Nightworld Academy Box Set 1

by L. J. Swallow

  "Just stories. No facts." Ash pulls out his laptop too. "I have research I started in a document on here—I'll send it to you. At least that'll give you a head start."

  "What exactly is the project—" I begin.

  "Werewolves." Andrei leans across the table so we're almost nose to nose. "Grr."

  "You're hilarious," I say sarcastically, refusing to move my face.

  He runs his tongue along his bottom lip as he stares at me, and a shiver trips down my spine. "I'm telling the truth, blondie."

  That insult. I tense and move back, riled by his moniker for me. "Sure, you are, Mr. Oh-So-Edgy."

  Jamie laughs to himself as he taps on some keys. "Werewolf trials."

  "You mean he's serious?" I ask, annoyed by Andrei's smug expression. "That's insane. How can that be allowed on the curriculum?"

  Andrei snorts at me. "This isn't a normal school, Maeve. Or didn't you notice?"

  "We work for a different qualification than A levels," adds Jamie.

  "Like the IB? Nobody told me this." I've friends who attended expensive private schools that taught the International Baccalaureate program, but nobody mentioned that this academy did. That would explain the off-campus side of the education, but not the weird teaching hours.

  "Kind of," says Ash. "Andrei. Have you done any research at all?"

  He looks back to his phone. "What do you think?"

  Jamie grits his teeth. "You're a selfish prick. No wonder you're a failure."

  "Shut the hell up, nerd," he growls back.

  "Why couldn't he be grouped with Katherine and his other bunch of losers?" Jamie continues.

  "You love studying. I thought you'd be happy to take control of the assignment. If I'm such a loser, my research wouldn't meet your standards anyway."

  Fed up with the sniping, I shove my chair back and stand. "Tell me where to find the books I need. If you're helping me, I need to contribute."

  Jamie pulls out a sheet of paper from his bag. "I printed a list. Here. Can you find one on the Bavarian trials in 1848?"

  "Bavarian werewolf trials. Right." With a shake of my head, I leave the trio.

  I follow the length of the shelves until I reach the end. This darker part of the library is filled with a musty old book smell. Finding answers in books is new to me—my usual research is online.

  And not bizarre historical subjects.

  The first book on my list is titled ‘Garmisch Partenkirchen Trial'. I can't even pronounce that. Worse still, the text inside is tiny. I place the book on a window sill at the end of the stack and rub my eyes. I've never heard of werewolf trials, just the Salem witch trials, and most of that I only know from movies.

  "What's next?" I mutter to myself as I flick through the pages. "Vampire executions in Transylvania?"

  "Maybe," says Andrei, and I startle at how close he's moved without me noticing. "Nasty business."

  I ignore him and continue to leaf through, but something about Andrei's presence lifts the hairs on my neck. Sure, he's an attractive guy, if you're into his moody face and his deliberate attempt to look menacing in his black clothes, but this isn't a reaction to that. Andrei unnerves me and I cannot place my finger on the reason why.

  Andrei pulls himself up onto the window sill beside me and cranes his head to read my book. "What do you think of the academy, Maeve?"

  "It's only my second day and my first one with lessons," I reply.

  "Don't you think the students are odd?"

  "Yes. Some of them in particular." Licking a finger, I flick over a page.

  He ignores my pointed comment. "Take Ash, for example. Big guy. Powerful. Incredible rugby player. I can't believe how fast he can move."

  The thought had niggled me too, but I ignore Andrei's words.

  His knowing smile grows. "Also, did you see anybody leave or return from their off-campus activities today?"

  "What are you trying to say?" I ask him, holding a finger to mark my place on the page.

  "Nothing. But I'd be careful who you trust, if I were you." The intensity in his dark green eyes scares me. Is this guy dangerous? My temples throb, and I panic that a vision could be starting. A different sensation grows as if someone is digging their fingers into my scalp.

  I wince and close my eyes; the feeling drops away.

  "Weird," mutters Andrei. He jumps down from the window sill and edges closer. My pulse hikes as his body almost touches mine. He inhales. Omigod is he sniffing me?

