“You’ll not get away with this,” he says.
“Get away with what? I came here to speak to you about joining the Trials, and you signed my form… which,” I laugh lightly, “you of course did because you wanted to support the Alliance’s plans, and not because you were scared shitless of a kitten. Isn’t that right?” At that moment, Keaira jumps into my arms. I catch her and cuddle her to my chest, feeling her purr. “I’ll be seeing you,” I say as I step out the door.
Back on the training grounds, my pulse only now quickens at the act I just pulled. I turn and hurry away from the Worgren’s office and toward the academy, eager to put some space between us, just in case he changes his mind. I would be lying if I wasn’t at least somewhat wary of him. The Worgren family tree is infamous from the Dark’s point of view.
When we’re far away, I let out a whistle and shake my head. “Damn, Keaira,” I whisper, my grin widening. “You’re a freaking badass.”
“Indeed. Now, take me for food. I’m a growing lynx and need sustenance.” She hisses at some of the students milling on the steps, and they shuffle back in fear.
Snickering, I hold her tightly in my arms and hurry to the cafeteria where a familiar mop of red hair sticks out from the crowd. He waves me over.
As I approach, Keaira leaps from my arms and disappears. Rory watches her run off before turning to me. “Where’ve you been?”
“Ah, just exploring,” I say. “You guys didn’t tell me you have a butterfly garden here. We have a tarantula cave back at the Academy of the Dark.”
“A tarantula…” Rory’s face pales, and he shakes his head. “Where’s Lore?” he asks instead. “Isn’t she usually giving you a report of all the things she’s discovered in the library around now?” he asks while heading into the cafeteria. Other students bustle around us to get to the front of the lunch line before they run out of the good stuff.
I shake my head as I pull up the sleeve of my jacket and show him the tattoo. “No, she decided to stick by me today. We were both getting tired,” I reply and shrug at his questioning look. “It takes a lot out of me and her when she’s in her feathery form. It’s like a constant drain of energy. But we’re getting better.”
“But why do it? If it’s so draining?”
I pick up a juice box and some beef and scalloped potatoes, the latter’s cheese, egg, and buttery goodness making my mouth water. “Because it’s handy to have her, you know? I can go to class, and she can learn from ‘one of the greatest libraries in the world.’ Her words, not mine,” I point a finger. “At the end of the day, we learn twice as much, and it makes us stronger. I don’t know what I would do without her.”
“Aww, is my mistress getting soft and sentimental on me?” Lore teases.
“Hush, or I won’t let you emerge for the rest of the week,” I whisper, and she laughs, her amusement mixing with my own.
“So, I take it you can’t talk to her in your mind? That’s why you talk out loud?” Rory asks.
I grab my tray and head toward a table where the others are already sitting. “No, I can’t. But she can feel my emotions, so that helps.”
Declan looks up, having overheard that last part. “And what about, Keaira? We can all hear her but only in our minds… How does that work?”
I shrug. “No clue. And she doesn’t exactly seem to want to tell me.”
We eat in silence as the dining hall fills with endless conversation and the clattering of knives and forks against plates. I take a small bite of my food, the smell of the cooked meat making me both hungry and nauseous. When will this end? My skin prickles an eerie feeling washing over me.
Glancing around, I spot Sabrina and her minions watching me with matching smirks. “Are they always that insane or is it just me that thinks that?”
Paxton chuckles beside me and shakes his head. “I don’t like them, either,” he whispers, his body shuddering in mock revulsion as he glances over to where I’m looking.
“You seriously have poor taste in women, Declan. What did you do? Lose a bet or something?” I ask, and the guys chuckle.
“Something like that,” he mutters and looks away.
I clutch my hand to my chest. “Who would dare order his majesty around?”
“My father,” he answers before pushing up from the table and walking away. I glance around the table; the others wince as he drops his tray off and walks out the door.
“Was it something I said?”
Picking up my tray, Paxton helps me to my feet, and we follow after Declan. I bite my lip, not used to feeling guilty for making a joke. Dane wraps his arms around my shoulders. Warmth spreads through me as he squeezes me, and I have half a mind to run away screaming. But the other half of me wants to bury myself into his earthy smell and continue to enjoy the comfort he offers freely.
“He’s under a lot of pressure. Sabrina is from a good family and would be an excellent wife… according to his father,” Dane says as we make our way back toward the arena, our classmates giving us a wide berth.
My favorite teacher glares at me as I step into the arena. I plaster on the widest smile that my lips can pull and wiggle my fingers at him.
Paxton smirks, and Rory laughs as they head into the boys’ locker rooms to get dressed, but Dane sighs; a sound I’m getting quite accustomed to. “You know, you really shouldn’t antagonize him.”
My grin dies as I stare up at Dane, his lips pursing as he glances between our teacher and myself. His arm drops from around my shoulders, and
