella’s POV

The closer we got to Kingsveil, the quieter I became. Not because my brothers had finally stopped talking. That would require a miracle. No, I was quiet because every time the SUV rounded another bend in the road, the academy seemed to grow larger.

At first, I’d thought the massive structure in the distance was a mountain. Then I’d realized it wasn’t. Now I found myself staring through the window as the enormous castle-like building dominated the landscape ahead of us.

Kieran smirked from the seat across from me. “So your prince is probably inside.”

I rolled my eyes so hard they almost hurt. “There are easier ways to announce you’ve hit your head.”

Xavier laughed out as  Dominic groaned. “Please don’t encourage her.”

“Me?” I pointed at myself. “I’m not the one inventing imaginary princes.”

Kieran placed a hand over his heart. “You’re crushing my dreams.”

“You’ll survive,” I rolled my eyes dramatically.

“I don’t know. The pain is unbearable.” His dramatic expression earned a snort from Xavier.

I shook my head and turned back toward the window. Despite the banter, my attention remained fixed on the academy. It was beautiful. The structure looked like something pulled straight from a fairy tale.

Massive stone towers stretched toward the sky while stained-glass windows reflected sunlight in brilliant colors. Ivy climbed sections of the ancient walls, giving the entire place an almost magical appearance.

It didn’t look like a school. It looked like the sort of castle princesses waited in while dragons guarded treasure.

The thought made me grimace. If I ever found myself trapped in a tower waiting for rescue, I’d climb out the window myself.

The SUV finally turned into a large circular driveway. Students and vehicles filled the area. Some looked nervous. Others appeared excited. A few already looked like they owned the place.

The vehicle rolled to a stop. Almost instantly, several staff members hurried forward. One opened my door before I could touch the handle.

“Welcome to Kingsveil,” the lady said in a way to excited voice.

I stepped onto the stone driveway and immediately tilted my head back. Then a sudden sharp pain ignited in my neck. Then it went away as fast as it came. I shook my head and ignored it.

Because. Wow. Seeing the academy from a distance had been impressive. Standing in front of it was something else entirely.

The building towered above us. Large banners hung between stone columns while enormous windows reflected the bright afternoon sun.

I suddenly felt very small.

A sharp whistle came from beside me. “Yeah,” Xavier muttered. “That’s ridiculous.”

“No kidding,” Dominic agreed.

Kieran nudged me with his shoulder. “Still think your prince isn’t inside?”

I elbowed him hard enough to earn a grunt. The satisfaction was immediate. “Keep talking and you’ll never have children.”

The four of us grabbed our bags before making our way toward the entrance. A wide staircase led to massive double doors. The closer we got, the larger everything seemed. By the time we reached the top step, I felt as though we’d stepped into another world entirely.

The doors opened before anyone could reach for them. Warm air drifted outward. Then we stepped inside.

My eyes widened. The entrance hall was enormous. Polished marble floors stretched across the room while elegant staircases curved upward on either side. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, casting warm light across the space.

Students were walking around already. Conversations echoed through the hall. Laughter mixed with shouting.

Someone dropped a stack of books. A vampire with silver hair leaned against a wall scrolling through his phone.

Several witches stood near a fountain arguing over something.

Two fae students walked past speaking in hushed voices.

I barely knew where to look. Then a frog hopped across the floor.

I blinked.

The frog hopped again. A second later, a young witch came running after it.

“Get back here!” The frog changed direction immediately. The witch followed. “So help me, Mortimer, if you make me late on the first day…” The frog leaped between several students. The witch chased after it. Both disappeared around a corner.

Silence followed.it seemed we all froze after that. Then Xavier looked at me. I looked back at him with the same expression on both our faces. “Did we really just see that?”

“I think we did.” A laugh escaped me. “If a witch chasing a frog through the academy isn’t considered normal around here, I’m going to be disappointed.”

Before the conversation could continue, a man cleared his throat nearby.

We turned all turned around. A tall older gentleman stood beside us. His black suit looked perfectly pressed while silver hair framed a face that somehow managed to look permanently unimpressed.

The man folded his hands behind his back. “Welcome to Kingsveil Academy.” His voice was calm and professional.  Far too serious for our family. “My name is Alfred.”

The second the name left his mouth, all four of us froze. Then Kieran snorted. Xavier covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh. Unfortunately, I lasted less than two seconds. A laugh escaped me.

“Of course it is.”

Alfred stared at us completely unamused. The look on his face only made everything worse.

I pressed a hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry.”

Alfred’s expression somehow became even flatter. That shouldn’t have been possible. Yet somehow he’d managed it.

I took a deep breath. “So… where’s Batman?”

That did it. My brothers completely lost whatever control they had left. Meanwhile Alfred remained perfectly still.

Not a smile.

Not a chuckle.

Nothing.

The man looked as though joy had personally offended him years ago.

When the laughter finally died down, Alfred spoke again. “Are you finished?”

“No.” Kieran answered honestly.

I elbowed him immediately. “Yes.”

Alfred looked unconvinced. “I see. Orientation begins shortly,” Alfred continued. “You are expected to report to the orientation hall immediately.”

Xavier shifted his duffel bag higher on his shoulder. “When do we get our rooms?”

Alfred raised one hand and pointed down the corridor. “The orientation hall.”

Xavier blinked. “That didn’t answer my question.”

“The orientation hall,” Alfred repeated himself and pointed down the hall once again. Alfred remained completely serious. The man was committed to the bit. Without another word, Alfred turned and walked away. We watched him disappear into the crowd.

“I think he hates us already.”

“He met us thirty seconds ago,” Dominic said.

Kieran nodded thoughtfully. “That’s got to be some kind of record.”

I smiled and adjusted my bag. “Come on before we get thrown out.”

The four of us headed down the hall. Students moved in every direction around us. A few looked just as overwhelmed as I felt. Eventually we reached a large set of double doors.

Conversation drifted from inside. I slowed down just a bit. Then I stopped. For a moment, I simply stared through the opening.

The room beyond was packed. Around a hundred students filled the seats. Lycans. Vampires. Witches. Fae. Dragons. Heirs from powerful bloodlines scattered throughout the crowd.

Future rulers. Future leaders. Future legends.

My pulse quickened. This was real. Kingsveil. The academy we’d spent our entire lives hearing about.