Academy of Beasts XXXIII

by Becca Fanning

  Academy Of Beasts XXXIII

  Shifter Romance

  Becca Fanning

  Copyright © 2021 by Becca Fanning

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Also by Becca Fanning

  Chapter 1

  The scream that echoed in the room was barely recognizable. I only realized it came from me when another one was wrenched from my throat. It wasn't my vision that made me scream, but the fact that I had been physically hurt in it. How was that possible? My heart pounded, sweat washed my skin, and my hand flew up to graze my neck. I whimpered when I touched the burning skin. Blinking rapidly, I wondered if maybe me sitting in bed awake was another dream, and I'd really wake up soon.

  "Fiona, what is it?"

  Ren was up and sweeping my room. His eyes were clear and sharp as if he hadn't just been sleeping. Enrique was up and on alert as well.

  "Are you guys real?"

  "What?" Enrique peered at me with a frown.

  "What's wrong?" Ren asked fangs bared as he surveyed the room. There was only the moonlight filtering in, so I could barely see. They were seeing clearly, however. Ren's eyes glowed amber, showing that his wolf was right beneath the surface, ready to make an appearance at any sign of danger.

  "I…" I pulled in a breath. "I don't know…"

  Enrique rolled out of bed and flipped on the light. I blinked rapidly against the invasion of the sudden brightness as my pupils adjusted.

  "Holy shit." Enrique's eyes widened. "Fiona," he hurried back to my side and tilted my chin up to survey my neck, "what the hell is this?"

  Ren leaned closer, his eyes troubled. "Is that a… burn?"

  I gulped. "It still hurts." My eyes whipped from one concerned face to the next. "I don't understand. I was dreaming and…" The dream turned into reality? What the ever-loving hell was going on? Scrambling out of bed, I rushed to the mirror to look at my wound. My jaw dropped. The shape of a hand was imprinted on my skin. A huge red handprint right where the dream Dante had touched. Or maybe it was the real Dante, because why would there be a physical mark?

  "Gods," I breathed.

  Enrique and Ren peered into the mirror, too. Enrique's brows drew together. "What happened?"

  Shoving my fingers through my hair, I blew out a breath. "You guys aren't going to believe this. I don't even believe it." The need to sit down before I keeled over had me strolling back to bed. I plopped down and heaved another heavy sigh. "I had another vision. A strange one." What was I saying? They were all weird. Well, this one was a little stranger than the rest. Lightly stroking my skin that still burned, I recounted what I'd seen.

  "It was almost as if I was awake." Glancing at the guys, I shrugged. "It felt like it. It felt as if I was standing right there in that room with Dante."

  "Dante?" Ren growled. "What―"

  The pounding on my door had our gazes swinging to it.

  "Fiona? Are you alright in there?" It was Theo.

  "Open the door," came Jasper's frantic voice.

  "Fiona, open the door, or I'll kick it in." Dracus's calm order made me roll my eyes.

  Of course, I had awakened the entire manor. My scream was loud enough to wake the dead. Dropping my head into my hands, I groaned. "I had hoped to keep this," I gazed at Enrique and Ren, "between us."

  "Seriously?" Enrique's wide-eyed stare called me all kinds of crazy. "Have you seen your wound? What on earth gave you the idea we could keep this to ourselves? Why the hell would we want to?"

  "I don't know, maybe not to cause panic in a time when we're dealing with a shitload of other things," I hissed.

  Ren rolled his eyes. He hopped into his pants as he headed to the door to swing it open. I scoffed and glared at him. "Thought this was my bedroom," I grumbled.

  Dracus, Jasper, and Theo practically fell inside. They all swept the room warily. Dracus was the first to take in the state of undress Ren, Enrique, and I were in. He blinked, then the slightest hint of pink highlighted his cheeks. "Oh… was this… is this… did we interrupt something?"

  I wanted to die. Stifling a groan, I bit out, "No, Dracus, you didn't."

