Not that a guy had ever told me I was pretty, but I was sure it would happen.
Eventually.
“What in the Underworld are you thinking about that has you blushing so bad?” Tsukiko asked.
“Uh, our trip,” I admitted.
“It’s going to be amazing,” Loralie said. “We’re going to break so many hearts.”
I chuckled. “Sure we are.”
“Tomorrow night we have a prom planning meeting,” Tsukiko informed us.
I suppressed my groan, but Loralie didn’t, letting it out and rolling her eyes for added dramatics.
Tsukiko ignored her. “We are going to vote on a theme.”
A theme?
“Don’t we always have the same theme?” I asked.
Loralie nodded. “Yeah, Dancing with the Devil. And Lucifer always comes and dances with anyone who asks.”
Lucifer was one sexy fallen angel. His once white wings had turned black centuries ago, but his face was as handsome as ever.
“I wouldn’t mind dancing with him,” I said with a smirk.
Loralie smiled. “I don’t think anyone interested in males would.”
“What possible other theme is there?” I asked Tsukiko.
She picked up her History book and said, “Heaven and Hell.”
Loralie, who had been mid-drink, coughed as she swallowed her drink wrong.
My mouth dropped open and I stared at her in disbelief. “You can’t be serious?”
“Why not?” she asked, looking up at us. “Why can’t we change it up? They have done the same theme for hundreds of years. I think it’s time we do something different.”
“Lucifer is not going to come to a Heaven-themed prom,” Loralie said. “I don’t even want to go to a Heaven-themed prom. We’re Underworld creatures for the most part. We hate Heaven and those jerks that live up there.”
“Okay, then why not an earth themed dance?” She suggested.
“That might go over better,” I said, still shocked she had suggested a theme that involved Heaven at all.
“What would an earth theme have?” Loralie asked.
“Human trinkets? Flowers?” she said, but they sounded like questions instead of statements.
“So, frilly stuff?” Loralie grumbled.
Tsukiko sighed. “I don’t know. I didn’t really think you would react so negatively to a Heaven and Hell theme. It wouldn’t be just Heaven themed.”
“Kiko, we are Underworld creatures. We are shunned by not only humans, but all of the Heavenly realm. Why would you think we would want a Heaven theme?” I just couldn’t understand her logic.
“Well, because we’ve never had one,” she whispered.
“I think it might be best if we kept that one to yourself, okay?” I whispered.
She sighed and nodded. “Okay.”
“Are we going together again?” I asked.
Loralie and Tsukiko looked at each other and then at me and both shrugged.
It was my turn to sigh. “I guess we’ll just wait and see how the year goes. We have several months until the dance. If no one asks me, but you two get dates, I’ll find someone to go with.”
“We’re not going to abandon you,” Loralie said. “Rule number one.”
“No one gets left behind,” the three of us said simultaneously.
“So, who is ready for watching some creature television before bed?” Loralie asked.
Tsukiko and I raised our hands and then laughed and climbed onto Loralie’s bed, sitting side by side.
If it had been up to us, we would have shared one room, but the school refused to let us share. They insisted we all needed rooms of our own for when we became overwhelmed or wanted time alone.
The only thing was that we never wanted time alone. If something was wrong, I wanted my girls with me to cry on their shoulders and to let them cry on my shoulder.
After a couple hours of comedy, we switched to the news and I gasped.
“Another creature village was destroyed by humans today,” the reporter said, showing a village of nagas completely destroyed with fire and several bodies still lying around.
“The humans responsible have not been caught. The most troubling question we have is: how are they finding our villages? At this time, we do not have any answers, but we want to remind everyone not to panic. Reinforce your barriers and ask the high witches to create new ones if you want, but we are still safe.”
“For how long?” I asked softly, my heart beating rapidly at the sight of all of the fire and the dead nagas.
How many had burned alive? How many children had been killed?
The reporter continued, “The investigators are working extra hours to track down any information they can find. If you see or hear anything, be sure to report it immediately. Stay safe, monsters.”
Loralie turned off the television with a scowl. “There were no human bodies there. That means that if it was humans that attacked, they all got out alive. Or, they took their dead with them.”
“They are known for taking their dead,” I whispered, swallowing thickly.
“Yes, but how could humans defeat a nest of nagas like that?” Tsukiko asked. “That nest had at least thirty adults. Unless a few hundred humans attacked, they should have been able to defeat them. Plus, they should have been alerted by their magical barriers of intruders. Or patrols.”
“Yeah, this sounds suspiciously improbable unless they had help,” I whispered.
“Who would help humans?” Loralie asked, disgust evident in her tone and the sneer on her face.
“That is the question that needs answered,” I whispered. “Sadly, we won’t have any answers.”
“Dad is totally going to add security tomorrow,” Tsukiko whispered. “Just be prepared for it.”
I nodded and whispered, “Honestly, I welcome it. Even though it means moving around for parties and things will be almost impossible, it will mean we are safe.”
“And I’d rather be safe,” Loralie whispered.
