Chapter 5 ROSALIND
The girls showed me around our dorm. It was more like a micro home with a small kitchen, a big sitting room and three mini bedrooms. The girls had taken the liberty to repaint the entire dorm in the most devastating color they could have pulled, pink.
Not that I expected any less or more from an elf and a fae. Thankfully they left my room unpainted and I was welcomed with the calming aura of light lilac walls when I walked in. I dropped my bags onto the hardwood floor of my new dorm room, the thud echoing faintly in the small space. Exhaustion clung to me like a second skin, every muscle aching from the long journey from Hatchville
Without a second thought, I collapsed face-first onto the bed, the mattress creaking under my weight. The pillow smelled faintly of lavender and starch, and I let out a muffled groan, willing my body to melt into the sheets and disappear into sleep.
I barely rested for a number of minutes before my door creaked open, I cursed under my breath and raised my head to see Ferna at my door, carrying a white bowl with beautiful blue markings around it. She stepped inside, her dark curls bouncing with each step, the steam from the bowl curling upward into the air. The rich aroma of herbs and broth hit me, and my stomach growled despite my confusion.
“What’s this?” I asked, my voice rough with fatigue as I sat up fully, eyeing the bowl warily.
She grinned. “Soup.”
“I can see that,” I muttered. “Why?”
Her smile widened, showing just enough teeth to be concerning. “Because you look like you haven’t eaten in a century. And before you start, relax, it’s not poisoned.”
My cheeks flushed, and I opened my mouth to protest, to insist I wasn’t that paranoid. “I wasn’t—”
“You were and it’s okay,” she said, her tone softening. “I see the distrust in your eyes, and I don’t blame you. It’s the way of our kind, is it not? Everyone betrays everyone eventually.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy with truth. I swallowed, my throat tight, and managed a small nod. Ferna’s gaze held mine for a moment, understanding passing between us. Then she set the bowl on the nightstand and offered a warm, sweet smile. I couldn’t help but return it, just a little.
Our kind never really got along with the other realms. Hell we didn’t even get along with each other, the Lycans hated the werewolves, the Lycans and werewolves hated the Wyseathes, every one hated the blood moon wolves and all of us were hated by the other realms, seen as rabid dogs. It was a mess even within ourselves, I couldn’t blame her if she hated me and she could not blame me for being wary, such was our position.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
She waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t mention it. Eat, rest. Tomorrow’s your first day of dying slowly.”
“Wow, that’s comforting,” I muttered, taking the spoon.
“Do you need help unpacking?” she asked. “You will have a busy day, and if you don’t organize now—”
I shook my head, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I’m fine. Just… need to crash for a bit.”
Ferna studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Suit yourself. But don’t say I didn’t offer.”
Then she surprised me by stepping forward and wrapping me in a quick, gentle hug. “Get some rest, then,” she said before turning and slipping out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
I stared at the bowl of soup for a long moment before resigning myself to the bed once more, the warmth of Ferna’s gesture lingering like the steam rising from the broth. Sleep claimed me before I even realized I had closed my eyes.
The next morning, I was up before dawn, the sky outside my window still a bruised shade of purple. I dressed quietly, pulling on running gear, a simple shirt and joggers, and tied my hair into a loose ponytail. Old habits from Hatchville, where I would start every day with a run through the misty fields. As I laced up my shoes, I heard the faint creak of floorboards and glanced up to see Elsie poking her head out of her room, her blonde hair a messy halo around her face.
“Rosalind? Where are you going so early?” she asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“Morning! I’m going for a run,” I said. “I usually run every day back home in Hatchville.”
Elsie frowned, stepping fully into the hallway. “Don’t exhaust yourself. Training’s in an hour, and you still need to pick up your uniform from the counselor.”
I paused, her words sinking in. “Right. Thanks for the heads-up. Where is that again? I mean the counselor”
She waved a hand dismissively. “Main administrative quarters, general counseling office. You can’t miss it.”
“Got it.”
