Delayed Admission

by Heather Renee

  He raised his arm up, striking my cheek with the back of his hand while the other wrapped around my arm again, more than likely leaving bruises. His face immediately blanched as he realized what he’d done. “You insolent child! Now they’re going to be upset I marked you. Whatever. They’ll get over it as long as you come with me.”

  Who the hell is “they”? I wondered as I struggled to get free of his tight grasp. His skin was a deep russet color, and his eyes were black like the shadows that were swirling around me once more.

  “Leave her alone,” another voice sneered from somewhere behind me.

  “This doesn’t concern you, Elf,” the man holding on to me spat as he turned us in the direction of the new arrival.

  The man in front of me was ridiculously tall, at least six-and-a-half feet, with the most striking honey-brown eyes I’d ever seen. The golds and browns seemed to swirl as he narrowed his gaze at us.

  “I don’t have time for games,” the newcomer announced as he brushed his dark bronze hair back behind his ear that I was pretty sure was pointier than should be normal but wasn’t positive in the darkening night.

  He snapped his fingers and, just like that, my attacker was gone along with the shadows. Before I knew it, I was alone with the man I thought had saved me, but I couldn’t be sure yet.

  We stared at each other without speaking or moving. Afraid of being zapped out of existence, I waited for him to make the first move or me to finally find my lady balls and scream like hell.

  “Hello, Raegan. I’m Enzo, and it’s time to come to Shadow Veil.”

  Chapter 2

  His face softened as a grin appeared, and my mouth dropped from how not human he appeared with a chiseled jawline, bright, almost-glowing honey eyes, and thick, bronzed hair that would put Thor to shame. I had no idea if the guy was friend or foe, but at least he was easy on the eyes. If I had to be kidnapped by someone, I’d rather it be the hottie before me than the creeper with the shadows following him.

  As the adrenaline wore off, I thought I remembered my attacker calling him “Elf”. He wasn’t at all what I pictured as an elf since he was so damn tall, which made me believe I had misheard the name. I dismissed the thoughts and wondered silently why he intervened in the first place. There must have been a reason. I just needed to decide if I cared enough to find out before I ran from what I hoped was just another shitty nightmare.

  “Did you kill that man?” I asked, choosing to ignore his previous statement about taking me to some shadow place.

  He laughed. “That wasn’t a man. And no, I didn’t kill him. His body just disintegrated into millions of pieces, but if he’s strong enough, he’ll put himself back together again. Though, I really hope not.”

  Like humpty-freaking-dumpty? Yeah, because that was something normal people talked about every day. The rational part of me knew I needed to get away, but the curious part kept asking questions like an idiot.

  “Okay,” I said, drawing out the word. “Why are you here? What are you?”

  His eyes seemed to darken to umber with his excitement. “I was here on vacation, if you must know, but now I’m here to bring you to Shadow Veil Academy, like I said before. And what I am isn’t something you get to find out until you agree to come with me.” He winked. “Then, I can tell you all of my secrets.”

  Screw that. I was getting away from the inhumanly handsome man as soon as I could.

  “Thanks, but no thanks. Today isn’t good for me to run off with a complete stranger. Rain check?” I replied, backing away slowly.

  Within the blink of an eye, he stood before me just like the creeper before him had done, then placed his hand on my shoulder. “I know, and I can feel your suffering. Just hold still and I’ll make it go away.”

  Before I could move out of his grasp, tingles ran through my body and every muscle within me relaxed instantly. My mind turned to mush as I struggled to remember where I was and what I had been doing.

  “What did you do to me?” I mumbled, feeling unsteady on my feet.

  My emotions were light, and a weight I didn’t remember was lifted from me, but it wasn’t right. I wasn’t supposed to be happy. I needed the pain back. I needed to remember. But what was I supposed to remember?

  I fought the swirling sensations running through me. I didn’t want them. I wanted the agony back, or at least, I thought I did. It was something very important to me, but every time I was closer to figuring out what it was, the image slipped away.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Enzo warned. “It’s going to hurt if you keep fighting me.”

  I ignored him, closing my eyes, trying to capture the memory that ran from me.

  It was important.

  I knew it, and I was stubborn enough to reach for the anguish it promised just to remember what Enzo had taken from me.

  As I thought his name, a new memory showed up, one that wasn’t hiding from me and easy to grasp on to.

  I had seen him before.

  I opened my eyes. “I know you, but I can’t see how or why. What did you do to me? Why do I feel so calm when I know I should be furious right now?”

  His hands cradled my face. “Because I am all you have left now, and it’s important that you come with me willingly. We have to get to Shadow Veil before others come for you.”

  Shaking my head, I went back to ignoring him and gave my memory one last push before everything flooded back to me. Falling to the ground, I clutched my head as the suffering returned.

  “I warned you,” he chastised. “It doesn’t feel good, does it? I can make it go away again if you quit being so damn stubborn.”

  I scrambled to my feet, moving further away from him.

  “Don’t you dare do that again. Those are my memories and you had no right to take them away.”

  My heart raced and hands shook. The swirling within me was now familiar, frighteningly familiar, as my hands began to glow brighter than ever before.

