The Curse Begins

by Abby James

  “The laws that bind most supernaturals does not apply in the fae realm. They exist in a world unto themselves. Once you were there, the queen could have chosen to keep you. And the Council of Factions would have had a hard time getting you back. They may have decided it wasn’t worth a war with the fae for one irritating girl.”

  He picked up his pace dropping me behind.

  Irritating! Asshole.

  “If I’d had the benefit of a life of learning the supe customs and laws, like most supes, I would’ve known not to trust a friendly invitation to visit their realm. But since I grew up in reality and not this fucked up mess everyone around here calls life, I know shit all about everything.”

  “Do you feel better?”

  “No, I don’t. I’m pissed off. His sister beguiled me. Said she was going to keep me as a pet. I was so enchanted I thought it was a brilliant idea. And that asshole was going to kidnap me and yet you’re angry at me.”

  He stopped so suddenly I left him behind. He cupped his hands behind his back. “It was his sister who invited you?”

  I felt like a school girl being drilled by the principle.

  “Yeah, but he sent her back through into their realm and kept me behind so he could muss me up a bit and threaten me.”

  “Why would he want to threaten you?”

  “Because he’s unstable.”

  “The fae are many things but not unstable.”

  “I’m not an empath so how should I know what his intentions were in threatening me.”

  “But, Miss Wright, according to Ms Lane and the dean you are an empath.”

  Oh shit. “An ineffective one. That’s why I’m taking your class, which I don’t think I’ll be coming back to, by the way.”

  He eyeballed me like he had Emrol not so long ago, and I didn’t like it one bit. Actually, I liked it a lot. But not when the center of his eyes were flaming red. No amber to be seen.

  “I better get back to Nylph.”

  His hand snapped out and snagged my arm. “You will attend my class. You will turn up at ten tomorrow morning. Sharp.”

  The flare of a dark and delicious energy singed through his touch and into my arm. But before I could take a hold of it proper, Luca let me go.

  “I don’t have to. It’s not part of my proper timetable.”

  “It is now.”

  He turned and walked away, leaving me to gouge my angry eyes into his back. Could he talk to me like that? As a teacher I guess he could, and I didn’t want to be counting seeds for the next couple of months.

  A few paces on he turned back to me. I hadn’t moved yet.

  “The moment you entered the fae realm you would’ve been the slave of the one who invited you in. Who was it that invited you?”

  Holy Jesus Christ. Emrol the wanker.

  “His sister, Lyra. But I think Emrol also invited me.”

  “Then you would’ve been a pet to them both, forced to abide by their command.”

  Emrol was going to know my wrath.

  “Ten o’clock, Miss Wright.”

  19

  The descent seemed darker and longer than it had the first time I came down. I was worried about being made an example of in front of all the spell casting students, but I hated even more the idea Luca would make me shake hands with my opponent before he or she attacked me. Why did he send me here? To be a guinea pig, no doubt.

  I reached the last step, then stopped outside the classroom, leaning in with my ear to the door, listening for sounds of chatter. All was quiet as far as I could hear. Maybe they were meditating again. This time I would be ready for Luca’s sudden entrance. He wouldn’t surprise me a second time.

  I pushed the door open to find the classroom empty. Ten o’clock he had said to me in the forest before he departed. I’d even received my confirmation this morning on my scribe. All my morning classes had been wiped, leaving Spell Casting the only place I had to be, like Luca thought it was the most important subject in the whole of Darkwells. Naturally he would since he taught it.

  So where was everyone?

  My scribe vibrated in my back pocket. Normally a scribe would’ve disappeared by now and returned to Mrs Trouel at the admin desk then assigned to someone new, but since I’d had a few changes to my timetable, and these kept happening, my scribe had stayed with me.

  I glanced at the screen to see a message from Luca.

  For every minute you are late, you will stay back two.

  What the…? I wasn’t late. It had only just turned ten. It wasn’t my fault he had decided to change the location of the class. Next minute, the message disappeared to be replaced by a map with footsteps starting from where I was and leading out of the dank dungeon.

  At least he was nice enough to provide me with a map. I followed blind, having no clue where I was going. And why did he not provide this map for me last night, better still tell me of the change in location so I was prepared.

  I dutifully retrod my steps of moments ago, back down the corridors, which had cleared of students now everyone was in class, passed the ugly pillars of statues. But I didn’t see what these statues were as my head was buried in the map making sure I didn’t miss a corner. If I was supposed to stay in two minutes for every one I was late, I would be stuck in class for the rest of the afternoon if I wasn’t careful. Asshole. Why did the super hotties have to be bastards as well as dangerous.

  I followed the small feet for at least ten minutes before they rounded another corner and led me to the base of some stairs. I stayed where I was, looking up the broad sweeping stairwell, sunk in Déjà vu. I knew this place. This was the entrance to the vampires nest and Luca wanted me to climb these stairs. Was he out of his mind? Last time he’d been furious to find me here, making it very clear I shouldn’t be back, ever again. He was the only vamp I had seen and I wasn’t keen to see any more.

  The scribe, sensing my lack of movement, flashed the feet as if to tell me to hurry up.

