9. Aurelia

Chapter 9

Aurelia

" I think that's quite enough." A stern male voice booms through the academy speakers.

My eagle claws gently touch the spongy turf outside the central academy as I'm lowered down. Around me, the other birds of prey, some who've shifted into their human forms upon hearing the psychic blast, land on the grass and try to pull themselves together.

If it wasn't for Lyle grabbing us all with his telekinetic hand, we'd be birdcakes on the soil.

Lyle, shifted into his human form, crouches down to come eye to eye with me. I remain in my eagle form, trembling as the echoes of the psychic blast pierce my brain like a thousand, tiny needles.

He reaches for the side of my head, gently cupping it. "Are you alright, regina?" His voice is soft despite his furious expression.

I let out a little eagle whistle of assent, which is all I can manage for the moment. I'm vaguely aware that around me, some of the students have collapsed onto the grass, lying panting on their sides. It's a mixture of human skins and animal pelts, shaking themselves or rubbing their ears. Someone might be whining, but I can't be sure.

Henry rises from Lyle's shoulder and zips over to squeeze himself under my wing. His tiny body trembles with fear but his tiny warmth is comforting.

Where the fuck did that blast come from?

Happy that I'm not mortally wounded, Lyle stands and stalks away, presumably to find the culprit. I sense he, Scythe and Xander having a mental discussion, but my mind is claimed by that high frequency buzz, and all I can do is focus on not tumbling over where I stand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lyle's growl is low and deep, but it easily reaches across the lawn. Every organism around me goes still at the lethal warning in my lion's voice.

Within seconds, we all see who he's talking to.

Curls of deep red-gold hair glint like fire in the morning sun as the figure strides onto the grass. He's tall with a reedy frame, milky pale skin, mythic golden eyes with thick, white-framed circular glasses. He covers his slender body in a professional maroon suit and white shirt. In one hand, he holds a microphone.

"My name is Damien Agnis," he says, words echoing through the speakers. "And I am your new deputy headmaster." As he speaks, words made of crimson flame appear in the air next to him, spelling out his name in bold capital letters.

A shocked silence descends upon the students as his dulcet voice reverberates around the school.

I'd seen Celeste's phoenix fire before, and it was a magnificent thing to behold. But for most of the student body, this is the first time they are seeing the fabled flames in real life.

Agnis.

He is a phoenix—and related to Celeste, at that. They could even be siblings by the resemblance I see in his eyes and hair. But that's where the similarities end. Because he then sneers, dragging his eyes down Lyle's body as if disgusted, before giving him a droll look.

Is he mad? Like, actually insane?

I hate this guy already.

"It's about time some order was brought to Animus Academy," he says into his microphone. "Human forms immediately. Find your clothes. Get into the dining hall."

When no one moves, he shouts, "Now!"

We all flinch, but then joints pop and wings rustle as everyone complies.

"Who is this asshole?" I ask Lyle mind to mind.

But Lyle is busy talking to Damien, who has just turned his microphone off and is looking down his nose at Lyle—well, up because Lyle is half a head taller. Instead, it's Scythe's voice that enters my mind.

"Be a good girl and obey your new deputy, " he says coolly.

I huff because I have to obey his orders now. "Will you? " I retort, shifting back into human form and standing at full height with Henry tucked beneath my arm.

He doesn't dignify me with a reply.

Luckily for us girls, female guards are passing around the academy's orange prison jumpsuits for us to cover our nakedness. I step into mine quickly, fully aware of the many horny male eyes on my body. Henry, for his part, squeaks angrily at those behind me.

Minnie, Yeti and Raquel find me quickly, and we hunt around until we find Stacey and Connor, who are trying to fix each other's hair. I hastily smooth down my own long tangles, pulling through the strands and quickly braiding it for convenience as Henry and the other nimpins bob about us nervously.

"Do we know anything about this guy?" Connor asks, eyeing our new deputy, who is supervising the students entering the dining hall with a twisted mouth as if he's repulsed by us all.

We glance questioningly at Yeti, Minnie's constant, giant shadow. He runs his hands through his shoulder-length white hair, and we all notice the grim look on his fair face. "I don't know much about him, to be honest."

