Diamonds and Demons (Beautiful Beasts Academy Book 2)

by Kim Faulks

  I chuckled that time. “Was he with a Leprechaun?”

  She nudged me with a hand but I dragged her into a hug.

  “Thanks for helping me. This is freaking me out.”

  “Always got your back, you know that. Now, let’s get this done before I change my mind.”

  We geared up in raincoats and boots, courtesy of my collection when the things were trendy. They might have cost me over five hundred dollars a pair, but they were washable. My Prada boots weren’t.

  Rain poured over my hood and rolled down my jacket. Ava and I hurried across the grounds in the night, each of us with a shovel we’d taken from the grounds keeper’s shed, and a flashlight. We kept low and moved fast, water splashing under boots, the wind spraying us in the face. Even in the darkness, I saw Ava glaring my way.

  “After this, you owe me a huge hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream.”

  “Absolutely.”

  When we reached the shrubs near the edge of the forest, we stared down at Ms. Stone, and my stomach ached to know I’d done this.

  “She’s all muddy,” Ava complained.

  I reached down to feel her pulse against her neck just to be sure. Yep, dead. “Let’s find a spot to bury her.” Without a word, we drudged deeper into the woods, flashing the beam of light for the perfect place.

  “What about there?” Ava pointed to an enormous tree, and I stared at her.

  “A tree? You want us to bury her there?”

  She shrugged. “Some customs put their dead in trees and all I know is that there’s water seeping into these boots. How much did you pay for them again because they are useless.”

  “They’re for looks. Anyway, maybe over there.” I marched onward, my boots sinking in the mud, ignoring Ava’s sighs.

  “Here.” I finally declared, staring at an open area, shrouded by trees. The grass had long ago died, so no one would suspect anything strange with the absence of grass.

  I drove the shovel into the ground and thumped my foot onto the metal ledge to drive it deeper into the ground, then wrenched the handle back, bringing with it a pitiful amount of earth. “This is going to take forever!”

  “We should go and get your three Wolf lovers. They’ll have this pit dug in two seconds. They’re probably used to digging up bones.” She chuckled to herself before starting to dig too.

  “Ha-ha. They’re not dogs, you know. They’re sweet, caring, and super sexy.”

  “They definitely are easy on the eyes, but they’re too much like candy for my liking. I prefer my men like whiskey.”

  “Have you ever tried the stuff? It’s disgusting. Tried it once and I vomited for an hour.” I drove the shovel back into the dirt and worked on our grave.

  “You need to drink Poseidon’s Whiskey. It’s only available in my home town. Sure, could do with some now. Might warm me up.”

  “Maybe one day. But on the bright side, the rain’s made the soil soft and easier to dig up.”

  Ava laughed forcefully and fake. “Nothing about this is easy. Not a single thing, and I change my mind. I don’t want hot chocolate. After this, I want an hour-long shoulder massage. Oh, and my feet too.”

  “You’re pushing it now.” I shoveled more dirt out.

  “Hell no, I’m not.” We kept working, and I had no idea how much time had passed, but we now had a hole about four feet long and three feet deep. “Think we need to make it longer.”

  “Nope.” Ava dug her shovel into the dirt and dusted her hands, the rain pouring down her face. “We’re curling her in there and we do this fast. She’s a demon who tried to kill you and is lucky she’s even getting this grave. Plus, the rain’s washing away our dirt to fill the hole and we don’t have time to waste.”

  “Okay, fine.” My muscles ached, so we tracked back to the body.

  Once we got there, Ava gripped her waist. “You get the head.” She hurried over to the feet, her boots making a sucking sound in the mud with each step. We heaved the Principal off the ground and waddled toward the grave. The rains were a blessing in disguise as they’d conceal our steps on the bumpy terrain.

  “Is it bad that I don’t feel as guilty as I should about her death? Think that makes me a serial killer.”

  “Ha-ha, if you’re a serial killer for defending yourself, well what the hell are the real psychos out there? Babe, she was a monster and deserved what she got for messing with you.”

