"I can't believe this," Lydia replies with awe in her voice as I finish up telling her everything that happened.
"I know." I can hear the awe in my own voice. This is really happening. I have four boyfriends. The thought of it all is still so surreal. I roll over on my bed and see the clock flashing that it's well past ten. "I need to get to bed. We'll talk more tomorrow."
"See you then," she responds, and I hang up.
I fall asleep with a smile on my face. Finally, all feels right in my little world.
Chapter 10
“Do you have everything you need?” Aunt Nellie asks the next afternoon as Sam and I prepare to head back to school. “Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?”
“We have everything and we will be fine. Ryland is going with us so we won’t get lost,” I remind her.
“Make sure to call me if you need anything. I’ll see you in a couple of months for spring break,” she says, stepping forward and giving me a hug.
“I will, and I can’t wait to see you then,” I say as I squeeze her back.
Sam threads his fingers through mine, and I teleport us to the entry point to wait for Ryland. While we are waiting, Sam draws circles on my back lightly with his fingertips. Ryland appears to my left wearing a shit-eating grin.
“Hey guys! Ready to go back to school?” he asks then leans forward and pecks me on the cheek.
“As ready as I’m going to be,” Sam mumbles.
“Cheer up, Sammy Boy. We get to learn mind control, teleporting, and how to shift. What could go wrong?” I ask him.
“True,” he shakes his head and grins.
We walk through the entry point then Ryland holds one of my hands, while Sam still has ahold of the other. We teleport back to Kansas then walk through the entry point to the academy.
“Welcome back,” Alfred says as we walk in the front door.
“Glad to be back, Alfred. Did you have a good Christmas?” I ask.
“Very good, Miss Lawrence,” he smiles at me.
We teleport back to our rooms, and I’m wrapped into a hug by Lydia as soon as I step through the door.
“Tell me everything!” she exclaims. “Have you kissed them all?”
“I told you everything last night,” I laugh. “And I’ve kissed everyone but Finn.”
“Well you need to get on that. Call him and set something up,” she says.
“Maybe later,” I wink at her. “I need to unpack first.”
“You’re so practical,” she rolls her eyes.
“How are things going with Korbin?” I ask as I begin to hang my clothes up.
“They’re good. He came over several times over the break. But he doesn’t want me visiting his home. I’m afraid he’s embarrassed that I’m Dissident,” she says, tears welling in her eyes.
“Did you ask him why?” I ask.
“No. I’m scared I won’t like the answer,” she says quietly.
“Maybe you should ask him before you make your own conclusions,” I reply.
“What if I’m right? How can I date someone who’s embarrassed of me?” she asks.
“Better to know for sure so you can make up your mind,” I shrug. “I don’t think he’s embarrassed of you. He was all over you at the concert.”
“I’m going to text him now,” she says as she pulls out her phone.
I go back to putting away my things, trying to give her privacy for the conversation when a knock at the door startles me.
Lydia rushes forward and answers the door.
“Why are you here?” she asks as Korbin steps in.
“I’m not good with feelings or words. I’ve had a messed up childhood,” he says, running his hands through his long, black hair.
“Um, should I leave?” I ask, wanting to make sure Korbin realizes I’m here.
“You can stay,” he shrugs. “Lydia, sit down for me.”
She sits on the edge of her bed while he paces back and forth.
“This is hard to talk about. I am not and I will never be embarrassed by you,” he says staring at her intently as he stops in front of her and kneels. “My father is an alcoholic, whose favorite pastime is beating on me while my mother ignores it.”
He takes off his shirt and I glimpse the maze of red scars before he turns around to show Lydia. I realize I only noticed his chest previously, which doesn’t have a mark on it.
“Oh, Korbin! That’s awful,” she throws her arms around him.
“I didn’t want to give him something else to use against me. And I didn’t want you to be around that type of person,” he whispers.
“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions,” she says softly.
“I’m sorry I didn’t explain things. It’s just hard to talk about,” he rubs her back.
I finish unpacking my stuff as Lydia leaves with Korbin then send a quick message to Finn.
Me: Are you at school yet?
Finn: I am.
Me: Are you busy?
Finn: I am not.
Me: Do you want to go for a walk with me?
Finn: I do. Where do you want to meet?
Me: My room?
I set the phone down and there’s a knock at the door.
“Where are we walking to?” Finn asks, his piercing blue eyes sparkling.
“Wherever you want to go,” I smile as I step out and shut the door behind me.
“If we are walking for exercise purposes, there is an indoor track in the basement, or an outdoor one, though it is chilly. If we are walking for enjoyment, there are trails in the trees behind the shifter area, but I would suggest we wear coats,” he replies.
“Then let’s grab our coats and hit the trails,” I answer.
He teleports away and I step back inside and grab my fluffy black coat and put it on. By the time I step back in the hallway, Finn is back.
“Take my hand, and I’ll teleport us to the trails,” he holds his hand out for me.
I wrap my hand in his, lacing our fingers together as the black tendrils surround us. We are at the beginning of a trail that winds through the trees ahead of us. We walk hand in hand for a while, the cold biting at my cheeks, but I’m enjoying his company.
