Her words were cut off by the sound of water rushing toward me. I jerked around in my seat and was met with a gush of water that struck me in the face, wetting my hair and clothes. Snickers sounded around me as I was drenched from head to toe. Wiping the water from my face, I glanced in the direction it had come from. None other than Phillip stood there, his purple eyes trained on me with a look of malice contorting his features. What he had against me, I had no clue but I was getting tired of him and his lackies thinking me an easy target.
I stood from my seat, ignoring Amber’s protests as I stalked over to Phillip. Before he could say anything to me, I cocked back my fist and punched him in the nose so hard the sounds of bones cracking filled the space. Blood gushed from the wound, and I knew it had to have hurt him, but he didn’t react to it at all. Instead, he allowed the blood to flow unhindered down his face and onto his shirt, that same self-satisfying smirk he’d given me before still planted on his face.
Anger thrummed through me at his expression. He’d gotten to me on more than one occasion but no matter what I did, nothing phased him.
The Amethysts surrounding him came to stand beside him, ready for a fight. I was surprised when a group of Cobalts came to stand near me, as well.
“So, we’re attacking Cobalts now?”
The group beside Phillip stepped back, lowering their gazes at the Cobalts assertion of dominance. Phillip didn’t budge. Whatever he had against me was enough for him to stand up to a group of Cobalts, knowing what that meant, knowing what they’d do to him.
Instead, he stepped toward me. “Cobalt or not, you’re still trash.”
He bumped past me and exited the cafeteria. The fight between us wasn’t over. It was no doubt escalated by the fact I’d not only hit him, but I’d been protected by the Cobalts surrounding me. It showed him I was weak. I couldn’t take care of myself without assistance, no matter how strong I’d tried to be.
I glanced around the cafeteria. All eyes were on me but one pair of golden eyes were trained on me with an intensity that had my head swimming. Sergio had seen it all. He shook his head, lowered his gaze, and walked away. I wanted to go after him, to explain nothing had changed but Colton stepped toward me and clapped a hand against my back.
“It’s about time you stood up for yourself,” he smiled, and oddly enough, his approval warmed me.
Last I’d seen him, he was angry with me for asking him to take me to his father for the journal and I hadn’t had a chance to apologize for it.
“Can I talk to you for second?” I asked.
He tipped his head, spun on his heel, and headed for the exit with me following close behind. The moment we were clear of the cafeteria, he turned to face me.
“I’m sorry about the way I acted that day,” he said before I could get out an apology of my own. “I shouldn’t have let my temper…”
“It’s fine. I shouldn’t have asked you to do that. It was selfish of me to expect you to put yourself in harms way for someone you barely knew.”
A low chuckle escaped him. “So, let me get this straight. I act like a total dick to you, like a complete animal, and you think I was justified?”
The question caught me off guard. Of course he was justified in his actions. I’d been the selfish one, asking him to do something with no regard to his safety or how it would make him feel being around the man who brutalized him for so long. And the fact he didn’t see that sickened me. The thought he didn’t believe his feelings mattered showed me how he’d been treated, what he was used to and I didn’t want to be a part of that.
“I think you could have handled it better, but I understand why you were upset.”
He smiled at that, a genuine smile that lit up his face, making him even more gorgeous than I’d thought he was before. And the fact I’d been the one to make him smile warmed me.
Chapter Ten
Brinley
The whistle of cold air rushing through my window pulled me from my sleep. I sat up, my back ramrod straight as I searched for the sound. Moonlight slid between the curtails, lighting only a small portion of the room but it was enough to show me Amber was, yet again, gone. She hadn’t told me she was going anywhere, not that she needed to, but it would’ve been nice to know I was alone in my room.
Trying to ignore the chill of the air as it bit into my skin, I my comforter over me and turned my back to the window. My eyes were heavy and I’d damn near fallen asleep until I heard the rustling of leaves just outside the window. Fear slid down my spine as I listened for the sound. Sniffing the air, I hoped I’d catch a scent of someone lurking by the window but nothing came to me but the faint crisp scent of impending rain, a scent I welcome fully as I closed my eyes again.
Just like before, moments passed and another rustling sounded outside the window, this time much closer than the first. Certain I hadn’t imagined it, I pushed myself up, my eyes searching the window. The curtain covered much of the area, making it difficult to see beyond it but I focused more the shadows cast there. Tree limbs swayed and scratched against the glass but, as before, I couldn’t sense anyone there.
I perked my ears, trying to figure out why I suddenly felt as if I were being watched. With my hearing, I could catch the faint hiss of breath, the thuds of a person’s heart if they were close enough. But I couldn’t hear a thing. Not with the way the wind whistled into the room.
I slipped from my bed and headed toward the window to close it. The moment my hand touched the wood, a sharp clawed hand reached out and grabbed me, jerking me through the window. My body scraped against the frame as I was dragged out into the arms of the Nephrite man who’d tried to capture me before. He spun me in his arms so his hand could snake around my head and cover my mouth, muffling my calls for help.
I tried to jerk away from him but he was much stronger than I’d initially thought. All I’d managed to do was anger him.
