“Just leave it, Father. She’ll fail The Reckoning anyway and there’s no point risking a scandal-”
“I told you to leave, boy,” Lionel growled. “Roxanya and I need to talk.”
Darius hesitated again then shook his head. “She’s not worth it.”
An actual snarl left Lionel’s lips and I half considered running.
The two Acrux men stood their ground and I held my breath as I tried to figure out what was going on between them. One thing I had quickly realised though was that I should have listened to Darius’s warning about his father because I’d just waved one hell of red rag at this big bastard of a bull.
“No, she’s not,” Lionel agreed finally, his gaze narrowing on his son. “And it would seem she isn’t the only one looking for a lesson in respect. Come with me.”
He turned and strode across the garage, heading back towards the stairs which led into the house. Darius followed a few steps behind him, his shoulders tight and his eyes on the ground. He didn’t look back at me and they left me alone in the parking lot.
When the sound of the door closing again reached me, I sagged back against one of the bikes and tried to focus on calming the frantic beat of my heart.
It was cold in the parking lot and I hugged my arms around myself as I tried to steel myself to go back to the party. One thing was for sure, I was going to spend the rest of it avoiding every Dragon in sight.
I wound through the expansive hallways of the house, hunting for a way out. I needed some fresh air. I couldn't find Tory and spending another minute in the company of people who questioned me on how I might rule their kingdom and destroy everything the Celestial Council had worked for was a special kind of hell.
As I continued my search for an escape, I got the feeling I was in Hotel California, turning left and right down endless beautiful hallways. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
For crap's sake where is the exit???
“-well if you learned to behave appropriately for once, we wouldn't have to keep going through this cycle would we?”
Lionel's voice rocked a note of terror through me and I knew without a doubt I should not be wandering around the halls of his house.
I darted into a shadowy alcove beside a huge statue of a dragon - of course - and squeezed myself further in behind it. Not even a scrap of dust lay in the recess and I had to marvel at the efficiency of their cleaning staff.
Lionel stepped out of a door across the hall and I peered through a gap in the circling tail of the dragon with my heart in my throat.
He rolled down his sleeves, buckling up his cuffs and my gut churned as I spotted flecks of blood on them. “Oh for fuck's sake,” he snarled as he spotted the marks. “Now I have to go and change as well!” he roared back into the room then stormed away down the corridor and veered onto a staircase, practically spitting fire.
My heart bashed against my ribcage, my breathing heavy as I remained there for a minute, making sure Lionel was well and truly gone. When I was confident he was, I wriggled forward to try and make a run for it. The door reopened and I shrank back quickly, my lips parting as Orion and Darius stepped out of the room.
“Drink,” Darius said gently but Orion shook his head.
“I'm fine, I’ve hardly cast tonight. You need to get back to the party. You'll only end up here again if you don't.”
Darius clapped Orion on the shoulder, “I'm sorry-” he started but Orion cut over him.
“Don't. I'll stand with you every time he lays a finger on you. I can't always stop him, but I'll be there.”
“You shouldn't have to be,” Darius sighed heavily.
“It is what it is,” Orion said, then lowered his tone. “And it won't be forever. You'll be able to wield the shadows yourself soon.”
I frowned, unsure what he meant by that but it seemed to cheer Darius up as he nodded.
“Come on,” Darius said, but Orion shook his head.
“I'm going to get some air. You know I don't like crowds.”
“Me neither, lucky for you no one forces you to stand in the middle of them.”
Orion scowled, resting a hand on Darius's shoulder. “One day this entire estate will be yours. Hopefully sooner rather than later, huh?”
Darius ran a hand over the back of his neck, stepping away from him. “I'll remember that the next time Father beats the shit out of me.” He didn't let Orion answer, striding off down the corridor, glancing warily up the staircase his father had taken as he walked past it.
I held my breath as Orion remained standing there, my stomach all twisted up in knots. Lionel beat Darius? It was just awful. And why did it sound like Orion was often there when that happened?
