by G. K. DeRosa
Cinder rolled her eyes, dropping her tray on the table. “Luna, this is my cousin, Ash. Is Luna the reason you’re gracing our table with your presence today? Where are your friends?”
He ticked his head to a table at the far end of the dining hall. I followed everyone’s gaze to the only round one in the place, where six others sat huddled together. There was one empty chair, which I assumed belonged to Ash. One of the guys spun around, catching my gaze. The most unusual lilac irises locked onto mine. I swallowed hard as a wave of goose bumps crawled over my flesh. Short, platinum blonde hair and a sharp angled jaw completed the guy’s modelesque appearance. He was beautiful, but in a chilling way. His skin shone like porcelain and every perfect angle seemed to have been meticulously carved from the finest marble.
He nudged the guy next to him and before long the entire table had turned to gawk. It was like staring directly into the sun—their looks brilliant and scorching but deadly.
Dropping my gaze, I whispered to Cinder, “Who are they?”
“The Seven.”
“Oh stop that, Cin,” barked Ash. “You’re going to freak her out. Those are my friends.”
I scanned the table once again, and unlike each of the groups sitting at the tables around us, this one was markedly different. Power oozed from their side of the room, that sweet, smoky smell radiated from their table creating a wall which no one dare cross. The three beautiful girls and three uber-hot guys whispered among themselves, an intense aura shrouding them in power.
“Rule number one at Darkblood: Don’t mess with The Seven.” Cinder’s hushed voice turned my attention back to her. Maxi and Alissa both bobbed their heads up and down.
“They’re crazy powerful and don’t talk to or hang out with anyone but themselves,” added Maxi.
“That’s totally untrue.” Ash popped a French fry in his mouth and stood. “Everyone’s just intimidated by us—them.”
“You only talk to me because I’m your cousin,” said Cinder, “and because my brother’s the dragon alpha.”
“Whatever. Come on, Luna, I’ll prove it to you. I’ll introduce you to them.”
I glanced over once again, unable to keep from staring—especially at him. Those icy lilac eyes called to me. The guy raked his hand through his impossibly platinum hair, drawing my attention to his pointy ears. My mouth dropped, and he shot a scowl in my direction. I squeezed my eyes shut, blinking rapidly and forced my gaze to move on to anywhere else. Anyone but him. His frosty glare was melting my insides. The guy sitting next to him actually smirked when my eyes caught his. Unlike his unpleasant friend, he had warm amber eyes, shaggy light brown hair, and a more approachable expression.
“So are you coming, Luna?” Ash leaned across the table.
I’d been so distracted I hadn’t even heard him speak. “Huh?”
“Do you want to meet my friends or what?”
I grabbed the breakfast sandwich from my plate and shoved it in my mouth. “Um, I’m just eating right now,” I said around another bite, “super starved—maybe some other time.”
Ash rolled his eyes at his cousin and stomped off to join his friends. I couldn’t keep my eyes from trailing his broad shoulders the whole way across the breakfast hall. He folded down next to icy lilac eyes and whispered something that made the guy’s frown twist into a grin.
Seven pairs of multi-hued eyes turned to me, and heat rose up my neck, spreading across my cheeks. Ugh, why me?
Of course they had to be gossiping about the new human girl.
“So what exactly is the story with The Seven?” I finally asked after my blazing skin cooled.
“Not sure if you’ve noticed,” said Maxi, “but we tend to stick to our own kind.” She ticked her head down the table, and I knew we were surrounded by other dragon shifters. It was going to take me some time to recognize the different species when they weren’t all neatly divided into tables. The vampires were easy enough to spot because of their pale skin and fangs, Fae had the pointy ears, but shifters, witches, warlocks? How the heck was I supposed to know?
I must have been making my confused face because Cinder interjected. “We all wear different colored pins for our houses.” She pointed at the small navy blue dragon pin attached to her breast pocket. It was barely noticeable against the black uniform polo shirt.
“Oh… that should make things easier.”
“I’ll explain all the houses and their colors and symbols when we get back to our room tonight,” said Cinder.
