The Institute

Chapter four - Judge and jury

I looked up at the two remaining witches, feeling angry, not just at them, but at me. I had completely lost control, if they hadn't been watching me so closely, I would have bled Matthew dry without even noticing. How could I have done this? How could I have been so selfish, so stupid as to think that it was a good idea to get so close to humans, knowing what I was, what I potential could do? The woman stepped forward, a sad smile on her face. "You may want to shower; we can start packing in here." 

I just nodded, feeling numb and self-loathing fight inside me for dominance. I grabbed some clothes, not even caring if they were clean or matched and walked through to the bathroom. As I stood under the spray of the shower, my tears started anew. I had hurt Matthew, the man who meant everything to me. I don't know what is worse, the fact that I did that or the fact that he wouldn't remember it, any of it. Matthew, Katie, everyone was going to have their memories of me wiped away as if I never existed. All that I had built for myself here was being taken away and there was nothing I could do about it. 

Mirovi was right though, for once. I couldn't stay here. It would only be a matter of time before I needed to feed again and I couldn't trust myself not to lose control again. It was like I was someone else, like something had taken over me and was making me only think about the blood. If Liona hadn't helped me snap out of it when she did, I don't know what would have happened. 

I looked down at my body, seeing the evidence of what I had done painted on my skin. Grabbing the luffa, I started to scrub at the stains, watching as the water tinged with blood pooled at my feet before being sucked down the drain, the colours swirling like the emotions in my mind. I stood under the spray, watching as the red turned to pink before it finally ran clear. 

I got out and dressed, not even caring that I had grabbed a dress which I never wore or leggings with a hole in the knee. My body ached from the amount of power I had used, never having strained myself so much in my life. I walked back out and to my bedroom where the man sat on my bed, my newly finished spell book in hand. I stormed over and snatched it from him, feeling almost violated by him looking at it without my permission. "You have been busy." he smirked as he got up and walked around me. "Most first year institute students can't do half of what you have written about there, and definitely wouldn't be able to phrase it all so eloquently." if I didn't know how him and his partner felt about me, I would have been fooled to think that he was impressed. 

I grabbed my multicoloured canvas bag and stuffed the book inside it, before picking up my tarot card, incense burner and hoodie. My hand went to my necklace as I thought to myself that, even though they would not remember me, I would keep the pieces of them that they had given to me close to my heart. I looked around to see my clothes and books fully packed, my magical equipment neatly packed away and my life brought down to a suitcase and box. 

I walked back out into the living room, taking the single rose that still sat in its vase and walking back into the bedroom, choosing a heavy book to press it between the pages of. I whispered under my breath, the words I knew would help the flower to perfectly press and be preserved in time. Frozen in this moment like my love for Matthew. There was no messy break up, no drifting apart, no one cheated or broke the other heart. We were just over, like the past two years never happened. If he saw me in the street, he wouldn't even recognise me, no one would. 

I felt a stabbing pain in my chest at the thought, placing the book back into the box which the woman picked up, while the man grabbed my suitcase. They went to hold my arm, to teleport me to the council chamber when I gave them a patronising look. They stepped back and I closed my eyes, picturing the bland waiting room I had stood in just a week ago and when I opened my eyes, I was back there. I took a seat, feeling physically and emotionally drained. I deserved whatever happened to me now, I deserved to be sent to the institute or whatever other hellhole Mirovi wanted to send me to. The others witches arrived with my stuff, sitting a small distance away from me as if they could catch a disease if they came too close. 

I held my head in my hands, ashamed of myself. I knew it was not me, or at least I had not been the one who controlled my actions. I had always embraced my witch side, finding wonder in the abilities that it gave me. I never really thought of my nosferatu side, always thinking of it as inert. What I did was anything but inert. My witch abilities amplified with the blood I had taken. I felt unstoppable, powerful beyond my wildest dreams. My thoughts clouded, warped to only see the blood and crave more. 

The sound of the door opening up to the council chamber pulled me from my thought. I looked up to not see the dithering old man from before but Liona, her eyes glanced at me, saying nothing before she headed back inside. I pushed to my feet, the others staying in place with my stuff not coming to hear their ruling. 