He growled, his grip tightening against my mouth and around my chest so tight I could barely breath. Just like before, I could hear him speaking into my mind.
Don’t fight me little girl or I’ll rip you to shreds. I just want to talk and I’ll leave you be.
I mumbled against his hand, trying to give him my agreement but there was nothing I could say with his hairy palm pressed against my lips. Instead, I relaxed, hoping it would show him what I wasn’t able to say.
He held me there for a moment before tentatively releasing his grip on me.
If you scream…
He didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he stepped away from me. Turning to face him, I noticed how his muscles bunched at my sudden movement, his hands held high in case he needed to restrain me again. Other than that, he looked thoughtful, less like the vicious animal everyone at the academy thought them to be.
I relaxed as best I could, still wary of him and his intentions. As before, he’d taken a huge risk coming on to the academy’s grounds and I had to imagine there was a reason for that risk. Curiosity, along with a sliver of fear, raced through me as I regarded him. In nothing but a pair of jeans, he was all muscle, his skin covered by a blanket of thick dark fur. His canine ears flattened as I looked him over, this time really paying attention to every detail. Just as my mother had written in her notes, he appeared to be stuck mid-shift, as if the magic was taken away before he could complete his transformation and she’d been working hard to complete it.
A sadness settled over me and I’m sure he could feel it too by the way his head cocked to the side.
“What do you want?” I asked, shoving those feelings aside.
We need your help. Years ago, a few of us decided to sign up for an experiment hosted by Professor Stallion’s grandparents. She promised there would be no ill effects. The council was concerned about the decline in Cobalt and Amethyst shifters and were trying to find a way to enhance the Citrine’s magic. I was part of that experiment.
I shook my head in disbelief. “There’s no way you would have been part of that experiment. That w
ould make you…
A hundred and thirty-two years old. The shifter spoke into my mind, sadness weighing on every word.
“How is that possible?”
From what I’d known, we lived a healthier life than the humans, unable to contract many of the diseases that plagued them, but our lifespans were pretty much the same. If he were really that old, he’d be weak and frail, features I couldn’t see in him. He had a strong youthful look to him beneath the dark fur. I’d imagined him to be in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties. One hundred was definitely a stretch.
The point of the experiment was to enhance our abilities and, in some ways, it was successful. We grew stronger, faster, and the magic swelled within us until one day we discovered we weren’t aging like the other shifters were. After a series of tests, they determined that whatever they’d done had been enough to continue on with the experiments. But soon, we started to see the negative effects of them. Some of us began to slowly lose our minds. Whatever was done was warping the magic, making us unable to control our shifting until one day, we found ourselves stuck in this form. Of all the participants, only forty percent of us were able to keep our cognitive thinking, while others weren’t so lucky. Unfortunately, the loss of our voices meant we were unable to tell them that and we were all treated the same.
I could see how that could be possible, considering the lack of technology in those days. Still, I wondered what it had to do with me.
Very simple, Brinley. His voice touched my thoughts again. I hadn’t considered he’d be able to hear me as I was able to hear him. Your mother was captured by a group of us years ago. We thought if we held the Emerald, the council would do everything in their power to set her free, even come up with a way to cure us. They refused. But your mother was determined to right that wrong. She’d gone over the notes left behind by the scientists who conducted the experiments and believed she could reverse the effects. She spent years trying, but…
His thoughts paused for a moment, but I could sense the tenderness he felt for my mother through whatever bond was forming between us. He cared about her, cared about the sacrifices she’d made to see her experiments through. He also grieved for her, which meant he had to know her personally.
Without thought, I asked, “What was my mother like?”
She was very special and extremely talented in her use of magic. She wanted to change the way shifters were treated within the community and believes that by righting this injustice, she’d be able to do more. She discovered a way to help us but it required a unity of magic. She stated the issue wasn’t the experiments themselves, but the way the magic was altered. If she could get the volunteers she needed, she’d be able to alter the magic enough we’d be able to shift into our true forms, breaking the spell. The academy, however, was against it. The moment they found out what she’d planned to do…
So it was the academy that killed my mother. But why? If they could get rid of the threat, there was no reason…
Because, the process can not be reversed. Instead of going back to regular shifters, we’d become something else, something stronger. But all we want is to be free.
I heard the truth of those words. More than that, I felt it. Stuck in a constant state of mid-shift, cut off from their magic and unable to communicate with anyone had to be terrifying. Add to that the fact they were being hunted for something they couldn’t control, I could understand why he’d taken the risks he had to get to me.
“What do you need from me?”
The journal.
Simple enough. I knew where the journal was but the last time I’d asked Colton to help me retrieve it, he’d been extremely upset with me. I just had to find a way to convince him, a way that wouldn’t put the Nephrites in any more danger than they were already in.
Chapter Eleven
Colton
Sleep hadn’t come easy that night as I laid in my bed. My dreams had taken a dark turn as beatings I’d received from my father replayed over and over in my head. I’d woken up what felt like every five minutes from the time I’d managed to close my eyes, and now, I sat up in bed, staring at the window, wondering if I’d ever get any sleep that night.
