Page 21

The Headmistress took us through a maze of dark, narrow hallways with towering ceilings and perfect stone floors, not slowing down for a second. I lingered near the back of the group, trying to keep my head down.

Don’t draw attention to yourself, Lord had ordered.It will only make things harder.

I adjusted the strap on my shoulder and kept walking, ducking down the final hallway and into a larger room littered with training equipment. I was familiar with some of it, such as the large bags used for practicing punches. But others looked damn near lethal.

“This is where we’ll be spending every other day,” Headmistress Katherine announced, turning on her heel to face us. “The rest of your time will be spent with your mentors, learning magic, fighting tactics, and the history of The Golden City.”

I swallowed.

“An inability to show up will result in your removal from the program. An inability to keep up will result in the same. If you disobey any of the rules, you’re out.”

A murmur began in the group. I kept my lips sealed, ducking my chin.

“Is there a question?” the woman directed toward the group of whispers.

One student—a young male who appeared too soft and innocent—stuttered to answer. “We were just… what are the rules?”

Damn,this woman was terrifying. Even her eyes held a promise of death. I didn’t trust her one bit.

“We have two rules here at Moira Seminary. Rule number one: Don’t kill your fellow recruits outside the classroom. You’ll have plenty of time for that in training. Rule number two: Stay alive. This program is not for the weak, and we will not show you mercy. You fight. You live. You make it to The Golden City. It’s that simple. Do you understand?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good,” she announced, clapping her hands together. “There will be a test, the Transcendent, at the end of your time here. A series of tests, rather, however you wish to look at it. It will be nearly impossible to pass, and most of you will not make it.”

I clenched my fists. I wasn’t about to cower in the face of death. I had prepared for this. Lord had ensured I would be ready.

There was no test I could not pass. No trial I could not overcome.

“You’re all here for a reason,” she continued. “Remember what that reason is. Every year, students gather here for the chance to make it into the elite society. Every year, lives are lost. You all know the risks, yet you chose to come here anyway. There was a time when hundreds of students would line the halls of this academy, all fighting for a chance to get into The Golden City.” She surveyed the small group of us. “Just becausethe numbers have dwindled does not mean your entrance will be taken any less severely.

“You’ve been randomly assigned roommates, and your names are listed on the doors through that corridor.” She pointed to her left. “I feel the need to repeat this, but if you kill your roommate in their sleep, you’re out.”

You could have heard a damn angel feather dropping in the room.

“Get some sleep,” Headmistress Katherine ordered. “The Blessing is this evening, and you’ll all be required to attend. But listen to me when I say this: The tests to enter The Golden City began once you walked through those doors. I’ll see you all this evening.”

Okay, so I’m probably going to die.

That was fine. I’d made peace with death a long time ago. It was how I became so fearless, so lethal. No sane female would launch themselves at the back of a vampyre simply to get the approval from their assassin Lord.

Maybe there were a few things wrong with that statement, but nevertheless, I was probably going to die here regardless.

I followed the crowd, keeping my face down as we all funneled through the dark stone hallway, where everyone would be sleeping. It reminded me of corralling sheep. Dangerous sheep, but sheep all the same.

We might have been the strong, capable fae in our respective homes, but here? We were nothing but prey. They wanted to test us. They wanted to see us break.

By the time I reached the end of the hallway, I thought they had forgotten my name. Until I spotted the very last door.

HUNTYR GWENEVIVE

WOLF JASPER

My brows furrowed. What type of name wasWolf?

I reached for the door handle when the shadow of a colossal figure cascaded over me. I froze, watching a tanned, massive arm reach over me, gripping the knob I had just been reaching for.

Something about that presence felt so familiar…