by Jody Morse
I supposed this was why Headmaster Crane had been so confused about where to place me. What if I was actually a werewolf? If I was, there was a good chance that I was more powerful than many of the other werewolves here, considering I was a direct descendant.
Walking around the classroom, she continued. “Werewolves, in general, possess a number of magical abilities—aside from their obvious ability to shapeshift, their ability to heal rapidly, and their superhuman strength, agility, speed, and stamina. Nearly all werewolves also possess telepathy, or the ability to read minds. In fact, werewolves have a stronger sense of telepathy than any other type of shifter or any other paranormal being. Not only does this allow them to communicate with their pack members, but it also allows them to access human thoughts.”
I noted how she had said human thoughts—not the thoughts of other paranormal beings. I thought about how Brett had been able to listen in on my thoughts when he had met me back in the human world. How had he been able to do that? Had Professor Holmes forgotten to mention that wolves can access just about anyone’s thoughts? If I really wasn’t a human, how else would he have been able to listen in on my thoughts?
Unless I actually was a werewolf.
Chapter 5
When the bell sounded, I gathered my things. I was just about to head to the next class when I heard a deep voice say, “Juliana?”
I glanced over at the hot guy, shocked that he had even spoken to me. “How did you know my name?”
“Word travels fast around this school.” His steel blue eyes locked on mine. “Everyone’s been talking about you.”
“They have?” My eyebrows shot up questioningly. I would have figured that the Paranormal Academy students had something better to talk about than me, but apparently, they gossiped just as much as humans did.
He nodded.
“I hope they’ve only been saying good things.”
His facial expression remained stony, which made me wonder if people actually weren’t saying good things. I wished that he would elaborate on what was being said, but he didn’t.
“I’m Kaden Connor,” he said as we began to walk, together, towards the front of the class. “What class do you have next?”
“Herbs and Potions.”
“Oh.” His face fell a little.
“What about you?” I hoped that maybe his next class would give me some sort of clue as to what type of paranormal being he was.
“Ethics of Magic,” he replied.
Another magic class. So, maybe he was a witch. Or a fairy. It was hard to imagine what a male fairy would even look like.
“I hear the class is really boring,” Kaden went on when I didn’t respond. “But it’s something we all need to learn, I guess: when it’s okay to actually use our magic.”
“True,” I agreed. For those of us who even have magical powers, that is.
Observing his face, I noted that his expression didn’t change. It didn’t seem like he had listened in on my thoughts, so I was pretty sure that I could rule out werewolf. Either that, or he was a really good actor.
“Anyway, I was thinking that maybe we could hangout sometime after class or something,” Kaden went on. “Maybe after we’re both settled in.”
I glanced up into his steel blue eyes and nodded. “Yeah, I would like that.”
“Cool.” He flashed a smile at me, and I breathed a sigh of relief to see that he didn’t have fangs or anything like that. Not that I was sure vampires even had fangs at all times, but still. “Well, we’d both better get to class. I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah, see you,” I replied with a smile.
He turned away from me then and headed for a stairwell. I stared after him as he walked.
What had even just happened? Kaden Connor had actually asked me to hang out. Kaden Connor. Not that I was sure if his name actually meant anything at Paranormal Academy, but it meant something to me. He was freaking hot, and he wanted to hang out with me.
Did this mean that I hadn’t imagined it? Was he actually just as attracted to me as I was to him?
I tried to push the thought away. Maybe he just wanted to make friends because he didn’t know anyone here yet.
But a part of me secretly hoped that he was attracted to me.
When I walked into my Herbs and Potions class, I found what looked like a high school biology classroom. There were tables that two students sat at, lab partner-style.
As I scanned the room, my eyes fell on Ambur.
“I saved you a seat!” she called to me as she waved me over to her.
As I slid into the chair next to her, she glanced over at me. “So? How was your first class?”
“There’s a boy,” I told her.
“Yeah?” Her eyebrows rose questioningly.
I nodded. “A really, really hot boy.”
Her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me. He’s a vampire.”
I frowned. “I don’t actually know what he is. My guess is that he might be a witch, but I’m not sure.”
Her eyebrows shot up questioningly. “You didn’t ask him?”
I shook my head. “No. I wasn’t really sure how to just ask that.”
“It’s a pretty normal thing to ask.” Ambur paused as she grabbed a pen and notepad from her bag. “Do you know his name? Maybe that will help us figure out what he is. If he comes from a line of… well, something.”
“His name is Kaden Connor,” I replied.
She glanced over at me sharply. “Kaden Connor?”
So, apparently, maybe his name actually did mean something around here.
“Yeah. You know him?” I asked with raised eyebrows.
“Well, not personally,” Ambur replied. “But everyone knows of his brother, Corbin Connor, who’s also a student here. What I don’t understand is how you could even have class with Kaden Connor.”
“Why?” I questioned with raised eyebrows.
“Because,” she said, “his brother is a Warlock.”
I swallowed hard, knowing exactly what she was trying to get at.
If he was anything like his brother, Kaden shouldn’t have even been allowed to step foot inside the House of Mage.
