by Cara E Holt
I swear under my breath. “You’re kidding me right?”
He folds his arms and glares at me. “Well you know it all already don’t you? So whilst the others are learning you can run off some of that attitude of yours.”
Giving him one last scathing look I set off around the track. God he was a fucking arsehole. As I continue laps, I notice a man dressed in combat clothes walk over to Black and talk to him. Suddenly they both look at me and whatever is said I can see that Black is not happy. He shakes his head firmly but continues to listen to whatever the other guy is saying, before nodding and walking away.
I take a breather as I finish my last lap, wishing I had thought to bring some water with me. Suddenly a bottle of water appears in front of me, and I look up to see the female instructor, Meara.
“You did well out there. Who taught you to fight like that?”
Taking the bottle from her I take a big drink. “My father. He has trained me to fight with daggers since I was seven years old.”
She nods, seeming impressed.
“Latimer, stop chatting and get down and give me fifty press ups!!”
“Fucks sake.” I hiss. “Is he always such an ass?”
Meara laughs. “Pretty much yeah, but he’s one of the best fighters I’ve ever known. You could learn a lot from him.” Meara walks away, and with Blacks eyes burning into me, I drop down and press. This was going to be a long hour.
By the time class finishes, I am sweating profusely. After the push-ups, he demanded a hundred burpees out of me, followed by a fifty sit ups and then another twenty laps around the arena. He dismisses the class and catching my breath, I walk over to the benches to grab my bag.
“Latimer a minute please.” He barks.
Groaning inwardly, I turn back and face him. Meara walks past me with Thorin and gives me a wink.
I walk over to where he waits, arms folded and frowning like a pro.
“What now?”
“Drop the attitude. For some reason coach Grey thinks you have potential. You are to be down in the arena every Tuesday and Thursday morning for extra PD coaching. Starting next week.”
I look at him shocked. “Extra coaching?”
His jaw tics in annoyance. “Is there an echo in the room? Yes extra coaching, from yours truly.” He goes to walk away and then turns abruptly back. “I have better things to do with my time than waste it on you, so you better be here on time and ready to learn Raven.”
“My name is Elara.” I shout as he walks out of the arena.
“I know what your name is little raven.” He replies without giving me a backward glance.
Fuck my life. Two hours a week one- on- one with the biggest dick-face in the academy.
I settle quickly into life at the academy and before I know it I have done my first week and it is finally Friday, which means no classes for two whole days, and hopefully the opportunity to let off some steam. I head back to my dorm after herbology class and can hear music pumping through the door. When I enter Norah is dancing her arse off as she applies deep burgundy lipstick to her lips.
“Hey roomy. Get in the shower and get your slut clothes on, we are partying tonight.”
I grin. A party was just what I needed. “Where are we partying?”
She waggles her eyebrows. “We are partying in style tonight.”
A half hour later I squeeze in the back of Cas’ Audi and we wind down the long drive away from the academy and out into the real world. Even though we were eighteen and adults there was a weekend curfew in place. For first years that time was twelve, second years one and third years two in the morning. Norah assured me that she would have me back before my curfew time.
Ten minutes later we pull up outside a huge mansion house. All the lights are on and music can be heard from outside. As we step out of the car, a girl who has clearly already had too much, leans over a plant pot and pukes up.
Laughing Norah grabs my hand and pulls me towards the house.
“Who lives here?”
She winks and pulls me through the door. “You’ll see.”
The house is immaculately decorated inside. You can tell that someone has spent money on an interior designer who knows their stuff. The house may look old on the outside, but on the inside it was completely modern. Norah weaves us through room after room until we hit a large kitchen that looks out across the extensive grounds at the back of the estate. Lined up on the kitchen units is bottle after bottle of alcohol, from Bacardi to champagne. Norah reaches for two shot glasses that hold steaming green liquid and offers one to me.
I take the glass and cock a brow. “Nightshade?”
