Page 42 of Eat. Prey. Love. (Apex Academy Capers #5)

My heart is a steady drum of excitement in my chest as I bound alongside Dolly and the twins. Every little noise from the rustling leaves to the distant chatter of students seems amplified as we head for the location of our newest clue. We’re a motley crew this Saturday morning—the bunny shifter twitching at every sound, tiger twins with amber eyes scanning the shadows, the gargoyle whose cerulean gaze misses nothing as he slinks through the trees, and an irritable dragon who keeps snorting smoke when branches pull at his precious clothing.

That’s my family—and I couldn’t be happier about it.

“Seriously,” Dolly mutters, her voice low but laced with a thrill, “it’s like they think they’re in a Tolkien movie or something.” Her nose twitches comically as she peers around a thick tree trunk to grin as her besties, Cori and Rufus appear to join us.

Fitz chuckles, the sound deep and infectious. “Adventure is the spice of life, Baby Girl.We all know those tight-assed fuckers on the Council have so much money and influence that very little blows their skirts up anymore.”

I can’t help a smirk as retort, “Or raises their flag up the pole without a small blue pill.” They all laugh and I pause in our walk to the area the crew said they’d rendez-vous with us at. “Check to make sure your earpiece is secure. The last thing we need is someone getting lost or ambushed because they couldn’t hear a call for help.”

“Good idea, Chessie,” Dolly says and I flush. Her praise makes my cheetah happy as hell, and Fitz smirks at me, his eyes saying ‘later’ in response.

Felix’s voice comes through the earpiece, all business now. “Everyone ready?”

“Over and out, Raj,” I confirm, along with a chorus of replies from the others.

Once we’re geared up, we finish our journey to the spot between the edge of the forest and the base of the mountain. The Captain, Raina, and the rest of their crew are waiting; they all look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for such an early excursion. I flash a brief hello sign to Holliday, watching carefully to catch what he responds. The others do similar, though at various skill levels, and Renard peels off to greet his prey acolytes before we begin. They seem equally as enthralled with Dolly, which clearly delights her as she greets them, too.

Our bunny is hard not to love and it consistently amazes me that she has so many random enemies despite her inherent kindness.

After we all finish chatting, the group spreads out, our search pattern meticulous as we comb the north side of the campus. This place is perfect for hiding something important, to be honest. Renard has been keeping an eye on these woods since Valentine’s Day because they felt too quiet and now we know why they seem deserted. Something is being hidden here and no one wants attention drawn to the area. Closer to the mountain crags, I understand why they would choose this spot—this terrain is tricky and it doesn’t stand out as a place to hang out.

We comb through the rocky terrain, my feline eyes scanning for anomalies among the stones. Dolly pauses and tilts her head. “How did we even get wind of this place?” she asks, curiosity lighting up her face.

“Ah, that was all Holliday,” Raina answers, pride evident in her voice. She gestures to the quiet armadillo shifter rummaging through his backpack. “He’s good at reading lips; people tend to forget he’s always watching because he’s deaf.”

Dolly’s expression darkens with irritation, a surge of empathy for Holliday flashing across her features. She moves closer to him, signing an apology with swift, graceful movements of her hands. His response is a slow, deliberate mimicry, but his smile is genuine as he praises her growing skill.

My gaze shifts between them, noticing the red hue blossoming on Dolly’s cheeks. Raina reaches out, patting Dolly’s hand reassuringly. “You and your men, you’re different from other preds. You’ve been nothing but kind to us prey.”

“Because my Baby Girl is our beating heart,” Fitz chimes in, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “She’s got the kindest soul of anyone I know.” Dolly squirms, clearly battling a wave of embarrassment as a chorus of agreement echoes from our group.

“Flattery aside,” I interject, my instincts prickling with suspicion. “Don’t you think it was too easy getting this tip? It could be a trap. ”

Felix shakes his head, confident. “Underground vaults are a staple in places like these. They’re here, and we’ll find them.”

Dolly nods, then bursts into laughter when Felix adds a word of caution. “And don’t touch anything suspect or sound off any ancient alarms, please.” Her laughter increases as he sends a pointed look at Fitz, the notoriously impulsive one of us.

“Who, me?” Fitz responds with feigned innocence, a smirk playing on his lips that betrays his act.

“Especially you,” Felix retorts, and we delve deeper into the search, the air thick with anticipation and the weight of secrets waiting to be unearthed.

Crouched low, I scan the rocky terrain, my cheetah senses on high alert. The scent of salt and pine blends in the air as we approach the base of the craggy mountains where forest meets shore. There’s a whisper of something ancient carried on the breeze, and it prickles at the back of my neck. We’ve been searching for hours, but it’s Dolly who finally spots it—a series of enigmatic carvings etched deep into the stone.

“Over here!” she calls out, her voice tinged with excitement.

All the groups converge on the spot, every step careful and measured in case there are traps along the way. I can’t help but think how much this feels like walking into a trap, but we have to seek the vault on this campus. The clues they all hold will lead us to the truth about the magic users and perhaps prevent a war.

Not to mention they might help us figure out why the hell our girl has that blue lightning.

There it is, almost blending in perfectly with its surroundings— a series of carvings. They’re intricate, weaving around the rocks like ivy. It’s no wonder we missed them from afar. I don’t recognize anything about them; every one of the markings is a mystery to me, even after being in the other vaults.

This is fascinating and I know Aubrey is going to drool over it .

“It’s been added to over the years,” Rufus says, gesturing toward where the series of markings stretch into the distance.

