Dark Night: Episode 2 (The Darkest Nights Series) (2 page)

The trip was only a few hours. I was listening to music most of the time, at one point Robert got irritated for some reason and went to sit somewhere else. After that I had ate and gone to the restroom.

We were now arriving and when the plane stopped, I looked outside and saw how beautiful Florida really was. The city seemed familiar but I didn't recognize it. The lights at night were incredible though.

I got up following Robert out, who I didn't say a word to. Once we were off the plane I noticed there was a black Escalade and two men dressed in suits with their black sunglasses –
so Man in Black – I
thought.

I hadn’t noticed that Robert was carrying my luggage but I didn't want to have another confrontation with him so I didn’t say anything.

"Good evening." The two men said at the same time and opened the door for us, then climbed in the SUV as Robert put the luggage in the trunk. He got in and sat beside me again.

I figured since I was going to have to deal with him then I was going to have to ask him questions.

"Where are we?" I knew he heard me without looking at him. While I waited patiently for his reply, I took in the interior of the SUV. Inside it was all dark of course but the black leather made it darker. Classic music played lightly while the driver and the other guy that had led us to the SUV spoke in another language to each other. I wondered if they were talking about us but Robert interrupted my thoughts.

"Tallahassee." He finally replied. That’s when it clicked, I had been there before but that was a long time ago with my parents. When my dad had to go for his job, he was a hard worker but also a great father. My parents were always together and agreed on most things. Even when I misbehaved, one never really took my side over the other. They were really the perfect parents, to me at least.

"Where are we going now?" I asked while I was still reminiscing on the days when I used to have a family. My mother was an English teacher and the best. When I had trouble with my homework she always found time to help me, and I always had an A in English. My dad was an engineer, he was out of town a lot towards the end before the incident, but not alone.

Both of my parents would leave together when he had a job out of town, while I stayed with my then, best friend Annie. The one time I had gone to Tallahassee was when I had just turned fourteen and my parents insisted on me going with them. They had said it would be a nice mini vacation for me because I never really left Jacksonville. They were right, it was. We spent a couple of days there while my dad worked a little. My mom and I had gone shopping and to spas. It was the most relaxing time.

Tonight, I was missing it all.

"The Dark Night Institute." He answered.

"I’ve never heard of it." I looked at him this time and he was already staring at me with a weird expression on his face, until he spoke again but looked out his window.

"That would be because it's new."

"Institute? Not a high school?" I realized after a few minutes the difference. "Sounds like an insane asylum." It really did.

"Not high school. We combined High school with college, it may seem odd to you but they are trying to encourage students to do six years of high school and college together. And it’s
not
an insane asylum." He made sure to emphasize that it wasn’t.

"That's different." The city lights were shining brilliantly as cars drove past us to their destinations while I could only imagine the place I was being taken to.

"Yes." He agreed.

After that we were silent for about twenty minutes before Robert spoke.

"Ah, here we are." He pointed outside my window, what I saw was__ Wow! It was a castle but it was also a school.  I could tell it was full of students and people. Or more like I sensed it was.

The driver didn't park, but he stopped in front of the huge entrance. Robert opened the door and I followed. He then got the luggage and said something to the men that stayed in the SUV.

We walked into the school and it was just as impressive inside.

"Are all the schools like this?

"
Institutes
, yes they are." He corrected me again but I just ignored it.

The walls were a golden color and there were no real lights just many,
many
lanterns. The lanterns were very old fashioned but also modern with hardwood floors all the way to the end. The hall was large and the ceiling was about fourteen feet high. They had gone with a chapel look. We walked through the first door on the right without knocking.

Hanging from the ceiling was a chandelier that looked like it was made from white gold. We were in a waiting area. Robert told me to sit down and he left the luggage with me while he went to talk to a lady that was sitting at a desk on the other side of the room. I waited patiently but it was taking him a while.

"Marissa Italy Annelisse Dawney, we have been waiting for you!" The enthusiastic voice came from a lady that was walking towards me.

I stood up as she approached, followed by Robert. "I'm sorry. I don’t think I know you." I was trying to be nice but it was strange how she knew my name and they also knew my clothes sizes, what kind of music I liked and almost everything.

Seriously?

"No, you don’t. But I know you my Mia." She smiled.

I shook her hand and felt how cold she was. Her long white hair was shiny and pretty. She wasn't old but she wasn't my age either. I guessed about fifty but there were no wrinkles. Her hair was platinum white.

"Nice to meet you," I said as I observed her. She wore a formal outfit, something you'd expect a business person to wear. There was something about hers though, that made her look elegant and flawless.

"As it is to see you. Come, we have much to discuss." Robert and I walked side by side as we followed her.

We went through a door that led to another long hall-way. Finally at the end there was another door we went through.

It was her office, or I should say her home. At the entrance there was an office, but beyond that I could see the staircase which led upstairs and I imagined it was where she stayed, her home. It was weird how it was all connected.

"You may sit. You too Robert,” she sat down. "Where shall we start?" She thought for a second. "Of Course, I was so intrigued by all of this that I forgot to introduce myself. I am Goddess Illyanne. I am not a vampire, but I am a goddess, one of the first of our kind. A Goddess in this world has a whole different meaning than what you were taught to believe before. We are the protectors, and guardians for you. I won’t tell you how you become one at this time it is irrelevant. But you do need to know that one is assigned to each group.