She nods smiling. “This is the crème-de-la-crème of nightshade though. Bottoms up!” She tips her glass and downs it.
Nightshade was a powerful herb that gave a feeling of euphoria; it was a regular tipple in the supernatural world. I tip my head back and down the liquid, it is ice cold as it travels down my throat.
“Whoa!” Almost instantly I feel its affect, my mind suddenly feels light and happy.
Norah laughs as she pulls me towards the dance floor. “Told you. That was pure nightshade, not diluted with foxglove.”
We find a spot on the dance floor and begin to dance and enjoy ourselves. Cas and Selene join in whilst poor Ayla stands there looking uncomfortable. I reach for her hand.
“Come dance Ayla.”
Ayla pusher her glasses up on her nose. “I’m more of a watcher.”
Not wanting to make her uncomfortable I leave her where she stands just off the dance floor but still near enough to us. We dance until my feet ache, and I shout to Norah that I am taking a break. I head back to the kitchen in search of a glass of water to cool me down. I open the fridge and pluck out a bottle of water. As I go to shut the door a hand reaches above me and pushes it shut.
“Who invited you here?”
I recognise that voice instantly. Turning around, I find myself caged in by Drayce Black. He wears a grey t-shirt that clings to his muscles and denim jeans. The beautiful dragon tattoo that wraps around his arm is on full display.
“I came with Norah.” I tell him. He’s so close to me I can smell his expensive aftershave.
“You should leave.” He commands, continuing to lean over me, his ice-blue eyes cold and hostile.
“Nah, I think I’ll stay thanks. Not that it’s any of your business ice-man.” I lift my chin and meet his cold gaze. I would not let this idiot intimidate me.
“Actually this is my house, so it is very much my business.”
“Oh.” Damn Norah for keeping that snippet of information from me. I look around the room. “Your family live here?”
He sighs, as if already bored with conversing with me. “This is more like a second home, not that it’s any of your business Raven.” His mouth twitches as he throws my own words back at me.
Folding my arms, I glare back at him. “Are you seriously going to make me leave?”
He smirks again, and damn if it isn’t sexy. “You can stay, just no stealing the family china.”
The cheeky bastard! “I may not be from an elite coven ice-man, but I have no need to steal.”
He leans in closer and I push my back further against the fridge. “I’ll be watching you.”
He stalks off leaving me stood there clutching my bottle of water. I see Lorelai the girl from my physical defence class stood there watching our little sparring of words.
“Hey Lorelai. Enjoying the party?”
She shrugs her shoulders and turns and walks outside into the gardens. Okay, she was rude. I people watch for a while as I polish off my water and decide I need a bathroom break and begin my search of the house for a toilet. You would think a place this size would have one at the end of every corridor but every door I try downstairs is everything but a bathroom. I make my way up the winding glass staircase and start opening doors. I move down the corridor until I find a door that reveals another staircase and decide to venture up and hopefu
lly find a toilet as my bladder was now close to bursting.
I hear the sound of someone in distress and follow the noise, worried that there may be someone in need of help. I push the door into the room of where the noise is coming from and freeze in place. The sound of what I thought was someone in distress was actually a girl in the throes of pleasure. She is on a bed on all fours and behind her looking me directly in the eye as he thrusts in and out of her is Drayce Black. I should move. I need to move, but I don’t. I just stand there watching as he moves behind her and she moans with pleasure. Black keeps his eyes on me the whole time, not blinking, a smile dances on his lips.
“See something you like Raven?”
The sound of his voice pulls me from my dazed state. The girl who was until now was oblivious to having an audience glares at me. I take two steps backwards and snatch the door closed. As I hurriedly walk away I hear the mocking sound of Drayce Blacks laughter.
