by Abby James
“Why would he avoid you if there was nothing between you?”
Bloody fae. I stared at him, finding no fitting come back. Finally I stumbled on. “We’re team mates. We need to work together, all of Silver Birch, if we want to win the tournament. Let’s start a fresh.”
I would’ve offered my hand if it didn’t mean I would get a sudden zap of fae power. Emrol did another of his half smirk half smile looks, which made me think he was plotting.
He held out his hand for a shake.
I looked at it. “I don’t think I should.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Whatever is going on with me happens when I touch people. I don’t want to cause any more problems.”
He nodded, taking his hand back. “Fair enough, we might just get along during this tournament.”
“I’d better go. I have to meet Amy at ten.”
“See you, Samara.” Why did he have to be fae and so good-looking? But after the disaster with Luca, it seemed fae were more trustworthy.
My scribe had vanished on me during my days of hiding in my room. By now I had a good idea about where I was going and so had ceased to use the scribe, which triggered its disappearance.
I didn’t need it to get to the rotunda, and it didn’t take me long before I saw the large circular building surrounded by its plush garden. I’d since discovered the rotunda was a popular place for lovers to meet. And on certain night’s of the year, during certain festivals, it was a popular place to make out. Apparently it was built on an ancient site, which had been used through the millennium by different cults for different rites. Amy had said if I wanted to find a concise history of the location and all the rites that had been performed on the ancient site over time immemorial I should visit the library. Something I would do once I had breathing space to do it.
I found Amy waiting for me on one of the moss covered limestone benches to the side of the rotunda. She was munching on an apple and flicking through an exercise book, perhaps notes from a class.
“Hey, you busy? I haven’t taken you away from anything important?”
“Nothing is as important as gossip.”
“Hi, guys.”
I looked up to see Lorna making her way down the pebble path.
Lorna sat down next to me. “I see you’re in Silver Birch.”
“What team are you in?”
“Oak.”
“Why are the teams named after trees.”
“They always are. Faculty want the names to be neutral, but a little more interesting than team one and team two,” Lorna said.
“What did you want to talk about?” Amy said.
I glanced between the two of them. How much did I say? I wasn’t supposed to say anything, but I was sinking here by myself and McGilus was no help at all. In fact, the last I’d heard he’d left for some meeting with the deans from all the supernatural academy’s around the world. And now with what had happened with Luca. Normally I was good at keeping everything to myself, but everything had not involved the sorts of whopping secrets I had to keep now, secrets that had a lot to do with my safety it seemed.
“Okay, this is a big one. And you guys have to promise you won’t go mental about it.”
Their eyes widened. Jesus, what do I say first?
After a few moments, Amy said, “come on, the suspense is killing me.”
“I let Luca drink some of my blood.”
The silence turned to lead.
“Ho. Ly. Shit. You are joking.” Amy said. She slapped me on the arm. “You’re fucking joking, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not. I have never been more serious in my life. It’s the reason I have been in bed most of last week.”
“What the…” Amy was totally lost for words.
Luckily Lorna was holding it together. “Why would you do that, Samara?”
“The last we knew you had some casting classes with him. How did you go from being his student to being his blood slave?” Amy shrieked.
“I’m not his blood slave.”
“But you let him drink from you. That’s equivalent to a one night stand. Unless it was more than once.”
“No. Absolutely not.”
I felt heavy with the understanding I would let him do it again if I ever saw him. It had felt so good I knew I would be too weak to refuse him if he did ask. Asshole. He said he would not let me become an addict.
“But why?” Amy said. “I don’t understand. After all my warnings.”
“I never intended for it to happen.”
“Oh shit, he compelled you. He could be kicked out of Darkwells for that. It’s a punishable offense in his role as teacher to student.”
“No. It was voluntary.”
“I don’t understand.”
At least Lorna was taking it calmly.
“It seems I’m in trouble.”
“What sort of trouble?” Lorna said.
“Luca has heard rumors that someone is after me. Someone quite powerful. And the skurk too, apparently. They’ve heard the rumors and so have decided they want to get to me first. I had a bit of trouble with them before Darkwells rescued me, but I didn’t know what was going on back then.”
“I don’t understand how that is tied in to him sucking your blood.”
“Did you know a vampire can learn a lot about someone from taking their blood?” I shot a look to the two of them, my head swinging back and forth like a ball at a tennis match.
They both shook their heads. “First I’ve heard about it. What sorts of things?”
“I’m not sure. But Luca wanted a sip of my blood. He said he would know what sort of supe I was if he did and that he would be better able to protect me if he knew.”
Geez, saying it sounded so dumb. I hoped I’d not suffered a blonde moment in believing him and allowing him to drain me.
“But you’re an empath,” they both said together.
I took a breath. “Actually, I’m not. McGilus says I’m a channeling.”
“A what?” Amy said.
