by G. K. DeRosa
Fenix shrugged and led the way behind the little man. Tufts of white hair shot out from the back of his head, and I couldn’t help but stare at the pointy ears protruding from the balding sides. Kimmie-Jayne’s heeled boots slapped the stone floor, echoing in the quiet corridor.
This wasn’t like any school I’d ever been to… where were the rowdy kids? Slamming locker doors? The place seemed deserted.
We turned the corner and the hallway split, leading to a pair of doors. A golden sign hung over the one on the right with the word Administration stamped across the top in bold letters. The opposite sign said Elias P. Darkhen Hall.
A buzz of voices seeped through the thick door of the latter. My heart rate picked up. On the other side of that door were my future classmates—faeries, demons, vampires, witches and who knew what else. I wiped my sweaty palms against my jeans as our guide opened the Administration door, motioning for us to enter.
He ushered us through another hallway before stopping at thick oak double doors. The words Headmaster loomed over me. Man, I hoped this guy was better than Principal Greenfield. We’d gotten off on the wrong foot when I accidentally T.P.’d his car on freshman prank day. He’d hated me ever since. Who knew honey-coated toilet paper could do so much damage?
A rumbly voice from within shouted, “Come in,” and our guide opened the doors just wide enough for us to sneak through. A hulking blonde in a suit sat at the massive mahogany desk in the corner, his wide shoulders bent over a laptop. Arched stained-glass windows made up the wall behind him, depicting flying dragons, freakish horned beasts and angels locked in battle. They stretched all the way up to the dark mahogany rafters crisscrossing the soaring ceiling.
When the man finally lifted his blue-eyed gaze to us, my heart stopped.
“Cillian, from Hitched?” The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them.
He only spared me a moment’s glance before turning his attention to my half-sister. The brilliant blue of his irises intensified, a heavenly glow illuminating them from the inside.
Sweet angels in heaven. How could I have not recognized him? Cillian had made it to the final two. He’d been this close to marrying my half-sister. Instead of a dragon shifter for a brother-in-law, I could have had this divine being—an honest to goodness guardian angel.
As all these thoughts scattered around in my mind, Cillian practically leapt across the room, pulling K.J. into a hug. A low growl reverberated in Fenix’s throat until the two parted.
I fidgeted with my backpack straps, suddenly feeling like the fourth wheel on a very awkward vehicle.
“Cillian, I want you to meet my sister, Luna Hallows.” Kimmie-Jayne’s voice broke the uncomfortable silence, and I hazarded a look up at one of the most beautiful men I’d ever seen. Although the angel was older than dirt, he looked to be in his mid-twenties max.
I couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy bubbling up inside me. K.J. had gotten to pick her future husband from some of the most gorgeous men on earth. And more than that, they’d all actually cared about her. Risked their lives for her even. My two high school boyfriends were just looking to get laid. Boy were they disappointed. Just because I acted a certain way didn’t mean I acted a certain way.
Cillian finally turned his gaze to me, and a smile lit up his finely sculpted jaw. Extending his hand, his big fingers closed around mine. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Luna. Your sister went through a lot to find you. I hope that you’ll make yourself at home here at Darkhen Academy.”
I stared dumbstruck at the handsome angel, the feel of his warm skin against mine sending tingles up my arm. “Th-thank you,” I muttered.
“She’s kind of a fan of the show,” said Fenix, rolling his eyes.
Oh geez, I sounded like a total fangirl. When he released my hand, I sucked in a breath, willing my erratic heartbeats to return to a more normal pace. I swallowed, moistening my dry throat so I could actually speak. “I’m really excited to be here.” And terrified.
Cillian’s jaw tensed, and he bent down to my eye-level. “I need to make something clear from the beginning. Since you’re from the human world, you know me best as Cillian from Hitched. While the show was popular here in Azar, it wasn’t anywhere near what it was in the U.S. As such, I need you to treat me with the respect you would a headmaster, okay?”
I nodded quickly, and he shot me a reassuring grin.
“Great then. We shouldn’t have any problems.”
