Bloodline Secrecy: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Academy Novel (Bloodline Academy Book 2), Lan Chan [readict TXT] 📗

She turned to look at me but shook her head and resumed her flight above the students. She was guarding the ones who were coming from the outlying areas. The para-humans who lived in the swamps and billabongs.

The junior students were already in their seats by the time we arrived. Sasha and Trey waved at us but couldn’t keep seats next to them, so we sat in the available seats just in front. I found myself watching for the telltale green. When I spotted Cassie sitting beside Charles, his arm around the back of her chair, I frowned. She was glancing around the hall too. Some of the kids were trying to tap into the MirrorNet. Their confused expressions as the mirrors remained reflective had my heart thumping faster.

“Where is he?” I whispered.

“Who?” Sasha asked, leaning forward with his too-accurate vampiric hearing.

“Nobody.”

“Right.”

Kai still hadn’t arrived when Jacqueline took the stage. She was dressed all in black. Her hair had been swept severely off her face. There was no laughter in her usually friendly eyes. The deputy headmaster walked up with her. He was a vampire who mainly dealt with matters while Jacqueline was asleep. They kind of tag teamed it.

“Students,” Jacqueline said. “I see some of you are attempting to access the Mirror Network. I regret to inform you that it has been temporarily shut down as a sign of respect and as a precaution. There is no easy way to say this, so I won’t try and temper it with flowery words. About twenty minutes ago, the Academy received word that Artemis Gilbert was murdered.”

The assembly hall erupted in shocked gasps. Sophie gripped my hand. Her knuckles were so tight they turned blue.

I stared at the back of the seat in front of me. How was this even possible? He was a Nephilim. Not just any Nephilim, either. Artemis Gilbert was the head of Michael’s bloodline. He was a Councillor. A warrior.

It made sense now why Kai wasn’t here. He was probably in Seraphina with the rest of the Councillors. I heard sniffing around me. On my left, Diana’s head was bowed.

“It is a deeply shocking and sad occurrence, the details of which are still being uncovered. But I wanted to let you know before you heard through other unofficial means. I ask that you all treat this sensitively. Be mindful of your fellow students who will be gravely affected by the announcement.”

It occurred to me that aside from the Nephilim guards, none of the others were here. Jacqueline dismissed us shortly after. This time I didn’t bother waiting for the other kids to get past before I got up to leave.

When we arrived back at the dorm Sophie immediately tried to get onto the MirrorNet to see if she could contact her parents.

“Don’t bother,” Basil said. “It’s still on blackout.”

“Are you having withdrawals?” I asked him.

Basil came to sit beside me on the bed. I had my back against the wall looking across the room at Sophie.

She blew out a frustrated breath and let the mirror drop to the floor. “How can that have even happened?” she asked.

None of us had the answer.

Diana came in without bothering to knock. “I just tried to contact my da but everything is blocked.” She slumped down on Sophie’s bed.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Diana said.

“Two attacks in the span of a few months,” Sophie said. I knew where their thoughts were heading.

“We don’t know for sure it’s the Sisterhood.”

Two hours later the MirrorNet was back up and I was once again proven wrong. The rumours were everywhere.

“It’s terrible,” Nora sniffed when we made contact with them. “I was only just speaking to Artemis’s assistant last week to see if we could meet to discuss the petition further.”

“Any news about the Nephilim?” I asked.

“Only that anyone who isn’t essential has been recalled to Seraphina for now. Guards around the Councillors are going to double.” Nora sighed. “It’s going to be almost impossible for us to get anywhere near one of them.”

I hadn’t even thought of that.

“Girls,” Mani said, “if anyone gives you any grief about the Sisterhood, you let us know straight away.”

“They already give us grief,” Sophie said. “They’re just being stupid.”

Mani rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Promise me you’ll be safe.”

“We’re at the Academy, Dad. Nothing is going to happen to us.”

“Make sure it stays that way.”

The mirror chimed again. “I think we’re getting an incoming notification,” Sophie said.

“Okay, we’ll speak to you tomorrow,” Nora said. “Love you.”

The screen wavered and then the face of a middle-aged woman neither of us knew appeared on the screen.

“Ah, hi,” Sophie said. Basil almost jumped out of his woollen skin.

“It’s for me,” he said.

He wedged himself in front of the mirror. “Now isn’t a great time, Millicent,” Basil said. He tried to shoo us away.

“Let’s go to the library or something,” Sophie said.

“Can we go see Max?”

I grabbed her and pushed her out the door because her feet were suddenly made of lead.

“Why?”

I dragged her behind me. “I want to know if he’s heard from Kai.”

“Why don’t we go see Cassie?”

I’d thought of that. But it was more likely he’d talk to his friend. “Cassie isn’t in any immediate danger,” I said. “He won’t want to scare her unnecessarily. What’s the problem, anyway?”

“I....we haven’t really spoken since the incident at the Reserve.”

“Really? Why not?”

Even in the dimness of the hallway light I could see her face was flushed. “I think he’s a little...too much.”

“I’m sorry, it’s like you haven’t lived with shifters your whole life or something.”

“Living with them is one thing....”

“But being chased by one is another?”

She smacked me upside the head. “He is not chasing me!”

“Yeah, right. Fine, you stay here and listen in on Basil’s conversation with his girlfriend. I’m going to check out the boys’ dorm.”

“You know we’re not allowed over there.”

“We’re in the middle of a crisis situation,” I said. “Surely they’ll let us relax the rules a little.”

That was a lot of big talk for