Nightworld Academy Box Set 1

by L. J. Swallow

  I rest against the wall outside. "Give me a minute," I say though gritted teeth. "I’ll be okay to walk once the head spinning stops."

  "You had the vision less than an hour ago. They don’t usually affect you this long."

  "Bloody annoying," I mutter.

  Ash tugs me away from the wall with both hands. "Infirmary. Jamie should’ve taken you there straight away."

  "I refused."

  Ash chuckles. "Typical you." He kisses my forehead and then takes my hand. "But I won’t listen to ‘no’, Maeve Foster."

  The hallway is quiet, apart from muffled voices behind classroom doors, and I pretend I’m physically fine, but the lasting effect worries me more than I admit.

  "I’ll go, but I refuse to get into a bed."

  He laughs again and hugs me close. "You’re a stubborn girl."

  I nudge him in the side and mock pout.

  "How’s Vincent?" I ask.

  "Yeah."

  I stare down at where his fingers wrap around mine. "You didn't introduce us."

  "Shit. Didn't I?" He stops. "I didn't realise. I was a bit shocked to see him."

  "Not as shocked as he was to see me," I say with a light laugh.

  "Yeah."

  Again, the non-committal response. "Don't hide this from me, Ash. I know he won't like you dating a witch."

  "That's not his decision," he mumbles. "Come on."

  I'm buoyed by his apology, annoyed that I over-thought the situation.

  "Is Vincent staying on campus?" I ask.

  "In the staff quarters." He gestures in the direction of the old Victorian-style house a few hundred metres from the main building. The grey-bricked home houses teachers in term time. I’ve never seen inside, but I’m curious how luxurious their rooms are compared to ours. I bet they don’t share.

  "I’m happy Vincent’s here. This will be good for him."

  I smile through my doubts that were sharpened by Jamie’s earlier, and the discomfort I have around him, but if Ash catches any hint, I’m suspicious he'll close down.

  "Professor O'Reilly wants him involved in training too. Vince needs to use up some of his repressed energy."

  "I hope he’s not too tough on us. Professor O’Reilly is harsh enough."

  "When you say 'us', do you mean witches?"

  "No." We reach the stairs down to the floor where the infirmary is located, and I grip the rail as I gingerly climb down.

  "Vince will be impartial, or Theodora will remove him from his position."

  Is it wrong I hope she does?

  The January cold hits my clammy face and I shiver more. The snow melted a week ago and the sunnier day brings a welcome brightness after the dark inside the academy. Snowdrops push through the ground, heralding spring after a long, dark winter. Will the academy hold a different vibe once the dark nights shorten?

  But with this hope comes the memory that my first vision where Andrei mentioned Vincent took place in the sunshine.

  "Vince is having a get-together with some mates at the weekend. You should come," says Ash. "I can introduce you. Properly."

  His words don't help my queasiness. "Are you inviting me to a shifter party?"

  "Not really a party. Just a few mates getting together."

  "That sounds worse. Who?"

  "A few ex-pupils and a group he hung 'round with after he left. The people who never gave up on finding him." He blinks. "I want to prove to you he’s not as prejudiced as you think. He already knows Amelia and Jamie from…years ago. All three of you should come with me."

  I watch my footsteps in the snow. How do I respond? I’m not keen, but this situation is a big deal to Ash.

  And a chance to get closer to Vincent.

  A normal infirmary would smell of disinfectant, but the Nightworld academy’s overpowering smell is cloves and lavender. The nurse fusses as usual, and I joke I'm becoming a regular. She points at a nearby shifter with his leg bandaged and tells me he's her regular.

  I smile weakly at her joke, relieved she allows me to sit on a chair instead of forcing me to lie down. Ash stays with me and each moment he spends holding my hand and fussing, the guiltier I feel about resenting his slip up last night.

  The nurse brings me a cup filled with dishwater-brown liquid, which smells of the worst cough medicine my mum would give me as a child. She encourages me to drink and when the liquid touches my tongue, I gag and almost throw up.

  Ash laughs at me and I smack him in the chest with my palm. "How about you take a drink of this?"