“Whisper, I have a question,” Finn says.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Why me? I’m nothing like the others,” he questions.
“Because you’re you. I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to you and I miss you when you’re not there,” I explain.
I stop walking and he turns to face me.
“I don’t know how to do this. Relationships are a bit over my head,” he admits.
“Then just kiss me,” I say.
He swallows hard and leans forward. I stand on my tip toes to meet him halfway, joining our lips together. The kiss deepens as he wraps his arms around my waist, but I’m sad when he pulls away.
“See, you’re good at this,” I reply, breathlessly.
“I am?” he asks, his eyebrows raising.
“For sure,” I grin.
We walk a little longer before Finn checks his phone.
“It’s time for dinner,” he says, his eyes downcast.
“We better go eat. Are you going to sit with me?” I ask, nudging him with my shoulder.
“Of course,” he smiles before wrapping us in black tendrils and teleporting us to the entrance of the dining room.
We grab our trays and join Lydia and Korbin. The rest of the guys show up and Max rushes to sit on my empty side. We chat about our breaks then head to our separate rooms.
Once Lydia and I are alone in our room, she turns to me.
“Thank you for encouraging me to talk to Korbin. His story is horrible, but I feel better knowing it’s not me,” she admits as she pulls out her pajamas and gets ready for bed.
“It was kind of awkward to listen to such a personal confession,” I tell her.
“He explained later that you would likely see his scars when you shift together and he didn’t wan
t to have to tell you about it then,” she says.
“That makes sense,” I nod as I yawn. “I’m going to read this book before I crash for the night.”
“Goodnight, Whisper,” Lydia chuckles.
I finish getting ready for bed then I grab my phone and read until I fall asleep.
The next day I teleport Sam and me to our mentoring class. When we get inside, only Mr. Poe and Korbin are there.
“It’s just us today,” Mr. Poe says. “I already dismissed the others. We have the shifting grounds reserved and are going to get you both shifting today.”
“Sounds exciting,” I say.
I’ve been waiting since I learned I could shift for this day. I can’t wait to run on four hooves. But what if I can’t manage to do it? I hope I don’t embarrass myself.
We teleport to the training arena. Mr. Poe gives Sam and me locker assignments with the combination written on the paper then explains that disposable clothes are there for us to change into.
I enter the girls locker room, which has rows of cobalt blue lockers set up and locate my locker number. I unlock it then change quickly into the grey sweats. I reluctantly take off my focus jewelry so it won’t become damaged, before heading out to the training ground. I feel the loss of it instantly and wish it could shift with me.
It’s a hard packed dirt floor surrounded on all sides by the high walls. An observation deck sits above the locker rooms. The guys and Mr. Poe all come out dressed in the same sweats.
“Great. Let’s get started,” Mr. Poe claps his hands together. “The first step in learning how to shift is connecting with the part that allows you to transform.”
“How do we do that?” Sam asks.
“Close your eyes,” he orders.
We do as he says and close our eyes, waiting for further instructions.
“Now, focus on your chest, deep inside. You should feel a small part that is vibrating, or humming,” he explains.
I do as he says and focus until I feel it.
“I feel it!” I exclaim.
“Good, Whisper. But let’s stay quiet so Sam can focus,” Mr. Poe smiles.
I quiet down and wait for Sam to catch up.
“I got it,” Sam smiles.
“Good. You both catch on extremely fast,” Mr. Poe says. “The next step is a bit trickier. You have to use your mind and reach down and tug on that energy you felt. When you do it correctly, you will shift.”
“That’s it?” I ask.
“It’s harder than it sounds, but yes. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t accomplish it today,” he replies.
I close my eyes again and focus on that small spot of vibration in my chest. Even though I can feel it, I can’t figure out how to grab it. I picture a hand grasping at it, but it just moves through the energy as if it were air.
“Don’t try to force it. Coax it to the surface. Treat it like a scared animal,” Korbin whispers from behind me.
I nod then try again. This time I picture my hand cupped next to the energy and move slowly closer. The energy wraps around the mental image so I yank my hand back and it disappears, causing me to growl in frustration.
I open my eyes and peek over at Sam. He’s wearing a look of concentration and is focusing intently. All of the sudden, his body begins to grow and burst out of the sweats containing it. He’s a gorgeous black stallion with bright purple eyes.
“Fascinating. I’ve never seen a Caballine with anything but red eyes,” Mr. Poe says as he looks Sam over. “Go run a few laps and get used to moving in this form.”
“Keep trying, Whisper,” Korbin reminds me.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes again. I cup my mental hand and move it slowly into the energy like before, this time I pull up slowly, instead of yanking.
My body begins to vibrate and stretch. It’s not painful, but feels strange. I hear my sweats rip away and then I’m standing on all fours, looking through different eyes. I can see almost all around my body at once, but when Korbin steps right in front of me, he disappears.
“Whisper, you have a horn and wings,” he says, his jaw dropping open.