  “Thanks.” I nudged her as we moved swiftly over the wet ground. Rain covered every inch of me and I no longer cared because I couldn’t get wetter. But the worry still knotted deep in my gut that if we got caught, the Supernatural Council would demand my death. Not even my dad could save me. So, we were doing the right thing by hiding our tracks.

  Once we reached the edge of the grave, we released Ms. Stone, and she slumped to the ground, splashing mud on us.

  “Well let’s get this done. I’m looking forward to my shoulder and foot massage.” She smirked my way, stretching her arms in the air, all for show, when suddenly she was sliding, the ground under her feet slippery with rain.

  Her eyes sprung wide, a panicked cry on her throat as she flapped her arms wildly.

  I should have jumped to her rescue, but instead I burst out laughing as her smug grin vanished.

  She slid into the grave, landing on her ass with a grunt.

  I was tearing up from laughing so hard when a blob of mud hit me square in the stomach. “You didn’t?” I stiffened, shocked at her assault, but couldn’t stop sniggering.

  She pushed herself to her feet, her pants covered in mud. “Give me a hand up.” She stretched out her arm.

  I stared at her with intensity. “If you pull me in there, your massage privileges are gone. Wiped from existence.”

  She glared. “You wouldn’t dare?”

  “Try me!” I stuck out my hand. We eyed each other like warriors, but the moment she slapped her hand in mine, we both burst out laughing. I yanked her ass out of there and we stumbled on the spot.

  The rain came down harder now, and without a word, we both rushed to the teacher’s body. We rolled her in, her legs curling in front of her, and she slumped in there on her side.

  “See, perfect fit.” Ava reached for her shovel and starting hauling soil over the grave.

  I hurried and joined her, covering Ms. Stone, trying not to look at her face. She was going to kill me, I kept repeating to myself.

  When we finished, we tapped the grave with the backs of our shovels to squish down the Earth.

  “Should we say something?” I said. “Final words, you know?”

  Ava pursed her lips, her gaze drifting upward for a few moments. “Here lays Principal Stone. She was born, she turned into a bloodthirsty Demon, and it was over. She leaves behind students who are safer now, an opening for a proper headmaster, and a cactus pot plant in her office. Ding dong the witch is dead.”

  Ava smirked, proud of herself, and despite just burying someone, she had me smiling. With our shovels in hand, we turned away from the fresh grave and headed back toward the Academy. Just knowing I wasn’t alone in this and had my best friend by my side made everything better.

  Chapter Nineteen

  There Is Not Enough Coffee In The World For This Shit

  “How many of those have you had exactly?”

  Coffee splashed the sides of the cup as her hand shook.

  “I dunno.” A nerve at the corner of her eye twitched when she spoke. “Five...six. You?”

  I looked down at the ripples in my own cup, and all I could see was the cold, packed Earth of the grave, and Principal Stone rushing toward me with black, soulless eyes. I looked at my chest. I could almost feel her claws tearing at my skin. I shuddered and lifted my trembling hands. “I need another coffee.”

  “Tell me about it.” Ava stared into nothing, dirt smeared over her cheek.

  We’d come straight to the cafeteria after the burial, the rain washed us clean of mud, but we dripped all over the floor. They had
warm blood here just as I liked it, and with the rain, the cafeteria was dead. Only the line of vending machines kept us company. I wished they placed the warm blood one in my dorm building.

  “You weren’t the one who fell in?”

  I stilled, staring at my best friend before she slowly turned her head toward me. The memory filled me, Ava with her hands flying everywhere, wailing as she toppled at the edge and slipped. “Anyone ever tell you, you have the reflexes of a bull?”

  “Anyone ever tell you I eat Vampires like you?” She cocked an eyebrow and waited.

  The corners of my lips twitched, and then curled, before I smiled. “My God, I never want to do that again.”

  “I never want you to do that again, either. You accumulate dead bodies like damn Wolves.”

  “Ava!” I lashed out, playfully slapping her arm, then lifted my gaze to the damn dance poster on the wall in front of me. “I want have a good time tonight. I just wish there was a way I could fix this goddamn sickness.”

  “I know,” she reached across the table and rested her hand on my arm.

  Sadness filled her eyes. I felt desperate.

