Page 5

“Akarnae?” Alex repeated, mimicking his pronunciation.Ah-kar-nay. How strange. “Never heard of it, sorry.”

“Then to which academy do you seek directions?”

She frowned. “The International Exchange Academy, of course.” Duh.

“I’m afraid the only educational institution nearby is Akarnae Academy,” Aven said. “Are yousureyou haven’t heard of it?”

“Positive,” Alex said. “But areyousure that’s what it’s called? Because, despite my crazy flying experience, I can’t be that far from the building I was thrown out of. The International Exchange Academy must be around here somewhere.”

“Oh, Alexandra, you have no idea how pleased I am to have found you,” Aven said, his eyes alight.

Alex took another step away from him as her inner Creep-O-Meter spiked out a warning.

He stepped forward, and she stepped back again. But he just kept moving towards her, his golden eyes glowing from within, trapping her in his gaze.

“I found you here,” he said, “just as it was foretold I would. ‘A chance meeting in the forest of greeting, their destinies will be bound as one…’ Don’t you see, Alexandra?”

She was still trying in vain to put some distance between her and the beautiful yet clearly deranged man, but her retreat ended when she backed into a tree, unable to go any further.

“See what?” she said, her voice quieter than she would have liked.

He stopped directly in front of her and reached out a hand, gently tracing his fingers down the line of her cheek. “You are to be my salvation.”

Alex’s eyes widened and then narrowed at his ridiculous statement. Just as she was debating whether to laugh hysterically at his words or knee him hard enough that he’d never reproduce, he took a step away from her and tilted his head as if hearing something in the distance.

He stood like that for a moment before he moved back towards her, even closer than before, and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I’ll give you some time to settle in and learn how to use your power, and then I shall come for you, Alexandra. Together we will rule all of Medora.”

He flashed his disarming smile again and stepped back, casually walking away and disappearing into the dense forest.

Only when he was completely out of sight did Alex breathe a sigh of relief. What a complete whack-job!

“Hey, what are you doing out here?”

Alex spun around at the new voice, and in her haste she tripped over a bulging tree root, lost her balance, and sprawled face-first onto the forest floor. She heard the sound of suppressed laughter and groaned quietly into the leafy cushions surrounding her before pushing herself to her feet. In front of her were two guys, both around her age. Unfortunately for her humiliated self, both of them were uncommonly attractive, too.

“Maybe it’s some kind of hot-guy gene therapy,” Alex muttered, wondering where all the average-looking people were.

“What was that?” asked the guy on the right, his blond hair mussed by the wind and his bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Nothing,” Alex said. “Who are you? And where did you come from?”

“I’m Jordan Sparker,” said the blond, before pointing to his friend and saying, “and this is Bear.”

Bear grinned at her, and it was such a genuinely friendly expression that she unconsciously returned it. Just like Jordan, he also had a mischievous look about him, but his shaggy dark hair and warm brown eyes helped him seem less… devil-may-care.

“And you’re from…?” she prompted.

“The academy,” Bear said. “Where else?”

Alex almost wilted with relief. Finally, some students who could show her the way out of the forest.

“Your turn,” said Jordan. “Same questions.”

“I’m Alexandra Jennings,” she answered. “I’m supposed to be enrolling at the academy today but I was thrown through a doorway and ended up out here. Then this crazy guy came along and went all weird on me, saying that together he and I would one day rule some place called ‘Medora’. That was a fun conversation, let me tell you.”

Both boys looked at her with amusement and she abruptly stopped her rambling.

“I think we’re going to get along really well, Alexandra Jennings,” Jordan said with a grin.