Page 8 of Goody Magic Academy: Year Three

My throat tightened, my breath coming quick and shallow as I fought the urge to bolt. Sweat beaded on my forehead despite the cool night air, trickling down my temples.

I squinted upward, searching desperately for any wisp of cloud, any hint of cover. But there wasn’t one in sight. The moon hung fat and indifferent, its light so bright it almost hurt to look at it.

We pressed our backs close against the wall as we made our way to the faculty apartments. They seemed a million miles away. The rough stone scraped against my skin, each step a tortuous balance between speed and stealth. My leg muscles burned and trembled from the effort of staying low.

“Get down,” Jaxon suddenly hissed, his voice barely audible.

Before I could react, he pushed me onto the ground. The impact knocked the air from my lungs, the gritty earth pressing against my cheek. Jaxon’s strong body covered mine, his weight both reassuring and overwhelming. I could feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest as his heart tapped out a staccato rhythm against my back.

I lay perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe. Jaxon’s arms bracketed my head, his body curled protectively over me as if he were fighting to shield me from an unknown threat. The warmth of his body contrasted sharply with the cold ground beneath us, sending confusing sensations through my overwrought nerves.

My heart thundered so loud I felt like it was going to start an earthquake. The roaring in my ears drowned out everything else, and my fingers dug into the earth, desperate for some kind of anchor as waves of fear and adrenaline crashed over me.

Indistinguishable voices grew louder and closer, sinister murmurs that seemed to come from everywhere at once. My pulse quickened. There was no way we were going to get out of this. The certainty of it settled in my gut like a block of ice, spreading a numbing chill through my body.

One of them uttered a guttural word—“Naz’gulum”. The harsh and alien sound grated against my ears, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. Then, without warning, a light flashed across the courtyard. It swept through the darkness like a lighthouse’s beam, stark and unforgiving.

Every muscle in me screamed to run, to fight, todo something, but I forced myself to remain perfectly motionless. The taste of dirt and terror mingled on my tongue, my mouth dry with panic.

The beam cut through the night again, closer this time. With each sweep of the light, the shadows receded further, our hiding place evaporating like morning dew. The inevitability ofdiscovery hung over us, making each breath a struggle. I closed my eyes against the encroaching brightness, silently pleading for a miracle I wasn’t sure would come.

Chapter

Five

The beam of light swept closer to our hiding place. I held my breath, certain we were about to be discovered. Suddenly, a high-pitched screech pierced the air, followed by the sound of wings beating the air frantically.

A large bat swooped down from the sky, diving and wheeling through the courtyard. Its movements were too precise and intentional to be a normal bat. My body tensed and I sucked in my breath.

Was it friend or foe? Could it be a member of the Bloodborne Brotherhood?

Jaxon murmured in my ear, “All good. It’s Valentin.”

I softly released my pent-up air.

“Blasted creature!” one of the hooded figures shouted. The magical light flickered and swung wildly as the men swatted at the air, trying to fend off Valentin’s airborne assault. He dive-bombed their heads, screeching and clawing, creating the perfect chaotic distraction.

In the confusion, I felt Jaxon’s hand tighten around mine.

“Valentin’s buying us time,” he whispered urgently. “We need to move. Now!”

Jaxon’s hand clamped around my wrist, his grip iron tight. My heart leapt into my throat as he yanked me to my feet, the sudden movement making my head spin.

I caught a glimpse of crimson eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity as the bat—Valentin—swooped past us. Wait—had the bat winked at me? My mind reeled, trying to process the surreal sight.

“Hold on,” Jaxon growled, his voice low and urgent. He effortlessly scooped me up into his arms and drew on his vampire speed to race across the courtyard. My stomach lurched at the abrupt change in position, a gasp escaping my lips. His body was hard as stone against mine, and I could feel he was unnaturally cold even through our clothes.

Without warning, the world blurred into a dizzying whirl of color and shadow. My vision swam, unable to focus on anything as Jaxon sped toward the faculty apartments. The air whipped past us, stinging my eyes and tearing the air from my lungs.

My fingers dug into Jaxon’s shoulders, clinging to him desperately. The pressure in my chest built, a scream of both exhilaration and terror trapped behind my lips. My ears popped from the rapid change in pressure, and the sound of our pursuers faded to a distant, garbled noise.

And then as quickly as it had blurred, the world snapped back into focus. We stood before the apartment door, the sudden stillness making me sway in Jaxon’s arms. My head spun, my stomach roiling as if I’d just stepped off a violent roller coaster. I gulped in air, each breath burning in my oxygen-starved lungs.

Jaxon wrenched the door open hard enough to make the hinges groan in protest. He shoved me inside forcefully, making me stumble as my feet tangled beneath me. I caught myself against the wall, scraping my palms.

He whirled around, positioning his body between me and the entrance.

“You’re safe now,” Jaxon whispered.

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