“Dude,” I said, reluctantly following him inside. It felt like a weird invasion of privacy, which was odd considering that my brother would literally blow my door off its hinges when he felt the need to pester me.
But no one had been allowed in my room at the academy, I had assumed everyone else was the same. But everyone else also wasn’t locked away in the teachers' hallway. With prying eyes and critical teachers.
Which was probably another reason I had been placed there. What better way to make sure my father’s poster child doesn’t sleep around? After Talon I was sure it was a necessity.
Despite its size, his room looked about the same as mine. The sitting area with a small kitchen, an attached bedroom and I assumed a bathroom. It was like my dorm except shrunken down and with thankfully less gold.
I really needed to talk to Cail about this. Downsizing seemed like a nice idea; I would even sign some kind of chastity clause if it would get me out of there.
“Don’t worry,” Greer said, grabbing the books from my arms and setting them on the very clean counter of the mini-kitchen. I paced in the sitting room, trying to decide if I should sit or not. It’s times like these when I realized how awkward I really was. “I read through most of these in my first year. At this point it’s all busywork. I’d rather be playing or sparing, but the powers that be would rather torture us all.”
“Was that directed at me?” I gave him a smile, but his returning grin was less than enthusiastic, missing some of his usual joy.
“Depends. Are you the powers that be?”
“No,” I tried to smile but it ended up being a smirk, “but I am related to them.”
I ran my hand through my hair nervously, hating the reminder.
“Well, let them know that some sparring wouldn’t go amiss, if you can.” He was trying to play it off like a joke, but his eyes were still dark. Hooded. It was clear there was more truth there than he was trying to play off.
“Aren’t you a third year, Greer? You guys are lucky. You get to use the underground, right? I’ve been thinking of crashing that party. One can only take so much of basic cleaving spells and shields.”
“Well, if you go, make sure to take me with you.” He didn’t even laugh, he leaned against the counter, his shoulders sagging. “We can’t get past Professor Krul half the time. The wicked sister is a bane in my side.”
I raised an eyebrow at him, “Wicked sister?”
“Yeah, sorry. I know she’s your cousin and the headmaster’s sister, but it’s not like she tries to hide her hatred of us. Calls us ‘Drains’ to our face, gives us extra homework. All the older students are supposed to use the old kitchens to spar, but if she is there, forget getting in. And seeing as we can’t practice on the grounds or in the halls...”
He shrugged, grabbing two apples off the counter and throwing one at me. I had about enough of apples for today but I didn’t throw it back. I just held it, scowling at the shiny surface.
“If you can’t practice, you can’t advance.”
“You can’t succeed,” Greer tacked on, taking a bite of his apple. “Come on, your royal highness, we’re going to be late. Not like Coach will care about you, but I’d rather not have to do five extra laps.”
Greer was back to grinning as we walked out of the school and onto the grass that led down to the pitch.
Greer was already talking about some poor Golden who failed at creating an inverted flame in his class today. I listened to his story about the fireball, entertaining him with how I had accidentally balded my Aunt Mira with my first attempt.
It was nice to talk, to laugh, to have Greer clap me on my back and tell me how bad-ass I was and not ask for more information about my family.
With every step over the grounds, every step we came closer to the pitch was beating a weird painful truth into me. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen of Analine’s treatment of the Undermortals, and how much worse it might be when no one was there to stop her.
But she wasn’t the only one. She wasn’t the only one who had uttered that vile word, who my father had scolded on more than one occasion.
Talon had warned me about loyalties and promises and threats of death. But more than that, he had threatened my brother Dramin’s wife, Patrice.
I think it was time to find out exactly what Dramin had been about to tell me in the council hall, and just how much the feelings of superiority and prejudice had bled into my family.
The thought made my heart ache.
“Any bets on how many laps I’ll get?” Greer asked with a smile and a wink, breaking through my thoughts.
“Even if it’s twenty I’ll still run them with you.” I gave him a wink and slapped him on the back. Earning us a glare from the players that were already on the pitch.
“Oh, my benevolent prince, what would I do without you?”
I didn’t want to answer that.
17
Sia
He was laughing.
Laughing.
A wide smile was spreading over his face, those emerald eyes sparkling as though they caught fire. I saw the light in them from where I sat on the other side of the sparring amphitheater of our defense class. I heard that laugh as it bounced over the noise of the class. It was pissing me off.
Rowan and I had dated for more than two months and he had never looked at me like that. He had never blushed. I wasn’t even sure he had ever smiled. I nearly threw the apple at the bright pink head of the bitch he was smiling at, it was in my fist, my long nails already digging into the flesh. But then the bell rang, the two of them already parting ways, his eyes still following her.
Fecking bitch didn’t know what she was doing.
It would be perfect timing to take off after her and teach her a lesson for trying to move in on my man, but I wasn’t ready yet. Next time I faced her would be the last time. Everything needed to be perfect for that to succeed. We weren’t ready yet.
It didn’t matter, I had bigger issues.
I had been trying to talk to Rowan for the last week. Hard considering he had vanished for a few days after the dinner that hadn’t gone anywhere near according to plan.