  Chuck was sick.

  My parents were holed up inside, unable to attend any of their events.

  Rumors were being spread about the end of Vampires.

  There were many that would revel in my demise.

  But Ava wasn’t one of them.

  I was weary and tired. I shoved from the table and rose. “I think I’m going to bed, and I’m going to stay there for a very long time. Maybe forever.” I grabbed my empty cup and made for the stack of dirty ones on the counter. “Yeah, forever sounds good right about now.”

  Ava followed, plonking her cup on the counter next to mine before we headed out of the darkened cafeteria and back to our dorm. The rain had stopped, thank goodness.

  We were almost there when I caught the scent of something sick and foul....and then something...very...very...dangerous.

  I reached out, grasping Ava by the arm and shoved her behind me, murmuring, “Someone’s here.”

  “It’s me,” Chuck’s strained voice slipped through the night.

  “And...me,” the hoarse croak didn’t sound familiar.

  I stepped off the pathway and rounded the edge of the dorm, catching Chuck staring at Nefarious as he slumped against the wall of the building.

  I took one look at both of them and winced.

  “Oh, Chucky,” Ava murmured and raced for him. “How are you now? Still got the vom’s?”

  “Don’t talk about it.” Chuck swayed on his feet and winced.

  The towering Vampire looked beaten, dark circles under his eyes. His legs trembled, barely holding him upright.

  Ava reached out and rose to the tops of her toes to place a hand against the warrior’s forehead. “You’re like an icicle.”

  “It’s the sickness.” Nefarious lifted dull eyes to me. If Chuck looked sick, then my teacher looked like he belonged in the ground.

  He leaned against the side of the building, shaking and shivering. Whimpers slipped between his words.

  “I thought you were…” I started.

  “Dead? You thought I was d-dead?” Mr. Leathers stuttered.

  “I thought you were gone,” I answered.

  He cast a careful gaze to Chuck. “I feel like I’m dead. The warrior found me waiting….”

  “Sneaking more like it,” Chuck snarled and bared his teeth. As sick as he was, the warrior was ready to expend his last ounce of strength defending me.

  “I came here to warn her.” Nefarious cut Chuck a look of distaste.

  “Warn me about what?” I took a step closer to the sickly Vampire.

  “Someone is syphoning power off the Ancient. He’s...he’s sick, Morwenna. Very...very sick.”

  “Look at her, she’s sick herself.” Ava dragged a hand to her hip.

  He did look at me, searching my eyes with his dull gaze. “But you’re not, are you?” He murmured. “You’re not sick like the rest of us. You’re different. Something is preventing you from being like the rest of us.”

  “You saying I’m the one causing this?” Fear tore along my spine.

  Nefarious stumbled forward and lifted a shaking hand. “No, I don’t think you are. But you’re still not sick, Morwenna. And you need to figure out why.”

  I shook my head. “It was the tea. Did you drink some, Chuck?”

  “Yes.” Yet he still looked terrible.

  “Please,” he whispered. “Can’t you see what’s happening here? The Ancient falls...and we all fall with him, including your family.”

  I flinched with Nefarious’ words and wrenched my gaze to his. “That can’t be.” My stomach sank like a stone.

  “Now you understand.” He stumbled backwards, throwing out a hand to brace against the wall. “Figure out how you’re connected, and then you’ll find out how to stop this. You need to hurry, Morwenna. Before it’s too late.”

  He shoved against the side of the building and stumbled away, leaving me staring after him. “I don’t understand.” I looked to Chuck who wobbled on his feet. “I don’t understand any of this.”

  “You will,” my warrior growled. “I’m prepared to stake my life on it, and Morwenna.” He turned and curled his lip. “You need to come and get your pain in the ass rodent from my room.”

  Rodent? I tried to think… “Oh shit, the honey badger.”

  “Yes, oh shit,” he muttered. “He’s chewed right through my damn sofa.”

  I saw it now as he stumbled away. The back of his black leather boots had a hole in them the size of a golf ball. The pink skin of his heel peeked through the hole as he stumbled after Mr. Leathers.

  “What now?” Ava looked to me.