“He’s only heard of it once before. I have no ability of my own, as such. Only when I touch another supe. I can channel their ability.”
Both were even more shocked by this reveal.
I turned to Amy. “All those times when you thought your ability was playing up due to your emotions. We were touching and somehow I used your ability to show my own frustration.”
“Holy shit. I’ve never heard of this,” she said. “You wielded my ability better than I can do it myself.”
“I don’t know about wielding it. It flows through me and out of me, but I have no idea what I am doing. And that time in the hall when Emrol used his beguilement charms on me. He got a taste of his own medicine.”
Amy palmed her mouth. “Oh my god, that’s hilarious. This is amazing.”
She held out her arm. “Here touch me.”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t want to. I don’t know how to manage it. I have no control over it.”
“You will only learn through practice.”
“But I don’t want to practice on you.”
“Who better than your friends?”
She nodded to Lorna who also nodded.
“Thanks guys, but let’s not do it today.”
Amy dropped her arm. “Okay, if you don’t want to do that, let’s focus on your other problem. You’re safe here at Darkwells. No one uninvited can cross the casters’ wards.”
“Luca seems to think otherwise. He believes the upheaval of the tournament is the perfect time for them to strike.”
“I guess it’s possible,” Lorna said.
“And McGilus is away at this conference, so I suppose you haven’t spoken to him about it.” Amy said.
“I haven’t even seen Luca. For all I know he’s colluding with this person.”
That sounded terrible. Had I really been that naive?
“I doubt it. I know vampires care for only their kind. But Luca does believe in Darkwells. He believ
es in its ethos. That’s one thing I can say for him. He wouldn’t betray McGilus.” Amy said.
“So you think I can trust him?”
“As far as saying he wouldn’t rat you out to whoever is after you, yes, but as for everything else, no. You looked like shit when I first saw you. He nearly drained you, which means he could’ve killed you. But I don’t get it. You get the rogue element as you do with any ability and hear the occasional reports of suspicious death through blood loss. But vamps like Luca and his lair tend to keep those sort under control. I never would’ve thought he’d do something like that himself,” Amy said.
“He wouldn’t. Not intentionally,” I said more to myself than the other two.
Luca had only meant to take a sip. It was because of my ability he’d lost control.
21
The Darkwells’ grounds had been transformed into a carnival like atmosphere. The teachers had gathered to one side. Big banners with the pictures representing each team with the names underneath were staked into the ground, and some students had already made their way to gather under the banner of their team. Behind were large tents. The name of each team was embossed across the front of each tent.
“This is it,” Amy said. “For the next week we are competitors.”
“Are we supposed to hate each other for the time we are competing?” I said.
“God no. We probably won’t see each other. Sometimes you may run into another team. And if you do your team will try and sabotage them, but generally we won’t see each other until the end of each day.”
“I’ll try not to sabotage you.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll be doing what I can to win.”
“Every man for himself then.”
“Something like that.”
To the left of the gathering a band played. Darkwells had a band? They wore matching outfits of red and blue, blowing trumpets, trombones and banging drums in rhythm. I guess it was supposed to add to the atmosphere, but we weren’t in primary school so they appeared stupid if anything else.
I scanned the line of teachers for McGilus, but he wasn’t there. My heart had a mini spasm when my eyes landed on Luca. Unfortunately my mind forgot about the terrible thing he had done, sucked my blood to an inch of my life, and instead remembered what it had felt like to have his fangs in me, his body pressed down on top of me. This dragged up the memory of me dry humping him again. That painfully humiliating memory I would never forget for the rest of my life.
This was good. Feeling the shame brought forth my anger. I should not hyperventilated at seeing him. My first thought should not be how gorgeous he was and how much I wanted to dry hump him again, even better hump him while we were both naked. Christ, what would he look like naked?
I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. Feel the anger. Bring it forth. He did not deserve my lust, only my wrath. Not one time did he bother to come and see me this last week to make sure I was okay. I felt dumped. Worse, I felt like because I’d put out, I’d been moved to the scrap heap. Great, now I felt miserable.
“Welcome, welcome all.” Mr French had stepped up onto a small dais, erected for the tournament. I’d been a few times to a telekinetics class given by Mr French and his expression did not change from the one he wore now, stern.
“For most of the students this is, no doubt, the highlight of the school year.”
All around me students murmured. Some were excited to put their training to the test outside of the classroom. Others were keen to show off their expertise, yet others moaned or made snide remarks about how the only people that enjoyed the tournaments were the teachers because they got the week off, or they enjoyed watching the students pitted against each other.
“The tournaments are a time when every student is given the chance to prove their aptitude for their ability. The culmination of your year’s study concentrated to one week where you will work alongside your fellow team members, each of you sharing your given ability for the betterment of the team and the chance to be this year’s victors.”