“You should probably stay away from him,” she said quietly.
She was right, of course. That much I knew. Getting involved with someone who practiced dark magic was probably one of the dumbest things I could possibly do.
But there was something else I knew, too.
Staying away from Kaden was going to be a lot easier said than done with how unusually drawn I felt to him.
Chapter 6
When Ambur and I reached the classroom where Magical Animals and Creatures was supposed to be held, we found a sign on the door.
Magical Animals and Creatures Students,
Our first class will be held in the Enchanted Forest.
See you all there!
- Professor Frye
I turned to Ambur. “Where’s the Enchanted Forest?”
“It’s not too far from here,” she replied. “But we should probably wait for—”
“Me!” Draia appeared next to me then. “How were your first classes?”
“Not too bad, actually.”
“Yeah? Did you and Ambur almost burn the school down during Herbs and Potions?” she joked.
“No. However, we did learn a beginner’s love potion,” Ambur replied matter-of-factly. “We’re going to have to remember that one.”
As she led us out of the building, Draia rolled her eyes. “You know how I feel about love potions.”
“You don’t like them?” I asked with raised eyebrows. I wasn’t going to lie. I had thought that if I turned out to be a witch or magic user, love potions would be one of the coolest things about it.
“I think they’re stupid, honestly. I don’t see the point in them. You want someone who loves you for you, not someone who only loves you because of some silly potion,” Draia said, waving her hand at the idea.
“But, but,
but, what if I could use it to make Gavin Thomas fall in love with me?” Ambur asked with a pouty lip.
“Gavin Thomas?” I questioned. “Who is he and why is this the first time I’m hearing about him?”
“Gavin is this guy who Ambur’s been crushing on for-freaking-ever,” Draia explained.
“Is he a vampire?” I asked. Based on the way she talked about the hot vampire guys, it only made sense that she would have been crushing on one.
“Nope. He’s a fairy, just like me,” Ambur replied with a grin.
“Really? I would have thought for sure that you’d have gone for a vampire,” I said as I followed them down a path that led into the woods.
“Don’t get me wrong. Vampires are hot as hell, but there’s actually something unique about fairies,” Ambur explained. “It’s best for us to not mix with any other type of paranormal being.”
“Why is that?”
“Because fairies can be moody as hell, and not many other paranormal beings can handle them,” Draia informed me.
“Hey, that’s only part of the reason why,” Ambur insisted. Her hazel eyes locked on mine. “We do tend to be a little bit more headstrong than some of the other types of paranormal beings. Well, besides the shifters. They can get cranky as hell, especially around the full moon. And I’m pretty sure warlocks are just born cranky. Fairies have so much magical energy floating around inside our veins that it can actually affect our hormones, which makes us more stubborn—especially female fairies.” She paused. “But the main reason fairies are better off sticking to our own kind is because we can actually feed off one another’s magical energy, which makes us thrive in every single aspect of life. So, a guy would have to be amazing in every way imaginable for me to even consider dating a guy who isn’t a fairy. And Gavin Thomas is as perfect as the fairies come.”
“So, why don’t you ask him out?” I asked her.
“Don’t waste your breath, Juliana. I’ve only been telling her this for years,” Draia replied. “She won’t do it.”
“I’m just too shy for that.”
“You? Shy?” I stared back at her in disbelief. She was one of the least shy people I’d ever met.
“Well, I’m shy around Gavin,” she replied with a shrug.
As we arrived at a clearing, there were other students our age standing around in a circle. We walked over towards where they were crowded, and I glanced around at my surroundings.
This forest seemed pretty… well, forest-y. And I meant that in the most unremarkable way ever. It didn’t look any different from the forests back home. Just some trees and weeds growing. In fact, I wasn’t entirely sure why it was even called the Enchanted Forest. Nothing seemed even the slightest bit enchanting about it, aside from the fact that it was in this realm.
At that moment, I heard someone clear their throat. Glancing over, I found Brett Summers standing next to me. Well, towering over me was more like it.
“Hey, Juliana,” he said with a smile.
“Oh, hey, Brett.” I smiled back up at him.
“How’s your first day of classes going?”
“Not too bad. How about yours?” I asked.
“Mine are alright.” His smile faded a little bit. “You’re doing okay here?” There was a genuine hint of concern in his voice.
What an odd question for him to ask. “Is there a reason I wouldn’t be?”
“Well, no. I just know that this must have all been so hard for you—to be ripped from the human world and forced into your first day of classes so suddenly. It’s got to be a lot for you to take in.”
“I mean, kind of,” I agreed with a shrug. Then again, it was also sort of… fun.
“If you ever need someone to talk to, just know that I’m always here.” He pulled a card out and handed it to me. “That’s my phone number. Don’t hesitate to call me any time, day or night.”
“Thank you.” I slid the card into my backpack. I wanted to ask him if it would even be okay for me to call him at all, considering he had a girlfriend. But I didn’t know how to approach that subject without also letting him know that my friends had talked about him and Everly, so I decided not to say anything at all. I just made a mental note not to call him. The last thing I wanted was to get on Everly Carmichael’s bad side, considering I was pretty sure that I may have already been on her bad side for reasons I didn’t even fully understand yet.