“Looks like I’m going to have a lot of studying to do.” I shook my head and platinum hair whizzed across my peripheral vision. I refused to look at him again, forcing my gaze to Maxi. “So anyway, you were saying—about The Seven?”
“Right, so, the reason we call them that is they each represent one of the houses. It’s just odd—they’re tighter than any pack or coven in here. The blonde guy is Drake, he’s a Fae and pretty much the leader, the one next to him is Ash, who you already met. He’s the nicest of the bunch and most recent recruit. On the other side of him is Raine, she’s a total b—witch. She and Aeria, with the neon blue hair are besties. Oh yeah, Aeria is a siren. You do not want to get on either of those girls’ bad sides. Then there’s Rafael and Triston, nephilim and werewolf, respectively. They’re not too bad either but you don’t want to be near Triston on a full moon. And lastly, the goth girl sitting off to the side is Scarlett. I bet even you can figure out what she is.”
Her black hair, pale skin and crimson lined pupils were kind of a dead giveaway. “Vampire,” I whispered. I didn’t think I was ever going to remember all their names, but their faces were permanently emblazoned in my mind.
“Yup.” Maxi took a sip of her cappuccino, glancing at me over the rim. “So those are The Seven. Do yourself a favor and avoid them at all costs. They’re the ones that gave Darkblood Academy its nickname. Just stick with us for now until they start recruiting more humans.”
I didn’t know what to make of The Seven, but for now I’d follow Maxi’s advice. Even though it all sounded a bit nuts. “So you guys really don’t mix at all with the other students?” This was like some crazy racism. I mean sure there were cliques back in Crestwood, but they weren’t divided by race or nationality. Not really anyway.
Cinder shrugged. “I’m new here and as soon as I arrived I was welcomed by my dragon pride. It was just natural. I talk to the other students in class and stuff, but I don’t know, it’s like that in Azar.”
The eight houses of Azar weren’t just political groupings, they were also territories. Each house had its own geographic area and apparently didn’t cross over to visit each other often. I’d heard that a few hundred thousand humans had moved into Celestia—the angel territory—when our worlds were officially united. I wondered if they traveled around the other provinces.
A bell rang, tearing me from my inner musings.
“Breakfast time is up,” said Cinder, finishing off her smoothie. “You ready for your first class?”
Ugh. “No, not really.”
“Let me see your schedule again?”
When I awoke this morning, I found a shiny new laptop on my desk along with the official school tablet. And a pre-paid credit card. I almost fell out of my desk chair. There was a note from Cillian saying I’d get my books at each class and to let him know if there was anything else I needed. I had no idea how much money was on the card, but I’d use it sparingly for now. No online shopping for me… Did Amazon even deliver to Azar?
Shuffling through my backpack, I pulled out the tablet and flipped to my class schedule. Cinder, Maxi and Alissa all crowded around to get a better look.
Cinder’s pretty pink lips turned into a pout. “Looks like we only have two together. Flying and Shifting 101 and Spellcraft.”
“I’m in your Potions and Poisons class,” said Alissa.
“Yup, me too.” Maxi actually smiled.
Cinder straightened and picked up her tray. “So that means you only have Defensive
Magic and Combat by yourself. That’s not too bad.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Too bad Combat was the first class of the day.
I lifted my tray and followed the girls to deposit our trash. As we neared The Seven, I kept my eyes trained to my half-eaten breakfast sandwich. It felt like a million tiny pinpricks stabbed my skin as we passed. Their intense gazes bored into me with more intensity than the sun on a scorching summer day. What the actual eff?
I picked up the pace, nearly barreling by Cinder to avoid their penetrating glares as I dropped my tray in the receptacle. She lifted her gaze over my shoulder and smirked. “Drake seems particularly taken by you.”
“What?”
“Drake Wintersbee, the Fae prince. He’s the blonde at the table.”