The Ouroboros
I wake the next morning with a slight throbbing head from the after-effects of the Nightshade. Damn Drayce Black. I hadn’t been able to get that image of him out of my head all last night. I should be horrified by the sight I walked in on, but I’d been turned on watching him pleasure her. There was a part of me, just a small part, that wished that the girl had been me. A part of me that wondered what it would be like to be with Drayce Black in that way. It was official, I needed to get laid and soon.
Norah is still snoring her head off in bed, so deciding I need to clear my head, I change into my running gear and head out into the academy grounds. It is a clear dry morning and there is nothing but the sound of the birds. I’m lost in my thoughts, pounding the path that winds around the edge of the woods when I see her. Just ahead of me and slightly off the path, a girl lies on the floor. The way she is laid out gives me an uneasy sense of foreboding. Her arms are out straight at shoulder height and her legs spread, like she has been positioned like a pentagram. My heart beats fast in my chest as I slowly walk closer. Her eyes are open and staring blank at the sky, and carved into her chest is some kind of symbol.
“Holy fuck.” I whisper, as I lean over her and place my ear over her head listening for the sound of her breathing. She was breathing, just. I try and pull myself together knowing I need to go get help.
“What the..,”
The sound of another voice startles me and I jerk and fall backwards on to my backside.
Drayce Black stands there frowning, his eyes travel from me and then widen as he takes in the girl.
“I was jogging and she was just lying here.” I tell him, my voice barely a whisper. “She’s alive.”
Drayce seems to pull himself together and strides over to me and crouches down beside me and touches the girl’s forehead. “I’ll carry her.”
“Wait!” Shouldn’t we call for help? I mean this is potentially a crime scene.”
Drayce nods. “Go fetch the headmistress; her rooms are over in the east wing, on the second floor.” I turn to leave and he grabs my wrist and stops me. “Hurry Raven, she isn’t going to last much longer.”
I run as fast as my legs allow me to. When I eventually arrive at Mistress Isolde’s door, I clutch my side and rap loudly on the door. The door swings open and she stands there in a nightgown of black silk. “Elara, are you okay?”
“Student in the grounds.., been attacked.” I blurt out, as I lean over and try to slow down my heart.
Her face pales and nodding she beckons me inside. She leaves me stood there and the re-joins me seconds later dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. It’s kind of weird to see the academy headmistress in normal clothes.
“Where is she?”
“Near the path that leads to the walled garden.”
Isolde holds out her hand for me to take and commands the words ‘Transveo.’ Almost instantly we appear on the path beside where I found the girl. Drayce is still crouched over her and looks concerned.
“Oh mother earth!” Isolde mutters as she moves to the other side of the lifeless student. “Can you lift her Drayce? I’ll transport us straight to the medical bay?”
Drayce nods and as he stands Isolde pulls out her phone and takes photographs of the scene. “I’ll need this to examine for evidence.”
Drayce gently lifts the girl off the ground, and her arms flop lifelessly by her side as he stands with her. Isolde touches Drayce’s shoulder and holds out her other hand for me. We transport to the medical bay and Drayce gently places the girl on a bed. Isolde is straight on the phone requesting medical help.
“What do you think happened?” I ask still bewildered and shocked by what I had stumbled upon.
Drayce shakes his head as we both watch Mistress Isolde grab supplies from a cabinet and begin to mix a potion.
“I don’t know, but that symbol etched into her chest, it smelt of Hemlock. Her body would have been locked, placing her muscles into spasm. Whatever attacked her made sure she wasn’t able to run.”
I shiver and rub my arms. “What is that symbol?”
“It is the Ouroboros; it’s the symbol of rebirth.” Isolde leans over the girl and feels her head.
“Why would someone do that? And what is the matter with her?”
Isolde shakes her head. “I don’t know. It is as if she is locked in her own body.” Isolde stands and comes over to where Drayce and I are stood. “Drayce if you would please accompany Elara back to her room. I need to deal with this situation, but I will need to speak with you both about what you saw later.”
