by Kat Adams
“That’s exactly my point. You beat Alec. By yourself.”
Why did I feel like we’d just gone full circle?
“I know you don’t want a partner, but maybe give him a chance before you dismiss him completely. Having a powerful quad at your side couldn’t hurt.”
And yet, it’d been nothing but painful since first hearing about him. “Okay, tell me about him.”
Lulu nodded in excitement. The little plastic flags on her hat rattled as they smacked together. “He’s rather dashing. Unruly blond hair that’s a bit to long for my taste, but his blue eyes just make you swoon. He’s quite fit too. If only I were younger. And the way he talks? It’s like candy for your ears.”
I laughed at the description. I didn’t know if I’d ever heard of a guy being described as dashing before. “Can’t wait to meet him.”
“Why wait?” Lulu grabbed my arm, and in an instant, we popped into a void where my insides tried to switch places with my outsides. I still hadn’t quite gotten used to teleporting and only did it when I had one of the guys with me to rescue me if my call went rogue.
We reappeared in the main office. I spotted the back of a head full of shaggy blond hair that brushed inhumanly large shoulders. As soon as we popped into the room, he turned.
Holy mother of all things beautiful.
This was the UK sensation? He looked more like one of those models you’d see on an obscure yet exotic perfume ad. A chiseled, sharp jaw. High cheekbones. His wavy hair accented deep, deep blue eyes that seemed to pierce right through my everything.
And damn…he had to be seven foot twelve. And must bench semis. His arms were huge, all muscle, and strained the material of the white dress shirt. I couldn’t stop myself from dropping my gaze to the way the gray slacks cupped an impressive bulge between his legs. Wow. Did it just get really hot in here?
I jerked my attention away from his crotch as Lulu spoke. “Spencer Dalton, may I present Katy Reed.” She pushed me in front of her.
I hadn’t recovered from the surprise teleport and heated reaction to this guy’s…presence, so when he took my hand and brushed soft lips across my knuckles, I didn’t know whether to sway or punch him in the mouth for thinking he had the right to brush anything of his across anything of mine. “It’s so good to meet the one who disposed of Alec von Leer.”
“Uh, thanks.” I took my hand back and smiled politely. He made it sound like I simply took out the garbage. Then again, that was pretty much what I’d done.
When he took a step toward me, I responded by taking a step back. Something about him lifted my neck hairs. A cool tingle washed across my skin. It made me uncomfortable. I took another step back, wanting distance between us and not understanding why. He paused and studied me. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
I stopped myself from laughing. He had no idea what I’d been through. It would take a lot more than an awkward moment to scare me. “I’m good.”
“It’s customary where I come from to greet a lady properly.” He turned his attention to Lulu. “You didn’t seem to mind my greeting.”
She giggled. She actually giggled. I’d never heard her giggle before. Considering the reason why, that this dashing dude with his ear-candy accent kissed her hand, I shuddered. “Now that I’ve been presented and all, I’ll see you around.” The sooner I got out of the office, the sooner I’d find the guys before orientation. When I’d told them about me getting a partner, none of them were happy. After meeting S…uh, Steve? No, that wasn’t it. It was S-P something. Spock? Ugh, I hated how bad I was at names. After meeting what’s-his-name, I knew for a fact the guys were going to lose their shit over me having him for a partner, doing partner-y things.
I almost made it to the door before the headmaster, Dean Carter, spoke up from inside his office. “Ms. Reed, a moment?”
Dammit. I was so close to escaping. Reluctantly, I dragged my ass into the large office on the opposite side of the room, purposely avoiding the new guy’s intense stare, and slowed as I walked in. I hadn’t been inside the office since the Council lured me in and declared me the prophecy last year.
Dean Carter looked up from his ginormous oak desk, his perfectly groomed brown hair, along with his perfectly tailored gray suit, looked even more pristine this year. With a wave of his hand, he called air and closed the door behind me. I turned when it slammed, and groaned at who the door had been hiding.
