by S. L. Morgan
“Hopefully. I think you just pissed off our president and made Edgewater want to stick his nose up our butts even further.”
“That leprechaun president of yours needed to be poked. He needs to continue to show his true nature, so you are not tricked by him. Does that make sense?”
“You pissed him off, so we know he’s an asshole.”
“I wouldn’t word it that way, but he’s not going to go out of his way to harm you by betraying you with the lies of a leprechaun. If he acts nice and adoring toward either one of you, that’s your cue that something bad is about to happen with him. Edgewater is different. His brain is practically mush. If the sinister energy that I’m about to go save humans from redirects its attention to this school, that idiot will be the first one to show signs of it. Now, go find your friends, and figure out your side of this mission. I gave you both a head start.”
“Harrison,” Dom called out, stopping the commander from approaching his car.
Harrison turned back, “What, kid?”
“My dad?” Dom said. “Is he really helping you guys fight off this crap?”
Harrison sighed. “Let’s leave it at this: I enjoyed his expensive booze, he’s not rejecting Jenna, and if we beat this thing, he’ll be front and center at your graduation.”
I could tell Dom was deflated with that answer, and Harrison actually seemed to feel for him. “It’s all good, Dom. We’re going to handle this. Don’t worry about your dad, kid.”
“Well, out of all those lies you said back there, I hope you did find a way to drink all his prized liquor collection,” Dom said with an edge to his voice.
“Of course, I did.” Harrison winked and then was off in his car.
“Let’s go find everyone,” I said.
“Yeah,” Dom sighed. “Harrison was right about one thing, though. I’m definitely going to have to have you work some magic on my edgy mood. I need a clear mind.”
I smiled at Dom. “After all the BS that Harrison threw out in that room, I think we all need a clear mind. I swear that guy is the biggest bullshitter I’ve ever met in my life.”
Dom laughed and took my hand in his. “Let’s take his advice and use the head start I think he might have given us.”
Chapter Sixteen
Dom and I walked through the crowds of pissed-off students who were walking out of the dining hall. It was added noise in my head, hearing all the grumbling coming from the supes who’d had their vacations cut short. I didn’t need their bitching adding to what had gone down with Harrison and us.
“Oh my gosh!” Vannah said, pulling me into a hug so tight it jerked my hand from Dom’s. “How’d it all go? I’ve been going out of my mind with worry.”
I smiled at her wide eyes. “We’re still alive, I guess.”
“Seriously, Jenna. You guys were pulled from campus by Dean Edgewater. What happened?”
“We should talk about all of it later. Like Jenna said, we’re both good,” Dom said while students walked all around us after Vannah had stopped us on the bottom steps of the school.
Vannah eyed Dom’s serious, unwavering expression while the rest of the gang moved through the crowds as they walked toward us. “Yeah, okay. It can wait,” she said and looked at me. “Sounds like we have a lot to talk about?”
“That’s putting it mildly,” I answered as Melanie glared at us as we walked over to some bushes to get out of the line of lunch traffic.
“She’s been going off non-stop, saying that Dominic—” Ian paused after seeing that I was watching Melanie with a death glare of my own.
“About what?” Dom insisted. “Spit it out.” He looked at his master shifter friends, Ethan, his sister, and my friends who stood around us.
“Take it easy, Dom,” Tanner had the balls to say given, Dom’s hostile expression. “She’s just an obnoxious leprechaun who’s spreading rumors no one believes anyway.”
“No one?” Dominic narrowed his eyes at Tanner. “Is this no one who doesn’t believe what she’s lying about you, Tanner?”
“Dom.” I reached for his hand, hoping to transfer some energy to him, knowing the edgy side was getting the best of him. All the guy saw now was red. “It’s going to be fine, and you know it. Don’t forget that our first order of business is to get you taken care of.”
“Sorry, Tanner. I’m a little on edge lately,” he said with a sigh. “What’s the plan for everyone this year? When did you guys get ripped from your vacation so the school can punish all of us for the problems going on outside of it?”
“They’re supposed to give us new summer itineraries, dorm masters, and rooms in about an hour,” Finley answered.
Dom looked at Ethan. “Hey bud,” he said, and it was like his brain was shuffling through a million things at once. “You have a good summer break so far?”
“I did.” Ethan smiled.
“You’re being completely honest with me?” Dom started in with an interrogating voice.
“Damn it, Dominic,” I said, pulling his hand and forcing his eyes to meet mine. “Knock it off.” I had the feeling his erratic mood might push him to demand that Ethan tell him about what happened when he met with the Guardians, and that certainly wasn’t an appropriate conversation to have at the moment. “Let’s figure out the new arrangements and schedules.” I looked at Ethan, and the memory of the vision I had at the Rossi’s dining room table struck me hard. House Silvers was accused by Mark Rossi of killing Ethan’s parents because they were all mutants and mixed-up supernaturals rolled into one…just like I was.
