“Run!” I yelled at them. They didn’t need any more encouragement. They scrambled to their feet and took off around the corner.
“Go after them!” Drew yelled. Some of the animages made to do just that. I threw my hand up and a wall of fire appeared, blocking anyone from leaving the lot. I got up off the ground and stood with my back to the flames. If they were going to go after the humans, they had to get through me first.
The students fanned out in a half circle around me. I let flames gather in the palms of my hands. I didn’t want to shift, didn’t want to think about the damage my dragon could do, but I would if it meant protecting the humans. Drew was at the center of the other students.
“Sophie, come on. You’re being ridiculous.” The dark shadow of a bruise bloomed on his chin where I’d hit him. “We have to go after the humans, who knows what they’ll do now.”
“You’re not going to hurt them,” I said. The students advanced. I saw flares of other magics popping up. This was it. Me against them.
“Everyone stop this instant!” Charles Vickers emerged from the shadows beside the fence. The students tried to scatter. Orange magic blocked their paths. When it was clear no one would be escaping, I waved my hand and doused my flames.
“Sophie shifted and humans saw her, Professor Vickers.” Drew’s words were like a knife in my heart. “She tried to hurt the humans, but we stopped her. She said she’d burn the whole city down if she had to.”
“Shut up, Drew.” I had never heard a professor talk to a student like that before. “I was here for the whole thing. Everyone, follow me.”
Chapter Fifteen
Professor Vickers led us around to the front of Animage Academy. The eyes of my classmates bored into my back, but I didn’t dare turn around. I felt colder with each step toward the building. The professor marched us all straight into the conference room where I used to have lessons with Dad. We were all silent as we sat down.
“If any of you leaves this room or so much as whispers, I will personally see to it you are expelled and given over to the Upholders to face their justice.” He left. No one tried to test him. The only noise that broke the silence was the sound of the wind outside.
I faced the window and refused to look at my classmates. My anger at their nastiness hadn’t faded. It warred with the dread that filled me at being the reason we were in trouble. Professor Vickers returned every few minutes to escort another student out of the room. As I looked on, night turned into morning. The corsage of flowers around my arm wilted until the petals began to fall to the floor. There were just two of us left. I didn’t have to turn around and see him to know it was Drew. I could hear him and smell him. He sighed, and it brought back the memories of the night. The smell of sweat. The feel of his lips against mine. It didn’t seem like any of that was real anymore. I rubbed the spot on my arm he had grabbed me. I could already see the bruise spreading across it. How could I have been so stupid?
Soon he was gone, too. They were going to take me back last. My father’s words about my responsibility to the supernatural community came flooding back to me. Was I going to be expelled? It would serve me right. I tried to breathe evenly, but it was no use. Anxiety crept into my brain and took over. I wanted to get this over with. Professor Vickers appeared at the door again. I didn’t wait for him to call my name. I followed him straight to the headmistress’s office.
Just before he opened the door, he paused and turned to look at me for the first time.
“Sophie, no matter what happens in there, you did the right thing tonight.” He patted me on the shoulder and ushered me in.
Headmistress Adiana sat behind her large desk. She was so rigid a strong puff of wind would shatter her. I didn’t want to go in any further, but my traitorous feet moved me across the floor until I was in front of her desk. She didn’t speak. The silence pressed in on me from all sides.
“Sophie.” Her first word was like a gunshot, cutting through the tension between us. I kept my gaze stuck to the floor. “Do you remember anything at all about the humans? Where they worked? Did they have name tags?” I shook my head.
“No one else knew anything either.” She let out a long sigh. “You of all the students here should know how irresponsibly you acted tonight. We’ve tried to give you and your friends plenty of leeway. I, of all people, know how hard the life of an immortal animage can be. You’ve ruined it. You should all be expelled.” I cringed.
“However, that’s not going to happen. The fact of the matter is, the supernatural community needs you. We need you and we need your immortal classmates as well. As you’ve learned from your father, it takes a great deal of power to keep the supernatural community hidden. These days, when the supernatural world is on the brink of upheaval as it is, we need that protection more than ever.
“But just because you do not face the consequences one of your other peers might, doesn’t mean you’ll get away unscathed. Because of the stunt you and your friends have pulled, no one will be allowed to shift outside of class. No magic is to be performed outside of class. There will be no more skipping class. All students will have to be in their dorms by 7 p.m. each evening. On the
