Crescent Wolves - G. Bailey Page 0,25
one hundred-odd sirens in the academy, far less than the other shifters who dominate the academy spaces.
Gathering my stuff, I walk out of the dining room and nearly crash into Mr Hawkthorne in the middle of the corridor.
"Landon, just who I was looking for," he says as I step back. "Walk with me." Knowing I don't have a choice, I fall into step with him and he is silent until we get outside and there is no one around.
"Many of the siren leaders are stepping down and they have asked me to look into the students at the academy for recommendations," he remarks, holding his hand behind his back. "All of your teachers say you are extremely talented and they all think you would make a good leader."
"Thank you," I reply, but the truth of it is, I don't want to be a leader of a world I know little to nothing about.
"Have you met the new student? Miss Brix?" he asks me, eventually.
"Yes," I answer.
He hums, nodding his head once. "Many are interested in her powers, much like I am. Would it be too much to ask you to stay close to her? To pull out her siren shifter powers?"
A sinking feeling drops into my gut. He wants me close to Millie for whatever reasons he has, but he is also trying to bribe me with being a leader of the sirens, a big step up from whatever I will leave the academy to do.
I don't have any family, unlike every siren at this academy, and I don't have a clan home to actually leave for.
Which makes me the most disposable siren at this place.
"I don't have to remind you that our places at the academy are extremely limited...do I?" he threatens with a smile.
"Of course not," I tightly answer.
"Now, just for safety, I need you to swear on this stone never to speak of our conversation," he picks out a witch stone from his pocket. Witch stones are a foolproof way of making sure someone keeps their promise. If you try to break the promise, the Witch Stone will take your life. I grit my teeth and take the stone into my hand.
"I promise never to speak of this conversation," I say, feeling the stone warm in my hand.
"Perfect," he grins, taking the stone from me and putting it in his pocket. "I do hate gossip. Secrets have a way of becoming messed up truths if they are spoken too much."
"And how many secrets do you have, Mr Hawkthorne?" I ask and he simply smiles.
"Too many," he answers and turns around, walking in the other direction. I watch him walk away, the magic in the air thicker than the salt in the sea air I loved when I was a kid.
I might be a siren, but I just got lured into a trap and I have a sinking feeling Millie will pay the price.
Chapter 11
Even though I slept like a zombie most of the day, I’m still tired when I get back to my room after dinner. I have enough energy to drag myself to the washroom--there’s one in the girls’ wing and one in the boys’ wing, with multiple showers and stalls--and take a much needed shower before returning to my room and crawling into bed. I feel a little more at ease after dinner--a lot more, actually. The idea of actually having acquaintances here, let alone friends, wasn’t something I was expecting, and the dinner conversation with Hazel and Landon was a pleasant surprise. All I can do now is hope that the rest of my classmates will be equally accommodating.
The breakfast bell rings at seven on the dot the next morning, and for the first time in my life I actually feel a surge of excitement about going to class. I shake my head as I climb out of bed and pull on my crisp new uniform. Who would’ve thought?
The rest of the dormitory migrates back to the dining hall, where a full English breakfast spread is laid out, and it takes me a while to locate Hazel in the throng of people. I make a mental note to ask her which room she’s in--maybe next time I can meet her beforehand. We could make a routine out of it, I think, with a sense of almost absurd glee.
Eventually I find her, and the two of us chat about things that seem frighteningly banal compared to the world we’ve found ourselves plunged into. She seems