Jess stood there with her arms crossed, her hip jutted out, nothing but resting bitch face holding her expression still. She had on the school uniform, complete with a giant yellow bow holding up a bouncy blonde ponytail. At least it wasn’t pink.
But seeing my charming roomie wasn’t what had me ready to teleport out. The pretty shiny coin known as Brenda the extractionist beeatch stood next to her. Seeing them standing next to each other, I don’t know why I never made the connection before. They both looked like Barbies. Brenda’s hair was a bit shorter, a bit more blonde, her eyes a bit more blue than Jess’s. But still…full-on Barbies.
“Hello, Katy.” She flashed a fake smile. I clenched my teeth in response. Every time I had the pleasure of this woman’s company, I wanted to put my fist through something—mainly her. “It’s such a delight to see you.”
Yeah, right. I didn’t bother hiding my irritation over being called to the headmaster’s office under false pretenses. Lulu didn’t bring me in to present me to the UK heartthrob. I regarded Dean Carter. “Why are they here?”
“I understand you and Ms. Bailey aren’t happy with your room assignments.”
Understatement of the fucking year.
“No, not really.” And something I planned to have a word with Professor Layden about. She’d had a hand in my room assignment. Did she seriously think putting Jess and me together would make us BFFs?
The headmaster stood and straightened his suit before adjusting his perfectly tied tie. “You weren’t happy with last year’s assignment either. If I recall, Ms. Graves came to me with the same request Ms. Bailey has—to remove you from the room.”
I shook my head, not liking the direction of this conversation. How was I the common factor here? “What can I say? I’m not much of a people person.”
“My niece has gone through a very traumatic experience,” Brenda started in as she charged forward. “Having Katy in the same room is a constant reminder of what she went through.”
“What she went through? Gee, I’m sorry if my presence reminds her of the fact I saved her life.”
She thinned her bright red lips. “Did you also lose a sister to the dark side? Did you also have your very best friend betray you?”
I wasn’t about to get into this, not with Brenda, not with Jess, and definitely not in front of Dean Carter. “Look, this isn’t a competition. What we went through last year sucked donkey balls for us all.”
“Oh, really? And do you have a constant reminder of what you went through?”
“Every time I look in the mirror.”
My answer gave her pause. She relaxed her expression enough that it didn’t look like her face was about to crack under the pressure. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to place the two of you in the same house, let alone the same room.”
“It isn’t up to you.” Dean Carter stepped around the desk. “Vanessa and Katy made it work last year. I’m sure Jessica and Katy will do the same.”
Made it work? That was a reach. We managed not to kill each other, and I still felt I should have been awarded bonus points for my restraint, especially after all the bullshit she pulled. Vanessa Graves was known as the Ice Queen of Clearwater for a reason, and it had nothing to do with her being a water elemental. It’d been torture rooming with that twat waffle.
Judging by the icy glare Jess now shot my way, I was in for an even better year. I might start calling her Douche Duchess or something equally as charming. Barbie Bitch had a nice ring to it.
“You aren’t going to do anything about this, are you?” Brenda thrust out her pointy chin and
crossed her arms, mimicking her niece’s stance.
“What I’m going to do,” he countered, “is not meddle in their affairs. They are adults. Let them fight their own battles.”
She huffed and threw her arms down at her sides. I was surprised she didn’t add a foot stomp in her tantrum. With a resounding and clipped “Huh,” she spun on her spiked heel, storming off and grabbing Jess on her way out.
Only after the other two left did Dean Carter speak again. “I’m sorry to put you through that, Ms. Reed.”
“I’ve been through worse,” I said with a shrug, immediately forgiving him. Now that Aunt Barbie Bitch and her clone were gone, I was in a forgiving mood. “You didn’t need me here to tell them no. So why did you really call me in?”
“I have a job for you.”
I brought up my hands. “If this is about me TA’ing for Professor Layden, I already know.”
