Hidden (The Altwood Academy Series Book 1) by Bethany Harte

Author:Bethany Harte [Harte, Bethany]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-05-03T05:00:00+00:00

I hurry into my next class at the chime of the bell, again taking a seat in the middle of the classroom. Professor Replan stands at the front of the room, his face twinkling in the bright morning sunlight. Students follow me into the classroom, taking the seats around me until I’m indistinct from the other students. Students hesitate to assume the chairs directly next to me, but eventually two are brave enough to approach the “ferocious Stella Dellington.”

From the whispering in the halls I’ve ascertained that although many students dislike me now and most are avoiding me, a lot of them also voice a silent support. Although I’ve heard myself called “trash” and “dirt,” I’ve also been called “brave” and “ferocious.” I suppose that one is better than the other, although I’d still prefer to be normal for once.

Fat chance of that ever happening.

Professor Replan launches into his lecture as soon as all the seats are filled. Today, we’re doing a deeper dive into the hierarchy of Shifters and their power rankings. Of course, since wolf shifters are generally accepted as the most powerful, they’re at the top of the hierarchy. Close following them are bears and large cats. Wolves dominate not only because of their strength but also their population size—many Shifters from powerful families are wolf shifters, strengthening their power.

Dragon shifters are the strongest of all, but there hasn’t been one for millennia. According to Professor Replan, in the old days there were over a hundred dragons, and they led the Shifter council. However, they’d begun dying out for some unknown reason a millennia ago. Many presume that it was some unknown disease, but nobody has managed to ascertain the cause of their extinction yet.

For ages there have been fairy tales, proclaiming that a dragon shifter will surface during a time of great need. According to Professor Replan, that’s total bullshit.

He says, “They’re extinct. That’s it.”

I note this all down in my notebook, avoiding the querying glances of the other students. For some reason, they’re both scared and interested in me and what I stand for.

At the end of the period, Professor Replan elaborates on the quiz next week. Apparently, it’s on the shifter hierarchy and types. He hands out study guides as we leave, and I take the morning break as an opportunity to flip through mine. I understand nothing on the first page, which must be what they were covering the past few weeks, but the second section looks more familiar.

I tuck it carefully into my seemingly bottomless satchel, descending the stairs of the Aeran Studies building. Next, at 10:45 I have Nature and Botany 101, with Professor Yrla. I check to make sure I packed the homework, which I’d procrastinated on and done this morning. Thankfully, I have it, so instead I hurry into the library. A small cafe is just inside the door, and I request a hot cappuccino.

The man behind the counter brews it in front of me, tipping the steaming espresso and frothed milk into a plain brown to-go cup.

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