“What a fascinating shade of charcoal grey your coat is. And your mane is almost a rainbow. But your eyes are solid black,” Mr. Poe comments as he observes me. “I wonder if you’ll be able to fly.”
I wish I could see a mirror, but I remember reading somewhere horses can’t see the color red, so I wonder how it would look to me like this.
“Go ahead and get used to running on four legs. Korbin and I will join you,” Mr. Poe says as he removes his shirt.
I take off, my gait unsteady at first and try to catch up to Sam. Once I’ve been in horse form for a while, if I can be called a horse, I finally get the hang of running. It’s so freeing to gallop around the training grounds and feel my main fly back with the wind in my face.
Mr. Poe runs into the locker room then comes out fully dressed.
“Time for class to end. You’ve both exceeded my expectations. We’ll set up a schedule for you to practice shifting regularly,” he says.
I run into the girl’s locker room then realize I don’t know how to shift back. I run back out and see Sam coming out of the boy’s locker room.
“I forgot how to tell you how to shift back,” Mr. Poe chuckles. “Forgive me. You both shifted so naturally it didn’t cross my mind.”
We both stand and stare at him.
“Just picture putting the energy back in it’s home. You should be able to feel it vibrating on the surface. Come back out if you can’t manage,” he says.
I trot back into the locker room and focus on feeling the vibration on my skin. I picture coaxing it back into my chest. It flows back down without a problem. I feel myself shrinking down and finally standing on two legs. I do a little jump in celebration then get dressed. I put my jewelry back on and instantly feel relief. Being without it felt like I was missing a piece of myself.
I meet Sam outside of the training grounds then we teleport back into the academy together.
Chapter 11
Later that night Sam, Lydia, Ryland, and I meet up for a feeding session. I can say this is not one of my favorite things about being a Nightmare.
I know the feedings are necessary to live and it doesn't hurt the humans, but the whole idea still creeps me out.
We arrive at the feeding room and the lady with the clipboard checks us in then assigns us our bed numbers. Last time I fed I was lucky enough to get an older gentleman. This time I’m assigned bed five, as I approach there lies a young girl about my age with a sweet cherubic face, long beautifully flowing blonde hair that fans out on the pillow and her cheeks are healthy and pink. She looks peaceful. Why did I have to get this young girl? I don't know if I can do this. I glance over at the teacher holding the clipboard, debating on asking for a different human, but she shakes her head at me as if reading my mind.
Reluctantly, I lie down on the empty bed next to her and close my eyes letting my power do the rest.
It only takes a minute before I feel myself rise from my body. I look down at the girl’s face and feel myself being sucked in.
I find myself standing in the middle of a log cabin home, watching the girl and a young boy, who I assume is her brother, open their christmas presents on Christmas morning. Then black tendrils creep from my body slithering across the floor to encompass the whole dream.
The scene changes before my eyes. A single limb on the family’s Christmas tree is too close to the fireplace and catches on fire. The flames engulf the living room, trapping the girl inside, as my tendrils reach out wrapping around her leg she screams. I can feel her fear pouring out of her. It feels like wrapping up in a warm towel after a bath, and I can taste oranges and limes dancing across my tongue. After just a short time, the tendrils release and pull themselves back in as I’m yanked from her dream before being sucked back into my own body.
I open my eyes, sit up and look around. Ryland, Lydia and Sam have finished feedin
g and are walking my way. I hop off the bed, meeting them halfway, before we exit the feeding room together.
The next day before lunch, I practice teleporting our group but end up in the foyer instead.
"Whisper, you missed your mark by a little bit," Ryland teases.
As Ryland finishes his sentence Headmaster Gandore appears at the bottom of the stairs that lead to his office. He’s being escorted by two broad shouldered men in black suits. Everyone in the foyer stops, stares, and then burst into excited whispers.
From behind us a student yells. “Headmaster are you ok? What’s going on?”
“Calm down students,” Gandore replies. “Everything is fine, please return to your normal activities.”
The men in black suits nudge him in the back, urging him to keep moving. Most of the students went on their way, but we watched them lead the headmaster out the door and down the walkway.
I look over at Sam. “This is not right; something is going on,” I say, turning to look at them. “We should tell the others.”
We grab our trays and head to the table. Max and Finn scoot around to make room for everyone.
I lean in and whisper. “Guys, Gandore was just escorted from the building by men in black suits.”
“Why would they be escorting him out of the building?” Max asks, raising his eyebrows. “He’s been headmaster at this academy for decades.”
“What if they are replacing him?” Finn asks, taking a bite of his pizza. “It would be logical for a new government to replace certain figure heads.”
The table goes silent as the intercom speakers crackle to life.
“Attention, all students please report to the auditorium,” the voice says.
As the announcement ends, the dining hall burst out into a loud roar. The students are talking excitedly, trying to figure out what the assembly may be about. Then they stand up, return their trays, and head for the auditorium.
Bringing my attention back to our table, I notice various faces of worry and confusion.
“Do you think this has something to do with Gandore?” I ask, letting the worry creep into my voice.
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