Page 57 of A Dusk Of Stars

“Morning, everyone,” his voice booms across the hall as he makes his way to the desk where she’s supposed to be sitting. “Your Professor Ahearn’s been detained,” he explains, “so I’ll be the one conducting the exam today.”

Damn it, I think as the other students start cheering. I don’t think he’ll necessarily be making this any harder for me on purpose. After all, he did help me get my first gift.

However, I no longer know how to behave around him, and it’s with more than good reason that I’ve been avoiding him for the past week.

What am I supposed to do now?

I watch him take a seat with a smirk on his face, his eyes sweeping the room.

They never land on mine.

I tear my gaze away from him, confused and only partly relieved.

“Why don’t we get started?” his voice booms once again, the way it seems to echo through me making me grit my teeth in annoyance.

***

I take deep breaths until I no longer feel so annoyed. But I’m watching the other students go through the obstacle course, Bane chatting with Professor Ahearn’s assistant and lifting green cards whenever someone passes. They’re all so good, only one person gets a red one. So I’m finding it hard to hype myself up for a win.

When it’s my turn, and I walk up to the first obstacle — the wall with the hidden spikes…

I can’t force myself to stop staring at it and fucking move.

“Yes, Miss Novak?” I hear Bane’s smirking voice boom from behind me. “Need a pep talk or what?”

I grit my teeth, but I finally get moving.

Here we go — the moment that will decide my future for the next year and a half. I take a deep breath and I move to start climbing, all my muscles tense in anticipation of the first spike to shoot out.

It surprises me, how easily I push myself up. There’s such strength in my arms, and my reflexes are better than ever before, so when the wall finally fires the first spike, I just let go of one of the hand holds, avoiding the impact as my core muscles keep me hanging with ease.

I breathe a sigh of relief, my lips curling into a smile. With just as little effort, I grab onto the hand hold again and keep climbing.

I avoid another spike. And another one. And another one.

It’s making me feel uncomfortable, the thought that he can see me doing this, but before I know it, I’m over the first obstacle and onto the next, this thrill coursing through me as I notice the absence of sniggers around me.

I pass the second obstacle and move on to the third — a pit filled with spikes pointing upwards.

Holy shit, am I actually going to pass this exam, I think as I prepare to jump.

Then I hear Bane let out a laugh and say, “Well well, aren’t you a clever one, Ingrid?”

It throws me off.

Just shrug it off, I tell myself. I take a deep breath and move to jump over the pit, but the second I lunge into the air, I feel my strength abandon me and I start falling.

Instinct kicks in and I spread my arms and legs so I catch onto the edges of the pit.

But now, I’m barely holding on and I can feel one of the spikes digging into my skin just above my belly button. It’s so hard keeping myself from falling. I feel the presence of my wolf, but she doesn’t do anything.

No, I won’t be begging. I have the worst fucking animal ever.

Somehow, clenching all my muscles, I push myself up and back, falling onto the ground on my ass. I’m panting, my skin covered in sweat.

I push myself to my feet and ball my hands into fists. I move to try to get over the pit again.

I willnotbe doing this again next year.

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