We had hoped to make it here while the Earth House Captain was still at Pitball practice but there had been a queue at Pluto Offices and it had taken longer than expected to claim our package so there was a chance he’d be back already.
As we drew close to the window, we dropped down to our hands and knees and crawled towards it. The huge round window was split into four quarters by a bronze frame, each of which opened separately.
I smirked at Darcy as we wiggled to the edge of the window and peered down into the luxurious space which Caleb Altair called home. It was like a hobbit hole had had a baby with a penthouse.
I pulled a screwdriver from my pocket and quickly got to work jimmying the closest window open. Just as I heard a telltale click and wedged my fingers into the frame, the door to Caleb’s room swung open and we both recoiled as he strode inside.
Darcy’s hand landed on my forearm, her grip tightening as Caleb wandered into the space in a filthy Pitball kit. He tossed a sports bag onto the floor and dropped his Atlas on his desk before pulling off his shirt.
I hadn’t come here with any intention to spy on Caleb Altair as he got naked but with my fingers stuck holding the window open a crack, I didn’t get much choice in the matter as he dropped his pants next.
Darcy blew out a breath of laughter beside me as he crossed the room and headed into his en-suite, giving us plenty of opportunity to check out his ass before he closed the door. The sound of the shower starting up reached us and I relaxed a little.
“He might be a part of the asshole brigade, but that guy is stupidly hot,” I murmured.
“No doubt about that,” Darcy agreed.
“Shall we get on with ruining his day then?” I asked with a grin.
“Definitely.”
I tightened my grip on the window and managed to pull it open an inch before using the screwdriver to release the lock. As I opened it the whole way, I couldn’t help but think that Fae really should consider getting better locks on their doors and windows. They were so concerned with intimidating people away from them that basic security didn’t even seem to occur to them.
At least it makes our plans easier to execute.
Darcy made quick work of opening the box and I stifled the raucous laughter which wanted to burst from my throat as I caught sight of the huge inflatable as she pulled it out.
She smiled widely as she hung it down into his room, flipping open the plug so that I could blow it up. While she held it tightly, I pressed my fingers to the hole and directed air magic into it, inflating the huge thing within a matter of seconds. Darcy flicked the cap into place to keep the air inside and dropped the monstrosity straight onto Caleb’s bed.
She wriggled back out of the window and I secured it quickly, fighting against my desire to laugh with everything I had.
As much as I was desperate to see how this played out, hanging around would have been stupid so we quickly got to our feet and started running back down the grassy roof of Terra House.
Darcy burned the black box with a burst of fire magic while we were hidden in the trees to destroy the evidence.
We didn’t slow down until we made it back to The Orb where we fell onto a couch in the corner and laughed so hard that we started crying. I hoped Caleb was enjoying his shower, because he was in for a shock when he got out.
I TILTED MY head back as the hot water raced over my skin, scrubbing my fingers through my curling hair as I washed it with the expensive as hell shampoo Mom had sent me. I complained about her sending me so many grooming products but I still used all of them so I guessed she knew me better than I liked to admit.
As I finished washing the dirt from Pitball practice off of my body, my mind turned to Tory Vega. I still hadn’t bitten her since the other Heirs had nearly drowned her and I was currently running high on Darius’s power. I’d caught him off guard right after he shifted back out of his Dragon form last night at King’s Hollow and even though his nudity made it a little awkward, it was the easiest opportunity for me to catch him unawares.
Seth had been the easiest of them to overpower; his constant nuzzling meant that all it had taken was a moment of Vampire speed and a turn of my head was met with the reward of a long drink of his magic. Now that I’d taken my anger over the situation out on each of them, we could all move on without the need for any more bad feeling between us. That coupled with the fact that our second week of detention was finally coming to an end meant that we should be able to get back to normal again. Last night we’d all truly laughed together for the first time in ages and I was more than pleased to have my relationship with my brothers back on track.
But now that that was done I knew I couldn’t keep on giving Tory a free ride. It was time I drank from my Source again and I just had to hope that doing so wouldn’t undo the hard work I’d put into winning her around to me.
I wasn’t a fool, I knew she didn’t trust me and certainly didn’t have any reason to want me as a friend. But I hoped she might be open to rethinking the other aspect of our relationship which we’d barely even begun to explore.
I closed my eyes as I remembered that afternoon alone in the classroom with her. The way her kiss had tasted, the way her body had felt as she’d given it to me, the sight of what lay beneath her clothes, the moans of pleasure I drew from her lips... It was making me hard just thinking about it and I half considered indulging in this fantasy a little longer. But I didn’t want to jerk off over Tory Vega. I wanted to feel her body writhing beneath mine.
With a grunt of frustration, I flipped the dial around to cold and gasped as the freezing torrent put a dampener on my arousal.
I tolerated it for as long as I could before getting out and grabbing a towel which I ran through my hair before tying around my waist.
I headed out of my en-suite into my room and stopped dead as I spotted a life sized inflatable Pegasus sex doll standing in the middle of my goddamn bed.
My lip curled back with anger. How the hell had someone gotten that in here? And why the fuck was this stupid rumour still circulating about me? I’d tried to laugh it off, I’d tried to ignore it but now it had gone too damn far.
