Page 60 of Fated for Dawn

Whether it was paranoia or instinct, I wasn’t about to ignore it.

Grabbing my phone, I typed a quick message to our group chat:Guys, something feels off today. Be ready for anything.

Almost instantly, my phone buzzed with replies. Lucien’s came first:I’ll inform the dean.

Then he quickly added:xx.

Alister’s response followed:I’ll alert the Supernatural Law Enforcement Agents. Stay safe, my love.

Rafe mentioned he and Zade would patrol the skies. Ryker replied with a thumbs-up emoji followed by a thumbs-down, and Chad wrote that he was coming over to act as my ‘bodyguard’.

The morning crawled by, each tick of the clock tightening the knot in my stomach. By lunchtime, I couldn’t even look at food. My friends exchanged worried glances as I pushed my tray away.

“Eve, you need to eat something,” Raven urged.

“I agree. You need to fuel up in case we need to kick some Goddess ass,” Chad added, squeezing my arm affectionately.

I shook my head. “Can’t. My stomach’s in knots.”

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Students began to file out of the cafeteria, heading to their next classes.

“Come on,” Chad said, gently pulling me by the hand. “I’ll walk you to class.”

I let him lead me out of the cafeteria and into the bustling hallways. Posters for the upcoming end-of-year ball lined the walls, and students talked excitedly about their plans.

“Chad,” I said as we reached my next class. “Thank you.”

He ruffled my hair, making me smile. “That’s what mates are for.”

The first three afternoon classes passed without incident, making me question whether my gut feeling was just paranoia. Maybe I was psyching myself out for no reason.

By the time the afternoon break rolled around, I was almost starting to relax. I had just sat down with the others when a cold, clear voice sliced through my mind:Ready or not, here I come.

I jolted upright, my chair scraping against the floor with an earsplitting screech.

My friends were startled, eyes wide.

“Evelyn? What’s wrong?” Adrien asked, his voice tight.

Before I could answer, a deafening bang shook the Academy. The walls trembled, and I heard the sharp sound of shattering glass. Screams erupted, and chaos exploded around us.

I bolted toward the sound, adrenaline kicking in as I sprinted down the hallway. The shouts and cries around me faded intobackground noise as I burst through the Academy’s front doors and skidded to a halt on the lawn.

Elders and shifters sprawled across the grass, but they looked…different. Stronger. Younger. The shifters were massive, as if they’d been hitting the supernatural gym. Hard.

And there, at the center of it all, stood Lia—or rather, Eris. Lia’s familiar face had taken on an unnerving quality. She’d always been beautiful, but now, something was mesmerizing and deadly in her aura. Her gray eyes glowed faintly, and I saw an icy, calculating edge beneath that beauty. A slow, knowing smile spread across her lips.

“Ah, Evelyn.” Eris’s smooth, rich voice rang out with a strange undertone that resonated within my bones. She lifted a hand in a graceful, almost mocking gesture, beckoning me closer. “I’m so happy to see you.”

I looked around me. Students were spilling out of the Academy, their eyes wide with shock. Others followed the blaring alarms and headed for the designated escape routes. Still, the majority clung to doorframes, peered through shattered windows, or huddled in small groups, too curious or paralyzed to look away from the goddess of chaos on our Academy laws.

Meanwhile, Supernatural Law Enforcement Agency officers swarmed the grounds, their voices booming.

“Get inside! Move to the safe zones!” the officers commanded.

Above the chaos, I saw Rafe and Zade circling overhead, their wings slicing cleanly through the air. The other guys were likely close by, unseen but ready for whatever was coming.

My focus returned to Eris, and my legs carried me forward without hesitation as if they had a mind of their own.

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