  I look over to where Jamie and Ash chat at the table a few feet away, eager to join them and get away from this weirdo.

  "Maybe you should be part of the advanced program," he says.

  "Because I smell nice?" I retort and pick up my book.

  His mouth tips at one corner. "You're not to my taste, blondie."

  "Bite me," I snap.

  Andrei chuckles then leans in to whisper, "I said, I don't think I'd like how you taste."

  I tense as his hand moves towards me. Eyes fixed on mine, he grabs a book from a shelf above my head, then steps back, smirking at my discomfort. Without another word, he heads over to the table where the other guys work.

  Jamie looks between Andrei and me, and his lips purse. As Andrei reaches the table, Jamie speaks to him.

  I don't hear what he says, or Andrei's response, but he tosses the book in front of Jamie, grabs his bag, and saunters away.

  I'm left in the library with my musty book about werewolf trials, two guys, and one hell of a lot of questions.

  Chapter Six

  MAEVE

  At least Maths and English are relatively normal. I half-expected we'd study Frankenstein or Dracula to match the gothic surroundings. Instead, we start reading Shakespeare's Macbeth. Two tall guys interrupted the reading with loud laughter and pointed out three girls huddled together at their desks, who in turn warned the guys to watch their backs. I watched their exchange, confused why half the class laughed too. The guys’ hilarity grew, and they asked if the girls will turn them into toads.

  At that point, the tired-looking teacher in his tweed suit interrupted and said there’d be trouble if he found any toads in Gilgamesh common room.

  House rivalry?

  And toads?

  My new friends head off for their advanced program lessons at nine p.m., leaving me confused and lonely. These students must be exhausted with such a long day; I wouldn’t manage to keep up with that pressure. As it’s too early to sleep, I head back to the library. If I contribute more to our group project, we can avoid losing marks. I agree with Jamie on this—group projects suck, especially when working with lazy students.

  I'm alone at a desk close to the librarian’s in the echoing room, which reinforces Andrei's taunt that I'm the only one not on advanced program. Honestly, I'm beginning to believe keeping me out of the program is a lesson from my parents: "don't think you're special". I perk up when another guy walks into the library. He leans over the counter to chat to the quiet man with glasses who sits behind the desk. The librarian barely registered my arrival or presence.

  The bright auburn hair stands out and when the guy turns and catches sight of me, I know who this is. The guy from the cafeteria who sat with Katherine and Andrei stares for longer than feels comfortable, before walking to a shelf. I refocus on typing notes into my laptop, and my tapping keys are the only sound.

  I glance at my phone. Eleven p.m.. If I told Tessa I was studying at this time, she'd think I'd been possessed. I smile to myself. I'm tired but determined to be around when Amelia finishes class. I have questions.

  The guy passes the desk I sit at, with a book in his hand, then stops and turns back. "Why aren't you in class?"

  I blink up at him. He doesn't look much older than me, perhaps twenty years old. He’s as big as Ash but holds himself more aggressively.

  "I'm not on the advanced program."

  Confusion crosses his face. "You must be."

  "I’m not." I squirm under his scrutiny. Why is he confused?


  "You're lying. What's your name and which house do you belong to? I should report you to your head of house."

  "For what? Studying?"

  He pulls out a chair and sits opposite me, elbows on the table as he leans closer. "Don't be disrespectful. House?"

  "Are you a teacher?" I retort.

  "Head boy. Gilgamesh." He points at the badge on his jacket. "Clive Forrester."

  "Maeve," I reply, keeping my eyes on his.

  "Katherine told me you were the new girl. I'm surprised you're getting yourself into trouble already. Your head boy won't be happy if you put a black mark against the house name." He smirks. "Let me guess. Walcott house?"

  "Yes." I squint at the crest on the pin attached to his smart grey shirt. Green and black. I need to find out who my house leader is and ask him or her to smooth this over.

  "How is completing assignments in the library wrong?" I ask. "My lessons finished at nine p.m."

