Page 9 of Shadow Bonds

“I’ve been notified of your incident.” He gives me a sad look that only makes me more confused. “If you need any help with settling in, let me know. My door is always open.”

I frown at his kind smile meant to reassure me and follow him into a classroom where a dozen other girls are already sitting, waiting.

“I found her,” he says to them with a small chuckle before pointing to a seat at the back. Realizing I’m not going to get out of this one, I head toward it and ignore everyone and anyone as I make my way there.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Professor Graves, and I’ll be covering Shadow history and anything you need to know about Shadows and abilities.”

He glances down to me. “There’s a book on the table, Sena. We’re all only starting the history of the Shadows. So don’t worry about not remembering anything.”

Whispers and hushed giggles break out around the room, but I ignore them to look at the thick book in front of me.

I open it to the first page and grimace at the tiny writing. Already dreading this class, I sit back and try to soak up some information that might help me figure a way out of here or something that can help me deal with the four assholes.

But after a few minutes of listening to how superior the Shadow genetics are and how naturally skilled they all are, I zone out.

Glancing around the room, I watch a girl with blonde hair similar to… mine make fun of a redhead across from her. Pointing at her clothes and hair.

But I honestly cannot tell what she is trying to make fun of. Her hair is stunning, her clothes pristine, and she has looks that others would kill for.

I drown them out and flip through the book again trying to look like I’m attempting to learn something when a chapter heading catches my attention.

Class One Supernaturals deemed a threat:

There’s a list of species and creatures I’ve never heard of underneath it, but it gets me thinking of the supernatural or being that switched my body. Maybe it’s in this list or on the radar of the Shadows.

I wait until the girls have left before making my way up to the professor. He’s just finishing packing up his books when I approach his desk, and he glances up at me.

“Everything okay?” he asks with a kind smile, and it instantly reminds me of the janitor from one of my old schools. He always looked out for me, turned a blind eye when I used the showers or took extra food for later from the canteen.

I lasted the longest in one place because of him.

“I know it can be a lot of information, especially on the first day,” he continues, patiently waiting for me to say why I came up to him.

Shaking the memory away, I give him a small smile while trying to come up with a way to ask this without sounding crazy. “Yes. I’m sure I’ll catch on. I was just wondering if I could ask you a question?”

“Shoot,” he says immediately.

I try to act embarrassed and scrunch up my nose at the thought of asking it. “I saw this horror movie last night…”

He chuckles as if knowing where this is already going but I play along and act like I’m a little worried.

“It was about someone who switched bodies with another person.” I force out a tight laugh and rub the back of my neck. “It kind of freaked me out to be honest.”

“You can put your mind as rest. Nothing like that would ever come near the academy,” he says with a chuckle, and I freeze.

His eyes soften at what must be the shocked look on my face.

“What do you mean?” I laugh but it’s completely forced. “Something like that actually exists?”

He nods, unbothered or worried with that little fact. Maybe whatever being that switched me is not as bad as I originally thought.

I might be able to tell him or someone what happened to me and figure it out from there.

“There’s a rare species that once existed called Variants,” he says with a far-off look as if thinking about it. “Most, if not all, are extinct now.”

Not all extinct, considering I’m here. I open my mouth to try and breach the subject when he continues.

“They were all too dangerous and ending up being hunted to extinction by the Shadows.”

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