“Yeah?” She raised a brow.
“Let’s not make it easy on them.”
Chapter Two
Selene
Thetunnelfromthehouse to this old, musty wine cellar was the perfect escape—probably part of the reason Mom had chosen the place. I cracked open the cellar hatch leading to the backyard and my eyes began to immediately burn from the smoke. Across the unkempt yard, the cabin sat quiet and dimly lit, just as we had left it.
I scanned the rest of our surroundings and heaved open the reinforced iron hatch the remainder of the way, rain dampening my hair. Mud and weeds squashed between my fingers as I hoisted myself out. Viv climbed the ladder behind me and I lent a hand, pulling her out onto the overgrown lawn. The forest line to our right had tall trees with thick, broad leaves, creating the perfect cover.
I started toward our escape with Viv right behind me but only made it a few steps before shadows emerged in our path. I held out my arm, stopping Viv in her tracks.
Figures stepped out of the woods around us. They stopped advancing, but the ones directly in front of us slowly lessened the distance between us. Viv and I crept backward, like prey being herded into the center of a circle. My heart raced as I attempted to formulate an escape plan.
“I don’t think we’re sneaking away,” Viv whispered, her retreat in step with mine until we halted.
“No.” My jaw clenched. “We aren’t.”
My breathing slowed as I told my muscles to relax, preparing for a fight. I wasn’t going to let them take my sister. Although she was only a year younger than me, it was my job to keep her safe. She only had me, and she was all I had.
“Selene Thomas.” The voice sounded mature, influential even, but I couldn’t see through the haze to make out who it belonged to.
One of the obscured figures took another step, the smoke separating to reveal a tall, lean man with dusted-grey blond hair. I assessed his dress shoes to his khakis and all the way to his collared shirt. It was in the seventies and about to get a lot hotter with the rising sun—who would wear dress shoes in the jungle?
A beautiful white fox slinked out of the shadows behind the man’s legs. It plopped its small rump down next to the man’s foot, its black eyes staring directly at me, the smoky grey tips of its ears twitching.
“Vivian Thomas.” The man spoke, and I looked up. The man nodded at my sister, his shoulders set with the same confidence his tone held.
“What do you want from us?” I stepped in front of my sister.
Off to the man’s side, an older woman called attention to herself by twitching her hand, and I bent my knees, bracing for an attack. Then the smoke dissipated.Fire mage. She wasn’t preparing to attack; she was shutting off her magic. Still, I heldmy defensive position as a dark scarlet lizard hunkered down on her shoulder, its bold blue tail draping down her upper arm.
I didn’t like being trapped.
“My deepest condolences regarding your mother.” The man held out his hands as if he were submitting, and the hair on my neck rose.
Mom had trained me to trust no one, and thatfeelingwas a part of me.
I stayed silent, not wanting to give anything away. How had he known she was dead? Had they followed us here from our home in Dominica?
“We’re with Fives Academy. These are its guards”—the man pointed around the circle—“and I am Headmaster John Sanders, also a member of the Mage Council.”
Great.
“We aren’t orphans,” I stated. I’d heard of the council sending academy guards instead of agents to track mage orphans. Orphans posed too much of a threat to the human world if nottamedor taught how to use their magic.
The Too-Put-Together-Headmaster didn’t reply, only offering a slight dip of his head, displaying the pity he took on us.
“We. Aren’t. Orphans.”
“Whoever killed your mother is coming after both of you. You will be safest at the academy,” the headmaster said.
“How did you know where to find us, John?” I asked, ignoring any formalities, and glanced at the guards surrounding us. Sewn on their jackets under their left collarbone was a gold insignia of all four elements—earth, fire, wind, water—lined a circle and dappled with a couple of stars in the center.
“It’s my job.” John’s lips pursed. Dark mages were ruthless. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they had caused destruction and death prior to finding us, which would have led John and the guards to Mom. “I promise we are only here to help.You’re sixteen, and your sister is fifteen.” He nodded at my sister, as if pointing out our age solidified his reasoning. It only made it creepier, though it wasn’t entirely shocking. Mom had gone through great lengths to keep us hidden, but the mage council was notorious for being thorough with their records. “Fives Academy has the strongest protective wards of all other academies or places in the world, Selene.”
“It’s Sal,” I corrected. I rarely went by Selene.