  "Really, man?" Enrique gave Dracus an irritated look. "That sounded like a scream of pleasure to you?" He snorted. "I'm good but I'm not that good."

  "Enrique," I growled. I wanted to slap him for making things more awkward.

  "What happened to you?" Jasper asked as he honed in on my neck. He stepped closer with a deepening frown.

  "Fiona," Theo gasped, barreling towards me.

  I sighed. Exactly what I didn't want to be transpired. This whole thing was already turning into a huge deal. Okay, waking up from a vision with physical trauma was pretty big, but I hated being the center of attention, yet again.

  "Tell us what happened at once."

  Gritting my teeth, I glared at Dracus. Leave it up to him to be bossy at freaking five in the morning.

  "She had a vision, and she was just about to tell us about what."

  Taking a deep breath, I briefly shut my eyes. "Okay, everyone just calm down and shut up." Opening my eyes, I took in the five concerned and impatient faces. "My vision felt real. I was sleeping and the next thing I knew, I was standing in some strange, dirty room looking at a robed figure. It was Dante, and he was pissed. He had all this strange red energy, like lightning zipping around him. His eyes…" I shook my head. "They didn't look human."

  Jasper folded his arms over his chest and shrugged. "Fiona, he isn't human." His lips quirked. "You know with him being a shifter and warlock and all."

  I lifted a brow. "Point taken. What I mean is, his eyes were glowing red. I've never seen that before. Granted, I haven't met many evil, murderous warlocks but I've never seen any of the witches look like that."

  The guys remained silent, seeming to hang on to my every word.

  "He looked up and when he recognized me, he looked shocked. Just as shocked as I was. He asked me how I got there." I got up because I was so freaked out that I needed to pace. I didn't even care that I was wrapped in only a thin sheet with five pairs of eyes following me. "As if I was actually there… wherever there is."

  Everyone exchanged worried glances.

  "It's similar to what happened to me in Ren's room. When I vanished and came back. I'd been in the middle of a vision then too, and like the one with Dante, it felt real. It was as if I was physically in the vision."

  I glanced at Ren. "I don't know what's going on with me, but I don't think the witches have anything to do with this."

  His jaws clenched, and his sigh resonated with annoyance. He still didn't believe the witches were innocent. Right now, I didn't care. I was on the verge of a breakdown. Not knowing what was happening to me was killing me. Was it good? Bad? Did it come with being a calm?

  "Dante grabbed me by the neck in the vision and I felt the pain with such intensity, I wondered if he was actually touching me. Then, I woke up with this." I pointed to my neck. "His hand print burned into my skin and it still stings like a bitch."

  Dracus moved closer. He looked confused… scared. Dracus being afraid wasn't a good sign. If he was afraid, I was terrified because that meant that I was in deep shit and he didn't hav
e the answers. "He attacked you in your dream," he whispered. "How is that possible?"

  Fighting back panic, I stared into dark brown eyes that swirled with uncertainty.

  "Dracus?" Ren called, as if he, too, was looking to Dracus for answers.

  The others had him locked in expectant gazes, as well. We were all looking to him for answers. He always had answers. When he just continued to stare at my wound without a word, I groaned. "I'm screwed aren't I?"

  He blinked. "Don't panic."

  I snorted inwardly, remembering Priscilla's words when I'd told her not to panic over the Dante situation. "You telling me not to panic is going to make me panic."

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. "Then try not to. I don't know what's going on with you, but there has to be an answer. We'll find it."

  "What, are you and Jasper going to sneak into Demetrius's prison to play Q and A without my knowledge again?"

  His lips parted, and his eyes widened a fraction before swinging to Jasper. I glowered at them both. Jasper shrugged. "Yeah, I know all about that," I said. "A little hypocritical of you, don't you think?"

  Dracus and I had one of those intense stare-downs. "Visiting Demetrius for answers about your powers for your safety isn't the same as you visiting him behind my back and lying about it."

  "I don't know. Seems like lying is the whole point, here, which I'd say we're both guilty of."