“No, nothing like that. We paired you with Jessica Bailey for a reason. She’s lost without her sister. Julie was the influencer of the two. My fear is Jessica will do anything to be with her twin.”
“You think she’ll go dark?” I couldn’t imagine someone as bubbly as Jess going dark. Then again, I totally missed the signs that Julie had already gone to the dark side.
“It’s your job to see she doesn’t.”
“Whoa.” My hands came up again. “You’re putting this on me? How am I supposed to stop her?”
“You’ll find a way. The Council has faith in your ability.”
“Oh, sure they do. That’s why they imported a partner for me.”
“Speaking of Spencer Dalton, he’ll be living in Ventus.”
Great. I’d get to spend even more time with him. “Is air his primary?”
“Like you, he’s chosen to remain undeclared.”
“Then why put him in Ventus? It’s already the biggest house due to all the air elementals. It’s crowded enough.”
“He requested to be placed in the same house as you.” Dean Carter moved across the office and opened the door. “We should go. Orientation starts in ten minutes.”
I was not going to be escorted to orientation by the headmaster. “I’ll see you there.”
He nodded and walked out. I relaxed and blew out a breath as I thought about the responsibility he’d just placed on my shoulders.
How the hell was I supposed to keep Jess from going dark?
3
“So that’s what’s new with me,” I told the statue of the academy’s founder, Cressida Clearwater. She’d been my confidante since the first day I arrived at the school. It used to feel weird talking to a ten-foot bronze statue, but when she manifested in the ruins last year, explaining how she’d become the academy to protect us from both the Nelem world and the dark elementals up to no good, I knew she heard me.
She turned a click, signaling the top of the hour. It was something she did as she watched over all the students, turning one click at the top of every hour so she had a full view of everything. Although I felt her presence the strongest inside the ruins by the cliff, I still felt her here at the statue.
After explaining the job Dean Carter put on me, on top of being saddled with a new partner the guys still hadn’t met, on top of being a TA for 3C, on top of the quad squad having to cut out of orientation for another extraction, I already dreaded this school year and wanted to crawl under the covers and sleep for a week.
“I don’t know how I’m going to do it all,” I said. Okay, I whined. “Actually, I don’t know how to do any of it. I’ve never been a TA, or an elemental partner, or an anti-dark life coach. I can’t talk to the guys since they aren’t back yet. It’s like I’m starting this year no better off than last year. Maybe even worse. Please tell me I’m overreacting, that things aren’t as bad as I’m making them out to be.”
A warmth embraced me. I drew in a deep breath and lost myself in the virtual hug, closing my eyes to listen for her advice. When nothing came, I sighed and slumped my shoulders. “I wish I could really talk to you. You’re about the closest thing I have to a mom.”
Open your eyes.
I darted my gaze in every direction. She’d said the exact same thing last year right before she manifested. Only seeing students walking around the grounds on this last day of freedom before classes started tomorrow, some basking in the warmth of the sun as they sprawled out on the lawn, I sagged back down. “Not cool, Cressida.”
“Katy?” Professor Layden approached, dressed in the black robes all professors wore. “Who are you talking to?”
I glanced up at the statue, not happy she tricked me into thinking she was about to manifest again. I wanted to talk to the woman I considered a surrogate mom, not a professor who’d taken me in over the summer. When it hit me that she meant for me to maybe see Stacey Layden in that role, I groaned inwardly as I glared at the statue. Totally not cool to sneak that one in. “No one.”
The cold washed over me as Cressida’s warmth dissipated. Now I felt even worse.
Professor Layden sat at the base of the statue next to me and folded her hands in her lap. She remained silent as she traced the grounds with her gaze. My shaggy-haired Abercrombie model of a partner walked out of Ventus with Jess, catching my attention. When did those two meet? How well did they know each other? I shouldn’t care—I didn’t care—but seeing him with my roomie bothered me, and I didn’t understand why.
