The Institute

Chapter two - A little White Lie

I woke up the next morning, my head banging from the alcohol of the night before, not helped by the literal pounding on my bedroom door. f*****g witches. I groaned as I pushed out of bed and open the door to see a man and a woman. The man had a smart suit on, his hair gelled to perfection whereas the woman was wearing a smart skirt and blouse, paired with shiny black stiletto heels. Her hair was hung in loose waves and her makeup was flawless. "You know, I prefer the human way of asking to see someone by knocking on their front door, not just teleporting into their apartment at the crack of dawn." I sighed as I rub my temple. 

"You knew that we would be coming." the woman stated with a raised brow. 

"You know it was my birthday yesterday, and you expected me to be up at…" I turned around to look at the neon numbers on my alarm clock. "5:30! You guys have to be kidding me." 

"You are expected in the council chamber at six." The man announced, not looking too pleased at the way my face scrunched up in disgust at the mention of the council even more than the fact that they had woken me at such an ungodly hour. 

"Well, I am going to at least have a shower then. Don't touch anything." I order as I grab a towel, some clean underwear, a pair of skinny jeans and a tank top as well as my new hoodie and shuffle to the bathroom. My apartment is not the best and with the low water pressure and my hung-over state, it takes a good 20 minutes for me to get ready. I walk back out to the two intruders routing through my kitchen cupboards. "What part of don't touch anything did you two not understand?" I sighed with exasperation. 

"You have some ingredients in here that could be used for witchcraft. Have you been practicing?" the woman asks as she holds a small jaw of dried mixed herbs. 

"I've been cooking." I hissed as I grabbed the jar and plonked it back on the counter, not mentioning the practical onslaught of magical goodies hidden in my bedroom. "Are we going or what?" 

The man looked me up and down, his expression one of displeasure again. "You are going in front of the council like that?" he asked, taking in my casual attire. 

"Not like I am welcome no matter what I wear and some of us, have to work for a living." I spat back, hating being judged by this ass hole. What I said was true though, I could be dressed like miss prim and proper over here and I would still be looked down on like the s**t on their shoe. 

He went to argue back again, but his partner just shook her head as if telling him not to bother. It was the same every year, they would send two judgemental pricks to my home, putting me on edge before I even stepped foot into the council chambers. I swear they do it on purpose, liking to see how far they can bend me before I break. Well, there was no way I was going to use what little I had learned on these two. I knew that the consequences of showing that I had been teaching myself magic would not be worth the momentary pleasure I would receive from seeing them sprawled on the floor. 

To be honest, I had done more than a little dabbling. I learned little tricks that made life so much easier such as teleporting, telekinesis and even being able to style my hair to perfection with my mind. I liked to think I was like Matilda, making things fly around my living room with joy. I mean we both had our share of shitty childhoods and although mine was definitely more of a solitary experience. I didn't have flash backs of people shouting in my face, just of the loneliness I felt day in day out before I met Matthew, Katie and my other friends. 

I would however, not be styling my hair for the council and instead pulled the still damp stranding back into a pony tail before looking at my two uninvited guests expectantly. "Aren't you going to pack? You will likely not be back here." The guy asked me like you would ask a child if they needed to use the toilet before a long car journey. 

"Call me an optimist but I am hoping I won't be going to the academy of douches." I mutter, crossing my arms defensively. 

"All of us go to the institute when we turn twenty-one." the woman scoffed rolling her eyes. 

"Well, I'm different." I smirk, hoping that my instincts were right and that Mirovi and Liona would rather walk over hot coals than see me go to their precious institute. 

Obviously tired of fighting with me and with time running out, they just moved to either side of me and within a blink of an eye we were in the waiting room of the council chambers. Although it resided on the magical plane, it felt like the waiting room of any earthbound office building, except for the range of creatures that sat in various seats around the room. There was a vampire, their human companion with a collar around their neck sat beside her. The two looked at each other lovingly, obvious that the two were petitioning to have her turn him. To keep us hidden stop from people being turned into vampires left and right, vampires now had to request before turning another. It made sense don't get me wrong, but I hated seeing how humans were treated here. 

Whenever a human came to the magical plane, they were tethered to the supernatural that they belonged to. Before this rule, humans used to be taken and fed upon at will, causing arguments and fighting that needed to be cleaned up. I understood the rule and its place, but I couldn't help but think of Matthew and how I would have to shackle him to me if he was to ever venture here. 

There was an ogre, who smelt of dirt and filth, shooting evil glances at a fairy who sat with his clothes dishevelled across the room from where I stood, the two obviously here to settle a discourse of some type. And finally, an angel, looking as serene as ever, flicking through their phone. Usually, people didn't get a signal here, given we were on an entirely different plane of existence, but angels always managed to get exactly what they wanted when they needed it. Some mused that the angels were our craters favourite children, blessing them above all others. 

I took a seat, my two bodyguards sitting either side of me when there was another puff of air in front of us and a young muscular male, wearing a pair of tight jeans and a tight black t-shirt appeared, a tattoo peeping out of the sleeve at the top of his arm on his chocolatey skin. He had short dishevelled brown hair and a smooth jaw that had sharp defined lines. His eyes landed on me, the dark pools of black that stared back at me told me without having to sense any further that he was a werewolf. I quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed to have been caught staring. I heard an abused huff as the guy walked over to a seat, a man who seemed like his father following close by as their witchy transport puffed back out of the room. 

I continued to stare forward, not wanting to give in to the urge within me to turn my head. I felt eyes burning into my skin and I felt like I was about to catch fire when the door to the council chambers opened. A stout man with glasses flipped through a stack of pages before stuttering out "V-Violet.". 