  "Well aren't you special?" he mocks. "Let me guess. Your family has a ton of money and you get to do the bare minimum to qualify. I've come across your sort before—you buy your way through the academy."

  "That's not correct at all," I retort.

  "Then are you talentless?"

  I stand and shove the laptop into my bag. The fact he mentioned Katherine's name tells me all I need to know. He shares whatever prejudice she has against me. "Tell who you want. I've done nothing wrong."

  My heart beats faster in anger as I walk past him. Why are people aggressive to me? So much for being kind and understanding to the new girl.

  "Wait," he calls after me. "Why aren't you wearing your house colours?"

  I pause and look back. "I don't have them yet."

  He nods. "Skipping lessons and not wearing the house colours? Way to make yourself unpopular. If anybody else sees you without the blazer, you'll be punished by your house." He indicates his jacket, which is trimmed with green and black to match his badge. Did I need to find and ask someone about the allegiance ceremony on my first day?

  I feel sick and grip the strap of my laptop bag. "Report me for that too."

  "Did you not get the instructions from your house leaders?"

  I take a deep breath. All I want to do now is get away from this guy and his threats. "I will find them and ask."

  I push out of the doors and into the quiet hallway. A girl approaches and my stomach sinks when I recognise her. Katherine, flanked by the two I saw her with in the cafeteria. I gird myself ready to walk by. Katherine is about to turn the corner towards a staircase when she stops. After whispering something to her friends, she walks over. With a cursory glance at me, she tips her head and looks at the red-haired guy.

  "What are you doing with her, Clive?" She says the words as if I'm dirt on her shoe.

  "I found her skipping class. And she isn't wearing her blazer."

  Katherine's pink lips spread into a sly smile. "Oh, dear. Which teacher’s class is she missing?"

  "Professor O'Reilly."

  She chortles. "Trouble for you, Maeve."

  I'm confused. Why aren't these people at class?

  "I told Clive, I'm not on the advanced program."

  Katherine and her friends share the same confusion Clive did. Clive interjects, "Apparently she doesn't take classes after nine p.m."

  Katherine's confusion grows. "Why?"

  "I presume she doesn't have any talent and her rich family are paying her way."

  "Yes, but even Andrei needs to study after failing, and his family are loaded. Why would she get away with it?"

  "Who knows?" says Clive.

  They continue the conversation as if I'm not here and I consider sneaking away.

  "Why aren't you at class, then? Or aren't you on the advanced program either?" I interrupt.

  Katherine sneers and stalks towards me. "Petrescu house don't take all the classes. Some aren't relevant to us, so we take study periods."

  "You look like you’re studying hard," I say, straightening my mouth and holding my ground.

  "I have help with my studies." She rubs the corner of her lips and examines the fingertip for lipstick. "I have more important things to do than assignments, and extra help frees up my time."

  "Maeve needs help," pipes up the girl beside her. She pulls her fingers through her long dark hair and smiles sweetly at me.

  "Why should we help her?" Katherine retorts as if the girl spoke out of turn.

  "She needs her house colours. Clive—speak to Walcott's head boy and organise a time for her."

  "A time to do what?" I ask sharply.

  "There's series of instructions you need to follow. He'll know what they are." Katherine's face brightens and she nods at Clive. "Tonight would be perfect, don't you think?"

  "It's after eleven," I say. "I'll wait until tomorrow if that's okay. I'm sure Amelia could help arrange something. Or Jamie."

  "What was the punishment for skipping class again?" asks Katherine, ignoring me.

  Clive’s mouth curves into a sardonic smile. "Daytime detention and house points removed. Not the right way to get yourself off on the right foot with Walcott."

  Perspiration slicks my back. I need to get away from these people; I'm cornered like an animal.

  "I'll take the chance," I retort.

  Clive moves past me and leans down to whisper something to Katherine. Her eyes widen and mouth forms an 'o'. "That's not possible," she says to him.

  "It happened once before," puts in the girl on the other side, who's gawked at the conversation and not replied. "Remember Diana?"

