Nightworld Academy - L.J. Swallow Page 0,10

confirmed this—I think she’s lonely with her secret, even with the guys she hangs around with. She has so much love to give and I want to show her she’s special.

But wanting to pin her against the wall and kiss her until she can’t breathe just because I held her hand scares me, as much as my magic scares her. Because I think that’s at the root of her issue. Amelia doesn’t trust herself or her magic.

We have mental magic class today with Professor Tobias Whitlock. He’s a younger teacher and a pneuma vamp so he has a natural talent in persuading people to do what he wants. Vamps gross me out. The hemia bloodsuckers are bad enough, but the sex-obsessed lamia and energy-draining pneuma can cause as much damage to humans. Their bigger challenge is the lure to feed on witches—they can lose control easily and kill.

Secretly, I think these classes should be for vampires only. Yes, we need to learn how to see into others’ minds, especially human, but witches and shifters have more self-control and less need to wipe human minds of ‘mishaps’.

Tobias is also head professor of Petrescu house and some forget he’s a century older than the early twenties he looks and they treat him as an equal. He doesn’t take this attitude well, although he does seem to favour some students, mostly vamps. In particular, Andrei Tepes.

I’ve heard rumours that Andrei can’t control his bloodlust, and Tobias helps him clean up his mess. With wiping human minds or literally clearing up the bloody mess? Who knows? I’d bet on both.

Tobias’s room suits his darker nature, painted in maroons and blacks, unlike the brighter rooms we learn witch magic or potions in. But this is a darker magic, indicated by the runic symbols painted on the walls.

Katherine gazes at him, hand supporting her chin, as he talks. The guy is attractive too and uses that to his advantage to keep some of us under control. I swear Katherine is plotting how to get special attention from him.

Good luck to her. A professor-student relationship would mean he’d lose his job.

Amelia’s late to class and has a choice between a spot next to me or one beside Katherine and friends. Katherine shifts to turn her back on Amelia. She hesitates, brown eyes wide, and pink spots appear on her cheeks before she sits beside me.

I say hello and she replies before ducking her head and staring at the notebook she pulled from her bag.

“Today, I’d like to practice piercing mental barriers,” announces Tobias in his silken tones. “Some humans believe we exist, such as the hunters who you may come across. Some hunters have also found ways to prevent us invading their minds—or they try to. In order to gauge your skill in breaking through mental barriers, and how far you’ve developed this year, I’d like you to practice on each other.”

A murmur travels around the room. “I know what you’re thinking, but you all have your own mental blocks to keep others out of your thoughts. They need to be practiced too, as I know some like to try to invade others’ thoughts. As a society, we respect each other’s privacy. Mostly.” He shoots a look at a pneuma vampire, Simon, who parts his mouth in a ‘what?’ gesture.

We’re forbidden to intrude in this way. Invading somebody’s mind counts as assault. As a teacher is instructing us, we can do this without repercussions, but the act feels wrong.

“Pair up with somebody you’re friends with. The comfort with each other should help, and there won’t be temptation to cause any distress.” He clears his throat. “Will there, Katherine?”

Katherine pouts but doesn’t respond.

“Take turns in attempting to block your partner.” He looks around and smiles. “But you do need to allow your partner to see something, even if it’s what you ate at dinner.”

Tobias’s joke falls flat, and he sighs.

Amelia cranes her neck to look for a partner. Ash already moved to sit opposite Jamie, and the four girls she sat with at lunch split into two pairs.

This could be interesting. Only the odd vamps remain as available partners, and I’m wary of their superior skills. They’d see right back to my first memory if they tried hard enough. Those who practice would be able to, anyway, unlike the sullen Andrei. If the vamps could have such a thing as a black sheep, he’d fit the role.

“Lia?” I ask.

She looks at me. “Sorry about yesterday, okay? I didn’t