Needing a distraction, I whisper to Kenzie, “Where’s Arizak?” The shadow stallion isn’t in the class, and I’m a little disappointed.
She shrugs. “They don’t always come to classes. The professors are the only ones who are allowed to have their shadow creatures within the academy building, and even then, the creatures tend to spend a lot of their time in the forest where they’re more comfortable.”
Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense.
Sitting on my other side is mohawk guy from the dining hall the night before. He winks at me, slouching in his chair.
I lean toward him, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Tell me, is this class actually going to be interesting, or do I need to brace myself for boredom?”
The guy chuckles, and I have to admit he’s attractive, with small dimples that appear on his cheeks as a lazy smirk plays on his lips. His gaze roves over my generous amount of cleavage before resting on my face. “Can’t promise the class will beinteresting, new girl, but if you come find me later, I promise to?—”
He doesn’t get to finish.
“Jensen,” Galen’s voice snaps across the room.
Ah, so that’s his name.
When I turn my attention back to the professor, the amusement is gone from his eyes.
“I see you’ve met our new student,” Galen drawls with a tight smile. “I realize for the past week we’ve been discussing the different types of souls in the shadow realm, but it’s important that everyone understands our origin story. Why don’t you come to the front and tell our new student what she’s missed?”
“Fuck that,” Jensen mutters, laughing under his breath, but when Galen keeps staring at him expectantly, he grumbles another curse and lifts from his seat. Begrudgingly, he makes his way down the stairs and to the front of the class.
I half wonder whether Galen did that on purpose to get Jensen away from me, but then I tell myself that’s silly.
“I must say, little shadow, I don’t appreciate you asking if my class will bore you,”Galen’s voice drawls in my ear, though I don’t see the man’s mouth move. His attention remains fixed on Jensen, and for a moment, I think I must have imagined it when I hear Galen’s voice again.“It’s called shadow whispers, treasure, and only you can hear what I’m saying right now,”he explains, like he heard my unsaid question.“Provided you keep your voice low, you can also reply and no one else will hear you.”
Wait, what? Shadow whispers?Speaking under my breath, I answer,“I didn’t say I’d be bored to death. I simply asked if the class was interesting.”
“Hmmm,”Galen muses.“Well, I can assure you it will be much more interesting now that you’re here.”There’s the hintof a threat in his words, and I get the feeling I must have pissed the shadow professor off.Ooops.
“So tell us,” Galen says to Jensen. “What have you learned of our origin so far. What does our new student need to know?”
Jensen swallows hard, his throat bobbing as he looks nervously out at all the students. The man is huge, one of the biggest in the class, but it’s obvious he’s not comfortable speaking in front of crowds. Feeling sorry for him, I lift my hands giving him two reassuring thumbs ups.
He grins at me, and I could swear a flicker of irritation passes over Galen’s face before it’s gone again.Huh. Looks like I’m not the only jealous one here. I guess Galen doesn’t like it when others look at his ‘toy’ as he so affectionately calls me.
“Krosia was the first, um, human to come to the shadow realm,” Jensen says uncertainly.
“And who called her here?” Galen prompts.
“The oracle,” he answers.
Galen nods approvingly. “Who is?”
Jensen shuffles his feet. “An ancient being from the shadow realm.”
“That’s correct,” Galen agrees. “There are multiple kinds of shadow beings. There are the corali. These are the shadows an individual with shadow magic can control. They are not sentient beings, but manifestations of power, and an extension of the wielder themselves. Then there are animali shadow creatures. These shadow beings hold animalistic forms and are the very creatures we bond with. Aside from these, we have the higher beings, the zenali. These are rare beings who are more human-like and capable of understanding a variety of languages. They come in many different forms. It’s one of the zenali, a shadow being with oracle powers, who summoned Krosia here. And why?”
Jensen fidgets with his fingers. “Because dark beings, named the Xalgrith, had started to invade the shadow realm, and he knew his kind needed help.”
The Xalgrith?I haven’t heard that name before, and I file it away in my mind.
“Correct again,” Galen answers. “That’s how this all started. The oracle knew the shadow realm would fall if the shadow creatures tried to fight this battle alone, so he reached out to the human realm. Krosia was the first to hear him and travel to this realm. She became the shadow queen. The creed we recite before our meals isn’t simply an academy motto; it’s the very prophecy the oracle sang centuries ago.”
I stiffen, thinking of the words I’d heard them say at dinner the night before.It’s a prophecy?That last line repeats in my head:For without you…there will be no times at all.
“Professor, may I?” Jensen’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and the guy peers longingly back at his empty seat beside me. Before he can head for the stairs, Galen gestures to an empty chair in the front row instead.
