Page 2 (1/2)

I forced a s about all I need to do to prep for school"

Deep down, though, a troubling thought kept recurring I wasn’t fully Daeel--just a part of each Even worse, it meant I didn’t possess a shred of huroups--va in coenes It made me feel disconnected The only person in the world who shared ht I was pure evil She’d told me it was her duty to rid the world ofat the hands of Maxiue vampire, he’d capturedhis vampire revolution and quest for world domination withtendrils of sub-zero chills throughout ht have slowed it down, the va curse was still determined to eat me alive and cut my education short if it could

Chapter 2

"I need new clothes," Elyssa said "I don’t have a single thing to wear to the university"

Shelton looked her up and down "Looks like you’re wearing so now" He blew out a breath "Wo about wo a bit miffed

"Sure I do," he said "They like to talk and spend men’s money"

Bellasound in the back of her throat and took Elyssa by the ar cute" She took a step back, craning her neck to lookpurple and slinky"

"I’ain, Elyssa’s athletic curves looked a no matter what she wore

"At least Justin understands our needs," Bella said with a sniff, casting Shelton a look

Shelton, for his part, grabbed his coffeeand said, "Come on, kiddo, it’s time for your lessons"

I checked the tio all wrinkly "But, I still have an hour!"

"Better get an early start Let the lady folk go shopping"

"Oh, wait," Elyssa said, snapping her fingers and stopping to look at et Justin’s measureo shorts I wore "Sole safari"

"How about a sky blue shirt with ruffles?" I said "Or a yellow tuxedo?"

Bella brandished her wand, waved it in a familiar pattern, and a stream of white sparkles floated over me like pixie dust

"Hold your ar your measurements"

I did as she asked, and after a few seconds, the sparkles vanished, replaced by nuo" Bella smiled and the tomen practically skipped with joy out the door

"Wo his whiskers He grunted and headed deeper into his secret lair

We reached the gauntlet roourations for whatever challenges he wanted to throay I took a slender white rod about three inches long froave it a shake The ends telescoped in both directions, and the girth thickened into a plain white practice staff a little taller than me

Shelton extended his own staff and directed it at a haphazard stack of cinder blocks An invisible force toppled theround "Pile ’em back up," he said

I closed my eyes for an instant When I reopened theical energy--or aether as Arcanes called it--was an invisible force to el heritage allowed me to see it Aether took all sorts of shapes Aswhite coray aalaxy-like swirls of white and ultravioletcapillaries webbed the ground Arcanes called them ley lines Most of the ones near the surface were tiny but nuh the earth

I drew in a deep breath through y into my tendrils as if they were straws

Shelton took out his arcphone--the Arcane equivalent of a normal smartphone--and flicked on an application toaround the cinder blocks and directedwhite lines forined lifting the blocks Out of the corner of ht into red territory I gritted roaned, and shouted, "Shoryuken!" The cinder blocks juether, and finally slaasp, I released my will, and the ethereal ropes vanished The cinder blocks wobbled uncertainly before finding a se

"Sweetthe screen of his arcphone so I could see the results "You blew through y to move those cinder blocks than it’d take to stop a wohed "I don’t knohy"