Page 19 of A Dusk Of Stars

The whisper spreads like wildfire, and all of a sudden, I have dozens of eyes on me. Narrowed, hostile eyes.

Fucking hell, Lorcan’s actually doing it. He’s finally managing to turn them against me.

I decide to take things into my own hands. I take a deep breath and I start, “I apologize for not saying anything sooner. It wasn’t my intention to break into the Lexarcanum. The book called out to me and I know I shouldn’t have touched it, but…”

His frown growing deeper, Bane tears himself away from the table. It’s the renewed look of surprise in everyone’s eyes that makes me realize this isnotwhat they called the meeting for.

There’s a moment of silence before Serra says, in an unusually formal voice, “Miss Novak, how long have you known you were a shifter?”

I blink at her stupidly. “A shifter?”

“Yes.”

I hear myself let out a rough, helpless little scoff. “What’re you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Lorcan growls. “Need I remind you what I just witnessed in the Dining Hall?”

Fucking hell. “Alright, okay,” I start as I take a few steps closer to them all. “I admit Ididlose my temper a little bit. Professor Bane…” I pause, searching for the right words as I ignore the fact he’s now staring at me even more intently. “We said some things and those things might not have been… nice. If you’d only—”

“She didn’ttellhim anything,” Lorcan ruthlessly cuts me off as he glances around the room at the other professors. “Shegrowledat him. Right before her marks showed.”

“Excuse me?” I demand, frowning.

Serra shakes her head. “I’m going to repeat the question, Miss Novak.” She pauses, looking into my eyes with even more intensity. “How long have you known you were a shifter?”

What the…

“I’mnot,” I blurt out. “I’m human, as you all love to remind me every now and again,” I add with an awkward laugh.

I hear Bane let out a scoff.

“Miss Novak,” Serra says sternly and somewhat coldly, “need we remind you that according to statute seven of the Treaty, all Originals are required by law to attend the Academy. Refusal to do so is punishable by death.”

For a second, I remain speechless. What the fuck did I get myself into? “Of course I know all about the Concordium,” I finally reply. “But I’m almost thirty years old and I’mhuman. Been human all my life.” I let out a laugh, glancing around the room. “Trust me, if I had any magic in me whatsoever, I’d be the first to come pounding on your door to let me in.”

No one gives me so much as a half-smile.

Serra demands, “And yet you were caught exhibiting shifter behavior on the same day you got picked by a book in the Lexarcanum and chose not to tell anyone?”

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

“Cat got your tongue?” Lorcan demands, a smug little smile tugging at his lips.

I shake my head. “I just…” Fuck, how do I explain it? “I apologize, what happened in the Lexarcanum was an unfortunate incident, but it just can’t be, what you’re saying.”

Then it hits me, and I don’t exactly like it, but what else am I supposed to do? “Look,” I continue with urgency in my voice, “there’s a very simple way for us to settle this misunderstanding.” I look at Serra, a plea in my eyes. “Have one of you use your powers on me. You’ll see exactly how defenseless I am, just like any other human.”

She shakes her head. “Miss Novak,” she starts in that same unyielding voice, “as a Librarian working at Grimm Academy, I’d expect you to know that books from the Lexarcanumdo notchoose Scions.”

“That’s true,” I rush to say, “generally speaking. But it’s not like it would be the first strange, inexplicable thing to happen here.”

“So you’re officially denying the fact of your bloodline?” she demands.

“Look,” I say, exasperation starting to affect my voice, “it just can’t be true.”

Serra turns to Lorcan. “Maybe she’s telling the truth. Maybe she really didn’t know.”

He lets out a scoff. “For a shifter not to realize they’re a shifter all their lives? I’m not buying it.”

---