  “Get away from me,” I snapped. “I need to calm down.”

  Surprisingly, he actually listened and backed up.

  “I can help you control it. Your power is growing too strong for you to control on your own without proper training.”

  His tone was more sympathetic that time, his face softening as the seconds ticked by.

  “Why do I feel like I know you?” I asked.

  Before he could answer, my aunt came stumbling through the tree line. “Raegan!”

  I ran to her, instantly forgetting about Enzo behind me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Why are you asking me that? You’re the one that called me, and all I could hear was struggling. I came as soon as you didn’t answer me.” Her wide eyes moved past my face as her whole body stiffened. “Get behind me.”

  When I didn’t move, she sidestepped me. “What are you doing here, Elf? You have no business with my niece.”

  That was the second time someone had called him “Elf” and I was beginning to think it was his name, but the more concerning thought was that Jules might know him and she didn’t seem to be afraid.

  “It’s seems I do, Fox. Your niece can’t control her powers, and I just saved her from being taken by a scavenger, so you’re welcome.”

  Fox? Elf? I was so confused.

  Jules stepped closer to me, and her fingers closed around my wrist. “I appreciate what you’ve done, but I’ll take it from here.” Her voice was tight and angry.

  “She needs to go to Shadow Veil. A shifter has no business training a hybrid not of their kind, and you should know that. You’re just lucky I’m the one who found her.”

  Yep. That was enough for me.

  “What. In. The. Actual. Hell? You two need to stop talking like I’m not here and explain what Elf, Fox, and Hybrid mean right now!” I tossed my deep auburn hair back and glared at both of them, waiting for answers that hopefully didn’t create more questions.

  “She doesn’t know what she is?” Enzo sneered at Jules. “Do you understand how d
angerous that is?”

  “Yes, I do, but it wasn’t my business until eight months ago. Her parents put a binding spell on her, and I was trying to figure out how to lift it before I told her.”

  Infuriated, I snapped my fingers between them. “Did you not hear me when I said to quit talking like I wasn’t here? I’m pretty sure those words left my mouth like two seconds ago.”

  Jules turned to me. “I’m sorry, Rae. I never meant for you to find out this way, but you should have told me something was happening with you. I could have helped if I had known.”

  Thoughts raced through my head as more of the conversation started to sink in. Anger began to bubble within me and, this time, I watched in fascination instead of fear as my hands lit up. Apparently, I didn’t need to hide it from these two, and being able to embrace it was more freeing than I expected.

  “Raegan, you need to stop right now,” Jules warned. “This is not the place for this conversation.”

  “Let’s go home then, because I’m certainly not done talking.” My tone was sharp as the thought of being lied to my whole life took over.

  Who was I? Was Jules even my aunt? Who was I supposed to trust now?

  Before I could ponder those questions for too long, Enzo’s hand grasped my shoulder. “Home sounds like a great idea.”

  My body was sucked into thin air as my vision went black, but within half a second, I stood in my living room between Enzo and Jules. Nausea rose within me, causing me to run to the kitchen sink. I made it in time to dry heave over the counter before running cold water over my face.

  “You could have warned her,” Jules snapped.

  “Would it have really made a difference?” he countered, but she didn’t respond.

  When I lifted my head up, I stared at my reflection in the kitchen window, taking in my appearance as they continued to bicker.

  My normally fair skin was pasty and pale; my green eyes were brighter than I had ever seen before. Glancing down, I noticed my fingers were still tinged with color. Everything about me was starting to freak me out.

  Turning around, I spotted Enzo leaning casually against the wall, waiting for me to get myself together. Apparently, he and Jules were done arguing and were awkwardly staring at me.

  His swirling eyes seemed to see right through me, like he already knew my every secret. I didn’t like it one bit. Even though my girly parts craved for me to move closer to him, I stood my ground, staying behind the counter.

  I was done with him touching me and screwing with my psyche. Twice was two too many times.

  He tossed his bronze locks, which were an inch or two longer than my shoulder-length hair, back out of his eyes. Seeing him standing in my house, I realized I hadn’t been wrong about his height. He was taller than anyone I had ever met in person, making my five feet, eight inches seem miniscule.

  Even though he was thin, his wide shoulders provided some much-needed bulk to his lithe frame. He wasn’t overly muscled, and if he wasn’t so imposing, I’d assume him to be weak, but he held himself as if he wasn’t afraid of anyone. I guess if I could zap people out of existence, then I’d have that confidence as well.

  “Raegan, come sit down and I promise to answer all of your questions.” Jules pointed toward the dining table, but I hesitated.

  As much as I wanted answers, I was now uncertain that I could trust either person in the room. I knew my mother had a sister and I had so easily accepted Jules as that sister, but Enzo had called her Fox. I had no idea who she really was.

  When I didn’t move, Enzo stepped into my view and I decided he was going to be easier to deal with than Jules. He hadn’t lied to me for eight months, and something told me he wasn’t about to start lying to me now.

  “How’s that head of yours? The wheels seem to be turning a little fast in there.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “How did you know I was in trouble tonight? Have you been following me?”

