“So, I’m guessing he’s good-looking then? Judging by your reaction?” Luce surmised. “Mine weren’t attractive, but I think they were pretty important. One was the academy president, Hollace, he was a little intimidating but really nice.”
Jenks’ eyes widened as she gaped at the two of us. “I think I’ve had this all wrong! I thought I was probably the most powerful newbie, but you got The Brain and some muscle sent to your school, and you got the academy president? Holy shit, color me impressed, ladies!”
Luce chuckled and shook her head, but noticeably didn’t make eye contact with either of us. Too close to home. I felt a pang in my heart at the thought of her family being attacked for their powers and her apparent wariness about her own being discovered. Deciding to take the heat off her, I began to stack up napkins and utensils, preparing to get up. “My parents might be powerful, but I’m not anything too crazy. And yes, Liam Trackwell was totally hot. In fact, if I had to choose between him and Griffin, hmmm, what to do, what to do?”
Getting up from my seat, I grinned as both of my roommates began giggling, and quickly decided we needed to go through the pros and cons of each for my mythical romantic relationships. As we left the dining hall, Jenks paused, throwing her hands in the air. “Why do you have to choose? Can’t you have them both?”
Which only resulted in Luce and I being doubled over in laughter as I tried to describe what I imagined it would be like to wake up with the dashing professor on one side of the bed, and the cheeky playboy on the other.
For the first time in years, I actually felt like I fit in.
Chapter Three
A blaring alarm sounded, jarring me from an already fitful sleep. After lunch, we explored the campus, figuring out where we had to be for our exams the next day. It wasn’t long after we returned to our room that my parents had shown up and offered to bring us all out for dinner.
It was nice time and I was really enjoying my new roommates. After chatting for an hour laying in bed in the dark, when we finally decided to go to sleep. Of course, I had lain awake thinking for awhile. Sitting up in bed, I quickly rubbed my bleary eyes. I felt like I had just fallen asleep. “What the heck is that? That can’t be the fire alarm.”
“No, I don’t think so. It doesn’t sound right.” Luce’s voice was laced with worry.
The alarm stopped as Jenks flipped on the lights, and the three of us stared at each other, our eyes widening when all of our phones began chirping and buzzing at the same moment. Lurching from my bed, I snatched my phone. A message from AOC popped up on the screen.
ALERT: All students on campus, report to your common area to be advised of a serious situation by your building administrator. Students currently not on campus should remain where they are until campus has been cleared.
Moving quickly, I pulled a sweater on over my t-shirt and slipped on a pair of sneakers. My roommates were also scrambling to their phones and grabbing some extra clothing before we headed out to the common area. Jenks looked the most presentable of the three of us, of course, tugging a pullover sweater on over her AOC polo shirt. Taking one look at Luce’s wild locks, I wordlessly pulled the elastic band from around my wrist and offered it to her. Luce gratefully took it and hauled her hair back into a ponytail.
“This is scary. I wonder what’s going on.”
“I don’t know, Luce, hopefully it isn’t anything too serious.”
Jenks threw open the door and began ushering us toward the common area. Other students were shuffling their way there also, most looking like they were still half asleep. A few were totally freaked out, tapping away at their phones, sending messages to their friends to see what they knew. Gathering in the common room, those who arrived first took up seats on the couches and chairs, while the rest lined up along the walls or plopped down on the floor.
I raised my eyebrows as one Mr. Liam Trackwell strode into the room. He had obviously just woken up also, dressed in black sweatpants and a formfitting blue thermal that matched his eyes. Eyes that had a tightness to them. That wasn’t a good sign.
Glancing around the room, his shoulders seem to relax a little as his gaze landed on Jenks, Luce, and me. Claude’s bulky frame took up the entire doorway as he peered in. Liam nodded his head in our direction and Claude pushed his way over to us.
“You ladies okay?” His gruff voice rumbled as he quickly catalogued each of us and our health before turning back to face Liam across the room.
“Yeah, I think so. What’s going on?”