My clutch slipped from under my arm and a soft clap sounded as it hit the floor, making my heart shatter as I snatched it back up. Maybe a normal person wouldn’t have heard it but a Vampire? No chance.
“Who's there?” Orion snarled, his tone holding a deadly warning. “Come out this second.”
His Coercion dominated every muscle in my body and I lurched out of my hiding place like someone had tied a leash around my neck and pulled. His eyes widened as he discovered who had been eavesdropping on him and I bit down on my lower lip, trying to think up some reason why I might have been wedged in behind a stone dragon for the past five minutes. Nope; there was literally no reason in the world that warranted that.
His eyes were scalding hot and his jaw was pulsing with rage.
“Hello my shining star!” a female voice rang out. “What in Solaria are you doing down here with one of the Vega Twins?”
My gaze whipped down the corridor to take in a sleek woman who must have been in her fifties. She had a dark bob of hair which sharpened to longer points by her chin. Her skin was dewy and the fitted black dress she wore was elegant yet sexy at the same time. She walked toward us on high heels, using a burst of speed that could only have meant one thing. She was also a Vampire.
My heart lurched as she came to a halt before me, head tilted and eyes roaming. She was an inch taller than me even in my heels and that gave her the advantage of staring down her nose at me. “Hello pretty girl, I'm Stella.”
“Darcy,” I said, trying not to show my discomfort as she breathed in deeply before my face.
“Mmmmm,” she hummed. “All that power.” She bared her fangs. “Just a little taste...”
“Hey - wait!” I raised my palms in a panic, magic thrumming in my hands as I prepared to try and fight her off.
Orion was at my side in a heartbeat, his arm sliding possessively around my waist. “She's my Source, Stella,” he snarled, baring his own fangs back at her.
“Oh my, you have been busy since I last saw you baby boy,” she teased. Baby boy?
She licked her lips as she eyed my neck again and I took a step back. “What a terrible crime it would be for a mother to share her own son's Source. How selfish of me to think I could ask such a thing of my own flesh and blood.” She toyed with her hair, a pout pushing out her lips as she tried to manipulate him. But I didn't get the sense it was working.
“Don't start,” he said wearily. “What are you doing down here anyway?”
“I could ask the same of you.” Her eyes flashed to me and she swayed a little as she inched closer.
“You're drunk,” Orion sighed. “Go back to the party.”
“You don't mind if I stay a little longer do you, cherub?” she asked me and I wriggled out of Orion's arms.
“Actually, you two stay, I've got somewhere to be anyway.” Specifically: anywhere but here. I started walking but Orion caught my wrist and yanked me back against his hip.
I looked up at him in alarm as he held me firmly in place.
Stella licked her lips, weaving her head as she laughed. “Do it again. But let her go further this time. I love the hunt.”
“Go back to the party,” Orion said forcefully, his voice reverberating through his body right into mine.
Stel
la started circling us, sighing dramatically. “Oh Lance, you're so disappointing. I miss having a child who enjoys my company. Clara-”
“Don't you utter her name,” Orion spat. “You lost that right a long time ago.”
Stella tutted, still circling us, plucking at my dress, trying to take my hand, but Orion kept swatting her away. “I miss your Daddy. He was such fun. Always up for chasing, hunting, playing. You're so boring ever since you became a teacher at that drab Academy.” She leaned in to pat Orion's face and he had to let her or else let go of me.
Her eyes dropped to me. “The apple never falls far from the tree though, cherub. Just like The Savage King's blood runs in your veins, so does a predator's in my baby boy's. If he wasn't bound by so many rules and consequences, he'd chase your pretty neck all around this house and drain you dry when he caught you.”
“Stop it,” I snapped, anger climbing in my chest. I despised the way I was being handled. Like a mouse in the paws of cats. I wanted to get the hell out of here. “Let me go,” I demanded of Orion but a low noise in his chest told me he had no intention of obeying.