I rushed towards the rainbow striped flying horse complete with gaping butthole and shoved it towards the door.
“Who did this?!” I bellowed, making sure the whole goddamn House could hear me. I was their fucking Captain and a Celestial Heir. What made someone think they could get away with this shit in my House??
I was so angry that I kicked my door open using my Vampire strength, causing the wood to splinter around the lock and the thing to fall half off the hinges and into the open hallway outside. A crowd had already gathered to find out what I was yelling about and I snarled at them, baring my fangs before turning back to try and tug the stupid sex toy out of my room.
“Whoever the fuck it is who thinks that this was a good idea had better come forward if you want your punishment to be something you survive!” I yelled, heat clawing up my neck as I tried to force the huge thing out of my room but it’s glittering wings were getting caught on the other side of the door. I was face to face with the plastic monstrosity, its horsey mouth puckered into a willing O, waiting hopefully for some sicko to plough their dick into it.
The crowd was growing bigger as more and more people came to see what all the shouting was about and I hoped somewhere amongst them someone was quivering in their little pussy boots as they realised just what level of hell I was going to unleash on them.
I released a string of obscenities as I shoved the plastic Pegasus back into my room and moved to the rear of it to force it out from behind.
There was a tail made of synthetic hair sticking out right above its gaping asshole which tangled between my fingers as I fought with the sordid toy in a bid to get it out of my personal space.
I snarled angrily as I threw my weight against the perverted inflatable and it gave way suddenly, bursting out into the corridor.
I stalked after it, snarling as I not
iced some of my House members taking photos and filming me like this was somehow entertaining.
“When I find out which one of you fuckwits did this, I’ll drain you of every goddamn drop of power and blood alike, leaving you as a shrivelled husk for the worms to eat!” I bellowed, losing my shit entirely.
I ran at the blow-up Pegasus again, meaning to force it through the door at the end of the corridor but it got jammed once more.
I started swearing, thrusting my weight against it and wrapping my arms around its hind legs to give me purchase.
As I shoved forward, the precarious knot in my towel gave up and the damn thing fell at my feet, leaving me butt-naked just to top off my raging temper.
I shoved it again a few more times, snarling with rage as I failed to get it through the door.
I cried out, losing the plot and sinking my fangs into the plastic monstrosity as I gave up on trying to force it outside and resorted to destroying it.
A high-pitched whistle filled the space as the thing deflated at high speed, its glittering wings flapping feebly as the air rushed out of it and it sank to the ground.
I smirked triumphantly for one fleeting second then turned back to the crowd of assholes watching me.
“When I find out who’s doing this bullshit, they’re going to wish they were never born!” I bared my teeth at them and was only vaguely satisfied when they recoiled from me. Someone was going out of their way to humiliate and antagonise me but it was only a matter of time before I tracked them down and let them know exactly how powerful I was. Then I’d teach them a lesson in respect.
I stalked back into my room without retrieving my towel and dragged my broken door back into place, securing it with a blast of earth magic which wrapped vines through the gaps to hold it.
I tried to rein my temper in but I couldn’t stop myself from driving my fist into the wall, sending lumps of brickwork and dust cascading down onto my bed.
I clawed my fingers into my hair, fighting against the impulse to rip out a fistful of blonde curls as I battled to calm my agitated breathing.
I closed my eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply as the tremors wracking my body started to slow.
A ping sounded from my Atlas and I stalked towards my desk, hoping that someone was contacting me with good news which might just break through this foul mood.
I snatched it up with a scowl and saw that I’d been tagged in a FaeBook post. I pursed my lips as I tapped on the link. Reading an overly suggestive date offer or even just seeing pictures some of my stalker club had posted of me, gushing about how insanely attractive I was would actually be productive right now. I was in the mood to have my ego stroked a little. But that wasn’t what I found when I opened the post.
Tyler Corbin: @Caleb Altair took his dirty little secret public this evening. #somelikeithorseystyle #rideemcowboy #secretsout #pullonmytailbaby #gettingsomepegasass
What followed was a video of me in the corridor after my towel had dropped as I wrapped my arms around the disgusting sex toy’s middle and tried to force it through the doorway. I was cursing and grunting and general looked like I was actually screwing the mother fucking thing.
I stared at it for several long seconds, utterly speechless as a rage more powerful than anything I’d ever known grew in my gut.
The Atlas shattered in my grip and I tossed it against the wall for good measure as complete and utter fury consumed me.
I would find the person responsible for this and I would make them pay.
The temperature had descended in the night and I hugged my knees to my chest, staying in the warmth of my duvet a while longer with a permanent smile eating into my cheeks. The rain drummed against my window with the force of a hurricane and I shivered knowing I had my Air Elemental class first period. And unless I got the hang of heating the air around me or keeping the storm from touching me, it looked like I had a long winter ahead battling the weather.
I scrolled through the FaeBook feed on my Atlas which was sometimes like playing a game of Russian Roulette. The bullet in this gun was often the latest cruel joke at mine or Tory's expense. After the Nymph attack, there had been a few oh-so-funny jokes wishing her royal highness (AKA me) hadn't been fast enough to escape. But that paled into insignificance now with the wild rumours circling about Caleb and his Pegasus fetish.
