by Cara Wylde
I reached my scythe. Unlike the scythes forged by the blacksmiths of the Academy, mine didn’t have a curved handle. My scythe had a straight handle, because that was how my eleven-year-old self had managed to build it. It was unique, in every sense of the word. I picked it up and held it with both hands, my fingers wrapped tightly around the aged wood of the handle. I breathed in and out. The woman in the chair didn’t move.
She wasn’t real. Mila wasn’t actually here. Years ago, she’d told me that the final challenge of the entry test had something to do with facing one’s own fears and demons. She’d never told me what shape her demon had taken the day she was accepted at the Academy and sorted into the Violent Death Cabal, and I hadn’t insisted. Since then, I’d wondered countless times what my demon would look like. Now, looking at fake Mila’s petite figure, with her intense blue hair and a bit of the blond roots showing, I had to admit that I wasn’t surprised. I’d expected this. Because who’d changed my life the most? Mila Morningstar. She was my savior and my friend, but also my enemy. I loved her, and I hated her for what she’d made me do, for how she’d turned me into the woman I was today. She was family.
“Mila?”
She turned to me, slowly. I pursed my lips. Maybe this was wrong. Why engage the illusion when I knew what I had to do? I was running out of time. By now, all the other candidates must have finished the test, and here I was, stuck, talking to a specter.
She stood up and rounded the chair. Her left hand was on the backrest, holding it tightly. She looked as if she couldn’t stand on her own.
I gasped. She looked old. Very, very old. Deep wrinkles around her blue eyes, the skin on her chest sagging, dark, protruding veins on her skeletal arms. She opened her mouth, and a green insect flew out, buzzing around her head. What came out was a croak that I couldn’t understand.
“Mila, what happened to you?”
“You,” she croaked again. “You happened to me. You did this.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand,” I whispered.
“You killed it, and now… I’m dying.”
I clenched my jaw. So, this was what I was afraid of. Terrified, even. This was my demon. If I killed the monster sleeping in the bowels of the Academy, the monster that had given Mila her second life, what would become of her? In reality, I didn’t know, and my subconscious had taken it upon itself to create this image of an old, decaying Mila. Because if she died, it would be my fault.
I dragged in a breath and tried to reason with my own fear. “You’re going to be fine. You won’t end up like this, I promise.”
She opened her mouth again, but this time, no words came out. Just a flow of dark, putrid liquid that ran down her chin and neck, soaking her shirt. It looked and smelled like her insides were liquifying.
“I’m sorry. I have to do this.” I raised my scythe and swung.
She lifted her arms to defend herself, and the sharp blade went through her hands first, chopping them off clean, then cut right through her throat. Her head rolled onto the ground, eyes wide open, staring at me, blaming me for everything that hadn’t yet happened and that might as well never happen.
I closed my eyes, and a tear rolled down my cheek. I’d confronted my greatest fear and slain it with my scythe, but for some reason, I felt like it was still inside me, whispering in my ear that it was me. I was the problem. I was what was wrong with this world. And I would pay some day. Oh, I would pay dearly…
CHAPTER FOUR
People whispered behind my back. Not only students, but also professors. Yolanda Aleksiev had finished the entry test last. They’d expected more from me. If I was being honest with myself, I had expected more from me, too. I’d gotten distracted. On the bright side, I’d discovered the monster’s cavern. I wasn’t sure I would visit it again anytime soon, but it was good to know where it was and what it looked like. It was also good to know there was a quick way out through the tunnel leading to the beach, just in case things ever got out of control. For now, I couldn’t think about it. We were all gathered in the dining hall, and the sorting ceremony was about to start.
Parents and relatives of the candidates who’d passed were already drinking wine and various other stronger spirits at the professors’ table, which was perched on top of a low dais. Before it, with his back turned to them, stood Headmaster Colin. He waited for all the one hundred new students to gather around him in a semicircle, then snapped his fingers, and a scroll appeared out of thin air. He placed his reading glasses on his long nose and started calling out names. One by one, students stepped up and accepted the badge of the cabal they’d been sorted in.