He paused and glanced around. Seeing he still had the attention of the students, he continued. “The tournament is one of Darkwells great traditions. Its roots grounded in the fundamental belief that all factions are equal and that no one faction can prosper through the suppression of another faction. It is through the misfortunes of our past we are able to learn. And through that knowledge we are able to improve. And through that improvement we are able to grow great as a united entity, a fellowship of equals, and move forward into a world of peace.”
I leaned toward Amy. “Is this the usual script?”
“Pretty much. It sounds nice and all, but they only have to step foot across the veil to see things operate different outside of Darkwells.”
“And now. If everyone could make their way to the team banners so you may be tagged.”
“What does that mean?”
“They started that after those students I told you about disappeared. At least now they have an easier way of tracking you if you are accidentally, or deliberately, sent elsewhere.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Just be grateful for the tag. Hey, good luck.” Amy swept me into a hug and her ability wrapped around me in a rippling swirl of soft eddying wind, but as soon as she let me go it disappeared. How useful was an ability that disappeared as soon as you were no longer in contact with a supernatural that could feed you the magic?
I headed for the Silver Birch banner, scanning the faces of my teammates. I couldn’t help but scowl the moment I spied Mila, wearing something unsuitable for a tournament, namely high heeled boots, mini plaid skirt and tiny tee, which hugged her small breasts. She’d bothered to curl her hair and had swept the sides back into black clips. Naturally, she clung to Emrol’s arm. Planted by his side, she looked around at her fellow team members with a scornful eye. The smirk that crept across her face when she spied me had the shivers run up my spine. That smirk said game on.
I wasn’t intimidated by her glare. Whatever she did to me I would do in kind—as long as I could touch her of course.
“Silver Birch, I want you to line up,” said a teacher I didn’t recognize.
We all organized ourselves in some sort of line and he moved along, taking each student’s hand in turn and waved some sort of long, thin, pencil looking device over their wrist. I was at the end and so it took some time for him to reach me. When he took my hand, his ability ran in a slither up my arm. It felt like my arm was vibrating but nothing seemed obvious. He waved the black pencil over my wrist. There was a sudden fizzle then the pencil made a pop sound before a thin trail of black smoke wafted from the end.
“That’s odd,” he said, not sounding at all perturbed. “At least we made it until the end.”
I looked at my wrist, but saw nothing. “What is supposed to be there?”
“Oh don’t worry. You don’t see the tag. It settles below the surface of your skin. Once the tournament is over it will slowly disappear altogether.”
He headed away, as did the team, moving back to the people they would rather stand beside.
“And now,” Mr French said, “the tournament will start in an hour. All teams will move off to their respective tents where they will have a chance to look over the tasks and course for the first time. The trumpet will sound in one hour. You have that time to make your final preparations.”
No one hurried away to their team tent, so I lingered as well. Not seeing either Lorna or Amy I stood aimless on the lawn while everyone around me gathered into their friendship groups, delaying the inevitable.
I wasn’t standing alone for long when I spied Luca leaning against a tree away from the carnival gathering. His eyes were on me. No doubt he’d deliberately positioned himself close to Silver Birch team so I would see him.
I glanced around once and seeing everyone was too busy taken up with each other I headed over. He pushed off the tree and disappeared farther into the forest. Did I want to
follow? I still had to let him know what I thought about his actions, so yeah, I was going to follow him in.
The branches seemed to fall in place behind me, cutting me off from view of everyone. Luca stood in the ray of sunlight, watching me approach. Being alone with him and my determination to pin him for what he had done vanished. I’d had so much anger inside of me this last week, which had festered with his avoidance, but now he was in front of me, I couldn’t find the words.
“What happened?” was all I could say.
He folded his arms across his chest like he was shutting me out. “Something I never meant to happen. If I had known…” He looked away. When he looked back his face had darkened, as had his eyes, the red turning a deep, deep crimson. “And now I understand. That will never happen again.”
“You mean you will never take my blood again?”
It was only now did I realize how much I desired a repeat performance. I wanted to argue with him. Tell him he was being stupid. Yell at him that he was cruel in denying me.
“Never.”
I found myself wanting to ask if that also meant he didn’t want to be near me in other ways, which sounded so desperate of me. I barely knew the guy, and I was getting all gaga just because he was sexy hot.
“I never lose control, but I did with you.”
I wanted it to be because he found me irresistible, but I knew the truth. Like Emrol, he had reacted to his own ability being reflected back on him.
“Did you learn everything you were hoping to learn?”
He dropped his eyes from my face, allowed them to scout down my body before looking away, and a tingle sparked up from between my legs.
“I understand everything now. You are in danger. In more ways than you can imagine.”
“That’s great to hear just before I start the tournament.”
Luca came over to me and lifted my hand, turning it over to look at the underside of my wrist, and I was treated to the majesty of his ability. It swept through me in lethal waves, enhancing all my senses, making me feel amazing and vital, like I was a goddess, invincible. But under those feelings was the emanating power of his other ability, the sorcerer.