Page 90 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” saidZuri.

Tara shrugged. “Not really. There’s a supernatural world, people can do magic, someone wants to kidnap me, but I’m not really sure who. Naw, I don’t have anyquestions.”

Zuri’s lips tipped up in a small smile. “I can see why he’s so taken withyou.”

“Elias?”

A brow quirked up. “You have so many gentlemen courting you that you aren’t sure which one I’m talkingabout?”

A huff of laughter whooshed out of Tara. “Hardly. I’ve never even had a boyfriendbefore.”

“And you never will if Elias has anything to say aboutit.”

Tara frowned. “What does thatmean?”

Zuri waved her off. “Nothing. I’m still running on adrenaline after battling it out with that acolyte.” She started walking. “Come on. We’ll get inside and then you can start asking all those questions you don’thave.”

Tara looked back in the direction they’d come. She had no way of knowing how far away from the portal they’d gone. And even if she could get back to it, she had no idea what she would need to do to get through it. With nothing else to do, she turned and followed Zuri. It was then she finally lifted her eyes and found herself at the base of a mountain so tall she couldn’t see the top because it was covered inclouds.

“Where are we, exactly?” Taraasked.

“Thought you didn’t have anyquestions.”

“I lied. You gonna whip your sword out and stab me for it?” Taraquipped.

Zuri shook her head. “I’m either going to really like you or want to kill you. I’m not sure which just yet.” Tara could hear the smile in the woman’s voice despite the fact she couldn’t see herface.

“You never said where we are,” Tara said, choosing to ignore thecomment.

“On the border of China and Bhutan. We’re at Terra Academy. That’s spelled T-e-r-r-a.”

“Glad you clarified that. I thought for a second there that someone had named a school in the middle of BFE after me.” She looked around and still all she saw was forest and a huge mountain. “Where is this supposedschool?”

“It’s right in front of you,” she said as she pointed at themountain.

“Does having the ability to do magic also make you crazy? Or just stupid?” Tara asked. It was a bitch move, but she was feeling freaked out and that was bringing her inner bitch to the surface. Shelly would be proud. “Crap,” she muttered. Shelly was probably losing her mind right about now. She had to have realized by now that Tara was gone. Carol wouldn’t know until tomorrow morning, so she had a little time before she needed to panic aboutthat.

Zuri turned to look at her. Her intense eyes examined Tara’s face as if she could find the answer to all her questions. “Okay, I’ve decided. I’m going to like you. But that won’t mean I won’t kick your ass. I believe wholeheartedly in kicking the asses of those I like to keep them humble. There’s nothing more annoying than a friend with an inflatedego.”

“If you know Elias, then you must know Jax,” Tara pointed out. “Is he your friend? Because I’m pretty sure his ego doesn’t fit in mytown.”

Zuri laughed. “Oh, I know Jax. And I kick his ass more than others just for thatreason.”

Tara didn’t want to like the woman just yet because she had no idea if she was the enemy, as Tucker had claimed, or if Tucker had been blowing smoke up herdress.

“Follow me,” said Zuri. They walked down a rocky path that led to a sheer face of rock at the base of themountain.

There, Zuri stopped. She reached out a hand and knocked as if she were simply knocking on someone’s front door. Her knuckles made no sound on the solid rock. A few seconds later, a rumble came somewhere behind the rock. Then Tara heard a loud crack. She took a step back, ready to bolt if any boulders came tumbling down the side of themountain.

“Keep your panties on,” said Zuri, who hadn’t moved. “You’re perfectlysafe.”

The mountain wall split down the middle, as if the rock had been rent like a curtain. With grinding and groaning, the two pieces of rock pulled apart, revealing a huge set of doors, equally stone, behindthem.

The door sat, unmoving. Seconds stretched into minutes. Still, nothinghappened.

“Oh, c’mon, really?” said Zuri, rolling hereyes.

Zuri reached out and shoved one of the doors with her palm. It swung inward as easily as if it were simply the screen door on a porch. Tara saw a long corridor within. Torches, some of them burning and some of them cold, were spaced at regular intervals as far down the corridor as she could see. Just inside the door, resting on a small stool, and snoring quite loudly, was what Tara could only describe as agnome.

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