The Culling Trials 3 (Shadowspell Academy #3)(4)

Orin fell in behind him first, then Ethan, Pete, and Wally. I paused in the threshold. A warning instantly throbbed through me, tingling across my skin. Something had changed in the mansion overnight, increasing the danger fourfold. I told myself it had nothing to do with our midnight break in. We’d taken nothing from the director’s office, and we’d kept our hands off anything that would have left prints.

But I was nobody’s fool and wasn’t going to lie to myself. We’d tripped something the night before, only we hadn’t realized it at the time. I was sure of it.

I jogged to catch up to the others, stepping beside Wally. She glanced at me.

“The House of Night will be interesting,” she said.

I made myself grin at her even while my body and mind churned with worry like they were trying to make butter. “You looking forward to it? This will be your house.”

“No, I am not,” she said softly. “They treat necromancers poorly. The vampires, that is. So, while it is the best fit for me, I am not looking forward to the schooling.”

I frowned. “Just like those three girls.”

“Yes.” She sighed. “If I could slide into one of the other houses, that would be ideal. But you will see soon enough what I am capable of. No other house would have me. My magic can’t be anything but what it is. No matter that it is weak.”

Before I could respond, Jared led us out through a back door of the mansion and into a courtyard where two buses waited, idling in the darkness.

“You sure that’s enough buses?” Pete asked.

“Do not question your betters, boy,” Jared said. His eyes landed on each of us in turn, as if daring us to go on. I straightened up and so did Wally. Orin and Pete froze, and Ethan looked away. So be it, the girls would lead the way.

Again. My lips twitched a little at that. It amused me that the guys in our group were so willing to let the girls lead.

We loaded up as two more troops of kids arrived—one of them the trio of girls who’d beaten Wally up two nights previously.

I saw them coming and walked to the front of the bus, waiting for them to take the first step in. “Bus is full. Use the other one.”

One of them hissed at me—full on viper hissed—but they did as I said, backing down and moving to the other bus.

The driver shivered. “Thanks, they give me the fecking willies. Shoot! Sorry, fudging. Not supposed to swear in front of you kids and your delicate freaking ears. Likely never heard a word like that before. Am I right or am I right?” He grinned, and the smile stretched from ear to ear, his eyes bugging out a little. Goblin then. His voice had a lilt to it that tugged at me.

I grinned back. “Yeah, never heard a bad word in my life. Surely would never use one. Do you think adults really believe that if they don’t swear in front of us, we won’t ever use them ourselves?”

He shrugged, grabbed the door handle and pulled the folding doors shut. “Who knows what adults think? I’m just paid to drive the bus.”

I crouched down beside him as he pulled out of the mansion’s grounds, watching where we were going as he droned on about the different kids he’d seen come through in all his years of driving for the academy.

“The only one that ever done impressed me was a tall kid, Shade, I think he was, but really he ended up being something else.” He gave a low whistle and my attention shifted fully to him.

“What do you mean he ended up being something else?”

“Nah, not supposed to talk about it. Like talking about the boogeyman before you put the kiddies to bed.” He grinned and winked again. “But if you come back on my bus, I’ll tell you all about him.” We’d begun to slow, and I could see the gates ahead of us, lit up in unnatural night. Our driver cranked the wheel to the left, taking us to a gate that I would have known was the House of Night even if I’d not been told. Massive wrought iron, solid black, partially covered in the thorny ivy, the gates were right out of a horror movie. Right down to the skulls set up on the spikes at the top. A lovely touch to be sure.

I stuck out my hand. “My name is Wild.”

I hadn’t thought his grin could get wider, but I’d been wrong. He clasped my hand. “Mighty fine to meet you, Wild. My friends call me Gory.” He braked smoothly, rolling the bus to a stop.

Pete pushed up behind me, waiting for me to step down. “Gory goblin? You related to Gregory? I heard all the clans named their people alphabetically. Like if your dad is a Luke, then all the kids have to start with an L.”

Gory laughed. “True, that be true. And often the women who marry in change their names to the same letter. So yup, I am related to Greggy. Where is he anyway? His mam asked me to let her know should I see him. Bit on the pretty side that one, but a right smart head he has on his shoulders.”

I shot a look at Pete, whose eyes popped open wide. I grabbed him by the shoulder and all but pushed him down the stairs.

“Thanks for the ride!” I called over my shoulder.

“Say hi to Greggy if you see him! Tell him to keep on keeping on!” Gory called back.

Sweet baby Jesus in a manger of spoiled straw, Gregory’s family hadn’t been told that he was missing? Just like we hadn’t been told anything about Tommy’s death. The blood in my veins turned sluggish, not something I needed only moments before stepping into the next trial. One that was bound to be worse than the others we’d faced. How could it not be when it was run by vampires and necromancers and who knew what else?