“It’s time for bed,” I said and stood, stretching my arms up over my head. “I’ll see you girls in the morning.”
We hugged each other and went to our separate rooms, but as I lay on my bed, I knew I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t get the burned village out of my mind. All of those creatures...dead. And for what? Why?
I hoped we would find out.
Nine
LORALIE
Sitting in the middle of our glamour class, I realized something.
I was a total lost cause.
Bogden sat on the opposite side of the classroom, chatting with a few of his zombie and tengu friends. I could have gone over and talked to him, but I had no idea what I would even say.
“You’re not being very discreet,” Frances whispered in my ear.
“Cat!” Ms. Felonias yelled. She was a tall, slim woman with dark, black hair that hung to her waist, feline ears, and a silky black tail that swayed behind her as she walked around the classroom.
With a wave of my hand, I changed the glamour over my body so that I appeared as a cat to anyone looking at me.
Everyone else in the class did, too. Everyone except Darla who had transformed into a goat instead.
Ms. Felonias walked over to Darla and glared down at her. “Are you insulting felines? Or are you just awful at glamour?”
Darla bleated pitifully.
With a wave of her hand, Ms. Felonias removed Darla’s glamour. “Try again and this time, a cat. Not a goat.”
Darla tried again and this time turned into a cow.
I suppressed my laugh by pretending to groom one of my paws.
Ms. Felonias gave me a glare and smacked Darla on top of the head with a closed hand fan I hadn’t even seen her holding. “No! You will stay after class and practice until you understand what a cat is.” She walked away muttering angrily in a different language and the occasional meow.
“Revert,” Ms. Felonias ordered us and plopped down in her chai
r. “Can someone tell me why glamour is so important?”
“To help us hide from humans,” a female satyr answered.
“Yes. I’m sure you’ve all seen the news of the horrific events happening. It is important that you keep your guard up and do not let the humans catch you. The wolf clan has provided us with additional guards, which I am very thankful for. You children are the most important for us to keep safe. You are our next rulers and if you do not survive...well...we do not survive. I want you to remember that what we teach you here may be boring or frustrating, but it is meant to provide you with a necessary skill for surviving out in the world.” She closed her eyes and said, “Class dismissed.”
We packed all our things up and hurried out of the room.
A tall chupacabra stood in the hallway, spit dripping down his open jowls as he stood in a terrifying mixture of wolf and human.
Tsukiko nodded once at him and he fell into step behind us.
“Your dad really went above and beyond overprotective this time,” I whispered.
She sighed. “I know. I told him a chupacabra was overkill, but he refused to budge. I decided it wasn’t worth arguing over and left it. If he tries to keep him as my guard for longer than a month, I’ll fight back, but for now, I will let him protect me.”
Fighting back meant she would have to fight and defeat the chupacabra. Looking at the tall, muscular, male had me wondering if she could actually do it. Tsukiko was a really good fighter, but she wasn’t as strong as her male counterparts. And, the chupacabras were known for being really bloodthirsty and to have high levels of stamina. It didn’t seem like an even match. Definitely not one I could see her winning.
“You’re doubting me right now, aren’t you?” Tsukiko asked, her cheeks puffed out.
“What? No,” I lied.
She huffed. “You haven’t seen me truly fight in at least a year. I’ve improved and have some new tricks up my sleeve.”
“Oh?” I asked. “What tricks?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you. That’s no fun. You’ll see, like my opponent does, during my fight.” She tilted her head towards the chupacabra and I picked up on her hint. She didn’t want him overhearing how she planned to defeat him.
“Got it. I’ll never doubt you again,” I said with a serious nod.
Frances laughed.
“Good,” Tsukiko said, completely serious.
I rolled my eyes.
We stopped at our next class, History, and I groaned. “Can’t we skip this one?”
“No,” the chupacabra growled.
I turned and gave him my best glare. “I wasn’t being serious and don’t order me around.”
He snarled and suddenly my scythe was in my hand.
He took a step back, eyes wide.
“Loralie,” Tsukiko growled.
I tossed the scythe back to its place in the in-between. “Sorry. That was a reaction. I’m sorry.” I looked at the chupacabra who nodded his acceptance.
Tsukiko and Frances watched me as we walked inside.
“Since when can you do that?” Frances asked.
“Since this break,” I whispered softly.
Frances opened her mouth to ask more questions, but our teacher, the grey-haired owl shifter we lovingly called Mr. Who, barked, “To your seats!”
I ran forward and took my seat beside Bogden who smiled at me.
Mr. Who started class, talking about the first human attack on Vlad Tempest’s castle.
Bogden slid a folded up piece of paper from his desk to mine.
I glared at him and refused to take it, then faced Mr. Who again.
Bogden wrote something else and slid it again, bumping the piece of paper against my hand.
Mr. Who turned around, and I put my hand over the piece of paper so he wouldn’t see it. The last thing I wanted was for him to read the note to the class.
When Mr. Who turned back to the board where he wrote down notes, I unfolded Bogden’s note.