  He laughs. "I have. Many times. I know how bad that tastes."

  "Drink up, sweetie," says the nurse. "I promise you'll feel better in five minutes if you do."

  If this stops me stumbling around and gets rid of the dizziness, I can finish. I hold my breath so I can't smell the disgusting mix.

  I knock back the remaining liquid in one gulp in an attempt to stop the potion touching my taste buds, and almost choke as Sofia walks into the room, her long skirts sweeping around her legs.

  I give a weak smile, which isn’t returned.

  "I believe you were looking for myself and Theodora," she says as she approaches.

  I nod.

  "Annabelle informed us you looked unwell, and Theodora is now anxious to see you and Jamie."

  Sofia’s expression scares me—she’s worried. The woman always masks herself but something’s wrong.

  "Maeve should stay here until she feels better," puts in Ash with a hesitant smile. "She had to leave potions."

  "If Maeve has had a vision, she needs to speak to us before her memories fade." She tips her chin. "Perhaps you should return to class. Maeve's visions are of no concern to Gilgamesh students, Ash."

  Ash's face shadows and I stiffen at her words. What the hell is she saying? My visions concern everybody, especially a guy I'm close to.

  She runs her tongue along her teeth and Ash holds her gaze. "Fine," he says eventually.

  How does Sofia know I had a vision? Neither me nor Jamie told Annabelle.

  Sofia accompanies me from the infirmary, leaving a disgruntled Ash behind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  MAEVE

  Inside Theodora's office, Jamie sits on the very edge of a chair, spine rigid. How heavy-handed has Theodora been with him? We've done nothing wrong—we looked for them straightaway.

  "I understand you have something to tell us, Maeve," says Theodora. "I need all the details. Now."

  I shrink back at her harsh tone and look to Sofia, whose encouraging expression balances out Theodora’s.

  The vision is still raw in my mind, which helps me relay in detail but also drags me back to the sulphur smell and heat as if I’m there.

  Theodora and Sofia glance at each other through my explanation and she makes notes on a pad.

  "I do not understand. There is nothing beneath the school." She sets the pen down and massages her temples. "Blue flames suggest a strong elemental witch who can conjure the hottest part of fire in large quantities."

  "Perhaps the buzzing didn’t come from beneath? Or the fire?" suggests Sofia.

  "I’m sure it did," I put in.

  "Maeve, this was a vision, and we know they're never precise. Perhaps this buzzing was in your mind?" Sofia taps her lips.

  "We must investigate further, though," says Theodora sternly.

  "I will." Jamie sits quietly through my explanation, and I forget he’s with us until he speaks. "I can research."

  "Thank you, Jamie." Theodora says and rubs her temples again. "I’m unsure you’ll find anything, but we can’t rule out the possibility."

  Sofia clears her throat. "I’m most concerned that Tobias was in the vision at the location of a crime against the academy, Theodora. I have warned you not to trust the man."

  "He didn’t cause the fire."

  "How do you know? He was present. Tobias must be involved."

  I chew my lip and glance at Theodora, whose face clouds. Does she believe this theory?

&n
bsp; "I don’t know. He disappeared into the fire. What if he died?" I blurt.

  "Did you sense he did? Or see him?" asks Sofia.

  Did I? The whole scenario happened quickly and confusingly. In a way, it was as if Tobias wasn’t actually there. But how could I explain that to anybody? I don’t understand myself.

  "I shall speak to him." Theodora rises. "Thank you for giving me the details."

  "Theodora, no. If he’s not trustworthy, we can’t let him know we have possible information."

  Sofia’s insistence smacks of her prejudice against Tobias. I struggle to trust the man too, but Theodora wholeheartedly does, and Tobias is convincingly earnest.

  "I shall speak to him alone," says Theodora. "I think that would be best."

  Sofia humphs, but I’m happy I don’t need to run through my story again.

  "Where is he?" I ask.

  "He's indisposed and was unable to attend this meeting." Theodora waves a hand. "I will find him. Maeve, I suggest you head back to your dorm and rest."

