Supernatural Academy: Year One (Supernatural Academy #1)(7)

Mossie grinned, and this time I didn’t even flinch at his pointed teeth. Progress. “It’s breakfast time. They’ll be in the common area.”

Breakfast. So weird, because back home it was probably around 1:00 A.M. Ilia shot me a disconcerting look. “Ah, shit. If it’s breakfast, we might have to go through the commons to get to Princeps Jones. He always has breakfast with his daughter.”

I didn’t like the sound of that, but before I could protest she nudged me along a window-lined hallway, the arched and stained glass on my right side spanning almost to the very high ceilings, letting in colored beams of light.

Ilia moved faster and I hurried to keep up. Mossie continued at a more leisurely pace, but still stayed right with us. My eyes couldn’t move fast enough to take everything in. I wanted so badly to explore this ancient building; it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. But Ilia was on a mission, and at least I’d be able to think clearer once I wasn’t bound.

My panic at being cuffed came and went in waves, and it was only because I could focus on all this other weird shit that I wasn’t rocking in a corner somewhere.

The noise hit me when we stepped into the common area. There were people—supernaturals—everywhere. I mean every-freaking-where. The commons was a large space, easily as big as a football stadium back home. From where we stood, I could see dozens of huge trees sprouting up across it, along with hundreds of tables. They were lined up like a cafeteria, only we were outside. “What happens when it rains?” I breathed, eyes locked on the scene. “You have no indoor cafeteria?”

Ilia shook her head before she pulled me further into the chaos. “Nope, this is where we all eat our food. The magic users take care of the rain if it comes across.”

We were starting to draw attention, and I wasn’t sure if it was the fact that I was restrained, that we had a goblin in our midst, or if Ilia was well known here, but many eyes landed on us and the noise died down.

“Why are they looking at us?” I whispered, trying not to meet any eyes while still taking in as much as I could from under my eyelashes. For the most part, all the supernaturals I could see looked like humans. Tall, beautiful, scary-as-fuck humans. Mossie was still the weirdest thing I’d seen, and a small part of me relaxed.

Ilia pressed closer to me. “They know I bring in the unknown cases. They’re just trying to figure you out, get a read on your energy.”

The energy that only appeared on occasions and apparently was not easily read at all. Great.

Deciding that I was done staring at my feet, I jerked my head high and walked along with as much confidence as I could muster. When we were about halfway across the open cafeteria area, a table of girls caught my attention—they were beneath one of the largest trees, with huge pink flowers scattered amongst the green foliage. Their stares felt heavy, and I had to physically force myself not to glare back. Best not to create enemies on my first day in the supe world.

“The Clovers,” Ilia whispered. “Stay away from Kate; she’s their head bitch, from a line of very powerful magic users.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out which one was Kate. She sat center stage, her minions around her. Her vibrant red hair curled atop her shoulders, her eyes dark as she scowled at me.

“Is she gonna turn me into a fucking toad or something?” I hissed, panicked.

“No magic,” Mossie bit out, sending his own scowl in the direction of the queen bitch. “No magic allowed outside of classes. And definitely not against another student.”

Yeah, I bet all of the rules were enforced all the time here too. Seriously. School was the place where all the rules were broken. Before I could freak myself out further, we were striding past the mean girls’ table, and I turned my attention forward, to….

Holy sweet mother.

My brain felt like it was burning up as I met the gazes of the occupants at a table near the Clovers.

Five guys.

My mouth went dry as I tried to remember how to breathe and walk at the same time.

Each of them had me locked in their gaze, except one in the center who just gave a glimpse of black hair with silver-blond highlights shimmering in the sunlight. The nerves I’d felt facing Kate and her mean girls were nothing on how I felt in this moment.

The four faces I could see clearly were all cut from the same cloth. Powerful, dark, dangerous. I knew that look intimately. I’d been running from it my entire life, because girls who got involved with men like them usually didn’t make it to their next birthday.

It was the fifth one though, who still hadn’t bothered to even look my way, who sent a jolt of something through my body. That feeling was part fear and part … intrigue. His shoulders were so broad that he was taking up a good third of the table himself, and I knew he was tall—his long legs were sprawled out to the side. But it was the powerful aura that I could sense around him that really ramped up my fear.

How the fuck I could tell he had “a powerful aura” was beyond me, but I felt very certain about it.

“Don’t look at them,” Ilia said, sounding for the first time like she was nervous too. “Girl, you don’t want the sort of trouble those five bring. Stay off their radar.”

“Who are they?” I had to ask.

When I finally pulled my gaze from the guys, it was to meet her wide-eyed stare. “They’re all descended from the ancient—” She broke off and shook her head. “Never mind. Just take my word for it. They’re scary and powerful, and not a good introduction to this world.”