Dancing With Demons (The Academy of Amazing Beasts Book 3)

by Melody Rose

  I managed a mild smile. I didn’t know what she was driving at, but I didn’t want to look like I’d been had. I waited for the faerie, judging by her vibrant coloring, to make her intentions clear.

  “Hey!” she exclaimed and giggled. I guessed that she wanted to break the tension, too. Her aura was a soft, hazy blue, the shade of a relaxed person.

  I mirrored her smile, causing her to rush into an energetic rush of words.

  “We’re so sorry about all that business with Lydia!” she piped up. “It’s just that we’d known her since we were little witches, you know? We knew she was a bit… funny… in the head, but we never thought that she’d stoop to that! We won’t stand for it!”

  The other girls nodded in unison. I guess I couldn’t fault them for their behavior. They were clearly loyal followers. I waved my hand, dismissing it all and acting like it was water under the bridge.

  “It’s really no problem,” I reassured them, “but hey, I actually needed to check up on my familiar. He’s got a big day ahead of him, and I want to make sure he’s prepared, so I only have a little time to stop and chat. Also… I don’t think I ever got any of your names.”

  This made their eyes light up even more. The last girl, a valkyrie with feathery white wings folded idly behind her back, slapped her forehead. I noticed that her uniform was different in that it had a metal breastplate and matching gauntlets. I wondered if she hurt herself from the face slap. While a red mark flared up, she didn’t seem to mind.

  “Yeah! Goes to prove how rude we were,” she admitted. “I’m Kara, and purple hair over there is Azalea. The dryad is Evvie. Anyway, our lack of manners is kind of why we’re here. We wanted to make a truce and offer our services if you’d be interested.”

  “Not to mention,” Azalea perked up, shuffling toward me, “we wanted to congratulate you on your epic victory in the match last night! Bouclier was kind of an abomination before you came along.” She had a child-like innocence to her when she wasn’t playing the role of Lydia’s lackey, very similar to my best friend, Becks.

  Evvie the dryad was a little more reserved and stayed behind, gawking at me up until now. She took some timid steps forward, still starry-eyed. Then she finally found her voice again. It was less high pitched before, but not by much.

  “Yeah! Definitely! Lydia told us that she was the one destined to snatch up Theo, clean up Bouclier, and then run the whole castle with us as her accomplices, proud as a pack of sphinxes!”

  Azalea chuckled and shook her head. “You showed her, didn’t you?”

  “And that means,” Kara interjected, “that you’re the one to keep an eye on. It’s pretty damn obvious that your star outshone hers, and you’re quickly climbing up to the top, right with that handsome prefect! So what do you say?”

  “What do I say?” I asked dumbly.

  The trio was still transfixed with me. That made me mildly uncomfortable. After Lydia, it was kind of hard for me to trust my peers.

  “Do you want us to join up with you?” the valkyrie pushed. “Make sure no one gives you any trouble, and in return, you keep us close?” She was the straightest shooter out of the three. I guessed I admired her honesty.

  I paused, chewing over her offer. What would I be getting into if I agreed? Were they some type of magic mafia? If I gave them the cold shoulder, would they turn on me in spite?

  It was difficult to know what to do. I didn’t want to make any new enemies. I also didn’t want to get in over my head.

  Then again, having my very own entourage with the most popular witches at school, no less, was a pretty sweet deal. I was always the quiet kid that no one even noticed back home. The idea of being more than just a loner drew me in like forbidden fruit. I was denied so much before, and now, I was given a whole buffet of options. How could I possibly know what the smart choice was here?

  I decided the best way to go about this was to shelf it for now. When my head was more clear, I’d get back to their proposition.

  “Let’s put it this way,” I began, keeping my voice steady. I didn’t want them to think I was some doormat. “I’ve got a lot on my plate, and I may or may not want someone’s help. I’m not sure about that. What you can be sure of is that there aren’t any hard feelings, and we may be able to work out some sort of deal. Right now, my first priority is Aurelius. I’ll get back to you later, alright?”

