by Lan Chan
Kai didn’t respond. He sat there like a seething boulder, waiting for the penny to drop.
“We would be stupid not to hone Alessia’s gifts to our advantage,” Angus said. “She’s proven she’s more than capable of taking care of herself.”
Even Basil’s sensibilities were ruffled by that statement. “No thanks to any of you,” he shot back. “She almost died because of your antics in the Unity Games. Now you want her to do what exactly?”
Angus leaned back in his chair. “The demons are predisposed to seek her out whether she is forsaken or not. Her bone witch abilities allow her to move unseen –”
“You mean to use her as bait.” Kai reared up. In reality, nothing much happened besides the cording of muscles in his shoulders but the sweep of aggression both physically and in the bond was staggering.
“She would be protected at all times.”
“No,” Kai bit out.
“You want to lock her up and throw away the key when her powers could be the greatest asset we have against the demons,” Ivan said.
“You’re using her for your own motives.”
“We are using her for what she was born to do,” Angus said. “You envision an ivory tower. I suspect Alessia doesn’t want to be a princess.”
Whoa! In the cold light of day, I had to admit I was more wicked witch than damsel princess. But still, way to stomp on my illusions.
Angus returned Kai’s hostile stare before shifting his attention to me. Basil leaned in and invaded my personal space to break Angus’s line of sight. “No,” Basil reiterated. He shook my arm for good measure.
“Yes,” I said, ignoring the death glares from my so-called protectors. “But I have my own terms.”
“Name them.”
“Blue!”
I absolutely refused to acknowledge him. “I’m done skulking in the shadows trying to find information and sneaking into places. I want free access to everything.” I turned to Jacqueline then and cringed at the stark lines of her face. “And I want the freedom to access it at any time.”
Jacqueline was not a happy camper. “You’re a Bloodline student. You’re not permitted to leave the premises unchecked.”
“I think we can make an exception under the circumstances,” Angus said. Jacqueline’s jaw turned to stone.
“How do I explain this to the board?”
“Remind them we’re at war,” Ivan said. “Their bureaucracy is superseded. If they will not comply, we will make them.”
Note to self: Next time I wanted something, tattle to the elite guards.
“And what happens when her experiments go awry?” Basil said.
Angus pierced Basil with the full force of his Fae haughtiness. Jacqueline copped the same. “When did our policy become about coddling our young?”
“She’s human,” Jacqueline reminded them.
“You’re not functioning objectively,” Angus shot back. “You’ve allowed your affection for her to cloud your judgement.”
The cuffs on Jacqueline’s wrist began to emit a golden glow. “And you’ve allowed your duty to override your empathy.” His right brow twitched.
Holy shit. They were going to come to blows. I waved my arms out in front of them and snapped my fingers. “I’ll be fine,” I said. “I know you all mean well, but I’m sick of sitting around waiting for an anvil to drop on my head. If Hell wants a fight, then I want to bring it to them.”
Never mind that the prophecy distinctly stated that I would be on the wrong side. Doing something was miles above twiddling my thumbs.
Jacqueline wouldn’t be dissuaded. “Her timetable is full.”
That was news to me!
“Then free it up,” Angus said.
Nanna shook her head. “She’s already in enough danger as it is. I want checks in place.”
“What kind of checks?” Ivan asked.
“She is to be guarded at all times –”
“We have already made those contingencies,” Angus said.
“–by Malachi.”
I choked on my own spit. “Nanna!”
Kai beamed. Before I could leap out of my chair to slug him, Jacqueline restrained me by grabbing hold of my top.
Angus nodded. “That is acceptable. We will send a backup just in case Malachi is indisposed. Tyler knows the Bloodline terrain.”
“No!” I said.
He surveyed me with slightly creased brows. Like he couldn’t understand why I was making a fuss. Argh! “It is strategically sound,” he said. I’d give him a strategic knuckle sandwich if Jacqueline would just let go of me. “He knows you best and the bond will alert him if something goes wrong.”
One nymph. Two nymphs. Three nymphs. As I counted, I imagined what the nymphs would do in this instance. No doubt somebody’s eyes would get scratched out. I folded my fingers into fists. “The stupid bond shouldn’t even be in place,” I spoke through gritted teeth. “It’s only there through coercion.”
Angus cocked his head to the side. Kai chuckled at the elite guard’s confusion. “She doesn’t know,” Angus said. Smug was too light a word to describe the way Kai balanced his cheek on his fist like he knew a secret I didn’t.
“What?” I glanced between them. When Kai’s lips remained sealed, Angus coughed.
“Alessia, a Nephilim bond isn’t a compulsion. If you wanted to remove it, you can at any time.”
My jaw dropped open. If Kai winked at me one more time, I was going to run him through with Morning Star. “What are you talking about?” I stuttered. “I’ve tried to remove the damn thing! It doesn’t work.”
Angus’s lips pressed together. He shrugged as though bored. Beside me, Basil’s top lip was curled in disgust. By this point, my face was flaming as comprehension exploded in my head. Lucifer’s voice filled my mind.
“You would have said yes,” he said. “The bond. You would have eventually agreed to it.”
