Shadow Walker (Neteru Academy Books) (23 page)

“You play, too?” Tami said, beaming at Stefan.

“Naw, babe—I’m the only one around here fast enough on the ground to keep up with the boards. I’m a ref,” Stefan said proudly and received another fist bump from Brent.

“So what was up with you guys coming off the Shady Path?” Tami asked outright, just as bold as ever. “Is that how you sneak out of school to go ZBing? It’s more than a rift between dimensions—it’s an exit, isn’t it?”

Tina and Darlene looked at each other, groaned and shook their heads.

Ayana turned on Brent. “You told me you were going to stop doing that!”

Brent leaned over and kissed her on the lips. “Don’t worry, Stefan just wanted to check it out, make sure everything was still cool in case we need to make a quick escape, you know?”

“Leave me out of it,” Stefan said, laughing, and then turned his attention to his pasta.

Ayana looked at Brent with a frown. “Brent…” she said in a warning tone, but Sarah could tell that she wasn’t really angry with him.

Brent smiled. “I only took Stefan because you wouldn’t come with me,” he said, his voice low and intimate. Ayana blushed, instantly flustered.

Sarah frowned. “I don’t get it. With everything that’s going on, students dead and missing, aren’t you guys worried that something really bad could happen on the Shady Path? Why the heck would you risk going in there?”

“Well, if you’re a thrill-seeker like these two, then that’s exactly why you go there—for the danger high,” Tina said, and then arched an eyebrow.

“And what a lovely high it is,” Brent said with a wide smile.

“Sweet,” Stefan said, nodding with a slightly wicked grin.

“And for others…well, let’s just say it’s a primo make out spot,” Darlene said, lowering her voice and giggling. She winked at Tami.

“The Shady Path?” Sarah asked incredulously.

The older students shook their heads and laughed at Sarah. Ayana slung an arm over her shoulder.

“Not yet, guys, okay?” Ayana eyed Stefan with a smile and then stared at Tami warningly. “These are my little sisters.”

Tami looked like she was about to protest but began picking at her salad instead. Part of Sarah was glad that Ayana had said what she had, but another part of her hated feeling so naïve and new to everything.

“It seemed really scary,” Allie said with a shiver. “I don’t ever want to see the place.”

“I’ll say,” Hyacinth added with a shudder.

Stefan smiled, looking directly at Tami. “I’d be glad to show you sometime.”

Tami blushed furiously. “Any other forbidden parts of the school we should know about?” she asked with a sexy smile of her own. Her vampire half was clearly coming out to play.

Stefan smiled back. “A few.”

Suddenly Al loomed up behind them, breaking the moment—much to Sarah’s relief.

“Hey, Tam,” he said. “Now that we aren’t in the compound anymore, want me to take you up on that offer you made this morning? I believe it was something about, ‘in my dreams.’” He waggled his eyebrows at her and gave her one of his most dashing smiles.

“Al, can’t you see I’m eating?” Tami said, blowing him off.

“Chickening out? Because I figured after all that trash you were talking earlier, Tamara, you’d want to back it up,” Al said, his tone baiting.

“Why don’t you leave the lady alone?” Stefan said in a low rumble, making everyone fall quiet. His gray eyes were focused on Al with a deadly expression.

“Yeah, why don’t you do that?” Tami said.

Why was she egging Alejandro on? Sarah wondered. Was she really so sure that he wouldn’t directly confront an Upper Sphere?

Al stared back at Stefan, their eyes meeting in a silent challenge. “This is between family…just a joke that’s been going since home, man.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Stefan muttered, and then went back to his meal, dismissing Al. “That woman is too fine to be joking with. If she ain’t feeling you…” He looked up at Al without blinking, his intense gray eyes pools of mystery. “You feel me?”

Brent laughed. “Don’t eat the newbie. You know how the young bucks are—gotta come in here and flex.”

Tami looked adoringly at Stefan, pointedly ignoring Al. Then she picked up her fork with a rosy grin and way too much flourish as Al walked away, defeated.

Sarah almost felt sorry for her brother.

“You said there were other scary places,” Allie said nervously, as if the interpersonal drama hadn’t even registered with her. “Like what?”

“Yeah, because I never, ever want to accidentally stumble into a place like the Shady Path again,” Hyacinth said, her eyes squeezed tight, as if to shut out the memory.

Stefan and Brent shared knowing looks.

“On that note, we’re out,” Stefan said, standing.

