Further cuts – god, I’d forgotten all about those - Neumann’s eyes focus on me now, perceiving that I am completely lost. “In case some of you are unaware,” he says, his voice dry, “which is…frankly abundantly clear from some of your expressions, Alpha Academy cuts a further 40% of its entering Ca
“Oh, god, Rafe,” I sigh, shaking my head up at him and glancing down the hall. “Do we have to do this now? My schedule says we have ten minutes for lunch before our next mystery class –“ “Here,” Rafe says, dropping a wrapped power bar and a bottle of water on top of my books. “Academy isn’t big on
“Each of you,” Alves says softly, moving to the book satchel perched on the edge of the desk and pulling from it the black orb, “demonstrated an affinity for magic. I will be here, over the course of the next several months and years, to see whether or not your particular skills can be honed for the
Professor Alvez smiles like a cat who has just caught a canary. “Oh, excellent, Cadet Davis. Please, do share.” The dark-haired boy sighs again, crossing his arms over his chest as he looks around at us, clearly uncomfortable. “Are we sworn to secrecy in here?” he asks, anxious. “I’m not eager to
Rafe smiles at me, nodding, letting me know I’ve done well. I smile back. “My situation is the same,” Jackson chimes in, tense. “Surprised to be here. No magical family line to speak of. Are you sure I’m in the right place?” “Oh, I’m sure, McClintock,” Alvez says, leaning forward to smile at him
My eyes immediately dart to Rafe and Jesse across the room, but they’re caught up in their conversations with Jackson and Tony. “No no,” Alvez says, his voice soft and pleased. “Don’t shout for your brother, Ariel. That would be a poor choice.” I turn my eyes back to the professor as, inside me,
“The marble didn’t move,” I say, my voice solid. Tony looks down at me, perhaps wondering why I’m not sharing more, but I just stand straight and don’t look at him, hoping he holds his tongue. Good, my wolf says, though she’s laying languidly in my soul now, her eyes half-lidded in her relaxation.
My eyes go wide as I gasp, spinning to see Alvez walking down the hall, completely nonchalant. But that was no ghost, sneaking an intimate touch when my brother’s back was turned. “What is it?” Rafe asks, turning towards me. “Sorry, I uh – just saw a spider,” I murmur. “Really big one.” “Gross