  "We must focus on Maeve untangling this vision above all else," urges Sofia. "Then she can return to working on her other visions."

  Jamie makes a small noise and shifts in his seat. Investigating my vision of his death is pushed aside again.

  The door closes behind me and Jamie as Theodora dismisses us, but Sofia remains in the room. I'd love to be a fly on the wall to their next conversation. What does Theodora really think about this? I've never seen her lose her cool over something—is this worry about what I saw, or that the situation leads to a cloud of doubt hanging over Tobias?

  Jamie strides away before I have a chance to talk to him, and I struggle to catch up with the speed he walks.

  "Jamie."

  He slams open the door and steps into the night. "I’m tired. Come on."

  "Talk to me."

  "Later."

  Gritting my teeth, I catch up and push him. "Is this because Sofia advised we prioritise this over you?"

  He halts and turns to me. "Don't, Maeve."

  "Her decision doesn’t mean I’ll stop working on how to prevent your death." Others may skirt around the subject with him, but I refuse to.

  "Yeah?" he half spits. "Looks like I’m not important to the academy. Sure, I understand, my life isn’t as important as the number who’ll die if the school burns down, but it bloody matters to me!"

  His breathing grows faster, cheeks turning pink. "Jamie..." I wrap my arms around his chest but he’s rigid and doesn’t return my hug. "This matters to me too. We can work on this together."

  Gently, he takes my shoulders and moves me back. "This is the exact reason why I chose to protect myself. This is why I need that pendant back. I can't expect others to look out for me."

  "And you can't get the pendant back."

  "Watch me." I’m stunned as he turns and hurries away again.

  What the hell is happening here? At the end of last term, we all grew closer, uniting against the uncertainty and threats that swirl around us.

  Is this unity enough?

  Chapter Fourteen

  MAEVE

  Is it weird that I know where Andrei goes after class most days? Since returning to the academy, I’m wired and unable to sleep. Refusing to lie in bed brooding, I normally take a walk around the academy—not too far because the Dominion attack is still fresh in my mind. I find the walk uses up my nervous energy and helps me sleep.

  I often see Andrei, but never close enough to speak to him. He sits on a bench beneath a willow tree in the centre of the cloisters—the place other students gather on or around in the daytime. Does it bother Andrei that he never sees the daylight?

  Back then, he occasionally wandered off into the grounds, and my curiosity got the better of me one evening. I followed him. Why? Because I wanted to see if Andrei secretly fed on humans. But mostly I wanted to see that he didn't feed on humans.

  Andrei visited the small building used by human staff for lunch breaks and sat on the wall outside, silently. Without his phone.

  If he sensed me close by, Andrei never said anything. I only followed once, relieved but guilty I doubted him.

  Last term, if I passed him, he’d occasionally say hello but his guard was up and we never spoke. I took that personally, until I discovered the truth Tobias forced Andrei to hide from me.

  Who is Andrei, the child of Gabriella Tepes? Why does he hide from me? He can’t much longer. Whether Andrei likes or not, he’s linked to our group by Tobias and events in recent weeks.

  Tonight, I hesitate and watch him from behind the cloister pillars as he sits on a bench hitched over. His hair flops forward as he studies his phone.

  The same as every night.

  Since the winter ball, I’ve craved his company more. Is this because he stormed in to help me with disregard for his own safety, or more? The conversation we had inside the dance revealed a gentler, damaged side, and for a moment I felt I’d pierced his armour. But Andrei did what he needed—told me about Tobias’s brainwashing—then backed away.

  My phone sounds and I look down too. A message from Amelia asking where I am. I lie and tell her I’m studying.

  Tonight, I’ll break our drought and talk to him.

  Andrei sits on the bench tonight, phone in hand. I once joked to him the thing must be surgically attached. He scowled but said nothing.

  I approach, my footsteps soft on the lawn between the path and the tree. Only when I sit beside him does he speak, without looking up.

  "Hello, Maeve." He clicks his phone and shoves it into his hoodie pocket. "Are you stalking me again?"

