Shadowborn Academy_ Year One (Dark Fae Academy #1) - G. Bailey Page 0,65
on,” she replies with a big grin. Recently I’ve never seen my bestie as happy as she currently is, and I love it. Even if he has his problems, he makes her happy, and I like him for it.
“Over here! Quick, guys!” Ronan shouts, and his voice echoes around the forest.
“Shut the fuck up, man! Do you want every student to hear us?” Jonah shouts, slamming Ronan into a tree, and he bounces off it. I’m too distracted by the three giant beanstalks to stop Jonah as I stare up at them. Large orange leaves and vines are on the fall and I think they would have blocked the view of the beanstalks hidden behind them. The top of the beanstalk is completely hidden by the top of the trees and the thick clouds above it.
“Too late,” Sage states and I turn around, seeing dozens of students running towards us. Dammit. I don’t help Ronan the idiot up as I run to the beanstalk, knowing we need to start climbing as fast as we can before the others beat us to it. I run and jump, grabbing a thick vine and using my legs to crawl up and climb onto the massive yellow leaf. Jonah climbs another beanstalk while Sage follows me as I jump from one leaf to the next, gripping on for dear life as we go higher. Just as I’m about to jump, someone slams me into the beanstalk, nearly knocking me off the leaf, and I look up to see Willow just before she jumps onto the next leaf. Stupid bitch did that on purpose! The leaf collapses and she slides off, screaming as she falls into the air. That’s karma for you!
I try not to laugh, but my sick sense of humour just finds the sight hilarious. Something, unfortunately, catches her in a magic net and I glance in the distance, seeing the academy and a row of teachers. Zander has his arm stretched out, glowing as he casts the spell, and soon I realise all the wardens are catching the students as they fall.
“Must be a fun game of catch,” Sage comments when she reaches me, as breathless as I am.
“I wish I was fae so I could fly up,” I mutter and Sage laughs. “The next leaf is too weak to hold us. We need to figure out another way.”
“If I give you a lift up, you could reach that leaf above us and then pull me up,” Sage suggests and I grin at her.
“Teamwork,” I say, fist-bumping Sage’s hand. “I hope Jonah falls on his ass for leaving us.”
“That’s just because you’re always thinking about his firm ass,” Sage says with an innocent wink as she joins her hands together for me. I put my foot in her hand, using her shoulders for balance as she lifts me up and I grab the edge of the leaf. I climb up and reach down, grinning at my bestie.
“So, you think he has a firm ass, too?” I ask as she takes my hand.
I lift her onto the leaf and gasp for air, my arms burning from the effort. Jeez, I’m tired already. I look up at the dozens of leaves ahead of us and groan as I climb to my feet. So. Many. Leaves.
“Enough about Jonah’s tight ass. We need to get a move on,” Sage says, and I nod.
Thankfully, no other students have chosen our beanstalk yet as we keep climbing. We do get endless amusement from the many, many students that fail miserably and fall off the other beanstalks. After fifty more leaves—I know because Sage counted out loud—we finally get to the top one, where a puddle of water lies in the hollow of a brown leaf. The water doesn’t look natural as I lean over it and look back to Sage. It’s bloody freezing up here and we both shiver as we decide what we need to do next.
“I think we need to step into the water,” Sage comments, looking as weary as I feel. Every single bit of me aches and I just want to sleep for a decade or so to recover. “Water is usually a portal to somewhere in this place.”
“I don’t see anywhere else we can go and I don’t want to jump,” I reply, not liking our options here.
“Together?” Sage asks, holding out her hand to me.
I gulp and take her hand as we edge onto the leaf. It’s amazing how sturdy it is.