“One more thing,” said K.J. lifting her finger, “we should probably keep your—our father’s identity between us for now. Not many Azarians know who the President really is, and we don’t need any extra attention on him or Luna.”
“Agreed.” Cillian crossed his arms over his chest. “The fewer people who know who Luna’s father is the better.”
Kimmie-Jayne’s hand landed on my shoulder, and I jumped. “Don’t worry, Cillian will take good care of you. Just like he did with me.” She threw him a meaningful look, and I swear the imposing angel melted under her gaze.
A cool mask slipped back over the headmaster’s face, and he turned to the little man that had brought us in. “Darby, will you take Fenix to see what we discussed earlier?”
The dragon shifter’s eyes narrowed. “Must we take care of this now?”
Cillian nodded, his jaw set in a tight line. “I’d prefer you see it as soon as possible.”
Fenix grumbled but followed Darby out all the same.
“Is everything okay?” K.J. asked.
“Nothing we can’t handle.” This time Cillian’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Come sit. We have a lot to talk about.” He motioned to the two high-back leather chairs in front of his desk.
I followed Kimmie-Jayne and sank into the supple leather, dropping my backpack on the floor. Without the straps to keep my fingers busy, I clasped my hands together to keep from fidgeting as Cillian pulled out a maroon folder. Emblazoned across the front was the Darkhen Academy crest inked in green and black. It was the same as the one across the gate, but now close up I could actually make out the details. It was divided into seven sections—each one with a supernatural creature—a dragon, faery, angel, and a few others I couldn’t quite make out before Cillian’s voice drew my attention away.
“Are you familiar with the seven houses of Azar?” he asked.
Kimmie-Jayne shook her head. “I doubt they teach that sort of thing in human public school, Cillian.”
I confirmed her guess with a headshake of my own.
“Right, then. We’ll start with the basics.” He sat back in his chair, his blue eyes turning pensive. “The seven main houses of Azar are: the Fae Court, the Brotherhood of Dragons, the Coven Council, the Sons of Heaven, the Shifter Pack, the Ocean Realm and the Royal Vampires. All pretty self explanatory, right?”
I nodded when he paused.
“In addition, all the smaller supernatural communities elect one member to represent their minority interests. So eight members in total on the Etrian Assembly—each in theory equal. The Etrian Assembly is our governing body. Kind of like your Congress.”
I pointed at the crest on the folder. “You said there were eight, but there are only seven represented here.”
Cillian’s brows furrowed. “As I mentioned, the eighth group is in the minority, and unfortunately not well represented. The Underworld, the final realm in Azar was also excluded. When the Darkhen family founded this academy, they chose to omit them from the official crest. But we do have a few minority members in attendance. None from the Underworld, however.”
“Who are the Darkhens?”
“A very wealthy family of the Fae Winter Court. They’re cousins to the Wintersbee royal family. You are familiar with Elrian Wintersbee, king of the Winter Court?”
My head bobbed. K.J. tensed beside me. Elrian was one of the final five bachelors on Hitched. He’d left the show before the second-to-last elimination when his father, the king, was murdered. He went from prince to king o
ver night and chose his duties over remaining on the show. Judging by my sister’s reaction, things still seemed strained between her and the new Fae king.
“Anyway, long before President Lazaris’s ruling on supernatural academies came into effect, Darkhen had been providing instruction to the best and brightest young people of Azar. I only recently took on the role as headmaster last year.” He paused, glancing up at Kimmie-Jayne. “I’m bound by duty, and now that duty has brought me here.”
There seemed more to their unspoken exchange but with all the thoughts bouncing around in my mind, it was hard to focus.
“The Academy is divided by houses,” he continued. “There are seven floors in the dormitories, each one corresponding to its respective supernatural grouping. Classes are mixed, but students each focus on their given magical ability plus choose an additional one to hone.”
What if I didn’t have any magical abilities? “Where do the humans live?”
