Page 18 of We Hunt the Night

He starts sharpening his sword, and it makes this annoying noise ringing across the room over and over as I continue to search.

The door opens and Maz comes in carrying two huge shopping bags and a big smile. “There you are. I knew you’d be mad about the bathtub, so I went shopping for you. I wasn’t sure you had much money, and I felt bad seeing what you were sleeping in every night and the clothes you had—they all just looked a bit worn. I don’t have much, but a shifter I know is great at spells and made you some clothes for a small price. I got rid of the old things and bought you all new clothes.” He holds up the bags like they are a prize, but my stomach drops.

“Where’s the shirt that I sleep in?” I ask Maz, my heart racing. The room spins as panic sets in. No, no. He didn’t destroy it. I can’t sleep without it.

He frowns and my breathing gets faster. “Well, I told the small creatures just to put them all in the fire.”

My eyes flicker to the fireplace, to the ashes there. I run over, barely wincing as my fingertips burn. I dig through the ashes, finding one scrap of the fabric left, one tiny gray square. That’s all I have left.

“How. Dare. You!” I scream at Maz.

Vale is watching me like snake in the bushes, hunting it’s prey when it’s weak. “Told you she is fucking crazy, man.”

“Whoa, I thought I was doing a nice thing.” Maz steps closer. “I’m sorry, I probably should have asked if you wanted to donate your clothes or something, but?—”

“Get out. Just get out!” I scream at both of them. “This was my father’s! I was found in this, and it’s all I have left of him! You took the very last thing of comfort I’ve ever had. How. Dare. You!” My repeating words hit home and Maz’s eyes shatter in pain. He almost takes a step closer, but he thinks twice of it.

Maz looks heartbroken, but I can’t find it in myself to care. Bloodstone Academy has officially taken everything from me.

I run to the bathroom, slam the door behind me, sitting on the floor as I hyperventilate. I look at what’s left of my father’s shirt. They took it. They took everything. Now there’s nothing left of him. Nothing left of my parents for me anymore.

Chapter 12

Iturn up first for training class, feeling a bit of a spring in my step after crying on the floor of the bathroom most of the night. I need something to make me feel better, and this…well, this will do it. I left the room early after sleeping on the floor with my duvet, working on the hex all night. It is a complicated, mostly illegal spell. They can take the bath, but I’m not sleeping in the same room as them, absolutely not. The floor isn’t that bad. I’ve slept on it a hundred, if not more, times when I was locked in the attic for misbehaving. At least the bathroom floor isn’t rotting wood with spiky nails.

I lean against the wall, trying hard not to grin as I hear and feel Vale stomping down the corridor towards me. He searches around the room until his dangerously angry eyes fix on me. I figured out how he was getting all the points…he was cleaning the weapons for the class and giving them back. It’s grunt bonus work, but he was doing it a lot.

Until now…

“What the fuck did you do?” he shouts, storming over to me. “Undo the spell, the hex, whatever the fuck you did to me!”

“Well, witch magic doesn’t work on dragons.” I smile tauntingly.

He is breathing heavily. “Undo it.”

“Undo what?” I blink innocently.

He pushes his entire body into mine, and my body reacts even if I don’t want it to. His hand clasps around my throat, his hard body pressing me into the wall. “Fucking undo it, Hex!”

“I didn’t do anything.” I smile at him. It’s the first real smile I’ve had in ages. Maz was right. Getting back at him is the right way forward. His scent surrounds me now, like bergamot and oak mixed with fire. His eyes are dark, but the corners are slipping into silver.

Kane pushes him off me. “Enough, brother!” He pushes Vale back. “You’re going to fucking shift. Calm down!” He looks over his shoulder as I rub my neck. Vale didn’t hurt me. It’s just the shock. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what his problem is,” I mutter the lie. This is fun.

“Someone hexed all my weapons. I can’t touch them. I can’t bring them here. I can’t take them to any of our training. I am losing points by the second and going down the board,” Vale shouts. “Someone hexed me and I know it was her!”

He must be so pissed that his smart self can’t get past my hex, and the added spell I wove into it hides my identity and makes it impossible to change back.

“What a shame. If you get on your knees and crawl to me, I might help you figure out a counter spell.” I smirk. I’m basically admitting it was me, but it’s worth it.

“Fuck’s sake,” Kane mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I continue to glare at Vale. He lunges forward, but Kane stops him from getting closer. “I really hate you.”

“But you can’t hurt me, can you?” I arch an eyebrow. I’m done being scared of him.

A dragon roar echoes from his throat, and he shifts. His dragon bursts out of where he stood only a second ago, thechange so quick and flawless. Kane moves completely in front of me, but to my surprise, Vale’s dragon turns and scratches the wall. He leaves through the doors at the back, jumping up and flying out of sight.

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