Page 29 of A Bond So Deadly

I arch a brow. “Well for one, she’s trying to stop the annihilation of the realms.”

“Is she?” Professor Yevar questions. “Or is it all simply another dance for power?”

I frown in confusion. “You’re crazy.”

“Perhaps. Come to the Xalgrith realm and you can decide for yourself. Be a winner, Shade. They don’t want you here anyway.”

I know I can’t go with him, and obviously, I don’t want to, but I think about how I’ll be questioning some of the zenali creatures soon. We want answers. To find out what the Xalgrith are fighting for. Still, I’m not stupid enough to go with the professor.

When I stay silent, Professor Yevar grows impatient. “I did try to do this the easy way,” he murmurs. “Remember that.” His shadows shoot out, and I’m too stunned to react, but before they can touch me, the darkness in the corner of the room swells. Dozens of Knox’s shadows spear toward the professor. They wrap around Professor Yevar, pulling his shadows back to him, and winding around his body until the only thing visible is Professor Yevar’s face.

Knox stalks out of the darkness, gripping his sword as shadows dance around him.

He stops at my side, fury burning in his black gaze. “Sorry, my love. I wanted to hear his proposal before I ended him.”

I’m still speechless, but as Knox turns to Professor Yevar, the professor laughs. The sound is a horrible noise that seems to echo in the dream.

“Tell me, is the idea of your own death that amusing?” Knox says coldly, his dark gaze fixed on Professor Yevar.

The professor’s laughter tapers off, but his amusement doesn’t fade. “Oh no. It simply amuses me that you wish to protect the very being who will be your downfall.”

I hate the way his words cut deep.

“Shade won’t betray us,” Knox says with complete conviction. “You, on the other hand, are a disgrace to this academy.”

Professor Yevar simply laughs again. “I will admit, taking the students was my idea. One that’s working out beautifully, if I must say so.”

Anger courses through me at the thought of Jensen, Leira, and the other missing students. “What have you done with them?” I snap, my own shadows coming alive around me.

“If you accept my offer you’ll find out,” the professor replies with a dark smile. “Think on it, Shade. I trust you’ll come around.”

Knox’s shadows tighten around Professor Yevar, and the professor stops speaking as Knox lifts his blade.

“You can’t,” I blurt. “If you kill him, we’ll never know what’s happened to the students. He might be our only chance at saving them.”

Knox’s nostrils flare. “I’m sorry, but they’re likely already dead.”

I know he might be right, but there’s something about the look in Professor Yevar’s eyes that has me questioning whether that’s true.

In one powerful swipe, Knox aims his sword at Professor Yevar’s throat.

“No!” I shout.

But when the shadows clear, Professor Yevar isn’t there.

“Think on it,” the professor’s voice echoes in my head one last time.

Chapter Ten

~ Shade ~

“Do we have to do this right now?” I grumble. After the incident with Professor Yevar, Knox forced us out of bed, and I’m standing in the middle of one of the more private training rooms in Shadowbone. My mates surround me from a short distance, watching my every move, and I can’t help but feel like a circus performer on display.

Yawning, I rub my eyes while wishing I was back in bed. Okay so sure, I’m not keen to see the evil professor again, but I’ll happily take up Knox’s offer of nightmare-free dreams if it means I can have another few hours of sleep. “Can’t this wait until morning?” I moan.

“Yevar just tried to take you from your dreams,” Knox says, and his voice is so cold I actually shiver. Okay, so the goosebumps might also be because it’s the middle of the night and I’m standing on a training mat with bare feet, but it’s obvious he’s pissed.

“The professor tried to do what?” Tarlaz exclaims in my head. The shadows are high up on the training hall wall, watching from beside a pillar. I haven’t had the chance to explain what happened to them yet.