“He’s really something, isn’t he?” Her lisp got the better of her with that question.
I played it down and pretended to find interest in the dirt under my nails. “Who?”
“Spencer Dalton.” She practically purred his name. “I guess I’m no longer the only quad in town. It’s nice to finally be able to say that.”
I took offense. I was a quad for, like, a whole three weeks before my fifth element hit me and morphed me into a quint. I refused to believe I was the only one in our world, regardless of what the legend said. Then again, I also refused to believe I’d been the prophecy until everything foretold actually came true.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked.
I looked at her, not sure what this she referred to. “Ready for what?”
“Have you ever heard of a TA in any of the classes here at Clearwater?”
Thinking about that, I finally shook my head. Then again, I was only in second-term classes last year since I arrived in…wait for it…the second term. “Are they that uncommon?”
“You’re the first.”
As if being the first quint of my kind didn’t make me enough of a freak. How about adding another title to the list? “Go me.”
“Well, I have to go. Lots of tribunals today.” She checked her phone and stood. “There are six scheduled today alone. Will I see you down there?”
I had no desire to watch poor elementals with no clue which elements they controlled go through a test like what I went through last year. “I’m going to pass.”
“I understand,” she said, far too warmly. “Yours wasn’t exactly a normal tribunal. I’ll see you later.” Instead of teleporting to the field, she hurried off.
She didn’t do small talk. Whenever she wanted a little chat, she never hesitated to drive in the nail right away. What the hell was that about?
I didn’t have time to answer my own question before Clay literally popped in next to me in his fancy-black-suit extraction uniform. I hated the outfit—it triggered bad memories of my dad and my own extraction—and Clay knew it. At least he had his black blazer draped over his arm. “Figured I’d find you here.”
“How’d the extraction go?” I asked, ignoring the palpitations as I struggled to regulate my breathing. I still hadn’t gotten used to people literally popping in and out of thin air like that. Most students chose to walk, since teleporting drained an elemental’s powers. Well, unless the elemental was Clay Williams. Nothing seemed to drain him.
Well, okay. One thing definitely drained him.
He shrugged and took my hand. When he smiled
, showing off his beautiful teeth, it lit up his dazzling green gaze. He scratched at his beard, something I’d picked up as him stalling to come up with something witty. “Oh, you know. Another elemental, another dollar.” He perked up as he stopped scratching. “Hey, do you think they’d pay us if we asked?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What about tips? Tips would be okay, right?”
I laughed and shook my head. Leave it to my fun-loving air elemental to make light of something so monumentally jarring, it was like ripping a person from their normal and thrusting them into a world that was anything but normal.
“I’m serious.” A trait he rarely displayed, which was another thing I loved about him.
“I know. But, really. No issues?”
“Not even a hangnail, so the Council can’t declare it reason to invoke the prophecy yet again. At least this one wasn’t a scared little kid like the last one. That one was another earth elemental, like we need more of those.” He shuddered at the mention of an elemental with the power to call his opposite element. “Bry kept that one calm as we teleported back to the academy. The elemental we picked up today knew what to expect and was pretty excited to go.”
Nothing like my experience. What happened to me was a hell of a lot worse than a hangnail and gave the Council every reason to declare me the prophecy. Now that I’d fulfilled it, I didn’t really know what to do with myself. I refused to dwell on that awesome and frightening thought. “Hey, you want to get something to eat?”
“Totally. Teleporting makes me hungry.” He led me to the smaller dining hall across campus, where it wouldn’t be so crowded. “So tell me, Montana. Have you met the infamous Spencer Dalton yet? I heard when he arrived, there were screaming girls waiting at the office like he was in a boy band. Lucky bastard.”
What was it and comparing this guy to someone in a boy band? He looked nothing like boy band material. He was more along the lines of man band lead singer material. I grew a little heated in my nether regions at the thought of having him serenade me.
Snap out of it, Katy! I had four awesome guys. I certainly didn’t need a fifth.