Allie and Hyacinth stared, blinking and clearly confused. Tami shot them a glare, as if she blamed them for making Stefan leave. Sarah just sat back, watching, taking it all in.

Brent got up and then leaned down to whisper something private in Ayana’s ear. He straightened and added, “Later.”

“Okay,” Ayana said, smiling up at him.

“You said there were other dangerous places,” Allie insisted, turning back to the older girls as soon as the guys were gone.

“Oh, you’ll hear all about them,” Tina said, “when you get one of these bad boys.” She took out a small electronic unit with a touch screen and a couple of mysterious push buttons. “This is a PIU—Personal Information Unit.”

“The librarian, Mrs. Hogan, mentioned that we’d all be getting them,” Allie said.

“It will be your new best friend,” Ayana told her. “Don’t lose it.”

“It’s really cool technology,” Darlene said. “They took old smart phones that had been outlawed and retrofitted them. Check it out.”

They all leaned in, curious and expectant.

“On here,” Tina said with a grand gesture, turning her unit on, “you’ll get your syllabus, class schedule, school code of conduct and your mailbox digital code. It’s also got a GPS chip in it, so if students get lost, instructors can find them.”

“Then how come they couldn’t find the missing students?” Sarah asked quietly.

“That’s the big mystery,” Ayana said, looking around the table. “But, listen, don’t let that spook you. There’s enough day-to-day stuff you need to get under your belts right now. Just focus on that, stay away from restricted areas, and don’t let one of the guys around here talk you into doing something crazy, okay?”

“Right,” Darlene said, nodding rapidly. “If you’ve got Miss Tittle for homeroom, which you do, as first years, whatever you do, don’t be late. Make sure you learn your rosters. She gives out detentions like she’s giving out lunch.”

All eyes remained fixed on Tina as she began to slowly scroll through the menu option on her unit. She looked up after a moment and smiled. “Since the war, with cell phones outlawed, it’s gotten almost impossible to find any more that can be doctored, so treat yours as a very precious resource, and remember that it belongs to the school, not to you. Each unit has been reinforced by a white-light charged quartz crystal to keep from dark side information intercepts. You’ll receive important school broadcasts on these, and you can plug into the PirateNet…we’ve even resurrected Twitter, not just for student-to-student communications, but so you can be in contact with your families.”

“There’s also a facility for downloading outlawed music that PirateNet has saved and archived,” Darlene added, digging into a slab of chocolate cake.

“Sweet!” Allie said, making the other girls laugh.

“Yeah,” Tina said with a smile. “You’ll definitely work hard at this institution, but we don’t have a complete moratorium on fun.” She held up the unit again. “One more thing: This serves as your entry and exit pass—an ID badge—because of the white light and ancient prayers inside it. You’ll need to press it against the lock pad panels beside each bunker exit.” She held the unit between two fingers. “Note the genuine sterling on the case. Know why?”

“So a demon can’t hold it?” Sarah said quickly. “That’s awesome.”

“Right you are,” Tina said, and then moved her finger across the device. “This is your 911 alert button. If you get in trouble—maybe are being pursed—this will alert your Upper Sphere mentor as well as security.”

“Tell ‘em about security,” Ayana said. “Otherwise, if they see Mr. Hubert, they’ll pee their pants.”

The girls looked warily at one another and then focused on Tina.

“Dude is about seven feet tall, midnight blue, with large bat wings and a long, spade-tipped tail.”

“Stop lying,” Tami said.

“For real,” Tina said, casually munching on a piece of garlic bread. “Dude is so cut, his frickin’ hands look like anvils, but he’s got hooked claws on the ends. Red eyes, the whole nine yards.”

“And they wonder what took those missing students?” Tami said, shocked. “Why the hell would they let something like that run around the campus? Shouldn’t they smoke it?”

“Mr. Hubert is cool, came from Nod,” Darlene said calmly. “A hybrid, and luckily on our side. His mom was some kind of maiden who got suckered by a gargoyle or whatever. Anywho… Part of your education will be to discern things with your spirit and your mind, not just your eyes. Looks can be deceiving, and prejudices and assumptions can get you hurt.”

“Besides, he’s really just a spirit,” Tina said, handing off her PIU to Sarah while she picked at her salad. “He was lost at the battle of Morales, in Mexico, fighting against the Vampire Council and Cain…but as a warrior hybrid, he wanted to come here and help the Neteru squad guard the students. His wife, Sarina, is a teensy-weensy faery. Cute as a button—I don’t know how they do it.”