“We will talk about everything later, Dominic and Jenna.” Ethan’s eyes were mysterious, but I felt an enormous power emanating from behind them. Talk about a window to your soul, this kid was different now, and I was curious to see how everything changed in him.
“Dominic, Ian, Finley, and Scott,” I heard Professor Samson’s voice call out from behind us. “I need you four with me. Changes are being made to the master shifters, and you all are involved.”
Dom eyed me, and I simply smiled in return. This guy didn’t need me in a panic over anything right now. “Relax,” I said softly to him. “Just go with the flow, got me?”
Dom nodded in response. He was like a loose cannon at this point, and I had no idea what Samson was going to pick up on from his head master shifter.
“Is he okay?” Lusa whispered after all the master shifters followed Samson to House Braeclaw’s buildings. “It doesn’t seem like you both even met with my parents after picking up on Dom’s mood.”
“It’s the severed wolf bond,” I answered. “I have to find a way to help him get past it.”
“He’s ignoring his wolf,” Ethan said in a concerned voice. “He was trying to work with the wolf’s needs before, now he’s completely ignoring it. He’s rejecting who he is.” Ethan looked at me. “I thought it would be better after the visit. He needed help.”
“I know, E.” I smiled at him, “This is all part of the stuff we need to find time to discuss, without this stupid school eavesdropping on us.”
Vannah rubbed her forehead. “Those Elite Council members are the reason everything is changing. They literally had us pulled from our vacations with no explanations. We’ve been back long enough to have lunch, and that’s it. Everything is changing, and I have no idea what happened to cause this.”
“Well, apparently it’s gotten worse on the outside,” I said. “I don’t know much. I only learned we were screwed after our vacation was cut short with Dom’s parents.”
“So, you really did go there, then?” Vannah asked.
Damn it. What was Harrison’s freaking lie about the Rossi’s having us at their house?
“Yeah. It was too short of a visit for us to even get to know each other. I can tell you that Lusa and Dom’s mom can make a killer pie, though.”
“Of course, that would be your best memory of your future family.” Tanner grinned. “That’s it? Really?”
“I don’t know. I mean,” I looked
at Lusa, “Your mom is golden—seriously. I definitely know where you and Dom get your loyalty and understanding nature from.”
Lusa smiled. “I could have told you my mom would adore you even before you and her met. The pie, though?” She folded her arms. “My mom must really love you and the fact that you and Dom are mates because she only whips out that pie recipe to impress her guests.”
“That’s great to hear,” I answered, knowing how much Dom’s dad was opposed to Dom and me being mates.
A voice came over the intercom, announcing that all students were to report to their respective houses.
“Looks like we’re headed to House Braeclaw,” I said to Tanner and Ethan. “We might see what’s going on with the master shifters, at least.”
“And get our new Immortal Academy, sucky-students schedule.” Tanner sighed as we waved goodbye to the others, broke from our small circle, and headed toward House Braeclaw.
“Well, if I could survive Dom kicking my butt in the troubled students’ program with no pie, and no real food,” I looped my arm through Ethan’s, feeling drawn to him and comforted in a way I couldn’t explain, “I think the entire school can too.”
“Everything is changing,” Ethan said as we walked toward House Braeclaw. “Immortal Academy is merely doing what they’re told. They don’t know how to fix the problem.” He glanced at me, “You and Dominic know, though. You have to keep your promises.”
“Promises?” I asked him.
“You know what I’m talking about Jenna Silvers. There’s more, and you know it.”
“More than I wish we could take on, and Dom is far from ready.”
“What are you two rambling about?” Tanner asked. “What’s going on?”
I patted my best guy friend on his back. “Let’s just keep an eye on each other for right now. Something’s not right, and we all know it.”
“It’s best to stay with me, Jenna Silvers,” Ethan said.
“We all need to stick together, Ethan Carter,” I offered. “I can’t lose my Tan-Man.”
“Tanner will be safe if he’s with us. Yes.”
“I’m just going to follow your lead, I guess, because I’m more confused now than I was after getting ripped out of vacay.”
I smiled at Tanner. “You have no idea.” I laughed. “We’ll all be okay. Together.”
Chapter Seventeen
The new curriculum was nothing new, just additional classes and a whole new teaching staff that was obviously mandated by Harrison. The man seemed to work this school like he owned it, so I was starting to get a little confused as to why he wouldn’t just brainwash everyone and shut the place down.
Everything was working like a well-oiled machine as we finished up our summer courses. The most annoying part, aside from the change of staff and getting to know our new instructors, was the fact that we were learning everything all over again.
By this time, the basics of all the supernatural races were repetitive and annoying. I was at the point where I didn’t even want to hear about the shifters. I guess the worst part was that I was craving in-depth knowledge of the fae, witch, shifter, and vamp due to the fact I seemed to carry all of the above in my genetics, but I couldn’t have it. We were buried with homework, studying for random exams, and doing anything else this school could come up with to keep us busy.
