I winced as the events of the previous night came back to me. Oh, shit. I had found the wine and guzzled it down like it was juice. I had practically invited the twins to have their way with me. And then I had fought with Thorsten. I bit my lip. Had I said something inappropriate to him? Probably. What if he thought I was into him when it had been only the wine speaking? I shook my head. Whatever. Screw Thorsten and what he thought of me.
“Onyx?” Lily’s gray eyes shone with concern. “When I came back from the library, you were passed out, snoring. Did you have something to drink?”
I forced a smile I didn’t feel. “Nothing happened. I just needed some time alone. To think.” I wanted to throw up.
Her raised eyebrow told me she didn’t believe it, but she let it drop.
In the changing room, I pulled on my leotard while desperately glancing around, hoping to find some caffeine fix. No such luck. Our prison school didn’t believe in to-go cups. What I would do to be back in the human world just to go to a Starbucks and get a venti latte.
Having trouble keeping my eyes open, I thought I was imagining things when I entered the gym and found Ms. Rutherford next to Mr. Chad. I blinked, but the evil witch remained.
Virgie joined Lily and me.
“What is she doing here?” I whispered.
Virgie shrugged. “I don’t know, but it can’t be anything good. She and Lady Cardinal were talking this morning outside the cafeteria.” She shot me a look full of questions, and I shook my head. No, I still hadn’t come up with a plan to expose Ms. Rutherford and I was running out of time.
It soon became clear that while I had been despairing, Ms. Rutherford was doing quite well in her quest to expose me.
“Fae students,” she began, and I noticed that there wasn’t a single vamp student in today’s PE class. Great, if they weren’t here, it meant we were doing something truly horrible. “I’ve joined Mr. Chad’s lesson today to see if any of you have elemental magic since I believe that some of you have been hiding your true abilities. Hiding your magic is illegal since it doesn’t allow us to train it and makes you a danger to yourself and others.” She paused, letting her words sink in.
Why hadn’t she exposed me already? Ms. Rutherford could tell Lady Cardinal I was a Winter fae and no one would doubt her since she was pureblooded fae. But then she’d also have to explain why she’d interrogated me and how she’d found that out. Whatever was about to happen was her way of exposing me without incriminating herself.
A vicious smile crept up Ms. Rutherford’s lips. “Fortunately for you, there is a way to expose such dangerous magic. Magic is often triggered when your body is working at full capacity or in a high state of adrenaline.” She interlaced her long fingers. “To properly test you, Mr. Chad and I will push you to your limits.”
At that announcement, my grogginess and headache vanished, and alertness coursed through me. When I glanced around me, I saw foot tapping, uncontrolled facial tics, and girls tugging on the leotards, even though as far as I was aware, I was the only one who had anything to fear.
I bit my lip, wondering what Ms. Rutherford would do to try and trigger my ice in front of everyone. Would she use her killer vines in public?
It turned out the answer was no as two vamp guards rolled in a glass cube big enough to serve as a prison. Wires and computer chips stuck out of the sides.
“This is a simulator, provided to the school by tech mogul Silvestrus Bateman.” Ms. Rutherford knocked against the glass as she let the name sink in. Silvestrus Bateman was a vamp who had provided space agencies with wild plans for new ships and even a plan for a space elevator. He had bought out most of the tech sector in recent years and owned a couple of web browsers to boot. “It’s shatter proof, so no one will be hurt even if one of you possesses elemental magic.” Her gaze slid to me, and she smirked.
My heart pumped violently in my chest, wanting to escape.
“The simulation is very real. So even though no one here will be able to see it, the person inside will be convinced it’s happening, forgetting it is a simulation.”
Virgie raised her hand.
“Yes?” Ms. Rutherford asked pleasantly.
“What will be the simulation we’ll experience?”
Ms. Rutherford smile widened. “That’s the best part. It’s individual. The simulator will confront you with your personal, biggest fears.”
“It’s very impressive technology created by our top vamps,” Mr. Chad added proudly, speaking up for the first time.