Oh yeah, my parents would not want me sitting around too long, God knows what havoc I would cause by being in such close proximity to other supernatural beings. My bodyguards stood as I sighed and followed their lead, feeling even more eyes of annoyance on me for seemingly jumping the queue to be seen by the council. A part of me was actually happy to not have been kept waiting as my eyes travelled to the young werewolf, a satisfied smirk at knowing that I had noticed his eyes on me was on his handsome face as I walked through the door into the chambers. 

The room was set up like an old court room, the thought of these powerful creatures watching too much day time TV almost made me smile. As always, Liona was sat on one of the many benches that lined the walk way up to a podium that faced a high risen bench behind which the council sat. My eyes automatically went to Mirovi and I was not disappointed by the blank stare I received in return. Good old dad. 

I walked up to the podium, my witch companions taking a seat in the front row to listen intently to our meeting. Anyone could attend any of the council's appointments, as part of their open book policy, but I only ever had Liona and whoever was unlucky enough to be my chaperone for the day. I was always surprised that more people didn't want to stare at the freak 'half breed', thinking of all the hobbies that humans have like train spotting, surely this would be like prime-time entertainment for them. 

"Violet." the angel council member began, their voice calm and serene. "It has been a year since you last came before us. At this time, many of our members' voiced worry that you would be a risk to our secret and humans to let you go for another year. However, this has not been the case." 

"No sir." I replied respectfully. 

"In fact, you have been a model citizen. There have been zero reports of suspicious activity in the areas where you live and work and you have demonstrated extreme restraint on using your powers." 

I smiled at his words, that meat they had no clue about my extracurricular magical usage. I was always careful, but it was good to know that not one hint of it was picked up by this band of idiots. "You turned twenty-one last night, correct?" the witch member asked, to which I nodded affirmatively. "Have you fed yet?" 

"No madam." I replied, not missing the curtness in her tone. Witches historically did not like nosferatu, seeing them as worse than vampires, descendants of their witch brethren that had turned their backs on their roots to the beauty of nature and bastardising it to their own needs. 

Me being a hybrid of the two much really ruffle this b***h's knickers as she sneers at me from her superior perch. "It will only be a matter of time until she will need to feed. She may have proved us wrong by staying in control for the past twelve months, but now she is an even bigger risk." The witch continued as if I could not hear her words. 

"Agreed." their fairy counterpart stated. "She is unique, the only one of her kind. She should be sent to the institute at once. Her twenty first birthday has come and gone, there is no reason to delay it any longer." 

"I disagree." Mirovi finally chimed in. Here we go. "Have you gained your nosferatu gift yet?" Nosferatu vampires generally have a special magical ability, a sort of left-over whisper of the powers they once had. 

"No." I respond curtly, not bothering with any pleasantries this time. 

My slyness was not unnoticed, as I watched the firm line of Mirovi's mouth pull into a look of disdain. "She may not even have any magical abilities at all. She may be inert." It was rare, but two supernatural beings could birth a human child. It was not usually found out until their coming of age, which varied depending on the species. In these cases, they were usually sent to live amongst humans with their memories altered to believe that they had lived a completely different life. 

I could not contradict his words without confessing to my illegal magical usage. "That is a good point." the werewolf council member who had so far remained silent spoke up. "I do not see the point in wasting a perfectly good spot at the institute on someone with no magical aptitude at all." 

"Have you used any magic at all Violet?" the witch asked, a brow raised in challenge. 

I wanted to scream that I had, that I was not a weak human for them to push around. But I didn't. Instead, I just shook my head, afraid my voice would give away my disseat. "Well, in that case I move that Violet be sent back to the humans to live out the rest of her life." Mirovi announces. 

"I would still like a close watch to be kept on her. If it turns out that she later develops abilities it would be good to extract her quickly." the witch council member voices, the others nodding their agreement. 

"It is decided then. Violet, you will return to the human world and reside there until your death or, by some miracle, you develop some supernatural abilities." Mirovi announced the council's judgement, banging his gavel on the wooden stand before him. 

I turned around, fighting the smile that wanted to break out on my face. I cannot believe that worked. I cannot believe that they are not taking me away to that horrid place. My eyes travelled to Liona, who sat stoically staring forward, not even bothering to look at her only child as she walked out of her life forever. Well screw her, I don't need her. 

My two guards walked close behind me silently as we re-entered the waiting room. I turned back to them and gave them a 'told you so' look. "I don't know why you are so happy about not going to the institute." the man scoffed. 

"You wouldn't. You grew up amongst your witchy family and witchy friends and were brought up to believe it the big be all and end all. I see it for what it is, a trap, a prison of your own creating meant to pigeon hole you all without even knowing it." I spat back with a mocking tone. 

"I thought you were Mirovi's daughter." the woman said with a confused expression. 

"In the fact that it was his sperm that found an egg to create me, yes, not in any other familial sense." I sighed. "Can I go home now? I need to celebrate." And get as far away from these idiots as humanly possible. 

The two guards looked to each other with a shrug, I could teleport myself but there was no way I was going to blow my cover when I was so close to getting off Scot free. I turned around, my eyes landing once more on the werewolf that was now looking at me curiously, having listened in to our conversation. I didn't have to deliberate long on what he was thinking though, as in the blink of an eye I was back in my apartment. "The council will be monitoring you." the man reiterated, giving me a warning glare before him and his female sidekick blinked out of my room. 

I fist pumped the air, amazed I had got away with it, I had managed to deceive the entire council that I had no abilities at all and got to continue with my life as it was. In true Matilda style, I jumped on my small coffee table, sending the empty beer bottles that were still on it from the night before scattering across the room as I turned on some music and danced while making small trinkets circle around the room.