"A new academy?" Adala asked, blinking in surprise at the question. Of all the places that she might go in Lady Ashlynn's service, she never expected that going back to school would be among them.
"I'm going to be honest with you," Ashlynn said as she reached out for one of the pastries filled with sweet, purple cream, tearing it apart into bite-sized pieces as she spoke. "What we just did in the Great Hall, telling everyone that we have nearly a dozen people who can match the Church's Exemplars in battle, was both an exaggeration and a misdirection," Ashlynn said bluntly.
"Don't misunderstand," Ashlynn added, holding up a finger when she saw Adala's eyes going wide. "There really are that many witches and vampires, but not all of them are capable warriors, and even among the ones who are, some are very inexperienced."