“A prince?” I hissed. “Wait, I thought Elrian was the Fae prince—” My words cut off when I remembered their father, the king of Winter Court, was killed during the filming of Hitched. Elrian became king so that made Drake his younger brother. I should have recognized those icy lilac eyes. They were exact replicas of his brother’s—who was totally in love with my half-sister. Geez, would I ever be able to escape Kimmie-Jayne’s suitors? It seemed like reminders of them lurked in every corner of this school.
“I take it you were a fan of Hitched?” Cinder’s lips tipped into a grin as she led the way out of the banquet hall.
“You weren’t?”
“Of course I was, but my twin brothers were in it so I was personally invested. The show had a pretty limited release here in Azar.”
“I can’t believe that. It was insanely popular in the human world. Everyone is waiting for news on the next season.”
“The Assembly likes to keep a tight leash on how much human programming comes into Azar. It’s gotten better now with the unification, but we still don’t have access to everything.” She stopped in front of a door, and I realized we’d already reached the second floor. “This is me. Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you to the gym?”
“Nah. I’m sure I can find it.” I pulled out my handy dandy tablet and flipped to the map of the academy.
“Okay, I’ll see you this afternoon in class then.”
Glancing at the time on the sleek device, I spun toward the stairs. I had fifteen minutes until class started, but who knew how long it would take to find the gym. I hitched my backpack further up on my shoulders and took the stairs up a level. According to Cinder, there was an overpass on the third floor, which connected this building to the gym without having to go outside. I shuddered at the thought of the freezing temps beyond the door. My official uniform hadn’t arrived yet. According to Cillian’s note, I should get it by this evening. Which meant for now, I was stuck with my old crappy coat to brave the freakish faery elements.
A few students lingered in the halls, but as I made my way toward the overpass, the floor grew quiet. Without the hustle and bustle of students chattering, the old building was pretty creepy. With its dark wood, stone walls, and flickering candlelight, it had all the makings of a Hollywood thriller. Not to mention vampires, werewolves, and witches. Oh my!
I shook my head, chasing away the dark thoughts.
“You don’t belong here.” A raspy voice hissed from the shadows.
I spun around to an empty corridor, every hair on my body standing on end. “What? Who’s there?” I took a step forward, and my fingers clamped around the handle to the overpass.
“You shouldn’t be here. Get out while you still can.” The same voice whisper-hissed across the deadly quiet space. Aw, hell no!
I swung the door open and raced through, the slap of my Converse echoing off the thick walls. Another door stood at the end of the narrow hall, presumably leading into the gym.
Slow footsteps reverberated behind me, but I didn’t dare glance back. Reaching the second door, I jerked the handle and it sprung open. I smacked straight into a rock-hard chest.
Chapter 8
I sucked in a breath, glancing up and found a pair of onyx eyes staring down at me.
“So nice of you to join us, Ms. Hallows.” Ryder’s lips curled into a smirk before he stopped to take in my crazed appearance. His smile vanished, and his hands settled on my shoulders as he looked me over. “Are you okay?” he whispered so only I could hear.
Over his massive shoulder I could make out the rest of the class gawking in our direction.
“Um, no. I mean, yes. I’m okay now.”
He released me and I stepped back, my body immediately tensing. Geez, I’d practically been hugging my teacher.
“You want to tell me what happened?” he continued in a hushed tone.
Did I? Or would he think I was crazy? Maybe hearing voices was my magical power. That would be pretty sucky. I shook my head. “It was nothing. Sorry I’m late.”
His dark brows dipped, but he didn’t press any further. “Fine then. The lockers are that way. Go get changed, and you can join the class when you’re ready.”
I nodded and ran off in the direction he’d pointed. Walking into the ladies’ locker room I was relieved to see a girl crouched in front of a locker. I so didn’t feel like being alone right now.
The girl spun around, pulling her jet-black hair into a high ponytail. Oh crap. I’d recognize that pale face and dark ruby lipstick anywhere. She was one of The Seven. How’d I get stuck in a confined space with a vampire on my first day?
Hurrying over to an empty locker, I tugged my t-shirt and sweats out of my bag, hoping my Converse would be okay for now. I just needed to get out of here ASAP. As I tore off my long sleeve shirt, I could feel eyes boring into the back of my head.
