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Still, the hair stands up on the back of my neck becausethis is real, and I can sense magic radiating from the words. It must be a spell. But whether it’s magic for good or evil, I don’t know.
I hesitate halfway between the dorms and the recreation hall, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from. Then I take a left and slip down another corridor. The voices grow in volume. I’m on the right track.
Finally, I find another large mahogany door and press my ear to the wood.
“Scutum Invictum mihi praesto,
Tutamen fortis, hostes resisto.”
I kneel, putting one eye to the keyhole to try and see in. My view is limited, but I can just make out the back of someone in a hooded cloak. And from the sound of the voices, there are about six people in the room.
“Scutum Invictum mihi praesto,
Tutamen fortis, hostes resisto.”
The voices rise before a blue flame licks up into the air, then the chant ends.
“I think that’s enough. It should work. The flame turned blue.” That voice belongs to Gabrielle, and a shiver runs down my spine.
“I think protection spells should turn purple,” someone else says. No one I recognise.
“Blue is usually good enough. But we might need to work on centring ourselves to make it more effective.” Another voice I recognise. Cooper.
I back away. This must be the Black Orchid Society, and as creepy as the chanting first sounded, I’m pretty sure they were intoning a protection spell. Given everything that’s been going on, I don’t blame them.
Deciding to leave them to it, I turn around to make my way back to my room, pulling out my phone to check the time. Since now is a perfect moment to be all butterfingers, of course I drop the phone onto the stone floor, where it skitters away.
Behind me, the door is yanked open, but it’s too late to move. Cloaked figures filter out, striding over to me like I’m a burglar to be restrained.
I raise my hands like I’m being arrested. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Cooper is the first to lower his hood. “Kira. What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” I say. It’s the crappiest explanation, but I go with it. “Insomnia. You know how it is. Nothing works.”
To my right, Gabrielle is glowering, and I shrink away from her.
“I heard the voices,” I add. “You guys sound great, by the way. Seriously good chanting going on there.”
“We were just saying a protection spell to help keep the school safe,” Cooper says. “It’s a charm, really. But every little helps.”
I nod.
“Yeah, we need to keep the school safe from bad influences,” Gabrielle says, her tone derisive. “You never know who’s going to join the school and bring evil along with them.”
I choose to ignore her, picking up my phone. “Anyway, I’m going back to bed.”
I notice Cooper checking out my school uniform and frowning to himself. There’s no way I look like someone who has already been to bed and couldn’t sleep. I look likesomeone who hasn’t even bothered to try yet. Like someone who has been up to suspicious activities.
But before he can speak, a scream pierces the air. I almost drop my phone a second time when my body jolts.
Cooper’s eyes grow wide. He’s the first to move. I’m not far behind him, sprinting along the corridor. We reach the end of the hall and come to a stop.
“Which direction?” Cooper asks.
“I don’t know!” Gabrielle cries.
A second scream echoes through the academy, and we sprint towards it. My heart pounds.What are we running into?
