Page 69 of Bound to Three Fae Beasts

“Lord Gareth of Court Thunderwood,” Quincy called.

Gareth shifted to his jaguar form before reaching the stage in a single leap. His black fur glistened over strong muscles, and his long tail flicked with irritation. The intensified light on the stage meant the spots that were usually hidden were visible now. The large rosettes were just a shade different from the rest of his fur.

I leaned forward as the same electric shock filled the air. Gareth’s lip twitched. He circled once, and when he grew utterly still, even stiller than Flora had been, he stared straight at me. A chill and shiver ran down my spine. I clutched my hands tightly as I stared back, unable to make myself break eye contact. His jaguar form was lethal and beautiful, but his eyes were the same vivid green as usual. They didn’t move from my face. Not a muscle trembled.

My hands clenched and I held my breath, waiting. The examiners kept circling him as minutes ticked by. He had to be in there for at least twice as long as Flora had been. The other students started to get restless, and even the examiners began to mutter.

Finally, there was another charge. Gareth relaxed, shook himself, and lazily stepped off the stage. He hadn’t lost his beast form at all.

“So that’s why he didn’t have to come,” I mumbled to myself.

Freta sent me a sharp look. “What did you say?”

I shook my head. I wasn’t sure if it was well-known that Gareth had chosen to come to the Academy when he didn’t have to. After that display of control over his beast form, I understood why. It made me feel ridiculous for running back to help him when we’d been confronted by Rusco.

But he said he owed me a debt. Almost insisted on it. Why?

Seb was called next. He showed more restraint than Flora, but less than Gareth. His eyes were shut the whole time, and when he finally lost his form, sweat darkened his hair and made it cling to his forehead. Flora got up as though she was going to help him, only to sway and sit back down. Seeing both of them, usually so proud and arrogant, so weak and shaky filled me with new dread.

And Gareth showed barely any distress. Just how powerful was he, really?

Seb received highest possible marks, then Jasper was called. When he took his dragon form, the examiners seemed nervous. They stayed further back than they had with the others. Jasper showed a touch more distress than Seb did, with his wings rustling slightly, but he held his beast form twice as long. Despite that, he received lower marks in all areas.

The rest of the bully group went quickly, followed by other high-ranking fae. Freta was called up shortly after. Her badger was small, and she barely held it long enough for the examiners to start taking notes. She received barely-passing marks.

Soon, students were called up who couldn’t shift forms at all. After several seconds of waiting, the examiners failed them. Then they were taken across the room, tied to pillars, and their tunics were cut down the back. They were then whipped by fae I’d seen around. I thought they were fifth-year students, but I wasn’t sure. The cracks of the whips and the cries of pain added a sickening backdrop to the continued examination.

Penry was in tears when her name was called, and she predictably failed. So did Silas. My hands shook as I watched them be taken to the whipping pillars. It was a sickening public humiliation ritual. I wanted to do something to stop it, but felt utterly helpless.

“Miss Azriel Jones.”

I looked up sharply. Quincy stood right ahead of me. A few of the students who had passed the test laughed weakly.

“Are you going to undergo the examination or shall we take you to the whipping post right away?” Quincy asked me.

Silently, I headed for the stage. I closed my eyes before I stepped on, calling on Seb’s wolf. There was no resistance to taking its form. Like Gareth had, I jumped up onto the stage in beast form. I circled once, trying to act nonchalant.

Pain like nothing I’d experienced shot through me. A cry burst from my throat and all my muscles spasmed. I fought to hold onto Seb’s form as I ground my teeth. I knew instantly this was a mistake. I didn’t have enough control yet. They were going to see, they were going to figure out my secret.

I tried to throw myself from the stage, but the magic held me in place. My eyes moved, the only part of me that could. Jasper’s wide eyes locked onto mine. His nostrils flared. Somehow, seeing his visible distress gave me the strength to hold on a little longer.

He suddenly jumped to his feet and strode toward the stage. “Hey! You gave me low marks. I demand a retest!”

In the moment all eyes turned to him, surprised at his sudden demand, I lost Seb’s wolf. All my muscles went limp as the magic surging through me stopped. As Quincy intervened with Jasper, reassuring him all was fair, the examiners turned to me.

They whispered, then gave me my marks. I passed—barely.

That had been too close. I dragged myself from the stage and went to sit next to Freta. A strangled scream choked off from the whipping posts and I shrank into myself. This had to stop. It had to stop. But how?

***

After it was over, Freta and I took Silas and Penry to the Alegro room. All three of them fell asleep quickly, but my nerves were still wound too tight for me to relax. When they woke, they would likely be hungry, so I wrote a note and headed for the kitchens.

When I emerged from the rosebushes hiding the entrance, though, Seb was there. He leaned against the obsidian side of the Academy, still pale. Still scowling. “I need to talk to you,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I was just about to go in and drag you out.”

The last thing I wanted was to talk with him, but knowing Seb, he wouldn’t accept that. So I put on a weak smile. “I need to grab some food for the others. I’ll meet you in Lotmas’s pavilion when I’m done.”

Seb narrowed his eyes at me, but nodded. “Don’t take too long.”