a hand was on her shoulder and she jumped in her chair, uttering a high-pitched squeak and jolting around.
“Easy there, it’s just me,” Kathair Lepkin said as he backed away a pace.
“Why must you sneak up on me?” Kyra asked.
“Just havin’ a bit of fun,” he said with a boyish grin. “Sorry, shall I go back out and knock?”
“No, how about you go out and stay out?”
“Ouch,” Kathair said as he moved around to look at the books on the table. His blue eyes scanned the titles and he reached out to turn one of the books over.
“It’s research,” Kyra said.
“Mhm,” Kathair mused as he inspected another two books. “Quick question,” he said.
“What is it?” Kyra asked impatiently.
“Why are you hunting the garunda?”
Kyra’s mouth dropped open. Other than Cyrus and Leatherback, she hadn’t told anyone about wanting to find the shade, and only Leatherback knew she was actively hunting the garunda, so how had Kathair guessed her secret? “I don’t know what you mean,” she said as she collected herself and sat up straight. “These books are about wraiths.”
“Yes, but you are hunting garunda,” Kathair said. “I bet you are trying to find a connection between the wraiths and the garunda, am I right?”
“Kathair,” she began.
“Ooo, you know I hate that name,” he said as he scrunched his face into a sour expression.
“Well, you know I don’t like it when you sneak up on me,” Kyra fired back.
“Listen, I’m more than just good with a sword, I have a working brain. It isn’t too hard to see what you are doing here.”
“It’s that obvious?” Kyra asked.
Kathair smiled wide and winked. “Well, that, and you left your book bag open behind you and I can see that you have the story of Ravenel and the Garunda in there.”
Kyra breathed out and pushed Kathair away from the table. “Now you are going through my things,” she snorted.
Kathair shrugged. “Actually, your bag tipped over, look for yourself.”
Kyra turned around and saw that in fact the bag had spilled over, and the book he mentioned was on top. “Still,” she said as she collected her things into the bag and propped it against the table leg. “How did you gather that I was hunting garunda if you saw one book about them and all of these books about wraiths and dragons?”
Kathair put a finger to his nose. “I told you, I’m smart.”
Kyra shook her head, but couldn’t hide the grin emerging on her face.
“Listen,” Kathair said as his tone lost its playfulness and became serious. “The truth is, there have been some strange attacks in the countryside. I have overheard the dragon slayers talking about it, but they won’t tell me exactly what is happening. All I know, is some dark creatures are prowling around. I don’t mean to pry, but given how your mother was murdered, I started looking into it.”
“Why?” Kyra asked defensively.
Kathair leaned in and spoke in hushed tones, glancing over his shoulder before speaking. “I meant no offense, just, it seemed odd that these attacks are happening more and more now. I was with the dragon slayers for a couple days after I saw you in the woods. I listened when they thought I was sleeping. It seems that they hadn’t heard about these animals, or any attacks, until after your mother was murdered. So, naturally I thought it might all be connected. I started researching it too. I found a connection between wraiths and garunda, and then I found a connection between the garunda and shades.” Kathair pointed to Kyra’s book bag. “There is another copy of this book,” he held up the volume containing Ravenel and the Garunda, “here at the academy, but it’s in the headmaster’s library.”
“What were you doing in the headmaster’s library?” Kyra asked, a quick thrill of excitement shooting through her at the thought of another student willing to break into a forbidden location for the sake of a book.
“Never mind that,” Kathair
“Easy there, it’s just me,” Kathair Lepkin said as he backed away a pace.
“Why must you sneak up on me?” Kyra asked.
“Just havin’ a bit of fun,” he said with a boyish grin. “Sorry, shall I go back out and knock?”
“No, how about you go out and stay out?”
“Ouch,” Kathair said as he moved around to look at the books on the table. His blue eyes scanned the titles and he reached out to turn one of the books over.
“It’s research,” Kyra said.
“Mhm,” Kathair mused as he inspected another two books. “Quick question,” he said.
“What is it?” Kyra asked impatiently.
“Why are you hunting the garunda?”
Kyra’s mouth dropped open. Other than Cyrus and Leatherback, she hadn’t told anyone about wanting to find the shade, and only Leatherback knew she was actively hunting the garunda, so how had Kathair guessed her secret? “I don’t know what you mean,” she said as she collected herself and sat up straight. “These books are about wraiths.”
“Yes, but you are hunting garunda,” Kathair said. “I bet you are trying to find a connection between the wraiths and the garunda, am I right?”
“Kathair,” she began.
“Ooo, you know I hate that name,” he said as he scrunched his face into a sour expression.
“Well, you know I don’t like it when you sneak up on me,” Kyra fired back.
“Listen, I’m more than just good with a sword, I have a working brain. It isn’t too hard to see what you are doing here.”
“It’s that obvious?” Kyra asked.
Kathair smiled wide and winked. “Well, that, and you left your book bag open behind you and I can see that you have the story of Ravenel and the Garunda in there.”
Kyra breathed out and pushed Kathair away from the table. “Now you are going through my things,” she snorted.
Kathair shrugged. “Actually, your bag tipped over, look for yourself.”
Kyra turned around and saw that in fact the bag had spilled over, and the book he mentioned was on top. “Still,” she said as she collected her things into the bag and propped it against the table leg. “How did you gather that I was hunting garunda if you saw one book about them and all of these books about wraiths and dragons?”
Kathair put a finger to his nose. “I told you, I’m smart.”
Kyra shook her head, but couldn’t hide the grin emerging on her face.
“Listen,” Kathair said as his tone lost its playfulness and became serious. “The truth is, there have been some strange attacks in the countryside. I have overheard the dragon slayers talking about it, but they won’t tell me exactly what is happening. All I know, is some dark creatures are prowling around. I don’t mean to pry, but given how your mother was murdered, I started looking into it.”
“Why?” Kyra asked defensively.
Kathair leaned in and spoke in hushed tones, glancing over his shoulder before speaking. “I meant no offense, just, it seemed odd that these attacks are happening more and more now. I was with the dragon slayers for a couple days after I saw you in the woods. I listened when they thought I was sleeping. It seems that they hadn’t heard about these animals, or any attacks, until after your mother was murdered. So, naturally I thought it might all be connected. I started researching it too. I found a connection between wraiths and garunda, and then I found a connection between the garunda and shades.” Kathair pointed to Kyra’s book bag. “There is another copy of this book,” he held up the volume containing Ravenel and the Garunda, “here at the academy, but it’s in the headmaster’s library.”
“What were you doing in the headmaster’s library?” Kyra asked, a quick thrill of excitement shooting through her at the thought of another student willing to break into a forbidden location for the sake of a book.
“Never mind that,” Kathair
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