I still wasn’t sure what had happened, the plan was foolproof. Get him drunk and bond my magic to his.
His magic and health were weak enough that it should have been nothing. Even after spiking both the listy and the water with old Ukrainian Vodka he hadn’t submitted to my magic. He was a sloppy drunk, no better than the Tarns as he spilled listy all over me, insisted that we were broken up, and then stormed out of the house by way of a window. The prince had lost control of his senses.
I needed to help him see that, see that we were supposed to be together. If only because my father's warning in his outburst following Rowan’s screaming exit had been crystal clear.
‘If you don’t complete your task with Rowan by the end of the month, I don’t see how you will be able to complete your first year of school, let alone the first semester.’
The words followed me as I was escorted out of our estate, it raged through my veins on the jet back to Imdalind Academy. It had turned into a mantra as I waited for Rowan to emerge from yet another of his sickly vanishing acts. He had finally reappeared three days ago, but I hadn’t been able to get him alone since, not that I hadn’t tried.
Rowan stepped down the massive stairs toward the door with giant strides. If I didn’t move fast, I was going to miss him. I shoved everything in my bag, ignoring Professor Diarius’ praise about my apple splitting skill and raced over the spell stained tiles of the amphitheater and after the swaggering dark-haired prince.
“Rowan!” I yelled, trying to push all the sweet and pleading into my voice that I could. The word was still more like a shriek, but I didn’t care. “Row!”
He moved faster, weaving through the hoard of students with a weird grace. Of course, now he doesn’t look like the derpy, incapable royal. I picked up my pace, yelling and waving with a wide grin, even though
I kind of wanted to rage and pull him into one of the classrooms. Force him to listen.
“Rowy! Wait!” There was no way he didn’t hear me, but he didn’t slow or turn.
“Rowan!” I tried again, turning the heads of the students that were heading to their dorms after the end of class, none of them parting to let me pass.
“Fecking Drains, get out of the way,” I snarled, pushing a blond with a big ring in her lip out of the way as I tried to catch up with Rowan, the guy now disappearing around a corner.
Shit. I was going to lose him again. This couldn’t be happening to me.
I moved into run, the prince was only steps away now, but instead of moving forward, I fell back, slamming to the ground as someone grabbed my backpack and pulled.
“Who the hell do you think you are talking to?” the girl with the lip ring snarled at me, hovering over me from where I lay on the floor, people snickering and gathering around for some sort of epic showdown.
Fine. If they wanted a show I could surely deliver.
Seeing as I wasn’t going to be able to reach Rowan I might as well vent some frustrations. I needed to practice for what I had planned for Gemma, anyway.
Why kill one Drain when I can get away with killing two?
“You. Fecking Drain,” I snarled, narrowing my eyes and lifting my legs to kick her in the nose before I flipped myself to my feet.
The heels of my red shoes had almost made contact when the girl narrowed her eyes and flicked her fingers in my direction, sending my legs and arms flat against the floor.
Shit.
An older student. Third year judging by the way she was smiling.
Well, I needed a challenge.
“Geeze. Will you listen to the mouth on this one? She seems to think she’s better than us for some reason.” The girl smiled, more than a dozen low chuckles following behind. I let the sound wash over me, fueling the crackle that was buzzing under my skin, waiting for the time to strike.
“I am better than you,” I snarled, shifting my weight enough that I could tell if her magic gave way.
“Oh yeah? Then why are you lying on the ground?” The laughs duplicated; her smile spread as she turned to everyone around her. The girl's pride took hold and her magic slipped enough that before she could turn back to me she was soaring straight up to the ceiling, arms and legs flailing as she screeched.
Laughs turned to gasps as I jumped to my feet in one quick movement, flipping my hair and smoothing my skirt as the girl slammed against the ornate plaster, sending the lighting fixtures up and down the hall into a flicker.
Anyone who wasn’t watching before was sure as hell watching now.
I gave them a sweet smile, catching the girl on her fall back to the ground and slamming her against the opposite wall, arms and legs spread awkwardly.
It was a beautiful image, a Drain on display.
God, it felt good to actually attack one of these vermin. I could only imagine how jealous all the Goldens behind me were, the twinkling laughs were near enough to a confirmation.
I would have turned, told them all it would be their turn soon enough, but I didn’t dare look away from the frightened animal before me.
“I will never be below you.” I stretched my hand out to her, holding her in place as I sent one bright red streak right into her gut. The trick one that Miko and I had been practicing on roaches and birds for the last few weeks.
It had been entertaining watching the bug twitch and scream with sounds I hadn’t known they could make. Watching the same in this Drain was glorious.
The red magic darted into her, every muscle and bone twisting under the spell. I could see her twitch, see her jaw lock against the scream that she was trying to keep in. But she couldn’t hide the pain, she couldn’t hide the fear that was shining through those eyes. The same fear echoed in gasps and shrieks that rattled around me.
“I could never be below your filthy scourge. I would never want to be.” I should be nervous. Nothing good could come from this display, I had to be breaking about a dozen rules. Yet, I couldn’t help the grin that spread over my face as I stepped closer to her and sent another attack directly into her heart.