“He’s married?” Hyacinth said with a grimace.

“Maybe if they’re spirits, they don’t do it anymore.” Sarah said with a smile.

“But at one time they were alive and probably did.” Tami tilted her head to the side and arched her eyebrows. “Just saying.”

“Why are we talking about spirits—or anybody—doing it?” Hyacinth asked, closing her eyes. “I swear, Tamara, that’s all you think about!”

The three older girls laughed.

“Well none of y’all need to be worrying about doing it until you know what you’re doing,” Darlene said, chuckling and polishing off her dessert.

Tina slapped her five, then turned and looked at Ayana. “That means your boyfriend’s ZBing ref can’t be taking Tami on one of his little jaunts into town.”

“Tina!” Ayana said in a low rush. “I know. I’m not stupid. I’m not going to let any of them get hurt or caught up in something they can’t control.”

Sarah and Tami glanced at each other.

Just then Wil walked past on his way over to one of the food stations, and it was all eyes on him. Darlene sighed. “That new Shadow can protect me. I’d go anywhere with him and have
no
fear.”

Ayana and Darlene laughed, breaking the sudden tension. Sarah had to agree with Darlene on that one. Then she noticed her cousin’s laughter fade as Brent strolled back to the table. His brows were knit into an angry frown. All the girls stopped talking and stared at him, and then at Ayana.

“Shadows ain’t shit,” Brent said with a sneer. “Once inside my head, always there, babe. Don’t forget that.” He picked up Ayana’s glass, throwing back the rest of her juice as if it were a shot of something more potent.

Sarah, Tami, Allie and Hyacinth exchanged meaningful glances. Ayana was mind-locked with Brent like that?

Ayana tossed her braids over her shoulder, clearly flustered, but trying to maintain her composure in front of her friends. “I thought you and Stefan were—”

“If you’re finished schooling the kiddies, it’s time to go,” Brent said, cutting her off. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Stefan and I have b-ball practice.”

Ayana’s cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as she turned to Tina and Darlene. “See you guys later tonight?” They nodded. She turned to Brent. “I’ll meet up with you in a little bit. I want to talk to Sarah for a minute.”

Brent rolled his eyes and walked off in a huff. Sarah watched him go and saw Stefan waiting by the exit. He shook his head in disgust and slipped out the door.

Jessica caught her eye and waved from across the room, where she was sitting with her fellow Blends. “Sorry,” she called over. “Didn’t mean to leave you guys high and dry. Forgot to go check who I’ll be partnering with on this year’s lab project. I want first dibs, because this year there’re several cool prizes up for grabs for Upper Sphere students.”

“It’s cool,” Sarah said, feeling a surge of sudden joy. It was nice to have several Upper Spheres looking out for her and her newbie buddies. “Maybe see ya at dinner?”

“K,” Jessica said.

Ayana smiled when Sarah returned her attention to the table and said, “Come with me for a minute.”

She got up, and Sarah followed, wondering what Yaya wanted to tell her. The scene she’d just witnessed between her cousin and Brent truly bothered her. Yeah, the guy was good-looking, but this wasn’t like Ayana at all. Where was her fire, her fight? Sarah wondered, as they sat down a few tables away from everyone else.

“I heard about what happened between you and Melissa, and what happened to Hyacinth. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect ‘Cinth from that witch.”

“It’s not your fault, Yaya. That bitch has it out for me, so she’s going after my friends.”

“Tell me everything,” Ayana said, looking grim.

“But can you block Melissa from finding out whatever I tell you… I mean, since you and Brett are, uhmmm… you know—mind-locked?”

“Piece of cake,” Ayana said, waving her off and then pointing at her temple. “I’ve got so much white light up here against that skank that she’ll fry if she goes in. So
tell
me.”

Sarah did, including the quick mental snapshot she’d gleaned from Melissa regarding secrets and Stefan.

“I’m so not surprised,” Ayana muttered, glancing toward Melissa. “She’s afraid of you guys, as new girls and from the Net-pound, are going to replace her tired, used-up crew…and Stefan is the access man around here. He gets all kinds of contraband in and out of the school by using the Shady Path, so she wants to keep him focused on her. I’m sure she hates the attention Tami is getting, and she’s even more pissed because Tami’s your best bud. Understand?”