I walked in and headed to the podium, Liona not in her usual position but instead stood to the side of the podium. I didn't look at her, instead hanging my head not wanting to see the looks of disgust of the others as I waited to hear their judgement. 

"Violet." the werewolf council members' voices rang out. I let out a small puff of air as I looked up to the man addressing me, the look of disinterest in me was now gone as he leaned forward over the desk. "You have been brought here for openly feeding on a human and using magic without proper instruction. You also lied to this very council a week ago, stating that you had never exuded any magical abilities. Do you have anything to say in your defence?" 

Hearing what I had done read to me like a crime that had been committed caused me to swallow hard. I shook my head, knowing there was no defence for what I had done. My daddy issues aside, I had lied to the council and that alone was a punishable offence. 

"I believe the human you fed on was a boyfriend of yours. Is that correct?" the witch member asked, her voice not holding the same hatred that it had before. I felt a tear run down my cheek as I nodded yes, a small sob escaping me as I thought of Matthew's limp body on my bed. 

"She is obviously dangerous. We cannot put the members of our own society at risk by sending her to the Asloxorth’s Institute. She should be sent to Broken Hill Penitentiary." Mirovi shouted, his tone making me wince away. Broken Hill was where the worst of our kind went. The uncontrollable, the unstoppable. Those that stuck up the middle finger to the authority of the council and laughed in the face of their rules. Although I had little contempt for the council, were my crimes really that bad as to send me there? To live out my days in a magically dampened field, being fed enough blood and food to just extend the excruciating pain of the punishment. 

"Now, now, let's not be hasty." the angel member said as he leaned forward, taking up the same position as the werewolf. "She has had no training, no tether to our world. How was she to tell us that she had come into her powers, knowing that we would take her away from all she knew?" 

"She lied!" Mirovi yelled, angry at his counterparts from seemingly leaning towards leniency. 

"Maybe if she had had a real father figure she would have known right from wrong." the witch snapped, her eyes turning white for a second with her rage before she looked back at me. "I hear that you managed to heal the boy you fed on, is that correct?" I nodded my head, causing a small smile to spread on the witch's face. "That is your nosferatu gift." I looked at her with shock. "No witch has had the ability to heal another from the brink of death without using the dark arts and going insane. It is a rare gift, but one that shows that the light within you is much more powerful than the darkness." 

Mirovi scoffed at the witch's sentiment, causing her to give him another deathly glare. "Enough!" the fairy yelled. "We are here to decide Violet's fate, not to stir up old grudges." 

The council sat for a moment in silence before Mirovi spoke again. "All that vote to send Violet to the Broken Hill Penitentiary raise your hand." he raised his hand in the air, sending a smirk my way before looking around to see he was the only one with his hand raised. 

"All who vote to send Violet to Asloxorth’s Institute raise your hand." the werewolf spoke out. The remaining members raised their hands. Mirovi let out a growl, slamming his fist against the table. 

"Asloxorth’s Institute is my academy, I will not have it tarnished with the likes of her!" he yelled. Yes, the old sting of rejection flared up anew at his words, knowing I would never be good enough for my own father. 

"You took an oath upon taking up that position and the one that you have on this council to judge and teach all fairly. If you cannot hold up these simple oaths then maybe it is you that should be on trial here." the witch said with a smug smile. 

Mirovi snarled at the witch before standing and storming out of the council chamber. "You will, of course, be under scrutiny for a period of six months. If at the end of this time period we find that you are still unable to control your blood lust, then we will revisit this judgement." the angel announced, acting like Mirovi had not just spat his dummy out. He leaned over and grabbed Mirovi's gavel, banging it on the desk before the council members started to talk amongst themselves, dismissing me. 

I was shocked that I had not just been sent to Broken Hill to rot. Although I had no warm and squishy feelings for Asloxorth’s Institute, it had to be better than there. I looked over to Liona, catching her eyes on me for the briefest second. There was something in her eyes, something closely resembling affection, but it was gone too quickly as she looked back away from me and approached the bench. "Mother." she greeted the witch member of the council. 

