Chapter 16-The Ringleaders

Chapter 16: 16-The Ringleaders Clementine: The floor was dark and smooth, like stone. One wall was made of glass, but I couldn’t see anything behind it, it was just black. Like a cave. Or maybe a screen. On another wall, real green plants were growing. The lights above were purple. The tables were simple, black and shiny. The chairs looked soft and new, like they were made from a single piece of material. Everything looked like it belonged in the future. In the corner, a coffee machine made a quiet sound, like it was breathing. There were no papers. Just flat screens—tablets—on the desks, each one glowing with a color name. It didn’t feel like a place for teachers to rest. It felt like a place for planning. Watching. Hiding. But there were five rooms, each with a color name glowing above the door. My attention returned to the men and women standing before me. They had masks on their faces, wearing colored gowns, just like the ones I’d seen everywhere. I could already tell the colors represented each dorm room. "What are you here for?" one of the teachers in a black gown stepped forward. They had made me sit quietly in a chair, but it made me feel even more out of place, especially as they all remained standing, watching my face. "I’m here to speak with the Headmaster. To request a change in my dorm room," I said. They went silent for a moment. Then, the one in the black gown took off her mask. My heart stopped when I saw the kind face behind it. She was a redhead, a woman in her late thirties with small, curly red hair. She had beautiful green eyes, and her thin lips wore soft pink lipstick. "Why? Do you not want to be in my squad?" My heart flipped again when she spoke without the mask this time. Her voice was very gentle, and so were her eyes. "I–I didn’t know we would have teachers," I said, unsure of how to address them. The guards were called Lurkers, the principal was the Headmaster, the students were Crusaders, but what were the teachers called? "I am your Ringleader," she said with a smile. "Now, tell me, why don’t you want to be a part of my squad?" The others began to walk away, as it no longer concerned their squads. But the fact that she already knew I was in her squad made me wonder why all the screens were lit. They were watching us, every moment. "Because of the bullying," I spoke softly, and she pouted, placing a hand over her chest. "That’s so bad," she said sympathetically. Just then, another woman returned, the one in the red mask. She removed it and tossed it aside, folding her arms over her chest. "What kind of Crusader is afraid of a little bullying?" she said coldly, making my Ringleader groan and turn to her. The red color masked ringleader one had long, straight black hair. Her eyes were nearly empty, with large dark pupils that swallowed the whites. Her lips were fuller, her skin paler, and she was noticeably slimmer too. "It wasn’t a little bullying. They were going to toss me over the border tonight. Look!" I stood up suddenly and lifted my shirt. My Ringleader gasped. The other woman raised a brow. Of course, I had a bra on, but I could tell it wasn’t the wounds that had made her react. "You’re a girl?" she asked bluntly, and I slowly pulled my shirt back down over my stomach. "It doesn’t matter. She could be an elf and still be getting bullied. I can’t believe my squad is doing that," my Ringleader hissed in her soft, high voice. "Please, I want to change dorm rooms," I pleaded, pressing my palms together. "I have a history with these boys. I can’t be in the same dorm as them. Please." "I understand," my Ringleader replied in her gentle, airy voice. "Does that mean I’ll get to be in a different room now?" I asked, a little too eagerly. "Rue, don’t promise anything," the one in the back warned, finally giving a name to the black-masked woman, and to the beautiful face of my Ringleader. "Lenora, it’s fine. She’s getting bullied. Look at her injuries," Rue argued, then turned her head back to me. They were both so tall, I wondered if they were regular werewolves like the rest of us. Easily standing at 5’9". "We’ll speak about the room change issue at the Welcome Breakfast in the morning, okay?" Rue said kindly. She was so gentle, I actually felt bad for asking to leave her room. She would have been a perfect Ringleader. And I felt even worse for the Red Squad. Their Ringleader—Lenora—seemed very strict. "But— please, can you not mention that I complained? Can it be done in a way that feels like a natural change?" I requested, not wanting any attention on me in the future. "Well of course, don’t worry," Rue said gently. "You can sleep in the guest room for the night." She pointed at a brown door, and I gave her a nod in thanks. She didn’t offer any first aid, and I didn’t ask. We weren’t supposed to be fragile little princesses here, maybe that was the reason. So I didn’t complain either. I walked over to the brown door and entered, finding nothing but brown walls and a white mattress on the ground. I fell asleep almost instantly, too excited for the morning to arrive, when I would finally be moved to a different room. A lot had happened tonight, but I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want a mate. And nothing was going to change that. Morning arrived, and I was woken by a harsh knock on my door. It was a Lurker. He didn’t say anything, just made me follow him out of the basement. I’d hoped to see my Ringleader again, but I guessed that wasn’t in the schedule for today. Still, I was excited. I would be in a new squad. Maybe I’d finally have space to breathe, and time to heal. But when I stepped out of the basement, my jaw nearly hit the floor. All the Crusaders were already there, wearing their own clothes, no specific uniforms. The noise in the hall was loud, filled with casual chatter. But the moment I walked in, everything stopped. They all turned to look at me. My eyes landed on my dorm mates. The three Alphas were standing together, and all three snapped their heads around to glare at Haiden. I could read his lips clearly. "I tried to kick her out, but—" So that’s what he told them? That he had gotten rid of me successfully?