“Scarlett Corvinus. Righteous Death Cabal.”
As she made her way through the small crowd, the beautiful brunette swayed her hips seductively. She took her badge and headed to the RDC table.
“Ivor Gray. Righteous Death.”
Another vampire. He had dark blond hair and dazzling green eyes, but the paleness of his skin betrayed him. He moved with the same elegance and grace as Scarlett, so it was easy to tell what he was.
“Hayley Clarke. Neutral Death Cabal.”
Hayley raised her fist when she passed by me, and I had no choice but to bump it. It was definitely not my style, but she seemed so happy to have been sorted into the NDC. Personally, I had no idea where the test had sorted me. As long as it wasn’t the VDC – and I highly doubted that it was, – I was fine with any of the other three cabals.
“Davien Krause. Violent Death Cabal.”
Of course. It didn’t surprise me in the least that the incubus was VDC. He grabbed his badge in a hurry, then made his way toward me.
“I’ll be waiting for you at the VDC table, normie.”
“I’m not VDC,” I said nonchalantly. It was hard to fake indifference when his mere presence got on my nerves so badly. I did my best to avoid his gaze. If I looked into his eyes, I was in danger of falling under his spell again.
“Aww… So disappointing. First, you finish the test last, and now you’re telling me you’re not even VDC?” He pressed his hand to his heart. “Yolanda Aleksiev, it pains me to say this, but I believe you’ve been overrated.”
I shot him a murderous look. He gave me a big, innocent smile, and I immediately averted my gaze. Damn him! He knew how to push my buttons.
“I don’t care what people say about me.”
“So you say, normie. So you say…”
He finally walked away. Once he was out of my personal space, I could focus back on Headmaster Colin. He’d called at least half a dozen names while I’d been caught in that bullshit conversation with Krause, and that made me realize another thing about how an incubus’ powers worked on people: they could make you lose track of time. I made a mental note to keep away from Davien Krause at all cost. If I were a mage, maybe I could have protected myself somehow. He didn’t seem to have the same effect on the other supernaturals. Once again, my humanity proved to be a disadvantage.
“Jace Merlin. Neutral Death Cabal.”
Merlin. A mage, then. I was embarrassed to admit I was a little bit curious. He was tall, well-built, with black curly hair and hazel eyes. His whole demeanor said his ego was bigger than his brain, though. From what Mila had told me, a mage with a huge ego made for pure danger on two legs. Her friend, Lorna Chiaramonte, was one of the most powerful mages in the world. Before they were friends, they’d been mortal enemies. Mortal in the literal sense of the word – Lorna had tried to kill Mila at least twice.
“Domina Wingblaze. Righteous Death Cabal.”
Okay, on second thought, maybe I preferred to not be in the RDC, either. By this point, I was pretty sure I was going to end up in the NDC with Hayley. I liked the idea.
“Seth Khepri. Violent Death Cabal.”
Interesting name. My eyes found the dark-haired man with intense blue eyes and olive skin in the thinning crowd, and my heart skipped a beat when he met my gaze. It was as if he’d felt I was wat
ching him. I couldn’t look away. Straight, perfect nose, high cheekbones, and full, delicious lips. He was built like an athlete, and the PE uniform absolutely did justice to his wide chest, strong shoulders, and six-pack. He had long, lean arms and legs, which made me think he must have been, first and foremost, a swimmer. Maybe he liked diving and surfing. He seemed to be the type. He smiled, and I smiled back.
Shit. What am I getting myself into? I’m not here to make friends, let alone friends with benefits.
Seth took his badge, and as he walked to the VDC table, he brushed past me. His arm touched my arm, and a zap of electricity rushed up to my elbow. I yelped. He’d electrocuted me.
He chuckled. “Sparks are flying already. I’ve got my eyes on you, Russian beauty. You’ll end up in my bed before the end of the semester.”
Oh, joy! Another jerk!
“First of all, I’m not Russian.”
“I know,” he laughed.
“Then why… Nevermind.”
“And second of all?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s what I thought.” He winked. “Before the end of the semester.”
“In your dreams,” I mumbled. I would have given him a piece of my mind, but Headmaster Colin was calling my name.
