Nightworld Academy Box Set 1

by L. J. Swallow

  My arms and legs shake, and I tremble beneath Andrei's touch. Annoyed that I've cried in front of him, I pull my face away and stumble backwards.

  He catches me and guides me towards the wall. "Sit here. I'll find someone to help."

  "No!" I shout out, alarmed that he'll cause a fuss. "Don't do that!"

  Footsteps run towards us as I slump against the wall, and my back drags down the smooth surface as I give in to the weakness. Ash grabs Andrei by the back of his jacket, who staggers before turning to him.

  "Get the hell off me." Andrei drags himself away, but Ash seizes him again.

  "What happened? Why is Maeve crying?"

  He shrugs Ash off. "I don't know."

  "What did you do?" asks Ash through gritted teeth.

  "It's not my fault she's crying for no reason. I walked out here and found her. Who knows with girls? They cry at everything."

  I gaze at the back of his head. He knows I was having a vision. Did Andrei catch a glimpse?

  "Stay away," Ash growls.

  "You can't tell me who to talk to. You bloody shifters think you rule this academy."

  "When I see a girl crying, I get involved." Ash's face reddens as he stares down at Andrei.

  Andrei turns to look at me and he mouths "I know your secret too" before saying, "Yeah, okay, I touched her, and she didn't like it. Go on, hit me. I'd love to see you in detention at the weekend."

  Ash shoves his hands into his hoodie pockets and doesn't fall for Andrei's goading.

  "Why aren't you in class, Ash?" asks Andrei.

  "None of your business." Ash steps past Andrei and holds out a hand to help me up.

  With a deliberately dramatic sigh, Andrei drags open the heavy door to the classroom and steps back inside. Jamie passes him on the way out and Sofia stands in the doorway beside him.

  "Why did you leave?" she asks me and Andrei. "I never saw you walk out."

  Still dazed, I don't answer.

  "Maeve was sick and Andrei followed to see if she’s alright," says Jamie, eyes narrowed.

  "Sick?"

  All eyes rest on me and perspiration breaks out on my forehead again. I can't avoid this any longer.

  "No. I’m having random visions." Beside me, Andrei straightens and looks at Jamie.

  Sofia's mouth parts. "Oh? Perhaps we should talk after class, if they're affecting you this intensely."

  Jamie's worried face prompts my next statement. "The vision I had was the same as when I scry—the one where I see a friend from home. More practice on focusing would help, because I still can't see what could happen to Tessa."

  Andrei raises a brow at me, confirming what I suspected. He saw what Tobias did. But how much?

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  MAEVE

  I sit on the large, yellow sofa in Sofia's office. Will she discover my lie? Jamie sits with me, leaning back with one leg crossed over his knee. Comfortable. Does he come here too?

  "I wish you hadn't grouped us with Andrei," I say.

  Sofia gives a light laugh. "I hoped you might predict something in their lives to stop their cockiness for a day."

  "I told you something was happening with Maeve," Jamie puts in. "I spoke to Theodora."

  She rubs her lips together. "It's time to be honest with us, Maeve. What are you seeing?"

  I can't. Not yet. Not until I have facts. If I tell Sofia and Jamie that I repeatedly imagine Jamie's death, there's nothing they can do apart from push me harder to discover more. Each time I have a vision that repeats, I gain more information where and when things will happen.

  The last time I used the scrying bowl, I tried to summon the future I see for Jamie, but nothing happened. Yes, I hate the random visions, but what if that's the only way I'll see the full details?

  Once more details come to me, I will tell them.

  The location in the vision isn't the academy, so while we're still here, he's safe.

  Halloween is weeks away and Tessa may not be safe.

  "I told you, I saw my friend from home—the one I see every time I use the scrying bowl."

  Jamie and Sofia look at me doubtfully.

  "Can you help?" I ask. "I haven't seen the full events, but I know this is on Halloween."

  "What happens to her?" asks Sofia.

  "I don't know." Exasperation seeps into my tone, and I rub my temples. "I don't understand why I can't focus."

