Nightworld Academy: Term One(Nightworld Academy #1)(66)

"Just Ash?" I ask.

"From what I saw, they’re only tracking him tonight."

"But," adds Tobias, "The hunters will figure out there are several other supernatural creatures with him. This could help their ‘kill figures’. If they kill you all, they may earn a promotion."

His voice raises more chills. However much I hate Tobias’s words about my stupidity, I can’t help but admit I’ve brought us all into danger. I slump against the car bonnet and put my head in my hands. "Sorry."

A hand touches my shoulder and I look up to Jamie. "I understand why you did this, but the others were stupid to involve themselves."

Tobias runs his tongue along his teeth. "If you knew how volatile Ash is, you would never have asked him to come with you. Where do you think his protectiveness stems from? Or his sudden shifts in mood? He’s growing closer to his nineteenth birthday, and he’s been skipping the class he needs to help with these issues."

"The meditation classes?" asks Jamie in shock.

I splutter a laugh and both glare at me.

"Shifters need to connect with their minds and build awareness of their emotions and reactions, in order to control them. What triggers anger in young shifters will trigger a full shift once they’re mature. It’s imperative that young ones learn to recognise and control their physical reactions. If they shifted in public, it would be a disaster."

Once again, I’m embarrassed by my ignorance. "Why would Ash skip classes? He toes the line in the academy."

"Ash believes meditation classes will make him weaker, because developing this connection between mind and body would limit his shifter abilities. This isn't true, but Ash searches for reasons his brother couldn’t protect himself from death. This is something he blames."

"But he’ll be dangerous," says Jamie. "Not just towards humans but to everybody. Look how powerful he is just in his human form."

"Well, let us hope he’s not a dragon shifter," Tobias retorts and strolls away towards Amelia and Tessa.

I shake my head as if I didn’t hear. "Dragon?"

Jamie blows air into his cheeks. "Dragon form is in his ancestry. His dad is a wolf and so’s his mum. Vincent, his brother, was a dragon."

I take another giant stride away from understanding the new world I’m in. Every time I'm sure I comprehend this life, another curveball hits.

My best friend and crush is a dragon.





Chapter Thirty-Eight





ASH



I look between my phone and the men, fighting within myself what to do next. Returning to the others makes sense, but I’ve spent every minute on high alert tonight, and each second more adrenaline builds in my bloodstream. I can sense the strength growing, and I love it. Tonight couldn't have worked out any better—helping Maeve is good, killing hunters is better.

"Did you see him?" asks a male voice and I flatten myself against the wall, heart pounding.

"The shifter? Oh, yeah, we came to the right place. You know he has a vamp and two witches with him?" The glee in the second man’s voice raises hairs on my neck, but at least they can’t see me right now. "Four for the price of one. Heh."

"Maybe keep away from the vamp. I didn’t bring anything sharp enough to decapitate the bastard. Is it a blood-sucker?"

"Dunno. At least the shifter’s young enough to kill easily. I bet his friends are easy to put down too."

I clench my teeth at their chuckling. What’s worse? That they claim it’s easier to kill me, or that they’re planning to kill the others?

"Did you see where the shifter went?"

"I’m sure he’s tracking me," says one guy loudly and I press myself harder into the wall. I can’t disguise myself the way some witches can, but I’m harder to find.

They laugh again and the noise grates like fingernails down a chalkboard.

"Maybe we should start on the witches first. Logan headed into the hall to find them. He can make a start." The guy pulls something from his pocket and he waves a small handgun in the air. "What do you think, shifter?"

They’re saying these things to rile me further, suspecting I’m watching them, and his words are working. Blood pounds in my ears as I picture Maeve in their hands. Witches are the easiest race to kill because they're the closest to humans.

Boots stomp along the path back towards the school building.

They’re insane. Their secretive order would never shoot people in public. Would they?

I need to stop them finding the third guy.

Adrenaline pumping through my veins, I step from my hiding place and launch myself at the two men, knocking them over from behind like bowling pins. The guy with the scar, who Maeve predicted looks up, but not in surprise. The other man, older with a weary face, laughs up at the sky and their scorn infuriates me.

I lift a fist to smack the closest face, but someone behind seizes my wrist.

"I knew you'd be easy, but not this easy," says a male voice.

Something hard hits the back of my skull with a crack, and I fall forwards.





Chapter Thirty-Nine





ANDREI



I sit beneath a tree, behind a large square building, close to the main school grounds. If this is anything like the academy campus, I’m betting I’m near a sports hall.