Page 44 of Shadow Bonds

A shadow flies overhead, and I glance up, my eyes widening when I spot a winged male flying high above us. “What…”

“From the other academy,” he glares up at the male. “Stay away from them. They’re nothing but liars and manipulators. Not one of them are to be trusted.”

“They share the camp with you all?” I ask still mesmerized by his black feathered wings as they soar through the sky.

“Unfortunately, but their camp is on the other side,” he says.

I wonder what it would be like to fly. To feel the wind across my face that high. To just be free.

“It must be nice to fly though,” I say.

“Don’t think about going anywhere near them. As far as you’re concerned, they are the enemy. You belong to us, not them.”

I raise a brow at his idiotic assumption. “I belong to me.”

He smiles. “And your companions.”

“Mates,” I say without thinking.

“Mates?” He tilts his head, his smirk dropping. “So, it’s true?” he asks, and I nod while wondering why he looks a little frightened now.

Clearing his throat, he takes a step back from me. “Your mates should be in the last tent on the left. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention our conversation.” He turns and disappears before I get the chance to ask him why.

Shaking my head, I walk in the direction he pointed and straight into the tent.

The inside is clean and tidy with a dozen beds. Six on each side and a trunk at the bottom of each. There’s a door at the very back that I assume leads to the bathroom.

Everyone inside pauses what they’re doing to stare at me and what looks like the only female in this tent. At least at the moment. There are a few empty beds still available.

“Over here,” Cyrus says, and I find him at the back where the four of them have started unpacking their things.

“What took you so long?” Knox asks.

“And why have you got us all blocked? It dangerous here,” Malakai says, glaring at something behind me.

“You all annoy me,” I tell him like it should be obvious.

Cyrus shows me my bed that is just across from them. “That’s mine,” he says pointing to one beside me.

I sit down when another male steps into the tent. “All females are to move out.”

I frown and glance over at Cyrus, wondering if he knows what this is about.

“Move it,” the male shouts.

The male frowns when the tent goes silent. He glances over at Cyrus and flinches back before mumbling something and leaving the tent as fast as he can.

“Keep yourself open and check in,” Cyrus says.

Grabbing a bottle of water, I head out after the male, wondering what the hell I’m in for now.

Given nothing more than a bag with a couple of items, me and six other females—including Robin—are brought through a portal and out into the middle of nowhere before being told we have to survive the next two days out here alone.

“Great. What are we supposed to do now?” Robin groans just as the portal closes.

I glance around at the open land of desert. “I think our first goal should be to find shelter. We’re vulnerable out in the open like this, and anything could be out here watching us.”

The girls whip around as if just realizing that too.

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