A group is you for example, Robert, a roommate plus one or two Gods or goddesses, if you don't have a roommate than there is only three that are part of the group, in this case you, Robert and your assigned Goddess or God. Oh, also if he has not graduated then he will probably have one too which, Robert does and because he's a Lord he has two. I am one and God Frederick is the other, if you need anything they will also be available to you. Let me see," She looked through some papers. "Yes. Your Goddess is Isabelle, she__"

"I already met her." I said without thinking. Illyanne just raised her eyebrows at me and glanced at Robert who was sitting beside me listening quietly.

"Don't interrupt her." Robert said, not looking at me.

"That is something you must teach her, among other things. As I was saying, yes you have met her. She will join us Sunday morning.  Did you know she has not had a student in a while? Well she is one of the best. In a way we are also counselors to you, like I said we are here to help twenty-four seven. Now moving on," She paused and looked at some more papers that sat in her large desk.

I thought that she had a huge room for an office and so little in it. Her "office" consisted of a large dark wooded desk, some papers sitting in front of her, a laptop that was closed, a large painting that I couldn't tell what it was and a lamp that was the only other light lighting the room beside the lantern that was behind Illyanne and the chairs we were sitting on.

"Here is your class schedule. We are on a daytime schedule, same as humans. We are surrounded by them, and so our time must remain the same to have some equality. You could say we compromised on some things. The night is our favorite time, but light does not bother us. However, the heat can. It will not harm you unless is over one hundred degrees. Now for the Rules," She handed me a packet.

"They are fairly simple but the most important rule of all is to have respect for your Elders at all times. Our dress code is not a big issue, we wear our uniforms from Sunday - Thursday__ Oh, I almost forgot. Our week starts Sundays, and it ends Thursdays. Most of the other time if you are involved in other curriculum activities; you have other clothing you can wear. Other than that, most afternoons and weekends you may wear almost anything. Just do not walk around in your bikini or anything even remotely close to that." She paused. "You may leave campus during the weekends, of course if you need to go somewhere during the week you need to ask for permission. Slips are in the front office."

She stopped talking for a second, when she noticed my necklace, "Virgo? That zodiac is uncommon but we do still have classes for that sign. Not many students have it that is why we combine it with Libra since it is the closest. We go by the book technically since I am a Goddess, I need to represent a sign. That is why when students are picked we base it on their birth and that is how it is." I nodded. “It is fairly simple you will understand as time goes by. Robert will explain to you anything you have questions on once you get some rest. You do look very tired. One last thing that I almost forgot, sometimes boys and girls share rooms. Separate beds of course but our dorms were not built separately and we have about the same amount of boys as we do girls. We trust our students and so far nothing
bad
has happened. I am telling you this so that you understand us better. Robert will probably need to share a dorm room with you for a while." She looked at Robert. "I am sorry Robert but we had to give your room to someone else. You were gone a while. Perhaps you can share a room with your charge? Will it be a problem?"

"Of course not, Goddess. We can share." He didn't smile. I knew how he was feeling just like I was,
very
unhappy.

"Then you may go, everything is ready for you both. Enjoy your stay at the Dark Night Institute, Miss. Dawney." The ancient but beautiful lady said, as she winked at me and made me feel awkward.

I nodded and we walked out of the room but didn't say a word until we were at the main office.

"Where's my stuff?" I noticed my things were gone.

"It's already been taken care of." The lady said, behind her desk.

"Oh," was all I said.

Illyanne had given the room key to Robert. I hoped he wouldn't lose it. As I followed him, we walked in silence. We were on the main hall that led to many rooms. Suddenly we turned and through another hall we went. Then we circled around a wall where there was a staircase. Lanterns throughout the castle or "institute" were very nice fixtures, but unnecessary ones if you asked me.

I noticed the brighter lights coming from chandeliers all throughout the hall. We went up and walked down another hall-way. They all looked the same. I took notes mentally otherwise I would definitely get lost. There were only a few doors but we went through none and just kept walking straight ahead. Then suddenly he took me through a narrow hall that had no doors. That’s when I saw the big door. It was at the very end, because it was the only room in this small and narrow hall it almost blended in with the wall.

He slid the key-card and the door opened. We went in, and both our mouths fell open.

"My room was not even this nice." I detected some annoyance in Robert’s voice as he said this.

The room was like our own private apartment. It had a living room area which both beds faced. A very big plasma TV, a mini kitchen that included a microwave oven, mini fridge and a plug in stove top, coffee/cappuccino machine that were all sitting on a counter. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling similar to the one in the office.

I kept looking around and noticed both queen sized beds made. One with dark colors and another with bright girly colors so I knew immediately that was my bed. Going to the armoire next to it, I opened it and saw all the clothes that were hanging neatly on matching hangers. My neat freakiness wasn’t even that bad. There were more shoes and more space to put more shoes on, which I had.

Closing it I saw a door a little further to my side, and opened it, flipped the switch to turn the light on and to my surprise it was a bathroom. My own bathroom because it was girly as well so I hoped Robert had his own too cause I wasn't sharing mine. Then I opened another door and it was a walk-in closet that had even more clothes. Wow. I wondered how often they bought clothes for their students.

I saw my luggage sitting on the floor and went to it and automatically started putting things up. Forgetting Robert, I focused on unpacking. Once finished I started to walk out of the restroom when my reflection in the mirror caught my attention.