  Sofia reaches out to touch my hand and I move it away, positive that each time she does she can read my mind.

  "Halloween is next month," says Jamie. "That's plenty of time to work on connecting with your gift. You've already made more progress than I have."

  Sofia shakes her head. "That's not true, Jamie. You've come a long way. You have a much fuller picture when you touch items."

  "But I can only envision the past," he protests. "I need to see the future."

  "But together you could make a good team, don't you think?" Sofia holds her arms out in a gesture of bringing us together. Jamie stares at his feet and I look at the bookshelves. There's an undercurrent to her word 'team'. One that hangs between Jamie and me all the time.

  "Would you like to try to work together now? Your mind must be attuned to your future-sight if you've experienced a vision already today."

  My mouth dries. But what would I see? The idea that I might share images of his death sickens me. But if I ask for Jamie to leave, there'll be more suspicion. "Okay. But I'm tired. I don't think that will help."

  "If you're closer to your subconsciousness because you're tired, that might help." Sofia's mouth parts. "Ah. Of course! I'm a fool. You don't need scrying bowls or crystals. You need to enter trance."

  "Uh. What?" I twist my head between her and Jamie. "Are you suggesting you hypnotise me? Because... no."

  I don't want to let anybody into my mind; Tobias already invaded once.

  Sofia sits. "Jamie is with us, if you don't trust me."

  "No. No, it's not that I don't trust you. I don't know if I'm ready for this."

  "But if you want to see everything in the vision about your friend." Jamie's voice hardens. He's not stupid; he knows what I saw earlier involved him.

  I take a deep breath. "I'll use the scrying bowl again, but I'm not ready for hypnotic trances."

  The pair accept my protest more readily than I expected, and Sofia brings across the large bowl and places it in front of me.

  "Jamie, sit beside Maeve. I'm curious about something." Sofia beckons him over. The light perfume she wears reminds me of the ocean, fresh and invigorating, and is one I associate with the visions I have here.

  She always stands close.

  I pull on my lip in trepidation as I steel myself for what might happen.

  Each time I use the bowl, the easier I find it to draw myself away from the world and into the space in my mind. The issue is capturing the vision once I'm there.

  The spiral downwards happens quicker this time; the images sudden and sharp. I'm looking at a different scene. Tessa stands dressed in the same costume. I've visited her home since we were at primary school and recognise her hallway. The coat stand. The mirror above a pine dresser which Tessa looks into before she picks up her phone.

  She checks the screen and I see a blue and white blur but not enough to read the screen. Facebook? She opens the front door and calls out to her mum that she'll be home around eleven, then walks out. I reach out with my mind and attempt to follow her, but she fades from view.

  I swear beneath my breath and push hair from my face, as if that would make the pictures clearer. Beside me, Jamie shifts, and his leg touches mine.

  The vision returns—clearer and bigger—and shifts to a new location.

  I can't see how Tessa enters the building, but I return to the original snapshots of her standing in a room decorated with Halloween pumpkins and garlands. Dry ice obscures the surroundings and loud music thuds around her.

  My sight pans across the room as I focus on memorising her surroundings; if
I've been here before, I’m struggling to recognise anything through the smoggy atmosphere. How? She isn't outside. Is my mind clouding this?

  A guy stands nearby. Tall. Around our age, maybe older. His brown hair is short and tidy, and— Jamie shifts beside me again and his leg breaks contact with mine. The images mist over as if somebody dropped ink into the water.

  A girl screams and I glimpse Tess’s open-mouthed terror. The sound echoes and the image becomes black, as I’m dragged away from the scene to reality.

  I swear again and sink back against the chair in exasperation, breaking my focus when the inky shadow refuses to clear. Jamie cocks his head and looks at me.

  "What did you see?"

  "She's at a Halloween party in our home town. There's a guy there I don't recognise. I didn't get a close look because the moment I saw him, Jamie—" I halt.

  "Jamie did what?" ask Sofia.

  I rub my eyes as the tiredness grows. The vision exhausted me, especially as it's the second tonight.

  "Was I there?" he asks sharply.

