Page 47 of The Fate of Eternity

“So, are we ready for class?” Brody asks just as the bell chimes, answering for me.

Wordlessly, the five of us head inside, through the student-filled hallways as we walk toward History class. The mess in the dining hall earns me a few wary looks from others as we pass, but thankfully, no one says anything to piss me off. Or more importantly, my wolf.

The moment I step inside, my back stiffens at the sight of Vallie in the front row, but at least for now, my wolf doesn’t rise to the occasion. Taking my seat, Kryll flanks my right side and Brody my left, nestling me between them as the professor turns to face the class.

Her eyes snag on mine for a beat, a hint of surprise at my arrival, but she quickly shakes it off as she shuffles a stack of papers and addresses everyone.

“Good morning, students. I hope you’ve all had a pleasant start to your day. We’re going to spend the next lesson going over how The Council came to be.” Her smile widens, and I can’t tell what part of her sentence intrigues her. Does she like The Council, or is she simply a history buff?

Fuck if I know, but I don’t need any more surprises.

Stop overthinking everything, Addi.

With another deep sigh, I force myself out of my head and focus on the professor. My eyes track her hands, noting how animated she is when she talks. It takes me a moment to realize I’m not taking in a single word she’s saying.

Fuck.

Exhaling again, I try harder.

“The people voted for The Council, a chosen democracy that was agreed upon by every origin,” she explains as a projection appears in front of her. It symbolizes each origin and the colors we’re wearing as it spins slowly like an orb between her hands. “Each origin selected their own representative, and not a single one has changed throughout that time.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Whose idea was that?” someone calls out from the back row, but I don’t turn around to see. The thought triggers something in my brain, forcing me to glance back to my right, where Flora and Arlo’s seats sit empty.

Shit.

I was so caught up in Vallie’s drama I forgot to reach out.

Kryll’s hand lands on my thigh, drawing my attention to him. He must sense my distress because he offers me a squeeze as he mouths. “We’ll figure it out.”

I nod, but the uncertainty doesn’t dissipate. My pulse thunders in my ears as I focus on the professor again, trying to listen as she speaks. “To some, it doesn’t make sense, and many have different opinions on the matter, but I think what surprises me most is that it was never considered to actually find new representatives; the Heir Academy was the only option considered.”

That surprises me too.

“Now, the struggle for power grows greater every day, which is why the academy was even considered at all. It outweighed the continuation of The Council by astonishing results. Why do you think The Council agreed to it if they were going to be removedfrom power?” she asks, her gaze trailing over the room as Brody clears his throat beside me.

“They didn’t.” All eyes turn his way as he shifts in his seat.

“They didn’t?” the professor repeats, tilting her head for him to proceed.

“My father explained it to me,” he says with a shrug, as if trying to deflect focus away from him, but instead, he seems to hold everyone’s attention even more.

“What did he explain?”

Brody’s lips purse, a hint of irritation flickering in the corner of his eye when Vallie’s shrill voice cuts through the air.

“Well, my daddy, long rest his soul,” she sneers, glaring over her shoulder at me before turning back to the teacher. “Told me that the vote was orchestrated among the people. That those who made the vote had no power to do so, so really, we shouldn’t be here, and we should be thankful they didn’t opt to slaughter us all as an example instead of giving us the opportunity to explore an academy.” She sits back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest with a smug look on her face, leaving me completely bewildered.

The realization I had earlier over killing for killing’s sake suddenly feels pointless as I glare at the back of her head.

“That has got to be the most fucked up Council offspring vampire shit I’ve ever heard,” Kryll mutters under his breath, and I can’t hold back the snicker that ripples from my stomach.

Thankfully, I’m not the only one making noise, so I don’t earn any additional stares.

“Thank you for that opinion, Miss Drummer,” the professor says, clearing her throat as she waves her hand to the rest of the class. “What do the rest of you think of The Council and how the academy came to be?”

“I think there have been enough power-hungry people in control of this kingdom for too long. Someone with no specialabilities as the heir would create the safest surroundings, providing equality to all and preventing the magic from corrupting us any further.”

Glancing back, I stare at the human guy in his cream cloak. His words are firm, his jaw is tight, and it’s clear he’s truly locked in on his beliefs. In some respects, I see what he’s saying and how that may give the illusion of a better kingdom, but the way he speaks sends a shiver down my spine. I get the feeling his first call of action would be to kill every magical being in the kingdom, which would only bring his demise.

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