  Like everyone looked to me.

  I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. “I wish I knew.”

  I’d killed and buried my Principal, and that was just the ending of a hell of a day. Right now, I just needed a hot shower, and to think. I reached out, grabbed my best friend’s hand and we slowly made out way inside, and up the stairs.

  The soft yellow light cast shadows into the corners of my room. I glanced around, stopping at the balcony and remembered all those nights ago where a scared creature stumbled in.

  Did he know back then he was about to doom our kind forever?

  “You okay?” Ava started and then stopped, shaking her head. “No, of course you’re not okay. What a stupid question. What can I do?” She made for the bathroom and switched on the light.

  But I still stared at the balcony, unable to think...unable to do a damn thing. The tap on my basin howled as water gushed from the faucet, before Ava ended the flow and strode out, wiping her hands on my good towel. “We need a damn plan.” She came closer, and stumbled, catching her foot on the edge of the rug.

  “Fuck!” She snarled. “That’s the second time tonight.”

  The thick book from the Understudy class slipped from the edge of the bed and hit the floor with a thud.

  “Sorry,” Ava muttered and grasped the heavy thing from the floor. The cover was open, pages splayed for all to see. Something caught Ava’s gaze. She wrestled with the damn thing, heaving it closer to peer at the entry. “Hey, does this look like the diamonds to you?”

  She shoved the book toward me. I came closer, craning my neck to peer around at what she’d found. In the middle of the page were hand drawn diamonds, with the heading Dragon Tears above them. Ava lifted her head and looked at me. “Mor...this is it.”

  I shook my head. We couldn’t get ahead of ourselves.

  Couldn’t get my hopes up…

  “Says they’re a vessel for power, that they consume and store energy.” Her eyes widened as she lifted her gaze. It made sense...it all made sense. “And now you’re sick...now your whole line is sick.”

  My mind buzzed with everything that happened recently.

  “Ms. Stone said Demons are taking over from Vampires, right?” Ava murmured. “Maybe she was be
hind it all. Maybe it was just one crazy ass mutherfucking Principal.”

  “Maybe.” I stared at the open book. “She wanted me to deliver the stones to the Ancient, to give them to him. So, if they’re a vessel, what if they intended to drain the Ancient’s power for themselves?”

  Ava’s eyes widened. “Weaken the most powerful, and the rest will fall.”

  I nodded, wrapping my arms around my middle. Principal Stone wanted to take down all Vampires. But why?

  “Anyway, at least we have a starting point. You take this.” She shoved the book at me. “I’m going to bed, and I swear to God if there are any more bodies I’m just going to give up.”

  I fumbled with the weight, taking the textbook before she turned away.

  “Don’t forget our outfits,” she mumbled and made for the door. “And you better be ready for it. Because you owe me a goddamn party...your last one was shit. Not to mention my massage.”

  I chuckled as she yanked open the door and left.

  I did owe her a party. I owed her a lot more than anything I could ever repay. I dropped the open book onto the bed and made for the bathroom, taking a shower, and then dressing in clean pjamas.

  Were my diamonds the same as the ones in the book? I yanked open the pouch and poured them onto the open pages.

  Black fought with clear crystal inside most of the jewels, but some of the diamonds were fully black. There were only a few that resembled the sparkling gems that were given to me. Nero’s Mom had felt a dark energy then...feminine, and powerful.

  I scooted down the bed and closed my eyes. The woman in the black shroud filled my mind. She’d held the black diamonds in her hand, before they fell. I could still see them sparkling midnight black before they glinted clear once more.

  But then sleep claimed me…and I knew nothing once more.

  “What’s this?” I stared at the package wrapped awkwardly in Happy Valentines’ Day paper. “It isn’t Valentine’s Day.”

  “I know.” Nero shifted awkwardly. “It was the nicest paper I could find.”

  I glanced at the pile of massive boxes splayed across my bed, and then the tiny squished thing in my hand. The courier had delivered the dresses and shoes for the dance tonight, early as requested. When the soft knock came at my door, I’d assumed it was just one more mountain of stuff I didn’t want to look at. Though I had to get ready for the dance now.