Veiled

Chapter 1

“So, this is Stonewalk College,” Amanda muttered to herself.

Her classmates at Dent County High School had been sick with envy when she had been the only student accepted at the nearby campus. Looking around, she was reminded that she was no longer in high school. A black canvas backpack slung over one shoulder, an army duffle bag hanging from the other, the nineteen-year-old freshman stared at the admissions building.

Nine broad stone steps led to a deep portico paved in red-veined Missouri black flagstone. Soaring fluted columns supported wrought iron balconies on the second and third floors. Bay windows were spaced along the ground floor. A beautifully rendered stained glass window dominated the southern face of the edifice. Gray granite composed the exterior walls of the classic plantation mansion. The building looked dark, cold and uninviting.

Suppressing a shudder of apprehension, she trudged up the steps, stopping to stare at the intricately carved wooden doors.

Surrounded by all manner of real and imaginary flora and fauna, a darkly burnished crest spanned the center of the two doors. The shield was supported by a dragon on one side and a griffin on the other. The field was divided by an ornately embossed fleur de lis into four sections, each featuring a different animal: a bird, a fish, a wolf, and a lizard. Hash marks in seemingly random groupings and the letters of an unfamiliar alphabet were etched on the outer edge of the shield. Heavy circular wrought iron handles hung beneath the heraldic representation.

Awed, she subconsciously traced various elements with her right hand, drawn to the intricate details. She was so engrossed in exploring the imagery on one door that she did not notice the opposite one moving.

“Fantastic artistry,” a masculine voice commented with barely restrained amusement.

“Incredible. I have never seen anything like this,” Amanda answered automatically, completely focused on touching the elegantly carved wood.

“You should see the other side.” He laughed.

“There’s more?” she asked, reluctantly tearing her gaze from the lizard which seemed to grow warm as her fingers glided over the etched scales.

Piercing gold eyes set in a hawkish face fascinated her. A genial smile softened the otherwise aquiline feature. Abashedly she grinned.

“Hi, there,” he said blandly. “Want to see the other side?”

Amanda nodded numbly, then realized she was acting like a high school kid who had never participated in an adult conversation. Giving herself a sharp mental shake, she restarted her brain.

“I’m sorry for staring. You have amazing eyes,” she apologized lamely.

“Your eyes are pretty interesting, too. They change color independently?”

“I have always thought I was a freak because of it,” she admitted softly.

“I’m Cade MacDevlin. Welcome to Stonewalk,” he introduced himself, adroitly bypassing the awkward moment.

“Nice to meet you,” she replied, offering her hand. “Amanda Roumagere.” She thought she saw recognition and surprise flicker across his face as they shook.

“Come inside, Amanda. Just a warning: don’t look at the doors too long. You could stand here examining them forever. A freshman once stood in the same spot for five days straight, attempting to draw the doors in detail.”

“What happened?”

“He turned to stone and was placed in one of the gardens with the other statues,” Cade shrugged, teasing her.

“What?”

“He finally fell asleep and was carried to his dorm. He never came through these doors again.” His gold eyes danced with laughter even though his face was schooled to a serious mask. “Ready?”

Amanda pulled open the door she had been admiring. It swung easily on well-oiled hinges. Whatever was on the interior face of the door saw instantly forgotten as a riot of colors assaulted her eyes.

An antique gold and crystal chandelier twinkled brightly, casting rainbow refractions on every surface. Heavy woolen tapestries hung on the cream plaster walls. A myriad of colored marble laid in an intricate design comprised the floor. A grand staircase, wide enough to allow four people to walk abreast, climbed majestically to the second floor. The steps were graced with a royal blue runner, and the balustrades gleamed a rich mahogany, worn smooth by countless hands over many years.

Dizzied by the visual onslaught, Amanda convulsively closed her eyes, blindly reaching a trembling hand towards the nearest wall. A warm hand on her elbow led her to an emerald settee. Taking several deep breaths, she finally opened her eyes to find three people standing solicitously in front of her. Mortified, she blushed furiously.

“I’m okay,” she stammered, hoping they would go about their business.

“It is a bit overwhelming,” a dulcet voice purred.

Hip length raven hair fell straight from an oval face. Obsidian eyes glittered and thick lips moved with the mesmerizing sound. An iridescent peacock silk sari wrapped a voluptuous figure.