After a video of him had gone viral last night, looking like he was actually screwing the life out of that ‘Pegasex’ doll we’d planted in his room, there wasn’t a single other thing students were talking about. We couldn’t have planned it better if we’d tried. He was fast becoming the punchline of every joke on FaeBook. And every status I read drew my smug smile wider and wider.
Altair’s got the horn for horns!
When he finished, did his winkle twinkle?
Do you prefer a stallion or a mare, Caleb? (asking for a friend)
Is it just Pegasus you’re into, Altair, because my Centaur cousin is single?
I soon dragged myself out of bed with vigour, enthused to my core. Haha sucker! Now you know what it feels like to have the entire Academy laugh at you.
I showered then dressed in my uniform, pulling on my coat over the top of it and zipping it up. I twisted my hair into a high ponytail, having learned in the past few weeks that wearing my hair down during Air Elemental class was a rookie mistake. I spent a little longer running my fingers through it, pondering Orion's persistent questioning. Blue or green? I still hadn’t answered him.
It seemed less important now. Like Seth taking my hair had been the ultimate reminder of what the blue had stood for. That trust was something I hadn't given for a long time anyway.
Maybe I'll dye it sunshine yellow and it can remind me that I’m a badass.
I headed out of my room, making my way to The Orb through the torrential rain as it swept across campus. I liked the changing seasons, but this rain was a bit much even with my preference for Fall.
When I stepped into The Orb, I immediately knew something was wrong. A commotion had broken out by the Heirs' couch but the large group of people clustered around them made it impossible for me to see what was going on.
Fear pricked my heart and I did a quick sweep of the room, hunting for Tory, Sofia and Diego but I couldn't spot them.
“What's your Order, amigo?” Seth's voice rang out and several of the crowd laughed.
My spine tingled with rage as I heard Diego respond. “I don't know yet. Hey - give me that back!”
A hand shot into the air and I spotted Diego's beanie dangling from it.
I set my jaw, knowing I was about as useless as a kitten in a lion fight right now, but I wasn't going to let him stand alone.
“Your Majesty, you mustn't intervene!” Geraldine called to me, climbing onto her chair and jumping onto her table to get my attention.
I ignored her as I pushed through the crowd and people lurched away from me like I was diseased.
I made it to the front of the group where the four vicious creatures who ruled this school were herding their prey. Diego was on his knees, his shirt pulled off of him and his shoulders shaking. Seth stood on the coffee table, dangling the beanie above his head while Max perched on the edge of his seat, his eyes narrowed like a predator's. Darius was lounging on the furthest end of the couch, watching Seth and Diego's interaction with half-hearted amusement, but I couldn't spot Caleb.
“Hey!” I shouted, but they didn't hear me over the clamour of the crowd. I moved to step forward but an arm slid around my shoulders and I found myself in the snare of Caleb's arms. “Tory or Darcy?” he leaned in close, breathing deep. “Different shampoo. You're Darcy.”
“Get off of me.” I tried to shrug out of his grip but he held on tight.
“I’m in a really foul mood today, sweetheart, so it’s best you don’t fight back,” Caleb growled and the reality of what we’d done to him sank in hard and fast. If he discovered Tory and I had humiliated him, we were worse than dead.
Seth dropped down f
rom the table, his expensive boots thumping against the floor in front of Diego.
“Why is he doing this?” I begged of Caleb and the Vampire pulled me against him tighter, speaking into my ear.
“Your little friend started it.”
“He wouldn't,” I insisted, my heart rocking angrily in my chest as I tried to break free again. I hesitated to use magic, afraid to bring down the wrath of the four of them on my head. But if I didn't do something, who knew what Seth was going to do to Diego?
Seth put on Diego's hat and my friend's eyes flashed with murder.
“Fight me.” Seth wielded the air around him, forcing Diego to bow his head. My friend's shoulders strained against the onslaught of magic. “You wanted a fight, chico, now here it is. So fight me like a Fae.”
“What did he do?” I demanded of Caleb.
“Seth told him to bow and he didn't. He said he's not his king. This is what happens to your followers,” he snarled, his hand sliding up to cup my chin and angle me to watch as Seth aimed a sharp kick at Diego's ribs.
Diego wheezed from the blow, clutching his side and Seth walked around him, placing his foot down on his back.
“Stop it!” I yelled, but if Seth heard it, he ignored me.
Darius glanced at his watch as if he had somewhere else to be as Seth heaved Diego up by the neck and threw him down on the coffee table. A chorus of oohhs sounded from the surrounding students. Max stood up, shifting his weight from foot to foot as if he hoped Diego might hurl an insult his way and give him an excuse to step him.
“You won't fight me like Fae?” Seth snarled, leaning over Diego so his back was to me. “Then fight me like the useless mortal you are.”
A round of laughter went up from the crowd and someone started up a chant of, “Kill the mortal, kill the mortal, kill the mortal!”
Diego lifted his palms and Seth's hair danced in a light breeze from the faint magic he cast.
Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts) Page 27