The Soul Reaper's Arranged Marriage

Chapter 7

Noah stood before Castle Gealach, where he had come to know it as a second home over the past four years. It was one of the largest structures in Europe, built over many centuries beginning with the ancient Celts. There existed ancient spells over the castle that protected it from those that weren't intended to see it, primarily non-magical beings.

It was framed magnificently by the Scottish Highlands surrounding it and the clear, starry night above. The bright moon illuminated the lake at the bottom of the valley, which sent a cold breeze up toward Noah on that cool September evening.

"Hey, mate, I'm glad you decided to come back this year!" called out a familiar voice. Noah turned to see Darius waving at him as he climbed up the hill toward the castle entrance.

Noah had only decided a couple of days ago to return to school for his final year, so he hadn't had a chance to tell his best friend yet. He figured it would do him some good to get out of that big, empty house. Although he wasn't thrilled at the thought of being around a bunch of people again, he figured at least some social interaction was probably necessary for his mental wellbeing.

As Darius caught up to him, he noticed that other students were also making their way up the hill path toward the castle. He caught a couple of them sending him sympathetic glances, which was exactly what he hoped wouldn't happen.

"C'mon, let's go inside," Noah muttered to Darius, shoving his hands in his coat pockets and turning to go inside.

They made their way through the entrance hall, which was a high-ceilinged room made entirely of stone. Hundreds of candles suspended above them by magic illuminated the magnificent foyer in a warm golden glow. Noah and Darius followed the path of the candles, expertly navigating their way through the familiar Gothic-style corridors and archways until they arrived at the main hall.

A small boy of about thirteen stood near the entrance of the room, looking around bewilderedly as the other students took their seats.

"Hey, man, are you a first year?" Darius asked, approaching the boy. Noah rolled his eyes. Darius had been nominated by the faculty at the end of last year to be the Chairman of the Student Parliament, so part of his responsibilities included being welcoming to the new students.

The boy nodded his head quickly at Darius. His eyes landed on Noah for a moment, which grew a bit wider with recognition. Noah looked away, crossing his arms impatiently as he waited for Darius.

"Wizard, Werewolf, or Vampire?" Darius asked.

"W-Wizard," the boy replied nervously, his voice squeaking. Noah couldn't tell if his voice was cracking from nervousness or puberty.

"Okay, you can take a seat anywhere at that table on the far right wall," pointed Darius. "Werewolves sit in the middle to separate the Vampires' table from the Witches and Wizards, you know, just in case they start to get hungry."

Noah didn't think the boy's eyes could get any wider, but now he was convinced they were going to pop out of his skull at the mention of blood-sucking Vampires.

The boy scurried off quickly to the table while Darius watched after him.

"I think you just made him more nervous," chuckled Noah. Darius looked genuinely confused.

"I was just explaining why the tables are separated!" Darius protested.

They saw the last few students taking their seats as a hush came over the room. Darius and Noah quickly made their way to the Witches’ and Wizards’ table and found seats next to Darius' younger sister, Naima.

Naima was just starting her third year of school. She was the youngest of the three Hassan siblings at age fifteen, and the only girl. Her black coiled hair was stacked on top of her head, held back with a yellow scarf tied in a bow, and her dark brown complexion and deep brown eyes matched her brother's. She wore golden hoop earrings that bobbed as she turned to wave them over to the seats she had saved. Her friends seated on the other side of her giggled flirtatiously when they saw Darius and Noah. She threw an eye roll at the girls as she turned to face the faculty table at the front of the hall, shushing them to prepare for the welcome speech.

“Greetings, students!” a voice rang through the hall. “For those of you who have returned, welcome back. And for those of you joining us for the first time, may I be the first to welcome you to the Gealach School of Supernatural Beings. I am Cassandra, the High Priestess of Castle Gealach.”

Cassandra’s voice was rich and warm. Everyone in the room hung on to her words, since she was so revered in the community. Although she was an elderly Witch, she still exuded life and strength in her voice and in her demeanor. Her thick, silver hair was pulled back into a chignon bun, and her robes were made up of various shades of green and teal fabrics. Although her face was worn from age with many wrinkles, her penetrating amber eyes were sharp and bright.

“I always like to start the school year with a brief history of Castle Gealach, which represents the center of our magical society here in the British Isles. This sacred place was founded by the ancient Celtic tribes as a safe haven for beings with unique abilities. The word gealach means ‘moon,’ which represents the divine feminine, fertility, and new beginnings. As you will learn throughout your five years of instruction, the moon is a very important symbol and source of power for all three magical races: Witches and Wizards, Vampires, and Werewolves.

“This place has evolved and grown over time to what you see today, which is largely unaffected by the politics and culture of the outside, non-magic world. As we honor the ancient wisdom and traditions of our ancestors, we begin each school year with a grand feast in celebration of the past, the present, and the future.”

