Supernatural Academy: Year One (Supernatural Academy #1)(90)

There was a moment of silence and then both guys laughed. I had to laugh too. “But it’s not,” I said, sobering. “It’s something more. Deeper. A connection that extends beyond the normal sexual attraction and chemistry.”

“You guys definitely have that,” Rone said with a low groan. “Trust those of us who had to be around while you two tried to avoid it.”

It was true. That night of the party we’d finally woken up to ourselves, only to have everything go to fucking shit around us.

Eventually exhaustion caught up to me, and I let my eyes drift closed.





“Maddi!” Gentle hands wrapped across my shoulder and I choked out a sob, stuck half in the dreamscape and half in reality. “Sweetheart, come on, wake up.”

I finally managed to pry my eyes open, seeing the stark white hotel walls. Jesse had his arms around me. Rone was somewhere close by too, the icy bite of his energy hitting my skin. “The dream?” he asked, deep voice close to my shoulder.

I nodded, trying to clear my throat and wipe the tears from my cheeks. “It’s getting worse. That bitch pretending to be his mother is unhinged. If what I’m seeing is true, we have to find him today or we might be too late.”

“I don’t understand why he’s even indulging this,” Jesse bit out, anger tightening his hands on me. “He’s the strongest of any Atlantean, even those recruited into the Arterians. That’s why they’ve been trying for years to get him.”

“He’s stronger than his parents?”

Jesse nodded, early morning light washing across his dark features. “Asher’s a lot stronger. We don’t know why, but somehow his genetics threw back to purer lines. He’s the first to be able to control water the way he does. He is virtually unstoppable in the water.”

“And out of it,” Rone said drily.

I remembered all of the bodies he’d dropped at the cabin.

“Maybe he was stalling them and now he’s too weak to fight back,” I guessed. Because the Asher I saw in my dreams was suffering.

Jesse growled, the lion taking over. “Either way, we’re going to find him today and end this.”

My breathing and heart rate eventually slowed to a normal level, and since I needed to pee, and the sunlight was starting to make itself known, I climbed out from between the two guys and made my way to the bathroom.

“Was there anything new in the dream?” Rone asked, just before I shut the door.

I paused, my hand tightening on the frame as images flashed my way. “Yeah. There was a woman, one I hadn’t seen before. She was touching him, whispering in his ear while he was … was restrained and bleeding.”

I wanted to kill her and his fake mother, who had stood by watching.

“Asher didn’t look conscious,” I choked out. Spinning around, I slammed the door shut, sinking back against it, covering my mouth to silence the sobs.





36





We were a somber but determined group as we made our way along cobbled paths to a small harbor. There was a multitude of fancy boats docked there, and I guessed this little town was popular as a vacation spot. I didn’t blame them. The weather was gorgeous, perfect blue skies, with just a few fat, white fluffy clouds in the distance. Crystal-clear waters. Islands dotted about in the distance.

The man we got our boat from spoke only Greek. Which wasn’t an issue, because Axl fluently conversed liked he’d been raised right here in this village.

“How many languages do you all speak?” I asked, standing back with the other three.

“Axl speaks … shit, like ten at least,” Calen said. “Asher the same. The rest of us lesser supes … about six.”

And I spoke one. Story of my underachieving life.

The sun was high and hot when we hit the water; I had to shade my eyes against the glare.

Calen, who was apparently a bit of a boat enthusiast in his spare time, took the control, or whatever it was called. It looked a little like a steering wheel. Axl sat beside him, still navigating.

I alternated my time in staring out across the perfect view around me and wringing my fingers in my lap. The dream still had me shaken, and the thought that we were heading into a dangerous, unknown situation was not at all reassuring. But I was more than willing to risk my life for Asher. He’d already proven he would do the same for me.

As the mainland disappeared from sight, my stomach rolled, and I felt slightly disoriented. Which lasted all of five minutes before the soothing lull of the water snapped me out of it. This was my happy place, the salty water, and the swell as it rocked our boat. Unlike the plane, I didn’t fear anything out here.

Anything except the bastards who had taken Asher.

When I couldn’t stand the silence any longer, I leaned toward Axl. “How’s the tracking going?”

He nodded a few times, still staring at his numbers. “Good. They’ve stopped moving, and we’re getting closer, so we have to move with caution.”

Calen immediately cut the powerful engines, and I was wondering if we’d have to row … or maybe swim to the location. Then I felt a whisper of magic and we started to move again.

Right. One day magic would be my first thought.

“Slow,” Axl said, his voice low.