K.J. shifted beside me, uncrossing her legs. “Well, you’re the first…”
“What?” My eyes widened like some deranged cartoon character. “I thought the president said all half-bloods had to go to schools like this.”
“They do, but Darkhen is a bit different. As Cillian mentioned, it wasn’t built due to the mandate.” She glanced at the angel, clearly looking for help.
He folded his hands on the desk, loosing a breath. “We’re considering allowing humans to attend in the future. Let’s say you’re a test run.”
The pieces of this crazy puzzle quickly assembled in my mind. “It’s because of who my father is, right? That’s the only reason I’m here.”
“Only the best for Garrix’s offspring.” Cillian smirked.
Anxiety bubbled in my gut like one of those old school lava lamps. Being surrounded by supernaturals I’d expected, but I never thought I’d be the only human—or half-human anyway. How could I ever fit in a school full of elite supes?
He pushed a sheet of paper in front of me, the black letters and numbers taking shape to form my dreaded class schedule. “This is only tentative. We’ll see how you do and can shuffle things around at any time. As I said, this is all new for us too. The rest of the students follow a predetermined schedule based on their kind. They then choose a secondary path of specialty.”
I stared at the class list, feeling like I’d just fallen into the pages of a twisted fairy tale.
Potions and Poisons
Defensive Magic
Flying and Shifting 101
Spellcraft
Combat
You’ve got to be shifting me… “But I don’t have a specialty.”
“Maybe not yet,” said K.J. glancing around the room, “but I have faith something will pop up. I’m sure being here will inspire something buried deep inside.”
The only thing this creepy academy was inspiring so far was terror.
The doors to the office whipped open, slamming against the stone walls, and I spun as my heart leapt up my throat.
Bottomless onyx eyes bored into me for a millisecond before turning to my half-sister. Every single nerve in my body tingled to life for the moment his eyes were locked on mine.
A wry smile pulled at a pair of perfect lips. He ate up the distance between us, his intense gaze bouncing between my sister and me. A flash of yellow eclipsed his dark irises before he settled his attention on K.J. “So the rumors were true… You really are here, little minx.”
Chapter 5
Holy hot bachelors! How was it possible to have so many gorgeous men under one roof? My mouth hung open as Ryder Strong wrapped my sister in a hug. It was him, it was really him… the demon bad boy that Kimmie-Jayne managed to wrap around her little finger on Hitched.
My eyes raked over his thick tattooed biceps peeking out from under his tight black t-shirt. His hair was closer cut than it had been while on the show, short gelled spikes completing his bad boy look. My gaze traveled down his broad chest to the tight dark blue jeans slung low on his hips. Damn, he really was every bit as sinful in person as I’d imagined.
I was so consumed with ogling him, I didn’t realize it when he started speaking to me.
“Hey kid, you got a little drool right here.” Ryder pointed at his chin, a smirk tugging at his full lips and revealing an irresistible dimple.
Blazing heat shot up my neck, spreading over my cheeks and ears. I swung my hair around hoping to hide behind the blonde curtain as embarrassment steamrolled over me.
“Don’t be an ass, Ryder,” growled Cillian.
I’d almost forgotten the angel was here.
Ryder approached me, a silly grin still lighting up his sculpted cheekbones. “Relax, uncle, I was just messing with her. After meeting you, I figured she’d need a little comic relief.”
Kimmie-Jayne moved beside him, elbowing him in the side. “Ryder, meet Luna Hallows, my half-sister.”
His pitch eyes roamed over me, scorching heat leaving its mark over every inch. After the longest seconds of my life, he extended a hand, wrapping his warm fingers around mine. “Always a pleasure to meet another one of Garrix’s beautiful offspring.” He glanced from me to my sister and back again. “I’ll give him one thing, your father definitely knows how to pick ‘em. Your sister is hot—”
“Don’t even think about it, Ryder,” Kimmie-Jayne and Cillian shouted in unison.
O.M.G., please kill me now. I wrapped my arms across my chest, hoping to keep myself from disintegrating into a pile of goo.
“What? I was joking…” He winked, and my heart flip-flopped. “How old are you anyway, kid?”
