Page 14 of Let Us Prey
The entire scene set my teeth on edge, and when my new friends dropped me off in front of the library, I felt eyes on me, like I was being watched, but I couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. I knew it wasn’t my wolfy stalker; Bash told me he was busy ‘kicking freshman asses’ in his kickboxing elective. I may have to ask him if I can get some lessons, because the moves my friends taught me this summer were geared more towards self-defense. Here at Apex, I’m going to need to learn to strike offensively or I’m done for. Preds don’t respect anyone who responds like prey, and even if I am biologically one of them, I wasn’t lying when I told hunky dragon man I was raised not to let anyone scare me.
I’ll have to dust off the irritating lessons about commanding a room Lucille drilled into my head over the years. The giant midnight blue dragon who confronted me in the library seemed pleased I didn’t cower at his half-shifted form, but if he knew just how often Bruno came after me in a similar state, he’d know why. I mean, a Nile croc isn’t as frightening as an eight-foot tall fire breather, but the dragon wasn’t advancing with a raised fist. I’ll take a winged dominance display over an abusive drunk any day. The whole thing still made my heart feel like it was going to jump out of my chest and head for the hills, but I think that was for other reasons.
Like sexy dragon man reasons.
I approach the back doors of the Honeywell building, a dark mood falling over me as thoughts of my ex-friends flood my mind. The only place I’ve seen them so far is my Shifter Studies class with Professor Cassius, but I know they’re lurking around like stupid... what did he call them? Tuna fish, that’s it. His insult makes me giggle, and even if he raises my blood pressure—among other things—I’ll be forever in his debt for giving me that gem.
Stopping for a moment, I take out my phone and pull up the picture I took of the campus map. It was folded in my Admissions packet, and again, I wonder how a school that gets so much money from tech giants has no interactive apps.
I see that the Charles Family Dining Hall is located in the underground level of Honeywell, so I’ll have to risk stairwells or elevators to get to it. I chew my lip, trying to decide which one seems riskier when someone bumps into my shoulder from behind, knocking my phone to the ground.
What in the actual fuck?
I scramble to grab it, looking up in time to see the retreating back of a blazer on a scrawny-looking asshole with blond hair. It could be one of a hundred different d-bags who attend this school, but the scent tells me it’s one of Todd’s hyena friends. The size is right for Chad, and that kind of casual violence against a female isn’t surprising, coming from him. Standing, I brush off my knees and look around, weighing how hungry I’ll be if I skip eating to avoid a possibly worse version of this situation inside.
Damnit. I’ll be starving. I have barely anything to eat in my room yet, and even if I did, I don’t have a clue what to do in that tiny kitchen. Our cooks at home wouldn’t allow me in there even on a good day, and Lucille certainly didn’t pass on any ‘motherly’ knowledge about meal preparation. She’s usually on a liquid diet anyway, so I doubt she would have cooked, even if she knew how. I’m going to have to hit SnootTube for some cooking shows if this situation escalates.
Taking a deep breath, I search for the sass and bravery I summoned when I was clashing with Professor Cassius and Professor...dragon man. Aubrey, I think the sheet said. Regardless, right now, I need it to get through this meal—hopefully with no scars.
It’s okay, Dolly, you can do this.
I find Bash in my phone contacts, and make certain his number’s on screen before I head down the stairs to the cafeteria with my head held high.
I’ve got this. I am a Drew, after all.
* * *
After getting lost no lessthan three times in the underground maze they call the ‘student services’ floor, I finally find an enormous set of cherry wood doors set into the natural rock wall of the building. It has donor names on plaques on either side, which seems strange for a place that’s hidden this far from the view of outsiders.
I yank one of the doors open, and my jaw nearly hits the floor. My plan to make myself feel better by snickering about Heather C.’s hillbilly agri-giant family sponsoring the dining hall in the basement is scrapped the moment I behold the opulent room.
Mother of Zeus, this is... astounding.
They set the sprawling room so far back into the bedrock of the campus that it reaches the lake. Windows and vacuum pressure doors at the opposite end of the room allow water shifters to come and go as they please, or simply watch their classmates as they eat. Whoever decorated this room had a rich person’s idea of a mermaid’s grotto in mind—vibrant jewel tones, platinum leaf, with real gemstones and mother-of-pearl inlays. The food is being served by a contingent of the pirate raccoons I saw on my tour—I don’t see their Captain, but I assume this might be the less aggressive members of his crew.
I guess I won’t be eating shitty walking tacos or frozen pizza in this joint.
Neither Cori’s shock of unicorn hair nor Rufus’s skunk-like coif are to be found, so I look for a table against a wall where I can easily see the entire room. There are too many unknowns in here and since the only exit—outside of the ones requiring gills—is the door I entered through, I have to make certain I have a snowball’s chance in Hades of escaping if something happens. Warily watching the students in their various colored jackets, I keep close to the wall as I head for a table near the door and drop my bag on a chair. It’s hard to concentrate with all the people milling around, so when a friendly raccoon approaches with a menu, it barely registers.
“Miss? Miss? Would you like something to drink?”
Blinking, I look down at the sharply dressed shifter in surprise. The sheer variety of chi-chi foods on the menu widens my eyes further. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. Yes, I’d like a diet vanilla Dr. Pupper if you have it. Is this how dinner is every day... " I pause, looking for a nametag, “... Raina?”
It’s the raccoon’s turn to widen her eyes, and she titters into her hand before looking around as if expecting someone to yell at her. “Yes, miss. The academy serves full course meals, three times a day during the week and has buffets on the weekend for those who remain on campus.”
I sigh. No surprise there, but it seems like a wasteful way to spend their money when students are likely to order in, especially on the weekend. Hopefully, they don’t chuck the leftover food in the trash rather than donate it or something. “Well, Raina, I haven’t had anything since this morning, and am so hungry I could eat a dumptruck full of food. What do you recommend?”
“Oh! I’ve never been asked that before, miss, especially not by a student of your… standing. Most of the ladies order salads or fruit, and they barely finish it at that.”
“I see. Well, I’m not like the other ladies here in a lot of ways. I’d love for you to call me Dolly, and I really want to know what you think I should order,” I say, smiling at her nervous but friendly chatter.
“Oh, dear, Oh, my. Call you… Dolly? Are you certain, miss? We’re not supposed to be familiar, except with the Professor in the Tower. I don’t want—”
“Raina, please call me Dolly. I give you my express permission. Now, before I die of hunger, what should I get to eat?” I ponder the information about a Professor in a tower and realize it must be the enormous gargoyle I saw defend the raccoons during my tour. He seemed otherworldly and frightening as fuck, but if the small prey like Raina like him, he must be a good person.
I wonder what he teaches?
Or what that tower looks like on the inside…
