Infernal

by Cara E Holt

  “I can see. I have spelled my vision.” He explains, so I take them from him and look for the figure.

  “It’s Lorelai.” I tell him, recognising her curly blonde hair. “What on earth is she doing out at this time?”

  Lorelai moves quickly across the school grounds until she comes to a stop near a large withered tree and she bends down and places something on the ground. She quickly looks around her and then rushes back towards the school. I watch her rush away and then turn my attention to what she has left behind.

  “What is that?” I ask puzzled, as I take in the round orb of glass.

  “It’s a message orb.” Drayce stands abruptly to his feet, dragging my arm up. “We need to get down there.”

  Standing to my feet, I follow hastily after Drayce as we make our way down the winding stairs and back out into the open night. We reach the tree minutes later and Drayce swears when we find the orb has vanished.

  “We weren’t fast enough.” He growls in frustration.

  “Look, it was probably just meant for a boy she’s interested in or something. I hardly think Lorelai is attacking her fellow students.”

  We head back up to the roof and remain there until the sun starts to come up. I lift my face to the sun and smile.

  “There’s something so beautiful about watching the sun rise.”

  I look over to find Drayce watching me intently with a strange look on his face. He clears his throat and starts to get to his feet. “Come on Latimer, our shift is over.”

  I look at in him puzzlement when I see he isn’t heading towards my dorm building.

  “Err; you’re going the wrong way Black.”

  His mouth twitches. “I think I know where I am going.” He stalks onwards with purpose and I have no choice but to follow him. We round the back of the school and around past the school sports field.

  “Please tell me we are not finishing off with a game of tennis.” I joke, and I am given a roll of the eyes from him.

  We move round the back of the field and through some trees to where a small square building stands. Drayce stops in front of the door and places his thumb over the lock and it clicks open instantly. We enter what I can only describe as a room that looks like it belongs in a Bond movie. There are a wall of screens that show footage of every part of the academy and senior students studiously watching the screens. He continues on into another room and presses his finger to another lock and the doors open to reveal a huge room full of weapons.

  “Whoa.” I exclaim as I turn in circles examining all the many daggers, swords and guns on the walls around me. “This is.., wow.”

  The sound of Drayce laughing, pulls me from my perusal of the room. He is stood leaning against the wall, watching me.

  “Only you could be excited by a room full of weapons. You are a strange girl Latimer.”

  I smile and gesture at the room around me. “This is amazing.” My eyes fall on an elaborate black sword and I move over for a closer look. “What is this for?”

  I jump when he speaks directly behind me, he reaches his arms around me and pulls the sword off its bracket. He places it in my hands, keeping his hands at either side of mine. His scent surrounds me, and it unnerves me in a way I don’t want to begin to try to make sense of.

  “This sword is made from Devil stone. It is one of the only materials fatal to dragons.”

  My eyes widen and I tilt my head sideways to see his face. “Are we likely to have unruly dragons running around the academy anytime soon?”

  He laughs again, and damn if it doesn’t make my stomach flip. “I hope not but well, we have to prepare for every eventuality.”

  I run a finger along the flat side of the blade as he holds it in front of me. “I wonder how many dragons this thing has slain.”

  Drayce shrugs. “Well none since it has been housed here at the academy. I know that much.”

  Drayce places all his weapons back into the panels in the walls. He flips my borrowed daggers around in his hand. “I’ll return these before anyone notices they were gone. If you’d have been caught you’d have had detention for a long time Latimer, you owe me big time.”

  “Oh no Black, I won’t owe you any favours.” I tell him, waggling a finger at him.

  He snickers, as he pockets the daggers. “Don’t worry little raven there’s nothing I’d want from you.”

  I roll my eyes at him exaggeratedly, but I’m not sure why my stomach dips in disappointment at his comment.

  He tugs on the rope around my wrists. “Come on let’s get you safely back to your dorm. If you’re lucky you might get a half hours sleep before you have to get ready for class.”

