Nightworld Academy: Term One(Nightworld Academy #1)(19)

"It's a skill I have."

"A skill?" My voice rises. "That's not a skill. Humans can't..."

There's an alternative to the logical reasons I create in my mind, but those reasons can't be correct. Amelia tightens the blanket around my shoulders and attempts to lead me away. If I believe what I'm about to say, the knock on my head when I fell did more damage than I thought.

But Ash is unscathed, and he threw a guy the same size as him. Not shoved. Threw. I back away from Amelia. Rain. Fireballs.

"This isn't a normal school, is it?" I whisper. Now they'll laugh and tell me the truth—that this is an elaborate hoax. They have to.

"No, it isn't," says Amelia softly and touches my injured cheek. "The students have special skills."

"Like magicians?" My head spins again.

"No."

"Well, there is magic involved for Amelia," puts in Andrei.

I wipe water from my face. "I knew it! This was an illusion."

She shakes her head then looks to Ash. Ash nods. "I used real magic, Maeve. I'm a witch."

I wait for her to laugh and my heart thumps in time with each second she doesn't. Each of them regard me stony faced. They’re serious. Or insane. Or both.

"Oh hell, I'm at Hogwarts." My face hits the muddy ground and the world turns black.





I wake on a sofa in an unfamiliar room which smells like a mix of lavender and mint. A dark wood bookshelf crammed with books of different sizes spans the wall opposite me and a scenic painting covers the other; one depicting mountains and a castle in a stormy sky.

Beside the picture, a montage of pictures features a woman with long, brown hair dressed in beautiful clothes with equally beautiful men.

Ash sits opposite on a maroon, velvet-upholstered chair, leaning forward with his powerful arms dangling between his knees. Jamie stands beside him, arms crossed, and features tugged into a serious look I've not seen on him before. On the other side, the woman in the photographs and portraits looks down with a kind smile. Theodora Lancaster.

I'm still wearing clothes covered in mud, including my newly acquired blazer, and a clean blue blanket covers my legs.

"Where's Amelia?" I ask.

"She went to class, as did Andrei. I don't want all of you disappearing from lessons at once. That would prompt questions. Fortunately, the initial prank against you was by Gilgamesh and nobody saw the Dominion attack," she says.

"Who was responsible from Gilgamesh? I'll deal with them," says Ash and his jaw clenches.

"Clive. He has been instructed to spread the word about the prank or have his... dalliances with Katherine shared with his family," Theodora tells him. "I've spoken to Clive, Ash. The matter ends here, and you are not to confront him."

Ash dips his head, but his cheeks redden in anger.

I push myself up to sit and wince at the bruising. "What's Dominion? Another academy?"

Jamie sighs. "No. I'll explain later, but we need to know you're okay. Did anybody hurt you?"

"Well, let me see. The fireballs missed, so that’s lucky," I say, ready to hide behind my sarcasm barrier.

"This is very troubling," says Theodora. "I didn't think the Dominion would attack the academy. I have sent word to the Confederacy and asked them to investigate and then send a representative to meet with us. We need to discuss the way forward."

"It wasn't the academy they attacked," Jamie puts in. "They targeted Maeve."

"Then she needs to learn to protect herself." Theodora walks to her desk. "I told the academy faculty we needed to tell Maeve where she was and why as soon as she arrived here. Now the poor girl is confused."

I scramble to keep up as my brain fog clears. "A little. I don't understand what I saw tonight. If this wasn't illusions, what was it?"

"This isn't a normal school, as you've already deduced," says Theodora. "The pupils here have skills that aren't found amongst the normal population."

Ash sighs. "With all due respect, can we not beat around the bush?" He turns to me. "This school is a Nightworld Academy. The three houses are different supernatural races who study together. Walcott are witches and Petrescu are vampires. My house are shifters."

I cough in disbelief. "You are kidding, right?"

Theodora looks at me with a kind expression. "Jamie and Amelia were told to gradually reveal their powers and explain yours."

"I personally think it's better you saw what we are instead of needing to convince you. That's what I hoped would happen, but not like this."

I bury me head in my hands and the smell of the mud takes away the sickly scent in the room. "I don't believe this," I whisper.

"Andrei hinted at this, Maeve," says Jamie. "You must've thought something wasn't right."

"But I don't believe in vampires and werewolves. Maybe witches, but not ones who can create rainstorms."

"I understand, of course," says Theodora. Her soft tones meld with the soothing scent to keep me from running screaming from the room and calling my parents. "Once you attend lessons, you'll have more evidence to support what we say."

I look up. "The advanced program?"