  Then more text appeared on the screen

  Two for every one minute you are late.

  Bloody hell, it was like he was watching me?

  He was a teacher so I guess he could enforce the rule. And I doubted I could win any stand off against him. I pocketed my scribe and climbed the stairs, running my hand along the smooth wood of the balustrade as I did, enjoying the soothing cool under my palm, calming my anxiousness.

  It looked as I remembered it, dark and mysteriously forbidding. Flaming torches on brackets cast a gentle glow, which wasn’t bright enough for me to see the whole corridor. I thought about yelling out Luca’s name to let him know I was here, but feared I would wake up all the other vamps, assuming the myths were true and they slept by day in coffins. God that was creepy.

  Someone approached. I heard their footfalls and saw the movement in and out of the flame light. Hopefully it was Luca, or though I wasn’t sure if he were safer than any of the others.

  “You can’t make me stay in the extra time as it’s not my fault I’m late. You told me to attend your class at ten but you failed to explain where. I’ve been down to the dungeons. And I was there on time.”

  No reply. Asshole. Typical of him to hide in the shadows just so he could keep his mystery.

  “Come with me.”

  Oh Jesus, that was a woman’s voice. “Is Luca here?”

  “If you want to know the answer you’d better come with me.”

  Bloody hell, these guys were as bad as the fae. “I just want to make sure I’m not walking into a trap. I mean, I’m not going to be your blood slave because you invited me into your…” Using lair seemed like I was being derogatory to the vamps. “House.”

  “You will have to find out.”

  “I’m not interested in being tricked. So how about you send Luca out here to explain everything to me.”

  “You would tell me what to do?” She had a thick accent and her voice sounded cultured and posh.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but I was nearly enslaved by the f
ae yesterday because I didn’t understand their laws. I’m as wise to vampire law as I am fae.”

  Another set of footsteps came down the hall. Oh great, now I had two vampires to deal with.

  “Miss Wright. You’re little tête-à-tête with Remora has cost you a further ten minutes of your time.”

  “I was just clarifying vampire rules with her. If I accept her invitation to enter your house will I become a blood slave? After yesterday I’m not taking my chances.”

  There was silence while the two of them did whatever they did in the dim of the corridor. I couldn’t see either of them clearly enough to tell what was going on.

  “Thank you, Remora,” Luca said. I heard her footfalls depart, leaving Luca and I alone.

  “Do you really think I would invite you here if that was the case?”

  “I don’t know anything anymore. Emrol’s manipulative and a lier but I never thought he would lure me into being his slave.”

  “He would not have kept you there. But I’m sure he would have liked to have power over you.”

  “Fat chance. I’m wise to him now.”

  After a moment’s silence, I said, “why are we here? Why not the classroom?”

  “McGilus would not like it if I were to expose you in front of the class.”

  “Did McGilus ask you do teach me? Has he told you?”

  “Told me what?”

  Probably not. I had to be careful here. Vamps were likely as cunning as fae.

  “About my ability. We’re all still scratching our heads as to why it’s not coming through.”

  “Indeed.” Was all he said.

  I quick marched to catch him up as he headed farther into the darkness. The corridor was wide but at least there were no statues up here.

  “What is at the heart of Darkwells, the great evil that everyone talks about?”

  “You think I would know?”

  “Amy said the teachers call you in when it stirs.”

  “Did she now? And where do you suppose she heard that?”

  “Rumor.”

  “Rumors are the least trustworthy form of information.”

  “So you’re not going to tell me?”

  He knew. But like a lot of things about this new reality of mine, he was going to keep the truth hidden.

  “Do you remember anything of your parents?”

  Whoa that was a segue I didn’t see coming. “Nothing. I was only five when they died. I didn’t even know what they looked like until a month ago.”

  “We’re here,” he said abruptly like I hadn’t been talking.

  Luca turned to face a giant wooden door, which appeared out of the dim recesses of the corridor. Like McGilus’s room, the door was covered in an ornately patterned inlay, but it was too dark for me to make any of it out. I was about to ask what we were supposed to do other than stand there looking at the door, when a low clunk reverberated through the corridor followed by the creaking of old hinges opening.

  The door slowly swung wide revealing a dim interior. Inside I made out the expensive detail of a large drawing room reminiscent of the pictures I’d seen of any fancy historical manor house. Antique furniture, plush throws, thick rugs, expensive leather.

  “I was expecting coffins.”

  Luca stared at me deadpan then headed over to a low sideboard table full of alcoholic drinks. “Would you like something?”

  “Aren’t I supposed to be in class?”

  “This is how I conduct my class.”

  “And what class is this. Seduction 101.” I smiled at my own joke, liking how this day was panning out. Let’s see, didn’t Luca say I was twenty minutes late, which would mean I had forty minutes of overtime I had to make up. Yippee.

  “I never seduce.”

  He probably didn’t have to. “You just use your mind tricks.”

  He looked across at me as he poured two drinks, not that I had agreed to a drink. “Mind tricks?”

  “Something else Amy told me. It’s how you lure your victims away so you can feed off of them without being seeing.”

