Disclaimer: I own everything in this story! Yay!

A/N: This is for my NaNoWriMo entry so it may have some bad grammar and spelling errors, but I've tried to make sure it's edited, at least spelling wise, for posting!

Chapter 1: Fires, Jails, and Fails

It was a good idea.

At least it was at the time. I mean, it was a week before Halloween so they should have been expecting stupid teenagers to pull pranks. It was just a small joke, we were just T. a house that was abandoned and condemned. It was completely harmless.

At least it was until Trevor decided to be his stupid self and light a cigarette. He dropped it onto a piece of toilet paper, but we didn't realize that something was wrong. We went across the street to survey our handy work, when we noticed that a fire had started on the side of the house. None of us could do anything besides stare in shock at what was happening.

Suddenly, storm clouds blew in, rain falling and putting out the fire. That was probably the luckiest thing that could happen for us at the moment. Unfortunately, our next problem didn't have such a lucky solution. The police had been called in and were were being taken to the station. It was definitely not a good place to be, especially when you were already two seconds from being kicked out of your foster home like I currently was.

It was a bad time for me since there was a very small chance that I would be getting out of there with my foster parents or social services. After about two hours, the others' parents had bailed them out so I was all alone. I lay down on the bench, staring at the ceiling. I knew that I was dead when someone, anyone, bailed me out, that much was a given. There was even the risk that I would be sent to juvy if they were mad enough about the incident.

"Roslyn?" I looked up at Police Chief Abby Meyer, one of my foster parents' neighbor. "You have a visitor."

I sat up to see a woman standing in front of me. She had long black hair that was tied back into a ponytail. Her sapphire blue eyes were so ice cold. The rest of her face, though, was so compassionate and understanding. She had on a dark blue suit, which was weird considering it was only two in the morning. Around her neck was a ribbon with a pentagram attached to it, dangling just below her neck.

Behind her was a man--I almost missed him, he was so silent. He wore a pair of leather pants and what looked like a black cotton t-shirt. He had a stoic look about him, almost looking like those half-vampires from that Richelle Mead series. You know what I'm talking about: looking but not looking, keeping an eye on everything at once, looking ready to jump in if need be. His hair was dark blond and a little on the longer side, reaching his ears in a shag. He had piercing green eyes that, like I said before, kept an eye on everything.

"Hello, Roslyn." The woman's voice had a subtle Russian accent. "My name is Dina Petrova."

"And?" I really didn't want to talk to anyone. Of course, if someone wanted to be there, be my guest; your life must be really boring. "If you haven't noticed, it's two in the morning and usually, visitors wait until it's daylight."

The woman, Dina, smiled as she opened the cell door. "I have been told that since this is not uncommon, you will be sent to the juvenile detention center unless your foster parents would like to give you another chance."

I snorted at that. "Yah, that's not gonna happen. What? Are you from the center? Trying to get me to cooperate?"

"Oh, not even close," she laughed. "I work for a private academy just outside of town. It gives students with exceptional talent the ability to expand themselves."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not 'exceptionally talented'," I stated. "The only thing I'm better at then others is reading and getting arrested for jokes."

"You lit a house on fire." I opened my mouth in protest. "I know that it was an accident. However, it happened none the less. To tell you the truth, I'm surprised that you decided to do it to an abandoned house." She paused, surveying me. "Now, I have a proposition for you."

"Let me guess," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "I either go to your school or I end up in juvy?"

She shrugged. "About that, yes. You will receive a free, full ride scholarship to the school and if you finish your schooling, you could potentially get into college anywhere."

I stared at her, trying to figure out what her ulterior motive was. I could hear it in her voice that she had a hidden agenda. I mean, why else would someone give a full ride for some academy for geeks and nerds to a girl who was two seconds away from landing in juvenile detention? It made absolutely no sense to me and I could figure out hidden agendas like second nature.

"It's full of nerds, right?" I asked.

Dina laughed at that. "They're a little different from your definition of exceptionally talented. So, do we have ourselves a deal?" I didn't know quite yet, I had no idea who this person offering me this scholarship even was. "Roslyn?"

"Can I have until morning to think about it?" I wondered. "I mean, this is a really big change." Good lie, I thought to myself. "I don't even know anything about it."

