Page 89
Story: Graevale
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” came the laughing words of the Shadow Walker still floating in the water. “A Shadow Wolf and a human—I’ve never heard of anything so ridiculous!”
Again, Alex didn’t respond. She just turned on her heel and strode purposefully back to her prearranged meeting place, cooing soft words to the puppy as she did so.
Twenty-Three
Caspar Lennox arrived in the alley aboutthree seconds after Alex, and the moment he saw her—or rather, what was in her arms—his jaw dropped. It would have been a comical expression on his normally stoic face if it weren’t so telling as to what he was going to say next.
“Absolutely not.”
“I haven’t even asked yet,” Alex said.
“You want to keep it. The answer is a resounding and unyielding ‘no’.”
“She was going to be drowned, sir,” Alex said, holding the puppy out for inspection. “Something about her having light and not being able to live here.”
Caspar Lennox recoiled as he took in the white paw of the creature. But still, his reply was resolute. “You cannot take her, Alexandra. Shadow Wolves are not pets. They are weapons.”
He reached for the puppy, but before Alex could change his mind, the puppy growled low in her throat. Shadows sprung up around Alex along with flashes of lightning as the little creature bared her teeth at the teacher.
Caspar Lennox froze. “It cannot be,” he said, his eyes wide and staring at the angry little wolf.
“What’s going on?” Alex asked, concerned by what she read in his features but also distracted by the miniature electrical storm encircling her body.
Caspar Lennox swallowed. “The wolf is protective of you.”
Alex looked down at the still growling puppy and back up again. “And that’s a problem because…?”
“It is not in their nature,” he said. At her questioning look, he explained, “They hunt. They kill. They destroy.” He paused, then finished meaningfully, “They do not protect. Ever.”
“Guess I got a good one then, huh?” Alex said lightly, trying to calm her teacher, her puppyandherself.
Caspar Lennox’s reply was slow in coming, and when it did, it was a single word. “Indeed.”
Alex decided to ignore the now-dissolving storm and pressed, “So, I can keep her, right?”
“I do not believe you have a choice, Alexandra,” her teacher said, his dark gaze pensive as he watched the gradually calming wolf. “For I believe it is she who has chosen to keep you.”
Goose bumps arose on Alex’s flesh because, looking down at the impossibly intelligent eyes staring trustingly up at her, she had a feeling her teacher was right.
“We should go,” Caspar Lennox said. “Did you have any success with the Dayriders?”
Tearing her eyes from the now relaxed and yawning puppy, Alex said, “They’re willing to help, but only if your race is as well. There has to be a balance, they said. All or none.”
Caspar Lennox nodded, unsurprised. “Then let us hope Shirez Ganare can convince the elders to give you another chance, even if I do not believe you will prevail.”
“You’re a real glass-half-full person, aren’t you?” Alex said dryly. “You’d be a blast at parties.”
Caspar Lennox’s only response was to reach out and shadow her and the puppy back to the academy. He left her outside the Med Ward, saying he would brief the headmaster and the other teachers on the day’s events—and warn them about her new canine companion—while she sought treatment for her wounds.
Alex nodded, but as soon as he disappeared again, she turned and headed for her dorm and thelaendrashe knew would heal her instantly. Better to not bring Fletcher more distress than was necessary.
Fully aware that it was mid-afternoon and students were freely wandering the snowy campus, Alex was careful to keep the now dozing puppy hidden in the folds of her coat. She was also careful to angle her bruised cheek away from view, since the relentless throbbing indicated that the sucker punch she’d received must have left quite the mark.
Thankfully, no one interrupted her journey as she crunched her way along the icy paths and finally made it up to her room.
With D.C. still in detention, it was a shock when Alex closed the door behind her and realised she wasn’t alone.
“Stars, Aeylia, please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
Again, Alex didn’t respond. She just turned on her heel and strode purposefully back to her prearranged meeting place, cooing soft words to the puppy as she did so.
Twenty-Three
Caspar Lennox arrived in the alley aboutthree seconds after Alex, and the moment he saw her—or rather, what was in her arms—his jaw dropped. It would have been a comical expression on his normally stoic face if it weren’t so telling as to what he was going to say next.
“Absolutely not.”
“I haven’t even asked yet,” Alex said.
“You want to keep it. The answer is a resounding and unyielding ‘no’.”
“She was going to be drowned, sir,” Alex said, holding the puppy out for inspection. “Something about her having light and not being able to live here.”
Caspar Lennox recoiled as he took in the white paw of the creature. But still, his reply was resolute. “You cannot take her, Alexandra. Shadow Wolves are not pets. They are weapons.”
He reached for the puppy, but before Alex could change his mind, the puppy growled low in her throat. Shadows sprung up around Alex along with flashes of lightning as the little creature bared her teeth at the teacher.
Caspar Lennox froze. “It cannot be,” he said, his eyes wide and staring at the angry little wolf.
“What’s going on?” Alex asked, concerned by what she read in his features but also distracted by the miniature electrical storm encircling her body.
Caspar Lennox swallowed. “The wolf is protective of you.”
Alex looked down at the still growling puppy and back up again. “And that’s a problem because…?”
“It is not in their nature,” he said. At her questioning look, he explained, “They hunt. They kill. They destroy.” He paused, then finished meaningfully, “They do not protect. Ever.”
“Guess I got a good one then, huh?” Alex said lightly, trying to calm her teacher, her puppyandherself.
Caspar Lennox’s reply was slow in coming, and when it did, it was a single word. “Indeed.”
Alex decided to ignore the now-dissolving storm and pressed, “So, I can keep her, right?”
“I do not believe you have a choice, Alexandra,” her teacher said, his dark gaze pensive as he watched the gradually calming wolf. “For I believe it is she who has chosen to keep you.”
Goose bumps arose on Alex’s flesh because, looking down at the impossibly intelligent eyes staring trustingly up at her, she had a feeling her teacher was right.
“We should go,” Caspar Lennox said. “Did you have any success with the Dayriders?”
Tearing her eyes from the now relaxed and yawning puppy, Alex said, “They’re willing to help, but only if your race is as well. There has to be a balance, they said. All or none.”
Caspar Lennox nodded, unsurprised. “Then let us hope Shirez Ganare can convince the elders to give you another chance, even if I do not believe you will prevail.”
“You’re a real glass-half-full person, aren’t you?” Alex said dryly. “You’d be a blast at parties.”
Caspar Lennox’s only response was to reach out and shadow her and the puppy back to the academy. He left her outside the Med Ward, saying he would brief the headmaster and the other teachers on the day’s events—and warn them about her new canine companion—while she sought treatment for her wounds.
Alex nodded, but as soon as he disappeared again, she turned and headed for her dorm and thelaendrashe knew would heal her instantly. Better to not bring Fletcher more distress than was necessary.
Fully aware that it was mid-afternoon and students were freely wandering the snowy campus, Alex was careful to keep the now dozing puppy hidden in the folds of her coat. She was also careful to angle her bruised cheek away from view, since the relentless throbbing indicated that the sucker punch she’d received must have left quite the mark.
Thankfully, no one interrupted her journey as she crunched her way along the icy paths and finally made it up to her room.
With D.C. still in detention, it was a shock when Alex closed the door behind her and realised she wasn’t alone.
“Stars, Aeylia, please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141