“See you soon.” He stalks off without a care in the world.
My feet patter back towards the dire yelp. Turning the corner, I find Trentan passed out with vital fluid pouring from his wrist. His hand was blown into pieces and splattered over the hallway walls like an unfinished mural.
Other students have their phones out, laughing and recording. I grab his arm, and a white light weaves through his mangled wrist, my healing magic repairing the damage. It takes some time for Trentan’s bleeding to desist, especially since his hand is blown into pieces and impossible to reattach, leaving a poorly healed nub.
I pull a loose piece of parchment from his stack of scattered books and write a note detailing a made-up story. Using a sigil, he istransported to the surgical wing with the attached note on his chest. He is gone in an instant.
Huffing, I proceed on, and other students eye me awkwardly as I pass. My mannerism speaks of how manyfucksI have left to give, which are none, when I spot Gina and Paige cackling like they’re high on fairy dust.
My middle finger finds their gaze, and I turn the corner, back on track. It’s morning here, so seeing this many students walking the halls is unusual. But then again, this entire Academy breathes chaos. Classes start in a few weeks, and the new students must attend the Awakening. We will see who is in the same House as me soon.
I approach the infirmary and open the doors when I slam into something solid and firm.
“Shit,” placing a hand on my head, I continue, “watch it.”
“Angie.” That velvet voice caresses my ears.
My eyes widen at his tone. Alex stands before me with his brows raised and his thick, black hair held neatly by a clasp, slung over his left shoulder. His handsome features are calm, yet intimidating as the conflict of light and shadow define his cheekbones. His aura caresses me like an embracing hug, pushing against my skin and seeping through my pores. With a little of my magic returned, I push back.
“Alex, sorry. I didn’t see you standing there.”
“No need for apologies. Are you okay?” he asks, giving me a once-over. His chest rises slightly and falls with each breath, making the air around us twice as heavy.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’ve come to get checked out. You should see the other guy.” Dropping a little humor, I attempt to reduce the tension we’re both feeling, or maybe it’s me. Yea, probably just me. “Anyways, Ethan left, but I can’t tell you where he went.”
Alex waves a hand, and his eyes turn a fatal black hue.
“Hey! No! I don’t need you doing that.” I run past him into the medical office and slam the door shut.
He chortles, “So be it. I’ll see you later.”
Chapter 4
Cheers to new enemies
KYRA
I awake in a bed,surrounded by white marble walls, with my vision hazed, and every inch of me hurting with unbelievable pain. I try sitting up, and a sharp pain darts around my center like a game of pinball, resulting in me lurching to the side.
The lights are dim, but every nearby surface sparkles like they’ve been recently polished. This room is vacant minus my bed, a small desk alongside it, and a chair pushed underneath it.
“Where the hell am I?”
My movements are sluggish, and though this place appears peculiar, danger isn’t a factor for once. At least not yet. My adrenaline has become nonexistent, which makes every sustained injury a twelve out of ten.
I freeze in place when an older male’s voice slithers into the room. “Is she awake?”
“She shouldn’t be. I gave her enough sedatives to keep her asleep. She needs to recover before the interrogation. We’re still unaware why they’re after her, or if she has magical abilities,” a much kinder voice responds, sprinkled with compassion.
The door opens, and my eyelids shut, and I remain motionless asthough I’m asleep. I focus on the rise and fall of my chest to ensure it appears regular and in a slumbering state. A trick learned from my childhood years, when my mother’s friends prowled into my room.
There isn’t a clue of who these people are. Nor any sense of what’s going on since the gloom attacked us in the woods. For all I know, they’re my captors, here to gain answers before sentencing me to death.Death. Everything leads to you.
“She’s still asleep, sir.” Her warm voice reduces my anxiety.
Footfalls click against the polished marble as they approach, one weighing more than the other, and halt alongside the bed. My body heats in anticipation. Sweat builds in my palms. Afraid of what will happen if they find me awake, I employ my body to endure this uncomfortable circumstance.
“Her vitals appear fine, sir. She’s still sedated, and judging from her arms, neck, and face, her healing is progressing well. I’ll notify you of any changes. Until then, her rest is my priority,” she says, clicking through a machine next to me.Where did the monitor come from? I swear it wasn’t there a second ago.
