Thornhill Academy (By Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 20

Testing Every Part Of You.

I woke to the sound of Tessa humming. When I cracked one eye open, she was already sitting cross–legged on the bed, hair a tangled halo around her, rifling through one of the bags we’d left piled at the foot. She glanced up when she noticed me, her face lighting with that infectious grin of hers.

“Morning, sleepyhead. So, I was thinking…” She held up a little jar of enchanted sugar crystals as if it were proof of her brilliance. “We should stock your

kitchen. Like, properly. That way, we don’t have to eat in the food hall unless we want to.”

I groaned, dragging a pillow over my face. “You just want an excuse to eat pastries at midnight.”

Her laughter rang out bright. “Guilty. But come on, Allison. Think about it, no more crowds, no more people staring, no more communal stew slop. Just us.

Fresh bread, tea, maybe even enchanted eggs that cook themselves.”

The pillow muffled my laugh, but I couldn’t stop it. “Fine. You win. We’ll stock it.”

Satisfied, Tessa hopped off the bed and grabbed her uniform from the wardrobe. I reluctantly followed, tugging on the pleated skirt and blazer again, the outfit no less ridiculous than yesterday. At least today I had clean socks. By the time we were dressed and mostly put together, the morning bells were chiming through the Academy. Tessa linked her arm through mine like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Breakfast in the hall first,” she said, tugging me toward the door. “We’ll stock the kitchen after classes. Promise.”

I let her drag me along, stifling another yawn. The corridors were already busy with students, uniforms crisp, voices buzzing with energy I couldn’t begin to match. But when we pushed open the doors to the food hall, the wave of noise hit me full in the chest. Hundreds of magicals, crammed into the long rows of tables. Enchanted plates flickered, filling and emptying at command, The smell of bacon, fruit, and spiced tea hung thick in the air. I tightened my grip on the strap of my bag, the weight of eyes prickling on me already. At least I wasn’t walking in alone.

Tessa steered me toward an empty stretch at the end of one of the long tables, chattering about how she was going to charm the pots in my new kitchen so they cleaned themselves. I was just about to test the plate in front of me when a familiar voice carried over the din.

“There’s my stray.”

I closed my eyes, already groaning. Kael Pierce strolled toward us with a plate piled high, that infuriating grin stretched ear to ear. His dark hair was a mess, I closed my eyes, already groaning. Kael Pierce strolled, toward us with a ple his tie half undone, like the Academy’s rules bent themselves just to tolerate him. He dropped into the seat across from me without asking, shoving a grape

into his mouth.

“Morning, Rivers,” he said around it. “Sleep well in your attic tower?”

Before I could bite back, another shadow fell across the table. Larger. Broader. Evander Drayke. The dragon shifter moved with an ease that made every girl at the neighbouring table track his progress with hungry eyes. His white shirt was crisp, sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms corded with muscle, and he carried his plate like he had all the time in the world. He sat beside Kael, setting his food down neatly before glancing at me with those steady, storm–grey eyes. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, the same one he’d given me yesterday when he handed me his shirt.

“Pierce,” he said casually, “try not to scare her off before she’s had breakfast.”

Kael clutched at his chest. “Me? Scare her? I’m her favourite part of this place.”

“Favourite headache, maybe,” I muttered, stabbing at my enchanted plate. With swirl of my finger around the edge, it filled itself with eggs, toast, and fruit. “And stop calling me your stray.”

Kael leaned his elbows on the table, grin sharpening. “What should I call you, then?”

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Testing Every Part Of You.

“Nothing would be a good start.”

Tessa snorted into her juice. Evander chuckled under his breath, low and warm.

Kael forked a piece of sausage and pointed it at me like it was proof of something.

“We didn’t see you in the showers this morning, stray. I’m beginning to think you might start to stink.”

I rolled my eyes, shoving toast into my mouth to keep from snapping back. The last thing I was going to do was hand him the secrets of my attic on a silver platter.

“There’s no way in hell you’d catch me in there,” I said flatly once I’d swallowed.

Tessa, bless her, jumped right in without missing a beat. “She showered in my dorm,” she chirped, all innocent smile and bouncing braid.

Kael’s grin widened, golden–brown eyes glinting with amusement. “Oh, did she now? Sharing showers already. Scandalous.”

Heat prickled my cheeks. “You’re disgusting.”

He laughed, leaning back in his chair like he’d won something. Evander, sitting beside him, finally cut in, his voice a calm rumble.

“Pierce, give her a break. Not everyone’s thrilled by the thought of communal showers.”

Kael shrugged, unbothered. “What? I’m just saying, she’s full of surprises. Slips past the council for seventeen years, hides from the showers, bites like a cornered cat. I’m intrigued.”

I stabbed a strawberry so hard the juice splattered across my plate. “You’re insufferable.”

“Mm. And you love it.”

Evander chuckled under his breath, shaking his head as though Kael were a child. But the way his gaze lingered on me, steady and searching, told me he was paying attention too.

Tessa, ever the saviour, leaned forward with her juice cup and broke the tension before I could stab Kael’s hand with my fork.

“So,” she said brightly, eyes flicking between us, “what’s your first class today, Allison?”

Tessa was still rattling off her schedule when my eyes caught the following line of mine. My stomach sank.

“Power Assessment,” I read aloud, voice flat.

Tessa winced. “Oh. Yikes.”

“Yikes?” I repeated, already suspicious.

She leaned closer, whispering like the table itself might tattle. “It’s where they test what you can do, measure your strength, and assign you into groups.

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