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I sit on my own bed. “I’m sorry,” I say after a bit. “I know you lost your roommate. This must be hard for you.”
She looks over, raising her eyebrows. “You have no idea.”
We’re silent for a few moments.
Then Laila starts to speak. “It was like this with Dina, too.There was so much blood. I found her here.” She points down at the floor.
“In between our beds?”
Laila nods.
“And you still have to sleep here?” That’s horrifying.
“Look, our world is a lot harsher. We aren’t supposed to be so easily spooked by dead bodies.”
“Does that mean that students are often murdered?”
“No.” She pauses. “Well, not like this. Usually, if there’s a death on campus, it’s because of an accident or a Reaver attack.”
“Reaver attacks happen frequently?”
She shakes her head. “Hardly ever. But they have happened in the past.”
“Right.” Then I remember something. “Octavia read something from Jenny’s blood, I think. It sounds like Jenny is still alive.”
Laila nods. “Fingerprinting. It’s when a witch can read memories and emotions from DNA. Octavia is an empath, and it’s one of her affinities. Empathic auras are actually pretty rare. And they hardly ever rise to Octavia’s level of authority.”
“How come?”
She shrugs. “It’s something to do with not wanting to be around large groups of people. Apparently, it’s hard to switch those powers off. But Octavia seems to be an exception.”
“What about Gabrielle?”
“She’s a witch. And she’s pretty good with telekinesis and things like that. I guess that’s how she squeezed the air out of your lungs.”
“Jesus,” I mutter. “Everyone here is so deadly.”
“Including you.” Laila’s tone is matter-of-fact.
“Not yet.” I run my hand along the bed, feeling the soft linens under my fingertips and missing home. “Is wind your affinity?”
“Yes. No fart jokes.”
I snort. “I promise.”
She holds my gaze with one of the best stink-eye expressions I’ve seen in a long time then stares up at the ceiling. For a moment or two, I try to think up a topic of conversation, but it’s clear Laila is too lost in her feelings.
When Laila closes her eyes, I lie down and do the same thing. That spike in adrenaline has me completely beat. It takes a few minutes for my heartbeat to calm and for me to stop thinking about Gabrielle’s all-black eyes as she squeezed the air from my lungs.
It’s amazing here in some ways—the island, the castle, all the spells and rituals. But it’s also insanely dangerous here.
I’ve already almost died. Twice. And that’s just in one half day.
Attempted murder before lunch. Aura Academy really knows how to make a girl feel welcome.
Thirteen
Consideringeverything that has happened thus far at the academy, I should probably be rocking back and forth in a corner somewhere. But rather than wallow, I have to follow Laila into the dining hall, where Octavia intends to give a speech to the students.