  The three of them exchanged pitiful looks. I actually felt bad for them. I didn’t exactly rule it out, and I’d appreciate having a whole crew pitch in for other Arcane Combat and Contests coming up.

  “Um…” Azalea was absolutely stunned. The lot of them didn’t know what to say until she broke the silence. “Yeah… okay. I guess that makes sense. I’ve never had someone, uh, turn us down, though. That’s a new one.”

  Evvie just pouted in confusion, leaving the ballsy valkyrie to wrap up the conversation.

  “Suit yourself,” she answered dryly and shrugged, her wings spreading out. Maybe it was some type of power move. I had to admit Kara looked pretty majestic, but it wasn’t enough to earn my allegiance. “I won’t exactly say that the offer has an expiration date, like some cheap potion. But if you expect us to hang around and still be here to protect you, you need to hold up your end of the bargain. Keep leading Bouclier to victory and don’t make an embarrassment out of yourself.

  That sounded reasonable enough. At least she was honest. I glanced at the gateway, eager to see Aurelius again, then gave them a tight-lipped smile. They returned the favor with a bunch of wide grins.

  “I’ll definitely do that,” I said. “I’m… really glad you ran into me, for what it’s worth. I’ll keep in touch, yeah?”

  The trio gave me a synchronized wave, like those that beauty queens on parade floats. Now that I hadn’t given them my seal of approval yet, they didn’t sugarcoat their dismissive turn as they walked in the opposite direction, their heels clicking on the marble floors.

  I shook my head with a smirk. I could tell that they were giving their best alpha bitch vibes as they put extra effort into swinging their hips. They had style and edginess, and I found myself curious about what it’d be like to be them.

  When that taken care of, for now, I was relieved to have some time with myself and my familiar. While all the attention after the match was appreciated, it was also pretty overwhelming. I sighed with relief as I pulled the gateway open, stunned by the beauty of the courtyard. I’d been so busy these past weeks that I didn’t even roam Bouclier, mainly restricted to the training grounds as I made sure that Nate and the crew had everything they needed.

  I sprinted into the garden pavilion, sprigs of lavender brushing against my shins. Aurelius rolled around luxuriously, relishing the time alone in the idyllic outdoors. My heart throbbed with affection as I watched him twist and paw at the air. He just looked so content I felt bad ripping him away from all of this.

  I couldn’t help squealing as I skipped over to Aurelius. He and I shared a special bond, and I could tell he enjoyed my company without expecting anything from me. Theo saw me as a fun plaything, maybe even a promising sorceress, Becks saw me as her whole support system, Nate saw me as a personal chef, and the school saw me as some human upstart. But with Aurelius, I was just his buddy. He loved me with all his heart, but he didn’t depend on me. My sweet white wolf shaped up to be an independent pup. I was super impressed with how he’d grown.

  “Aurelius!” I chirped, diving my cheek into his fluffy white fur. It was like a peaceful cloud, and I could feel his warmth and his heart pound in excitement seeing me again. His aura burned a bright yellow of perfect contentment. “How are you doing, boy?” I scritched his ear. “It’s been a nice roll in the lavender, hasn’t it? I wanted to make sure you had some rest and relaxation before your big test!”

  Aurelius barked and licked my cheek. I didn’t mind the sliminess, really, because I could forgive him for just about everything. I snickered, then sat back, calming myself with a deep breath. My familiar sat
up at attention, sensing I had important news.

  I smirked guiltily. Fortunately, he didn’t hold my interruption against me. His eyes were kind and alert, ready to follow my directions.

  “Hey, my little snowflake.” That was my nickname for him, on account of his fur, even though he had grown like a reed. “It’s finally that time. You’re going to get set up to be a real Cavallian hunter! What do you think about that, boy?”

  Aurelius frowned as he caught my drift. It wasn’t as if he was against the idea or unwilling, but he saw how serious I was. I nodded in acknowledgment and ruffled his fur. I couldn’t keep myself from giving him affection, even though I was going to toughen him up.