Ignoring my question, he jutted his chin toward Liam. Returning my attention to the attractive professor, I began to get a little more nervous. This wasn’t some silly drill, something was really happening.
“Residents of Trixton Hall, we are currently in the middle of a campus wide lockdown. No one will be able to leave or enter campus until the lockdown is lifted. There is no reason to panic. It appears someone disabled the guards at Wylie Hall—”
The room erupted into chaos. People began gasping and excitedly talking. A few students pulled out their phones, more awake now at the news. I exchanged confused looks with Luce and Jenks. Neither one of them knew what any of this meant either.
“Excuse me, students! I need your attention!” Liam’s voice cut through the room, loud and commanding. His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms and managed to appear intimidating and disappointed at the same time. As quickly as the bedlam began, it died away, the students looking sheepish and concerned.
“Thank you. As I was saying, there was a disturbance at Wylie Hall. It appears that one of the artifacts is missing. We know it’s still on campus, as the grounds are heavily warded against any of the artifacts leaving the property. But we need to come together and make smart choices. If you see anything, say something. It’s unclear at this time what the motive is.”
A tall, thin man with mussed dark hair and glasses dared to speak. “Professor, which artifact is it?” The rest of the room nodded and murmured their concern.
Taking a deep breath, Liam seemed to immediately calm, his blue eyes sharpened and brightened as they searched the room. “They took the potion of envy.”
More gasping and murmuring occurred as people took in what this meant. I, of course, had no idea. Then I felt it, the barest brush against my mind. My eyes darted to the professor. He was definitely using some of his powers. Slowly loosening my control, I struggled to focus it directly on him. I wanted to know what he was feeling. The overwhelming fear and apprehension in the room was hard to shut out, but I managed and finally got a read on him—curiosity, confidence, and determination trickled into me. Before I could shut my link to him down, his eyes widened and his head snapped toward me. The gentle caress against my mind turned into a hard shove. Pain lanced through my skull as I instinctively fought to keep him out. When I sucked in a breath and doubled over, I was pretty sure I lost that battle. The invasion lasted only a few seconds and then it was gone.
“Hey, Rox, you okay?” A worried Jenks grabbed my arm and peered down at me. Claude frowned and helped me straighten up. His dark eyes staring at me as I winced.
“Sorry, I’m fine.” Looking across the room, I noticed a flicker of surprise cross Liam’s face before he refocused on the group again. I could feel Claude’s eyes drilling holes into me.
“Officials have asked that you all stay in your dorms and halls until they announce it’s safe to leave. Administration is working to locate the artifact and those responsible. I just ask that you’re careful, if you see something out of the ordinary, say something. Please listen to all instructions. Mr. Romanov and myself will be here in the Resident Administrator’s quarters if you need anything. Most of you know that exposure to this artifact may cause feelings of inadequacy, desire, and jealousy. Please be vigilant and let us know if you suspect any exposure. There is no reason to panic, as you know, the artifacts only enhance what feelings or tendencies you naturally already have.”
He kept speaking and giving out helpful instruct
ions, but I couldn’t focus, still reeling from the mental clash with the professor. Breathing in slowly through my nose, I worked on steadying my heartbeat. Luce threw me a concerned glance and looped her arm through mine. None of this went unnoticed by Claude, who quietly asked us to stay behind when Liam dismissed everyone else back to their rooms. The alarm on everyone’s faces were real. I squinted my eyes as I watched more than a few rush up to Liam and ask questions while we waited for the rest of our peers to filter out.
The young man with the messy dark hair and glasses caught my eye. Pulling away from his friends, he walked straight for me. Sticking out his arm, his smartwatch flashing on his wrist, he offered me his hand in greeting.
“Hi, I’m Mac. You guys must be the new recruits, probably not what you were expecting on the first night.”
His warm smile was genuine as he offered his hand to Luce and Jenks.
“No, not really. Not that I knew what to expect. I’m Rox. What the heck are these artifacts Liam is talking about?”