  He raised a brow. “Straight to it, huh? No pleasantries? You’re not even going to offer me a cup of tea?”

  I narrowed my eyes, saying nothing in response. I wasn’t going to play his games. He would be smart to figure that out quickly.

  He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. Business only. I got it.” He paused, taking a seat at the table next to my aunt. His long, jean-clad legs edged out the other side of the table, and I couldn’t help the small grin that appeared on my face. He didn’t fit very well in our house.

  When I finally took a seat, Jules reached a hand out to me, but I moved away. “I’d like to hear what Enzo has to say first, if you don’t mind.”

  “That’s understandable,” she said with a smile that seemed forced.

  Part of me felt guilty for pushing her away, but I needed answers to what had been happening to me, and I needed to know they wouldn’t be given with a filter. Something told me the stranger across from me didn’t pull any punches.

  My gaze turned toward Enzo. “So, how did you know that creeper was attacking me?”

  “It was pure luck.” He shrugged. “I was passing through town on my way back to Shadow Veil, and I sensed a scavenger. I almost ignored him. I’m not supposed to engage in other supernatural business until I’ve finished school, but I don’t always follow the rules.” Tossing his hair back, he winked at me.

  My girly parts got a little excited again, but I stomped that fire out without hesitation. No way was I hooking up with someone not human.

  “Life’s not near as fun when you don’t push the boundaries,” he continued with a smirk. “Anyway, then I felt your power. It wasn’t controlled, and something told me it would be worth my time to check out what was happening. I let the academy know I found a stray before I stopped the attack, and they want me to bring you back now that the scavengers know you exist. Are you almost seventeen?”

  Trying to ignore the fact he called me a stray, I responded, “I’m already seventeen. I’ll be eighteen this October. Why?”

  His brow pinched together, and he turned to Jules. “Is she not in the system?”

  “I don’t honestly know. I assumed Lara and Andy did what they needed to do, but when I learned Raegan was here instead of the academy, I thought she was exempt somehow. I was estranged from Lara for many years. When I realized there was a powerful magical block on Raegan and she wasn’t showing any abilities, I assumed that was why she was never enrolled.”

  Listening to them talk was like being in a foreign country. I didn’t understand a damn word coming out of their mouths.

  “What are you people? Or more importantly, what am I?”

  “I’m an elf. Jules over there is a fox shifter. You, on the other hand, are a hybrid. I’m not sure about the ratios, but you definitely have some elf in you. I’m not sure about the other half for some reason. But I would assume your mother was a fox shifter, right? So, your other half should be shifter.”

  I had no freaking clue, but I was hoping Jules could fill in that blank.

  “Her parents were both witches. Full-blooded witches.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes, making me read between the lines and I was not at all liking what I was understanding.

  “Are you saying those weren’t my parents and you’re not my aunt?”

  “I’m sorry, Raegan. She might not have been your biological mother, but she loved you more than anything. That’s evident by everything I see in this house. Your mom and I went to the academy together. We remained in touch for a long time until she moved out here with your father.”

  She paused, seeming to consider her next words carefully.

  “I didn’t even know you existed until I learned of her death and went to the house to clean up. I don’t know how you ended up with them or why, but I do know they must have kept you a secret for a reason. The Lara I knew didn’t do anything unless she had a purpose for the greater good.”

  Holy shit. I pushed away from the table and lowered my head into my hands. I knew I wasn’t normal, but this was so far out of the realm of possibili
ties I had considered, I wasn’t sure how to process it all.

  “Raegan…” Jules warned. “How long have you been doing that?”

  Lifting my head, I glanced at my hands. Sure enough, they were glowing again. “A month or so. Only when my emotions are heightened.”

  “That’s the elf in you. Elves can do some badass shit. Be glad you’re part elf,” Enzo added, seeming to want to lighten the mood, but there was no making any of it better.

  “How do you know so much about us?” I asked him.

  “Elves are the original supernatural being. We created all others. One of our abilities is to be able to identify another supernatural when we encounter them. I could probably remove your binding as well, but I’d rather we did that at the academy. I like bending the rules, not breaking them entirely. Something tells me the council isn’t going to be happy you’ve been hidden away.”

  Talks of taking me somewhere had been brought up one too many times for my comfort level. I had no desire to get more immersed in whatever world included creatures who preyed on weaker beings with magic and shadows.

  “Enzo is right. I think going to the academy is going to be the best thing for you. When I thought you didn’t have any abilities, I was all for you living a normal life until I could figure things out, but time is running out. All supernaturals are supposed to attend Shadow Veil when they turn seventeen. You’re already a year behind.”

  “Let me make sure I understand what’s happening here. I’m not human, neither are the both of you. Elves, witches, and shifters are real. My parents weren’t really my parents, and Jules isn’t my aunt. Now, I’m supposed to go attend some school that I’ve never heard of just because it’s what everyone else like me does. Does that sum it up?”

  “Yep,” Enzo answered. “Now, be a good girl and pack a bag. I don’t have time to waste. I need to get back to Shadow Veil before classes start, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you behind. More scavengers will be back and you’re defenseless against them until you have proper training.”