  I twisted at the waist to look over my shoulder. Up ahead, the gently rolling waves of lavender led to a dirt path. Runes were imprinted in the earthy dust, warning people about what they might walk into. Last year, when I collected him as a nervous pipsqueak, he wouldn’t have even dreamt of trotting into this territory. Lander had dragged him into it once, along with all the other prospective pups, but all he did was melt into a panic.

  As a Cavallian hunter, his kind was raised to be fearless, especially when it came to chaos daemons and malicious spirits. Their main training ground to develop this was the cercle de la mort éternelle, the circle of eternal death. The idea was that pups that handled these terrors were destined for greatness. If they had iron stomachs at a young age, then obviously they’d be ruthless in their full forms. By the end of their journeys, the hardened hounds would be sold to the elite for mountains of gold.

  I was honored that Aurelius was bound to me. I would have been heartbroken if I had to hand him off to the highest bidder. Based on my talks with Lander, this was known to happen. I guessed this was one of the reasons the hounds were so tough hearted. They were seen as efficient hunters and little more, prizes more than pets. This grated on me, honestly. Even in the human world, I didn’t enjoy the whole idea that animals had “owners.” I really just saw them as caretakers. Now that I had my own familiar, I was even more passionate about this. We were basically each other’s companion and champion. He always had my back and vice versa.

  What I also knew, though, was that I couldn’t stop my white wolf from growing up. It was obvious he was already on that path. It would have been cruel, or at least a big mistake, to hold him back. He had gifts and talents waiting to be cultivated, just like me. As we locked eyes, I could tell we were making a pact. We had to demand more of ourselves. Who knew what we could accomplish if we had all the right discipline and training? Bouclier made it possible for us to find out.

  “Alright, buddy.” I gave him a final pat on the head and stood up. “We’re going to go for a little walk. And then… we’ll head into a rough patch, but I need you to trust me. We’re going to get through this and come out in one piece on the other side.”

  Aurelius nodded knowingly. He stood up and shook the lavender buds off of his fur. Then, he looked at me like a soldier at attention. I nodded, playing the tongue-in-cheek lieutenant, my lips pressed tightly together. I then tilted my head toward the path away from the idyllic meadow.

  It was time.

  We were so in sync that I didn’t need to clap or whistle. As soon as I paced through the lavender and away from Bouclier grounds into the grim unknown, Aurelius dutifully followed.

  I only hoped that he would be able to keep up this steel will. Back when he was a pup, he cowered at the very idea of a boggart, a pretty low-level daemon. Really, even a child, in Lemuria at least, could pick off these pesky creatures in no time. They didn’t have any bad intentions and just mirrored a viewer’s worst fears. In fact, they were summoned by Lander himself. Technically, they were Bouclier “property,” even though we were off-premises.

  Even though it sounded sadistic to me at first, it really wasn’t. When I complained about it to Theo, he could tell I was dragging my feet. At this moment, I think I still was. My pacing was way slower than necessary. I breathed softly and closed my eyes, thinking back to his advice.

  See, spooking the Cavallian pups was a way to make sure we didn’t bring them to the next stage too soon. This first level of training tested the pups’ mental fortitude. If they crumbled under pressure, that was the worst that could happen. The boggarts couldn’t actually do much harm other than disorienting the pups. In Aurelius’ case, he had a full-on mental breakdown.

  Even Theo admitted this was out of the ordinary, that it was lucky he brought Aurelius to the vet clinic. If it weren’t for me, my sweet familiar might have been beyond repair. He was inconsolable before I stepped in.

  Finally, after all my daydreaming, we were far enough from the courtyard that we couldn’t see even a speck of purple or a whiff of lavender. Instead, damp twigs cracked under my feet as I walked, and the earthy scents surrounding us tried to soothe me. Aurelius sniffed the air in curiosity, but he didn’t seem as concerned as me. With that in mind, I kept making my way. It would be obvious when we found the right place. I mean, we’d have a gang of shapeshifting ghouls sicced on us.