Mac’s eyes widened a fraction, but his face smoothed out in sympathy. “Well, Professor Trackwell…” He paused at my sheepish reaction. Apparently, I was being a little too familiar by using the professor’s first name.
“That’s quite alright, Mac, we are going to fill the ladies in on everything now. Thank you for your concern though.”
Liam appeared at Mac’s side, a twinkle in his eyes as he watched Mac swallow and glance back and forth between us and the two professors.
“Sure thing, I just assumed it was probably a little unnerving on their first week here. I’ll see you ladies later.”
With a wave, Mac beat a hasty retreat, sparing Liam and Claude one last curious look before leaving the five of us alone.
“Why don’t we take a seat?” Gesturing toward the now vacant couches, Liam shared a look with Claude. Claude moved his large bulk gracefully through the haphazard furniture to shut the door. He then turned and leaned his back against it, surveying us with a blank face.
“Is there any way we can get Griffin Daily over here? I’d feel much more comfortable if he was here.” Luce set her hand on Liam’s forearm, her voice a smoky, honeyed murmur as a sleek smile adorned her face, although I could see her slight tremor from where I was on the couch. Liam quirked an eyebrow at her, his eyes landing on her hand before raising back to look her in the eye.
“I can assure you, Ms. Marcose, that is not necessary.” Eyes dropping to her hand once more, he didn’t move, waiting for her to react. Face flushing, Luce gulped and pulled her hand back as if she had scalded it on his skin.
“How? I-I don’t understand.”
With a tight-lipped smile, Liam motioned for her to sit. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Claude smirk at his companion, swiftly turning it into a scowl when he realized I could see him.
“Lucinda, you’ll find most of the staff here at AOC are more than equipped to handle such things, don’t worry, you aren’t the first student to try, and you certainly won’t be the last.” He gave me a pointed look as he brushed a finger over his temple, and I felt the brush of his telepathy flutter across my skull. Oh, oh my. Had Luce also tried to use her powers on him? Wow, she must have some sort of persuasion-based power. Jenks cleared her throat deliberately, jarring me from my thoughts. How she had managed to be the most quiet and observant one this evening, I couldn’t even begin to fathom.
“Now, I’m sorry for this intrusion and interruption of normal AOC operations. Rest assured, this does not happen very often, but you are in one of the safest and best protected places in the country. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but first, please let me explain what the artifacts are before you ask about them. It will make it easier.”
Numbly nodding, I tucked my feet up under myself, making my body as small as possible. Jenks crossed her arms and stared defiantly back at him, and Luce, well, Luce looked a little bewildered as she gazed thoughtfully at the professor.
“Here at AOC, we house many ancient and well-known artifacts. The most notorious being those regarded as the Seven Deadly Sins. They are well protected and typically used twice a year around midterm and final exams to test our students.” He held his hands up in protest as he read the looks of horror and anger on our faces.
“Now wait a second, the artifacts are used minimally, and always in a fashion to allow our students to showcase who they really are. They are never used at full capacity. They are typically seen as vehicles of chaos, a way to shake up the order around here. All students and staff are protected by the oaths and contracts they sign upon acceptance here. This ensures that no serious damage is incurred by any of the major artifacts.”
Smiling proudly, Liam relaxed his stance just enough to prevent his shirt from stretching across his pecs in what was becoming a distracting way.
“But, sir, the three of us haven’t officially been accepted and gone through the process. which means—” Jenks was tapping her chin thoughtfully as she spoke.
“Which means you would feel the full effects without any of the safety measures in place. Yes, that also means our normal protections and safety nets we have set up will not be a hundred percent effective for the three of you until after your entrance exams. That’s why I’m here. Well, myself and Claude.”
A deep grunt from the back of the room dragged my attention from Liam. Claude was standing at parade rest, his eyes taking in every movement and expression on our faces.
