“Strewth,” Matt commented. “That wasn’t strange at all.”
“I thought it was very strange,” Mari said.
“Matt was being sarcastic,” I amended. “I agree with you.” My gut tightened. Would they let me continue to train with the Shades? Or was I just too dangerous now?
By the set of Matt’s jaw, he was uneasy too. We awaited news of whether Team Phoenix would even continue to exist, or, if I was deemed able to continue, whether we would be split up and put on separate teams.
Staring at the instructors table, I wondered whose call it would be. My eyes fell on Sebastian.
“Yep. It’ll be up to him,” Matt said.
How had he known what I was thinking? I raised a brow at him.
He laughed. “Your face is like a mirror, Angel. I always know what’s goin’ on in your noggin.”
Making a mental note to never play poker with Matt, I scanned the table of instructors. The Sabre family was missing, but Tyrez was there, with Dani, as well as Alex and Neil, and the Watchers. “Do you think they’ve heard anything more about Talakai?”
Matt swallowed his mouthful and glanced their way. “A better question would be if they’ll tell us, even if they do.”
I felt helpless. But there was nothing we could do until we had a lead to act on. “Cara will tell us,” I said.
He twitched a brow. “Hopefully. If we don’t hear something soon, I will start to howl.”
The determination in his voice eased some of my angst. “You are good at that,” I said.
He popped a dumpling into his mouth and spoke around the mouthful. “At what?”
“Howling.”
He grinned and waggled his brows. “I’m good at many things.” His eyes glowed, and I almost choked on my dumpling.
We polished off a rather amazing amount of food. I’d just offered Trix an egg and stuffed the last dumpling into my mouth when I looked up to see Cara approaching.
“I’m teaching your special abilities class today,” she told me as my silly dog wiggled at her feet.
I swallowed my mouthful as my heart leaped. At least I wasn’t going to be kicked out of the academy without getting a chance. But all I managed was, “Okay.”
She bent to pet Trix, and froze, her hands drifting over her disreputable coat.
I gritted my teeth. “I wanted to ask if you could check her over. Considering what I can do—I pet her all the time. Her eyes are changing color.”
“Her coat, too,” she noted. “And you don’t leash her anymore.”
“I-I,” I hesitated, and then pushed on. “I don’t need to.”
Her blue eyes met mine, and there was a world of understanding in them. And I wanted it. Desperately.
“Am I hurting her?” My voice broke halfway through, and Matt was quick to respond.
“You couldn’t hurt her, Angel.”
I glanced at him. “I hurt you.” I said it without thinking and then shot Cara a look.
Dammit.I hadn’t wanted to reveal that. But my subconscious seemed to have other ideas.
The Watcher’s lips had pulled straight. “I now know how to train you, Anna. What is happening to Trix isn’t because you are hurting her. And I can guide your power.” She gave Trix one last pat and straightened. “I’ll meet you out by the forest gate in about fifteen minutes.”
My relief made me tremble. “I just have to drop off Trix to Kitani.”