She stared at me with pursed lips. She obviously wasn't believing what I was saying, but she said, "I wish I could, but I have to leave town for a few weeks and no one else has the job of recruiting students. I'm sorry, Roslyn. Maybe you'll enjoy-"

"Wait." She looked up at me. "I'll go with you. I… I don't want to go to to juvy."

She nodded as she held open the door for me. "We'll go get your things from your foster parents' house and then we will head to the school."

"My parents…"

"I've already called and spoken with your parents. They are expecting us."

That's just great. This woman knew that I was going to say yes, she gave me a stupid ultimatum and I took it so easily. Then again, I would rather not end up in juvy. Again. I admit, I've been there twice before and it sucked both times. It was a children's' jail, which was bad enough. To be called a freak and ostracized while there… let's just say I really don't want it to happen again and if this was my only way of getting out, so be it.

I hadn't noticed that the dude she was with had disappeared from the room. Dina led me from the room and started talking to Officer Meyer for a bit; turns out they were friends, who knew? I don't know exactly how long I stood them looking uncomfortable before we left. Officer Meyer told me that she didn't want to see me back there-- none of us wanted that but we both knew that would happen eventually-- and to be good while at the school. Ha, like that's going to happen.

When we went out to the car, I noticed that the guy who was with her was waiting for us in a red 2009 Aveo5 Hatchback. It was a really awesome car—yes, I know my cars, thank you very much—and, considering I had learned to drive my ex-boyfriend's, it was pretty much one of the best cars in my opinion that I could imagine myself owning. I slid in and sat back, the silence very irritating considering that Dina and the guy didn't want to make any kind of small talk.

We pulled up to the "perfect" little house my foster parents owned. I started shoving the small amount of clothes and personal belongings I had into bags that I had from moving around so much. As I packed, I found my cell phone my foster parents had gotten me so I could let them know that I was okay-- more like they could make sure I wasn't doing drugs or at parties-- and dialed Lucy's number. She was my best friend, the first one at the school who liked me.

Okay, I admit, that's a lie. She absolutely hated me when I first got to the school. It was only when she had back-talked me and I punched her that she actually smiled and accepted me as a friend. She was a weird little girl, my own personal bag of freak.

"What?" Fuck, I thought. I just woke her up.

"Hey, Luce."

"Fosters finally bail you out?"

"Nope, they were gonna let me end up in juvy. I got bailed out by this recruiter from some private school just outside of town."

"Oh, Ravenwolf Academy?"

"You know it?"

"Not the school per say. More like I know the guys who sneak out and party."

"In other words, you know the guys who you've done it with."

"More or less." I couldn't help but laugh. "I mean, you remember Carter?"

"Isn't he the guy that paid each of us a hundred to see us make out and then you and he left me alone when I was drunk and couldn't go home so I had to find Michael, who basically killed me for being there?"

"Uh… still sorry about that by the way."

I laughed again. "I'll see you every weekend, okay? I'll… I'll sneak out or something."

"Of course you will. When do you leave?"

"Uh, the authorities that bailed me out are waiting outside for me."

"Take as much time as you can, I'm going to come say goodbye."

"Luce, no. I swear, I'll see you soon. Just go back to bed and you'll have an e-mail about how much it sucks when you wake up tomorrow around noon."

"I do not… okay fine, I do wake up that late."

"I should get going. I have to delete the numbers on here."

"Take the phone. It's still paid for through the end of next month, isn't it?"

"Yah. M'kay. I'll call you later."

"Bye, Bitch."

I silently laughed as I finished packing my stuff. If those other kinds could sneak out without any problems then it would probably be more than easy for me. Besides, I did remember Carter and he wasn't such a bad looking guy. I mean, okay, he was HOT and if the others were like him, I would definitely consider this school; it couldn't be all bad.

"Are you ready?" Dina asked as I came out with two bags.

I nodded. "This is all I have. Being a foster kid doesn't give you much."

Dina nodded and stuck it into the trunk before we both got into the car. We drove for a little bit until we had to stop for gas. Dina and I waited in the car while the guy whose name I still didn't know went to get gas for the car. I don't get why, but I guess they were out and there was only 1 gas station open in the town.

"Is your name really Dina?" I questioned.