  Drayce deposits me five minutes later at my dorm door, he releases me from his magic hold and the rope disappears from my wrists. I rub them where the rope has dug into my skin and jump when he takes both my wrists in his hands and examines them with a frown.

  “I told you they would tighten when you fiddled with them.”

  “Well maybe if you hadn’t leashed me like a dog.” I tell him sharply.

  He rubs a finger over the red welts and I shiver inside at his touch. Damn Black and his sexy mojo.

  “You need healing balm on these. I have some in my room. I’ll drop it off later.”

  I gently pull my wrists out of his hands. I’m not sure I can take much more of him touching me without sighing out loud.

  “Thanks that would be great.” I clap my hands together. “Well I’d say last night was fun ice-man, but then I spent it with you, so that would be a lie.”

  He gives a lopsided grin. “Trust me Latimer a night with you is like torture. No sneaking out at night again or next time I will take you straight to Mistress Isolde.”

  “Yeah, yeah message received Black.” I say bored, as I close my dorm door on his retreating figure.

  I lean against the door and let out the big breath that I had been holding in. Well that was a night I had not been expecting. What surprised me was that I actually, maybe just a little, enjoyed Blacks company, something that I would ever admit that to a living soul

  Illegal Fights and a good Spanking.

  Sunday is a quiet and uneventful day. Norah and I have breakfast with the others. Isolde had called an assembly straight after breakfast and gave brief details that a student had been attacked on campus grounds and was receiving treatment in the medical wing. Since then it had been all everyone wanted to talk about. Details were not shared about me being the one to find her or of Drayce being present. I head off to the library afterwards to get started on my history assignment for a few hours. I manage to make a good start on my assignment and decide to call it a day. On my walk back to my dorms I pass the physical faculty and I don’t know what pulls me there, but I find myself taking the stairs to the seats of the training hall. I stop in the doorway when I see a shirtless Drayce training. Sweat glistens on his chest as he moves seamlessly across the floor, attacking an invisible enemy. There was no denying he was good, it was obvious to see why he was seen as the academies best. There was no doubt that he would one day serve high up in the guardians.

  “You’re drooling.” His says, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “You’re dropping to low when you do a dropkick.” I tell him as I hitch my bag back on my shoulder and turn to leave.

  “At least I can do a decent dropkick.” Is his reply and my response is to give him the fingers as I walk out the door.

  Drayce Black could kiss my fine Latimer arse.

  Sunday night comes around and Norah heads out on a date, with some guy from house water, leaving me to my own devices. Bored, I decide I need to let off some steam, so I change into my training gear and head over to the gym. I throw on my gloves and hit the boxing bag. Soon, I am sweating like a bitch and feeling tonnes better.

  “What did the poor bag ever do to you?”

  I turn to find Kavan sitting on a weight bench watching me with a grin on his face. I still couldn’t get past the feeling I knew him from som
ewhere and it was bugging the hell out of me. He’s wearing a muscle vest that shows off his impressive biceps.

  “I’m envisioning someone’s face on the bag.”

  “Ouch.” He winces. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

  Laughing, I attempt to pull one glove off and giving up, use my magic to untie it.

  “How’s your first week been?”

  I sigh. “Eventful. God knows what week two will bring.”

  “You seem like the kind of girl that can handle whatever is thrown at you.” He replies with a cute smile. “Hey what are you up to later?”

  I shrug. “Nothing.”

  “Want to come to a little get together with me?”

  “Sure.” I reply, keeping my voice steady. Had Kavan just asked me on a date?

  “Great.” He grins. “I’ll swing by your dorms about seven.” He grabs his towel and heads towards the door.

  “Wait you don’t know which dorm I’m in.”

  Turning back he smiles. “Trust me. I made it my business to know where your dorm is.”