* * *
What do you get when you mix a cow and a goat?
Mr. Who & Ms. Felinas’s child.
* * *
A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it, and I quickly crumpled the note up in my hand as Mr. Who turned around.
He glared at me. “Already, Ms. Reaper? Outside with you. I’ll not have you disturbing my class today.”
I sighed, gathered my bag, and walked outside.
I sat in the hallway, against the wall of my classroom, and closed my eyes.
The chupacabra looked at me when I first walked out, but quickly focused on the people walking by, since he knew I was no threat to Tsukiko.
A few minutes later, just as I was dozing off, Bogden walked out of the classroom with his bag and sat beside me, so close our arms touched.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” I replied.
“Sorry I keep getting you kicked out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well, what did you do to get sent out?”
“I made myself laugh,” he said and leaned back, arms behind his head. He looked over at me and smiled. “I didn’t want you to be alone again.”
I looked pointedly at the Chupacabra. “Not really alone.”
Bogden scowled. “He here for you?”
I shook my head. “Tsukiko.”
He relaxed. “I see.”
I relaxed beside him and closed my eyes, imagining what it could be like if we were a couple.
If we held hands while sitting together.
If he put his arm around me.
“You okay?” Bogden asked. “Your cheeks are a bit red.”
I rubbed them and turned away from him, letting my hair fall over my face. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“So, what are you doing Saturday? I hear there is going to be a killer party,” he whispered in my ear, his nose bumping against my hair as he spoke.
“I don’t think I can make it,” I whispered. “Guards and all.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I was afraid of that.” He leaned back.
“I’m sure there will be lots of people for you to hang out with,” I added quickly. “You won’t even notice I’m not there.”
“Why isn’t your dad sending guards for you?” He asked.
“I don’t need guards,” I whispered. “Plus, he knows I’ll just try to ditch the guards every chance I can get. So, there really is no point to assigning someone to me.”
Bogden laughed and I felt myself smile. I loved the way his laugh sounded.
We lapsed into silence and I closed my eyes, resting with a smile on my face with Bogden beside me, our arms touching and our breaths in sync.
If only every day could be like this.
Ten
LORALIE
Tsukiko skipped towards the club room, her tail high and ears perked.
I didn’t really understand why she was so excited about preparing for prom, but if it made my friend happy, I’d help her.
Frances seemed quieter than usual, but I attributed that to Dr. Frankenstein’s weird curse comment and the human attacks.
Tsukiko’s chupacabra guard sauntered behind us, his gait slow and purposeful and his long and furry arms swinging beside him with his back slightly hunched.
I knew chupacabras loved human flesh, so it made sense that with a human threat, her dad sent one to guard her. They could smell a human ten miles away.
Honestly, if they weren’t so difficult to control, they would make great guards for all creature villages.
We entered the classroom, and as I expected, it was full of the prissiest girls in the school.
Malaria gave Tsukiko a glare and whispered to the two gorgons beside her, no doubt talking crap about Tsukiko.
Had we been on break, I would have fought her right then and there, but I had to limit my fighting during the school year. Dad would forgive me for a few scuffles, but more than that and he’d punish me. His punishments were nothing to stick your nose up at. One time, he’d made m
e pick up hell hound puppy poop for five hours straight.
Hell hounds were adorable, but their poop was toxic.
There were several groups of tables and chairs, and already the cliques were forming. Tsukiko found an empty one for us to sit at and despite all the strange or angry looks we were receiving, she continued smiling.
Her chupacabra waited until Tsukiko was seated and then went out into the hallway.
“Is he really necessary?” Malaria asked.
“No,” Tsukiko said, “but have you ever tried telling an alpha no? It’s better to just deal with his presence than try to fight my father.” She shrugged. “I pick my battles well, and that battle isn’t worth it.”
“Alright,” Ainsley said, clapping her hands together. Her wings were folded against her back, but today she was shoeless and had her talons on full display.
That wasn’t common for her. Had something happened?
“You’ve all joined the prom planning committee. This club is going to focus on fundraising and then preparing for the prom. As you know, prom happens on Winter Solstice, so we only have a few months! Let’s start with theme suggestions.”
“We do the same theme every year,” the gorgon beside Malaria with silver and black snakes for hair said.
“What if we did a human theme this year?” Tsukiko suggested.
“Human theme?” Malaria asked with a sneer. “We going to kill each other?”
“We could get human items and decorate with them. Make it brighter than our prom usually is,” Tsukiko continued, ignoring her.
Ainsley wrote it down on the white board behind her. “Okay. Any other suggestions?”
“I like the theme we always use,” a female satyr I didn’t know said.
Ainsley wrote that down on the board, too, and asked, “Any others?”
“What about a heaven and hell theme?” Rathik asked as he came into the room.
Frances’s and my head whipped around to look at him and then back at each other.
Oh, this made so much more sense now! That little brat!
“Heaven!” At least five of those gathered shouted.
Monster Academy Page 5