“It will be a very intense experience.” Ms. Rutherford pointed at the two vamp guards who had wheeled in the simulator. “That’s why these gentlemen will stay. In case, we need their help to escort some of you to the infirmary.”
Chapter 18
Next to me, Lily swayed. I grabbed her arm, steadying her.
“Please line up.” Mr. Chad motioned for the first girl on the far left to step forward. Given the way we were standing, Lily, I, and Virgie would be the last lucky contestants. Again. Great, we got to watch everyone being terrorized, our own fear spiking. But maybe, just maybe that would give me enough time to come up with an excuse to avoid showing everyone what I was.
“Don’t dawdle, please. We don’t have all day.” Mr. Chad pushed the first fae forward.
“I can’t.” She was a fae with braided hair who had been hanging out in the art section of Home Decor. She didn’t speak much. Now her voice shook, but no one comforted her. Instead, Ms. Rutherford snapped her fingers, and one of the vamp guards hurried over and dragged the girl into the simulator.
My throat laced shut, and I could barely breathe. How I wished Thorsten was here. He would’ve found a way to put an end to this torture. Or maybe he wouldn’t after what I had done yesterday. Maybe he had lost the tiny bit of respect he had for me when he had seen me with the twins. What had I been thinking? Nothing. I had turned off my mind on purpose, desperate to escape from reality, not caring what the consequences were. I had been reckless, weak, and dumb.
And now what I’d been fearing all along would become my reality. I’d be exposed and killed.
The vamp guard slammed the glass door shut, and Mr. Chad pressed a button on the remote he was holding. The fae’s eyes widened, and then she stepped back from the glass, pressing into the back of the cube. She shook her head, then rushed to the left of the cube, then the right, banging against the glass walls, opening her mouth in a silent scream. Apparently, the simulator wasn’t only shatter proof, but also sound proof. As the seconds dragged on, the croissant I’d eaten for breakfast rose up in my stomach.
“How long are you going to torture her?” I barely recognized my voice. I knew I should’ve kept quiet, stayed under the radar, but only a sadist could watch another person ripping out her hair and clawing at her thighs.
Mr. Chad strolled over to me, holding the simulator remote in his hand. How I wanted to reach forward and knock it out of his grasp. “Shoulders back, Miss Onyx,” he tsked.
I straightened my posture, not out of respect, but to stop him from putting his paws on me.
He nodded in approval. “Much better. Don’t worry, the simulation will only last for three minutes.”
I gulped. Three minutes. Could I hold back my ice for that long?
“I won’t be able to…” Next to me Lily shook like a leaf in the wind.
I massaged soothing circles on her back. “You’ll be fine,” I said, having no right to make such promises when I doubted any of us would be all right after this simulator. Three minutes of our worst nightmares. Three minutes was way too long.
The seconds trickled by painfully slow, but eventually, Mr. Chad’s timer beeped, and he pressed the red button on his remote to stop the simulator. As he did, the girl gasped and slumped against the wall of the cube. A guard opened the door, and the fae stumbled out, falling forward. Her knees whacked against the ground. The guard lunged, catching her before she could break her nose.
“Take her to the infirmary and
get us more guards,” Mr. Chad snapped.
Please, let one of the new guards be Thorsten.
One by one, the fae went into the simulator, the line growing shorter and shorter. No one showed any unusual powers. A few had some vines grow from their fingers, but it was nothing like Peony’s powers and only appeared to be a drop of magic compared to Preston and Ms. Rutherford, which made me wonder—were all fae teachers of the same power? Or was Ms. Rutherford more than she pretended to be? After all, skirting the truth about why you were here required some balls, even if she was an old friend of Lady Cardinal.
I am new and still learning the ropes.
That’s what she had said, and yet rumor had it that Ms. Rutherford had taught here before.
A pureblood could skirt the truth, omit, distract, but never lie. There was just one explanation—she really was new. But that would have to mean she wasn’t who she appeared to be.
No regular teacher would dare an undercover investigation while surrounded by vamps.
No, only someone who had a lot to gain by investigating Preston’s disappearance would risk their life.
So what was Preston to Ms. Rutherford?
