by L. A. Sable
But I didn’t want to think about my interest in the girl, or even acknowledge it at all. “Darius has made it clear that the girl is expendable, but you won’t make a play for her while she’s useful. Valentine is the most important target.”
“Will you rip off her head and have it mounted on the wall?” Bastian asked, a smile just like the Cheshire cat’s spreading wide across his face. “Or drain her dry until there’s nothing left but a husk. I assume you have something delightfully gruesome planned.”
“She’ll suffer,” Cynth snapped, patience obviously wearing thin. “I can promise you that.”
“As long as I get whatever is left over.” Bastian crawled higher up the tower, fingertips gripping the ceramic shingles with little effort. “She looks quite tasty from here.”
“Keep it in your pants.” It took all my patience not rip both their throats out, if just so they’d shut up. “We have a job to do which means both of you are going to keep your hands to yourselves.”
Cynth growled, sharp teeth poking from between his lips as he glared into the darkness. “You cannot deny me my blood right.”
“Blood price has been paid,” Bastian pointed out with a characteristic smirk. “If you kill her now, then it’s just murder.”
The vampire doesn’t seem particularly moved by that line of logic, not that I’d expect him to be. Vamps have long memories and a thirst for revenge like no other species on the planet. I hate it when I’m forced to be the voice of reason. “Leave it alone or suffer the consequences.”
“Enough of this.” Cynth abruptly turned away and crouched at the edge of the roof. “Keep her away from me or she’ll be the one who suffers.”
With that, he disappeared into the night.
“My people do come and go quickly here,” Bastian said with a low-pitched laugh.
I ignored my sudden headache. “Do you ever get tired of being completely ridiculous?”
“Not really, no. Would you prefer that I turn my attention to why you felt the need to climb to the top of House Essence on this fine evening?”
The secretive look in his eyes made me want to knock him off the roof and watch him hit the ground. As I far as I knew, he couldn’t actually fly, and I was curious how high he would bounce after the impact.
“You really are lucky no one has killed you yet,” I told him with an exasperated sigh.
Bastian shrugged. “Many have tried and failed. I’m more interested in how our lovely new companion will fare. Darius seems to think she will turn the tide in his campaign for control for the Blooded.”
“Darius wants to use her bait. As soon as he discovers a weakness in Valentine, she’ll have served her purpose.”
“And then what?”
“Do you get the impression that he appreciates loose ends?”
“You seem relaxed about the thing.” Bastian jumped up to grab a heavy branch hanging above and flipped around it like a gymnast, the movement lithe and easy despite his size. He didn’t even seem out of breath when he spoke again. “Why train the girl just to dispose of her?”
“She has to last long enough be of any use.”
Despite my flippant tone, I deliberately had put little thought to what it would mean to follow through with the Headmaster’s plan. Before meeting Jinx, the idea of it had seemed simple enough. Becoming a member of the Blooded was the highest honor any supernatural creature could achieve and ruthlessness was the only trait they valued more than power.
I’d reluctantly taken my orders when Darius first shared his plan. It had taken months for me to ingratiate myself while maintaining the ruse that I was some barely powered shifter on the fringes of society and little threat. My orders had been simple, observe and report, but somehow it had become something more than that.
“Cat got your tongue?” Bastian’s voice floated over me in the dark, full of amusement. “Or are you taking a nice trip down memory lane?”
“Fuck off.” I tilted my head back to glare up at him. “Watching her is my job. Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
“I suppose I do, although I don’t understand why you get all the good jobs.” Leaping down beside me, Bastian sidled close enough to run his hand down my arm. “Unless you’d like to while away the time.
I shoved him away. “Touch me again and you’ll pull back nothing but stump.”
“You really are no fun,” Bastian pouted as he backed up toward the ledge. “But I do appreciate how you’ve made such a virtue of necessity. I can only imagine what exciting things are in store as you watch a random girl sleep.”
“Leave, before I break your legs.”
“Oh, if you insist.” His gaze passed over me in the assessing way that only one of the Fae could manage, as if he saw something in me that wasn’t meant to be seen. “Be careful with those expressions of anger, people might think you’re hiding something.”
Before I could respond, Bastian somersaulted off the edge of the building. I knew that if I went to the edge and looked down, there’d be no sight of him so I didn’t bother.
My gaze returned to the window. Even though the view was obscured by heavy curtains, I could still sense her presence in the room. An awareness of her tickled along the edge of my senses, impossible to ignore.
She had no idea what was in store for her.
But Jinx would never know the real reason why I spent all those months tailing her without complaint, watching through her window at night when she had no idea I was there and tracking her movements with almost crazed intensity.
From the moment I first laid eyes on that fucking witch, all of my forms had reacted in a way they never had before. It had taken all of my control not to shift and become a true animal and claim her right then and there.
Each of my forms, even the ones that no one knew existed but me, recognized her as a potential mate.
Which was an unfortunate thing considering that I might have to kill her.
