Page 49 of The Hunt of Night

“Why?” I ask, but he’s already turning away to face the gathered students.

“Good morning. I hope you’re all ready for an adventure because we’re going to be running another practice trial today,” he announces, and the audible gasps that echo around us confirm everyone else is caught by surprise.

A few groans and mumbles of concern ring out as I head back toward Flora, Arlo, and my newly named Kryptos. As soon as I come to a stop beside my favorite red-headed fae and favorite red-headed shifter, Vallie’s shrill voice comes to life.

“Are we forgetting what happened to me the last time we did this? What that bitch did?” she hisses, pointing a finger at me, and before I can bottle my frustration, I take a step forward.

“Thatbitchdefended herself against some frenzied fucking vampire who was hell-bent on killing me with her thirst for blood,” I snarl, hearing my father’s voice in my head, reminding me to remain calm and collected, but there’s no chance of that right now.

“Please, I would never?—”

“You did,” Brody blurts, appearing at my side a moment later. “I healed the gaping fucking hole in her neck,” he adds, pointing at the exact spot on my skin, and I shiver at the reminder. The remnants of pain ricochet through my body and it takes everything in me to shake it off and act unfazed.

Vallie stomps her foot, her cheeks heating as she glares at the mage beside me. “I never?—”

“We’re done with your drama,” Professor Tora interjects, and Vallie folds her arms over her chest with a huff. “Today, we are going to work in teams to reach the peak. The same teams you were placed in when we did the trail in Evermore.”

“You say a lot ofwewhen you’re not the one participating,” Grant, my least favorite human, states, cocking a brow at the professor with far more swagger than he actually has.

Tora swipes his tongue over his bottom lip as he stares him down.

“Beau,” Kryll murmurs, fingers flexing at his sides as he takes a step toward his brother. Thankfully, he seems to pull Tora from whatever he was thinking and he clears his throat.

“Youwill work in your preassigned teams to try to reach the peak. Better?”

“What peak?” Grant grunts, matching Vallie’s stance with his arms folded over his chest. Who the fuck does this guy suddenly think he is? And are those muscles bulging beneath his tight, long-sleeved tee? Where did those come from?

A mage professor makes her way over to Tora, who nods at her, and that one wordless command has the ground shifting beneath our feet.

I startle, struggling to fucking breathe when a chill blows around me, and I look down at my feet to find snow.

Fucking snow.Again.

“What the fuck are we doing back here?” Raiden grunts, coming to stand in front of me a moment later.

“Are you okay?” Flora whispers, and I nod, despite the lump lodged in my throat.

I can rise above this. I can rise above this. I can rise above this.

“Make it to the top. The first team wins,” Tora announces, ignoring Raiden’s outburst, and Grant scoffs.

“But those that have wings or speed are obviously going to beat everyone else. What’s the point in that?”

He does have a point, but life isn’t fair, and the teams are blended so we’re just going to have to deal with it. Maybe he’s worried about the vampire’s speed again. He was a little…green from it last time, and that’s saying something coming from me.

“Ah, good reminder. Maybe you are useful in your whining,” Tora states, nodding at the woman once again. Nothingnoticeable happens as she chants under her breath, the words lost in the wind as I strain to listen. It takes me a moment to spot the carved wooden object in her hands.

“What is that?” I murmur, peering at Brody, who follows my line of sight.

“Ah, that’s a…ah fuck.”

“Everyone, thank Grant for the fact that you’re saying goodbye to your abilities for the next few hours,” he declares, sending a chill down my spine as I gape at him before joining everyone else in glaring beside the stupid fucking idiot that made the entire thing harder for everyone.

“It’s an artifact that empowers the mage to gather the powers of those in the surrounding area. There’s only one of them in existence that I’m aware of, and I’m slightly shocked they’re using it so carelessly. It’s called The Engraved Obliviosus.”

“I’m going to kill that fucker,” Cassian grunts, the snarl on his lips making me believe him.

He at least has the nerve to look a little sheepish as Tora chuckles under his breath.

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