Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“You— Wait, excuse me?” Real surprise raised her tone. She wasn’t expecting me to drop more honesty on her. “You know why they were killed?”
“Well, I don’t know know. Not more than anyone else. All I know is that the killer left clues at the scene. Something about destiny.”
Something clattered on the other end. I assumed it was a chair falling over. “What did you say?”
“Destiny.” I was very proud of myself for the innocence I put into my words. I truly missed my calling as an actress. “The first message left where Hall was murdered said Destiny. The second said Destiny is known. Destiny is dead.”
“Oh my gods,” she whispered.
“I’m guessing those two did something. Something very bad to this Destiny person,” I chattered on. “Maybe even killed her if the second message means what I think it does. And—”
“Why was I not informed of this? I was told nothing of these messages!”
“Whoa, that’s not my fault. I’ve been the headmistress for less than a week,” I reminded. “I have no idea why Dagem didn’t tell you the killer was leaving messages, but maybe it’s the same reason why she just put more security on me instead of calling in the police to investigate. She assumed I was behind everything, and didn’t bother seeing beyond that.
“The good news is now that I’ve taken over, I have called the police. They’re on their way right now to begin a proper investigation into the murders of Mr. Hall and Holly.”
“No.”
I arched a brow. “No?”
“No,” she repeated. “The secret police are on their way to conduct a proper investigation into what has been going on in that school. Makena was given a lot of leeway in how she ran the academy, but this is beyond the pale. To not inform us of this— I simply can’t believe her,” she snapped. “We will be taking charge from here—both in finding the killer and running the school.”
“Ahh, fired already,” I moaned. “But I thought I was doing such a good job.”
“You knew this was coming. You are twenty years old and a student of the academy yourself. You wouldn’t be qualified to run it if Makena had named you her successor.”
“You don’t have to worry about if I’m qualified or not. And you’re not sending the secret police here. They’re too busy preparing for the incoming fae attack to worry about the deaths of a teacher and a lunch lady. We both know that.
“The changes stand,” I stated. “Because I’ve got a lot of encouragement to make sure they stand.”
“Those changes will not stand,” she gritted. “You had no authority to make those decisions in the first place.”
“Luame gave me the authority.”
“I have told—!” She caught hold of her tongue and took a deep breath. “High Priestess, I appreciate the heavy burden you bear as Luame’s chosen, but it is not a weight you carry alone. Tell us the details of the vision, and we will determine what she meant. You are young and idealistic. You’re being overzealous in your interpretation of a free and equal society,” she said, dripping condescension through the phone. “Let wiser, cooler, older heads step in now.”
“Wow. I’ve never been mansplained by a woman before. I’ve got to say, it felt gross.”
“I mean it, Volana. This nonsense ends now!”
I stifled a sigh, rolling my eyes to the ceiling. Dammit, she’s going to make me do it.
“Don’t do it,” Edric called back.
“Stay out of my head!”
Annoyed, my blasé tone disappeared fast. “How about this? Let’s make a deal. Last night, I bonded with one of my fates.”
“What?” she rasped. “You did what?”
“We bonded. I’ll save you the dirty details, but the first generation of wind-moon wolves is locked up. I can’t begin to guess what kind of power they’ll have, but I have no doubt they’ll be as powerful as our bond.”
“Your bond is powerful? Truly?”
“Physically, emotionally, and mentally. As powerful as it gets.”
Sunella joyously cried out. I heard an odd thumping noise that I realized was her jumping up and down. “But this is great news. It’s wonderful! We knew it, High Priestess. We knew these bonds were blessed by fate and fortune itself.”
“Yeah, it’s wonderful,” I drawled, rolling my eyes. “So here’s the deal. If the alpha council agrees to turn the running of the academy over to me while my fates and I are going here, I will bond with one at the end of every term.
“That way, by the time we’re all finished, not only will the bonds be complete and the new generation assured, but we’ll have given the changes a proper test run with an entire graduating class. If the test run fails and we haven’t achieved what Luame wishes, then you can put everything back. I won’t stand in the way. I won’t use my encouragement to stop you. But if it works out and everyone is happy, then the academy can continue on in a new tradition.