Crossroads (Crossroads Academy #1) Read Online Free Page B

will provide the foundation for a deeper
understanding of the Councils’ defining values—values that you,
too, will come to embrace and to which you will swear allegiance
upon graduation .
    “Interesting,” I whisper to the empty room.
Aldo hadn’t mentioned the oath in our talks. I’m curious about its
implied meaning and its implication in my studies at Crossroads. I
should ask Aldo about it when we talk next. By nature I’m not a fan
of surprises, and the oath’s notable mention in the preface of my
history book suggests that it is of great importance, even if I
have yet to understand its significance.
    Curiosity piqued, I surge ahead delving into
the first chapter. I pause briefly to take a deep breath and exhale
slowly. I repeat the exercise a few more times for good measure. As
usual, this act of meditation calms my nerves and allows me to tamp
down the excitement I’m feeling. It’s a silly little relaxation
trick designed for humans, but it always works for me. I know I
shouldn’t be so energized by a textbook, but it seems beyond my
control. There’s just so much I still don’t know.
    The night passes quickly as I devour the
text, drinking in every last detail as though the words can nourish
the brain the way blood nourishes the body. Turns out I can’t get
enough of it. I can’t put it down until I’ve sapped the last bits
of information from its pages.
    “So many questions, so few answers,” I muse,
reverently laying the book on the desk and sliding my feet to the
floor. “Typical.”
    I glance out the window above the desk and
admire the full moon, which hangs low in the night sky. Its beams
illuminate the rolling mountains surrounding the school and provide
the only light in the room, aside from the dull glow of the alarm
clock on the nightstand. Its putrid green numbers remind me of the
late hour.
    I smile in the dark. Not too long ago I’d
have been unnerved by this scenario, but now I can rest assured
there’s nothing more fearsome in this inky blackness than myself.
I’ve fallen into the habit of reading by moonlight over the last
year and rarely rely on traditional fluorescent lights anymore. I
don’t need to. My eyesight is sharp, and I require little light to
make out the words on the page. Like tonight, I have a tendency to
get absorbed in the text, losing track of the time and my
surroundings.
    I contemplate a quick stroll around the
grounds to burn off a little energy and decide that it’s not worth
the risk. Recalling Anya’s warning about the Pazitor, I figure they
don’t take kindly to students wandering the campus after curfew.
How would they react to such a blatant violation of the rules? I
fleetingly wonder if the stoic guards ever show emotion or if their
control has infinite limits.
    Choosing the path of least resistance and
self-preservation, I settle for exploring the interior of the
school. I rummage through the file Anya gave me and grab the school
map. Since I missed dinner and my opportunity to get a better lay
of the land I figure it can’t hurt to take an unauthorized,
self-guided tour and track down all of my classes. It sure beats
the alternative of wandering around tomorrow with a map in my hand
when the halls are bustling with students who are better acquainted
with Crossroads.
    **********
    I slip into the hall quietly, glancing both
left and right, straining my ears for any telltale sign of
movement. After a few seconds I decide the coast is clear and
gently close the door to my room behind me. It clicks softly into
place, and I come to the realization that most of my classmates are
probably at rest by now preparing for what promises to be an
interesting, if not eventful, day tomorrow. Still, I know it’s best
not to take chances when surrounded by a community of creatures
with heightened senses.
    I give silent thanks for the thick rugs which
mask my footfalls and allow me to move though the halls undetected.
A quick study of my map reveals that the