“Of course.” I nod, although I’m not sure what more she is hoping I can tell her. Drayce pushes lightly on my back and guides me towards the door, just as it bursts open and two of our professors barge through the door and shoulder past us.
“What were you doing out and about so early?” I ask him as soon as we are outside of the building.
He looks at me and then scoffs. “You think I hurt that girl?”
I shrug. “No. I mean, I don’t know. You were out there.”
He glares at me. “You were out there too.”
I stop in my tracks and gesture at my running gear. “I think it’s clear what I was doing. I was out running.”
He holds his hands up. “Maybe that was a decoy.”
I laugh, pushing my sweaty hair out of my face. God I must look so unattractive right now. Why am I thinking about whether he finds me attractive?!
“Well of course, I’m just a lowly Latimer witch, so naturally I’m capable of doing something like that on my own.”
A smile tugs at his lips. “Relax. I know it wasn’t you little raven. A Latimer witch would never have the power to do whatever spell it was that left the girl in that state.”
I shudder at the reminder of the girl and her lifeless staring eyes. “Well for once I agree with you on that. Although I’ll have you know our high priestess says I am one of the most powerful witches she has seen in the coven for centuries.”
He sniggers. The bastard actually sniggers.
“Laugh all you want Drayce Black, but one day you will be eating your words about Latimer witches.”
He comes to a stop and I realise we are outside my dorm door.
“Okay you’ve done as you were told. I’m back here safe.”
Rolling his eyes at me in irritation he turns and walks back the way he came.
“Oh, and by the way they put locks on doors for a reason you know. You may want to think about that next time you are offering out your services to the girls.”
Chuckling, he gives me the finger over his shoulder and walks off. Sighing I walk in my dorm room and Norah sits up in her bed looking bewildered.
“Oh god. My head.”She places her hand on her head and groans. “What god-awful time of the morning is it?”
“It’s eight-thirty and you need to wake up because I need to offload like a lot of weird shit on you.”
Norah rubs her eyes. “Okay now I’m intrigued. Go make me a coffee so that my brain can function, and then I’m al
l ears.”
Norah stares at me wide-eyed, her eyes still smudged with mascara from last night as she takes in all I have just told her.
“Did you see his love-rod? Was he big?”
“Love-rod?!”
She pulls her tongue out at me and we both fall into a fit of laughter.
“And no, I didn’t see it. It was deep inside miss moaner.”
“Lucky girl.” Norah grins, fanning herself. Her smile drops. “Do you feel okay? I mean after finding that girl.”
I shrug as we both become suddenly serious. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just hope that the girl will be okay.”
Norah grabs my hand. “It’s Saturday. Why don’t we head into the nearest town and hit the shops. Retail therapy will make you feel tonnes better.”
I squeeze her hand. “I actually don’t feel like going out. I was kind of thinking a movie marathon and loads of chocolate.”
Norah grins. “I’m down for that. Shall we start with Magic Mike? Let me shower and then we’ll go raid the campus shop and stock up with goodies.”
An hour later we are curled up on the sofa under a white fleecy throw watching ‘Magic Mike’ and eating our weight in minstrels and popcorn, when there is a loud pounding on the door. Norah looks at me, giving an eye roll.
“Okay, Okay! Jesus someone is impatient.” Norah points her finger at the door. “ Patentibus.”
The door swings open and reveals a very brooding and very sexy Drayce Black. He leans with one arm on the door frame and grins at us.
“Having a feast?”
“Urgh.” I groan, “Prope.” Commanding the door to close in his face. The door starts to swing shut and Norah looks at me opened mouthed. Before the door closes fully, Drayce gets his hand and foot in the way and pushes the door back open.
“Nice try little raven. I hate to break up this little girl’s movie fest, but Mistress Isolde asked me to come get you. She needs to speak with us both.”
“How about I meet you there?” I suggest, not wanting to spend any more time in his company than I have to. I didn’t like the affect he was having on me.