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We settle down onto one of the tables with some older second-year students who seem bored by the entire situation. I’m not sure how anyone can be bored at this school.
At the front of the room, Octavia holds up her hands. “Jenny Valetta is missing.” Her voice rings clear as a bell, echoing off the ancient stone walls. “We have reason to believe she is hurt and needs medical attention. If anyone sees her, they need to report to a teacher immediately.”
Gasps and whispers ripple through the room. My eyes trail over the students, taking in the different cliques. This is my first opportunity to observe the entire school. Even the teachers are lined up beside Octavia.
There must be around a hundred students, and I’msurprised to see that there are some younger kids here too. I’ve always thought the aura genes only kick in when the unlucky receiver turns eighteen.
Laila follows the direction of my gaze and leans over. “We call them ‘preemies.’ Kids who get their powers early. They’re usually the offspring from the most powerful Guardians. They get to attend the school early.”
I can’t imagine coming to Aura Academy at thirteen or fourteen. It’s tough enough when you’re officially an adult.
Octavia turns to some of the faculty members to her right. I recognise Damien the hot librarian and Apollo from defence training. As for the others, they’re all new faces.
She looks out over the students again. “Right now, we’re doing everything in our power to find out what happened to Jenny. Her family has been contacted, and the aura council will be informed. The members of the faculty will be searching the grounds this afternoon, so all classes have been postponed until tomorrow morning.”
This all feels so strange, to have no police, no detectives… But I suppose the auras have powers and can do more than the average police officer back in Manchester.
Next to me, Laila sighs. She’s clearly having a hard time with this. In a way, she’s the main link between the dead girl and the lost girl. First Laila’s roommate is killed, then her neighbour goes missing.
Which makes me pretty much screwed.
Gabrielle speaks up. “Can we help look for Jenny?”
“No,” Octavia says. “I’d like you all to stay in the recreation hall for now. Damien will be with you to keep you safe.”
“Are we in danger?” asks a boy with an alarmingly deep voice.
“We’re concerned about the pattern of events recently,” Octavia allows. “Thisisserious. But we are attempting to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.”
“Fuck,” I mumble, the realisation hitting me. “We can’t leave, can we? We all have to stay together, or we die. And we’re stuck in this castle, at the mercy of some sort of aura hunter.”
Laila’s mouth tightens. “Yup.”
The first face I see when I walk into the recreation hall is Gabrielle’s. She’s shockingly pretty, but she can deliver a mean stink-eye. Seriously. I’m certain I tremble down to my toes when she glares at me.
Gabrielle also seems to be popular. There’s a group of other elfin-looking girls around her, and each one turns their head so their gazes bore right through me.
“Quite a first day, eh?” Cooper’s voice is so close to my ear that I can feel breath tickle my neck.
I smile. “Where the hell have you been? You left me to the mercy of this lot. Gabrielle almost killed me.”
Cooper grimaces. “I heard about that. She has a temper, but she’s not usually like that.”
He heard?“Does the whole school know already?”
He shrugs one shoulder. “I mean, maybe not thewholeschool.”
“Great.” I sigh.
A group of equally tall, broad, and handsome guys comes up behind Cooper, and quite a bit of shoulder-slapping and man-hugging commences. This must be his bro-squad.
“Let me introduce you to the lads,” Cooper says. He points to a green-eyed boy with a square jaw. “Evan, the baddest damn werewolf at Aura Academy.”
Evan grins. “Hell yeah.”
“Roman, my brother in fire.” Cooper points to the next in the group. I recognise him immediately as the guy who almost toasted me earlier.
“We’ve met,” Roman says. “Sorry again.”