At that moment, a man began to walk in our direction. Even from a distance, it was hard not to notice how attractive he was. He looked young—maybe two or three years older than us—and had creamy caramel skin, butterscotch-colored hair, and honey brown eyes that stood out from about a hundred feet away from us. He had strong-looking arms. It was hard not to notice them—or the fact that he was carrying something with a blanket over it.
“I wonder what’s in the cage,” Ambur whispered.
“Whatever it is, it looks like it’s something small,” Draia commented quietly.
As the guy approached us, he said, “Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Professor Frye. You may call me Brandon. I’m a witch, and I will be your Magical Animals and Creatures instructor. This class is pretty simple. We’ll meet out here on Mondays and Tuesdays so you can see an animal or creature for some hands-on observation. We’ll learn more about the species inside the classroom on Wednesday and Thursday. On Fridays, we’ll have exams on the animal or creature we’ve learned about. Today, we’re going to begin with our first creature. Does anyone want to guess what it is?”
As if on cue, the thing made a grunt from underneath the blanket.
A knot twisted in my stomach. That thing—whatever was inside that cage—sounded completely terrifying.
Ambur’s hand instantly shot up. She was the only one who raised her hand at all.
“Ambur?” Brandon asked.
“It’s a baby dragon,” she said matter-of-factly.
“You’re correct. It is a baby dragon. Do you know what type of baby dragon?” he asked her challengingly.
She frowned. “I think it’s a Speckled Tree-Horn Dragon.”
“That’s correct.” Brandon pulled the blanket off the cage, revealing the baby dragon. The dragon appeared to be about the size of a bulldog and had green scaly skin with yellowish speckles. It had green translucent wings, and a small horn at the center of its forehead. I imagined that must have been where the “horn” in its name came from.
As the baby dragon stared out of its cage at us, I couldn’t help but feel sort of sorry for the poor thing. It actually looked sort of… well, scared… of us.
“Speckled Tree-Horn Dragons are one of the most common dragons to be found in the wild,” Brandon told the class. “They’re also some of the least aggressive. Many paranormal beings actually choose to keep them as pets. They generally have a good disposition and take kindly to other animals and creatures. However, it’s worth noting that these dragons do get protective over their owners.” He opened the cage then and pulled out the baby dragon, cuddling it. “Spike here is thirty-three pounds right now, but we can expect him to reach about one-thousand pounds when he’s full-grown—which generally happens in about a year. Female Speckled Tree-Horn Dragons, on the other hand, generally reach about nine-hundred pounds.”
At that moment, Spike let out a little sound—almost like a sneeze—and a little bit of fire blew from his mouth. It wasn’t a lot but just enough to cause most of us to take a step backwards.
“You don’t need to worry about Spike harming you all,” Brandon informed us. “He currently has a little cold that’s causing him to release fire.” He paused for a moment. “Why don’t you all form a line so you can come up and meet him?”
As we all fell into line, Ambur turned to me with a grin. “I have been waiting half my life to meet a Speckled Tree-Horn Dragon in real life and now it’s finally happening. This was something on my bucket list.”
Meanwhile, I hadn’t even known that dragons actually existed until today.
“Are ther
e dragons in the human world?” I asked her.
She nodded. “Yes, there are lots of dragons in the mountains. Places like Colorado and Montana are filled with them. Dragons thrive on high altitudes and prefer to be in isolated regions.”
“Ambur is an encyclopedia when it comes to magical animals,” Draia informed me.
Ambur shrugged. “Someone around here has to love them.”
I chuckled and then glanced over my shoulder, surprised to find that Brett was standing behind me. His eyes locked on mine. “So, did you get to find out what you are yet? Are you happy with it?”
I shook my head. “No.” I glanced around to make sure no one was listening to us and then told him in a lower voice, “Headmaster Crane doesn’t actually know what I am.”
“Really?” He looked surprised.
I nodded. “Yeah, apparently I’m a mystery.”
“Well, mysteries can be a lot of fun to solve sometimes.” His eyes didn’t move from mine, and something about the tone in his voice just made me wonder if he might have been flirting with me.
But that couldn’t have been the case. He had a girlfriend—a completely gorgeous girlfriend. There was no reason he’d flirt with me.
At that moment, Draia and Ambur stepped up to Brandon, who held the baby dragon out for them to pet.
“Can I hold him?” Ambur asked.
“I would rather you didn’t,” Brandon replied. “Spike is on the shy side. I don’t want him to become overwhelmed by everyone holding him.”
“Oh. Okay.” Her disappointment was obvious, but she patted the dragon’s head, anyway. “You are seriously the cutest thing ever.”
After a few long moments, Brandon said, “Okay, Juliana and Brett, please move forward.”
I was surprised that the teacher knew my name, but I didn’t question how he knew it. I figured that he must have taught all the other students before, so he had been able to figure out from the attendance chart who I was. That or it was part of his magical abilities or something.