Mother? I looked between the two women, feeling like my sanity was being challenged. "I know, my child." she said with affection as she cupped Liona's face, her eyes turning to me for a second before the two of them disappeared. So, my grandmother was the witch member of the council, no wonder I was never welcomed there the way she always looked at me with hatred. 

The other members began to disperse as I walked back out to the waiting room. The two guards jumped to their feet, almost smiling at me, seeming to know the council's judgement. "It is for the best." the woman tried to console me, even though I was still in too much shock after hearing the council’s ruling. 

I gave her a look that told her that I did not agree. "We both work as part of the institute security, so we may see you around." the man told me, seeming to try and put me at ease. Nothing could put me at ease right now. The place I had fought so hard to stay away from was now going to become my home. A small voice in my brain told me I deserved to be punished and that going to the institute was letting me off too lightly, even though to me, it was a punishment. "Come on." the man said as he held out his hand. 

As I had not been to the institute before, I could not teleport there alone. I let my fingertips graze his as the woman put her hand reassuringly on my shoulder and then the world around me changed. 

The only part of the magical realm I had ever seen was the stale council chambers. This was not much different at first glance. It gave me the same feeling of unease. The sky was a swirl of blue, purple and dark green, displaying the magical protective barrier that surrounded the large structure. It looked almost like a medieval castle, with a high brick wall built around the entire place. We walked through what looked like the only archway into the place, which led us to the main courtyard. 

From here I could see the tall spires of the many buildings, some connected together by halls or bridges high above while others stood alone. My two guards walked forward, still carrying my belongings as we approached what seemed to be the main structure. It was impressive, constructed out of the same stone as the wall and other buildings with large intricate glass windows that seemed to hold every colour in their design. 

My grouping came to a stop as a small wizened old woman came out of the main door, muttering something incoherent under her breath. She stopped in front of us, shooting my companions a stern look before her eyes landed on me, with what could only be described as a smile on her face. "You must be Violet." the woman said, her voice gravelly with age. 

"Yes ma'am." I answered, bowing my head in respect. Hey she was the first person in this world to be nice to me unless you counted the wonder twins and I was still on the bench about them. 

Her face fell slightly. "Unfortunately, neither the nosferatu nor the witch's wish for you to share their dorm at this time." great, they haven't even met me and already I am an outsider. "Don't worry though dear, I have the perfect room ready for you. Come on." 

Instead of heading back inside, the old woman led me away to one of the tall buildings at the edge of the courtyard. We walked inside and there was a mass of creatures scurrying around about their business. "This is usually reserved for visiting dignitary's servants, but I assure you it is quite comfortable. I am Petal by the way." she introduced herself as she walked through the crowds to a spiral staircase. "Don't let Max and Lily give you the wrong impression of this place, most here are quite friendly." 

"Max and Lily?" I asked as we started to ascend the stairs. 

"Max and Lily." she repeated, poking her thumb over her shoulder to the two witches behind me still carrying my stuff. "They are good at what they do but can be a bit lost in each other at times." 

"You are just jealous of our love Petal." Max joked to which Lily slapped his shoulder in mock disapproval. 

"As I said, most here are nice enough. They may be cold to you at first given your… history, but don't take it to heart." Petal continued as we continued up the seemingly never-ending stairs, passing many doors that sprung off onto the different floors we were passing. I knew what she meant but didn't want to say, no one wants to be friends with the freak. I had never felt so in agreement with those that hated me, right now, I don't think I want to be my friend either. 

After a few more minutes, we finally reached the top. Petal pulled an old key from her pocket and slid it into the lock before pushing down on a clasp on top of the handle and opening the door. The room was large and well finished with a large window on both sides. I walked inside and went straight to one of the windows, looking out over the many buildings below. "Like I said, it isn't much." Petal sighed. 

"It's beautiful." I whispered as my eyes stayed trained out of the window. Max and Lily dropped off my things before they both teleported back out of the room. 

"Well, dinner is served at 6pm sharp and I will have one of the servants bring up your uniform." 

"Uniform?" I asked as I looked away from the picturesque view and back at the kindly old woman. 