  Truth be told, I was on edge. Yes, Aurelius had grown in leaps and bounds, both in size and power. The only problem was that I didn’t know what his fears were yet and how he’d react to this test. One of my anxieties was my beloved familiar becoming the laughingstock of the academy. Thanks to his unexpected and frightening display in my first magical cooking class, mages weren’t picking fights with him. Still, everyone was so competitive on this campus, bragging about what their familiars were capable of and how they’d bring their mages the highest honors.

  Even though I won some fans based on the Arcane Combat and Contests I helped with, no one gave Aurelius the respect he deserved. They probably thought he just had some type of enchanted flare-up, a rare lashing out. Meanwhile, everyone else’s familiars were submitted to scrimmages and duels. They were racking up spell points left and right for beast mastery, and I was lagging way behind.

  I owed it to Aurelius and myself to see what he was truly capable of.

  I squinted, taking in the soft blue haze gliding through the gnarled trees and murky shadows. This was a far cry from the lavender haven, but I guessed that was a metaphor for life. If he and I wanted to learn more about ourselves, we needed to walk into some pretty mysterious worlds.

  Aurelius apparently agreed because he was in a state of utter calm. His aura went from happy-go-lucky yellow to a composed aquamarine. I was damn proud of him, so I rubbed the top of his head and raced further into the forest. I figured that if I made a game out of this all, it’d be easier to tackle.

  He bounded after me, his eyes glowing brighter than ever before.

  What was weird was that we ran for what felt like ages without encountering a single boggart. Aurelius didn’t have a complaint and could handle the strenuous activity like a champ. I didn’t want to spend all my mana, so I only cast a couple of buffers to boost my stamina to keep up with the wolfhound. Eventually, I just couldn’t keep up the race. I looked around for somewhere to rest up again before we continued our little jaunt.

  I noticed a dimly lit glade where lunar faeries floated around. From a distance, they looked like will o’wisps, orbs of bright energy that helped travelers find their way. I knew that couldn’t be right because they weren’t able to withstand the circle of eternal death. Wisps only hung around areas where mages got easily lost, not those that were downright dangerous.

  Fae of the moon, however, were fearless. Even though they were a smaller breed than full-grown species I’d regularly meet at Bouclier, they were also made of pure, condensed courage. Heading over there was a safe bet either way.

  Even though it was disturbingly quiet, I whistled and nodded toward the clearing, circled with spindly trees. I normally would have thought that was a crackpot idea, but so far, nothing scary had reared its ugly head. I walked softly over to the area, Aurelius trotting with the same amount of pressure. My heart fluttered at how perfectly he took my cue. I made a mental note to cook him up
a batch of ultra-special treats after this was all said and done.

  Aurelius and I settled into a nap, maybe not the greatest way to prepare for a demanding trial. He was probably humoring me since I could feel his heart hum with excitement. I let myself be lulled by the sound, drifting into a pleasant slumber.

  I dreamt of snowflakes drifting down and melting on my hot flesh, the unfurling of bat-like wings, long, onyx colored talons, and glowing red eyes. I wasn’t worried by any of it, for some reason, as I sensed a protective field encase me, keeping me from any serious harm.

  I wondered who I had to thank and how I could repay them.

  5

  Joan

  “I’m not sure you want to be doing that!” a deep voice dripping with amusement roused me from my sleep. Ordinarily, I would have even called it melodic, but I was pretty pissed to be deprived of my nap.

  As I snapped to and looked around, I had to give this guy credit, though. He wasn’t invading my personal space. Instead, he prodded the soil right near me, shaking it around a little to create a rustling noise.

  “Wha…?” I questioned stupidly. I couldn’t even piece any sentences together. I looked up at the mage and scrunched my nose up in annoyance. The one thing that was clear though, even through my bleary-eyed and groggy haze, was that he was still pretty damned cute.

  He was almost the exact opposite of my unofficial boyfriend, his hair long and jet black compared to Theo’s salon-cropped platinum blond locks. This new mage’s eyes were twinkling amber instead of icy blue, and his skin was a deep tan rather than a pale tone. On top of that, his style was very modern and edgy. While Theo was a fan of finery and antique aristocratic fashion, this stranger wore leather jeans and a low-cut vest that showcased his muscular arms and chest.