Forged by Fate Read Online Free Page A

She flipped through the rest of the pages and was thankful to see her neat block lettering on each page.
    “Um. Yeah.” She handed him the sheet. Only four questions, two multiple choice and two essay. Sixty-five percent of her grade, though.
    Talk about pressure.
    “I sure will miss you, Ms. Nowland.” His green eyes twinkled behind his Coke-bottle glasses. “It’s been a privilege to be a part of the education of such a brilliant young person.”
    “Thank you, sir.”
    “And manners. Please, you’ll graduate in a few days, you may call me Ralph.”
    Okay, that felt freaky. He was a nearly bald, fifty-year-old guy who had a spare tire around his gut.
    And he was her English lit professor.
    She opted to say nothing.
    Instead, she packed up her bag and stood. Weird how her legs were shaking. But the fact that she didn’t remember taking the exam or doing anything the past hour was enough to make anyone shake at the knees.
    No. She remembered something, a dream. Hazel Eyes. But she was obviously awake, taking her test. How was that possible?
    “Are you okay?” the professor asked.
    She stepped out of his reach and nodded. Her thick throat and dry mouth prevented her from speaking. She merely waved and hopefully smiled as she made her way to the stairs that led to the door out of the auditorium.
    “Best of luck, Ms. Nowland.”
    Sadie burst out into the bright sunlight. Crisp morning air filled her lungs. Mid-May in the desert was the best time of the year. Fresh and cool. And she needed that.
    Big time.
    “One more exam and you’re done!” Dasha hollered from across the way.
    Despite the arid climate, plush green grass the length of a football field separated the Humanities buildings from the rest of the campus. Dasha hurried toward her, eyes wide and her tanned face filled with a brilliant smile.
    “How’s my genius best friend?” She laid her arm around Sadie’s shoulder.
    “Fine.” So not fine, actually. Scared shitless after what had happened last night at the diner. Then this morning. She threw a glance over her shoulder. It felt like someone was watching her every move.
    “Let’s go celebrate. Actually, I should be totally depressed that you and I are the same freaking age but I’m just a dumb freshman here on campus and you’re graduating.” She huffed, leading Sadie along the sidewalk. “That’s seriously effed up, you know?”
    “Thanks.” As if Sadie didn’t feel like enough of a freak. Add orphan, and now totally mental, on top of the graduating-early baggage. She needed to hold it together. What good was being a highly trained black belt if she couldn’t muster a little control? She had too much to look forward to. She’d worked too hard to let it all slip away now.
    “I know you’re going to be studying all freaking day for your last exam tomorrow, but you just finished one. We’re eating chocolate. And you’re going to love it.” Dasha dragged Sadie to the student center. “Besides, I saw those hotties from the diner last night come in here. I don’t know where they’ve been hiding all year but—”
    “What?” Sadie tugged her friend to a stop. “From last night? In here?” No freaking way.
    “Okay, Ms. Genius. Talk much?” Dasha brushed the bangs resting on her forehead away and smiled. “Come on.”
    “No. No. We need to stay away from them. They’re psychos. Did you see that one jump out of the booth at the diner last night?” And then sneak up on her outside, but she left that tidbit of info off.
    “Chill. I just want to scope them out.” She grabbed Sadie’s hand again. “I mean, they look like Greek freaking gods. They come out of nowhere. This campus is tiny—how have we not seen them before?”
    Because they were…Sadie didn’t know what they were, but they were not normal. She shivered. What the hell was going on?
    “So. Bendz Chem…you decide if you’re taking their job offer?”
    She glanced around. Only darkness from the long, empty hallway