  Andrei’s presence always disconcerts me. I try not to, but I worry about the vampire’s attraction to witch blood. Yet, each situation we go through together draws us nearer. Andrei's actions at the winter ball proved something he probably doesn’t admit to himself.

  Andrei cares about me.

  The guy who swears he cares about nothing has shown the opposite—he was prepared to risk himself for what he sees is right.

  I glance at his profile as he stares ahead. There’s no denying his looks captivate me—the smooth face and sharp cheekbones, the full mouth and the startling eyes where emotions he hides slip through sometimes.

  Andrei places a hand on the bench between us, taking away the chance I could move closer.

  "How are you, Andrei?"

  "Are you looking forward to the games?" he asks, dodging my question.

  "Not really. Are you?"

  He snorts. "I’ve asked my dear father to keep me out of them. They're pathetic and cause more disharmony."

  "That’s what I don’t understand either. Forcing houses to compete can’t be healthy since there's already bad blood."

  "Yeah." He clamps up and shifts as if he’s about to stand.

  He can’t walk away. Not yet. "Over the holidays, did you ask your family about Tobias?"

  Andrei pauses and turns his head, one brow arched. "You’re nosey."

  "This involves me. Us. I thought you’d want to dig around for more info about him."

  He shrugs his jacket closer. "Nobody tells me anything, and I don’t ask."

  "You prefer to be ignorant?" I ask in surprise.

  "No, I prefer not to ask questions. My words could be twisted. People could question my motives and point at me as a traitor."

  "But your father..."

  "I don’t see much of him. He’s a busy man." His jaw sets hard.

  Although disappointed he doesn't have any answers, his decision to remain ignorant surprises me.

  "Did Tobias tell you not to ask anybody?"

  His unblinking stare continues. "You mean, did he threaten to turn me in to the authorities for murder, if I asked?"

  Does Andrei expect me to look away? Show disgust? "Murder is pre-meditated, Andrei. You killed by accident."

  He shakes his head and looks away, snorting to himself. "You’ve changed your tune since you arrived at the academy."

  "This world is more
complicated than I realised. Black and white don’t exist." No response. "Does this worry you? Do you think Tobias would say something?"

  "Tobias? I don’t know who or what I’m dealing with. None of us do. You should get your witch boyfriend to do some digging. He’s good at finding info."

  Witch boyfriend. I shift in my seat. "Jamie?"

  "Why? How many witch boyfriends do you have?" Andrei’s eyes glitter. "Is Ash bothered about him and you?"

  "There’s no ‘me and Jamie’. Why are you asking me this?"

  I shiver in the cool night and my chest tightens as Andrei moves his face closer to mine, ensuring he holds my attention. He smells of mint, the way he always does, but there’s a subtle woody scent that dives into my memories.

  "Why do you think I'm asking?" he whispers. I stare back in confusion. He can't mean... Andrei smirks. "I'm asking to change the subject and shut you up, Maeve. I don’t want to talk about me. Why don’t we talk about you?"

  He moves his face away again and I breathe easy. "Okay. We don’t talk about me or you. But I wanted to thank you for helping me at the winter ball."

  He shrugs. "No big deal. I had to interfere when I saw a professor dragging a girl into dark room."

  "You saw? But I was in there a few minutes before you walked in."

  "I waited. Didn’t want to disturb you in case you were having fun."

  I balk. "What? That’s ridiculous."

  "Is it?" His eyes bore into me. "The tension between you two could light the room."

  "He’s trying to distract me by using his pneuma powers. That’s all."

  Andrei chews his bottom lip and stretches his long legs out. "We should take Tobias down."

  Wow.

  "What do you mean?"

  "And Vincent. They're both full of bullshit and lies. I don’t believe either man is who he says." He pushes his fringe away. "But then I think I can't be bothered. I don’t want to be pulled into the middle of all this shit."

  "I think we already are," I reply and he chuckles. "What’s funny?"

  "‘We’."

  "Because the six of us are in this together, Andrei. The more that happens, the closer we get. I worry about everybody, including you, and what might happen to us."