Supernatural Academy: Year One (Supernatural Academy #1)(2)

I was so astonished by her calm and conversational tone—like we’d known each other for twenty years and were old friends catching up.

“What do you want with me, Ilia?” I dragged her name out like she had. “What do you mean, ‘My powers are growing stronger?’ Like … powers … really? Are you insane?”

She laughed, throwing her head back as husky tones filled the air. It sent a tingle down my spine and I was pretty sure it wasn’t just because her laugh was as sexy as she was. Energy drifted along with the sound.

“The insane thing is really going to depend on who you ask,” she finally replied, once she got herself under control. “And on what day you catch me. But to answer your other question, you, my friend, are no ordinary supe.”

I blinked at her, my hand sweaty on my blade handle. “Soup?” What in the hell did she mean by soup? Like the food? Or was that some sort of derogatory term I hadn’t heard?

Or … maybe a gang?

I hadn’t been involved with any gangs lately. That was a life I’d quickly learned was not for me, but sometimes their members showed up in the oddest places. Like … Detroit bathrooms.

“You’re into the drug scene, right?” I burst out before she could reply. “Seeing the flying dragons and all that jazz. That’s why you’re all up in here talking about powers and soups. See, I don’t do the drugs. They’re not for me. My life is crazy enough as it is, so you can take your weird talk and fly away now.” I shooed her with my free hand, making little whooshing sounds.

She laughed again. “Dragons. How do you know about dragons?” She winked, like this was the funniest joke she'd ever heard. “There’s actually quite a few in Faerie … where all supes come from.” For the first time since stepping from the shadows, she moved closer to me, trapping me against the sink, blocking the only exit.

My blade flicked out before I even thought about it, but she never gave the sharp edge a second glance.

“See, I didn’t expect that you’d have zero idea of who you are,” Ilia continued, her face suddenly serious. “I should have guessed it, because we aren’t even quite sure what you are … but you definitely have a lot of power hidden away. The few times you’ve touched your energy, you’ve sent ripples across the world. Right now, though, you have your power locked down. How?”

Touched my what the fuck now? “I… What?”

“Your power,” she continued, waving her hands at me in a “hurry up and get my point” gesture.

I shook my head. “You’re as crazy as my crackhead mother. Raving about ghosts and powers and gods.”

Ilia shook her head. “Wrong. There’s no way your mother was a crackhead. Crack doesn’t affect supes, and you, my dear, are one hundred percent supernatural.”

Supernatural... Oh, supe… Jesus.

I choked, coughing. “Did you just say supernatural?” It felt a little warm in the room all of a sudden, despite the chilly weather tonight.

“You’re not human,” Ilia said bluntly. “I’m not sure exactly what your race is though.” She regarded me carefully. “I thought I would know when I got closer to you, but … it’s the weirdest thing.” She held a finger up. “Not a vampire, for sure, you couldn’t easily hide that part of your nature.” Second finger went up. “Could be a shifter, if you had your power locked down, but I … doubt it.” Third finger. “Magic user is definitely a strong possibility, as is fey. But I don’t think we’re going to find out until I get you back to the Academy.” She dropped her hand then and smiled brightly. “I’m your supernatural collection agent, here to whisk you off to the Academy. Seems they’d like to have a word with you about … whatever the heck you are. No one likes a mystery in our world. Mysteries usually end badly for everyone. So, you, my little supe, are going back to school.”

If I’d been the fainting type, this would be the point I swooned and cracked my head on the sink. But I was made of tougher stuff than that. Anyone who’d waited tables in some of the neighborhoods I had would agree with me. But … had she really said vampire and shifter? Like … legit?

My voice was flat. “I’m going to need you to step away from me, Ilia. Right. The fuck. Now!” She didn’t move, just grinned as she watched me with those glittering eyes of hers.

“I like you,” she said as her grin broadened. “I think we’re going to be great friends.”

Not likely. I didn’t have friends; I’d been alone for years. At first, friends were liabilities I couldn’t afford, and after that it became a bad habit to keep everyone at arm’s length.

Ilia held a hand out to me. “Maddison James, you need to listen to me closely…”

The bitch knew my name. How did the bitch know my name?

“You’re a supernatural. You’re not human, and if you don’t come with me and receive your training, you’ll lose control one day. You’ll hurt a human, and when that happens, it won’t be the Academy coming for you. It’ll be the supernatural enforcers, those who hunt down our criminals and lock them in the prisons. Trust me, you don’t want to end up in the prison system.”

I felt like my brain was going to explode, and I was already regretting the pink hair. This kinda felt a little bit like it was the pretty color’s fault.