Had I? Was it possible that I’d unwittingly latched onto the bond? Was the reason I couldn’t remove it because I didn’t want to? I glanced inside me at the pools of magic and the answer came back resounding in aquamarine. Like a covert operative, the hedge magic had assimilated the bond. To remove it, I would have to somehow convince myself that I didn’t want that jackass. I was made up of ninety-percent stubbornness, but this might be beyond me.
“No matter,” Ivan said, choosing to ignore the fact I’d turned shell-shocked. “Bond or not, if you choose to give your services to protecting our world, you will need to be guarded. This is war, not playtime. If you two can’t work together objectively, then we may as well lay down our arms now.”
How the hell was I supposed to get out of that now without looking unprofessional? The answer was that I couldn’t. That’s how I ended up saddled with that Nephilim jackass as a bodyguard.
I almost tripped over my own feet when I heard Kai’s voice in my head as I was about to step through the portal Basil created.
Do you want to break the news to Sophie that you’re getting a new roommate? he projected. He might have been chuckling when he teleported, but in the depths of the bond, I could tell that if he got his way, that was exactly what would happen.
6
We landed back inside Basil’s living room. Jacqueline bailed me up on the spot. “We need to settle your timetable.” I guess I wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight then.
We retired to Basil’s office. There were papers everywhere. Not to mention blueprints of the newly constructed Dominion prison. “Umm… I’m not sure we’re supposed to see these,” I said.
“Avert your gaze,” Jacqueline told me. She unceremoniously swiped everything besides a notepad and round mirror from Basil’s table into a pile and dumped it on the couch. I took the guest seat in front as she sat down behind Basil’s desk. Placing a finger on the mirror, she spoke her name. “Transfer Alessia Hastings’ timetable,” she commanded.
The mirror hummed. Before my very eyes, markings began to appear on the notepad. It took a f
ew minutes, but my timetable was all there when it was done. Jacqueline peered at the notepad, her expression grim. Finally, she pushed the timetable over to me. “They are nothing if not efficient,” she noted.
I inspected the timetable and spotted what she was referring to. There had always been a thin red line around my weekend slots that had now disappeared. It meant I would be able to go anywhere, be anywhere on the weekends without Bloodline being alerted to my disappearance.
Jacqueline was not amused by my smile. “These safeguards are in place for your protection,” she reminded me. I blinked slowly but wouldn’t lower my gaze.
“I know. In any other circumstances, you know I wouldn’t push.” For all of my railing against authority, I trusted that Jacqueline and the professors had my best interest at heart. But good intentions weren’t going to hold back the tide of the impending war.
Jacqueline blew out a long breath and forced a smile. “I wish you had more time.”
“I’m human,” I reminded her. “This is all the time I get.”
After a beat, she nodded and cleared her throat. “No electives this year,” she said. “Third year is a core curriculum year.”
As she spoke, I glanced down the list of subjects. Advanced Potions and Alchemy. Herbology. Restricted Magic. Supernatural Species Integration. Arcan – wait, what?
“What the heck is Supernatural Species Integration?” I stammered.
Jacqueline grimaced. “It’s a history of supernatural cross-breeding and how that has played out in our society.”
Oh dear me. “It’s sex education.”
“In a manner of speaking.”
I raised a brow that could have hit the roof. “I hate to break it to you, but I think that ship has well and truly sailed.” I wasn’t sure if the board was walking around with glamours over their eyes, but the many times I’d turned a darkened corner in the library to catch a couple overtly species integrating couldn’t be counted on both hands.
“It’s not just about sex,” Jacqueline insisted.
“Whatever you say.”
I ignored the pursing of her lips. “Why are these squares opaque?” I squinted. “I’ve already taken third-year Arcane Magic.”
“That’s what I wanted to speak to you about,” she said. “Bruce and I think it’s about time you got some personal tutelage. We’ve kept you in the lower-year classes as long as we can. Your abilities are beyond anything the Academy can reach in its usual syllabus. Now it’s time for you to branch out.”
“With Professor Mortimer?”
She nodded. A lump formed in my throat. “Is he okay with that?”
Jacqueline took my hand and squeezed it. “He doesn’t blame you for what happened.”
“He doesn’t need to.” I had been blaming myself for months.
Jacqueline shook her head. “They set you up,” she reminded me. “It’s not your fault.”
Logic. Sometimes I wish it would do what it was meant to and cut through the irrational guilt. My life would be so much simpler. Jacqueline cleared her throat. “Given that the elite guard seem hell bent on dangling you in front of the forces of Hell, I want to make it clear that you are to be vigilant at all times.”
“I’m not going to run into snapping jaws if that’s what you mean.”
When I was done glancing over the timetable, Jacqueline pocketed the piece of paper.
“There will be a copy waiting for you upon your return to the Academy,” she informed me. As I tested the returned strength of my circles before going to bed, I couldn’t help thinking that even though I’d been given free rein to research anything I wanted, I might not be prepared for what I would learn.
Sophie and I were in the middle of unpacking our luggage into our dorm room the next night when there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Diana, I opened it to find Isla standing there with the Evil Three behind her.
