Void(28)

A full waitstaff worked the long tables, serving five-star dishes to a student body that, for the most part, had separated themselves by breed. I could tell as soon as I walked inside for breakfast the next morning, with Render at my side, that they all stuck with their own kind.

The vampires were the easiest to spot because they were the most perfect looking. Smooth, pale skin and movements that were either too slow or way too fast. They had an ancient air about them, even though none of them were older than twenty. They spoke quieter because they could hear better, and every once in a while, I caught a glimpse of their fangs when they spoke or raised a glass to their lips. But the dead giveaway? It was the fact that their tables were completely empty of food. All they had before them were crystal pitchers of thick, red blood.

The shifters were on the opposite end, and if vampires exuded a deathlike stillness, then the shifters embodied the opposite. They were loud, rambunctious, and had so much food piled around them that I was shocked the table could hold all the weight. Most of them had long hair, even the males, but unless they shifted partially to reveal canines and claws, they looked mostly human. Except for their eyes. If you caught them in the right light, they flashed luminescent, like a cat in the dark.

The elementals had their own tables, all full, with way more people than the other two combined. Elemental magic was common but strong. Most could control a single element, like water, while some of the more powerful ones could call on two. Except for Quade Fucking Sandwood, who could control all four.

It was clear that the school was mostly run by elementals, just based on the sheer numbers. I could see it in the way they sat on top of the tables, lounged on their backs on the floor, and tossed around balls of fire or water like the dining hall was their own personal playground. None of the professors who sat before the huge stained glass windows gave the elementals a single glare. It was clear that this was the norm, and they were allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted.

But what caught my eye the most was the necromancer table. Table, as in, only one. Necromancers were rare. Not nearly as rare as Voids, but for every hundred elementals, there might be thirty vamps, twenty shifters, but only one necro. For that reason alone, I felt a strange sense of camaraderie toward them, even though that was stupid. They definitely didn’t feel camaraderie toward me. That became brutally clear when the group sneered at me as I passed by.

The necros looked human except for one glaringly obvious difference. They were all marked with the sign of death. Like a birthmark, necros developed a symbol on their necks when their powers manifested. It was as dark as a freshly inked tattoo, a single X left to mark their skin.

I was thankful as hell that my Void powers didn’t outwardly mark me like that. At least I’d stayed under the radar so far. Mostly. Students just shot me curious but uncaring looks, a few glares too, but nothing I couldn’t handle.

As soon as we got inside the cafeteria, Render had dumped me here to eat alone while he went to sit with the other vamps. Quade stayed away from me, too. And though I’d cast a few looks over to where he sat, not once had I seen him look back. But why would he? I was just the Void, sitting at a tiny table in the corner, and our moment near the cabin had meant nothing at all. Gritt, on the other hand, had no problem shooting me dark, loath-filled glares. I avoided his table completely.

It was clear that all three of them revelled in their paragon status at the school. They stayed at the heads of their sections, surrounded by supers that acted more like adoring fans. I couldn’t tell who the necro paragon was yet, but I remembered his voice from last night. Smooth. Nearly lyrical when he’d suggested that they sabotage me.

Still, I had to take this one day at a time. For now, the food was good, even if the company was nonexistent. I’d been mostly ignored throughout breakfast, which was fine by me. If I could, I’d try to stay under the radar until graduation. Of course, Headmaster Torne had other ideas.

“Attention students.”

His voice rang out like a clap, echoing off the walls. Hundreds of heads swiveled to attention, their voices dying down immediately. The headmaster stood at the teachers’ table, still in his suit, and cast a look over the hall. “It is my duty as your headmaster to inform you that we have a new student who has joined us today.”

“Of course you’re gonna fucking do this right now,” I mumbled into my cup, my heartbeat ratcheting up.

Despite his simple words, Headmaster Torne’s voice was already filled with contempt, and every single person here could hear it. Curious whispers broke out, and faces turned to look at me, the sore thumb who sat alone.

Headmaster Torne raised his hand and motioned toward me. “Devicka Cainson, the Void, has been assigned to Thibault Academy.”

The whispers instantly gave way to shouts. Shocked eyes zeroed in on me. Questions and arguments broke out. One girl a few feet away from me started to cry dramatically and moved to a table further away. They didn’t need any further explanation. My name was like a curse word in the super community. Everyone knew who I was.

I dug my fingers into my legs and pinched them as hard as I could as humiliation crashed over me.

“Quiet down,” Headmaster Torne called out. “As much as I disagree with the decision, the Void is here to stay. Precautions will be made to ensure your safety, but if at any point you feel threatened by Miss Cainson, you may alert your paragon or professor, and they will handle the problem immediately.”