  "She didn't last long." Katherine says the words looking directly at me. "I think we should help Maeve. We wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

  Chapter Seven

  MAEVE

  Katherine and company tell me they'll 'help' by chatting to the head boy and girl of my house. How kind. I hurry back to the Walcott common room, cursing myself for not retreating there earlier. A part of me would rather return to my room and hide, but I'm not allowing a group of bullies to scare me. Yes, I need to deal with the house colours issue, but not tonight.

  There's a small kitchen adjacent to the common room where I make myself a hot chocolate, sneaking marshmallows and two spoons of sugar into the cup. I curl up in a soft blue armchair and pull out my phone to text Tessa. Then I notice the time. She never puts her phone on silent, and I'd cause issues if I woke her up this late on a school night.

  I'm determined to plead with my family to allow me home for the weekend; I can't stay here 24/7 when I meet people who dislike me at every turn.

  The warm drink soothes and sends me into memories of happy days. Mum would make hot chocolate for me as a treat to cheer me up, on days bullies upset me for my weirdness. Story of my life. I suck on a molten marshmallow. Should I wait up and see who stops by before turning in for the night, or head to bed now? I'm unlikely to calm down enough to sleep any time soon, thanks to the combination of adrenaline and sugar. I push my ear buds in, rest my feet on the table beside my empty mug and close my eyes.

  I'm dozing while listening to music and the door bangs, jerking me to alert. I open a sleepy eye and see Jamie frowning down at me. He speaks but I can't hear, so I pull out my earbuds.

  "Why aren't you in bed?" he says.

  I focus on every inch of this Jamie to stop my brain focusing on the bloodied version. Jamie isn't as tall as Ash, or as lithe as Andrei, but he's built with more strength than many guys his age. Ash has a rugby player’s body; Jamie a swimmer’s—long legged and lean with strong shoulders. His serious expression gives him a broody look that would give Andrei a run for his money. The difference is, I doubt Jamie realises how to craft his look into a mysteriousness that girls fall for.

  "I'm not tired," I reply.

  "It's past midnight."

  "Well, if I don't have any classes until six p.m., I can sleep in, can't I?"

  Jamie scratches his eyebrow and looks around the room. "What have you been doing while we've been at
class?"

  "I finished my tasks for our history project, then I met someone called Clive and the delightful Katherine again." I pull a face. "Apparently I'm in trouble now for skipping class."

  Jamie sits next to me and looks down at my bag dumped on the floor beside the sofa, brow furrowing further. "In trouble with who?"

  "The teacher? Clive seemed confused when I told him I wasn't on the advanced program, as if everybody should attend. Then Katherine appeared and joined in the borderline bullying. How do I get my blazer with the house colours? They were nasty, and I'm worried what they'll do." My rambled outburst is followed by heavy, stressed breathing.

  "Whoa. Okay. Calm down, Maeve."

  Pressure builds in my temples as I try not to cry. What the hell is with the constant threat of tears? This is not who I am. "Coming here has been stressful enough, but now I feel as if I'm a bigger freak than my last school. People instantly don't like me."

  "Clive and Katherine are close friends and bullies. Don't worry about the blazer and house colours, those two know full well you wouldn't get that organised on the first day here. We’ll help organise a time, but as Amelia said, nobody wanted to drop this on you as soon as you arrived."

  "Drop what? What happens?"

  "Again, it's just a dumb ritual."

  "Ritual?" I squeak. "Like blood brothers or something?"

  "No." He smiles and sits next to me. "Nothing like that. You swear to uphold Walcott values and promise to always strive to make the house a better place. You know, that kind of thing. No blood involved; I promise."

  I relax back into the chair. I'd had images of sorority initiations I'd seen on US movies and shows. "Will anybody else be there?"

  "Only the Walcott head boy and girl. Don't worry. I'll let them know you're nervous and to make it quick."

  "I'm not sure how reassuring those words are, Jamie."

  "I promise, everything will be okay." He pauses. "Maeve, I need to ask you something."

  He twists in his seat, careful to keep outside my freaked-out personal space. His serious expression means I'm scared what his next words will be.