Page 8 of The Stone Secret
“Harumph.”
We followed Palia up a flight of steps to the top of the building where the domed ceiling was situated.
“We’re in the same room as Arcana,” Palia said.
There was already a small line filing into the room, past all the plants that lined the corridor. No sign of Levi. Maybe he wasn’t in this class.
Part of me was relieved but the other part was disappointed, because the quicker we got this over with, the better.
I stepped into the room close behind Curi, my hand trapped in his, and froze at the sound of a familiar rumbling voice.
Levi stood at the front of the class speaking to Yarrow. He was dressed, not in lastonflex, but in a shirt, sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms and top button undone revealing the intricate whorls of his tattoo.
My breath stalled.
“Cam?” Shar said behind me.
But I couldn’t speak because Levi was looking right at me. His eyes warmed, then flicked to Curi and down to where our hands were joined. And there it was, the pain followed by the flash of anger.
“Everyone have a seat,” Yarrow instructed. “I’d like to introduce you to our new instructor, Master Halle.”
Halle? Serath was here? But no. Yarrow was looking at Levi.
Levi was the new instructor.
Levi was a Halle.
CHAPTER4
Levi talked, but the rush of blood in my head made it impossible to focus on what he was saying. He stood in front of the class, looking like he belonged there. Like he had wisdom and skill to impart.
He cut a powerful and beautiful figure, and my heart ached for the pain I’d put into the lines of his face. He didn’t look at me as he spoke, and after a few moments, the buzzing in my head subsided.
“You could have told me your ex was the new instructor,” Curi said under his breath.
My head reeled. “I didn’t know.”
“Hunters come in two kinds,” Levi said. “Those that are born into it and those that choose to take up the mantle.” He tapped the tattoo on his neck. “This is my Hunters mark. A sign of the grove I was born into.”
“What are groves?” Saffe asked.
Levi’s gaze flicked my way, and my heart climbed up into my mouth because this was stuff we’d never talked about. Stuff he hadn’t told me.
“A grove is a group of druids. There are several, all descended from a different druid bloodline. All with their own mark. We help to protect the natural order of things by eliminating anything that threatens it.”
“Like graynites?”
His mouth slanted down. “Hunters, in general, don’t have the ability to harm a graynite. We work on keeping the other threats in control to allow the gargoyles to focus on the graynite threat.”
“You’re a halfblood, though, aren’t you?” Dayn said. “Are you saying you’re part druid?”
“Yes. My mother is the leader of our grove.” He looked at me. “But I left that life to fly solo a long time ago. I wanted to hunt on my own terms not be bound by heritage.”
But he’d come back to it. To this place. Into the thick of it. For me. I hated that I was doing this to him.
“I can’t teach you how to bring down a graynite,” Levi continued, “but you won’t always be fighting graynites. There will be other threats. Mutts, fangs, and lesser-known malevolent creatures that lurk in the shadows. I’ll teach you about their weaknesses, and along with Master Yarrow, I’ll show you how to shield yourself against the negative energy they exude while harnessing the positive energy of nature that’s all around us. My technique will also help you learn to activate and reinforce your shields, should you come across a graynite.”
Yarrow stepped forward. “This is very exciting. The arrival of Master Halle means we can hone your shields in practical tests against real threats in a controlled environment.”