“Never seen anything quite like this,” Cori murmurs.

“Let’s see what Rennie and Aubrey make of it,” I suggest, nodding towards our winged comrades who are pushing through the underbrush to join us.

“Definitely not natural erosion. Too specific,” Aubrey grumbles as he leans in closer. He pushes up his glasses, his expression tinged with a mix of irritation and curiosity. The librarian in him is just as excited as me, but he hates showing it, so he’s defaulting to grumpy.

“Let’s get more pictures before we do anything else,” Renard suggests, his voice always calm, always rational.

Aubrey squints at the inscriptions, his dragon eyes flickering with an inner light, while Renard leans in close, tracing a finger lightly over the grooves. They exchange a look that speaks volumes of their shared history and knowledge.

“Good call,” I say, taking out my phone. The prey pirate crew gathers around as everyone chimes in with their opinions on the markings. Dolly and her friends make up the other flank, examining some of the oldest, deepest ones with puzzled looks. “We have no idea what touching them or trying to read them might trigger.”

“I’ve definitely never seen anything like it,” Dolly admits, while Cori and Rufus nod in agreement. “Not in the vaults, or in anything Lucille had floating around, or even online. They’d make rocking tattoos, though. Look how intricate and delicate they are.”

“Reminds me of tales my mom used to tell—like nursery rhymes for baby raccoons,” Raina muses aloud, her gaze locked onto the carvings. The small raccoon frowns, and I smile as she closes her eyes. I’ve often wondered why she and her mates stay in a half-animal, half-humanoid shift when it would be easier to avoid preds looking like people, but it suits them, so I don’t ask.

Plus, it’d be rude, wouldn’t it?

Her casual remark earns her the group’s attention, and even the Captain tips his hat in agreement, the gesture punctuating his pirate-like drawl. “Aye, lass, seems to tickle a memory in the old noggin.”

Percy, Banjo, Holliday, Kirby, and Bowser shuffle forward for a closer look but then shrug collectively. “Doesn’t ring any bells for us,” Percy admits with a sheepish grin. “We’re more about hammers and nails than dusty old books.”

“They could be an ancient code of some sort,” Cori muses. “The other vaults had weird shit like that, didn’t they?”

“Looks to be a mishmash,” Aubrey finally says, tapping at his DiePhone with growing frustration. “Some kind of pidgin between High Fae script and the vampire’s tongue.” His fingers fly across the screen, but each attempt at translation only deepens the furrow in his brow.

“Can’t decipher it on the spot,” Renard adds, his gravelly voice thoughtful. “Too many variations, some of these marks are centuries older than others.”

I glance at Rennie and Aubrey, the weight of unspoken histories clouding their expressions. “You both realize what this might mean, right?” My voice is softer than I intend, tinted with concern.

Rennie sighs, rolling his eyes to the sky in supplication. “Yes, Chester,” he grumbles. “We’re digging up more than just dirt here. It will require… reconciliation.”

Aubrey, usually so imposing, seems smaller somehow as he stares at the cryptic carvings. He lets out a low growl, the sound of boulders grinding together. “We’ll both have to face the music eventually. Might as well start with your clutch since they’re in Eastern Europe. It’s... closer.”

“Spring break?” I suggest tentatively, watching how the possibility settles on them like a shroud.

“We can make the trip easily in that timeframe, yes,” Rennie confirms with a resigned nod.

Dolly steps in then, her delicate hand reaching up to touch Aubrey’s arm. Her empathy shines like a beacon. “What about Egypt, Aubrey? Will we need to?—”

“Later,” he cuts in, smoke billowing from his nostrils as he turns away. His eyes are stormy seas, and Dolly’s presence is the only lighthouse in sight. “Asia will be first… during the summer break. If I can avoid the African continent, I will.”

Felix and Fitz share a loaded glance, the air thick with silent questions. They know that’s where our shared family resides—or just off the coast—and we don’t want to make a pitstop there, either. Fitz snarls, walking over to me and burying his face in my neck, “I’m with Senor Spicypants. Let’s try to keep that entire portion of the world on the ‘no-no’ list if we can,”

Before the tension can suffocate us, Rufus breaks in with a loud cough. “What exactly is the dress code for meeting dragon royalty? I don’t think my leather vests will cut it.”

Laughter bubbles up unexpectedly, and even Dolly snorts, although she’s quick to fire back. “I’m not wearing my damn crown in front of its prior owner.”

Aubrey’s response is immediate, and there’s a flash of the old fire in his eyes. “Oh, but you will, Snacksize. It’s not an option if we want her blessing.”

“Blessing?” She blanches, reminding me of a rabbit caught in headlights, but the moment passes as quickly as it came. “Who said I need permission? I do what I want now, Aubrey Draconis, and your grandma had better just accept it. ”

“We should head back to start researching this shit,” I say, hoping to get off the topic that will certainly be a bone of contention. “We don’t want to trigger any traps or curses today.”

“Or on any days, if I have my way,” Dolly adds with a wry smile. “I like my cottontail attached exactly as it is.”

“If we’re right about this being the entrance to the council’s vaults, we’re sitting ducks out here.” Felix finally says. “Chess is right; we should go. Take a few more shots and then we’ll head back.”

We snap a few more shots, ensuring we’ve captured every detail. The marks are worn, some new, some so old they’re barely visible. There’s a history here, secrets etched into the earth that speak of a time and knowledge long passed.

Once our task is done, we retreat, but I glance back at the crags, a shiver running down my spine.

What are we about to unearth?