Not all of us. I kept my comment to myself.
“The dark elementals have grown in number and strength due to unnatural events. There are some among you who have been magically enhanced, throwing off the balance of our powers.”
The crowd stirred while Clay and I exchanged nervous glances. Did they know about me?
“The Council’s patrols aren’t enough. We don’t know which of you have been enhanced. You don’t know if you’ve been enhanced either. Because of that, we will be putting each and every one of you through another tribunal. No student shall leave the academy until they’ve been tested.”
Everyone erupted in protests. Well, not everyone. I was too stunned to speak. If I went through tribunal again, they’d discover the dark element inside me, courtesy of Spencer and his awesome spell that had backfired when he tried to bind my powers. While I didn’t tap in to the element he’d forced into me unless absolutely necessary, technically, I fell under the title of magically enhanced.
Dean Carter brought up his hands to quiet us down. “It is my duty as headmaster of this academy to keep you all safe. This is necessary to do that. Now, there are too many of you for Professor Layden to test, and we need her focused on teaching 3C, so we’ve brought in members of the Council to run the tribunals.”
Several men and women in black popped in, joining the faculty. I recognized Brenda, the extractionist beyatch, as she held the elbow of Brooks, aka Hulk, when they popped in next to Professor Fowler, the rotund shop instructor and my first faculty advisor. She remained there while Brooks moved next to Stace.
Once one or more members of the Council settled next to a professor, the headmaster went on. “As you all have heard by now, Samantha Reed has defied all odds. She didn’t die fulfilling the prophecy as originally assumed and has returned to us.”
The heat of everyone’s stares burned into the back of my neck and slapped my cheeks as several students turned in their seats to look at me. I drew in a deep breath and kept my focus on the circle of faculty dead center of the field.
Clay reached over and rested his hand over mine, pushing his control to me. I drew in another breath and nodded my thanks.
“She has agreed to resume her role as prophecy and protect our world.”
“What?” My outburst drew even more stares. I didn’t care. My mom just dethroned me even after she told me she wouldn’t.
No, I had to have heard that wrong.
“Apparently, your mom is the prophecy now,” Clay stated.
Nope. I heard it exactly right.
“Does that mean I have to give back the crown I got from Burger King?”
I ignored his attempt to lighten the mood. “She told me she wasn’t going to take it from me.”
“Maybe she didn’t have a choice.”
Before I could respond to that, my mom popped into the center of the faculty circle dressed in a one-piece Cat Woman suit, her chestnut hair pulled back in a tight French braid. She scanned the stands. When she found me, she offered a smile I didn’t return. Hers wilted as a result.
Yes, Mom. I’m pissed.
“Hey, is that Rob?” Clay pointed at a large-shouldered brunet I knew all too well. I knew his square whiskered chin, his dark eyes that were probably shadowed by his brooding brow, but it was too hard to tell from this far away. I knew his scent, his taste. I knew how much passion he had in him and how he pulled it out of me whenever we were together.
“He looks weird without the red blazer,” Clay went on. “Black really isn’t his color, considering everything else with him is black. His hair. His eyes. His soul.”
It didn’t surprise me that he’d be one of the Council members to test students considering a week ago, he was a student. I hated seeing him in that black suit, but he had a uniform to wear, which sucked. I always equated those fancy black suits with pain and devastation after my dad had told me about my mom leaving while he sported his fancy black suit.
“We’ll start with the first years,” Dean Carter announced. “The rest of you in 3C, Professor Layden would like to meet you in the classroom. For you others, you are required to stay and observe. First years, please join us on the field.”
Holy fartnarker. They made the others stick around to watch the first years get tortured twice in less than a month? Talk about sadistic. I stood and turned to storm off. No way was I going to stay and watch. Clay grabbed my hand and popped us out, landing us in front of the 3C building. “Why did you drop us here?”
“You’re in 3C. Besides, I figured Professor Layden might have a thing or two to say about what’s going on and, since I’m not in 3C, I won’t know what she has to say until you tell me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Take Rocky for a walk.”
Rocky, the rock he’d brought back from Montana, had been deemed our first pet together. It was a big step for us, raising a rock together. He’d even glued googly eyes on it. I hated how much I loved the stupid thing.
More students teleported out, popping in at random locations on the school grounds. I wondered what would happen if two different elementals tried
