Page 3 of Unicorn Shifter Academy
Because there was nothing special about me.
I’d been trying to tell her that for years.
“Why is it so fucking hot in here?” I complained as sweat ran down the back of my neck. I gathered my hair at my nape and twisted it into a ball, taking a pencil and stabbing it through the strands to keep them in place.
“Language,” my mother chided as she went to one of the cocktail tables and snatched up a new pencil that she then shoved into my hand. “They’re going to start the ceremony soon. Focus.”
Twirling it over my fingers—desperately wishing it was a switchblade instead of a pencil so I could stab my eyes out—I followed my mother to the row of chairs that faced the stage.
A large pedestal with a magical book rested at the center. The tall, skinny woman took the stage and smiled at us as she smoothed out the pages.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Professor Olivia.” She smiled, her sweet demeanor at odds with her soulless black eyes. Her white hair was peculiar, but she had to be some sort of Dark Mage. She nodded to the dwarf who’d joined her at her side. “This is Professor Payne. He was involved in my awakening when I was a Fortune Academy student, so I can promise you all that you’re in good hands with us today.”
I glanced up at my mother, but she wasn’t looking at me. Instead, she stood regal and proud, her little upturned nose in the air as she stared down it at the stage.
Somehow, she made herself look like she was in charge even though she was just my over-eager mother.
None of my friends were here, not that I had many. I missed Ned and Angel, two friends I’d had since diapers.
They were brother and sister and had already gone through their awakening ceremonies. It only pissed my mother off more that I was the odd one out in our little social group of elites.
Professor Olivia began calling names in alphabetical order. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be called up with the “L’s” or the “E’s” given my last name was L’Estselle.
I hoped the Ls.
It would give me enough time to calm my rolling stomach—because right now it was making a gods-awful sound like a tiny animal was dying inside my gut.
Rrwaaarrrrrrr.
My mother shot down a glare. “Stop that,” she hissed.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from replying.
Maybe if she hadn’t force-fed me poisoned Skittles and ruined my favorite candy while trying to kill me, my digestive tract wouldn’t be inventing new sounds.
To my disappointment, I was called up with the E’s right when my vision started to spin.
Great.
Feeling like I was going to puke all over the professors, I hurried up to the stage and leaned on the podium, my fingers grazing the book as I tried to support myself.
The lights blaring overhead weren’t helping the headache that was quickly approaching the worst migraine of my life.
Professor Olivia gave me a concerned glance, then placed her hand over mine. “Just hang in there, sweetie. The awakening process is easier than it used to be, but it can still be rough.”
I huffed a laugh. “Unless it used to be dying, I don’t think it could be much worse than this.”
She blinked at me a few times, then gave me a knowing smile as if I’d said something funny.
I don’t get these people.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t been paying attention, so I hadn’t seen how the awakening had gone for the other students ahead of me.
So far, on the other side of the stage, I spotted a wolf, a male with horns and a tail, and a girl with a victorious expression and cat-like eyes.
It seemed like it was shifter night. That didn’t bode well for me.
Animals had a strange sort of obsession with me.