"Every pupil has to wear their uniform, it is part of trying to make the different species get along better." she stepped closer to me, her bony hand clasping my arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, it will help you blend in." it was like the old woman could read my mind. 

She gave me one more smile before she walked out of the room and back down the many stairs. I looked back out the window, secretly happy to have been rejected as right now, I needed a bit of solitude to come to terms with what I had done. I started to move around the room, unpacking the few possessions I had. Setting up a small magic station on the table that ran along one of the walls, no longer having to hide what I was doing like a dirty secret. I hung up my clothes, holding my hoodie to me and deciding that I didn't want to put it with the other clothes and instead placed it under my pillow. 

My hand went to my necklace as I pulled out the book with the pressed rose in it, a tear of grief escaping me as I placed it with the others on the book shelf. There was a light knock at the door and I crossed the room to open it. A small elf stood on the other side with a package in his hands. "For you Miss.Violet." he muttered as he held up the parcel, wrapped with brown paper and twine. 

"It is just Violet, and thank you." I replied as I took the package, when I looked back the elf was gone. I walked back into the room and placed the parcel on the bed. I pulled at the twine and the paper around it fell away revealing its contents. A long black robe with purple lining, a black knee length skirt and a simple black shirt with the institute's emblem embroidered on the left breast pocket. I quickly changed, happy to find that everything fit perfectly before I looked to the clock to see it was 5:55pm. 

I closed my eyes and teleported back to the entrance to the building, giving some of the startled creatures apologetic smiles. "They will get used to you popping in and out, don't worry." Petal told me as she came out of a side room and walked towards me. "Come on." 

I followed behind Petal once more as we exited the building and walked back over to the main structure. As we walked inside, we came into a large corridor that had a grand staircase that led up to the many floors above. There was a big door to one side which Petal ushered me towards. As I walked in, I felt all eyes turn towards me. Word of the freak had obviously spread as I looked around at the many faces of people I didn't know, yet looked at me with hatred and contempt. I looked back at Petal who waved me on encouragingly. 

I slowly walked down the long aisles of wooden benches until a woman got up and stood in my path. "Hey half breed." she hissed in my face; her friends still sat at the table covering their face to hide their amusement. I tried to step around her but she mirrored my movements and blocked my path. "Hey freak, I'm talking to you!" she yelled louder, causing a few giggles to erupt around the room. I looked the girl up and down, noting that she was a witch. No wonder she hated me so much, she was probably raised to hate me. 

I went to walk around her again when an invisible force knocked me through the air a few feet before I crashed into the floor. Laughter filled the hall now as I got back up to my feet. "You shouldn't have done that." I smirked as in the blink of an eye the girl went flying back, not a few feet, but clear across the room, crashing into the far wall. The laughter stopped as others got to their feet, stepping in to protect their own. I mentally counted how many there knowing I was definitely going to regret my retaliation given I was still feeling drained and I wasn’t sure how much magic I had left in me. 

"What is going on in here?" a deep voice boomed behind me. The witches looked to each other uncertain of whoever was behind me. I turned to see the young werewolf from the council waiting room, his eyes searching my face as a smirk came on his face. "You." 

"You." I simply replied, not sure what else to say. 

"Go back to your food." the werewolf ordered and to my surprise, the witches obeyed as they retook their seats, except one that rushed over to the girl who got in my face and helped her out of the hall, probably to see the doctor. "I thought you weren't coming to the institute." he whispered against my ear, sending an involuntary shudder throughout my entire body. 

"I wasn't." I responded; my voice breathy. 

"Kadzait." one of his companions growled from behind him. "I'm hungry." 

"Yeah, yeah Vilks." Kadzait waved off his companions' complaints. "Would you like to join us, Violet?" 

"You know my name?" I asked, confused. 

"Everyone knows your name." he simply shrugged. I looked around the room, seeing what he said was true and that I wasn't exactly welcome anywhere else. I nodded and followed the group over to an empty table at the far end, all eyes still glued to us until Kadzait let out a warning growl and then the feeling of being an animal in a zoo left me making me send him a small smile of gratitude.