Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page A

one of the sections to see two glowing red dots in the darkness. They were quickly joined by another pair and then another. A chill swept up her spine as she realized they weren't just dots; they were eyes. Glowing red eyes. She backed up and bumped into one of the stone seats. Another hiss made her jump and turn. On the seat was a black snake, its pink tongue darting in and out of its fanged mouth. Syney gasped and moved away from it as it coiled into a circle, preparing to strike.
    "No!" she yelled, and threw her arm over her face.
    Syney jumped up and looked around the wooden cabin as she caught her breath. It was morning, and she was alone—no wolf anywhere. She ran a hand through her hair and stretched the last bit of sleep from her body before crawling out onto the wooden platform above the slide. She looked toward the stairs but then opted for the slide. Why not bring some of her childhood back? She giggled a little during the short ride down and came easily up to her feet.
    "Do you always sleep outside?"
    Syney's smile fell when she looked over at the unfamiliar girl in front of her. She had to be around Syney's age, or maybe even younger. She was awfully small, very short, and super skinny.
    "I'm sorry if I startled you," the girl said in a calm, almost dainty voice. "I'm Cass. I'm here from St. Dominic's Preparatory Academy. My colleagues and I were just about to sit down with your parents to discuss your enrollment."
    "My enrollment?" Syney asked. She hadn't heard anything about this. Her parents had tried to get her into an academy years before she had started highschool, but they had promised not to send her away once she had started, and definitely not at the beginning of her senior year.
    Cass smiled. "It's an amazing opportunity. Come in and let's talk."
    "There you are!" Joyce said from the back door. She looked at Cass and smiled. "I tell you, she is spirited sometimes. Now come on inside, you two. Coffee is done!"
    Syney eyed Cass suspiciously but followed her into the house, mostly out of curiosity.
    Two large men were in the living room with Syney's father when they walked in. One was tall and blond and made the couch he sat on look like a miniature piece from a dollhouse. The other stood next to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out. Syney could only see his brown hair, which was curly at the ends, and his muscular arms and back under his T-shirt. She didn't want to be on the opposite end of a fight with either of these men. They probably could break her with just their pinkies.
    Cass sat down next to the blonde and smiled up at Syney, who took a seat across from them. The girl seemed eager, as if sitting here in this living room with Syney and her parents was the greatest thing in the world. Syney eyed her even more suspiciously.
    "This is so exciting!" Joyce said, carrying in a tray filled with coffee mugs, sugar, and cream. Richard and Joyce sat on either side of their daughter.
    "So tell me more about this school," Richard said in his serious voice.
    "Well, sir, St. Dominic's is one of the premier preparatory academies on the entire East Coast," Cass said. "We have state-of-the-art classrooms, modern dormitories, and all the amenities of home in a scholarly setting. One hundred percent of our graduates go on to fully accredited colleges, most on scholarships."
    "Oh, wow." Joyce smiled brightly. "That sounds amazing. Now will it be a problem that Syn already started her senior year? I mean, it's only been a month."
    "Oh, that's not a problem. From what we've seen of Syney, she'll catch up in no time," Cass said.
    Joyce looked at her husband. "What do you think, Rich?"
    He sighed. "I'm not sure, honestly. This seems very sudden."
    Cass stared right into his eyes. "I understand that. I do. But this is an amazing opportunity. Syney should go and experience it."
    Richard seemed confused for a moment but nodded. "I agree." He looked at his wife. "Syney should go."
    Syney, who had been watching this