“Yolanda Aleksiev. Merciful Death Cabal.”
I could do a happy dance then and there. The MDC was the sanest of all the four cabals. At least something was going well today. I stepped up to Headmaster Colin, and he gave me my badge. He hesitated when I tried to pry it free from his fingers. He looked me straight in the eyes.
“Miss Aleksiev, it’s a pleasure to have you at Grim Reaper Academy.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” I lied. But it was okay, because deep down, I had a feeling that he was lying too. And that was when I knew he hadn’t been the one who’d written the first message on the note I’d retrieved from the bottle. A new mystery to solve. As if I didn’t already have enough mysteries on my plate…
I sat at the MDC table. While the last few students were being sorted, I took out the damp piece of paper. The only thing written on it was “Climb the rope ladder.” No sign of the other message. It had disappeared the second I’d read it. I didn’t even have any proof that it had been there at all.
“Tonight, let us feast and celebrate,” Headmaster Colin said in a booming voice. For sure, it was enhanced with some magic, because his voice was naturally soft and kind. “Welcome to Grim Reaper Academy. It is a privilege to study here, a privilege to be among the one hundred students we accept every two hundred years. Only twenty-two of you will become Grim Reapers. Here, we believe that competition is healthy, so we work with a simple system of worth points. By passing the entry test, you have all gained one hundred worth points. It is up to you to make your way to the top of the scoreboard.” He paused and took his time to look around the four long tables. Everyone was silent. The MDC table was the last one, tucked against the wall that connected the dining hall to the kitchens. Our eyes met, and he held my gaze for a few long seconds. I wondered whether there was something he wanted to tell me but couldn’t. His expression was blank, though. When he looked away, he gave me the impression that it was all in my head. “From this day on, we are all working toward the same goal: to give the world the next generation of Grim Reapers.” He spread his arms. “Let dinner be served.”
Waiters and waitresses stepped out through hidden doors, hands full of trays. In minutes, all the tables were filled with food and drinks. I piled baked sweet potatoes onto my plate, along with some other veggies and a sauce that was a bit too hot for my taste. I shifted uncomfortably. I dipped a slice of sweet potato into the sauce and bit into it. I had to shift again, as I felt the person to my right getting too close to me. The person to my left was too close, too. And I looked up. The MDC was not, by any means, the most numerous cabal. That was the VDC. There should have been enough space at the table.
“Hey! I’m Silene. Nice to meet you,” a brown-haired girl with a pixie cut reached out her hand from across the table.
I stared at it, confused. I nodded instead. The girl cocked her head, placed her hand back on the table, and proceeded to keep staring at me with wide, curious eyes. What the hell?
“I’m Valac,” the guy to my right said. He had bright green eyes and a dark stubble on his jaw. I wasn’t interested.
“Hey,” I murmured.
“Move!” I heard Domina’s unmistakable voice. “I’m sitting next to Yoli.”
“You’re not MDC,” the girl to my left complained.
“Move, bitch!”
For a seraph, Domina sure was anything but pleasant. The MDC girl cursed her under her breath but grabbed her plate and moved. Domina plopped onto the bench.
“Wow, Yoli! I had no idea you’d land with the losers. What a shame. If you’d moved faster, maybe you would’ve been sorted in the RDC, at least.”
“I’m fine where I am, thank you.” A quick glance around told me my MDC peers weren’t happy with Domina’s tone. No one said anything, though. Great. It was up to me, then. Too bad I didn’t care enough to stand up for an entire cabal. As far as I was concerned, Domina’s voice was just like an annoying fly buzzing in my ear. Enraging to a certain extent, but essentially harmless.
She leaned in to whisper in my ear, which was all theatrics, since she spoke so loud that almost everyone in the dining hall probably heard her: “Go talk to Headmaster Colin. I’m sure he can fix this for you.”
I rolled my eyes. “The test doesn’t lie, you know that. If I’m in the Merciful Death Cabal, it means it’s because I’m…” I shrugged. I wasn’t sure it was the right word, but whatever. “... merciful.”