  "No. The images faded, then your leg touched mine and things became clearer." The scream still echoes in my ears, but I say nothing. This has changed everything—I no longer want to go home on Halloween. I need to.

  Sofia claps her hands together. "That's wonderful! I knew there must be some connection between you. I can feel it—I did from the first time I saw you together. We must speak to Theodora about this."

  Now it's my turn to move in my chair, awkward. I presumed the strange buzz I felt was the connection between myself and Jamie from the future I saw. Sofia is right—something more exists between us. Jamie is another witch who I saw in my mind before I met him. A guy with an affinity to spirit as I have.

  One whose open and friendly nature, coupled with his good looks, drew me to him.

  Jamie already means more to me than he should considering we've known each other for such a short time. I've built a wall and attempted not to care, but I'm failing.

  "Tomorrow," says Jamie firmly. "Maeve is exhausted. We need to sleep."

  Sofia pulls out a book and scribbles notes, the way she always does after my extra tuition. Sofia’s excitability amuses me, but I appreciate her care and dedication to the academy and Walcott. I've voiced my fears that I won't live up to what the academy expects, and about my powers in general. Sofia reassures me I can and will grow into my powers and help.

  I haven't forgotten the attack on me by the strangers and need more information on the mysterious Dominion. My powers have become a focus for many teachers here. Other students begin to notice that the extra attention I receive isn't due to the fact I lived my life as human.

  The rumours I'm future-sighted spread beyond my circle of friends.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  MAEVE

  In the past, if someone told me to visit the headmistress’s office, I’d worry what I’d done. Now, I worry about what I'll discover about the world next. Since the night of the attack, I’ve refused to walk the academy grounds alone, confused by how big a threat the Dominion is to me and the school. I accepted the hush-hush reaction from Theodora and accepted her belief that there’s no threat, but the anxiety niggles. Someone attacked me days after I arrived here. How can I not worry?

  I arrive at Theodora’s office and tense when a stern-faced Tobias opens the door. He switches to one of his charming smiles and gestures for me to enter. Inside the large office, my three friends sit with Andrei. Theodora sits behind her desk with Sofia standing one side of her and a man I don't recognise on the other.

  "Please, sit down." Theodora waves a hand at the spot on the sofa between Jamie and Ash.

  They look as confused as I am, and Amelia gives a small shrug, but she’s pale. Who is this man?

  He’s tall and slender with slicked back black hair which accentuates his angular features. His eyes are the same colour as Andrei’s, as is his skin, and unnaturally long fingers curl around the cane he holds which has a bird made from silver sitting on the top.

  The man’s brown suit and waistcoat look more suited to Victorian England than the twenty-first century but doesn’t look out of place in the dark oak room with the nineteenth century touches.

  Curiosity flickers across his eyes as he watches my every move when I walk in and take my place.

  "This is the girl?" The man’s heavy Eastern European accent adds an extra weight to his words: ‘the girl’.

  Theodora smiles at me. She’s trying to reassure me, but it will take more than a gentle smile to erase my discomfort. "Yes, she is. Maeve, this is Oskar Petrescu. He is one of the Confederacy representatives."

  Amelia makes a soft noise of understanding and Ash straightens, but Jamie and Andrei don't look perturbed. Petrescu? I swallow, aware I’m in the company of somebody I need to respect. I tense even though the man keeps his distance, but the unwavering gaze crawls across my scalp.

  "I apologise that it has taken such a long time for one of the Confederacy representatives to meet with you," he drawls. "I can understand there must be anxiety around the school. I hope I can ease that."

  "No," puts in Tobias, "because the majority are unaware of the attack on Maeve."

  Oskar sits and props his cane beneath his chin, the silver bird digging into his skin. "But you are taking measures to protect her, I hope. I see nothing to suggest extra security."

  "Of course," says Theodora. Her usual bright facade slips for a moment and annoyance edges her tone. "Low key, but effective measures. Does the Confederacy have news about the attack and perpetrators?"