Chapter Nine
Jinx
My room was about as dark and dank as I expected. Some sort of liquid appeared to be leaking into the stone walls, which likely accounted for the mold decorating every surface. A draft sent a chill through the room but I couldn’t identify the source, as if the walls themselves were made of ice.
Given Primrose’s opinion of me, I was lucky to have a room at all. If she had her way, I’d probably be sleeping on the roof.
I dressed slowly in the uniform dress, lingering over the buttons with a recognition that I was stalling for more time. Dread was my primary emotional response as I contemplated attending my first class. It was impossible to forget that I spent most of my life being told that I would never make it to the Proving Grounds. There was no point in training me to use powers I didn’t have and without magic, the other students would eat me alive. By the time my magical ability revealed itself, obviously things had changed.
Valentine always told me that there was something different about my magic, it was what attracted him to me in the first place. My power wild and innate, unlike anything he’d ever seen before. I didn’t chant incantations or utter curses to exert my power. Instead, I could almost exert my will on the world around me. Unfortunately, the strength of my ability was countered by my inability to control it. My power responded to my strongest emotions — fear, hate, desire. Valentine had manipulated those emotions to suit his purposes, driving me further and further until he had more control over me than I ever had over myself.
The things I did simply because he asked them of me were more terrible than I could contemplate and maintain my sanity. I’d allowed it because the power had been like a drug, potent and addictive. After so many years of being a victim, I’d reveled in my newly found strength.
And now, I was being forced to confront him again.
When I closed my eyes late at night, in that vulnerable time between waking and slumber, I would sometimes feel the heated touch of his fingers on my skin. That touch brought pleasure and pain until the difference between the two bec
ame completely meaningless.
Darius wanted me to kill him, but I was more concerned about not collapsing into a puddle of need at his feet. Then, Valentine would destroy us all.
When I finally gathered the nerve to open the door, I was unsurprised to find the Three Fates waiting for me with identical expressions of disgust on their faces.
Primrose spoke first, voice haughty. “We’re to escort you to the first period of the day.”
“That’s so nice of you,” I gushed, voice full of forced cheer. They outwardly cringed as I took a step forward and closed the door behind me. “And thank for you giving me such a nice room, I slept like a baby.”
Her mouth fell open a bit, but Primrose did a good job of hiding her surprise. “Is that supposed to be a joke?”
“A good night’s rest is nothing to joke about,” I assured her, fighting to keep my expression neutral. More than anything else, witches were known for having their heads stuck firmly up their own asses. Humor wasn’t something they understood unless it was at someone’s expense. Responding to their disdain and insults with a cheerful smile would do more to disarm them than anything else. “Shall we go? I’d hate to be late on my very first day.”
Mouth tightening to a thin line, Primrose abruptly turned on her heel and strode toward the narrow staircase.
“I heard she was a bit slow,” Amaranth murmured, just loudly enough for me to hear. “Perhaps that’s why it took so long for her powers to develop.”
“As if there needs to be another reason that she doesn’t belong here,” Maeve added with a sniff.
“I just know we’re going to be great friends,” I said, the barest hint of sarcasm coloring my tone. There was no choice but to follow them, rolling my eyes at the back of their heads. There was a good reason that witches rhymed with bitches and it was clearly on display right now. Growing up in the family I did, you’d think I would be used to the condescension, but I still had to resist the urge to shove them down the stairs. “Does anybody want to braid my hair?”
Intent on ignoring my nonsense, Primrose gestured to the portraits lining the walls as we passed. “Every great witch has passed through these halls and it is an honor to continue their legacy. Remember that everything you do represents House Essence. Embarrass us and there will be consequences.”
I really wanted to ask her what consequences she had in mind, but held my tongue. There wasn’t any point to setting myself up in opposition to the Fates, they hated me enough as it was. “I’m sure the only person I’m going to embarrass is myself.”
Primrose turned to glare at me, but I deliberately kept any emotion outside of pleasant acquiescence out of my expression. “I’m sure,” she said finally.
“You’re quite behind,” Amaranth said, finally deigning to speak to me directly. “Apparently, the Headmaster has arranged for additional student tutoring
“Although not with us, thank the Darkness,” Maeve hastened to add.
My throat tightened at the reminder. The tutoring set up by Darius had nothing to do with my education and everything to do with preparing me to face down Valentine. And there was no amount of training that could make me ready for that, each lesson would just bring me closer to the inevitability of death.
“We expect you to do your best to catch up,” Primrose added, voice harsh and brooking no argument. Her gaze flicked to my face and whatever she saw there caused her eyes to narrow. “The competition between houses is fierce, especially this year and we need to come out on top. The acolyte of the winning house is always invited to become a full member of the Blooded.”
I couldn’t stop myself from pointing out the obvious. “But House Essence doesn’t have an acolyte.”
“Not yet,” Primrose snapped, glaring at me. “But it will very soon.”
Maeve sidled up next to me, expression malicious. “Would you like to know what happened to the last one?”
“Did they run away to join the circus?” I asked.
