The Ashford University
"Remember what we talked about."
Margaret sat across from Lucian in the limousine. The city scrolled past the windows. She had her hands folded on her lap.
"I'll handle some of your combat training. You'll also take normal classes and learn about the Veil World here. It'll look like a regular university on the outside. But underneath all that is the Ashford Keep. The hunters' academy. Everything and everyone you need will be available to you and your team."
Lucian frowned.
"Team?"
No one had mentioned a team before.
"Why do I need a team?"
Margaret sighed like she had explained this a hundred times.
"Teams are assigned randomly each year. Prime Humans don't awaken in large numbers. Some years, only two. Some years, six. This year, we got five. The Ashen Guard decided a long time ago that putting them together as teammates works best. And nature has its own balance." She paused. "If only two people awaken in a year, they're usually monstrously strong. A five-man team? Each member is weaker individually. But together, they cover each other's gaps."
She picked up a tablet from the seat beside her and handed it to him.
"That's your team. Four other people. Every piece of information you need is on there. Backgrounds, abilities, psychological profiles. Read it on your own time."
Lucian took the tablet. Didn't open it yet.
Margaret continued.
"Every team has a leader. Now listen to me. I want you to lay low. Don't go fighting to be team leader."
Lucian smirked.
"Won't be bad having people listen to me."
Margaret stared at him for a moment. Then she sighed again.
"Do whatever you want. Just don't get yourself killed."
She leaned back.
"Everything is ready for you inside. Learn your cover story. You're a transfer student. The lost heir of the Vale family. Margie will be pissed, but she'll come around eventually."
Lucian nodded.
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"Take care of yourself. I'll be watching when I can. Make me proud."
Lucian kissed her cheek back.
"I will, Mom. I will."
He stepped out of the limousine.
The campus spread out in front of him. Students walked past with backpacks and coffee cups. No one looked twice at the black limo or the young man stepping out of it.
A man approached from the side. Tall. Broad shoulders. Clean-shaven. Dressed in a simple dark suit. He had already pulled Lucian's luggage out of the trunk.
"Sir."
Lucian recognized him. One of Margaret's personal security detail. A beastkin. Lower level, but loyal.
"Marcus, right?"
"Yes, sir." The man inclined his head. "I've been assigned as your personal bodyguard for the duration of your time at Ashford. Your mother insisted."
Lucian looked at the campus again.
"She doesn't trust me to stay out of trouble?"
Marcus's face didn't change.
"She trusts you completely, sir. She doesn't trust the world around you."
Fair enough.
Marcus picked up the luggage – two large duffel bags and a smaller backpack – as if they weighed nothing.
"Shall I walk you in, sir? I can also brief you on the university layout and the Keep's access points while we move."
Lucian nodded.
"Let's go."
They started walking. Marcus stayed half a step behind and to the right. His eyes moved constantly – not nervous, just aware. Watching every person who came within ten meters.
"Ashford University was founded two hundred and thirty years ago," Marcus began. His voice was low, meant only for Lucian. "The Ashen Keep was built beneath it about seventy years later. The original founders of the Keep were hunters who wanted a training ground disguised as a place of learning. Over time, the university grew around it."
Lucian looked at the buildings as they passed. Old brick. New glass. Ivy on the walls.
"How many people know about the Keep?"
"On campus? Approximately one hundred and fifty. That includes hunters, instructors, support staff, and the five Prime Humans from this year's batch. Every one of them has signed binding contracts with the Ashen Guard. Betrayal means execution."
Lucian didn't flinch.
"And the normal students?"
"They see nothing. The Keep's entrance is warded. Anyone without clearance who gets too close feels an overwhelming urge to turn around and go somewhere else. If someone somehow pushes through, memory wipes are standard procedure. It's happened three times in the last decade."
Marcus guided him around a group of students laughing on the sidewalk.
"Your dormitory is Westbrook Hall. Fourth floor. Your room is a single, but your team's rooms are on the same corridor. That's intentional. The Ashen Guard wants you close to each other."
Lucian frowned.
"Even outside training?"
"Especially outside training. Bonds formed in casual settings are often stronger than those formed in combat drills. Your mentor, Alistair Thorne, believes in this approach. He's had six rookie teams before yours."
Marcus stopped in front of a large stone building with ivy crawling up the sides. A brass plaque read Westbrook Hall.
"Here we are, sir."
He carried the bags up the steps and held the door open. Inside, the lobby was quiet. A few students sat on couches, staring at laptops. No one paid them any attention.
Marcus led him to the elevator. Pressed the button for the fourth floor.
"One more thing, sir."
Lucian looked at him.
"The Keep's entrance is in the basement of Memorial Hall. That's the large building with the clock tower, about a five-minute walk from here. You'll receive your access badge during your first orientation session tomorrow morning at eight. Don't lose it. Replacing it requires a week of paperwork and a personal interview with a Council member."
The elevator doors opened.
Marcus stepped out first, scanned the hallway, then nodded.
"Your room is 412. The doors to your left are your teammates' rooms. 411 is Cora Vance. 410 is Mason Cross. 409 is Sera Whitmore. 408 is Derek Holt."
Lucian stopped in front of 412.
"Any advice before I go in?"
Marcus considered the question for a moment.
"Stay observant. Trust slowly. And don't show all your cards at once. Your mother didn't tell me much about your ability, but she told me enough to know it's unusual."
He set the bags down inside the doorway.
"I'll be nearby, sir. Not in the dorm, but on campus. If you need me, use the emergency number programmed into your university phone. It rings directly to me."
Lucian nodded.
"Thanks, Marcus."
"Of course, sir."
The bodyguard turned and walked back toward the elevator. His footsteps were nearly silent on the carpet.
Lucian watched him go.
Then he stepped into his room and closed the door.
The room was small but comfortable. A bed. A desk. A closet. A window facing the campus green. Nothing fancy.
He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out the tablet Margaret had given him.
Time to learn about his new team.