When she had interrogated me, she had claimed she was three-hundred-years old. That must also be true. I doubted Preston was even half that age given how he carried himself. Yet even if I was mistaken or if he was into cougars, Ms. Rutherford didn’t strike me as a heartbroken lover.
A friend? No, she wasn’t the type to make friends.
Maybe they had an alliance. But why? She was so much more powerful than Preston. His powers had only fully shone when we were in the portal. She had been able to access immense magic here, despite all the iron in the academy.
Kristen screamed and beat on the glass in silence.
Breathe, Onyx.
Ms. Rutherford was very high ranking. Higher than Preston. Why would the vamps risk her? They wouldn’t. The only explanation for her presence was that they didn’t know the extent of her powers.
Maybe they didn’t even know her real identity.
Yes. That was it.
I stared at the tall, raven-haired woman as she watched Kristen slump and gasp for breath. Who was she, really?
The line of fae in front of me dwindled. Most of them were unconscious or unable to walk after they exited the simulator and had to be carried to the infirmary by the vamp guards.
Three more sets of guards entered. Thorsten wasn’t one of them. Shit. Why had I allowed myself to once again rely on another man? I had to grow up. And I had to do it fast. Because as the latest victim stumbled from the simulator, vomiting violently, not just food, but also blood, there was only one girl in front of Lily and me.
A horrible smell filled the gym. Even Mr. Chad backed away from the scene as the guards mopped up the mess. The girl in front of us, a quiet blond, stepped forward, legs shaking.
As she went in, Lily’s teeth chattered and her tremble became so bad, I thought she might be close to a seizure. I grabbed her hand and pushed her behind me. I couldn’t let them do this to her.
Virgie gave me a tightlipped smile and switched positions with Lily as well, so that now she was the last in line.
Ms. Rutherford sidled up to me. “What a show of bravery and loyalty. How lovely.” Her black eyes drilled into me. “What do you think about the test, Onyx?”
I gave her a slow, languid smile, determined to beat her at her own game. “I think it’s fascinating.” Then I turned around and waved at our gym teacher. “Mr. Chad!” I stuck my chest out and wiggled my hips.
As expected, he came running, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
“I have a question,” I breathed, batting my eyelashes and licking my lips. Yes, I was laying it on thick, but so what? If everyone was going to write me off as a future prostitute, it was time to use being underestimated to my advantage.
“Yes, Onyx.” Mr. Chad’s nostrils flared. Ugh, was he imagining doing me on one of the gym mats?
I lowered my voice as he leaned close. “What would happen to a powerful, pureblooded fae if she were to enter the simulator?”
Mr. Chad shifted his pants, probably to accommodate his burgeoning erection. “Well, the same as we saw happen to all your classmates. It doesn’t matter how powerful the fae, the simulator would still work, exposing the true power of the fae. Same thing with a vampire.”
“How interesting.”
“Onyx. It’s your turn.” Ms. Rutherford strode forward and pressed the red button on Mr. Chad’s remote. The girl inside blinked in shock as her simulation ended.
“The simulation wasn’t done,” Mr. Chad protested.
“The fae in there has no unusual powers.” Mr Rutherford flung the door open, not doing anything to help the choking girl who crawled out of the cube. A guard gathered her up and carried her away. That had taken the last guard from the room. Only myself, Lily, Virgie, and our lovely staff members remained.
“Onyx.” Ms. Rutherford beckoned, still standing in the doorway of the cube.
I smiled, this time for real, and unleashed my ice just a little.
Ms. Rutherford followed my gaze to her killer stilettos and gasped as her skinny heels slipped forward on the ice. She tried to grab the walls of the simulator only to find that a thin sheet of ice had formed there too.
She fell into the cube, crashing against the right wall. I darted forward and slammed the door shut.
“Miss Onyx, what—?”
I didn’t let Mr. Chad finish, but pushed the button on his remote.
“This is mine. You can’t just,” he protested.
I brought my finger up to his lips and whispered as seductively as I could, “Just give me a few seconds. Ms. Rutherford is not who she claims to be.” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the gym door opening, and Thorsten entering. His gaze fixed on me, hard and unforgiving. Then it moved to the stimulator, and he froze.