  “You seem to know a lot about vampires and little about any other faction here.”

  “Amy was chatty about you guys. It was while she was warning me to stay away from certain groups. You vampires were top of the list.”

  “And yet here you are. Right inside the vampires’ lair.”

  Oh, so they did use lair as a term to describe their home.

  “On request by my teacher. I could hardly say no.”

  That sounded like I was flirting. And I was. I was about to have a drink with the hottest guy I’d ever met. Okay, he was as dangerous as all fuck, powerful as well, but I couldn’t stop my stomach doing loops and twists of excitement. And those nether regions. They were steaming up just fine.

  Luca grabbed the drinks and headed over to the leather couch. Although it looked expensive it wasn’t as comfortable to sit in as any of the couches in Nylph house. I slid on the couch next to him but left enough distance to make it seem proper, even if I did want to slither a lot closer. Luca handed me the dark amber fluid.

  “What is it?”

  “Scotch.”

  “At this time of day?” I was about to ask him if vampires drank anything other than blood, then remembered he was a sorcerer first and having that extra ability had somehow kept him with human characteristics despite being a vampire.

  “Where is everyone else?”

  “Hiding.”

  “They are afraid to be seen by me?”

  “I’ve told them they are not allowed to frighten you.”

  “Do they have large hanging fangs, hollow cheeks and bloodshot eyes?”

  “It would be hard for them to stay away from you. They would want to get close. Perhaps sniff along your pulse line, following with their tongue,” he took a sip of his scotch as he eyed me.

  Oh Jesus help me god, those words should not come from his mouth. All I could envision now was it being Luca who did those things.

  When I realized I’d been staring at him, I took a swig of my drink and turned away, only to choke and struggle to keep it in my mouth. The burn scorched the back of my throat and a fog went straight to my head.

  Through another choking splutter, I said, “I don’t drink spirits. Not straight anyhow.”

  “You’ll get used to it after a sip or two.”

  “I have to say this is not the sort of class I was expecting.”

  “Are you disappointed?”

  “Not at all. It beats supernatural history any day. I don’t understand why I am here though.”

  Because you wanted to flirt with me?

  Please let that be the reason. Please. It was so bad of me to want that, after all Amy’s warnings and what Emrol almost did to me, tricking me into being his slave, but Luca was my every wet dream incarnate. And I’d not had sex in a really long time. I was sure everything had atrophied down there.

  “I want something from you.”

  My body. God, yes, please let that be it.

  “And what might that be?”

  He took another sip of his scotch. I watched his Adam’s apple roll with the swallow and found I had to swallow myself.

  Luca slid closer to me, closing the distance so smoothly it was hard to remember he’d been so far away to start with. This close the temptation of his smell filled my nose, rich, luxurious spices, which made me think of exotic far off countries, tents full of beautiful ladies reclining on cushioned floors and incense winding its way through the air.

  Following his example I took a sip of my scotch while my eyes locked on his gorgeous face. He would know how seduced I was. Never had I been with a guy that acted as suave as this. I’d been unfortunate to date guys who thought a beer and pizza in front of the football was a decent date. No ex of mine drunk scotch and reclined on an expansive oxblood chesterfield, staring into my eyes like I was the drink he needed to sip.

  “I want a taste of your blood.”

  The tumbler was at my mou
th, scotch to my lips when he said that. I jerked forward and spilt the drink on my jeans.

  After I wiped my mouth, I said, “Jesus, so I was right. You want to make me a blood slave.”

  “I just want a taste. You will retain your free will.”

  “No I won’t. Amy told me all about a vampire’s bite. It’s like a drug. It leaves you thirsty for more.”

  “That will not happen to you, Miss Wright. I will see to it.”

  “You wouldn’t know. You’ve never been bitten by a vampire. Have you?”

  “Vampires don’t drink from each other. It’s unpleasant.”

  “It must be forbidden to drink from students.”

  “It is.”

  “Why then?”

  “I just want a taste of you.”

  Did he mean my blood or did he want to go down lower?

  Oh hell, Samara, of course he wants your blood. Keep your mind out of your knickers.

  I pushed to the other end of the couch. “No. Why? I don’t believe this. You were trying to seduce me so you could drink from me.”

  “I would not drink from you. I would merely have a taste.”

  “But that doesn’t make sense. Why would you want to do that?”

  “I have my reasons.”

  I laughed, but there was no mirth involved. It sounded hysterical. “You’re asking me for a favor but you’re not going to tell me why? Sorry, mister, but if you want some of my blood you have to come up with a dam good reason why.”

  “I want to help you.”

  And didn’t that just deflate me. He was only interested in helping me. He didn’t find me desirable enough to want to drink my blood. Didn’t Amy say that vampires trawled the vamp clubs looking for the right kind of girl? Did that mean someone they were attracted to?

  “How can you help me by tasting my blood?”

  Luca placed his glass on the small round stool next to his side of the seat. “You need to trust me.”

  I snorted a hard laugh. “Fat chance. You led me here under false pretenses. As if I would trust you.”

  “I could make you surrender yourself to me.”

  That wiped the smug smile from my face.