Van

Today marked the second first day of school for Van in less than a year. But unlike her first day at Briarwood Academy, she walked into the Holy Asylum of Light with her shoulders back and her chin up. It didn't matter that she'd rather pull her own teeth than schmooze with these baby stealers- she had a mission, and for Luca's sake, she was going to complete it. Brantley was coming home.

She paused outside of the classroom and dragged in a lungful of air as she steadied a rush of nervous energy. The metal plate declaring the room number cast her reflection back to her, and despite it being skewed, it was clear enough that she could see the determination in her green eyes. And that was enough to beat back the worst of the jitters.

"You got this, Van," she whispered.

"Is this something you normally do?"

She whipped around, hand on her chest, and glared at the teen boy hovering behind her. He was tall and muscled with shoulder length auburn hair, and despite the fact his nose looked as if it had been rearranged on more than one occasion, he was fairly attractive with a stubble speckled square jaw and arresting blue eyes.

The stranger pushed his fingers through his hair, leaving them tangled in the coarse strands and resting on top of his head while he waited for her response. Van twisted her lips to the side and crossed her arms over her chest.

Letting his arms drop, he laughed. The sound was velvet smooth and made her insides flip. And not in a good way.

"So, you only talk to yourself? I guess it makes sense."

If he thought he could pique her interest enough to pry, he was wrong. Barely- she really wanted to know why it made sense.

Another chuckle and then a sigh. Thrusting out a hand, he said, "I'm Isaiah."

Van studied the offered hand. Like the rest of him, it appeared to be sturdy. The dark skin was calloused and scarred, and his fingernails were cut short and kept clean. She wondered how often he had to wash it to hide the sins it committed.

"Of course, I know who you are."

"Good," she said, spinning on her heel and striding into the classroom without waiting for a response.

The other students swiveled in their seats and openly watched her as she picked a desk near the window. Their curiosity was more intense than that shown by the students at Briarwood Academy, but there she was a new kid- a nobody. Here, she was the daughter of their Supreme leader, and someone to be feared or resented. She wished Hailey was here. They might not be best friends, but at least Van could trust the girl to be herself instead of veiling her glances and words in slippery slights.

"Nice of you two to join us."

Van resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Part of the plan she and Luca devised required her to be a model Slayer, but it would appear that no matter what the curriculum, teachers were teachers.

"Sorry, Slayer Latisha. Our Prefect announced a last minute room raid."

Van forgot some of the students lived in the Asylum. She would hate to be somewhere so restrictive, but perhaps she should talk to Luca about his thoughts on her moving into the school. No doubt her father would be pleased by such a request.

Slayer Latisha pushed a finger against the bridge of her nose and nodded. "I'll speak to him again. This is the third time he's done this before classes. And Novitiate Vanessa, what do you have to say about your tardiness?"

Cringing at the use of her full name, Van bit back the snarky retort and coated her vocal cords with as much syrup as possible. "I'm sorry Slayer Latisha. I got turned around a couple of times."

Isaiah snorted but kept his mouth shut. It wasn't as though he could contradict her. She was already late when he caught her talking to herself.

Thankfully, Slayer Latisha wasn't a hard ass, or if she was, she wasn't willing to be one to Van. The corners of her eyes softened as she smiled kindly.

"It does take some time to get acclimated. The Asylum was built to confuse any intruders. Not, of course, that we've had many. Can anyone in here tell me when our holy walls were last penetrated?"

Van almost choked, but no one else so much as snickered at the unfortunate phrasing. A dozen eager hands shot into the air.

"Go ahead, Novitiate Jacob."

"In 1832, the traitor known as Hezekiah Martin brought in four Proteans and a young panther shifter. They came up through the sea tunnels that lead to the space we now use for the laboratories."

"Very good. And who can tell me how they were stopped? Novitiate Mary?"

Mary, probably no older than thirteen, trembled as she replied, "Upon reaching the main floor, Novitiate Paul stopped the group when he realized he didn't recognize anyone but the traitor Hezekiah. It was well documented that the traitor Hezekiah had fallen out of favor after accusing the Supreme of genocide, and he was supposed to be spending his time in deep reflection in the Cabin. Novitiate Paul demanded that one of the women lower their hoods so he could examine her neck for the birthmark that is present on all Proteans after their first shift."