I heard a rustling outside of my room but thought nothing of it until the sound of a single voice came to my ears. Brinley. I could tell that voice anywhere. Soft with a slight southern lilt to it.
Confusion hit me as I concentrated on the sound of her voice. She hadn’t sounded distressed, but something about the way she spoke gave me pause. It was as if she’d been talking to someone, though I couldn’t hear any other voices. I considered briefly she’d probably be on the phone, but at this hour of night? It hardly made any sense, and it didn’t sit well with me she’d ventured outside again, alone, considering the threat the Nephrites posed.
I thought about that for a moment. The Nephrites had been bold. They’d left Canis Falls to go after her. Hell, they’d even managed to find their way onto school property out by the lake, something they never did. It was out of character, even for animals that worked on nothing but instinct. So what had emboldened them?
I remembered something Brinley had asked before, something about them having to communicate with each other. Any Nephrite I’d ever come across seemed more like rabid dogs than rational creatures, but what if she’d been right? What if they did have a way of communicating with each other that we couldn’t see? That would mean…
I stalked toward my open window, allowing my senses to scan the surrounding area. I couldn’t hear anything out of the usual whistling of wind as it blew through the trees and the faint rustling of what smelled like squirrels, frogs, and rabbits as they scurried about looking for their next meal. But there was something else there, like a presence I hadn’t felt before.
Climbing out of the window as silently as possible, I crouched beneath the frame, sticking to the shadows as I crept toward her voice. I could hear her talking again, but the closer I got, I could see a tall dark shadow looming over Brinley. Deep red eyes slid in my direction and I froze, fear gliding through me.
“Brinley,” I called out to her.
She turned to face me but the terror I’d expected in her eyes weren’t there. Instead, she looked annoyed I’d interrupted whatever they’d been doing. She returned her attention back the Nephrite, giving him a slight nod, before he ran off, disappearing behind a clutter of trees. Looking back at me, she gave me a sheepish smile as I approached.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
An hour later we were in my car, heading into town. Trepidation filled me as I made a right on the street I’d grown up on, a street I’d never wanted to see again. But with Brinley seated beside me, I was knew I was doing the right thing. Still, it did little to ease my discomfort as I parked the car along the street, exited, and stalked up to the door. Brinley was close behind, thankfully, as I knocked on the door.
I could hear a few crashes and grumbles before the door was yanked open my dad stood there, his face showing equal signs of anger and inebriation. He’d been drinking again, which wasn’t the least bit shocking, but I’d hoped we would be able to speak to him sober.
“Well, whadya want, boy?” he sneered, raking a hand through a mess of greasy gray hair he hadn’t even bothered to comb.
The smell of alcohol assaulted my nose as he spoke.
“We need to talk.”
He stepped away from the door and, turning his back to me, he walked back into the living room. We followed him, Brinley closing the door behind her though I wished she hadn’t. The smells coming from the living room were enough to make any human sick, but for a wolf, it was damn near deadly.
Kicking aside a pile of empty liquor bottles, he claimed his seat on what he’d affectionately called The King’s Chair, a crumbled old recliner sitting directly in front of the television. I watched as he plucked a beer bottle from the table, and took a swig, gesturing for us to sit on the love
seat off to the corner of the room.
Manuevering our way through the mess of bottles, half empty containers of take out food and things I didn’t even want to think about, we made our way to the couch. Brinley shoved aside a glass bottle and took her seat while I walked over to the window and pried it open.
“Did I tellya you could open my winda?” He slurred over the words, barely able to get a cohesive sentence out.
I winced at the malice in his voice. My father was quick to anger, especially when he’d been drinking and I didn’t want to provoke him, especially with Brinley seated so close to him. Keeping the window open, I took my seat beside her.
“Dad, this is Brinley, Chast…”
Before I could finish my sentence, my father leaned forward in his seat, his eyes set on Brinley. Recognition filled his gaze as his jaw dropped.
“You’re Chastity’s little girl,” he said in awe. “Neva thought I’d see your face here again.”
“Nice to meet you, Mister…”
Dad clapped his hands together, letting out a burst of laughter. “My Gawd how da mighty have fallen! You’re callin me mister like I’m some sort of dominant. Well, alright. Out wit it. Whadya want?”
Brinley slid back in her seat, folding her hands in her lap. “I’m actually here for my mother’s journal.”
“I dunno what dat boy of mine been fillin your head wit, but I ain’t got no journal.”He took another swig from his beer bottle before tossing it to the floor. “Now I suggest you go back ta where you came, ya hear?”
He leaned back in his seat, turning his attention to the television. The conversation was over, or at least that’s what he’d been trying to convey. I knew that action all too well. If we pushed him, he’d make sure we lived to regret it.
I scratched the back of my neck and stood. It had been a waste of time trying to get something out of this man. I reached behind me, hoping Brinley would take my hand so I could lead her out of the house, but she didn’t. Instead, she grumbled something I couldn’t quite make out under her breath before picking up the bottle she’d scooted aside earlier and smashing it against the coffee table beside her. It splintered into a million tiny shards of glass that tinked against the hardwood as they landed on the floor.
Canis Falls Academy- Year One Page 7