Magic Trials (Half-Blood Academy #1)(3)

Though we all preferred a rabbit’s tender meat to roasted shimera, we were thinking long-term. The shimera grew in number, faster than any other mutant beasts. We couldn’t afford to let them move out of the forest and overrun the blocks where Jasper, Circe—a seventeen-year-old witch—and I had taken up residence for the last three years.

The old, warded library building had been our last frontier, ever since the age of the Great Merge, when the world fell and was divided between the demons and four demigods.

Their unceasing war afflicted nearly every earthling and every corner of Earth.

We were lucky to have this town, called Crack, which the hordes of demons and the Dominion army of the demigods neglected or had forgotten while they were busy fighting for richer land.

That was why Jasper, Circe, and I had stayed here, and we stuck together to survive.

The shimera pair swiveled in my direction, their fur gray and fangs sharp. The species had a bull’s shape and a kitten’s size. But only idiots were fooled by their small form. They were some of the most vicious beasts in the jungle.

The pair leapt my way, mouths open to toast me. The little beasts’ fire was deadly within seven feet, hence Jasper had kept his distance while driving them in my direction.

“Watch out!” Circe warned from my left flank, moving to cover my back, her boots stomping on the dried leaves and twigs behind me.

I winced at her novice mistake, but then I had to cut her some slack. She’d just started hunting with Jasper and me. My young witch friend had begged me over and over, claiming that she was old enough to join our hunt and promising to be useful.

“I’m only two and half years younger than you and one and half younger than Jasper,” she had said crossly. “You aren’t my mother! If you want to protect me, you’ll need to prepare me for this fucked-up world. And don’t treat me as the weakest link amid the three of us.”

But she was the weakest among the three of us.

She’d seemed to read my thought and raised her chin. “I might not be as fast and strong as you, Marigold, but it won’t always be that way.” She’d even put a hand on her hip to emphasize her point. “You’re only a human, but I’m a witch. I have way more magic than you can ever have. I’ll be more powerful when I reach your age.”

Jasper had shot her a glare. He was a peaceful wolf shifter and didn’t like any discord among us. “Be grateful that Marigold took us in,” he’d warned.

“I’m not being disrespectful.” Circe glared back at him. The two always argued when they didn’t have anyone else to fight with. Circe was in a teenage rebellion stage, despite that she loved me. I hadn’t had the luxury, though, to go through that same phase. She kept going. “I was merely stating a fact. Marigold can deal with truth. If anything, she always appreciates honesty.”

I’d finally caved in. No matter how much I wanted to shield her, we lived in a dangerous world, and she needed to have all sorts of survival skill sets.

I was older and led the pack, but as they were supernaturals, soon their powers would surpass mine. Our hierarchy was going to change irrevocably when that happened.

Would I be a follower and let one of them lead?

Being a follower wasn’t in my blood.

I shook off the thought of what our future would become and focused on the game.

I assigned Circe to be my shadow. Her role was to confuse bigger predators by sending our scent in the opposite direction with her homebrew spells.

A rapid stream of fire poured out from between the shimeras’ serrated fangs.

I’d underestimated the beasts’ speed. Though we’d hunted them for a while, the shimera, being mutants, had upgraded.

Jasper, the wolf, rushed toward us from behind the beasts, yelping in warning.

I was in the direct path of the beasts’ fire.

If I’d hunted alone, it’d be easy to sidestep the shimeras’ fire stream, but Circe was right behind me. If I lunged or ducked, the fire would hit her.

I threw myself backward, slamming the young witch to the ground with me. At the same time, I sent my arrows flying, three of them at once. Each hit a shimera’s eye.

The buggers had also underestimated me. They’d thought their twin fires would barbeque a dinner. But the pair had been quite good. It’d been a close call. I’d felt the heat of their fire.

Circe whimpered while my body still shielded her.

I was up in an instant and gave her a hand. She scrambled up when Jasper reached us.

We didn’t take time to savor our victory or regard the fallen shimeras with my arrows pierced through their skulls.

Circe and I quickly stuffed our hunt into a backpack while Jasper stood guard. We were ready to leave the forest before the witch’s spells lost effect and the bigger predators followed our trail.

I grinned at Jasper and Circe. We would have full stomachs tonight, and we could trade the other shimera for a loaf of bread and a bag of potatoes.

Despite the fact that the three of us could hunt, we kept it to once a week. We were the only hunter team in Crack that still came out of the woods, and none of us wanted to take more risks than necessary.

The thought of dinner made my stomach grumble. Circe smirked at me, elbowing my belly teasingly, and Jasper rolled out his pink tongue, his way of laughing.

Suddenly my back stiffened.

Foreboding sent a chill up my spine. Then a heat wave, like invisible fire, chased away the chill that had so quickly sunk into my bones.