Page 19 of Her Psycho Beasts

“It’s about time some order was brought to Animus Academy,” he says into his microphone. “Human forms immediately. Find your clothes. Get into the dining hall.”

When no one moves, he shouts, “Now!”

We all flinch, but then joints pop and wings rustle as everyone complies.

“Who is this asshole?”I ask Lyle mind to mind.

But Lyle is busy talking to Damien, who has just turned his microphone off and is looking down his nose at Lyle—well,upbecause Lyle is half a head taller. Instead, it’s Scythe’s voice that enters my mind.

“Be a good girl and obey your new deputy,” he says coolly.

I huff because I have to obey his orders now.“Will you?” I retort, shifting back into human form and standing at full height with Henry tucked beneath my arm.

He doesn’t dignify me with a reply.

Luckily for us girls, female guards are passing around the academy’s orange prison jumpsuits for us to cover our nakedness. I step into mine quickly, fully aware of the many horny male eyes on my body. Henry, for his part, squeaks angrily at those behind me.

Minnie, Yeti and Raquel find me quickly, and we hunt around until we find Stacey and Connor, who are trying to fix each other’s hair. I hastily smooth down my own long tangles, pulling through the strands and quickly braiding it for convenience as Henry and the other nimpins bob about us nervously.

“Do we know anything about this guy?” Connor asks, eyeing our new deputy, who is supervising the students entering the dining hall with a twisted mouth as if he’s repulsed by us all.

We glance questioningly at Yeti, Minnie’s constant, giant shadow. He runs his hands through his shoulder-length white hair, and we all notice the grim look on his fair face. “I don’t know much about him, to be honest.”

“He must have the right sort of qualifications to be allowed to come here,” Minnie says reasonably.

“Don’t be so sure about that,” Yeti replies darkly.

We’re almost at the door now, so we have to shut up as we pass through. There’s a tense buzz in the air, and I notice there are double the usual number of guards.

All school staff members are standing in a line at the front of the hall, including our first-year anima counsellor, Theresa. She’s our friendly cassowary with a full sleeve of colourful tattoos on both arms and I give her an enthusiastic wave. She gives me a worried look in return.

We’re not allowed to get breakfast at the buffet, and are instead directed to take our seats. Except our seating has changed too. There are now laminated plastic cards on metal poles anchored to tables that have been grouped together. Each card is labelled with an order, making it clear that we’re supposed to sit with our own ‘kind’.

“We don’t get to sit together?” Stacey says, wildly looking around.

One of the guards steps forwards and nudges Stacey with the end of his darting rifle. “Keep moving!” he snaps.

“Excuse me!” Connor cries, grabbing Stacey and pulling her away from him.

“Hands off the other students!” the guard shouts.

No less than ten guards descend upon us, roughly shoving everyone aside, and before we know it, Connor is being pokedwith a cattle prod before he’s shoved face-down onto a table, his hands wrenched behind his back.

Minnie, Stacey, and I are shouting in protest as Yeti tries to shove us all behind him. Raquel grabs my arm to stop me from losing my balance as Connor is electrocuted.

“Enough!” Lyle is in front of me, now with pants and a half-buttoned white business shirt, shoving at the guards pressing in on us. “This is not the de-escalation protocol! Let him go.”

“I think not,” comes the smooth voice of Damien Agnis. “Myimproved protocols are in place now.” We all stare as the guards part to let the phoenix through. He crosses his arms, staring down at Connor. “Escort this young man to the detainment centre.”

Lyle’s head slowly turns to regard Damien Agnis as Connor is escorted away, tossing his head defiantly and blowing us a kiss to convince us he’s fine. But I see the anxiety at the edges of his eyes. This is a shock to us all.

“This is completely unnecessary,” Lyle grits out.

“The last time I checked, Mr Pardalia, I am the deputy headmaster here, not you.”

My power flares inside me, begging for release. Begging for blood. I don’t even realise I’ve stepped forward until Raquel and Minnie yank me back by my arms.

“Everybodysitdown,” Damien snaps, staring hard at me. “Andyoucan sit with the avians.”

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