Page 52 of Her Feral Beasts

The thought saddens me a little because we’ve developed a secret language like best friends would, codewords and shifty eyes included. I put a hand on her shoulder and grip it, trying to convey my emotion through touch alone. “It’s alright.” I don’t know if I’m telling her or telling myself because my heart is pounding like one of Xander’s rock songs.

She presses her glossy mauve lips together and her eyes go all shiny to match. All she does is nod, and I make my exit before I start crying.

Going to the dorms is easy, the four guards are still stationed there and when I tell them I need sanitary products, they stand aside.

Henry and I go up into our room. I carefully take off my student lanyard, wind it around itself and put it on my dresser. I grab my bag, then eighth shield both nimpin and myself. The cool calm of my invisibility shield cloaking my entire body feels like slipping into an old favourite pair of pyjamas. I’m more at home and used to this state than in any other state and it makes my heart rate slow down. I’ve done little missions like this before, I can do this.

Blowing analmostrelieved breath, I say, “Henry, if you so much as make a squeak, or chirp, I’ll let Savage eat you like he asked. Got it?”

Henry makes a small, frightened sound, and for the first time, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake in bringing him along. But it’s too late to change my plans now.

Henry and I leave our dorm and I cast one last glance around in farewell. The dragon oil painting at the end of the hall catches my eye like it always does. And just for a moment, I wonder…

But I have no time to ponder dragon house-magic because I need to leave right now if this is going to work. Turning around, I rush down the corridor and down the three sets of stairs.

I have to wait a little while for one of the guards to enter the building on their hourly patrol, but when they do, I sneak out after them on quiet feet.

The loading dock is behind the school, past the kitchen, and I’ve never actually been this way before, because it’s off-limits. Heading down the eastern side of the school at a swift walk, I dodge a number of patrolling guards, walking on the grass when I can to muffle my steps. I have fifteen minutes to get to the dock and that should be plenty of time.

But I’m doing this. I’m actually escaping. They’ll call me the escaped queen and Minnie will start a movement at the academy in my honour.

You want a fugitive? I’ll give you a fugitive, Lyle Pardalia, you bastard. Fuck your school. Fuck your therapy. I have my assistance animal, I don’t need anything more. I don’t needanyone, either.

I make it through the side gate that leads to the arrival area for new students, according to the map. The driveway goes down to my right, which is the main entry/exit. The huge gold and black cast iron gates are currently closed and manned by four armed guards. It’s super pretty how the gold parts of it glint in the afternoon sun, and it almost overpowers the sinister feeling of the dark, curling parts. Old trees stand like a guard of honour leading up to it and their leaves rustle and dance in the warm end of summer breeze.

I cross the driveway and head past the medical wing around to the back. The road leads to the place that should be the loading docks, according to Minnie’s maps.

Our student map doesn’t have this part of the school on it because students shouldn’t have access. However, Minnie’s pink folder came to the rescue with a map from online she’d printed ‘to prepare’ for the Academy.

Am I going to send her a box of roses with my first pay in a real job? Hell yes.

Henry shifts uncomfortably on my shoulder, as if he knows we shouldn’t be here. But it’s all going to plan so far and he’s been obedient in making no noise. Excitedly, I dart across the grass, following the building around to the back of the academy…and promptly stop dead.

The first thing I see is a big chain grocery truck already in the loading dock. The second thing is a tall, muscular back with loose silver hair brushing the collar of an expensive black business shirt.

Immediately, I walk backwards and press myself against the side wall so hard I might crush my kidneys.

What the hell is Scythe doing standing there? And I think, perhapshe’sthought the same thing as me and is going to escape. Two peas in a pod, us two.

Except…he’s standing out in the open like he’s supervising.

My scent shield is strong and I’ve literally never been caught in all my time being around particularly good feral noses. How hard would it be just to sneak around the other side and slip through the open doors at the back of the truck?

I literally won’t have another chance, because someone will have already found it strange that I’ve been gone this long. The guards will soon go into my room to see why I’ve not come out yet. The animas around here are closely supervised by guards and students alike, and in the dining hall the eagle animuses will notice I’m not there.

I’m a predator. An apex predator. A beast like no other.

I can do this.

Sucking in a measured breath, I ease myself off the wall and, clutching my duffle bag to my chest, peek around the corner. The shark isn’t there anymore, only the two big bear shifter guards, helping to move boxes out of the truck.

And then a voice like cold, suffocating death says, “I can hear your heart beating, Aurelia.”

I freeze before slowly looking upwards. Scythe is sitting on the lip of the roof, his legs hanging off the side as he casually smokes a cigarette.

Henry bops up and down excitedly because he’s clearly not right in the head.

Slowly, I back away from the building. My legs are quaking, but I command them tomove. Scythe’s eyes, a lighter blue than the sky, track me with hair raising, lethal focus.

---