Stella nodded eagerly. “Yesss let her go, let her run.” She snapped her teeth together and I suddenly realised I was probably better off where I was. I clutched onto Orion's shirt with one hand and with the other I aimed my palm at her. “Go. Away. Or I'll make you.” The amount of alcohol I’d had was loosening my tongue and I was kinda proud of myself for embracing my inner Fae.
She gawped at me, stepping back and holding her heart in shock. She was still swaying, but I couldn't smell any alcohol on her even though Orion seemed to think she was drunk. “Are you going to let The Savage King's daughter talk to me like that?” she demanded.
Orion glowered at her. “I don't control her, she can say what she damn well likes.”
“Gah! What a child I've raised. I'd swap you for Clara any day.”
Orion stiffened, his arm beginning to tremble where it was locked around me. “And I'd trade you for Dad in a heartbeat.”
Her eyes glowed like nightshade then glimmered with tears. Thick, wet droplets splashed down her cheeks. “How could you say such a thing? How can you hurt me like this, after all I've done for you?” Her tone had changed to a melodramatic begging and I had to pity Orion for having to deal with this crap.
Orion said nothing and Stella barrelled on, practically wailing. “This is why your Daddy's gone, he couldn't bear the son he'd raised. You had such promise. But you had to go after your own heart and you broke his in the process. That's why he killed himself.”
“He didn't kill himself. Stop acting like a child,” Orion said coldly and his tone said this was a game he was used to. Like he was the parent in their relationship.
“He might as well have!” she shrieked, heading off down the corridor in a flood of tears.
Orion released a long breath. “I'm sorry you had to see that. She's...got some issues.”
“Is she alright?” I breathed, unsure how to feel as her sobbing carried back to us.
“It's all an act. Don't buy into it. The second she sees you're affected, she'll sink her claws in and never let go.”
I glanced down at his hands which were still locked tightly around me. I was flush to his side and the burning heat of his body seeped into mine. “Speaking of not letting go.” I cocked a brow and he released me, though I found myself lingering against him for half a second before I moved back.
I glanced over my shoulder and pointed. “Is this the way out?”
His face skewed into a devilish smile. “Aren't you forgetting something, Blue?”
“Err.” I shrugged. “No?”
“Why were you hiding behind that statue?”
I folded my arms. “You never let me away with anything. For all you know I like wedging myself in dark corners.”
A laugh burst from his throat and I grinned in response.
One point to me.
“Come on, I'll show you the way out and you can give me the real story while we walk.” He stepped to my side, placing a hand on my back to get me moving and sending white hot sparks flying out from the base of my spine. I nearly stopped breathing when his arm slid around my waist and remained there.
“So?” he prompted when I said nothing.
“I heard Lionel and decided I didn't want to be found wandering his home like an enemy spy.”
“Good call,” he commented. “And I suppose you figured out why we were all in that room?” he asked darkly.
I dropped my eyes to the shiny wooden floor beneath us. “Yes,” I whispered.
“So you know the way Lionel treats his son?”
I nodded, my gut tightening uncomfortably. “I know the way Darius treats us too,” I murmured.
Orion fell quiet for a long moment, seeming to be thinking. “Darius is just doing what he thinks is right.”
“It doesn't excuse-”
“I know,” he said firmly then sighed. “Let's not talk about the Heirs. They give me a headache most days of the week.”
I nodded and quiet descended on us, seeming to thicken the air and make it harder to draw breath. All I could feel was his hand on my waist, and all I could smell was cinnamon and his manly musk.
For a moment, it felt so natural to walk there like that, side by side with him. But the second we turned a corner and he released me, the spell was broken. He was my teacher and there really wasn't anything more to it than that. Half the girls in school swooned over Professor Orion in class. But he was the look don't touch variety of guy. Which made him enticing even before his villainous good looks were factored in.
