The Dark Witch: The Nox Haven Series

Chapter 5: Tour Guides

Caddie's POV:

I stood in a corner to stay focused on the men and women standing in front of the mass of students. There were six of them, including my aunt. They stood rigidly with their hands by their sides and stoic expressions upon their faces. We were all waiting in the main entry room. The administrators' spoke to us from the staircase. They explained what they expected from us, which basically sounded like nothing short of perfection. They talked about the Code of Conduct, but nobody was listening anymore. It was sort of disappointing. When I thought about administrators from a magic school I immediately thought of Harry Potter. My school advisors looked like ordinary people; they were all dressed up in suits or well-tailored dresses. Maybe this is why no one had discovered that witches existed; they looked like everyone else.

The other students were too busy checking each other out, to pay attention to the speeches. Most them were grinning at their old friends, others mouthing their greetings. I shrank further back as a few judgmental stares meant mine. I felt like a sore thumb. It was silly because I was supposed to feel more comfortable here, and yet I was still different.

I was new to all of this and I didn't have the first clue how to preform a séance or whatever witches did. I was also dressed like a homeless 13-year-old boy. It wasn't a secret that I was an outsider in this group of super hot, stylish teens, who had both the power and money to run their own country.

I tried not to stare at the boys who were tossing fireballs back and forth, or at the group of girls who had wings. The fairies were breathtaking the girls had light pink skin that sparkled in the sunlight whereas as the boys' skin had bluish undertones. Both genders had magnificent wings and each person had a different set of wings; like a snowflake. The werewolves were not as noticeable as the fairies, they looked rough and rugged but still incredibly attractive. Their eyes were golden and excessive amounts of hair barely resembled their true forms. Even the witches and warlocks didn't look human, their beauty exceeded all natural laws.

How was I so oblivious to this when I first arrived?

Our advisers split us up into groups and a few of the upperclassman disbanded from their social circles to lead the tour. We walked through one of the marble archways into a large hallway lined with historical artifacts. I felt Alix's vivacious energy before she bounded next to me.

"Well that was boring," she said.

I glanced back to see if any of the advisers had heard her, but they weren't looking at her. They were staring at me. I quickly turned back around and agreed with her. A boy with dirty blonde hair and a baby face stepped in front of us. He was lean, and on the shorter side but had a kind look in his hazel eyes.

A group of witches and warlocks banded together as he led us out of the crowded room. As freshmen, we were entitled to a proper tour around the colossal castle so we didn't get lost. The other students disbanded shortly after the meeting and carried on with their daily activities. My mouth hung wide open as I studied the beautiful architecture. Long , pale marble floors marked an endless path before us. Colorful rays of light bounced off of the baroque crystal chandeliers, that hung off of the high ceilings.

"I'm sure most of you weren't listening to the Advisers because let's be honest, those old fossils can barely stay awake during their own speeches," he joked as we ventured further into the castle. A few people chuckled at his light joke whereas others, like me, marveled at the castle's beauty. Alix watched me with an amused look on her face.

"I'm Keagan Whitley. If any of you are sports fans you may know me from the elemental games. If not you now know me as your new best friend for the day," he said to the group, with a friendly smile plastered on his face."Nox Haven was created to be a sanctuary for witches during the Salem Witch trials. Once the trials ceased to exist, the witches returned to society, hiding in plain sight. They created secret societies and sent their kin to Nox Haven, where the teenagers would learn how to use their powers in secrecy."

He led us down one of the hallways, pointing out that every piece of architecture was magically built. Every painting told a true story. Every sculpture was an actual person. My eyes lingered on the beautiful, sad-faced women who were nothing but stone now. I focused on the name Sarah Good, I had learned about her in History class. She was one of the first witches to be convicted in the Salem Witch Trials.

"This is The Hall of Memories, some of the best witches and warlocks have been memorialized here. A lot of the people you see in either the paintings or sculptures either contributed to our society or they had carried out heroic deeds," he informed us as we passed by the dimly lit hallway. As we passed through my eye caught a group of six, massive golden statutes.

"Who are they?" I timidly asked Keagan. He stopped the tour group and followed my path of sight to the statues. An amused smile lit up his features as he stood in front the platform.

"These amazing statues are of the first royals, but of course, everyone knows that." He said looking at me curiously before returning to the tour. Not everyone, I grumbled in my head. I peeked quickly at the receding statues as thousands of new questions swirled in my head. He led us into the main part of the school, instead of keeping that timeless fairytale look the halls of the castle were now decorated with lockers and water fountains. I looked up and saw the many levels of classrooms and staircases. That's going to be fun to climb, I mused.

"By the 1700s, the witches discovered that their sons held magical value, and warlocks were accepted into Nox Haven. And I'm glad they did, or I would have been homeschooled and stuck at home with my grandma who smells like rancid ham."

We all chuckled at the image but the poor kid was truly terrified of that ever happening. Keagan gave us a feeble smile before getting back to the tour. I continued to look around idly until I noticed five pairs of eyes staring intently at me from the second floor. Two beautifully blue eyes gazed upon me with so much intensity I thought I was going to pass out. I quickly stepped away from my tour group and made my way through the halls. No one noticed my absence, luckily. With that, I snuck off to find Heidi. I found myself walking down an unfamiliar dimly lit hallway that smelt faintly like wet dog. At the end, there was a rickety staircase and the dank smell grew stronger.

"I wouldn't go down there if I were you," a raspy voice growled behind me.

I spun around and looked into a pair golden slit eyes. He was a rugged boy, with tanned skin and dark hair. His expression was dark as well, and his eyes narrowed the longer I stared at him.

"What's down there," I said, inwardly praising myself on not stuttering.

He cocked his head to the side, "Exactly what it smells like. You shouldn't have left your group, little witch. You're too vulnerable to be left alone."

He took a step closer and flared his nostrils as if he were breathing in my scent. Then, he stepped away and his pupils returned to normal. He seemed to get smaller and less animalistic.

"I'm sorry," he said, with a hint of a smile, "Sometimes I'm such a dog."

I noticed his feral emotions had disappeared. It wasn't like standing by a wolf. In fact, he felt as sheepish as he looked.

"How about I return you to your tour group?" he said.

I shook my head. "No, I don't want a tour."

He disagreed, "You may not want one, but you need it."

I rolled my eyes. "What's down those stairs that you don't want me to see?"

He looked behind me. "Something dangerous."

I raised an eyebrow. "More dangerous than you? You just had cat eyes a second ago.

He gave me a sly smile and said. "Honey, you don't know danger if that is all that scares you. How about I give you my own personal tour?"

He held out his arm. It was an uncommon gesture and put me off for a moment. But there was something mysterious about this rugged stranger. And I've always been a fan of Nancy Drew.

**Sorry for the grammar or spelling errors, I'll try to go back and fix them. But please tell me what you think of the story so far, be honest. This Chapter is dedicated to a great friend and reader. I really have to thank her for following the book :)**