Darkwells Academy: Written in blood: An academy paranormal/urban fantasy romance

by Abby James

  “Why is that?”

  “I never get to speak with you.”

  “That’s because your fan squad never leave you alone.”

  He huffed his agreement, but his expression was smug.

  “I am curious myself about you. All these classes you attend. The fuss McGilus has shown over you since you arrived. What happened at the tournament? We have had little time to speak since them.”

  Oh god, here we go. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know. The skurks knew of the tasks within the tournament. They somehow managed to penetrate through your glamor. Did you know that it was possible?”

  “It has happened before, yes.”

  “Does it not anger you that they can do that?”

  Emrol stretched and yawned like he thought the whole conversation boring. “It’s not my concern. There are few that would have that skill. And since we are the dictators of glamor we can trap them in glamor as their punishment. But tell me why did this skurk go to such great lengths to have you?”

  “Because he is a nutcase. It has something to do with my father.”

  I had to think quick.

  “But your father is dead.”

  “Don’t ask me why he has made the connection, but he did mention my dad.”

  “A fire elemental. What could be so important about a fire elemental?”

  “Beats me. I’ve only been here for a short time, remember?”

  “What is Luca teaching you?”

  “He’s helping me.”

  “There are a lot of people talking about the two of you.”

  “Let them talk.”

  “They say it’s only a matter of time before he tries to turn you. Of course it would be interesting to see what would win out first. The sting of a vamp or your own ability, whatever that may be.”

  Had his mother not told him, or was he deliberately playing dumb?

  Pounding footsteps came along the swing bridge. We both stilled listening to them closing in. A woman’s head peeked around the veil of material that acted as his door.

  “Samara is needed at the crossing.”

  Emrol spun. “What?”

  “The queen has ordered Samara be sent back through the portal.”

  Emrol spun back to me, a new sort of curiosity wrote itself across his face.

  He led me out of his home and into a busy world of fae moving around on the wooden super highway. Seemed fun times in the pool where finished. We headed in the opposite direction to the one in which he brought me here, as far as the next platform along, and stopped next to a thick ropey vine.

  “You don’t expect me to go down using that do you?”

  I looked over the edge of the platform to see how far the ground was below; a long way.

  I shook my head. “Definitely not.”

  “I will descend with you. It is the quickest way and by far the easiest. Come here.”

  He crooked his finger to call me over while he took a good grip of the vine. Once in range, Emrol drew me flush to him with an arm around my waist. There was nowhere else for me to put my arms but around his neck, and I would have to be honest in saying it wasn’t entirely unpleasant being flush against him.

  “Hold tight.”

  “You betcha.”

  Close to the edge and I decided looking into his chest was much better than looking down.

  “Stand on the knot.”

  Once I did, he launched us off. My stomach stayed behind as we zipped down the line of the vine. I didn’t know how he wasn’t burning his hands all the way but we ended up at the bottom with a smooth slow down like we’d taken a lift.

  I was dizzy with the thrill of the adrenaline when Emrol released me once we were on the ground. I wanted to ask him if we could do it again, but he strode off.

  “Is your mother unhappy with me?” I asked once I caught up with him. “Is that why she is kicking me out.”

  “It’s not that she is kicking you out. I would say someone from Darkwells has requested you.”

  “They have?” I squeaked in alarm.

  But who? There was no one at Darkwells, a few from faculty and a handful of teachers. No one who would know where I was.

  “Emrol.” We’d not gone far when Lya came rushing through the forest, looking refreshed and alive after her gay time in the pool. “Where are you taking Samara?”

  “She must return.”

  “So soon, but what about the feast?”

  “I think Samara has seen enough to miss the feast.”

  “But why? The feast is such a special time of year.”

  Emrol pulled Lya close and kissed her forehead. “Maybe next year. She has her own celebration to get to.”

  She looked on the verge of tears.

  “Thanks for the skinny dip.” Was all I could think to say.

  I looked behind as we walked away to see she’d become distracted with a bunch of flowers. So much for a tearful farewell. Fae could let go of emotions real quick.

  Emrol kept the pace, saying nothing to me the whole way back to the portal. The scenery looked the same to me, like we were heading in circles, so I was surprised when he stopped in a small clearing of trees.

  “This is where I leave you.” His lips quirked into a cheeky smile. He glanced down at me then back into the forest ahead, or rather through the portal, which I couldn’t see because I didn’t have his sight.

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Take a deep breath. You’re going to need it.”

  “To cross?”

  He gently pushed me forward. “To face what awaits on the other side.” He waved his hand in front us and the air shimmered and swirled, blurring the forest behind. In seconds the snow of the Darkwells ground came into view.

  And standing there, arms folded across his chest was Luca. His face a storm cloud. His eyes nothing but burning crimson.

  18

  Luca strode in front of me, keeping his pace, forcing me to jog to catch up with him while I tried to put my jacket back on.

  “I thought you were in Prague.”

  “Is that the reason why?”

  “I don’t understand, why what?”

  Luca spun on me so fast I stumbled back so as not to crash into him. “You thought you would sneak into the fae realm because I was out the way.” His voice restrained, even so the anger seeped through.