"He must have the right sort of qualifications to be allowed to come here," Minnie says reasonably.

"Don't be so sure about that," Yeti replies darkly.

We're almost at the door now, so we have to shut up as we pass through. There's a tense buzz in the air, and I notice there are double the usual number of guards.

All school staff members are standing in a line at the front of the hall, including our first-year anima counsellor, Theresa. She's our friendly cassowary with a full sleeve of colourful tattoos on both arms and I give her an enthusiastic wave. She gives me a worried look in return.

We're not allowed to get breakfast at the buffet, and are instead directed to take our seats. Except our seating has changed too. There are now laminated plastic cards on metal poles anchored to tables that have been grouped together. Each card is labelled with an order, making it clear that we're supposed to sit with our own ‘kind'.

"We don't get to sit together?" Stacey says, wildly looking around.

One of the guards steps forwards and nudges Stacey with the end of his darting rifle. "Keep moving!" he snaps.

"Excuse me!" Connor cries, grabbing Stacey and pulling her away from him.

"Hands off the other students!" the guard shouts.

No less than ten guards descend upon us, roughly shoving everyone aside, and before we know it, Connor is being poked with a cattle prod before he's shoved face-down onto a table, his hands wrenched behind his back.

Minnie, Stacey, and I are shouting in protest as Yeti tries to shove us all behind him. Raquel grabs my arm to stop me from losing my balance as Connor is electrocuted.

"Enough!" Lyle is in front of me, now with pants and a half-buttoned white business shirt, shoving at the guards pressing in on us. "This is not the de-escalation protocol! Let him go."

"I think not," comes the smooth voice of Damien Agnis. " My improved protocols are in place now." We all stare as the guards part to let the phoenix through. He crosses his arms, staring down at Connor. "Escort this young man to the detainment centre."

Lyle's head slowly turns to regard Damien Agnis as Connor is escorted away, tossing his head defiantly and blowing us a kiss to convince us he's fine. But I see the anxiety at the edges of his eyes. This is a shock to us all.

"This is completely unnecessary," Lyle grits out.

"The last time I checked, Mr Pardalia, I am the deputy headmaster here, not you."

My power flares inside me, begging for release. Begging for blood. I don't even realise I've stepped forward until Raquel and Minnie yank me back by my arms.

"Everybody sit down," Damien snaps, staring hard at me. "And you can sit with the avians."

So the giant cockatoo already knows who I am. Great.

"I'm going to kill him," I shoot into Lyle's mind as we're all forced to disperse to our designated order tables. Alone, I make my way to the avian table and take a seat next to Beak, who casts me a disapproving look.

"Please refrain, angel," Lyle grits back into my mind. "Keep your head down for the moment."

"I'd rather eat my own beer-battered fried wings," I retort.

"Do it for me."

Well, that shuts me up. Lyle's never used those words before, and I can see how this situation is going to be incredibly difficult for him. I suppose for him I can try.

When we're all seated, albeit glumly and hungrily, Damien takes up his spot at the head of the hall, while more guards than I've ever seen assume positions all around us. Lyle stands beside his replacement, glaring at us all as if in warning.

"Things at Animus Academy are going to change," Damien says. "The previous leadership was incredibly lax in multiple key areas of importance."

I cast an incredulous look around the tables. Back when I didn't even like Lyle, I'd had to admit that he was doing a good job with the school. At the same time, we did have a generous amount of freedom under his rule.

"Discipline! Control! Integrity!" Damien shouts at us. "If we are going to keep you all out of federal prison and serving as responsible members of the animalia community, we will need to overhaul your education."

"What bullshit," I mutter to Lyle. "What a dick."

"Breaking of rules will lead to immediate, memorable disciplinary action," Damien continues. "Test me and find out." He looks impressively at the guards and I can already tell a few of the more rebellious males are sizing him up. I glance around and realise Xander has chosen to sit with Yeti and Minnie, but Scythe is nowhere to be seen. I wonder if that is a message from the shark king.

"Eat your breakfast," Damien commands us. "Classes will re-commence at ten a.m. sharp."

With that, he strides out of the dining hall, leaving the guards to organise us to line up at the buffet, table by table.