“Right now, I’d rather not say.”
“How do you want to handle it, then?” I asked, my fingers gliding across my stone.
As her eyes drifted to my hand, she released a soft smile. “Not that way, but thanks.” Her chin lifted, and she tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear. “Instead of getting pissed off—or crying—I’m answering each of his taunts with pure kindness. I’m hoping that’ll smooth out his rough edges.” She blushed. “Because, he’s kinda cute.”
“It’s hard to be mean to someone who is unfailingly nice,” Eben said, ignoring the cute comment. “Good thought on your part.” He made a note on his agenda. “Let me know if we need to intervene.” His brown eyes darkened. “It won’t be the first time I’ve had to handle something like this.”
Sarah dipped her head. “I will.”
“Anyone else?” Eben asked. When we all shrugged, he said, “Okay. That’s it for tonight, then. Let’s meet up here again next week at the same time?”
Agreeing, we rose and took the stairs to the ground floor, then walked out of the library together.
“Anyone want to get an iced coffee?” Manuel asked.
“Not me, but thanks,” I said. It was getting late, and my body ached from my repeated tumbles off random aldakors.
We split up, me walking right after a soft goodbye, the others turning left, going either to Wind or Fire Coven or to the coffee shop. Me and Drea were the only outlings in Earth Coven.
Weird that Drea hadn’t shown up for the meeting.
My footsteps echoed around me as I passed the exit to the Clinic. I waved to a few kids in the shopping area but only one responded. Second Year students were almost universally snooty, as if we First Year kids deserved a trial by scowl, their version of a mini-initiation before acceptance. Or maybe they didn’t want to bother getting to know us until it was clear we wouldn’t flunk out.
Definitely needed to master riding an aldakor. And discover my other skapti. Because flunking out of the Academy was not an option.
I’d gone to Justine, the Headmistress of Crystal Wing Academy, after things settled and shared my ability with fire and feeding power into Professor Spires—Cloven—but she’d only smiled and said, “Wonderful. Keep exploring.”
Whatever that meant.
Leaving the mall, I bumped into Ashton coming from the other direction.
“Outling,” he said snidely, smoothing his hair and jacket. Messy, considering how flawless he always kept his appearance.
“Elite,” I said just as snidely but I knew the taunt had no kick.
He huffed and crossed the mall to join a bunch of guys sitting at a table outside the ice cream shop. He should get an ice cream. It might sweeten him up.
Shaking my head, I continued, taking the stairs leading to the skywalk spanning across to Earth Coven. I loved how they’d built it completely out of clear crystal. A lot of kids avoided it because, as you walked across, vertigo hit, giving the feeling you were about to plunge to the ground.
After a few more excursions on the roof with Donovan, I’d become addicted to heights.
As well as Donovan.
I walked across the span, staring through the clear glass, taking in the stars and moon overhead and the trees at eye level at my sides, plus the statues below.
A slithering, scraping sound behind made me pause. Frowning, I peered back, into darkness that swallowed the entrance.
“Hello?” I called out. My heart tripped when the sound was repeated, but I didn’t see a thing. Not a speck of movement, either.
Had I imagined it?
I couldn’t quite convince myself it had been nothing.
Okay, so the skywalk wasn’t as much fun as I’d thought. Not when night had fallen and I was traveling alone.
Ignoring the prickles lifting along my spine, I turned back and continued toward Earth Coven, my pace quicker than before. I wasn’t scared. Not too much, that is.
When the scraping grew louder, as if something was creeping up on me, my mouth flashed dry and I bolted.
I hit the far side of the skywalk at a dead run, my breath raging in my chest, my veins on fire. My fingers scrambled on the doorknob. Fear sobbing out of me, I wrenched the panel open and dashed forward.
I tripped over something solid lying on the floor on the landing.
Falling onto my knees beyond whatever it was, I flipped onto my butt and then scrambled backward, abrading my palms on the tiles with the frantic movement.
It was shaped like a human.
By the fae…
“Drea?” I whispered, squinting in the low light.
Lying on her back, she’d clasped her hands on her chest like she’d decided the stairway floor was an awesome place to take a nap.
Or like she was lying in a casket.
Not a good thought, there.
Green leaves lay around her body, tossed there by someone or scattered by the wind. Plump and full, they looked freshly picked.
When I inched forward, my gasp burst past my lips.
Drea stared at the ceiling, glassy-eyed. I checked, but she had no pulse. She wasn’t breathing either.
At the base of her throat where her school uniform was unbuttoned to expose her pale skin, something drew my eye. I leaned forward, my pulse hammering in my ears loud enough to eclipse everything else.
Tears welling in my eyes, I reached toward her but snatched my hand back.
A circle had been carved into her flesh, and beaded blood had dried in the outline.
What…? Inside the circle…No, not a circle. An O. For Outling? In the middle, someone had carved a number.
With Drea dead, there were no longer eight outlings at Crystal Wing Academy.
The clock had just ticked down to seven.
Look for Crystal Wing Academy, Book Two: Dragonsworn, on Amazon.
Marty writes young adult fiction and infuses it with suspense, romance, and a touch of humor. When she's not dreaming up ways to mess with her character's lives, she works as an RN/Clinical Documentation Specialist. She lives in New England with her husband, three children, three geriatric cats, and a spunky Yorkie pup who keeps her on her toes.
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Other books by Marty Mayberry
DEAD GIRLS DON’T LIE,
A mystery/suspense
On Amazon & in Kindle Unlimited
CRYSTAL WING ACADEMY
A suspense set in a Harry Potter-style world
Outling, Book One
Dragonsworn, Book Two
Unraveler, Book Three
Did you know?
I also write adult books as Marlie May
Visit my Amazon Page
Crescent Cove Contemporary Romances
SOME LIKE IT SCOT (link)
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE (link)
Other, Independent Titles
TWIST OF FATE, May, 2019
(A time travel romance set in ancient Pompeii)
On Amazon & in Kindle Unlimited
Crescent Cove Romantic Suspense
FEARLESS
RUTHLESS
RECKLESS, coming soon!
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Crystal Wing Academy: Book One: Outling Page 24