Page 91 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“What’s that?” she asked Zuri, pointing at the small slumberingcreature.

“What does it looklike?”

“Well, itlookslike a gnome, but I have to admit I’m not anexpert.”

“It looks to me like the laziest doorman on earth.” Zuri put a foot on the sleeping gnome’s chair and pushed, sending him toppling. He came back growling and cursing and pulled a dagger the length of a butter knife from hisbelt.

“Put that thing away, Fizzlebink, before you hurtyourself.”

“Professor Petrov, what are you doing at the front door? Why haven’t you used thegateroom?”

“I think the better question is why have you fallen asleep on thejob?”

“Fallen asleep?” The gnome put away his butter knife dagger and drew himself up to his full height. “Fallen asleep? How dare you level such base accusations? Why, I’ll have you know that not a single uninvited entrant has passed through this door under my watch in more than a century. Nowhere will you find a more accomplished servant of this fine institution. I … I …I…”

“No one doubts your loyalty to this academy,Fizzlebink.”

To say the voice that met Tara’s ears was deep was like saying the sun was hot. If an earthquake could speak, Tara was sure it would sound like the person who had just spoken to the gnome. She felt the sound more than she heard it. It wasn’t unpleasant. It was just really, really deep … and dangerous. The man walking toward her gave her a surreal feeling, like standing on top of a waterfall. He was beautiful, yes, but Tara could sense the man could turn dangerous in an instant. He walked next to quite possibly the most beautiful woman Tara had ever seen. As the pair approached, the womanspoke.

“I trust we can overlook a simple mistake by our resident doorman, can’t we, Zuri,” said thewoman.

The woman’s voice had a musical quality. She was tall and thin, like Shelly. She had hair the color of autumn leaves, as in all of them. The gold, brown, and red strands fell in waves to the woman’s waist and practically glimmered in the light of the torches. Her skin was tan with gold undertones. Her face was heart shaped and delicate, with an aristocratic nose, almond-shaped, honest-to-goodness gold eyes, and thin, pursedlips.

She wore a simple full-length dress with a floral pattern. Tara shook her head and examined the dress closer. No, the flowers weren’t a pattern at all. They were real. The entire dress was made of flowers that appeared woven together to fit the woman’s form perfectly.I think I’m going nuts. None of this is real. Carol is going to be shaking me awake at any minute. It has to be almost time for school bynow.

“Dereliction of duty is no light matter, Headmistress,” saidZuri.

“I tell you what, Zuri…” hesaid.

Tara’s gaze shifted to the man, and she noticed he was significantly taller than the woman. She was at least five foot nine or ten, so he had to easily be six foot five. He was broad shouldered and looked like he could pick up one of the surrounding trees and throw it just for kicks. The man’s hair was a deep, rich brown and long enough to run fingers through it. His face was chiseled, lips full, and eyes the color of moss. He wore brown pants that didn’t seem to be any material but looked like they might be suede and a fitted white shirt that reminded her of a Henley style. And she only knew what that was because Shelly loved those kind of shirts on guys and frequently pointed them out when anyone at school wore them and wore them well. Her words. Tara didn’t miss the sword at his waist or the sheathed knife on his oppositethigh.

“The next time you come through the front door and find Fizzlebink asleep at his post, you have my permission to use him as target practice in your first-year stone levitationclass.”

The gnomegulped.

“Deal,” said Zuri, grinning at thegnome.

“Zuri,” the woman said, “I was beginning toworry.”

“I apologize, Headmistress. I got held up,” Zuriexplained.

“Is this her, then?” The woman turned her gold eyes on Tara, and the intensity of her gaze made Tara want to drop her eyes. But she forced herself to look right back. This seemed to amuse the woman because her thin lips turned up ever soslightly.

“This is Tara Thompson. Jax’s Mark and, apparently, Elias’s soulbonded.”

Tara’s head snapped around so fast it was a miracle it didn’t roll right off her shoulders. “Elias’s what now?” The man and woman suddenly forgotten, Tara only had eyes forZuri.

“We need to take her to him, right away,” said the man. “Elias is not doing well. Miss Thompson, I apologize for this reception. Trust that we normally don’t greet every student in this manner. Most are brought in with their sponsors through thegateroom.”

“Student?” Taramuttered.

“He’s here?” Zuriasked

Tara swore she heard concern in the woman’s voice. In the very short time she’d known Zuri, Tara had gotten the impression the woman wasn’t fazed byanything.

“He knew something was wrong with his soul bonded. Elias said all of a sudden something hit him in the chest, and there she was. He could feel her alarm and fear. Jax brought him straight here before Elias could go to her. Jax was worried that Elias would do somethingreckless.”

“I think that was a reasonable fear considering the state he was in when we forced him to leave her,” Zuri said. “I’ve never seen him likethat.”

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