It’s not long after, and we’re slipping into a lecture room, taking our seats at the back. At the front of the room, Professor Yevar’s cobra animali is curled up on the lectern. The creature looks as though it’s asleep, but every so often its tail twitches, and I get the feeling it’s listening to every word that’s being said.
Professor Yevar waits for a few more students to get seated, before he launches into his lecture about different battle tactics and formations. Some of the tactics sound familiar, and I remember them being used by the demon army, but others are completely new. I don’t fool myself into thinking I’ll remember everything, but I try to retain bits here and there, because I get the feeling the information may come in handy one day.
“Tell us what you had for lunch, girl,”Elgen demands, startling me. My gaze jerks to where both shadows, Elgen and Tarlaz, are positioned near an arched window.
“I’m supposed to be learning about battle tactics,”I reply back to Elgen in my mind.
“Yes well, no one is expecting you to lead an army, so give us the details that matter,”Elgen snaps back.
“Whoa. Someone woke up grumpy,”I say, trying to focus on what Professor Yevar is saying. Something about the shock and awe tactic. Whatever that is.
“We don’t sleep,”Elgen points out dryly.
“Yeah, and I’d be grumpy too if I couldn’t sleep,”I say sympathetically.
“You gettin’ any of this?” Jensen says, leaning toward me on my left. He’s sporting an orange mohawk today that bleeds through his black roots. When I give him a blank look he grins. “Guess I won’t be stealin’ your notes then.”
I lower my gaze to the blank page in front of me and grin. “Not unless you want to fail this class.” Truthfully, I don’t think we can fail a class. We fail when we die in the arena because we didn’t listen, or die on a battlefield, but he still grins back.
“Would you stop flirting and get to it, girl. We don’t have all day,”Elgen chastises in my head.
“What flirting? Geez, what’s with all the attitude?”I ask.Elgen is always a little prickly, but she’s being especially feisty today.
She doesn’t respond, and it’s only when the silence stretches on in my head that I start to get worried.
“Elgen?”I prompt, and I receive only a huff in return.
Finally, it’s Tarlaz who answers.“Ignore her, child. She’s simply annoyed by what we’ve just witnessed.”
I frown.“Why? What have you seen?”
“We’ve told you before, girl,”Elgen snaps.“There are always things happening in this academy.”
I’m still frowning.“You mean, things that are more exciting than facing a sky attack by the Xalgrith?”
“Oh, that wasn’t so bad,”Elgen says dismissively.“Clearly it can’t have been seeing as you’re still here.”
“Aw your concern is touching,”I say sarcastically. Then I think more about what they’ve said.“Hold on, whatever you’vejust seen… Does it have something to do with the missing students in the academy?”I’ve tried asking the shadows about the missing students in the past, but they’ve always denied knowing anything about the situation. I sit up straighter, completely forgetting about Professor Yevar as I give them my full attention.
“It’s nothing that concerns you,”Elgen replies cryptically.
“Well, now I’m really worried,”I say.
“What she means is that it’s nothing we should burden you with,”Tarlaz explains, his voice softer.“Horrible things happen in this realm every day.”
“Well yeah, but if it’s happening here in Shadowbone, maybe we can do something about it,”I counter.
“Perhaps, if you had immortality and we didn’t have to worry about you dying when you sneeze,”Elgen says harshly.
“What? I’m not going to die when I sneeze,”I say defensively.
“Could have fooled me,”she retorts.
“Hey, I survived the hunt,”I protest.
“Barely.”
I roll my eyes. Deciding not to push her, I focus back on what Professor Yevar is saying. He’s talking about shields and shield walls now, and I’m immersed for the rest of the class. I mean, who knew there were so many creative ways to kill someone with a shield? There are also disadvantages to having a shield, but I decide not to think about them right now.