“Of course not.” Maeve seemed almost taken aback by the joke, as if she couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be a serious question. Her voice lowered slightly, full of open malice. “There was a very unfortunate accident involving a demon. You’d think an acolyte would have mastered a simple summoning spell.”
Primrose turned back for a moment, a smirk twisting her lips. “It’s difficult to draw a binding circle when your hands have been torn off. Demons always go for the extremities first, they like their meals to be alive and quivering for as long as possible.”
The warning was clear as the ringing of a bell. I didn’t have to ask if they had anything to do with this accident, if the satisfaction on their faces was any indication. Clearly, Primrose was very intent on being named the acolyte for House Essence, with the help of her little sidekicks.
“Sounds like a bad way to go,” I said, hoping they couldn’t hear the slight tremor in my voice. Demons were among my greatest fears, their energy was an evil so pure that it couldn’t exist in this world for long without a conduit. There wasn’t a force in the universe more unbalanced than a creature of the underworld. “I hope you didn’t have to clean up the mess.”
Primrose raised an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to be funny?”
“Not if you’re the one mopping up entrails.”
“Enough,” Primrose said repressively.
I wondered if she’d be more bearable if the girl ever loosened up. Her uniform was buttoned to the very top with a freshly pressed collar so white it practically glowed in the near darkness.
“Does anybody ever turn the lights on in here?” I asked as we reached the bottom of the stairs and entered another winding hallway. The place was practically a maze and the low light from the wall lamps didn’t do much to help me navigate. I was already anticipating getting lost the minute there was no one around to guide me. As if I wasn’t enough of a lost cause already, I’d be the girl sleeping in the hallway because she couldn’t find the way back to her room.
“The lighting is sufficient for the rest of us?” Amaranth’s tone made it clear that she’d spent more than a little time contemplating my insufficiencies. “Perhaps you should request a flashlight.”
We reached the door of a classroom and to my surprise, all three of them preceded me inside. “Do we have this class together?” I asked, dreading the answer.
Maeve turned back with the same expression on her face that she would use if a slug suddenly started talking to her. “We have every class together.”
My mouth fell open and the only thing missing was the sound of a record scratch. “Wait, what? Every class?”
“The houses train together, obviously. It wouldn’t make any sense for a shifter to take spellcasting.” Primrose’s tone made it clear exactly what she thought of a shifter attempting spellcraft, and it wasn’t a positive association. “Then there are classes like this one where all the houses come together, like this one.”
With a sense of dread, I allowed myself to take in the small lecture hall. Dozens of people in uniform were already seated, clustered together in groups so it was clear people sat with the other members of their houses. Every color was represented and I felt a painful clench in the pit of my stomach.
I wasn’t ready for this.
The weight of so many eyes on me made it impossible to think straight. My gaze scanned over the assembled crowd, catching Bastian’s smirk and Cynth’s glare before turning away.
The Fates didn’t wait for me and take their seats near the center of the room with the other witches, a stain of purple against the dark wood seating. I didn’t have any choice but to follow them, unless I wanted to keep standing in the doorway like an idiot.
I took a seat that was a few away from Primrose and surrounded by other empty desks. It wasn’t exactly like I was sitting with them, but I was closer to them than any other group. The other witches might not have had any use for me, but that didn’t mean they’d take kindly to me joining up with anyone else.
The door sl
ammed opened hard enough to strike the opposite wall, even though there wasn’t anyone in the opening. All side conversation fell silent as the entire room seemed to be holding their breath.
Just as I was about to ask what the hell was going on, Darius strode into the room, as imperious as I’d ever seen him.
He strode to the center of the room and the door only closed again after he was already at the lectern and glaring out at us. His suit was impeccably tailored and fitted to him like a glove, as if he was about to walk a red carpet instead of address a classroom.
“Welcome to a new year of Arcanum Studies,” he intoned drolly, gaze passing over us. His attention rested on me for the barest moment and it felt like a cold wind blowing over my skin before shifting away. “Almost all of you know who I am, but I will deign to introduce myself.”
A few students shifted in their seats to glance at me, but I studiously ignored them and kept my gaze trained on the air above Darius’s head. I’d spent my entire life avoiding confrontations with people just like this and now I was trapped in the middle of the lion’s den.
“I am Headmaster Aquinas and it is my duty to guide you on a path toward glory, if you are capable of walking it. The Blooded have tasked me with the illustrious duty of training our next generation of recruits. Most of you will not be found worthy, but there are a few with the fortitude and strength to rise above the rest. Remember that every move you make will be monitored and evaluated, so do not disappoint me.”
The rapt attention paid to his words surprised me, if just because I’ve seen what terrifying power looked like and Darius didn’t hold a candle to that. Which was just another reminder that I was royally fucked.
A shifter girl tentatively raised her hand, only speaking when Darius gave her a narrow-eyed nod. “Will you be teaching any other courses aside from this one?”
“I have a seminar with House Essence, otherwise no. Will there be any other inane questions?”
The girl bowed her head with a small shake, obviously subdued. It was clear that Darius had no intention of being the supportive type. And if what I’d already heard was true then the future Blooded had already been chosen.