That time she screamed as the magic tried to rip her apart, the unearthly pain a beautiful song that sent a few others gasping, and more than a few sets of panicked feet running in the opposite direction.
Wimps.
“You and your kind are rodents. I will do my part to exterminate you. All of you.”
My fingers flexed, one more beam of red shooting from my fingertips. The red triggered more screams from the echoing hall, the sounds duplicating as my attack hit an invisible barrier. Instead of crippling the Drain I had plastered to the wall, it ricocheted back to me.
I was knocked back for a second time, but instead of being pinned to the floor I was writhing against it, fighting against it as I locked my own scream inside fighting against my own attack.
My veins were filled with a twisting, dangerous fire. Every part of me was trying to move in an unnatural way, to break apart and burn and writhe and scream. Gritting my teeth, I fought against the pain, heaving as I rolled and pushed myself to my knees, forcing my magic to fight against the attack, to prepare to end the girl who was now heaving and gasping in a position similar to my own.
Except that she was not alone. Four Drains had run in to help her, the tattooed monsters lifting her up and carting her away. Or trying to, she was as interested in continuing this fight as I was. I lifted my hand, ready to send one last attack after her, one more trick that I was ready to try, armed and ready.
“No more, Ruby. You can continue this fight another time. Geo, get her to her room. I’ll be there in a minute.” A familiar voice commanded from above me, a pair of old, ugly combat boots stepping between me and my prey. I hissed as I turned my head to face Gemma, who stood with a glare darker than I had ever seen from her, that damn fat kid hovering over her shoulder as always.
“Get out of the way, Drain. She wants to fight. Let her fight.” I kept my voice as stable as I could, forcing myself to stand before her. I wasn’t going to take her down now, but I wasn’t going to cower beneath her either.
“She’s had enough of you, Sia.” Gemma stepped to the left, keeping herself in my vision and blocking the still snarling ‘Ruby’ from view.
“Are you the Queen of the rats, Gemma? The rat queen?” I snarled at her, my body finally starting to relax and I took a shaky step forward, letting my magic pump in preparation. “You know what they say about vermin. If you want to knock them out, start at the head.”
She didn’t even flinch at the warning, at the magic that I was letting spark from my fingers, the perfect little lines darting from finger to finger.
“Is that why you are heaving in a hallway? You started at the head?” She didn’t smile, though a few of the still lingering Drains snickered, the sound louder than what I had heard from my Goldens. The sound everywhere. I stepped back, head turning at the dozen Drains that were surrounding me.
“You don’t want to fight me, Sia,” Gemma said, waving off a few of the Drains who stepped back as though they were going to leave, but all they did was block the exits.
What the fecking hell was this idiot playing at, thinking that she could gang up on me? Exhaustion was wracking my body, but I had fought through worse. I had been trained to fight through worse. I would not let her get away with this.
This was exactly what I had been waiting for, a perfect moment handed to me.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“Yes, I do.” I stepped forward, flinging my hair behind my shoulder with a tiny bit of wind. “I was going to come find you, anyway. Remind you to stay away from my boyfriend.”
She blinked, a tiny laugh peeking on the corner of her lips. Damn, I was going to punch her smug face in before all this was over.
“Your boyfriend?” I could have sworn she was laughing at me, that kid Edward wasn’t even trying to hide his laughter
.
“The prince.” I pulled myself to standing, everything still aching as I faced her, my magic had mostly healed. “He’s mine and you need to back off.”
“You think I was trying to get in ‘your boyfriends’ pants?” She wasn’t even trying to hide her laugh now. “You’re cute. You’re also delusional.”
“Don’t deny it. I saw you--”
“Seriously Sia. I’m getting tired of beating you and putting your gleaming Golden ass through the rat's nest. To be honest, it would be nice if you actually won one.”
“I would have if you hadn’t butt in.”
“Sorry. Still lost. Don’t touch my people, Sia. Got a problem? Come after me.”
“That’s been the plan all along.” Miko and Tasha were going to be pissed that they weren’t there for this, but I didn’t care, I sent my magic right to her. Not the red fire that had gnawed at my bones, but the black smoke that danced through the air, ready to end her.
It would have too, if the deadly attack hadn’t banged against her shield, what little had made it through scurried away with a bat of her hand.
“So, we are going for, what is it now? Five losses?” She laughed, she didn’t even raise her hand when the plaster over my head cracked and rained down over us, whatever she had meant to hit me with coming from all directions.
I attacked while she laughed, her eyes trained on her friend, her defenses down. Instead of the smoke that would stop her heart, or the red that would twist her nerves. I sent a good old blast of pain and wind her way, the yellow sparks hitting right into her heart and shooting her back into the wall that was already crumbling from its previous occupant.
“You don’t have my boyfriend to save you this time. You don’t have anyone to save you.”
I stepped forward, ready to send the death blow as she peeled herself from the wall and
“Stay back, Eddy,” she snarled, hurling herself like a rugby player toward me.
I attacked again, the black smoke whipping through the air as she watched it, horrified.
It was almost there.
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