There were stories of dark elves. Once, one had conjured eternal darkness on a small brownie village, as retaliation for their deporting him. Another had raised an orc chief from the dead to brutally massacre his enemies. There was also the case of the inter-realm thief, who had controlled his victims using voodoo dolls. These were all feats of relatively average elves.
Squinting out of instinct, Fiona read the aura of the boy in the window. Her guts did a double backflip. His patterns glowed so brightly, they obstructed her vision. That could only mean one thing —he was a primal. Primals were elves who were born with far more power than their regular counterparts. Basically, they were the geniuses of the elf realm.
And one of them angrily fixed his gaze on the human girl that had invaded his privacy. Long jet-black hair was tied behind his head, with a wad of it pulled out to flow down the right side of his face. Dangling earrings adorned his leave shaped ears. His skin was extremely and unnaturally pale. Not a spot of color was present, except for the light pink circles around his eyes. Eyes that were as silver as the moon. Eyes that were prettier than any girl's. Eyes that were so captivating, it was difficult to look away from.
By now, Fiona was hyperventilating. She wasn't afraid, in the sense of the word, but overwhelmed by the realization she was this close to someone this powerful. And dangerous. It was no wonder how he was above the fraternities. Dark elves, primals or not, were not people to mess with. If she became buddies with him, no one would dare threaten her again, and maybe she could have a peaceful school life for the next two months.
"Hi." Fiona mustered her sweetest smile. "I noticed you weren't in the cafeteria. You must be hungry." She lifted her tray from the stool. "I brought my lunch, we could share."
"I don't do fags." The boy, rather bluntly, announced.
Damn! Fiona mentally exclaimed. It was as if he was reading her mind. Or perhaps students often came to him like this, intending to use him for protection. No. She corrected herself. She wasn't using him. What she was planning was a mutually beneficial exchange, where he kept her safe and she gave him... Quality company? Yes. Very quality company.
"Well, I don't do fags either." She retorted after some seconds of stunned silence. "I just want to get to know you."
"Good lie. Now, the truth."
Frustration hit Fiona. This particular dark elf was not bothering to play along with her, or hide his skepticism. Maybe the truth was the best way to go.
Letting the emotions she'd been bottling in out, she cried. "I need your help! I vexed some sort of... Alpha female gang leader. And now she wants my head. I—"
"Is there a fool in MARC dumb enough to cross Rinissa?" The elf rhetorically asked.
His response slightly pissed Fiona off. If he thought her situation was funny, she didn't. And she was not a fool. At the time of her outburst, she'd been at her breaking point. Even fairies, the sweetest of all mystical creatures, would have been just as irritable.
"The thing is, it appears that I've made powerful enemies. I can't handle them on my own." She said, controlling her temper. Anger would get her nowhere.
"That's your problem, not mine."
"Oh C'mon!" All caution flew to the wind. "We don't even have to be friends if you don't want to. Just announce that I'm with you, or whatever. I'll pay you. Somehow. Name your price."
Calmly, the boy got out of the window, his expression blank. He took his sweet time to walk to the girl, his hands in his pockets and his attention focused on her. Stopping only inches from her, he looked down at her, finally letting his fury show.
Up close, Fiona realized the elf was very good-looking. He was also tall, her head barely reaching his shoulders. His frame was a bit lanky, but broad-shouldered. Their proximity was making her heart race. His eyes bored into hers, scarring her soul. In the moment, she had let her tray fall, but took no notice of it.
"If you feel someone is out to kill you, that is none of my business." He said, his entrancing bass voice a little above a whisper. "Now. Leave."
Fiona did not need to be told twice. She scurried out of the bell tower, leaving her tray behind. Her plan had epically failed, but she did not wish to press further. Between dark elves and fraternity presidents, she decided she would take her chances with the latter. By the time she returned to the dining hall, lunch break was over. She met up with her roommate, who was waiting patiently by the entrance.
"You're alive." Bam Bam stated.
Fiona raised an eyebrow. "Did you expect me to be dead?"
She didn't reply, but the way she stared confirmed she actually had. Fiona groaned; the pixie had knowingly sent her on a futile mission.
"Come. I'll show you around."
Bam Bam took Fiona on a tour of the school. The institution was large. She was introduced to a sports field, a classroom complex, a library, and many other facilities. Fiona was exhausted by the time they were through. She felt like she'd trekked from New York to China. The fact that she had missed lunch didn't help matters, her stomach was rumbling. Bam Bam stopped in front of a building labeled "Clinic".
"I need to attend my psychotherapy sessions. Do you need assistance finding your way back to the hostel?" She said.
"I'm good."
Setting out alone, Fiona strolled the school grounds. She let her mind wander. With the dark elf refusing her offer, she remained unprotected. Standing on her own was not an option, as her roommate had made painfully clear. Perhaps she should suck up her pride and join a fraternity. It would only be for two more months, after all.
Deep in thought, she didn't realize she was heading down the lonely bell tower path, till she was deep in it. But when she turned to leave, she was met by a small group of supernaturals. She instantly recognized the one in the middle —Borri, the cyclops.
Fiona knew why they were here. She'd expected them, but not this soon.