  “Sneak!”

  Looming down on me, the turbulent crimson of his eyes was the only part of him I could see. His anger turned into an internal fire, emanating punishing rays that penetrated my skin, searing down to my core like a branding.

  “Did you hope to make me this angry?”

  “Why would I want to do that?” Talk about dramatizing the situation.

  Luca’s gaze flicked back and forth between my eyes, his intense stare like a scoop hoping to gouge out hidden secrets I wouldn’t reveal. He wanted to pry my heart open, know the truth, but I was already giving him the truth. He just wouldn’t believe it. Caught in the fae realm was guilt enough. The reasons were immaterial; he had already formulated the reasons why and believed them to be the only possibility regardless of what I would say.

  He spun on his heels and stormed off, resuming his punishing pace, leaving me to scurry after him like a chastised child. My stomach roiled and knotted up with all the guilt. I knew what he would think of me crossing into the fae realm. And after the trick Emrol had played on me before, he would think I was gullible and naive.

  “The queen invited me.” It was the truth, even if the invitation had come from Emrol’s lips. He’d wanted me there because he’d hoped to seduce the truth of my ability out of me. I slowed behind Luca. Oh god, no. The queen wanted me there so she could see for herself, learn for herself what secrets I hid. Emrol had known. He wanted to learn as much as she. It was a trick. It was always a trick.

  This time I wanted to turn away, run back to Nylph and bury myself under my covers, die in the shame of my stupidity. McGilus had wanted to keep my ability a secre
t because no one was trustworthy. All I seemed to do was break my promise to keep the secret to myself. One mistake after another, that’s all I managed to achieve at Darkwells.

  We were almost at the castle already, but Luca’s pace did not cease. He pounded up the stairs. I half expected to see the stone work cracking as he passed. “Luca. Please, can we talk about it?”

  He ignored me, but continued up the steps. I took them two at a time to catch up, then snagged his elbow. A good dose of Luca juice smoothed along our connection and into me. With it came an even healthier dose of his fury. Feeling repelled from my hold on him, I stumbled a few paces back.

  Ignited by my touch, Luca strode toward me, presenting an impenetrable wall of broad shoulders and solid chest. “I did not think you were that stupid.”

  It hurt. It really did. I seemed destined to make bad decisions and for him to forever see me as immature.

  “You said it yourself. Emrol would not be so foolish as to enslave a Darkwells’ student. The queen wouldn’t risk the wrath of the council. I believed him when he said the invitation was innocent.”

  He snorted. “Innocent. On Christmas day.”

  That was all he had to say. He spun, jerked his hand to the side in a quick furious motion and one of the giant double doors to the castle flew open. In no time he disappeared inside, leaving me to swallow my hesitation at following. Luca was kinda scary when he was furious.

  Somehow I managed to get in front of him. “Would you stop walking and talk to me.”

  “There could be only one reason Emrol invited you to the fae realm on Christmas day.”

  He knew about the fae traditions on Christmas day? “What would that be?” my voice was nothing more than a whisper.

  His deep frown knitted his brow together. “When will you make decisions made from common sense? Even supe children make better choices than you. It’s like you want to create problems.”

  Asshole.

  “I didn’t know, all right.” Pathetic excuse, but I was so hopping mad myself now I couldn’t think of anything intelligent to say. “And supe children have the benefit of knowing all this stuff before hand. They have parents to teach them. And you’re being such an asshole. Nothing happened. I met the queen, his sister showed me around. She indulged in some fun with her fae friends and Emrol finished the tour off. That’s it.”

  “Emrol.” He repeated as if it proved all his suspicions.

  “Yeah, Emrol. He was being the polite host. It’s what you do when you take someone somewhere they are unfamiliar with.”

  I was forced to bend backward because he leaned in so close. I nearly took a step back but was not going to give him that satisfaction. “And what did Emrol show you?”

  “The realm.” Oh shit, did this mean Luca was jealous? “Where they live.”

  “You went into the trees?”

  “You know about the trees?”

  He closed his eyes and exhaled. “Answer me.”

  “It was part of the tour.”

  “Did he show you his hut?”

  Of course he was heading to that point. Damn him. “We may have passed it.”

  Luca snapped out his hand and caught me on the chin, his fingers digging into my skin. “Don’t play with me, Samara.”

  Christ, I want to play with you.

  And there it was again; his beautiful scent, the rich aroma I’d come to associate with sexy times. The smell never failed to set me tingling in all the right places. Only this time, Luca crashed my fantasy before it had begun by giving me a whipping with his as yet untapped anger.

  He gave me one last beating with his eyes then released me and strode away. I scooted after him, not even bothering to look around at where we went.

  “Why did you come back from Prague early?”

  “To keep an eye on you. McGilus is gone. There is no one here to keep you out of trouble.”

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “And this is the reason why. I had not realized you would be such a child to watch over.”

  Ouch. He was steaming and sending it my way. But knowing it could be because he was jealous enabled me to weather the onslaught.

  “Did you see your friend?”

  “Don’t change the subject.”