We were so inundated with busy-work that none of us had time to meet up with each other, and it seemed like Ethan was the hardest of everyone to find. When our heads hit the pillows at night, IA had succeeded in making sure our eyes couldn’t stay open. It was to the point that I couldn’t even muster the energy to fill in Vannah about anything—yet—and having Kat as a roommate made secret talks extremely difficult.
The school had eyes on all our butts, and I was sticking to Harrison’s advice of going with the flow to keep the school from watching my friends or me so that when the time finally came, we could form a plan of attack.
I knew time was of the essence, but time wasn’t something the school was giving us while we went through their punish the students elementary summer program. Dom was my biggest concern since we’d gotten back, and the school had wedged itself between us, but he’d been more of a no-BS, head master shifter than anything lately. I could see where he’d channeled most of his frustration into training his unit, which was another new change.
I was fortunate to have him as my training master again, but the reason Samson pulled him and the others aside when we first got back was to inform them that IA had cut the other masters because they were no longer training attendance-year levels separately. First-year, second-year, and third-year students were combined and split into four groups, which were led by Dom, Ian, Finley, and Scott.
It seemed like a blessing in disguise for Dominic to have a bigger unit under him, but the other master shifters were annoyed, overwhelmed, and pissed that every age group was forced under only four trainers. Dominic seemed to thrive on the challenge, and it wasn’t until last week that I felt his wolf present again.
All of it was speculation on my end because I only saw him during training and the brief lunches we’d had together, and those were few and far between. This morning was the first day that all the new students would be arriving. Our summer break of BS was officially done and over with. So maybe—just maybe—I would have time to get the group together, starting with Ethan and Vannah, and we could talk about the threat that loomed over us since we got back two weeks ago.
“Everyone is to report to their dorm masters within five minutes to get their new dorm assignments before the freshman students arrive.”
I cinched my laces tight on my combat boots, fully dressed, not thinking that since new students arrived today and we had no classes until our new schedules came out, that I wasn’t reporting to shifter training this morning.
“Let’s go,” Vannah said, eying my black training pants and tee. “It’s snowing outside by the way. I know you shifters can acclimate to the weather easily, but with the way this school is going these days,” she smirked, “I’m pretty sure that Professor Marguerite would take issue with you showing off as a shifter.”
“That psycho vamp can suck it,” I said, unable to handle the literally insane woman IA had brought on to teach in House Draugar. “What’s full name anyway? She insists on using her first name, Marguerite. She never told us after she went into all that gruesome detail about how she needs energy to stay pure and far from the darkness that begs her and every vamp to succumb to their evil nature and drink blood.”
“Who cares what her full name is.” Vannah chuckled. “You should concern yourself more with how she referred to shifters as the devil’s pets.”
I laughed, because the new professor was so ridiculous that that’s all anyone could do…laugh. “That and witches are the spawns of evil, and if they’re not careful, they could turn on all supes and make us their diabolical servants.”
Vannah rolled her eyes. “She’s such a trip. Let’s go. Kat’s still sleeping. Maybe she’ll get busted for ignoring IA’s demand for us to report to Lusa to get our new dorm rooms.”
“God, I hope she gets Melanie as a roommate. Though, she could get the crazy witch—you!” I said with a wiggle of my eyebrows.
“That’s wishful thinking right there,” Vannah said.
I reached my arm through Vannah’s. “This feels good, talking again. I feel like I haven’t had my best friend in months.”
“Good to have Jenna in a fantastic mood before we most likely get paired with a freshman as our dorm mates.”
“At this point, I’m glad summer is over, and I’m ready to take on this next year.”
“Can you believe we’re here with two years’ worth of seniors who should have graduated already?”
“Don’t mention that to Dom,” I whispered. “The last thing he probably wants is to be reminded he’s still stuck here.”
“He’s with you. He won’t mind,” Vannah said as we filtered in with the kids who wer
e heading downstairs to get their new dorm assignments.
“He is, yes, but I’m not sure if he’ll be as excited to repeat another year of the same old crap at this school.”
“You think way too much for that man. You know why he needs to be here.” She arched an eyebrow at me, “We need him, and you know it. We just haven’t discussed the time you two spent off campus and what you both really went through.”
“True,” I answered. “Maybe we fix it all this year, and the school will start graduating students again. When you think about it, we should be celebrating this being our final year at IA.”
“Don’t think about it,” Vannah warned as our dorm residents walked into an auditorium area that was set up like an assembly line to pretty much grab-n-go with our new roommates, dorm master, and assigned dorm house. “Don’t think about anything that gives you hope that we’re getting out of here.”
“Vannah,” I pulled on her arm, bringing her eyes to meet mine, “we’re getting out of here. Dom and I have a plan…” I silenced when two fairies turned back to Vannah and me at the mention of Dom’s name. “A plan to make this school a place where all supes are graduating at the top of their classes and loved by the Elite Council again.”
“You’ve got a lot of hope in you,” a fairy with bright-yellow hair said, still listening to me. “That kind of optimism is a far cry from the spoiled brat you used to be when you first got here.”
