Supernatural Academy: Year One (Supernatural Academy #1)(14)

“You’re in my fucking way,” a chick said, who was clearly trying to get to the couch I was blocking. “Daydream somewhere else, human.”

Apparently word had gotten around that I was “human.”

Shooting her a scowl, I pushed past her, making sure to knock her shoulder as I did. Deciding I’d worry about the time later, I started to head back to my room. At least I was safe in there.

Just near the stairs, I paused and let out a low groan of exasperation. There was a huge clock on the wall that I’d apparently missed on my trip down. It was 6:00 P.M, and I quickly adjusted my watch to its new time zone.

I hurried back to my room, and when I stepped inside I took an extra-long moment to just breathe. That encounter had shaken me more than I’d like to admit. When I pulled myself together, I decided a shower might help to ease some of the tension inside. Water always made me feel better.

Grabbing clean clothes, I searched one of the drawers near the door, relieved to find towels and toiletries. So many toiletries, including makeup. Despite the fact that I’d always been poor, I usually managed to find money for a few pieces of makeup. I was no expert in applying it or anything, but I did okay. I couldn’t wait to experiment with all of these new products, but for now I needed to get cleaned up.

The first bathroom was occupied, but the second was free. Stepping inside, I pressed my hand against the small panel like I’d been shown and it secured the door. After that, I took the longest, hottest shower I’d had in ages. By the time I stepped out, dried, and dressed myself, I almost felt like I had a new lease on life.

As I passed the mirror, my reflection startled me. I had to laugh at how odd it was to have such light hair. The shade of pink had turned out exactly the way I wanted it, and the year had already started out … interestingly.

And it was only day one.





6





I had a great memory, and it was easy to retrace my steps back to the commons. Punctuality was something I appreciated, so I made sure to arrive five minutes early. It would have been even earlier, but I didn’t want to risk being alone out here with supernaturals. There was too much I still didn’t know. Rules about the races. Social etiquette. It was like going to a foreign country for the first time. You learned the rules to stay out of trouble. So I’d be cautious until I knew more.

The common area was clearly a popular place for supes to hang out. There looked to be hundreds of them there, eating and chatting and laughing.

The vibe was happy, with a calming energy in the air.

I lingered on the edge, not quite prepared to step out into their world. Not quite prepared to accept that this was my new life. How was this my new life?

At first I didn’t notice the light thundering sound in the background, and it wasn’t until I looked up that I realized it was pouring rain. What the hell? It was warm and dry here, and yet there was quite the storm raging outside. I marveled at the barrier above our heads, almost like a giant translucent umbrella, repelling the water.

Outside of the step-through, this was one of my first magic in the wild sightings. Like real, honest to fucking life magic!

What else had I missed out on knowing?

How did I end up in the human world in the first place?

Ilia said my mother couldn’t have been my true parent, because she was definitely affected by drugs and alcohol and there was nothing magical about her. My father had apparently been the same—he’d died when I was five. Which meant I had another set of parents out there, ones who had either given me away or had me taken from them.

Maybe they were dead too…

It was the most logical of explanations, but if we were using logic, why was I adopted into the human world? That didn’t make any sense.

“Maddi!” Ilia’s shout drew my attention, and I focused on her as she hurried over, dragging a tall blond guy behind her. He was impressive, with heavily roped muscles and a chiseled jaw, but it was his eyes I liked the best—happy and a deep, rich brown in color.

He smiled at me and I returned that smile, looking between both of them.

“Aren’t you on a date right now?” I said.

Ilia winked at blondie, and I realized they were basically the same height. She wore boots with low heels, shooting her up over six feet. “Yep, we were just about to head out when I noticed you hovering here. Figured I better check you were alright.”

“Where are you heading?” I asked.

She raised an eyebrow at me, and I’m sure it didn’t escape her notice that I hadn’t actually said anything about being alright. “Queensborough … it’s a town nearby. It’s supernatural occupied, and we’re allowed to go back and forth between the Academy and the town as much as we want. There are a ton of awesome restaurants and shops there. I’ll take you soon—I noticed you don’t have a cell phone; we need to get you one of those ASAP.”

The thought of exploring Queensborough gave me a jolt of excitement. It was another piece of this world, and I was desperate to uncover them all.

I shrugged. “My last one broke, and I never bothered to replace it.” I nudged her shoulder. “Enough about me; go and enjoy your date with…?”

“Josh,” he said, smiling at me again.

“Right.” I nodded. “Go and enjoy. I’ll be fine. Larissa is meeting me for dinner.”