“So...your mother seems interesting,” I said lightly and he shot me a grim look.
“That's being polite. She's a black-hearted woman and I advise you to stay away from her. Anything that comes out of her mouth tends to be a lie devised to manipulate.”
“What she said about your father-”
“Like I said, it's not true. My father died in a magical accident. I would know. I was there when it happened.”
“Oh,” I breathed, my heart breaking for him. I may have lost two sets of parents and never known the embrace of a mom or dad, but I'd never been old enough to mourn them. “That's awful, I'm so sorry.”
Orion drew in a long breath. “It's in the past. That's where I tend to leave it.”
We reached a long hall lined with floor length windows which overlooked an incredible courtyard. Stretching through the middle of it was a glimmering rectangular pool, illuminated by blue lights at its base. Orion opened the door and I followed him out into the beautiful place. Every wall was lined with potted trees and ivy climbed the walls, all highlighted by strings of golden fairy lights. Several sun loungers lay in a row to the right of the pool and to the left was a pool-side bar complete with barbecue.
“This place is ridiculous,” I half laughed as I took it all in.
Orion threw a grin back at me as headed to the bar, ducking behind it. “What would madam like?” he asked in a formal tone which was a damn good impression of the Acruxes' butler. I giggled hurrying over to take a stool in front of the bar and placing my clutch down, relishing the cool breeze against my burning neck.
“Hmm...a Manhattan?” I teased and he cocked his head.
“I'm afraid we're fresh out of bullshit, how about a white wine spritzer with a tiny umbrella in it?”
I laughed, nodding eagerly as he made up my drink then poured himself a measure of bourbon.
He held it out for me and I leaned across the bar to take it. As I took hold of the glass, he didn't let go and I gazed up at him under my lashes questioning why.
“Have I told you have exceptionally beautiful you look tonight, Darcy?”
Darcy.
He'd said my name. For the first time ever. And why did it sound like so much more than a name when he spoke it? It was like he'd fired an arrow and it had punctured a flesh wound in me at the exact same moment.
Hell. I needed to get over this gu
y. Why was I so caught up on him?
Unavailable, that's what it was. We always want what we can't have and Professor Orion was off limits. Simple as that. And those muscles. And the beard. And the dark eyes. And the dimple. But that was it.
“That's the first I've heard of it, Professor,” I whispered, unable to make my voice rise any louder.
“Don't do that,” he grunted, releasing the drink.
I eyed him curiously as he walked around the bar with his bourbon in hand. He took the stool beside mine, his arm butting up against me.
“Do what?” I asked, swivelling around to face the pool and taking a sip of my spritzer. It fizzed on my tongue and sent a deep kick of heat through my chest.
“You know what.”
“You're very presumptuous, Orion. You think I'm far more aware of your chaotic way of thinking than I really am.” I sipped my drink again, spying on him from the corner of my eye.
He took a swig of his own drink and the familiar waft of bourbon drifted over me, tingling my senses. It was becoming a trigger, like the moment I walked into his office and he uncorked a bottle, it made me want to taste it on his mouth. And then that led to me wondering whether his fangs would brush my tongue when we kissed, and that always led to me mentally undressing him, then me conjuring an image of what those muscles looked like beneath that shirt...
“I have something for you,” he said and I turned, blinking out of my dark fantasy.
“You do?”
He nodded, reaching into his inside pocket and taking out my coil of blue hair. My heart combusted and a choked noise escaped me. I reached for it and he slid it onto my wrist.
He kept my hand in his, his eyes downcast as they remained on the band of hair. “I want you to know, I believe you would have gotten this back yourself when you were ready. But I took a lot of pleasure in retrieving it for you all the same.”
I stared at him in complete shock, unsure what to say, my tongue tied in knots. “But Fae don't fight battles for other Fae,” I blurted, completely astonished that his actions that day had been to take this back from Seth. For me. And nothing else.
Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts) Page 35