of classes we will have,” I said.
“You’ll be in magic classes while we are in fighting classes, most likely,” Tom said.
Nick nodded. “Sounds right.”
“It’s going to be weird to be taught by spirits,” I said.
“Weird or spooky?” Gary asked and wiggled his fingers at me.
Our foursome wandered around the campus and sadly didn’t find anything interesting.
Though, the guys did geek out over the workout equipment and gym.
As we headed back towards our rooms, all three guys suddenly tensed.
Gary pushed me behind him, Nick stepped up close to my back, and Tom pressed close to my side.
“Oh? There are others here,” an unfamiliar male voice said.
Footsteps approached.
“I’m Sean,” the new person said.
“Gary,” he said and shifted his body slightly to the side as he held out his hand.
I stepped around Gary and then froze. The guy before me was well over six and a half feet tall, built like a linebacker, and had mesmerizing teal eyes.
He smiled. “You must be the witch.”
“Sarah,” I said.
He bowed. “It’s an honor to meet you, Sarah. I’m Sean.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said. “This is Tom and Nick,” I said and pointed at each in turn.
“You must be her temporary Guardians the Triune told us about,” Sean said, smiling.
Temporary? Ugh. I didn’t like that word.
“Us?” I asked.
He nodded. “There were six others when I arrived.”
Panic speared through me. How many were coming? How would I choose?
I didn’t want to choose.
Nick tugged me down the hallway without a word to anyone else and shut my door once we reached my room. “Breathe, Sarah,” he whispered.
I sat on my bed and put my head in my hands.
“Crazy. Too much,” I whispered.
“I’m here,” he whispered. “It will be okay.”
Would it, though?
The next morning, Nick, Tom, and Gary walked with me to the dining room, their presence a reassurance, but not calming.
When we stepped into the room, over a dozen sets of eyes turned to look at us.
Instantly, I turned to leave, but Gary draped his arm over my shoulders and steered me towards an empty table.
“You need to eat,” he whispered in my ear. “Ignore them and eat.”
Feeling so many predatory eyes on me shouldn’t have unnerved me, since I had lived with the pack.
Maybe it was different because I didn’t know these predators.
I ate a few bites of food, but the anxiety was too strong and soured my stomach.
“Attention,” the maiden called from the front of the dining hall.
The room silenced as everyone turned to her.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice. As you know, we finally found the last witch. You are all here to train to become Guardians. In the end, she will choose the Guardians best able to protect her, which does not just mean being the best fighter,” she said. She looked at me. “Sarah, please come up here.”
Nick squeezed my knee as I stood.
Keeping my eyes down, I walked up the long aisle until I stood before the maiden. I adjusted the skirt on my school uniform and wished for the hundredth time that we didn’t have to wear uniforms.
She used her magic to turn me around to face the dining hall and even forced my chin up so I had to look at them all.
I looked out over those gathered and was surprised at the diversity among them. Werewolves, Dhampir, and Fae males were mixed together. And, more entered the room still.
“This is Sarah, our last witch, our last hope. If something happens on school grounds, I expect you all to protect her. You are all Guardians and even if you aren’t chosen by her, you may be chosen later, should her chosen die. Or, if her children inherit power.”
My children? Oh, boy.
“Understood?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” all of the gathered boys said.
When she finally released me, I counted twenty guys.
“Your first class is in the garden,” she told me as she floated by.
Nick pushed his way through the mass of approaching guys, tucked me under his arm, and then Gary and Tom made a path for us to escape.
Many of the guys grumbled or made rude comments about Nick, but he ignored them as he rushed me outside.
Once in the sun, I took a deep breath and then sagged against him.
“The Dhampir and Fae will be a problem,” Tom whispered to Gary. “Either could charm her.”
“You can mark her, right?” Nick asked. “So no other guy can charm her?”
“Yes, but I thought you’d be against that,” Tom said.
“At home, yes, but here, no,” Nick said.
“Sarah?” Tom asked.
“Sure,” I said, still