  "That's not―"

  "Really, Dracus?" Theo stepped between us. He glared. "You're going to stand here and argue with her now? When she's injured?"

  Guilt flickered across Dracus's face, and his gaze dropped back to my burn wound. "You can heal yourself. Have you tried?"

  "No." The room was too quiet. With everyone staring at me, I felt uncomfortable. "I can't do it with you guys watching."

  Theo shrugged. "Why not?"

  It was a good question. I mean, it wasn't like using my powers was something intimate. I suppose I was afraid I'd fail, and the guys would see how much work I still needed to get a handle on my abilities. "Just give me a minute." I marched to the bathroom and closed the door. Staring at my wound in the mirror, I tried to heal. Nothing happened. Inhaling and exhaling, I focused and tried again.

  Still nothing.

  "Oh, come on," I hissed. I'd done it before. "Maybe it was a one-time thing…" I assessed my scar at all angles in the mirror. Was that possible? Could the ability to heal myself be a one-off miracle?

  "Leia, are you there?" I whispered, peeking back at the door. The guys still didn't know that I had tête-à-têtes with a ghost from time to time. It would have been a really good time for her to appear… or say something. Maybe she could tell me why I wasn't healing. "Leia," I hissed again. I was met with silence. Sighing, I gazed at the angry red burn.

  Relax, came the single word response. It was definitely Leia's voice, but I didn't feel her calm presence. That meant she was far away. I was disappointed because I wouldn't mind seeing her again, as I had the night she'd showed up in my room. Why hadn't she appeared to me like that so plainly again?

  "Okay, I get the message, Leia. Thanks." I needed to be what I was― calm. And I needed to focus. However, each time I closed my eyes and tried to relax, I saw furious red eyes and a hand reaching for me to tap into my power. Frustrated, I slammed my palms against the sink. "Damn it. Thanks for traumatizing me some more, Dante," I grumbled.

  "Fiona, are you alright in there? What's happening?"

  I glanced back at the door with a sigh. It was Dracus. Dragging my feet to the door, I opened it. Everyone was in the position I'd left them in—all waiting expectantly for me to appear fully healed. My gaze dropped to the hardwood. "I can't do it." And I hated admitting that. The way my powers operated― on and off― was so frustrating.

  Dracus, arms folded and studying me closely, nodded. "That's fine. Get dressed, I'll have Nurse Greta come take a look."

  "She does home visits?"

  "Sure, when the council has secrets to keep."

  Of course. I didn't want anyone seeing me with a handprint burned into my skin. There would be questions, and my answer would make me look crazy.

  Chapter 2

  "Hmm." Nurse Greta peered at my neck. "Hmm." She then turned away to add a dash of something into the bowl that she was mixing in.

  "Nurse Greta?"

  "Yes, dear?" She continued crushing and mixing.

  "Can you please explain to me what hmm means?" Not knowing if my condition would worsen had my anxiety on the rise. I glanced around at the guys surrounding us. Or maybe it wasn't just my anxiety. I tried not to scowl at each of them because I knew they hovered. After all, they were worried about me. Nurse Greta had begged them for a little space to work, but not one of them moved.

  She chuckled. "Oh, right. I'm sorry. I'm just so intrigued."

  "And I'm freaking out," I grumbled.

  "You said someone merely touched you?"

  I looked to Dracus for help. Dante being on the loose was a big secret, and I certainly didn't want to tell her the full truth of how I'd gotten the burn.

  "Yes, we were out… patrolling. Came across a warlock." The lie rolled off of Dracus's tongue way too easily. I glanced at him with suspicion. How many times had he and the others lied to Nurse Greta… and everyone else?

  The nurse glanced at all the anxious faces surrounding us. She was utilizing the kitchen where she could easily gather ingredients for her healing salve. Mooney's stash of herbs had come in handy "Makes sense." She tapped her mixing tool on the bowl and tossed it in the sink.

  "It does?" I lifted a brow.

  "You obviously came across a warlock who's skilled with the element of fire. There are a few powerful magic practitioners who excel at utilizing the elements." She squinted at my wound. "This one is a master of fire power it would seem."