  The prickling from Oskar’s calculating gaze spreads down the back of my neck. "Yes," he says. "We believe the attack on the school was opportunistic and an attempt to take the future-sighted witch before she discovered who she was. The Dominion would rather the witch doesn't acknowledge or develop her powers."

  He speaks about me and not to me, as if I’m a thing not a person.

  "Do you know what they intended to do to Maeve?" asks Sofia softly.

  Kill me?

  Oskar grips his cane tighter. "We believe they intended to wipe the witch’s memory of the academy and educate her elsewhere. The Dominion are interested in her gifts, and they could manipulate her to work for them."

  "I’m not easily manipulated," I retort.

  I bristle at Tobias’s laughter behind me. "No, Maeve. But what if the Dominion found you first? They could fill your mind with stories of the danger posed by the human world. They could persuade you that the Confederacy are wrong and that revenge and power over humans is the only choice."

  I shift in my seat to face him. "I wouldn’t."

  "They have a different view about how to ‘manage’ the supernaturals' place in the world. If the Dominion spoke to you first, they could influence you."

  "You mean brainwash me? Like you’re able to wipe non-human minds?"

  He rolls his eyes. "Do you see what I mean about her impertinence?"

  Theodora gives a wry smile. "We all know that Tobias can use mental magic on all races. That’s why he’s the Confederacy’s man on the ground here."

  "Oh…" Every dealing I’ve had with Tobias runs across my mind. I side glance Andrei who’s maintained a stoic face.

  "I’m watching you, Maeve," he says, and his eyes shine in triumphant amusement. "Sofia may teach you and watch you when you are in your house, but I am keeping a close eye on you too." He gestures. "And your friends."

  "You work for the Confederacy?" asks Amelia in whispered awe.

  "He does, doesn’t he, grandfather?" Andrei turns to smirk at me as he says the words and it takes a few seconds to catch up to him.

  "Oskar is your grandfather?" asks Ash. "But I heard that your mother—"

  Oskar slams his cane on the floor. "Enough. My daughter-in-law’s actions do not reflect on me. Her decision to turn away from the Confederacy is of no consequence."

  Andrei scowls at Ash. "We can’t choose our family, can we?"

  Beside m
e, Ash tenses. If others didn’t surround us, I’d lay bets he’d take a swing at Andrei. What’s happening? I rub my cheek. Politics. Everywhere.

  "I agree. Enough," growls Tobias.

  "Thank you." Oskar nods at him. "I did not want children involved in this. But as you witnessed the attack on your friend, the Confederacy feels you must be kept updated." His expression tells me he really doesn’t want us involved.

  And children? We’re all legal adults.

  "Oskar has informed me that those who attacked the school and Maeve were caught and dealt with." Theodora tries another bright smile but the atmosphere in the room is harder for her to light up.

  "Yes. We eradicated the Dominion cell responsible shortly after Theodora informed us what happened. Their attack came out of the blue, and we suspect it wasn't officially sanctioned."

  "And now?" she asks. "How much danger do we face on a day-to-day basis?"

  "As far as we know, there are no other Dominion cells within the United Kingdom who have enough power to infiltrate the school."

  Cells. Jamie’s right. They talk about the Dominion as if they’re terrorists.

  "Other Dominion members live in the country," puts in Sofia. "That’s a worry."

  "Tobias watches Maeve and the school, and we have troops around the country watching too." He looks to me. "The Confederacy aren’t a group sitting in a room making up rules. We have a military branch too—although our weapons are a little different to a human military."

  I can’t keep up; I can barely deal with the world inside the school, let alone the intricacies in the world outside. At least Oskar’s words offer comfort around the situation.

  "You mean I’m not in danger?" I ask.

  "Not immediate danger, no." Oskar tips his chin. "You will be in demand, shall we say, but it’s unlikely the Dominion want you dead."

  "Nice," I mutter.

  "Their actions backfired. The Dominion followers thought the school was an easy target, but we are not, and now we’re on full alert," puts in Tobias. "We arrest every person who approaches the school if there’s a hint they may be linked to the Dominion. Rest assured Maeve, we do not expect another attack like that."