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I truly was in another world. Every single one of them nodded their heads and hummed, accepting the truth easily.
“Bastards,” Ionna spat. “Kobaloi like to do that. Play with their food. Torment them. Use tricks, traps, and lies to ruin their prey’s life, then when they can’t take it anymore, the kobaloi eat them alive.”
My throat burned with bile. I didn’t know what was worse. That such beings existed at all, or that I was now living in a dominion where they ran amok.
“Was it them?” Theron said. “Or I bet it was an empousa? They’ve got a nasty streak, even for a monster.”
“It was an echidna.”
“Ahhh,” they collectively voiced.
“The mother of all nasty, evil monsters,” Nitsa said. “Literally.”
“But you must’ve been pretty young if you didn’t get a chance to learn about the academy,” Theron said. “How long did they hold you?”
“A long time.” I looked away. “I didn’t have any family who’d take me in. No friends to stick up for me. I was all alone and—according to the world—a crazy, dangerous murderer. It was easiest to just lock me away and toss the key.”
“Wow,” Nitsa whispered. “I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”
Theron squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Aella. We’ve got your back and we’ll fill you in on everything you need to know. Warning: all this is going to seem strange if you’re hearing it for the first time. Maybe even cruel. Some could say barbaric.”
“Cool it,” Tycho hissed. “It’s one thing bitching this place out over a game of dice in our rooms. It’s another doing it here. If they hear you, you’ll get punished for insubordination.”
“He’ll what?” I said. “Who told you that?”
Tycho pulled a book from his bag. “It’s all here in the information they sent us.” He gestured at mine. “You know. With the pack list and stuff.”
“Everything happened really fast,” I admitted. “My bag was packed for me. I never got the information.”
“Flying totally blind, then,” Nitsa said. “Don’t worry. Just stick with us and you’ll be fine.”
I thanked her while casting a glance back at Alexander. Our eyes met again. I couldn’t help looking back at him. Seemed he couldn’t either.
“Can I ask you guys something?” I spoke up. “Why do they say this place is inescapable? That’s a scary, prison-type word.”
Theron chuckled. “It’s not a prison. We can leave for the summer. It’s just that some of the training and tests can get... intense. Years ago, there was a rash of midnight runs.”
“Midnight runs?”
“Yep. A student says good night to his friends, heads up to bed, then the next morning, his sheets are empty and the window is ajar. Taking off in the middle of the night.”
“Got it.” I sighed. “So to stop it, they did what?”
They all shrugged. “Just some spells and enchantments,” Nitsa said. “They take them down two days a year. At the start of the training year and at the end.”
Spells and enchantments. Like the one separating New York City from all of this.
“Hey, guys, look,” Nitsa hissed. “The doors are opening.”
Two soaring white stone doors echoed through the valley, scraping across the marble. Three people stepped out. They were too high up and far away for me to make out what they looked like or if they were men or women. Were we supposed to go up there to them? Were they coming—?
“Ladies and gentlemen.” The greeting boomed over the crowd, knocking me and a dozen other people off their feet. “Welcome to Deucalion Academy.”
I clapped a hand over my ringing ears, gaping at the assembled culprits. How on earth was he doing that?
“I am your headmaster, Drakos. It is my pleasure to see so many fine young men and women taking their place in the service of Olympia. Some of you will not make it. I dare say, most of you won’t.”
I started. What did he just say?
