Azure Dragons (Supernatural Shifter Academy #2) - G. Bailey Page 0,53

want to jump to conclusions, but I’m afraid that maybe Hawthorne…” She bites her lip and trails off. “Never mind.”

“What?” asks Silas as we reach the top of the stairs. No one is out and about, which is just as well; a ragtag group of shifters led by a battered-looking witch would attract attention that we can’t afford right now. “What do you think Hawthorne is doing?”

Josie sighs, turning to look at him, and for the first time I notice how much of a toll the last day has taken on her - she looks utterly exhausted, and this is far from being over. “I think Hawthorne may have orchestrated the attack on the convention center,” she says at last.

My hand flies to my mouth, and the others come to a sudden stop. “You… You think he would go that far?” I ask, not wanting to hear the answer, even though deep down I know it already.

“Again, I have no proof,” Josie tells us. “I can only go on what was being said in the board meeting. The others weren’t amenable enough to get him what he wanted. So…” She shrugs her shoulders. “Was it just a coincidence? Maybe. But I’ll tell you one thing: that attack was planned and organized. This wasn’t just some random pro-human riot. They would have needed inside information, equipment… And this was exactly the push the board needed to resume the experiments. They’re backed into a corner, and they’re panicking.”

“I can’t believe this,” Hunter mutters, running a hand through his hair.

“I can,” Shade shoots back. “It was only a matter of time before he went completely insane.”

“Come on,” Josie says, turning back around as we begin to descend the stairs. “We don’t have much time.”

I take the opportunity to reconnect with my shifter magic, which was almost unbearably dampened by the charm. In hindsight, it was almost too lucky that Josie was the one to come get us; because it had been enchanted by witch magic, only a witch could have undone the spell, and I’m sure as hell not a good enough shifter to even begin to reverse that kind of magic. I’m only just now beginning to come to terms with the fact that if we leave, it could be the end of my time spent studying—possibly for good. Am I capable of mastering my forms without the help of my teachers?

I’m going to have to be, I tell myself grimly as we reach the downstairs landing. There’s no other option.

The common area is blessedly empty, although perhaps that’s not a good thing; the dormitory seems eerily devoid of students in spite of the relatively early hour. The faculty is most likely already trying to move the U.K. students back to the island where they will be inaccessible to the rest of us. They’re not in for a fun time, either, and I feel a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach when I realise that they’re being pulled into this too, whether they like it or not. If we make it out of here, the Academy will start testing on the general student population again, like they did with Silas and that kid Brody. If we leave, we’re signing them up to be next in line, but what choice do we have? Letting them take us will just expedite the process, and no matter what Hawthorne claims, giving a bunch of trigger-happy humans shifter abilities will make things worse, not better. There has to be a way out of this that doesn’t involve upsetting the balance of the whole world… doesn’t there?

We’ve just made it out to the sculpture garden when Josie stops dead in her tracks; looking up, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest when I see Lyle standing a short distance away, his arms crossed over his chest. “What do we have here?” he asks, taking a few steps forward. “I thought students were restricted to their dorms.”

“I could say the same to you,” I fire back. “What are you doing out here?”

“If you have to know,” Lyle replies, “I’m under orders to make sure nobody wanders outside without express permission from President Russo.”

“I guess we’re in luck then,” Josie says, “because I’m one of the faculty fellows for the U.K. Academy. I’m bringing these five to the -”

“You really expect me to buy that?” Lyle demands, scoffing. “I was warned about you. The board sent me here to make sure you didn’t try anything