Page 20 of Hell’s Weapon

It’s a tote bag. Nineteen’s eyebrows draw together as he studies the bag, holding it almost like he thinks it’s a hand grenade.

Wyatt rolls his eyes. “Open it.”

Nineteen follows the instruction and he pulls out two brand new looking notebooks and a handful of different pens.

“You got him writing materials? How?” I say, stunned.

“Yeah. If this is how he can communicate he should have them. I asked one of the guards and the prick said no, so I found out where the supply closet is, figuring they must have some writing stuff if they’re going to be teaching us stuff. I broke in to get them.”

Nineteen is already writing something but pauses to look at Wyatt in horror.

“Don’t worry little dude. They know it’s me that nicked them. I went back and showed the same guard that refused me. He got a bit angry but I let him yell and then he settled down. I think I won him over. Anyway, you won’t get into trouble.”

Nineteen visibly relaxes.

“That’s so sweet.” Seffy practically melts at Wyatt’s feet. I, on the other hand, just narrow my eyes at him. He can’t be that generous to someone he’s just met without an ulterior motive. My head starts spinning with theories, and questions, about Wyatt as Seffy speaks again, this time to Nineteen directly. “Can you not talk?”

He shakes his head and quickly resumes writing.

We wait until he’s done and he turns the page around.

Thank you is written in neat script. He gives a tentative smile at Wyatt, who beams back at him.

Then he turns the paper more fully toward me and I see the line underneath. My name is Milo.

Chapter 8

Milo

I’m drowning in new knowledge. I love it.

Classes started three days ago and I’ve found each one fascinating. Well, except the fitness classes, those suck.

Everything else, however, has been captivating; the politics, the societal systems, and the many, many different sorts of supernatural beings that belong in this world. It’s all been so interesting, I’ve basically moved into the library when I’m not in a lecture or discussion class.

The library itself is full of knowledge I want to learn. Which is the total opposite of how I was as a teen.

I hated school, wasn’t good at it and the kids were horrible. Because I couldn’t talk, didn’t want to, they took it to mean I couldn’t fight them off. To start with I couldn’t. But then I started learning some martial arts and that was the game changer.

The kids left me alone but the adults then became the issue. I was the ‘problem child,’ the one the teachers couldn’t be bothered with.

It’s not like that here.

Most seem keen to learn, or at least have a vested interest in understanding the realm we’ve been transported to.

Those that don’t engage either skive off entirely, or sit at the back and aren’t a bother.

One of those seems to be Tacita, which is confusing as my roommate seems whip smart and like she wants to win this thing. But in class she switches between either looking utterly bored or completely despondent.

She is here in the library though, sitting diagonally across from me and looks to be studying hard. She hasn’t got stacks of books around her, unlike me, but is writing a lot in the notepads we’ve now all been given.

And she’s drawing up what looks like a map of our current location from what I can discern from the few times I’ve looked up.

I’ve filled half a notepad with scribbles already, trying to learn all I can about the different beings. The shifters are ones I find most intriguing. It’s incredible how their bones and muscles seem to just completely alter, I can’t wrap my head around it. And how do they think when in an animal form, we’ve been told they keep human level cognition but how is that possible?

And as for those with wings, I’m in awe. The mechanics of those are easier to understand. They’re similar to most of the birds on earth, but where do those wings go when their owners hide them. I’ve yet to see any transitions, but I’ve seen some of the guards flying, giant bat-like wings sprouted from their backs.

They’re demons, we’ve been told. The ones with the bat-like wings. There’re also harpies, they have feathered wings. Black feathers. The colour is important.