Nightworld Academy: Term One(Nightworld Academy #1)(20)

She nods.

I appraise Ash, taking in his powerful form. "Are you a werewolf?"

"No. Gilgamesh are more than one type of shifter. I won't know what I am until I'm nineteen."

"So, you might be a werewolf?" The questions sound ridiculous and I laugh at myself.

Jamie interrupts. "There are different types of each race in each house—there's more than one type of vampire."

"Andrei's a blood-drinker," mutters Ash. "I don't trust him."

"What? Any more than the lamia, Katherine? You can tell she's using Clive to gain energy from when they..." Jamie trails off at the horrified look on Theodora's face.

"This is insane. This isn't true," I mutter under my breath, over and over.

"Ash is strong due to his shifter blood, and as he said, he doesn't know what animal he can shift into yet," says Theodora. "The older boys have their forms—mostly wolves or dogs, as you saw."

"And Amelia? Jamie?" I swallow. "Me?"

"The witches have different affinities. Amelia has affinity with the elements. Jamie with the spirits. You, we suspect, are a future-sighted witch."

"Future-sighted? The visions," I mumble.

"Yes. You have visions of the future, you know that."

I place a hand over my mouth, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Jamie's concerned eyes meet mine and I look away. This can't be true.

I lean forward and wrap my arms around my head, burying my face into my knees. The last two hours catch up with me as shock trembles through my body, and I fight the sobbing. Someone places a large hand on my back and rubs, soothing, but the action triggers more tears. I'm in a nightmare. A living, breathing, horrific dream.

Looking up, I drag my sleeve down my face, and summon the person I want them to think I am. The girl who can cope with whatever life throws at her. "I guess this means I'm on the advanced program, then?"





Chapter Twelve





MAEVE



Eating breakfast is harder this morning as I stare around at the few people who gather. Most are from Walcott, some from Gilgamesh. None from Andrei's. I chew on my cereal—more evidence I don't want. Vampires don't appear in the daytime.

I crawled into bed last night, not wanting to think anymore, and thanked Amelia before drawing the partition between our sides of the room and cuddling up under my familiar duvet. Should I be happy about this new explanation for the hallucinations I've had my whole life?

Amelia takes me to breakfast and sits opposite me now. I can tell she's bursting to talk but waiting for my cue. Each time our eyes meet, I'm sure she's about to launch into another crazy explanation. Desperate to avoid one right now, I stare around the room. A poster is pinned on a nearby noticeboard.

Winter Ball

Last day of term

Join us for celebrations and show off your best Yuletide dress Normality.

I point. "Something to look forward to."

She perks up. "You like dances? You can help organise this one, if you like?"

"Uh. Maybe not."

"I'm responsible for creating the theme. And Katherine is... organising everything else."

More reason not to be involved.

"Theme? Christmas, perhaps?"

"Not everybody celebrates Christmas." She taps her fingers on the table. "I know you don't want to talk about this, but I'm here if you have questions."

"Oh, I have questions. So many questions. But—," I point at my head, "—messed up."

"Theodora wants to talk to you more and introduce you to the teacher we think can help the most. Her name is Professor Sofia Reichardt and she's a witch with similar powers to you. She's Walcott's head teacher too. She’s been away the first week of term."

"Witch," I mutter to myself. "Can she stop my visions?"

"She can help you take some control over your power and teach you different divination skills." I look at Amelia blankly. "Fortune telling. She's a little eccentric, but good at what she does. Even I've learned how to read tarot cards."

"Tarot reading is a lesson? I imagined potions and defence against the dark arts. Please don’t tell me there’s a Professor Snape."

Amelia rolls her eyes. "I'd drop the constant Harry Potter references if I were you. A lot here don't find them amusing."

"Sorry." I focus on my coffee. "But the teachers are okay?"

"There’s a professor who teaches the mental magic class, and he’s definitely no Snape." Her cheeks turn pink. "Professor Whitlock is 150 years old but looks good for his age, if you get what I mean."

"A hot teacher?" I smile. "That's new. Maybe he'll distract me."

Amelia wrinkles her nose. "Maybe. But pay attention. He can help you wipe humans' memories if we slip up, and some say he can do the same to witches and shifters. I think that’s a rumour, because it's rare and forbidden. Influencing human minds can be helpful sometimes, especially as we have humans working here too. We avoid suspicion that way."

I straighten. "Mind control? I'm not sure I agree with that. It's not very ethical."