I forced my eyes to meet his and willed my lips to form words. “Eighteen.”
His dark brow quirked up, his lips curling into a grin. “She’s only a few years younger than you, little minx.”
Kimmie-Jayne smacked him in the shoulder. “Hands off, Ryder. I mean it. She’s here to study and learn, not get involved with someone like you.”
“Ouch!” He made a stabbing motion into his chest.
“This is a moot point,” interjected Cillian, fire lighting up his brilliant blue eyes. “Faculty and student relations are strictly forbidden. My dear nephew is well aware of our policies.”
Faculty? Ryder is a teacher here? My heart fluttered at the thought of seeing him every day.
My new instructor raised his hands, grinning. “Everyone relax. Geez, I can’t have any fun around here.”
Cillian shook his head and snorted. “Well, since you’re here, perhaps you can make yourself useful for once.” He eyed his desk, the stacks of papers layered like the leaning tower of Pisa and shuddered. “I was going to give them the grand tour, but since you don’t apparently have anything better to do, you can take them.”
Ryder checked his watch. “Fine, but you’re going to owe me an extra long lunch tomorrow.”
It was only lunchtime? I rubbed my eyes, the lids suddenly heavy. I felt like it was almost bedtime.
As if reading my thoughts, Kimmie-Jayne chimed in. “It’s a five-hour time difference here in Azar. You might be a little jet-lagged at first, but you’ll get used to it in no time.”
“Right.”
Cillian handed Ryder a sheet of paper, and I noticed my name stamped across the top. “This will keep you on track for the tour and her rooming assignment is included.”
“Yes, sir.” Ryder saluted the headmaster, and I stifled the giggle from bubbling out. After seeing the pair interacting on the TV show, I was beyond surprised to see them working together. Ryder wasn’t just any old demon; he was Lucifer’s son—yes, that’s right, as in the devil and the first fallen angel. Cillian and Lucifer were brothers so that made Ryder his nephew. My new instructor and I had at least one thing in common—we both had supernatural dads who loved the human ladies. Ryder probably had more half-siblings out there than I did.
“Okay, let’s get this show on the road.” He turned toward the double doors, and K.J. and I followed.
“If you need anything, just
ask, Luna,” Cillian called out as we crossed the threshold.
“Thanks,” I answered over my shoulder.
As soon as we turned the corner out of the headmaster’s office, Fenix and Darby appeared. The dragon shifter’s eyes were dim, the brilliant gold opaque against his dark pupils. And something told me it wasn’t only because of the demon standing next to me.
“I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to cut this visit short.” He looked to me then to his wife. “Something’s come up that requires my immediate attention in Draeko.”
“But we haven’t even toured the academy yet,” Kimmie-Jayne grumbled. “I don’t want to leave Luna unsettled.”
Ryder’s arm came around my shoulders, and it was like a live wire snapping and crackling over my skin. I resisted the urge to shiver under his touch. His musky, sandalwood scent swirled around me, wrapping me in its spicy embrace. “Don’t worry, little minx, I’ll take care of the kid.”
She rolled her eyes, stepping closer. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
I stepped out from under his arm even though my traitorous body screamed at me not to. “I’ll be fine, Kimmie-Jayne. I’m not a kid, and I appreciate you coming with me this far.” I shot Ryder a snarky glare for good measure. I wasn’t a kid. I was eighteen and had practically raised myself since Mrs. Hallows passed away when I was thirteen.
“I’m really sorry, Luna,” added Fenix. “I wanted to introduce you to your new roommate, my little sister, Cinder.”
A hazy image of a raven-haired girl with golden eyes scampered across my mind. We’d gotten to meet Fenix’s family on Hitched when Kimmie-Jayne went to each of their homes. She’d seemed sweet.
“You’ll love Cinder, mini minx. She’s nothing like her brother.” Ryder winked at Fenix, who shot him a good growl in return.
“Keep away from my sister, demon.” The dragon’s pupils elongated, the golden glow around the dark slits intensifying.