Read Online Elemental Havoc (Paranormal Public Book 11) by Maddy Edwards - Free Book Online Page A

allow you to say you’ve gotten a degree from Paranormal Public without doing the work. Trust me, you will do the work.”
    I saw several paranormals whom I knew to be upper class students exchange worried looks. Many of them, I was sure, were attending Public only at the demand of their parents, and they weren’t looking forward to working especially hard.
    “These are exciting times,” Dobrov continued. “I know it may not seem like it, but the fact of the matter is, born out of the destruction and hardship you all have experienced, there is opportunity. There is the chance to create the world however you want it to be. The old establishments were burned to the ground. In their place the opportunities are endless.
    “I realize that returning to a school with barebones resources and unknown threats – yes, there are threats – might not feel like an opportunity, especially considering what some of you have gone through. But I hope that in time you can come to see it as such. I hope that in time we can all work together to see it as such.”
    He cleared his throat and looked around the room. “One last thing. There are fewer of you here tonight than there should be, by a wide number. It is more important than ever that we respect one another, that we respect where we each have come from, that we work together for something better. Enjoy your first semester here at Paranormal Public and congratulations again on being members of the inaugural class.” With a tight smile and a small nod, he turned around and sat down. Scattered applause filled the hall.
    I saw Fallgrabber twitch and wondered if it was because Dobrov hadn’t said anything about behaving. I smiled a little at the thought.
    Looking around at the other tables, I noticed that most of the students in the hall were eyeing their tablemates with more attention than before. Since Dobrov had said we’d be stuck with each other, I decided I’d better do the same.
    Our table was wide and square, seating pretty much an even number of guys and girls, though overall Public seemed to have a few more guys than girls.
    “I feel outnumbered,” Keegan muttered.
    “Why?” I asked.
    “You didn’t notice?”
    “Notice what?”
    “There’s a pretty high concentration of vampires in our group,” he said. I looked around and saw that he was right. One whole side of the table was vampires.
    “Think they’re Rapiers? Did they let other sects in?” Keegan asked.
    “Truth be told, I’m not sure,” I said.
    At that point there was a long pause while we all got up from our tables and went to the food stations to fill our plates. The food was plentiful and varied, and since I had been starving for hours, I was more than ready to devour the meal.
    Only after we sat down again did I realize how many questions there were that I should have asked Charlotte. A sort of depression hit me at all the unknowns, but I reminded myself that I’d surely feel better if I got some dinner into my stomach. With a sigh I picked up my fork, stabbed a piece of broccoli, raised it to my lips, then put it back down again. Despite how I’d been feeling just a few minutes ago, all of a sudden I wasn’t hungry, at least not for anything healthy. So I went back to the dinner bar and got a serving of macaroni and cheese: much easier to eat when worried.
    I was halfway through my meal when an earsplitting noise and a crash put a sudden stop to the low hum of conversation in the hall. Keegan and I looked around in alarm and saw that one of the tables had been overturned and everyone sitting at it had scattered.
    Well, not everyone. Two small groups were facing off in the debris of dinner.
    “Looks like the pixies and the vampires aren’t getting along already, surprise, surprise,” said Keegan grimly.
    Everyone in the hall was looking at the groups around the overturned table. I glanced at President Valedication, but he was just sitting quietly. Other professors were clearly looking to him