Van couldn't help herself. She leaned forward in her chair, her fingers curling over the edge of the desk.

"When she refused, Novitiate Paul sounded the alarm before the traitor Hezekiah struck him dead. Within minutes, they were captured. All were executed except the young shifter, Able Brooks. Because he was so young, it was believed that he was coerced into coming into the Asylum that night. The Proteans used his desire for his mate against him."

Van's hand shot up. Slayer Latisha motioned for Mary to stop speaking. "Yes, Novitiate Vanessa?"

"I'm so sorry to interrupt but would you mind providing a few more details. What did the traitor Hezekiah hope to accomplish that night?" She really hated the sound of her own voice right now.

Slayer Latisha beamed. "Excellent question. Your father will be happy to hear of your eagerness to learn. Who wants to answer Novitiate Vanessa's question?"

This time it was Isaiah who spoke. He held her gaze the entire time he talked, as if gauging her response.

"Shifters have mates. It's a side effect of the process used to create them, and it's a very handy way to control the beasts."

She couldn't help it. Her eye twitched, and her lips flattened. Isaiah smiled and continued.

"Able Brooks was in line to be the next Alpha, and because of that, he was allowed certain freedoms. While visiting the Holy Asylum, he met a shifter female we were detaining. Turns out she was his mate, but Cybele was what we call a Wildling. Female shifters struggle with controlling their animal nature more than males. The longer they go without being claimed by a male, the worse it gets, and poor Cybele snapped on her eighteenth birthday. Shifted in the town square and mauled an innocent bystander so you can imagine no one was too keen to release her, even if it was into the custody of her mate."

Slayer Latisha clapped her hands together. "Precisely. So, the traitor Hezekiah exploited Able's weakness, led him into the Asylum with promises to rescue Cybele, and as a result of his capture, Able signed what is now referred to as the Contract."

The Contract. Van blanched. Luca's ancestor was responsible for the agreement binding his people to the land and the Slayers. She couldn't imagine the guilt he must feel.

"Recite the Contract please class."

The students around her began to chant, their voices rising up as one. "No Shifter may leave Briarwood unless accompanied by a Brother or Sister of the Asylum. No Shifter may shift outside of pack lands unless given express permission to do so by a Brother or Sister of the Asylum. All matings must be recorded by the Holy Asylum of Light, and all offspring must be documented. No Shifter may engage in sexual relations with anyone other than another Shifter. Female Shifters who exhibit the Wildling sickness must be chained until claimed. Children who shift under the age of thirteen will reside within the Asylum walls until such time that the Asylum declares them to be of no danger to the outside world. Shifters who break any of these rules will be forced to wear the Collar. Refusing will result in execution."

Van felt worse than she had after the night of putt putt with Luca. How could any of these people think any of this was acceptable? Children and women in cages and collars? Restricted to a small space when they were meant to roam free. Something inside of her pushed against her skin as if reacting to the idea of being trapped.

"Excellent, excellent." Slayer Latisha looked at her watch and frowned. "That took up quite a bit more time than expected, but it's important that we revisit this topic from time to time. We are stewards of these poor beasts, and we must remember why. Let's go ahead and turn to page forty-two in our textbook. You should see a photo of the Charter written by our first Supreme, Abraham Van Helsing. Novitiate Vanessa, would you mind reading your ancestors words aloud?"

"Of course," she replied, the acquiescence like acid on her tongue.

It was a struggle to push out each syllable, and she hoped her classmates mistook her shaking voice for nerves rather than the truth: fury. By the time she finished, she managed to smother the worst of her emotions into her stomach and prayed the teacher would see only obedience in her eyes as she raised them to meet her gaze.

"Very good. We'll pick up there tomorrow."

Everyone hurried to gather their things. Everyone except Isaiah. He leaned back in his chair while Van rose to her feet. Those sturdy fingers drilled the surface of the desk, and he cocked his head to the side.

"I think we're going to be friends."

As she had earlier, Van chose to ignore him and the strange tightening in her stomach caused by his voice. Hitching her backpack straps up higher, she flashed her teeth at him and hurried out the room, his laughter chasing her down the hall.

Before she reached her next class, she sagged against the wall and drew in a deep breath. It turned out being a model student was going to be a lot harder than she thought.