“You shall not pass,” I said, barring their way. “I told you I’d vote however I please!”
Rather than push her way in, Isla leaned on the doorjamb. “This is payback isn’t it?” she said. “It’s punishment.”
“You know what’s punishment? You calling me every five minutes over the summer and harassing me to vote for you. I get it, you want to be House Captain.”
“What’s the problem? Do you want James to be Captain of Obsidian House? That hulking idiot with a pea for a brain?”
Behind me, Sophie was attempting to stifle her laughter. Easy for her. Trey was in Sapphire House, and as a predatory shifter, he was a natural successor for Max.
Isla was right on both counts. James was one of Ariel’s Nephilim. He spent a lot of time on the lawn outside the dorms playing touch football with his buddies. He was an idiot. And I was so punishing Isla by withholding my vote until the last minute. Truth be told, I didn’t care who was House Captain. A tiny part of me was still getting used to the idea that it wasn’t Kai anymore.
Admitting that took all the fun out of it. “I’m not leaving until you pick,” Isla said.
“Down to the wire, huh?”
“I’m so sick of all these Nephilim getting a free ride. I’ll wipe that smug look off his face sooner or later.”
Over her shoulder, Harlow grimaced. “I think she’s gone off the deep end,” Harlow said. “She hadn’t done anything but campaign all summer.” Isla rounded on her. I threw my hands up before they could get into an argument.
“Okay. Okay. I’ll vote for you. Don’t lose your shit in the hallway.”
She stood over me the whole time, only leaving once she was sure my vote had registered. “I’m going to check on Phoenix and the Grove,” I told Sophie. “I’ll meet you in the dining hall for dinner.”
We had teleported in using Gabriel’s Key. There had been no opportunity to survey the layout of the Academy after the rebuild from the destruction of the demon attack. That was why I did a double-take when I stepped out past the dorm doors to find the roof of the junior Academy almost smack bang on the other side of the ornamental lawn.
“Freaky, isn’t it?” Kieran said as he marched past with his friends. “I still can’t get used to it.”
Sophie had told me the board had decided it was safer for the two campuses to be closer together. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. It felt like every time I turned around, something changed.
I was closer to the Grove, so I jumped the fence and then immediately heard voices. There were two distinct timbres. The sound of one voice stopped me dead in my tracks. I cursed silently and did an about face only to run right into Kai’s chest.
“Going somewhere, Blue?”
I took an unsteady step back and was about to snap at him when I noticed what he was wearing. A pair of navy-blue Bloodline sweatpants and matching T-shirt. I frowned. Was that normal guard getup?
“Feeling nostalgic?” I asked. “Or is the word tragic?”
His grin turned feral. “I take it you haven’t heard. Professor Eldridge was transferred to Dominion to help Basil re-establish the prison. Since I’m here anyway, the board asked me to take over some of her classes. Not to mention all our one-on-one training sessions.” He leaned in close, his mouth just a fraction from my ear. “You can call me sir.”
I took an involuntary step back. This just couldn’t be happening.
7
Before I could assemble my thoughts into something that resembled a fitting comeback, somebody behind me chuckled. “You’d better clear some space,” the deep baritone rumbled. “She looks like she’s going to take a swing at you.”
As a distraction, I turned to face the newcomer. It was the other elite guard from the meeting. I had to tilt my head up to look into his face. Like Kai, he had on a pair of Bloodline sweatpants but his T-shirt was long-sleeved.
He offered me his hand. “Tyler Jackson.”
I shook it emphatically, stepping away from Kai. “Alessia Hastings. Call me Lex.”
Sometimes I thought I should walk around with that on my forehead.
Tyler’s palm was freezing. I’m talking glacial. I couldn’t help shuddering a little. I was used to the vamps being slightly chilly when they hadn’t fed for a while, but the only time I’d ever come across someone else that cold was when Doctor Thorne examined me. That was when I figured it out.
“You’re half para-human,” I blurted.
Tyler’s smile dropped for the briefest second before he regained equilibrium. It then became overly bright. I froze in place, mesmerised by the way his eyes narrowed into slits. Eep! I didn’t have heightened senses but even I could tell when I’d put my foot in it.
Kai cleared his throat. He grabbed me gently by the shoulder and pulled me back within his orbit. “Mind if I have a chat to her for a second?”
“It was nice to meet you,” Tyler lied before he melted into the background. And now I was stuck here alone with Kai.
It was almost a relief when the purple nymph appeared in my periphery. A posse of other nymphs trailed along in the air behind her. Their game faces were on. The hideous, long ones that they had shown when the Grove was under attack. Uh oh. I couldn’t catch a break tonight.
I tried to run but Kai grabbed me around the waist. “Where do you think you’re going?”
I slapped at his hand. “Get off!”
He would not. And then the screeching began. They came at me from all directions, their fingernails now long spines with serrated edges. They swiped at me where they could as I ducked and weaved with Kai still holding on to me. It didn’t occur to me to draw a circle until the first acorn started flying.
I thought of the circle as I always had in my mind, but when I went to make the sign, nothing happened. Not again! A long claw slashed my shoulder and I yelped. Only then did Kai cotton on that this was serious.