She looked back with an eyebrow raised before nodding. "Yes. My name is Dina. Why?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. Just seems like a cat's name?" I swear I saw her smile at that, though it disappeared as quickly as it came. "What's that guy's name?"

"Wira." I gave her a look that could roughly be translated to What The Fuck. "It means war in Indonesian."

I nodded, sitting back. "So, what exactly is this school like?"

"You'll fit in," Wira-- I stifled a giggle as I thought of his name-- answered.

I rolled my eyes at his answer. That wasn't what I was looking for. I glared at the back of his head the rest of the car ride as we passed through a ton of trees on a road I never noticed before that turned off from the main road. It confused me as we always passed this street, but I swear it wasn't there every other time.

It was a long drive from the main road, which I now understood was the reason for the stop to get gas. I stretched my arms and back a bit, probably looking cat-like as Trevor and Lucy liked to put it. I swear I saw Dina smile back at me with sharp teeth and eyes that had tiny pupils just like a cat's. I shook my head, passing that thought off as being completely tired since I hadn't slept for almost 24 hours. My sleeping habits were weird, almost cat-like. I usually took light naps every few hours instead of sleeping for the usual recommended 7-9 hours.

As we pulled up towards the school, I stared in awe, confused about how I never noticed this place before. It looked like pictures of the Sleeping Beauty castle in Germany, towers and all. I couldn't see how it could be a school, it looked more like it was for royalty. The walls were white and it looked all Gothic and awesome. I admit that I couldn't believe what exactly I was seeing.

"You like it?" Dina wondered.

I nodded, not able to tear my gaze from it. "I love it," I whispered. "It's so beautiful, it looks like a fairy tale castle."

Wira—still giggly about that name—dropped us off at the front and Dina assured me that my things were going to be taken care of. She took me into the building and I saw that it was as beautiful inside as it was outside. It still looked like a castle instead of a school.

As we walked, I saw a small black cat look up at me, its head tilted in confusion. I smiled as I crouched down and picked it up, stroking it gently.

"You like cats." That wasn't a question.

I nodded. "It's strange, it feels like I have a connection with them."

Dina nodded as she took the cat from me and set it down, shooing it away. I heard a flapping and looked up to see a few different types of birds up in the rafters like crows and hawks and I swear there was even an eagle of some kind in that group. It confused me as I knew that most of those birds weren't native to Alaska and most didn't even hang around each other like they were. I just continued to stare at me as we walked past, giving me the creeps. It was like they were looking at me like a piece of meat to devour.

We walked up two flights of stairs to the headmaster's office. I looked around, trying to find him, but he was nowhere to be seen. I looked around, seeing bookcases stocked and strange and old objects sitting around. As my eyes gazed over the desk again, I saw a man sitting in the chair that I didn't notice before. He was really young, couldn't be older than 25, and had short, almost buzz cut like, brunette hair and brown eyes.

"Well, Miss Blake, I must say that it is quite an honor."

"Um… okay?" I wasn't sure how to take that.

He laughed. "Sorry, where are my manors? I'm Headmaster Devlin and this is Ravenwolf Academy."

"Yah, I got that."

"Now, usually students who attend this school begin when they are four. However, we are making an exception for you."

I was confused about that. "I don't understand, sir."

Just then, a cat jumped up onto the desk between Headmaster Devlin and I. It had black fur and deep blue eyes that were staring at me. It even had the same ribbon and pentagram around its neck that Dina had. That made me even more confused and gave me the idea that Dina was now the cat. That was impossible, though, humans couldn't become animals. I turned behind me to see that Dina wasn't standing there anymore and I told myself that she had probably slipped out of the room. There was, however, some small part of my brain that was telling me that this cat in front of me truly was Dina.

As I was fighting with myself over this strange idea, I reached out to pet it, when the cat started changing, growing skin and the hair growing longer from the cat's head. I cried out in shock as in moments, Dina was sitting on the desk in front of me. I backed away as I stared at the two people in front of me. This wasn't real, this just couldn't exist. People couldn't change into animals and animals couldn't change into people. It wasn't possible.

Yet… something inside of me told me that this was real, that things like this could happen.

"W-what are you people?" I questioned

The headmaster stared at me and shrugged. "I'm a witch and Dina's a familiar. Just like you are, Roslyn."