Page 6 of Shadow Bonds

The Shadow Academy is a school for warriors and those that fight against the terrigons and dark beasts that slip from another realm called the Hollow. The entire academy holds the ethos of kill or be killed. It’s supposed to be brutal and savage, and those that manage to stay alive only become more vicious.

Not only that, but the entire academy is a fortress. With shields and barriers that hide it from the outside world. No one knows where it is. And anyone that accidentally ends up too close to it is said to have mysteriously disappeared.

There’s no way I’m going to escape without coming up with one seriously thought-out plan.

“We’ll take care of you as we do all female Shadows. With the help of our instructors and your Shadow companions, you’ll train. You’ll go to class with the other females and you’ll… you’ll get the chance to be a part of something much bigger than yourself.” Dawn gives me a soft look full of compassion before she steps out of the room, leaving me with my so-called Shadow companions.

As soon as the door shuts, Hazel Eyes steps closer to the bed, his eyes narrowing to slits. “You’re stuck here with us for the next year whether you like it or not. Play your little game all you want. But we sure as hell won’t let you ruin our only chances of getting out of here. You already fucked us over. We won’t let you do it again.” Each word drips with venom, and the icy look in his eyes just adds to the raging asshole look he’s got going on.

I tense my body, ready to dive out of the way of the incoming hit. But it never comes.

With cutting glares, they turn and leave. But it’s not until the door slams shut that I start to relax.

Fuck.It looks likeSenadid a number on them. But lucky me, I’m the one that gets the end tail of it.

His words finally filter pass the panic and fear, and a sliver of hope starts to grow.

Ruin our only chances of getting out of here.

They want to get out of here too. Maybe I can convince them I want the same thing?

That is, if they don’t end up killing me first.

Following the map of the academy Dawn gave me, I try to head in the location she circled.

The male Shadows that have companions are placed further away from the main building and dorms on the academy grounds. Which doesn’t give me a lot of confidence should any of my fourcompanionsdecide to kill me.

And the large forest that weaves in and around the buildings—the one that could be used to hide my body—makes the sliver of confidence I do have plummet.

My companions are also supposed to train me, help me to adjust here at the academy, and guide me toward an awakening of my Shadow abilities.

Something I doubt any of those four will be doing. Nor will any Shadow abilities be awakening.

I push it to the back of my mind and focus back on the path. I finally spot a large modern two-story house with deep gray walls covering the entire building. There’s a line of small windows placed on the first story with all the lights still on.

A jolt of nervous energy slides through me at the thought of them all sitting around waiting for me to arrive.

Shaking it off, I steel myself for the four assholes and their attitudes and make my way to the front door.

I try the handle, but it’s locked. Regretting my life choices and cursing my bad luck, I release a harsh breath, pull up my big girl pants and knock on the door.

A minute passes and then another and another. But no one comes to open the door.

Narrowing my eyes, I knock again,harderthis time, but more minutes pass, and no one comes to answer. I’m about to try a third time when the lights switch off, sending me a clear message.

They’re not going to open the door.

Absolute dicks.I glance around, wondering what I’m supposed to do now.

Dawn said I had to stay with them. That there aren’t any female dorms, and all female Shadows stay with their companions.

I glance down at the map, wondering if there’s anywhere else I can go. At least for the night or until I can figure out something. But unless I want to sleep in a dorm full of male Shadows, one of the classes or rooms in the main building—which are probably locked by now—or back in the healing center, my only option is the forest.

It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve slept outside or in the cold.

The breeze grows cool, reminding me it’s only going to get colder the later it gets and that I need to find a place not out in the open.

Instead of waiting around for one of them to open the door, I mentally wish them all a shitty night’s sleep with warm pillows and horrible nightmares before heading back into the forest and making my way toward the spot on the map that shows me there should be a lake close by.

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