Physical Training – Professor Thane
Offensive and Defensive Maneuvers – Professor Knox
Shadow Basics – Professor Lankin
Creatures, Critters, and Tracking – Professor Raith
Battle Tactics and Warfare – Professor Yevar
Well, I guess at least I know what they teach now.My gaze snags on physical training and offensive and defensive maneuvers, and I groan loudly. I can handle sitting through a history class, but physical training? Yeah, not so much. I’ve seen how hard Blake had to train to become the badass she is, and frankly, I’m not interested. Not to mention, I’ll have to attend a class with Knox as my professor… But even as I remind myself what an ass he is, heat rushes through me until it settles somewhere, uh, lower.Girl, stop it. Stop it now.Yep, I’m talking to my vagina. Shame she’s not listening.
Clearly, my vagina thinks Knox and I must be mates. It’s the only explanation that makes sense, because from what I’ve seen, aside from being a pretty face, Knox isnotmy type. Okay, so I’m not exactly surewho ismy type, but I do know, an asshole with a god complex isn’t it.
Trying not to let my unhinged vagina run the show, I place down the schedule and pluck out the ring that’s nestled in soft fabric inside the box. The ring is decorated with the academy crest carved in steel, and I study it, tracing my fingers over the small petals before sliding the jewelry onto my left index finger. It fits perfectly, and the instant the metal connects with my skin, a wave of tingles rushes over me. The sensation borders on becoming uncomfortable, but the tingles fade seconds later, like the sensation is nothing more than a passing chill. I have no idea what’s supposed to happen. The ring isn’t giving off thesame energy as my portal ring that Galen stole, but I can still feel power humming from within the metal.
I decide not to experiment without knowing more, because considering my bad luck, it would end badly, and I go about my original plan. Grabbing my sketchbook from where I’d placed it on my bedside, I move to the alcove against the window and settle in, resting my back against the wall. I sketch the guys in the order that I first saw them, starting with Raith and ending with Knox. I contemplate not sketching the broody asshole, but it doesn’t feel right to have the other three there without him.
It feels like hours later, and Knox’s dark eyes are still staring back at me on the paper when my dorm door opens. I snap my sketchbook shut and have just enough time to slide it beneath a cushion before a young woman enters. She looks to be around my age, early twenties, with long, black hair that’s shaved close to the scalp on one side and braided on the other, and she’s wearing black leathers that look as though they’re splatted with…blood? Her gaze instantly locks onto me.
“Feels weird, doesn’t it?” she says, shutting the door. Her voice is soft and at odds with the badass look she has going on.
I frown. “I’m sorry, what does?”
She jerks her head toward the ring on my finger, and opens her hands, gesturing to our surroundings. “Being here. One moment, you’re in the human realm minding your own business, and the next, you’re in the shadow realm wondering if you’ll survive another night.”
When I don’t immediately answer, she continues, “My name’s Kenzie.” There’s something guarded in her expression, though I’m not sure why.
I give her my friendliest smile, and I don’t miss the way she visibly relaxes. It makes me question the academy and how bad her time has been here. It’s then that I think about the factthere’s no creature symbol on our door, and I’m dying to ask her about it, but I don’t.
“I’m Shade,” I pipe up. “Looks like I’m your new roommate, bestie.”
“Bestie?”
“Yeah.” I pat a place beside me on the bed. “Isn’t that how this goes? I mean, this is like textbook academy romance. I go to a new academy, and my dorm mate turns into the best friend I never had…” I trail off, a hopeful note in my voice. “Which, thank god, because I could really use a friend right now, and it looks like you could, too.” I rub my chin. “Wait, I think we’re supposed to hate each other first? Can we speed through that part quickly?”
Kenzie stares at me like I’m crazy, which I probably am, but I’m rewarded when she gives me a slow smile. “Well, luckily for you, creating another enemy is the last thing on my mind.” Moving to her side of the room, she grabs a water bottle I hadn’t spotted before. As she lifts it to her mouth, her elbow bends, and she winces. I note the look of pain on her face.
“You’re hurt,” I point out, concerned at the way just drinking is making her look like she’s in agony.
She pulls the bottle away from her lips. “It’s nothing,” she replies dismissively.
When I continue to stare at her with concern, she adds, “Professor Knox was in a sour mood for our class tonight. Probably because of that guy they had to hunt down. The professor pushed us harder than usual while we were sparring, and Jordan was more than happy to satisfy the professor’s thirst for pain.”
This piques my interest, and I try not to look too eager for information. “They had to hunt someone down?” I’m tempted to blurt out that I saw Knox and the others with Alexander, but that would open up too many questions, so I simply play dumb.
She shifts uncomfortably. “Yeah, they do that sometimes. His name was Alexander. He kept joking about visiting the human realm to go partying. He thought that since he’d mastered opening up shadow pathways on his own, he could get there and back without being detected. No one believed him, but I guess he wasn’t playing around. Not that he’ll be able to travel any shadow pathways now…” She shudders when she says the last part, like she’s imagining what they’ve done to Alexander. I don’t say anything, and after a moment, she places down her bottle and starts speaking again. “But you don’t have to worry about that. What you should be concerned about is that it’s dinner soon.”
“Dinner?” I can’t even remember the last time I ate, and despite Alexander’s sad story, my stomach growls loudly.
Kenzie grins. “We’d better get you ready. You can’t go looking like that.”
“Me? Girl, I’m not sure if you’ve looked in the mirror lately, but you’re not exactly looking too hot right now, either.”
She’s still grinning at me when the academy ring on her finger glows and shadows cover her body, blocking her from sight. The shadows disappear almost as quickly as they came, and I gape, staring at Kenzie’s now completely clean leather outfit. Even the smear of blood is gone from her face, and there aren’t any loose hairs escaping from her braid. She looks like she’s showered, changed, and even had time to apply a fresh layer of black around her eyes.
“How?” I point at her, demanding to know her secrets.
She taps the ring on her finger. “Yeah, I had that reaction the first time I saw it, too. It’s the rings. While you’re human, they allow you to connect to the shadow magic around us. As long as you wear the ring, you can create any outfit you can imagine, and have your hair done in any way. It’ll remove any surface bloodand dirt, but if you want a real good clean, you’ll have to use the communal showers.”