  “If you would stop pounding off across the castle and give me a chance to explain instead of biting my head off every time I spoke, you’d probably feel better.”

  My reply was the smart smack of his shoes.

  “Do you really believe that Emrol and I…that I would be interested…”

  “This is not about who you choose to spend you personal time with. That is none of my business.”

  “If that’s the case, why even ask me if Emrol showed me his hut?”

  “I want to know the scope of your stupidity.”

  Like a slap his comment shut me up. I wanted to believe this was all because he was jealous and not because he genuinely despised me right now.

  Luca turned the next bend and headed down. As he went the orbs on the walls flared to life, one by one on his passing. We were heading to the dungeons.

  “Why are we going down here?”

  “It’s time to train.”

  “Are you meaning me? But it’s Christmas day. It’s a holiday.”

  He spun halfway down. “Do you want to learn to control your ability or not. Because I will not waste my time on someone who thinks this is all a game.”

  “All right. Keep your panties on. I’m coming.”

  I followed in silence because I no longer had the courage to coax him out from under his armor of fury. Luca angry was a hard nut to crack. The fact he’d not brushed me off and disappeared to sulk gave me hope we could sort this out as soon as he blew the steam through his system. I didn’t want him to be jealous, but god I loved the idea that he thought about me in such a way that he would be jealous.

  At the bottom he lifted his hand and blasted open the door, which flew back and hit the wall with a heavy thud that rebounded with a shudder. The door was a good ten inches thick if not more.

  I had to feel my way into the dungeon. With the door now partially closed the colored light from the orbs offered no help.

  “Some light would be great. Or do you except me to develop extra sensory perception?”

  A small glow flickered to life at the front of the classroom. As the intensity grew it reflected off Luca’s face reminding me he was a creature of the night, a vampire, but he could also walk in the light. He was right in saying he was dangerous, but I trusted him more than anyone in my life. That’s how crazy I was, crazy for him.

  “Shall I sit down on one of the seats and begin meditating?”

  Luca copied his trick of the other day and separated the light into a dozen, which he threw to various corners of the dungeon.

  “There will be no need for meditation. Today you will defend yourself.”

  “Whoa. Defend myself, against what?”

  “Me.”

  “You. You’ve got to be joking.”

  Luca let loose a bolt of white light that singed passed me and hit the wall behind releasing sparks and fragmenting some of the brickwork.

  “Jesus, what do you think you’re doing?”

  “You wanted me to teach you, Samara, then you’d better pay attention.”

  “This is not you teaching me. This is you punishing me. I don’t deserve this.”

  “You don’t?” He quirked an eyebrow. Quicker than lightning he released another bolt of blistering energy. It scorched in front of me, close enough I felt the heat across my cheeks and the small fine hairs on my face tingled with the static charge.

  “This is insane.” I yelled at him.

  “You better move quick.”

  He raised his hand.

  “I get it. You’re angry with me. But adults talk about what’s troubling them. Children throw tantrums.”

  “You think you know so much about this world you have only just entered.”

  He let loose ano
ther of his punishing bolts. This time it seared across the back of my hand, close enough I felt it touch my skin with a faint burn. The suddenness of it set another fire burning within my body. The mark. I inhaled sharp as I glanced at my hand to see a red line where the energy had grazed me.

  “You hit me.”

  “I wouldn’t hit you if you learned to move a little quicker.”

  “You bastard.” I inhaled through another burning stab in my thigh. “Do you want an apology?”

  “Too late now, Samara. You made your decision. You proved to me you are not to be trusted.”

  This time the bolt went over my head. But only over my head because I saw it coming and ducked. I wanted to yell a scathing insult but was distracted by the jab at my thigh. I was being attacked on two fronts.

  “I am merely demonstrating to you how little you know of this world. And how vulnerable you are. You think you are capable of surviving by yourself and making your own decisions about who is good and who is bad, then go right ahead.”

  I inhaled sharply.

  “Keep moving, Samara.”

  “I cannot defend myself against you, you know that. I have nothing of my own.”

  “That’s right. And it’s time you remembered it.”

  He raised his arm again, the light forming in his hand.

  “Wait, stop.” I placed my hand over the mark and pressed down in an attempt to sooth the burning ache. Flecks danced in front of my eyes, distracting my vision. “This is not teaching me anything that will help.”

  “Start moving, or the next thing I singe is your ass.”

  I stood still. “No. I won’t dance for you.”

  There was a mad flurry of black and Luca stood in front of me. So close he breathed all over me. I inhaled the exotic spice and musky signature smell that was all him.

  “You don’t want to believe it, but you are like a child in a world where everyone will take advantage of you. The council have executed people like you. I won’t even begin on what the skurk would do. The fae have no loyalty. They will sell out on you in a blink if they see an advantage for themselves. Your mother died trying to save you, Samara. Respect the sacrifice she made.”

  Dammit, he would have to say it like that.

  “Look, I’m sorry if you were worried. But I was fine. There was nothing going on. I just wanted to see the fae realm. And Emrol gave me the opportunity. It seemed too good to pass up.”