It was like spiders crawling up my spine. When I couldn’t take another second of it, I whirled around.
The locker room was empty.
So weird…
Once I was fully clothed, I dashed out of there faster than an Olympic sprinter. Either I was losing it or someone was trying to freak me out. I hated to admit it, but it was working.
I walked out onto the parquet floor where Ryder stood in the middle of the basketball court, his back to me. In front of him, two rows of students practiced with long wooden staffs.
Wow, they weren’t kidding when they named the class Combat.
As I neared, I recognized a few more faces. Seven of them to be exact. Sh—nickerdoodles! How did I end up in their class?
Ash, Cinder’s dragon-shifter cousin lifted a hand, wiggling his fingers at me with a cute smile. I did my best to smile back, but my stomach was roiling.
Ryder turned, following Ash’s gaze toward me. “Oh good, our newest addition has arrived.” He motioned with his index finger for me to come forward.
I crossed my arms against my chest and moved stiffly toward my instructor. “Maybe I could just watch for today.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think so, but nice try.” Sliding his foot under a staff on the floor, he kicked it up and it landed perfectly in his hand. “Have you ever used one of these before?”
“Um… No. I grew up in New York, not Japan. Knives are a little less conspicuous.”
A few students snickered behind me.
Ryder didn’t even crack a smile. “Good. Then let’s see what sort of natural talents you have.” He pointed at one of The Seven—Raine, I thought. The gorgeous redhead sauntered toward me with her staff clenched in her long, delicate fingers. “Be nice,” he warned her.
Awesome.
Handing me the staff, Ryder took a step back. “Attack her.”
I stared at the long wooden pole in my hand then back at my instructor, my eyes as wide as hard-boiled eggs. “You want me to do what now?”
“I want you to try to attack her. You know, swing the staff like you mean to hit her with it.”
Raine arched a perfectly shaped brow. “Just go ahead and try.”
My clammy fingers tightened around the staff. Here goes nothing. Holding it like a baseball bat, I took a swing.
The sharp crack of wood against wood echoed around th
e vast gymnasium, the smack reverberating down my arm bones and making my teeth chatter. A pleased smile crossed the redhead’s full lips as she held her staff out blocking my blow.
“Again,” shouted Ryder.
I took a step back and swung again, approaching from the opposite side. Again, she deflected my blow, but this time she pushed back and sent me flailing backward. I hit the parquet floor with a thud, the pain shooting up my tailbone. I bit back a scream, clenching my jaw so hard I was lucky I didn’t break any teeth.
Ryder sauntered over and extended his hand to help me up. I narrowed my eyes at him and pushed myself off the ground. Too little, too late.
“One more time,” he announced.
This time I took a running start, hoping to gain some momentum against my obviously more-skilled opponent. Instead of swinging with the top part of the staff like I’d done before, just before I reached her, I pivoted the pole, striking with the lower half. Instead of the crack of wood I’d expected, I hit flesh. Her upper shoulder to be exact.
Bright green eyes leveled on me for an instant before dark wood sailed by my head, and everything went black.
“Luna, Luna, wake up.” A smooth voice called to me from the darkness.
My head throbbed, and my thoughts were hazy. I floated around in a gloomy mist, and I had zero desire to fight my way out of it. Everything hurt.
“Luna, come on. Open your eyes.” A light touch skimmed my cheek, and my brain synapses started firing again.
My eyes fluttered, bright light seeping its way through the cracks. It felt like a two-ton elephant was sitting on my head, and his massive legs pinned down the rest of me.
“There you are, come on back to me, kid.”
My eyes snapped open as my hazy brain finally registered the voice. Ryder’s anxious face hovered over me, a small smile tipping up his lips when my eyes focused on his.
“What the heck happened?” My hand flew to the tender spot on the side of my head. I winced as my fingers brushed the bruised area. I tried to sit up, but my head spun and Ryder gently pushed me back onto the small bed. Where was I? The little room was sterile and white and smelled of disinfectant.