Fractured by N.O Darling

Chapter 4

“I thought | heard voices in here. Is everything okay Dee?” a very attractive woman who looks to be in her

thirties says as she walks into the room with a beaming smile. Her hair is jet black and shines as the sunlight hits

it. It’s the sort of hair that should be in shampoo ads and just enhances her stunning blue eyes and flawless skin.

She wears a skin-tight black dress that shows off her hourglass figure and black stilettos, with her finger and

toenails painted bright red. She is the kind of woman that makes you feel insecure as soon as you see her.

“Yes. Clarrisa, this is Josie Banks, a new student I've just picked up from the human realm. Could you please

assign her one of the single dorm rooms in Ruby,” Mr Collins says, whilst he takes out the file from his briefcase

that the police officer had given him earlier and holds it out to Clarrisa.

“Are you sure? There's plenty of space for her in Amber or Saphire,” Clarrisa says, givingan assessing look

up and down before scrunching her nose a little.

“Put her in Ruby please and make sure she has everything she needs,” he says dismissively. Then he sits at his

desk and opens up a laptop. | stand there unsure of what I'm supposed to do now. Mr Collins glances up at

Clarrisa and then me. “That will be all,” he grunts.

“Of course Deacon, Josie followplease,” Clarrisa smiles tightly.

“But...” | start.

“That will be all Miss Banks, Clarrisa will get you everything you need and someone will be along to your dorm

shortly to answer all your questions and get you settled. Welcto Greys Academy. | hope there will be no

need for any more visits to my office,” Mr Collins says flatly and then turns his attention back to his laptop. With

a sigh, | follow perfect Clarrisa.

We exit the office into a glass-lined corridor, Clarrisas heels click loudly on the cream marble floor. Everything

feels too bright and shiny. I'd hate to be the cleaner here, there must be a whole army of cleaners to keep all the

glass and marble clean. Clarrisa leadsto an elevator and | let an audible breath as | remember my last

elevator ride before | was kidnapped by a sexy, rude, jerk of a... wizard? Then | snort laugh as | think about what

is happening. I'm in freaking Hogwarts, and that makes Mr Collins Professor Dumbledore. Clarrisa givesa

disapproving side-eye.

“Sorry, it’s been a wild day,” | explain.

“I can imagine. Don’t worry about Deacon, he was taking his morning shower when the call cin about you,

he had to rush off without his morning coffee, he’s grumpy without his coffee,” she laughs, a little too much for it

to be real. My mind is suddenly filled with thoughts of Mr Collins in the shower, then | realise what she said. If

she was there when he got the call, that means she was there when he was showering. She's his girlfriend... or

wife. Of course, she is, she is beautiful and he is hot as hell, they are a perfect match. That explains why he

jumped away fromlike | was on fire, he didn’t want his girlfriend to get the wrong idea. My heart sinks a little.

| thought I'd felt schemistry in our short encounter, but | guess it was a stupid thought anyway. I'm his

student now, and | don’t know how things work here but I'm sure it's the sas it is in the human world.

Students and teachers dating is a huge no. Why am | wasting tthinking about this when my life has just been

completely obliterated?

“Wait!” | blurt. “I need to go back... my mum,” | manage to say through panicked breaths. How could I forget

about my mum? Guilt floods me.

“Don’t worry about any of that for now, tworks differently here so no one will be missing you yet. Deacon will

take care of everything, your mum will be just fine. I'm sure he will keep you updated on personal matters like

that,” she smiles.

“Okay,” | nod. “What about my stuff? Can I go back for it?” | ask.

“Deacon will arrange for your belongings to get to you, try not to worry and just focus on making your new life

here. | know this is a difficult tbut I'm sure you will be happy here, we will work everything out to make this

transition as easy as possible for you,” she says as we walk through a maze of glass and marble corridors. We

exit the building into a courtyard with a huge fountain in the middle. The water comes out through four spouts.

Above each spout is a large crystal. Clarrisa stops walking for a moment to letlook at it. “Each crystal

represents a house at our Academy. You have been assigned to Ruby for the tbeing,” she motions to the red

stone. “You can easily identify your fellow house students by the colour of their tie. Red for Ruby, green for

Emerald, blue for Sapphire and yellow for Amber,” she explains as we walk on. | mentally roll my eyes at the

thought of wearing a uniform again. I'm almost 19 years old and | feel like I'm going back to secondary school.

“Where are the other students?” | ask, taking note of how quiet it is.

“They are all in classes, they'll be finishing soon. We have just over 300 students here, it can get quite busy

between classes,” she grimaces. Movement in the distance catches my eye and | can just make out a group of

about thirty people. They're moving fast around each other as if dancing. As we get closer | realise they're

fighting.

“Combat training,” Clarrisa comments, “they're our next squad of soldiers,” she adds proudly. | want to get a

closer look but Clarrisa usherson and towards an old-looking stone building that’s embellished with Rubies.

“This is your building,” she says as we enter through the door. I look around in awe. It’s stunning. It’s like an old

castle inside but with everything you'd expect in a modern house. The large space has stone walls with thick red

curtains around the huge windows. Then there are couches scattered around a large rug with a stone fireplace

and real fire. There is a big flatscreen TV mounted to one of the walls with gconsoles on the shelves

underneath it. On each side of the room is a grand staircase that meets at the top. | follow Clarrisa up the stairs

and down a hall, we pass two doors before she stops and handsa key. “This one is yours, I'll give you some

tto settle in and someone will be along shortly to show you around,” she smiles and walks away before | can

even mutter a thank-you or get the door open.

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