Page 3 of Vayn

“You know what I mean. She can’t hunt. She has no claws, no fangs. No strength at all. She’s just a... human. How can she survive on her own?”

“That’s why you’re guarding her.”

“For now. What about when she leaves here?”

I don’t know why I’m concerned with this little cursed one’s ability to survive outside of the academy. Once I have my wings, she will no longer be my problem. The fact that I’m even remotely interested in her future safety irritated me. Everything about this cursed one irritated me.

“Why would she leave?” Alyk asked. “Did you not hear me say she’s safer here?”

“She can’t live here forever.”

“I do.”

“That’s because you’re the dean. And you’re boring. You have no life outside the academy.”

Alyk chuckled. “I have a life. Just not the life you and the others think I should have. As for Destiny, she wants to work and reside here after she graduates this year.”

“This year?” I spun around to face him. “Isn’t she a junior? I could’ve sworn her file said she was a junior.”

“She was a junior... last year when I gave you that file. But you threw it back at me and refused to help her. You only agreed this year because you stand the chance of earning your wings back. Yet, you haven’t come to my office to pick up her new file.”

Shit. I’ve been working with bad intel. I faced my charge again, only to find her being tossed onto the mat, again. This student was a senior? Impossible!

“How the hell did she progress this far with no fighting skills?”

Alyk stepped closer to me. “Not every student wants to be a fighter. Destiny hopes to be a counselor here. She’s studying psychology. Her goal is to work with future students who haven’t manifested their powers. She wants to help them stay positive during their training and not succumb to the negative connotations that come with being a late manifester.”

“You didn’t have to use all those words just to say she wants a cushy office job. Are you sure she’s the one I should be guarding? My skillset could be used somewhere else. I’m a former commander. I’m a shadow guardian. A hunter of hunters. My brethren guard this school and keep monsters at bay. I should be guarding a future guardian. Someone I can help train. You’ve got me for a year. Yet, you have me babysitting a dud.”

“You didn’t have to use all those words just to say you don’t want your wings back. If you don’t want to guard her, that’s fine. I’ll find...”

“Forget it,” I muttered, folding my arms over my chest.

If guarding this little cursed one was the only way I’d get my wings back, then I’d guard her. That didn’t mean I had to like it. I definitely wasn’t going to volunteer to help train her. She wasn’t worth that kind of time.

“I know you want me to get more hands-on with her,” I started.

“It would be nice if you could offer her some pointers.”

“Not happening. I’ll make sure she doesn’t get her pretty little head ripped off before her powers manifest. That’s it.”

Alyk’s chuckle further irritated me.

“Just keep her safe. That’s all I ask of you. I must go. I have a meeting with Payn soon.”

Similar to how Alyk was the king of Shadow Bound Academy, Payn was the king of purgatory and the boss of the Shadow Guardians. Because of him, I and other guardians were stationed at Shadow Bound academy. If Alyk was meeting with Payn, that meant my boss was checking up on us, or Alyk had something to report about us. Alyk cast one last glance at my charge. He froze.

“Is that one of your shadows standing next to your charge?” Alyk asked, surprise evident in his voice.

A growl rumbled through my chest. Other than Alyk and I, my shadow was the only other being in the room who could hear my growl of frustration. The wisps of dark clouds shaped in my image turned my way. But I only held his attention for five seconds. When my charge took another tumble, my disobedient shadow hit the mat first to cushion her fall. I gritted my teeth when Alyk placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Am I seeing things, or did one of your shadows cushion her fall?”

“You’re seeing shit,” I lied.

Damn shadow. He was supposed to always remain at my side. Yet, every time I’m forced to watch over her, he goes to her side, protecting her. As my charge rose to her feet, my shadow remained near her, lingering so close that I could almost feel her skin against mine.

“Which shadow is that?” Alyk asked.