An angelic figure stood next to the buxom beauty. A white afro created a halo around dark chocolate skin. His eyes were the palest blue, almost white-on-white, making her wonder if he were blind. Laugh lines crinkled at the corners of his disconcerting eyes and perfectly straight teeth shone brightly from his ebony complexion when he smiled. Gossamer wings fully two feet taller than the giant rose, then disappeared, behind him.

“Trent Faeson, at your service, and this fetching lass is Tayla. Are ye well, Miss?” The deep bass voice rumbled from his thick chest.

“Nice to meet you,” Amanda replied faintly.

This is too much. Maybe I’m dreaming. Yeah. That’s it. I’m dreaming. Again. Still at home, in bed. Not at Stonewalk College. All just a dream, she reassured herself.

“No, you really are here,” laughed Tayla, her voice tinkling like a harp.

“Tayla,” Cade interrupted, “if you have Amanda well in hand, I will be on my way. Amanda, it was a pleasure. I am sure I will see you around.” Shaking Amanda’s hand, nodding to Trent, and blowing a kiss on Tayla’s cheek, he disappeared into one of the walls.

Amanda blinked, and realized his vanishing act was an optical illusion created by architecture. It reminded her of the movie Labyrinth, and she would not have been surprised if a worm started speaking to her. Smiling to herself, she turned back to her remaining attendants.

Trent claimed her hand, kissing her knuckles in an old-fashioned greeting. “Enchante,” he rumbled, causing her to blush deeply.

“Flirt,” Tayla mockingly accused. “Go on. Don’t you have a garden to tend, or a class to disrupt?” The dark haired beauty made shooing motions towards the charming gentleman.

“Until we meet again, fare thee well.” Trent half-bowed as he backed away, like he was leaving the presence of royalty. A bemused smile curved Tayla’s dusky rose lips.

“Come on, unless you want to be the star attraction for the next thirty minutes. The classes upstairs will be dismissing any minute, and you still need to get to admissions.” Not waiting for a response, she grabbed Amanda’s hand and pulled her towards the eastern corridor.

“Miss Victoria! I found our new student,” Tayla’s announced merrily as she ushered Amanda into the office.

“So I see,” responded a grating female voice. “Miss Ophidian, you may return to class. Miss Roumagere should be ready to be escorted around campus by four o’ clock.”

“See you at four,” Tayla beamed as she glided down the hall.

Miss Victoria appeared to be in her mid-sixties, with thinning blue-washed hair tightly curled against her scalp. Stern bloodless lips pursed and hard brown eyes peered over fold half-moon glasses perched on the end of her pert upturned nose. The admissions coordinator turned and retrieved a thin folder from a filing cabinet, opening it on the marble counter separating them.

“Application, ACT scores, SAT scores, National Merit Scholarship certificate, transcripts… Your major?” Her hard brown eyes snapped up from the papers she was shuffling.

“Clinical Psychology,” stammered Amanda.

“Interesting choice, Miss Roumagere. Let’s get you settled.” Miss Victoria began typing. Moments later, a piece of paper was slid across the counter.

“You are assigned to Othala House, room nine.” A map appeared almost magically. “Your dormitory is located on the eastern edge of the campus. The cafeteria, situated on the north side of this building, is open at all times. The library occupies the west wing of the first and second floors of the mansion. The third floor is staff housing only, and therefore restricted. Will you be pursuing a minor?”

“I hadn’t thought about it,’ Amanda confessed, intimidated by the information being rapidly hurled at her.

“Fine arts elective?”

“Theater?” she answered, blurting the first thing to come to mind.

“Of course.” Miss Victoria’s hands flew across the keyboard again and another print out joined the map and dormitory assignment. “Here is your class schedule. According to my records, most of your core classes have been satisfied. Between the Advance Placement high school courses, and the CLEP tests you took over the past summer, you have enough credits to begin as a sophomore. Congratulations.

“Orientation will be held in the theater on Thursday evening at seven o’clock. All new students are required to attend. The bookstore is located at the end of this hall. Your scholarship includes an allowance for books, labs, supplies, and additional fees, as well as your room and board.

