Marcia and Naomi had returned to their room after a final session with the makeshift orchestra before summer school started. Naomi sat on her bed watching Marcia as she swept up the clothes she tossed on the floor the night before. There was a look of concerned puzzlement on her face as she bent over. Naomi saw the look and wanted to ask about it. When Marcia finished, rather than climb on her bed and sit she came over to...

Final exams ended with the standings posted and as expected Marcia was the top student by a wide margin. Summer school started next week and the freshman class was abuzz with excitement. Marcia should be happy, but she sat on her bed sadly thinking about her achievement. It was nice, as number one, but at what price? Her best friend and roommate was number two tied with another girl who tried to destroy her. Was this the...

Exactly thirty minutes after they left the tunnels, Marcia and Naomi stood at the headmaster's door. Marcia knocked quietly and moved aside when the door opened. Hans showed the girls into the office and left quietly leaving the meal cart outside the office. The girls took their usual places around the small table set with their dinner. As they sat, the headmaster entered through the door to his private quarters, which we...

Final exams started with the students attention focused on getting the highest score possible and achieving the top student spot in their class. The freshman class competition during the school year was extremely high because Marcia set the standard for excellence. She studied hard and had little difficulty retaining what she read. She loved school because it made her use her mind and taught her how to succeed. With the e...

Classes had ended for the day before lunch and students wandered the hallways searching for new diversions. Naomi led Daria and Polina to the newly cleaned music room, as the headmaster promised. Daria limped to the first chair with a music stand, flopped into it, sighed heavily moving her leg onto another chair and removed her flute from its case. Naomi sat next to her holding the violin she removed from the shelves full...

Daria was pleased with being back at school, but getting around was not as easy as she thought. Polina helped by carrying her books and helping with doors, but Daria was stubborn and demanded more. One fortunate thing was that Daria did not have to climb up and down stairs to get around. Everything she needed was on the same level and the buildings connected. However, Daria's flute playing disrupted her neighbors on her f...

A heavy grey fog shrouded the castle, obscuring it from the village below. Hans prepared the limousine to carry Daria back to school from the hospital. Part of the preparations included a small picnic hamper with snacks and drinks for the ride. Twelve weeks ago, Daria's accident happened and the doctors declared her ready to leave the hospital. The headmaster chose to have Polina and Naomi accompany Hans on the drive. Pol...

After Stefan and Marcia spent time in the tunnels, she wanted to get back into the chapel. The headmaster arranged for Chantel's memorial service with village priest for just before Palm Sunday on a Thursday night. The small chapel would hold the service with interment in the crypt following it. Marcia was happy with the arrangements, but still felt suspicious of the way Chantel died. She wanted Stefan to join her in open...

Soft sunlight leaked through the shades covering the windows of Daria's room. It softened her appearance and almost made her look angelic, as she slept. With her leg suspended, she could not roll around, as she normally did while sleeping. The light coming in the window came from sparkling reflections off the newly fallen snow. Daria moaned in discomfort, as she groggily lay trying to get comfortable, but it just made her...

It was near the end of February and Marcia looked forward to the start of spring. She loved to watch the re-awakening of the flowers and trees long dormant over the fall and winter. Naomi and she renewed their friendship, but an uneasy wariness persisted between them. After they spent time explaining why they were in the abandoned classroom floor of the school, Marcia gave up exploring the castle and searching the chapel....

Daria followed Stefan stealthily to his room and floated into the corner near the ceiling. She stayed in her shimmering state watching him study and talk to his roommate. One of his roommate's friends came by and took his roommate to play cards. Daria smiled wickedly, when they left and descended to Stefan's bed. As she sat, she shifted from the shimmering wraith to her human visage. She waited until her visage was stable...

Daria's wraith followed Stefan everywhere, from when he woke until bedtime. She floated nearby and occasionally played pranks on him. She enjoyed embarrassing him around his friends. She hated when Marcia and Naomi met with him. When Polina volunteered to open the chapel, Daria was furious. She wanted Marcia to fail in the chapel entry. The afternoon when Marcia, Stefan and Polina went to try the newly made key, Daria wat...

After the helicopter landed at the hospital seventy-five miles from the school, Daria entered the operating room to set and repair the damage to her severely broken leg. Two breaks were minor and easily set. The third break was a compound fracture that required surgery and a steel rod implant that was permanent. The operation took several hours and went very easily. They examined her coma and found it to be the result of...

After Daria made a fool of herself in front of the school, Naomi, Marcia and Stefan became very good friends. They spent time walking Stefan's horse in the courtyard. Naomi and Marcia took turns riding. Naomi formed a close friendship with Stefan because they were now targets of Daria. Naomi insisted they were just friends nothing more. When the trio was not walking the horse, they explored the courtyard and castle in ear...

After a quick lunch, Daria and Polina drifted away from Marcia and Naomi. Marcia plopped on one of the chairs in the waiting area. Her mind pondered if she should introduce Naomi to her wolf. Naomi sprawled on the big couch, as she thought about outside the castle. Hesitantly, Marcia asked, "Would you like to meet my pet?" Inside Naomi cheered, "YES!" but verbally, Naomi answered nonchalantly, "Sure, I guess." Marcia stoo...