  She paused to survey every face that was now not only concerned but curious. I stared at her, too, wondering how she knew this. I hadn't learned any of this in any of my classes.

  "What?" She sniffed. "I specialize in the healing arts, but I know a thing or two outside of that practice. My sister is an expert in creatures and magic, you know."

  "What else can you tell us?" Dracus leaned on the island to peer at the nurse.

  "Well, Fiona is very lucky. If this warlock had you in his grip any longer there's a chance your insides would have melted."

  "Melted?"

  "In a manner of speaking."

  I gawked at her while the blood rushed from my head. I swayed a little on the stool that I was perched on but recovered quickly. "The hits just keep on coming," I mumbled. Just when we thought Dante couldn't get any more dangerous, he went ahead and became more dangerous. Talk about an overachiever. Some worked hard in school or at their jobs― Dante put all his efforts into being evil.

  The rest of the council seemed to share my sentiment because there was a chorus of groans and heavy sighs. Enrique dropped his head to the counter with a bang. "I quit," he murmured.

  Theo patted his shoulder. "No, you don't."

  Dracus scrubbed a hand over his face. "Nurse Greta, exactly how does one come about such power in a short time?"

  Great question. When we faced Dante last year, he didn't have the power to freaking melt people.

  "A short time, huh? How short?"

  Dracus's jaw clenched. "Days."

  "Oh." Nurse Greta tapped her chin. "Most likely by stealing it."

  "How?" I leaned closer and almost toppled off my stool again. The nuances of the shifter world that I had yet to learn were so much. I was thoroughly intrigued.

  "My sister mentioned something about this. I was helping her with her studies…" she murmured absently. "I believe by sucking the energy or particular skill or power from someone who has the ability. Stealing the life force, you might say." She shuddered. "It's all very gory. Honestly, I don't know why my sister didn't go into the health field as I did."

  We all exchanged long glances. Who had Dante killed to acquire hi
s new power? The man sure had a propensity for killing others to take what wasn't his. First, he targeted shifters to steal their hides; now, he was taking out witches and warlocks. I almost blurted out that we needed to find him fast but remembered that Nurse Grata didn't know and wasn't supposed to know… yet.

  "Alright, Fiona, let me put this on your burn. It will soothe the injury and speed up healing."

  Maybe later, when I was a bit more relaxed, I'd try my healing power again if that was even possible. For now, I just wanted the pain to stop. "Thank you."

  I bit my lower lip as she rubbed the salve over the burn. The area was tender, and I couldn't help thinking about my insides melting. It made me shudder.

  "I'm sorry, dear, am I hurting you?"

  "No. I was just thinking about what you said might have happened if… the assailant had maintained contact."

  "Perhaps, I shouldn't have mentioned that. I didn't mean to scare you."

  I glanced at the woman with a small smile. "It's okay. I'm glad you told me. The information will come in handy."

  She chuckled. "Why, are you planning to have another encounter with the warlock?"

  When she was met with silence from all of us, her amusement faded. Glancing around, she sighed. "Oh, dear, I forgot that you're all a part of the council."

  "It's fine, Nurse Greta. Don't worry about it."

  Her attention shifted to Dracus. "I worry about all of my students. That's what all of you here are," again she studied each face, "students. The only things you should be worried about are studying and passing exams. I've always thought the whole Core Council thing was a bad idea." Nurse Greta huffed and shook her head. "I don't agree with tasking students with dangerous missions."

  The room was quiet. I wondered if the guys agreed with Nurse Greta. My feelings on the matter were mixed. I didn't think it was fair to have students running into danger. That was what the authorities were for. However, I'd seen the good the Core Council had done. We got things done under the radar, and that was an advantage. No wrongdoer expected a group of students to come after them, and the element of surprise worked in our favor for the most part. Not just our favor, but the shifter word. We helped to protect the neighboring villages of the academy. Plus, the skills held by the members of the council rivaled any of the authorities.