Ms. Rutherford pounded the walls, eyes wide in the terror of anticipation.
Mr. Chad shook his head, as if trying to wake up from a dream. “You can’t do this to a teacher.”
I grabbed his chin and tilted it back into the direction of the cube. “Watch.” Hopefully, no one had noticed the ice I had created. It had been thin enough that it should’ve looked as if Ms. Rutherford had slipped without any assistance from me.
Inside the cube, Ms. Rutherford opened her mouth into a silent scream.
Mr. Chad sighed as Ms. Rutherford banged the cube’s walls. She mouthed something at me in a rage, probably a promise that I’d get punished. Just as Mr. Chad’s index finger inched toward the red button, powerful vines with spikes exploded from Ms. Rutherford’s palms. Her deadly flowers appeared not a second later, attempting to chomp down on the glass. As she attacked the cube, the black in her hair fell away like running ink, revealing blond, and her stature shortened, though her stance remained proud. Ms. Rutherford’s Addams family features melted away, revealing strong cheekbones and flushed skin underneath. The fae woman hiding behind Ms. Rutherford had a mean, narrow face and golden-green eyes I had seen before. Preston’s eyes.
“She was using a glamour!” Thorsten shouted. “She tricked us!”
The fae gasped, and Mr. Chad took a step back as Thorsten joined his side, the other guards lining up behind him. They had returned just in time for the show. Excellent. The more witnesses, the better.
Mr. Chad’s jaw hit the floor, and he choked out, “Get Headmistress Cardinal. Now!”
Chapter 19
I stepped back, trying to make myself look small and innocent. Not that it would help me much if the vamps asked why I had outed Ms. Rutherford or how I had known that she was someone other than she pretended to be. I still wasn’t sure who she was. A member of the royal guard, a fae investigator?
How had she gotten into Nocturnal Academy? The mystery woman continued to lash the glass with toxic flowers and thorns, exposing the extent of her power. Glamour. Of course. I’d heard of the ability in passing.
Apparently, powerful fae could do that.
Another vine lashed at the glass. The golden viper inside narrowed her eyes into hatred and lashed out at her invisible enemy. I shuddered, knowing she’d kill if she ever got the chance, uncaring who would see.
Headmistress Cardinal strode into the room surrounded by guards. Mr. Chad continued to eye the glass prison, one finger hovering over the stop button on the remote, mouth still gaping open.
The fae inside didn’t notice. She bared her teeth, hatred lurking in her black pupils. Her resemblance to Preston was uncanny, and my breakfast rose once again in my throat.
I backed into Lily and Virgie. Now it was Lily’s turn to comfort me. If anyone had figured it all out without me saying a word, it was her. Virgie stood on my left side, the two girls forming a protective shield around me.
I might’ve exposed the secret of the powerful fae inside the simulator, but all she had to do to end me was point her finger at me when the vamps let her out. Unable to lie as a pureblooded fae, the vamps would accept her accusation that I was Preston’s murderer.
I was about to die.
Swallowing, I stilled my shaking knees as Lady Cardinal held up a hand to Mr. Chad, indicating he was to turn off the simulation box. The headmistress’s eyes were huge.
He did. The woman inside continued to lash at the glass for a second. She was tough. But as the vines fell away, limp, she trembled as if it had taken all her strength to launch the attack on whatever she feared. Her hair was a mess, and her skin was covered from self-inflicted scratches. My Home Decor teacher looked more like an evil witch than ever, despite losing her gothic appearance.
“Open the door,” Lady Cardinal ordered.
I gulped, eyeing the gym exit. I could run, but I couldn’t escape. Plus, if I fled, the vamps would torture Lily and Virgie for information about me.
Mr. Chad obeyed as the guards, including Thorsten, surrounded the box and prepared to act. The vines that the fae imposter had summoned remained. One guard opened the door, and Thorsten seized the fae woman’s arm and dragged her out. I was pleased to see that she didn’t have the strength to resist, royal or not.
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