Page 86 of Every Shade of Shadow

Lily looks at me. “Ana and I had our own encounter.”

Ava looks over curiously. “You did?”

Lily answers for me. “To be honest, I thought we were done, but then Ana pulled out this wicked fucking spell from nowhere, and whoosh, fucked them up good.”

“I don’t know…” I begin.

“Don’t be modest,” says Lily. “You saved our asses.”

I don’t miss the look of jealousy from Ava, but it’s only momentary, her usual poise returning.

Leo’s smiling. “You’re an enigma, Ana Fairchild.”

“Oh?” I offer.

"There was something seriously unnatural about those shadows." Lily shivers, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's like they had a life of their own—intelligence."

"If there are sinister forces at work here, we need to find out what they are." A determined glint enters Ava's eyes. "And stop them."

Leo laughs. “Yes, Mom.”

The joint slips from my fingers, scattering ashes on the floor as a single thought takes root in my mind.

Maybe this whole place is a front.

Maybe we’re not students at all.

Maybe we’re the prey.

*

Against my protest, we approach Professor Darkwood after Transfiguration, waiting until the other students have cleared the classroom. He stands at the front, rolling up scrolls of parchment and securing them with leather ties before placing them next to his laptop in a perfect pyramid.

On the way I’ve formed a running theory. I think this is all because of me. I fucked around with Darkwood, with the shadows, and now the shadows are fucking back. Or it could be bullshit and this place really is just cursed.

Ava steps forward, clearing her throat. "Professor, we were hoping to speak with you about the strange occurrences that have been happening around the Academy."

Darkwood pins us with a rather pointed gaze, a flicker of interest in his expression. "Go on."

"The rogue shadows, sir." I lick my lips, noticing how his eyes track the movement. "They seem...sentient, somehow. As if they're acting on their own."

“You’ve seen them?” Darkwood asks.

We nod in tandem.

"We think there might be dark magic involved." Lily blurts out. "Black arts that have given the shadows a life of their own."

I really think Darkwood will mock us and dismiss our theories as absurd—ridiculous figments of our imagination. Instead, he folds his arms across his chest and regards us with a calculating look. "What exactly have you witnessed?"

Lily and I take turns describing what happened in the hallway last night, Ava looking on like the poor puppy that’s been left out and desperately wants in.

Leo’s not so shy. "The times when they seem most active are dusk and after nightfall," he adds. "And they tend to gather in areas that are poorly lit or simply not illuminated at all." It’s like the poor kid is reciting from a textbook looking for extra credit.

But Darkwood listens without interrupting, his expression unreadable. At last, he gives a curt nod.

"Your observations are quite astute." His admission sends a thrill through me. "There are indeed dark forces at work within these walls that have gained control of the shadows. However..." His eyes settle on me, a silent warning in their depths. "This is not a matter for students to investigate. I will ask you not pursue this any further."

I open my mouth to argue, but Ava squeezes my arm, a subtle gesture that stills my tongue. We have already overstepped our bounds bringing this to Darkwood. I thought as much.

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