Page 107 of Fated to Monsters

Dash puts his hand on my back and rubs gentle circles. “That’s why she wanted you so badly, because you could take the power without dying.”

Bo sighs. “We kind of put it together on our own, Birdie. But we don’t fault you for following orders. Whether you knew what you were doing or not, that isn’t who you are anymore. You’ve shown us, and anyone who meets you, what kind of person you are.”

“You don’t hate me?” I hate the way my voice cracks when I ask such a simple question.

Each of them holds onto me a bit firmer, telling me everything I need to know. That they aren’t going anywhere. Not now, not ever.

I don’t know what I did to deserve them, but damn do I feel like the luckiest girl alive.

23

Wren

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Willow asks me. “It’s only been a week since you got back.”

“I would have done it the night I woke up if you would have let me,” I tell her. “I don’t enjoy not sticking to my word.”

“Who could have blamed you? You were off saving the world.”

I laugh. “One realm is not the whole world.”

She smirks at me. “It is to some people.”

We step through the threshold to the Harper Shadow Academy, students passing us by without a second look in our direction.

It’s strange being this near both humans and supernaturals, but I’m growing used to the weirdness of this realm—how very non-threatening it is.

When you’ve run to and from danger your entire life, it takes some getting used to not assuming every single person that crosses your path is a threat.

“This way,” Willow tells me as she leads me down a hallway off the right of the entryway. “I was able to buy some time on the other obligations, but I wanted to guide you through assisting in the barrier spell.”

“Is it difficult?” I step into an empty classroom and immediately, I focus on the far corner where a sort of ripple in the seam crackles. “What is that?”

“That would be a shadow realm.” She holds the door open long enough for Headmaster Walker to come in behind us, and then latches it shut. “Morning,” she says to him.

He extends a cup in both of our directions. “Good morning, ladies. Coffee?”

Headmaster Walker has always been kind, especially to Willow. It’s almost like he’s a father figure in her life. If I didn’t know better, I would assume hewasher father. But Willow has told me of her biological father and the great lengths it took to locate him. Another one of the many mysterious and dangerous adventures she went on in her journey to free the Olivers of their curse. Still, that doesn't make the relationship she has with the Headmaster any less important. He was there for her through the darkest of times and that alone forged an intense bond between them.

“Thanks,” Willow says to him while taking one of the cups.

“Thank you.” I do the same.

“Sydney’s been teaching me, so hopefully it doesn’t taste horrible.” He rubs his hands together and points to the ceiling. “We’re overdue for reinforcing the barrier.”

“I’m sure it’s great.” Willow takes a cautious sip and nods. “It’s great.”

Walker smiles triumphantly. “I can do advanced spells and somehow manage running a covert supernatural academy, but damn if making a good cup of coffee isn’t the most challenging thing I’ve ever had to do.”

“Sometimes the hardest things are those we cannot use magic for.” Willow steps farther into the room and glances up at the ceiling. “I see the breakage here.”

Walker follows her over. “I suspended all shadow classes the second I spotted it. Wouldn’t want a repeat of your first semester here.”

“No, we wouldn’t.” Willow sets her coffee on a nearby table and focuses on me. “That’s a story for another day.”

I take a quick drink from my cup, savoring the rich warmth of the coffee. “You’re right, this is good.”

“I went with mocha today,” Walker adds.

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