  Okay then. I think its official that Kavan asked me out on a date! The rest of the day I am pre-occupied about tonight. I get two lots of homework done and then decide to start getting ready. I have no idea where we are going so I’m unsure on whether to do casual or dressy. After several outfit changes, I decide on a simple little black dress and my docs. I leave my hair to hang in loose waves down my back and keep my make-up simple, with a dark smoky eye and red lipstick. Right on time there is a knock on my dorm door at seven. I open it to find Kavan leaning on the door frame.

  “Wow, you look great.”

  “Thanks. So do you.” And he really does. He wears black ripped jean and a white shirt that hugs to his muscular frame.

  He offers out his hand. “Let’s go have some fun.”

  I place my hand in his and we walk off down the hall. I had hoped there would be erratic butterflies when I made physical contact with him, but instead I feel nothing, only a strong sense of comfort. We head outside and Kavan leads me towards a glistening red motorcycle.

  “Wow, stunning bike.” I praise, taking in the beauty before us.

  He looks at me surprised. “You like bikes?”

  I nod. I loved being on a bike. Dagen had one and I would often ride with him. It was a buzz like no other. He hops on and offers me a helmet. I climb on behind him and wrap my arms tightly around his waist. We ride for about five minutes before we hit open country lanes and then Kavan warns me to hold tight and picks up speed. We end up in small sleepy village which looks like it has stepped out of a Jane Austen novel.

  “Please tell me we aren’t going to a book club?” I ask, as I shake out my helmet hair and look around us.

  Laughing Kavan takes my helmet from me. “Trust me, where we are going there are no books.”

  Taking my hand again he leads me down a winding street of thatched cottages and then cuts into an alley. Before us is a pub called the Pendle Witch. Kavan surprises me however when he starts to lead me round the back of the pub and down some steps to a large black steel door. He raps loudly four times on the door. The door swings open to reveal a huge guy with a Mohican and piercings everywhere.

  “Hey Fletch.”

  Fletch greets him with a firm hand shake and holds the door open for us to enter. I’m not sure what I was expecting but a dark and busy nightclub was not one of them.

  “This is unexpected.” I shout to him over the music.

  He looks over his shoulder at me and grins. “Like I said, no books in here.”

  Kavan takes us over to the bar and people greet him and eye me with curiosity as we pass.

  “Two nightshade, please.” He tells the barman before he turns his attention to me. “Ready to party?”

  I grin as he offers me my drink. “Always.” I throw the contents down the back of my throat.

  Kavan leads me to the dance floor and he pulls me close and we start to dance. We dance well together but again I should feel some pull, some magnetism with Kavan so near, but it just isn’t there. We dance for about three more songs and then he shouts into my ear that we should take a break. He leads us over to a booth that is already occupied. A guy sits there with a girl on either side of him.

  “Kavan. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.”

  Kavan leans down and grabs his open hand and grips it. “You know me Kol; I never miss a Sunday night in here.”

  The guy I now know to be called Kol notices me then and smiles, his red demon eyes giving me the once over. “And who is this?”

  Kavan squeezes my hand. “This is the lovely Elara Latimer.”

  Kol bobs in head in acknowledgement. “Is she old enough to be in here?”

  Kavan grins and he leans into my ear. “This place is for twenty-ones and over.”Kavan slides into the booth and keeping my hand in his, I slide in beside him. He places an arm around my shoulder and winks at me. “This is a bit of a secret club. Let’s just say there are certain illegal activities that go on.”

  I raise a brow, my interest suddenly piqued. “What kind of activities?”

  Kavan grins. “Maybe some underground fighting.”

  I grin. This was turning out to be some night. Kavan leans into my personal space and puts a finger under my chin. “I knew this would be your kind of place.” Before I can reply he lands his lips on mine and kisses me. I should feel a rush, I should feel something, and I mean Kavan was first class hot, but as I kiss him back I feel nothing. No excitement, no thrill, nada.

  Kavan pulls back and sighs. “Nothing.”

