Hours later, a different limo pulled up to Gemstone Academy. I practically leapt out of the limo when the driver opened the door. I danced on the balls of my feet as he got my suitcase out of the trunk. The driver barely placed it on the ground before I grabbed it.

      "Bye! Thanks!" I said to the driver as I headed for the front steps.

     The driver laughed at me. "Have a good year!" He called. He was actually the same guy who drove me here last year. I think his name was Steve.

     I paused at the top of the stairs to admire the castle in front of me. "It's been awhile," I whispered to myself.

      "Is that you Huntress?" Elridge called from the doorway of the school. Krail stood next to him.

      "It's me!" I said walking over to them.

     "How was your summer?" Krail asked.

    I shrugged. "Could've been better."

    "You ready to be in my class this year?" Elridge asked with his golden eyes sparkling at me. He seemed different somehow. It took me a minute to figure out it was because his hair was longer and in a ponytail instead of a braid. I think I liked it better this way.

      "As ready as I'll ever be," I said.

     "I'm going to miss you in my class," Krail said, but I wasn't really listening to him. I was too busy staring at the young vampire who had come to stand next to Elridge.

       Dario stood about a foot above Elridge. He was so tall and Elridge was so short. His eyes were blue instead of purple because he was where humans could see him, and purple eyes would be a tad suspicious.

       Dario smiled mischievously at me as he leaned down and whispered something to Elridge. 

    Elridge nodded. "I forgot about that, thank you, Dario." He looked over at me. "I'll see you later."

      I nodded and looked over to Dario. He was still watching me. He stared at me until he turned and followed Elridge into the castle.

      I turned to Krail who was now laughing. "Teenagers crack me up. You two just stared at each other. He's just a guy you know. You could've said hi."

     My face turned beat red. "I don't know what you're talking about."

     "Of course you don't," Krail said still laughing, then he waved a hand, dismissing me. "Anyway, your room is the same room as last year.

    "Thanks," I said.

    I grabbed my suitcase and hauled it into the castle.  I took the familiar halls back to my room on the third floor.  My room, room 312, was at the end of the hallway.

      I got to the door and sighed. I was finally here! I reached out and opened the door.

     "Elizabeth!!" Three different voices shouted. Zoey, Lilia, and Blair all jumped up to hug me.

      "Hi guys!" I said hugging all of them and grinning. "How were your guy's summer?"

      "Mine could've been better," Blair said sitting on her bed.

       "Same," Zoey said also sitting on her bed.

     "Mine was good!" Lilia said sitting down next to me on my bed. "I got to travel a lot!"

     "Really? Lucky!!" I said.

     "I was trapped in my castle all summer," Blair mumbled.

     "At least you have a castle to be trapped in. I was just stuck in my mansion," Zoey said.

    Lilia cocked her head in confusion. "Isn't that almost the same thing as a castle?"

     We all laughed and I hugged Lilia. "I love you," I said.

     "Anyone know why we are in this room again this year? Aren't we supposed to be on the other side of the hall this year?" Lilia asked pulling away from me.

     "Oh!" Blair said jumping up. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Lilia. "It's because I'm in charge of this hall this year!"

      I leaned over Lilia's shoulder to read the letter. It said that Blair was the new hall leader of the first years. "Poor first years," I muttered.  "So because you have to be here we have to be here too?"

    "Well yeah," Zoey said. "Normally you have the same roommates every year."

    "What happened to your first year roommates then?" Blair asked.

     Zoey shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. I didn't like them."

     "Seems legit," I said.

     "Well, you're in Diamond class this year!" Lilia exclaimed. "Are you excited?"

     "I'm more nervous then excited," I admitted.
    "Why? I'm sure you'll do great!"

    I smiled. I loved Lilia. She was so optimistic, it was contagious.

      "When do your classes start?" Zoey asked.

     "I think they start tonight. I'll get my schedule at dinner. Or breakfast. Or whatever the hell it is considered."

      "Oh, I can't wait to see what your classes will be!" Lilia said. She seemed to be more excited about this than I was.

      "When does dinner, or whatever it is, start?" Blair asked.

      "No idea," I said. "I don't even know where the dining room is."

     "What are you gonna do then?"

     "Don't know. Guess I should have asked Elridge." Now that I thought about it, I really should have asked Elridge. What the hell was I thinking? Clearly, I wasn't. Must have been because of Dario, he distracted me.

     "That probably would've been helpful," Zoey said.

     Zoey, Blair, and Lilia started to discuss what their classes would probably be this year. I had just started to unpack my stuff when there was a faint knock on the door.

    "Who the hell could that be?" I wondered out loud.

     "Maybe it's Lazarus!" Blair said too excitedly.

     "Or Dario!" Zoey said.

     "Or both!" Lilia said.

     Oh fuck it better not be both. I couldn't deal with that shit right now. It was highly doubtful it was both anyway, because Dario and Lazarus did not get a long.

     I opened the door to find neither Lazarus or Dario, but Faye.

    "Faye! Oh my goodness how are you?"

    "I'm fantastic!" Faye said fluttering into our room.

    "Hi, Faye!" All of my roommates chorused.

      Faye was a fairy who was one of the maids of the Calorio household. I got to know her really well last year when she was watching me for Dario. She became a good friend of mine. I'd hug her right now if I could, but she was way too small for that.

     "What are you doing here?" I asked.

     "I came to get you! Dario told me that you probably don't know where our dining room is."

      "Well he knows me well because he is right."

     "How was your summer?" Lilia asked her.

     "Interesting."

     "How interesting?" Zoey asked.

     "Well, it's always interesting at the Calorio household."

      Hm. I wonder what she meant by that. I'd like to go to the Calorio household. For no other reason than to see Dario.

     "That's Dario's family, right?" Lilia asked. Lilia didn't know a lot about the mythical creatures and their families because she was passed out for most of last year. She had her magic sucked out of her by those evil witches and wizards who tried to kill me. She didn't know about mythical creatures until she was revived.

      "Yep, that's Dario's family," Faye said. "He had a lot of guests this summer."

    Guests? What guests? And why wasn't I one of them? Oh well I guess it was kind of rude of me to just assume I'd be one of those guests.

    "Okay well, breakfast starts soon so we should get going," Faye said.

      Breakfast? Wow that was weird. But I was naturally a night person so it shouldn't be too hard to get used to.

     "Okay," I said. "Lead the way."

     Faye flew from the room and I went to follow her.

     "Bye, guys!" I said to my roommates.

     "Bye!" They all said back.

    So I guess this is where it begins.