“Alpha Conon always had aninterestingleadership style,” Headmistress Wake said, clearly unimpressed by the shifter headmaster. “I thank you for placing my students here. Now why don’t you four go wash up for lunch? Afterward, we shall have some downtime.”
We all nodded, and happy for a moment alone, I slipped through the door to my room and shut it behind me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chatter and laughter rang in my ears as we approached the dining hall of Nightdwellers Academy for the first Spy Games Feast. I inhaled softly to quell my rising nerves, and squared my shoulders, preparing to be in the spotlight.
“You two ready for this?” Sam slid up between Diana and me.
“I think so.” Mentally, I ran through the last-minute etiquette tips that Headmistress Wake had given us about interacting with vampires, fae, and shifters. I didn’t want to embarrass my academy.
“If you’re at a loss, let Andre and I lead,” Sam suggested. “We’ve had more diplomatic training and experience with other creatures.”
My lips pulled up in a smile. Although I was sure that Sam was as nervous as the rest of us, I appreciated the offer. There had to be a leader of our little foursome, and it was nice to lean on someone else when my nerves were jangled.
“Done and done,” I agreed.
Diana nodded her agreement too. We slowed down to let the third-years pass us to walk in front.
A vampire gripping a steel staff that was taller than me stood at the entrance to the dining hall. When we approached, he motioned for us to stop and banged the rod on the ground. Voices in the chamber fell to a hush, and a wave of respect rolled over me. Nightdwellers totally creeped me out, but it was obviously regimented, and the students seemed to honor the headmaster and those above them.
“The final champions have arrived,” the staff-wielding vampire announced. “Please allow me to introduce the witches of Spellcasters.” He stepped aside, giving us a view of the room.
I gasped. Headmaster Ezra had referred to the space where the feast would take place as the dining hall. But the name didn’t do the luxurious gothic hall justice.
As with the rest of the castle, darkness prevailed, but strategic applications of light highlighted the room beautifully. Twisted metal centerpieces on every table held at least a dozen flaming red candles. Above, silver chandeliers dripped a stream of black crystals so long that they hovered only a few feet above the candle flames. The firelight made the crystals glow beautifully. Around the circular tables sat high-backed, black velvet chairs studded with steel. The entire room was striking and unlike anything I’d seen before, but four tables in the middle of the room—the champions’ tables—stood out the most.
At the far left of the line sat the vampire champions, all in suits and gowns, looking elegant and poised. As my gaze scanned the table, I locked eyes with a female champion with hair so black it appeared almost blue. Her eye contact was hard, unyielding in a way that sent shivers down my spine. Uncomfortable holding her gaze, my eyes flitted to the chalice before her.
Bad choice. The glass brimmed with blood, and my stomach heaved so I had to place a hand in front of my mouth.
The girl caught the gesture, smirked, and brought her goblet to her lips. Instead of sipping it, however, she bared her fangs and poured the red liquid on her lips. It cascaded down her front, coloring the pale skin of her décolletage crimson.
Her classmates burst out laughing, and even Headmaster Ezra looked amused by the girl’s antics.
Aware that the raven-haired vampire wanted to intimidate me, I arched what I hoped looked like an unimpressed eyebrow and turned toward the fae.
The fae delegates and their chaperones retained their glamour, but a strong, otherworldly energy vibrated off them. I’d felt a similar sensation before, wafting off of Ms. Seeley. Standing before five full fae, however, made it clear that Ms. Seeley’s witch side was more dominant.
The shifter participants sat sandwiched between the fae and vampires. It was impossible to tell what sort of animal they shifted into, but their amber and silver eyes glowed in the dark, hinting at their power.
Our table waited on the far right, and as soon as we settled in, Headmaster Ezra stood and moved to an empty space in front of the four champion tables. “Now that everyone is present, it is time to meet the champions of the first annual Spy Games!”
I withheld a groan. Why couldn’t we eat andthendo all the rah-rah crap? We’d spent the hours since our surprisingly tasty lunch in the solarium studying the magical races of our opponents, and working out so that our muscles would be ready for the start of the Games the next day.As a result I was freaking starving.
“In this corner, for Nightdwellers,” Headmaster Ezra swept back over to the vampire table. His exaggerated motions and obvious excitement reminded me of an announcer on a wrestling program. “Are the vampires!”
The room roared on cue. Students pounded their fists on the tables and a few leapt on to the table tops and released a proud hiss. I sighed and reluctantly settled in for what was sure to be a drawn-out spectacle.
When the cheering died down, Headmaster Ezra held a hand over a vampire with albino-white skin and vibrant blue eyes.
“First up for the host academy is Francis!”
Francis stood and began blowing kisses and waving to the crowd, who voiced their pleasure loudly.
Headmaster Ezra moved on to introduce the other three champions with equal fanfare.
Magdalena was a short, Hispanic-looking girl who seemed like she’d been about my age when she was turned. Compared to the headmaster and Francis, she was meek—merely waving and smiling at the crowd as she received her applause.
