Rising Fury (Hexing House Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

before she knew it, they’d all be celebrating Flannery and Pete’s wedding.
    “You can leave your bag here by the gate,” Graves said. “Someone will be along to get it and put it in your residence when you’re assigned one.”
    “You didn’t already assign me one?”
    Graves scratched the back of his neck. “Not quite yet.”
    Thea didn’t like the sound of that, but he turned away from her before she could ask any more questions, and walked up to the gate.
    “We’ll have to go in on foot, of course.” He reached up to touch the ornate entwined S’s in the iron. Thea and Bridget watched as they shifted, straightened, and arranged themselves into H’s. There was a click, and the lock dropped open. Graves began to unwind the chain. “Only someone with fury’s blood can do that, so until you get that far in your transformation, you’ll have to be escorted on and off the campus.”
    That gave Thea pause. Once I walk in, I’m trapped. And he doesn’t have a room for me yet? What if this is all a lie? What if they eat humans? Or sacrifice them to some weirdo fury gods? Or use them for slaves?
    Then you’d obviously better get Flannery away from them, and fast.
    With one last wave to Aunt Bridget, Thea followed Graves through the gate.
    He locked it behind them, and they walked up a lane that became increasingly neat and trim as they went. When they came around a bend to what had once been the Spencer School’s campus, Thea stopped to stare.
    Meticulous landscaping separated neat red brick buildings. Ribbons of black walkways lined with flowers flowed around them. The windows were shiny, the doors bright white. Furies flew or walked along, at least a dozen of them that she could see. It looked bustling and pleasant.
    “But I’ve seen the buildings. Only the tops from a distance, but still. They’re covered in kudzu, and the ones that aren’t are falling apart.”
    Graves smiled. “How you see it depends on where you see it from. And how you come in, whether you’re authorized.”
    “That’s some magic, I guess.”
    “Enchantment is the rarest form of magic.” Graves said with a nod. “That kind of power doesn’t come along often, but once in a while, you get a fury—or a human, although that’s even more rare—who can render something of this magnitude. Normally our magic is limited to vices and virtues.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Manipulating them. It’s what hexes are made of.” Graves waved away her confused look and said, “You’ll learn all that.”
    A young fury passed, walking not flying, carrying an armful of packages.
    “He doesn’t have wings,” Thea said, half turning to watch him.
    “No. He’ll get them when he reaches maturity and completes his transformation. Same as you. Your transformation will be harder, because you have further to go, but the same principle applies.”
    It was the perfect opening to ask about something that had been making her uneasy. “Will it hurt? All this training and transformation?”
    Graves glanced at her, as if surprised by the question. “Yes.”
    Thea swallowed, but dropped it when he didn’t elaborate. He already thought her weak.
    “And what if you’re wrong? What if I’m not a natural, or powerful, or whatever? What if I can’t do it?”
    He stopped walking and gave her a hard look. “Do you see a beard on my face?”
    “What?”
    “A beard. A long, white one. Do you see one?”
    “No.”
    “Exactly. I am not the wise old mentor in your story. I’m not the friendly wizard who shows up when you need him the most. Do not confuse my courtesy with soft-heartedness. I’m a fury.”
    “You’re the one who asked me to come here!”
    “Yes, and you’ve made your decision. Don’t fret over it, don’t look back, and for the love of heaven, do not ask for coddling. You won’t get it here. I’m telling you so for your own good, before you meet the others.”
    Typical man. Charming and encouraging until he gets what he wants