She laughed, her hand immediately going to her belly. She continued laughing for a whole minute, and when a tear escaped her eye, I had to give it to her. She was a fine actress.
“I’m sorry, what?” She took a sip of apple cider. The glass wasn’t even hers. “Merciful? You killed Valentine Morningstar. And you were only eleven!” She laughed again. “Yoli dear, don’t kid yourself. It’s so clear to me that you botched the test.” Then, in a lower voice: “Or maybe you cheated. I heard someone cheated last time… Who was it? Sariel Gracewing, one of your cousin’s puppies, am I right? He was supposed to be MDC, and he cheated his way into the VDC. Sneaky. But here’s what I don’t understand. Why would you do it the other way around?”
“I didn’t cheat.” I would’ve said more, but Valac chose to place his hand on my thigh, which rendered me speechless for a second. I gave him a baffled look. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“If you cheated, I forgive you,” he said. “I’ll help you cover it.”
“Oh, will you? And, let me guess… You want something in return?”
“I’m not that kind of guy.” But his hand kept traveling up my thigh. A few more inches, and his fingers would brush my pelvis. “You’re a rare flower, Yolanda Aleksiev. I can tell you appreciate the two Ps.”
“The two Ps?” Is this guy for real?!
“Patience and persistence.”
I grabbed his wrist, squeezed as tightly as I could, and slammed his hand on the table. Keeping it there, I held my fork like a knife, and pressed the tines into his skin.
“Touch me again,” I hissed.
His green eyes turned red. Just like I’d thought. A demon. Valac was an unusual name. My first guess had been a vampire, but his skin wasn’t pale enough.
He pulled his hand free like it was nothing. I blinked. How naïve of me to think I could overpower a demon. He laughed in my face, which made Domina laugh, and before I knew it, everyone at the table was laughing. I squeezed the fork, fighting the urge to just drive it through his skull. I would have loved to poke his eyes out. Would he have laughed then?
What’s the matter with me? I dropped the fork. It clattered to the floor, and the sharp sound of metal on wood snapped me back to reality. I touched my temple with a trembling hand.
I’m Merciful Death. I can’t think like this. No matter what they do, what they say… I can’t wish them harm. I jumped to my feet, but there was no way I was getting out of there that easily. I would have to push my way past Valac or Domina. Everyone at the MDC table was so crammed. I turned to jump over the bench, but someone approached me from behind and placed their hands on my shoulders just as I was getting ready to make my move.
“Can you make me like you even more?” Seth growled in my ear. “Feisty. Dangerous. A female to my taste.”
I shoved him off me.
“A fork, though?” He tsked. “When there are so many knives lying around…” Domina was nice enough to hand Seth a knife. He threw it in the air, caught it by the blade, and held it out to me. “Cut his hand this time. Show him your worst. I might even cum.”
I felt disgusted. We’d attracted everyone’s attention, and now all the four cabals were laughing. The only ones who weren’t laughing were Hayley from the NDC, and a few of the MDC girls. Silene seemed uncomfortable. She avoided my gaze. I looked over at the professors’ table and noticed that even though the professors and the parents had noticed the commotion, they ignored us, pretending like we weren’t there at all. Not that I was waiting for someone to come to my rescue. I could take care of myself, thank you very much. What frustrated me was that those in authority weren’t doing their job.
“Enough of this,” I gritted.
Seth was still trying to make me take the knife. Valac challenged me to take it. I looked into their eyes and saw there was no way I could have reasoned with them. So, I did the only thing that I could think of. I got out of there. I teleported straight outside.
As I stood behind the closed doors of the dining hall, I could hear their laughter die down. A smile grew on my lips. Even if my first dinner at the Academy had been a disaster, at least I’d had the last word. They didn’t yet know how to teleport. I did. I was years ahead of them. I’d already trained with a Grim Reaper – my cousin. She’d taught me how to teleport on my own, without a teleportation device, how to swing my scythe, how to fight, how to see people’s auras… She’d taught me pretty much everything a Grim Reaper had to know. Even as busy as she was, two hundred years had been more than enough for me to learn the essentials.