Tucked in Terran Heights

~Snobs and Sorcery~

We made it out of the college without further incident, and Kainihi kept glancing at me as if trying to read my mind. I just kept pretending not to notice and stealing looks at the people that passed by. I wasn't sure that I liked this, and I couldn't help but feel like I was either in a really strange dream, or I had been drugged on the train here. There obviously weren't such things as Faeries and vampires an shape-shifting werewolves.

"Okay, I can tell you don't believe me totally. Instead of me trying to defend myself and eventually causing a fight, let's just go look around. I'll show you the classy shops of the infamous Terran Heights." Kainihi strode forward faster, leaving me no choice but to follow him.

"So, this is still a college, and a very prestigious one at that, even if it houses creatures that normal people both want to be and fear. So, Kainihi, what's your major? You've been here for, what, a year?" I curiously inquired, half hoping to learn something that could help me prove this to be fake, half hoping it was something close to what I was here for so that he wouldn't have to leave my side and abandon me in a crowd of vampires and witches. The thought almost made me snort aloud.

"Well, see, I'm not actually the most sure. I want to seek out other Gifteds around the world, but that's pretty cliché. So, I'm taking classes to major in mixing and writing spells, though I'm no sorcerer so I'm not sure how it'll work out." He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"I'm here for a degree in medicine," I volunteered. "In making, testing, and administering medicine, I guess. So sort of a pharmacist/ doctor."

"Cool. There's a really good program here for that. Better than Harvard or Yale."

"That's what I was hoping for. I never really anticipated the whole magical creatures thing, but whatever. At least I get my own dorm." I shrugged.

"Preach it. So on your right, you'll see the historic uptown Terran Bites, a restaurant that serves multiple different kinds of food, though I'd be careful eating there because you have no idea what kind of Gift you possess and I don't want you accidentally getting food poisoning." He gestured to the sprawling marble building, gold letters stretching over the jet black awning. "There's the coffee shop, Enchanted Bean. Best place ever, their lattes are to die for."

The little brick building was adorably rustic. I loved it already, being the caffeine-dependent night owl that I was.

"That's the bookstore next to it, Le Livre Magnifique, and the music and DVD shop, Turn It Up. And across the street is the resident club, the Burlesque. And the diner, the Color Pop."

Kainihi went on listing names but eventually trailed off when he realized I had tuned out. I was looking in a shop window, at the accessories and clothes advertised in the display, under glowing neon letters that read, Eternity Boutique. Though I had very little money, I desperately drank in the items with my eyes.

"Do you wanna go in?" Kainihi asked.

I nodded vigorously. He shot me a look like he knew something I didn't, which was ridiculous since he obviously knew a lot that I didn't. We stepped in and the little bell dinged above the doorframe.

As we stepped in, the scenery changed. We were inside some sort of...alternate dimension place? Looking around, I realized that I was in a sorcerer's shop.

"Kainihi, do you see this?" I asked in awe.

"See what? Yeah, it's a cool dress if you're into that sort of thing." Kainihi shrugged.

In my half-trance, I found that I was the only one who could see it. A woman stepped towards me.

"Can you see me?" I asked her.

"Yeah. Can you see me?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Where am I? Why can't my friend see it?" I was in shock.

"My name is Courtney. I'm a witch. If you can see me, that means you are too. At least partially. Your friend is just some Shifter." She sneered. "And are you really that naïve? You brought a Shifter into this fine establishment?"

I discovered she was, for lack of better terms, a snob. I didn't dislike her, nor did I desire to get to know her any better, but she had some of the answers I found myself craving.

"Carri? You alright? You're talking to yourself asking questions." Kainihi gave me a strange look, his face scrunching up and distorting his wolfish features. (A/N: pun very much intended)

"Yep, never been better. Probably just exhausted from the train ride over or something." I casually diagnosed myself with sleep deprivation, because there wasn't anything there. And these mythical creatures didn't exist, I reminded myself.

"Why don't you go fetch a latte with your pet Shifter and then come back sometime alone? I can sense that you have a few questions that I might be able to answer," Courtney smirked. "Also, you look super weird right now to your werewolf, talking to nothing, staring straight at a wall."

I gave a discreet nod, now aware that Kainihi was oblivious to everything i was experiencing and thinking I was unstable. Speak of the devil; I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Do you want to grab an espresso or something? You must be more tired than you originally thought." Kainihi used a little force to turn me towards him.

Looking up to meet his gaze, I confidently said, "Maybe we could head back to the university. My mind's a little foggy and I think I just need to rest for awhile."

He gave a slow nod and we started for the door. Yes, sleep is what I need, I told myself. Some of my courses are in session tomorrow and I'm extremely tired.

Returning to my room across from July's, with help from Kainihi and complete ignorance from the Faerie at the foyer desk, I collapsed on the bed and fell asleep in my travelling clothes, dreaming of the weird creatures I'd seen passing by.