Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Selene
Ishook my head, clearing the mixed thoughts and emotions jumbling my brain.
Using that much magic must’ve exhausted me to the point its fumes were altering my brain function because nothing else could explain what I had just felt.
The air was charged, and when my arm touched Ender’s, a little electric zap went off.
But I had felt it in my chest, not just where our skin had met.
Aura prowled over with dark eyes and hackles raised, hissing at the rocks behind me. This was the first time I’d seen her so hostile.
“Are you both okay?” John asked as he reached us.
“Yes.” I answered too quickly.
Ender watched me, and I didn’t like it. He had seen more than I wanted him to, but it was the only way to save the academy and stop the rock creatures—at least two of the three.
The third still lay in a heap off to the side, no doubt about to pull itself back together.
But had my actions jeopardized Viv’s safety at the academy?
I should have just let the guards take care of it. Stupid.
“Good.” John’s gaze narrowed behind me, taking in the scene. “Take your sister and go to the gymnasium with the other students in lockdown. You too, Ender.”
“My sis—Viv!” I yelled as I spotted her among a few guards. She shrugged and made her way over. “What are you doing here?”
“Wanted to make sure you were okay.” She looked between me and John, who shook his head, then opened his mouth to say something but stopped when the unburied rock creature stirred.
“Go. Now,” he ordered the three of us. Even Aura glared at us as if she was giving us the command.
I composed myself, hiding my exhaustion, and nodded.
I tugged Viv back toward the academy, Ender following suit.
They had enough hands and would be fine against just the one.
I wasn’t about to show anyone else what I could do—and I had exhausted almost all my magic.
Hopefully, they thought most of the damage and magic in the air was from the creatures and not from two students.
I spared a glance at the head trainer as we passed.
She had been with the group in the jungle the day the headmaster had found us, and with this incident, there was no doubt she would have her suspicions of us, if she didn’t already know.
The little lizard sat on her shoulder, its head twitching to the side as it watched us.
We made it to the end of the tree line leading to the academy. The massive structure that housed the gym came into view, but I strode right past it, toward the main building.
“Where are we going?” Ender asked from behind me.
“We’re”—I pointed between Viv and me—“going to the cafeteria. I’m hungry.”
Ender didn’t break off toward the gym. Instead, he kept his stride a few paces behind us.
“What did he see?” Viv whispered, leaning in close.
“Enough,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I’m more concerned with what the headmaster will think.” I can handle Ender.
“So much for staying under the radar,” Viv mocked.
“So much is right.” I sighed and pushed open the cafeteria door.
The oak wood tables were empty, as expected during a lockdown. I walked across the walnut floor and into the kitchen, which was off-limits to students. Where everything in the cafeteria was wood, everything in the kitchen was stone or marble.
My muscles were fatigued, my body drained, and I was starving.
This had happened often after training sessions with Mom, especially when I fought the creatures she conjured.
Our little secluded paradise gave us the privacy and room we needed for such sessions, and I would be ravenous and exhausted afterward.
The food trays had been picked up from lunch, and dinner hadn’t been set out yet. A large stainless-steel fridge sat just beyond a stone island, and I made my way to it. Viv stood right behind me as I opened it.
“Lame.” Viv swatted at the air and walked away.
There was salad, subs, sandwiches, and some soup from lunch. I grabbed a random sub and made my way back over to the island, ignoring Ender, who stood by the door and watched me. I hoisted myself up and began stuffing my face.
“Not awkward at all.” Viv rocked on her feet. “You know what … I bet they’re hiding the dessert in the back.” She went through a set of swinging double doors before I could finish chewing and protested. I would have to yell at her later for leaving me alone with the arrogant air mage.
Ender came over and leaned back against the island next to me.
I pretended he wasn’t there as I pushed the lettuce falling out of the sub back in and uncrossed my dangling legs.
Even though his shoulders were relaxed and his arms were back against the counter, I was always prepared for an attack.
My position made it awkward to fight if needed, but I could easily jump down.
“Level two, huh?” He sounded … amused? I didn’t look at him while I ate.
John had tested us the first day we arrived using the standard test employed throughout all academies.
Mom had warned us that someday we might be put in a position where we would need to be tested.
She had taught us how to trick the test into thinking we were a lower level by tucking away our magic and only allowing a small amount to seep from the imaginary little box in our chest while our blood was drawn.
Deceiving the test was harder than it sounded; it used our blood and scanned for both the element and potency by using a device that had been made centuries ago.
The devices weren’t common because the mages who had created them no longer existed, and the spell had disappeared along with them.
Somewhere in the world, there most likely was a group of mages creating a new and improved device.
“Selene …” Ender faced me, his voice dropping as he kept an elbow on the counter.
“Sal,” I said.
“What?”
“I go by Sal.” No one had called me Selene until here, and I had to correct every single student and professor. Then again, I had only ever really talked to Mom and Viv growing up—or the birds and iguanas. But no one needed to know that.
“Moon goddess,” he said, and I raised an eyebrow. Yes, Selene was the name of the moon goddess, but how would he know?
“I read.” He shrugged, answering my unspoken question.
“Or you’re just a creep,” I said.
“It’s a beautiful name. It suits you. I wonder if the goddess was also a spitfire.”
I almost dropped my sandwich. He was grinning, and annoyance flared inside my chest.
“Why did you help me?” I asked, and he took a moment before responding.
“They would have destroyed the Academy,” he said matter-of-factly.
“No—with my books in the hallway.”
Ender looked at me, his lips pressed in a flat line. I held my breath, waiting for the truth that it was for selfish reasons: a ploy to aide his stature or something along those lines.
“You worked up an appetite,” he said instead, nodding toward my almost-gone sandwich.
“You’re a smug jerk.” I took another bite of my sandwich. His apparent confidence in himself, frequently being shirtless, always finding a way to annoy me …
“They have cake!” Viv burst through the door with a decent-sized piece of chocolate cake on a plate. “It must’ve been some teacher’s birthday.”
Viv stopped and looked between us, the door swinging closed behind her. I bet she felt the tension in the air because I sure did.
“Bad timing.” She glanced at me. “Should I go?”
“Yes,” I said. “You and I should go.”
I hopped off the counter, sandwich in hand. There was no way I was wasting food, so the rest was coming with me. I contemplated taking another, but Sydney always stored snacks in our room. That would satisfy me enough so I could retreat there until I had to come out.
On second thought, I wanted another sandwich. I walked over to the fridge and grabbed another sub, then tucked the wrapped sandwich between my arm and side so I could easily eat. Without looking at Ender, I left the kitchen with Viv.
I had been worried about the headmaster, not Ender. I would have to tread carefully with him.