“You can access your student portal from the website listed at the bottom of your class schedule. In December you will be able to pre-enroll for the spring semester. If you wish to add any web-based courses to your current schedule, or would like to defer a class to a later time, please inform me prior to the end of next week.

“If you have any questions, I will be happy to assist you. Welcome to Stonewalk, Miss Roumagere.”

Taking the final statement as dismissal, Amanda gathered the papers and her belongings, mumbled a hasty “thanks,” and left the admissions office. Miss Victoria watched the latest House Magere descendant leave, a speculative look on her face.

EREGaM ESuOH

The checkout counter was cluttered with textbooks and other supplies Amanda needed to start the semester. She consulted her class schedule once more, then darted down an aisle, attempting to find an elusive copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. The last book was hiding behind a line of drafting manuals, which was revealed when she bumped her head on the shelf above.

“Look out!” an alarmed German-accented voice called.

Absently rubbing her head, she blinked several times, finally registering two massive hands holding a stack of Ancient History textbooks above her head. Each tome was at least six inches thick.

“Sorry! Thank you!” she blurted, shocked. She had nearly bludgeoned herself to death with knowledge. Ruefully she looked up at her savior.

Ice blue eyes were framed by red-gold lashes under a closely cropped thatch of matching hair. A forked goatee, more gold than red, sported a scrimshaw bead on each tail. Chiseled muscles rippled under the plain white t-shirt as the books were replaced on their shelf.

“Looking for a new copy of Drafting II?” the Viking god asked.

“No, trying to find Shakespeare. I think I saw him behind this stack,” she quipped, blushing.

The entire pile was swept onto one thick forearm. “One copy left,” he agreed. Leaning closer, he lowered his voice. “He was a bawdy bard,” he intimated with a slow wink and an infectious grin.

Amanda clutched the volume to her chest, gawking as the living Thor returned the manuals to their place.

“Anything else I can help you with?” he rumbled.

“Uh-huh,” she answered, nodding, mesmerized by his glacial eyes.

“And that would be?” His sharp white teeth flashed as his grin stretched into a full smile.

Amanda blinked. Sharp? “Sorry, no. No, thanks. Thanks a lot!” she stammered. A frigid hand on her shoulder gently reversed her direction.

“Check out is this way,” he wryly informed her.

“Right. Thanks again, Mister…?”

“Nick, and you are?”

“Amanda Roumagere.” A subtle change in his expression had her wondering why her name seemed to result in recognition and surprise. She shrugged off the thought, blaming it on an exhausted imagination after an overwhelming first day.

“Here you go. Watch out for falling books in the future,” he admonished.

Amanda placed the textbook on the counter. She turned back to thank him again, but he was gone.

“Where did he go?” she asked the clerk, bewildered.

The guy shrugged and finished ringing up her purchases. A glance at the clock above the register motivated her to shove everything into her bulging backpack. Hoisting the duffle to her shoulder, she quickly retraced her steps. She was supposed to meet Tayla at four! As if summoned by the thought, the raven haired woman stepped out of a connecting hallway.

“Hungry?” Tayla asked knowingly.

“Famished!”

“This cafeteria is one of the best in the collegiate world. Whatever you are craving, they have, or will whip up for you,” Amanda’s guide expounded as they wove through a mass of students.

In the dining hall, they filled their trays, collected their drinks, and then sat at a corner table so Tayla could point out people and groups. Amend noticed Nick sitting alone in a shadowed corner with an unlabeled tomato juice.

“What is Nick’s story?” Amanda finally asked as nonchalantly as possible when her vocal escort paused in her monologue to take a drink.

Tayla choked. “Nick?” she sputtered. “As in Nick von Lief? Viking godling in the flesh?” she demanded incredulously.

Amanda shrugged, trying to seem indifferent, but was unable to tear her eyes from him.

“Where did you meet him?” her companion asked suspiciously.

“He rescued me from death by Ancient History in the bookstore,” Amanda admitted, embarrassed.

“Uh-huh. Watch out for him; he bites.” Tayla started laughing, her voice like twittering birds.

Not understanding the joke, Amanda shook her head and picked up her tray.

“Done? Come on. Let’s get to the dorm before it gets dark. Never know when a wolf might come out of the woods and attack you.” Tayla laughed at herself again.

Confused, Amanda shouldered her belongings and followed the young woman into the fading sunlight.