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Running my fingers through my hair one last time, I let the soft curls fall down my back and over my shoulders. I’ve been wearing it up and off my face, but today has me nervous and I need something to hide behind.
“Let’s go.” A louder knock against my door echoes around me, accompanied by Brax’s gruff voice, making me roll my eyes.
Hiking my bag over my shoulder, I swing the bedroom door open before they can knock again. Zane is standing an inch away from the door, a soft smile on his lips. One so enticing I almost look up to meet his gaze, but I manage to stop myself before it’s too late. Brax is standing right behind him, his shoulders tense as always.
I wave my hand, encouraging them to move, and they take a small step back, still crowding me as I brush past them.
Fuck, now my body is tingling like a firework, ready to go off, fizzling and whizzing through the sky. I need to get laid or something because this is driving me crazy.
Creed and Eldon are by the main door but I don’t stop beside them. Instead, I breeze past, linking my arm through Leila’s as I have every other day, and head for the pathway.
“How’s your avoidance technique going?” Leila asks with a chuckle, knowing just how little they seem to care about it.
“What matters is whether I’m going to be able to enjoy this party you’ve been going on about tonight or if they’re going to fuck me over on that, too,” I grumble, making her laugh a little louder. I’m sure she does it to get a reaction out of them, but it’s slightly amusing, so I don’t try to stop her.
“I will make it my mission to ensure you, Raven Hendrix, have the time of your life tonight. Okay?” The enthusiasm dancing in her eyes is infectious and I trust in her certainty.
We spend the rest of the walk in silence, basking in the early morning sun as the number of students around us grows, leaving me to get lost in my head over the first class of the day, power strengthening.
How the fuck am I supposed to strengthen a power that doesn’t exist?
I’m screwed, and not in a good way.
I considered playing sick today but that would only delay the inevitable. Maybe once they learn I’m a Void, they might just kick me out. My gut twists at the thought. The excitement I first felt when I considered getting the hell out of here is waning. The past six days have been a whirlwind and I don’t know how I feel about this place. I need a weekend locked away by myself to figure out the pros and cons before I do something reckless.
My lack of magical ability is still a closely-guarded secret. I haven’t breathed a word to anyone, not even Leila, out of worry of how she may look at me. She took my Shadowmoor past effortlessly, but this feels different. More personal.
As we enter the academy building, the chatter around us increases from the mass of students darting through the halls. We don’t get far before a bell rings out, just like it did the day I arrived, making me frown.
“Oh, damn. There’s a gathering. Let’s head outside.” Leila steers me toward the courtyard where I first met her. A quick glance over my shoulder reveals the guys are still hot on our heels, but Leila doesn’t bother with any of that as she pulls us into the growing crowd of students, stopping dead center.
Looking around, I notice Finn and his friends to the far left. He’s already staring my way and his smile grows when our eyes lock. Maybe I need to let off some steam tonight and, hopefully, I can get Finn not to quake in his boots as soon as the guys glare in his direction. I’m not looking for a forever kind of guy. I’m looking for someone to fuck my problems away. He winks and it does nothing for me, not even a flicker of excitement, but I drill that down to the fact that I’m stressed about today’s class and turn my attention back to the front.
A projection flickers above everyone and a moment later, the headmaster appears. His suit is immaculate, his hair held perfectly in place as a wry smile takes over his face.
“Good morning, students.”
“Good morning, Professor Burton,” every student except me replies as one, sending an eery chill down my spine, just as it did the first time it happened.
“I have some exciting news for our first years,” he starts, instantly creating a buzz through the students around me. “You may notice no third years are present today as they were surprised with a midnight visit to the warden’s outpost in Pinebrook.” The murmuring around us stops as everyone gives Burton their full attention. “The trip was successful, the threat a false alarm, and since no one has been harmed, we thought this would be an exceptional opportunity for our newest students to experience it.”
“Holy shit, this is so freaking awesome,” Leila whispers, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Does this mean I get to avoid— “You will attend your first class then transportation will arrive for you to spend the rest of the day at Pinebrook. Have a fantastic day. Follow the sun, destroy the shadows, and survive another dawn.”
He disappears before my very eyes, swiping away the hope of avoiding today’s power strengthening class. Everyone starts to disperse around us and I, once again, let Leila lead us through the masses toward my impending doom. I didn’t miss the fact that he mentioned the third years aren’t present, though. Which means I don’t have to have my guard up waiting for Sebastian to appear for the rest of the morning.
Genie, however, is still a threat. A shitty one, but she’s on my radar nonetheless, especially since she hasn’t done anything in retaliation for my little stunt the other day.
All too soon, Leila is pulling me through a large door, but instead of the ample open space I expected, there are rows and rows of tables and chairs, just like in the other classes.
“I thought this was power strengthening class,” I murmur, taking the seat beside her as the telltale sound of chairs dragging along the floor rings out behind me. I don’t need to look to confirm two of my housemates will be sitting directly behind me with the other two to the right, just as they have in every other class.
“Oh, we haven’t started the practical side of it yet. I think we have one or two more lessons on this stuff before we head out,” Leila explains, and I exhale heavily as a weight leaves my shoulders.
“Good morning.” A rich, raspy voice swirls in the air as a man dressed head to toe in black approaches the front of the room. He oozes a presence I can’t quite describe, like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders while simultaneously slaying the enemy. He turns to face the room, eyes almost white as he scans over each student. There’s a scar running down his cheek, three to be precise, which only seems to show what this man has been through.
“I can’t decide if I’m in awe of this man’s strength or scared,” I whisper, and Leila hums.