  “Sorry?”

  He grimaces. “Shit, I said that out loud?”

  “You felt nothing either then?”

  He looks at me surprised but then laughs. “Not a thing and I mean you’re gorgeous and everything, but no I felt nothing.”

  I offer out my hand. “Friends?”

  Nodding and smiling he takes my hand and kisses it. “Friends. You want to see some fighting now?”

  “Hell yes.”

  Kavan takes my hand again and leads me through the club. He leads us through a curtained area and before me is a vast open space with two large boxing type rings. Crowds are already gathered around each ring and the atmosphere can only be described as thrilling. I also realise straight away that back here there are all manner of supernatural species here tonight. A guy walks in our direction with lilac pulsing eyes and eyes me up and down as he passes. Fae, and royal fae too. I’d never dabbled with fae, not for any particular reason, other than I guess I’d always been preoccupied with vampires. I had heard that fae made great lovers though and that as with vampires, them feeding on you during sex gave a real euphoric high. We get nearer to one of the rings just as a fight is announced.

  “Do you know who is fighting?” I shout into Kavan’s ear.

  He leans down to reply. “Blacks brother is fighting. He’s one of the best in the underground scene.”

  There is a hug roar from the crowd that makes me jump out of my skin and then a man who I can only presume to be Drayce Blacks brother steps up into the ring. There is no denying he is related to Drayce as he has those same pale haunting blue eyes. His hair is also just as dark but he wears his longer, almost touching his shoulders. Just as the crowd starts to settle, a second man jumps in the ring and the crowd cheers again.

  “That is Kaius - alpha of the wolf clan round these parts.” Kavan informs me.

  There was no doubt about it, these two men both looked fierce and I reckoned it was going to be one hell of a fight to watch. Kavan grins at me knowingly. He somehow knew this place was my kind if scene.

  The bell goes and the fight begins. The wolf man gets the first hit in, getting a right hook in Blacks side, but Black quickly counter attacks and deals a blow across his right cheek.

  Kavan nudges me. “I’ll be back in two secs, okay?”

  I nod, quickly turning my attention back to the fight. Black deals another blow to
Kaius which makes him stagger backwards and almost takes him down. Besides me a huge guy with a shaved head knocks into another guy and spills his drink all over him. The guy erupts and charges at him and all hell breaks loose. Suddenly fists are flying everywhere and I am being pushed and shoved around like a rag doll. There is suddenly not enough air to breathe. I’m starting to realise I’m in a dangerous situation when suddenly I am picked up and thrown over someone’s shoulder.

  “Hey.” I yell. “Put me down!”

  I can’t see who it is who has me but I guess whoever they are they are getting me out of the centre of a riot, so I decide not to protest and instead enjoy the very up-close view I have of their very pert and firm arse in black cargo’s. The guy jogs up a side staircase and through a metal door into a dimly lit corridor where I am deposited on my feet. I dust myself off and am about to thank my mystery man when I look up.

  “You have got to be kidding me?”

  Drayce Black stands before me, arms folded, glaring at me. “You want to tell me what you are doing on your own at an illegal fight club?”

  I scowl at him and shrug my shoulders. “Same thing as you I should imagine.”

  He swears under his breath and leans into me, putting a hand on the wall beside my head. “Do you realise how dangerous that situation was out there?! You could have been trampled to death or knocked out by a stray punch.”

  I raise my head and look him straight in the eye. “Anyone would think you cared about what happened to me?”

  Drayce grinds his jaw and grabs my chin with his hand. “Do you have a death wish little raven?”

  “Maybe I do, not that it is any business of yours.” I hiss back.

  He places his other hand on the wall beside me and cages me in. “How did you even get in here?”

  “I came with someone if you must know, on a date.”

  Drayce frowns. “You?”

  I bristle at his amazement that someone might actually want to date me. Jeez did my lowly coven status make me that repulsive?!