Applause erupted throughout the hall. Cassandra smiled with gratitude as she raised her hands to quiet the crowd.

“But before our feast, I have a couple of housekeeping items to review. The first is that sign-ups for intramural sports will be posted tomorrow. There are openings available to students of all ages, so I encourage you to get involved. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know your fellow classmates.

“The second item is that the first Student Parliament meeting of the year will be held on Thursday evening in the chapel hall. These meetings are open to the entire student body, so please attend to stay informed, or if you would like to voice any ideas for the Student Parliament to consider. If you have any questions, please see your Chairman, Mr. Darius Hassan.”

Darius waved his hand so that the new students could identify him later.

“Lastly,” continued Cassandra, her tone growing noticeably serious, “we have added a new class to the Witches’ and Wizards’ curriculum. There will be more information to come on that subject during this first week of classes.”

Noah and Darius glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. A few older students at the table began to whisper quietly amongst themselves.

“As such,” continued Cassandra, “we have hired a new faculty position to teach this course. Please give a warm welcome to Professor Daisy Armstrong. I trust you will make her feel at home here at Castle Gealach and demonstrate the true spirit of Celtic hospitality, as she comes to us all the way from the United States.”

Suddenly, multiple students from all three tables erupted in hushed whispers that echoed around the hall.

“Armstrong?” Darius asked Noah. “Armstrong as in the Armstrongs?”

“I bet she’s related to Hunter somehow,” Noah whispered back. “His father’s the head of the school governing board, so I’m sure it wasn’t difficult to pull some strings. Nepotism at its finest.”

Cassandra gestured toward the faculty table behind her to introduce the new professor. When she stood up, the student chatter grew noticeably louder and more restless.

“She doesn’t look old enough to be a professor,” Naima whispered to her friends.

“Wow, she’s a looker, isn’t she?” Darius murmured, shooting Noah a wink and a mischievous grin.

Noah glanced up at the faculty table to get a look at Professor Armstrong. Darius was right, she was very attractive, with long, golden hair and bright blue eyes. She seemed quite serious, though, and immediately sat back down without so much as a nod or a smile to the students.

“Seems a bit snobbish, if you ask me,” Noah replied quietly. “And she looks to be our age. Not sure what business she has teaching us.”

Cassandra cleared her throat, and the students settled down.

“That is all for tonight. I wish you all the best of luck in the coming school year. I encourage you all to study hard, develop new friendships, and, perhaps most importantly, enjoy yourselves and make new memories during your time her at Castle Gealach. Bon appétit!”

***

As Darius and Noah finished their plates, Naima turned to them.

“You won’t believe what I just heard,” she said dramatically. “Apparently, the new professor is Hunter Armstrong’s wife!”

“How could you have possibly heard that?” Darius asked with a raised eyebrow. “You haven’t gotten up from your chair this entire meal.”

“You doubt my intel, brother?” she asked, feigning offense. “Everyone at the table is talking about it. Hunter confirmed it himself to Thomas and Zane, who told Moira, who told Emma, who told-“

“Alright, I get it,” Darius interrupted, cutting her off.

“Hunter’s wife?” Noah questioned. “I thought he was dating Charlotte Whitaker?”

“Maybe she found out about all the other girls he was with on the side and broke up with him,” Darius shrugged.

“Perhaps, but Hunter doesn’t exactly strike me as the marriage type,” Noah replied. “Besides, he’s just barely turned eighteen like most of us, and she doesn’t look to be any older than us either.”

“Maybe she’s a socialite from a wealthy American family, and Hunter’s parents wanted to lock that down,” Darius speculated humorously.

“Or maybe she thought that marrying a rich Brit would make her a princess!” Naima interjected with a laugh.

“Naima,” Noah began, “I’m sure your little birdies will have the whole scoop on Professor Armstrong before breakfast.”

Naima grinned proudly. “I mean, I am the most well-connected girl in this school. I know all the juicy gossip.”

“And on that note, I’m turning in early,” Noah said, standing up from the table. “Goodnight, you two.”

Noah began to leave to head up to the dormitories. Before exiting the main hall, he turned back for a quick glance at the faculty table when his eyes landed on Professor Daisy Armstrong.

When their eyes met, Noah felt a strange sensation. It wasn’t a physical sensation, although Noah felt frozen in place by her gaze. It was more a sense that they had met before, although he was certain he would have remembered her if they had. It was more of a powerful sense of déjà vu, so strong in fact that his head began to hurt. He felt a strong urge to cross the long hall in her direction, like a magnetic force was pulling him toward her.

Her eyes narrowed and she looked away, and just like that, the unfamiliar sensation was gone. Noah brought his hands up to his face to rub his temples.

What was that?