“So, ladies, get comfortable. You won’t be leaving Trixton Hall until we figure out what’s going on. Why don’t you head back to your room. The entire building is currently on lockdown, if you need us, we will be in the Resident Administrator’s quarters. Right through that hall there. Try to sleep and find some things to read and occupy your time. We get this all cleared up, nothing to worry about.”
Feeling more irritated now than I did before Professor Trackwell’s little chat, I stood and flipped my hair over my shoulder, pointedly ignoring both men.
“Come on, ladies, there obviously isn’t anything else that we are equipped to handle.”
I was salty, very salty. I was unsure whether I was so upset because I was still an outsider, even in this new environment, or that the most prestigious academy in the world was disorganized enough to allow something like this to happen. It seemed extremely sloppy, very amateur.
Liam school his face as a faint smile threatened the corners of his mouth, and he quirked an eyebrow in my direction, but I studiously ignored him.
“Oh, and ladies, please refrain from using your powers until we’ve got everything under control. Thank you.” With a nod and a dismissive wave of his hand, Liam turned and motioned for us to head to our room.
Practically stomping my way back toward our room, I turned and smacked right into a compact body that was slinking through the hallway.
A muffled shriek caught in my throat as the figure quickly backed up, reaching out to grip my shoulders to steady me. A man, only a few inches taller than me, widened the most beautiful green eyes I’d ever seen at me, silently pleading me not to make any noise. The smudged, dark eyeliner made the green of his irises pop in the most mesmerizing way. I felt a little breathless. Those eyes were stunning emeralds glittering in the dimly lit hall.
He broke our locked stare first, lifting his chin to glance over my shoulder before ducking down to try to hide behind me.
I could feel my cheeks instantly heating at my reaction to him. Embarrassed, I shook my head to clear it and stepped back to take a better look at him.
Wild, ruffled black hair stuck out in haphazard spikes. A tight black band t-shirt showcased a few tattoos on sinewy arms, a studded belt hung from his tight black pants, and a pair of dark Converse sneakers rounded out his look.
Luce and Jenks stumbled behind me, quickly hushing their irritated exclamations at the sight of the man in front of me.
“Dammit, if Romanov finds me here, I’m going to end up with more community service hours! Is he coming this w
ay?”
He spoke in a rough whisper, continuing to hunch down.
“Come on, Romeo, you can hide in here for a minute.” Jenks pushed by us, opening the door to our room and waving for us to follow. “You might want to buckle your belt there.”
Jenks blinked her brown, almond eyes innocently at him, only smirking when he looked down and muttered his surprise as he quickly buckled his belt and slid into the room.
“Guys, are you sure this is a good idea?” Luce frowned as she sidestepped the man and his hard, compact body to scoot over to her bed under Jenks’ and across from mine.
“Nope, not at all!” Jenks cheerfully chirped, as she bounced over to her laptop and scurried up the ladder to her bed.
Now safely hidden from Claude, the man relaxed his tense posture, a cheeky smile crossing his face as he glanced around the room.
“Oh! You three are the freshies! Well, allow me to welcome you to the esteemed Academy of Order and Chaos! I’m Jax.”
Sweeping down in a dramatic bow, Jax’s fitted punk rock clothing left very little to the imagination, and, well, oh my.
“So, why are you hiding from Romanov? I take it this isn’t your dorm?” Jenks got comfortable on top of her bed. Gossip seemed to be one of her favorite things, and right now she had a brand new, if slightly rumpled, target.
Chuckling, Jax reached around for a chair and sat on it backwards, leaned forward, and rested his arms on the back as he checked us all over.
“No, I’m over in Revelt Hall, I was, ah, visiting a friend over here when everyone’s cells started going off. I figured I’d wait until the coast was clear and then head out to my room.”
“Visiting, yeah, sure.” Jenks’ wry voice and grin caused Jax to shrug as a smug smile crept onto his face.
“Why would Claude care about your sex life?” It didn’t make sense that a professor would care about the personal life of a student, that seemed really weird.
Draiochta Academy: All Genres Academy Anthology Page 17