I shouldn't care.
But Onyx tensed and pulled against me. The cold built once more at an alarming rate, and I knew what I had to do.
A few fae servers milled in and out of the kitchen doors, and we stood close enough for me to slip through, Onyx in tow, and force her with a few strides across the kitchen. The back doors let in frigid air. I pushed them open with my shoulder and pulled us both out into the late night.
I released Onyx from my grasp in time for her to face the outer wall of the building and unleash a blast of cold wind against the metal. It rattled under her rage for a few seconds before stopping. Her breathing was heavy, creating large clouds of vapor.
“You need to pull yourself together. We must get back inside before they notice our absence.”
I expected Onyx to snap at me, but instead, she turned, fear widening her eyes. “Do you know Gregory Vulthus?”
“He is disgusting.” I would leave it at that.
“Did he do something to you?” Onyx asked, her eyebrows drawing together as she tried to fit the pieces together to see the whole picture. She was trying to find common ground. A reason to team up. And here I was, taking the bait.
I clasped my hands behind my back. “Not directly.” The memories would never leave.
“He did something to your family, didn’t he? And now you’re paying for it. Why?”
I shook my head, putting up my wall. “We need to get back.”
Onyx huffed out a breath. “Why can’t you tell me? Do you trust me this little?”
I flexed my muscles. The problem was I trusted her too much. The problem was that I treated her like a human, not an object. I needed to keep my distance from her, not only because she was fae, but because trouble followed her.
I was already in knee-deep by trying to get her out of the interrogation with Headmistress Cardinal. Intertwining our fates even more would only complicate matters and give Vulthus, as well as the Wus, more ammunition to use against both of us.
“It’s none of your business.” I grabbed her wrist gently, yet firmly, and steered her back inside for the final minutes of the party.
Chapter 11
Onyx
I never thought it would be possible, but I was actually glad to be back at Nocturnal Academy I realized the next morning as I ate my breakfast. In the past, the school had felt like a prison, keeping me in, but now, I realized that it also kept others out, predators such as Vulthus. Until my contract was sold, me and my body were relatively safe.
Unfortunately, I’d only have the protection of the academy’s stonewalls for a few months until graduation. Would Vulthus really bid on my contract? Or had he been simply messing with me? Maybe he said that to all the fae because he got off on our fear.
Then again, he had requested the Flamenco at the finals, and I had led the girls, all in an attempt to spare Lily from my fate. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. There were other ways I could’ve helped her. Leading the dance hadn’t been necessary since I’d traded my major with her anyway. And now she was a fish out of water, struggling.
Trying to stop wallowing in my panic, I thought about the other aspects of our outing and what they meant as I chewed on my toast. The other fae were as quiet as I was. Clearly, no one had enjoyed the party. Once we had gotten back into the cars after the outing, we’d all been drugged and woke up in the entry hall of Nocturnal Academy, thrown onto the floor like objects and left to wander to our dorms on our own.
I turned to Lily. “Did you see the fae man at the party? The one in the suit?” I had to change the subject before I went crazy.
Her eyebrows furrowed. “You mean the one standing next to Vulthus?” She shuddered at the name.
I nodded. “Why on earth was he there?” Much easier to focus on a random fae than consider my impending doom if Vulthus was serious about buying my contract.
Lily shrugged. “Maybe to assess us. Maybe to control our powers in case our magic somehow lashed out.” She picked at her food.
I nodded. That made sense. The fae man was like the real Ms. Rutherford, a fae who had switched sides and was loyal to the vamps, forgetting his own race to survive in this brutal world.
“Was Vulthus interested in you?” Lily’s eyes shone with concern. “You’ve been quiet since we got back.”
I was unable to reply, so I simply gave another nod, glad I didn’t have to say it out loud. If not for Thorsten sweeping me away, I would’ve had to endure Vulthus’s company for the rest of the party.
Thorsten. He had acted like a jerk the whole night while also helping me. I swallowed hard and bit my lip. The more time I spent with him, the more confused I became. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to keep my distance. But lately, both seemed impossible. Lately, every time I was near him, I wondered how his lips would taste. Were my hormones going haywire? Regular teenage stuff? Or did I enjoy playing with danger?
But Thorsten didn’t feel dangerous. He should. He was a vamp. A guard. He was cold, yet also—
“Onyx? Are you listening?”
I tore my gaze to Lily to find her forehead puckered with worry and a hint of annoyance.
“Sorry. What were you saying?”
She sighed. “Nothing, just recalling how incompetent I was at the party.” She shook her head miserably. “I’ll never get a good position, not even an exciting server opportunity.” Tears brimmed in her eyes. “I’m sorry you gave up your spot for nothing.”
I mustered a smile. “Don’t say that. You can work your way up.” Even if she didn’t, a lowly servant position would at least ensure that she survived. Pleasuring a vamp would break her just like Vulthus buying my contract would break me.
The gong rang, and I noticed that most fae had cleared the cafeteria already. Well, vamps drooling over you didn't make for pleasant conversation. I jumped to my feet and grabbed my bag. “Hurry!”
Lily matched my long strides. “If we’re late…”
She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t have to. Our first class that day was History with Lord Sullivan. If there was one thing he hated more than unprepared, sleep-deprived students, it was tardy students.
We rushed into the classroom, a minute after nine, but Sullivan’s wicked smile told me what he was about to do even before he announced it. “Miss Onyx and Lily, detention for tardiness. From six until midnight tonight. I hear the toilets need cleaning.”
Several vamps snickered, and Peony gloated.
I suppressed the groan in my throat, knowing it would only earn me another evening of detention, and hurried to my seat, Lily on my heels.
I opened my book and pretended to listen to Sullivan drone on, even as I wondered what the point was. The Placement Tests were over, and there was no other exam in my future to give me a chance to not become a courtesan. Also, if I did well, Vulthus might only bid higher. He was a lord, and his high standing in the vamp society made me guess he was used to getting the best. So maybe I should fall behind in class. The thought irritated me. Why did I have to act stupid to avoid punishment? It was ridiculous.
“Miss Onyx, do you know the answer?” Lord Sullivan brushed his oily curtain of hair back. The uplifting of his mouth told me he was well aware I wasn’t paying attention.
“Excuse me, could you repeat the question again?”
He snorted and pointed at Peony. “Miss Peony, can you enlighten Miss Onyx?”
Peony sat up straighter. “Certainly. What was the name of the vampire who commissioned Goethe to write Faust?”
I wrinkled my forehead. Not only did I not know the answer, the question didn’t make any sense. Hadn’t Goethe come up with his masterpiece himself?
“A minus for Miss Onyx.” Lord Sullivan grinned at me wickedly after several tense seconds dragged out and slammed his stick against the desk, making me jump. “Since I’m feeling generous today, I’ll allow you another chance to get a plus. Who played Margarethe at the first production of Faust?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.” Was he determin
ed to make me fail his class?
“Miss Kristen?”
“Ahh.” Kristen glanced around like a deer in headlights, but then Peony whispered in her ear.
“Marie Miolan-Carvalho.”
Lord Sullivan nodded. “A plus for Kristen.”
I rolled my eyes. Seriously? Favoritism much?
Finally, the gong rang, and I rushed out of the room, every muscle tense. I couldn't take the crap anymore.
As Lily and I walked to PE, I shook my head. “Can you believe him? He’s such an asshole and creep.”
Lily nodded. The look on my face must be wild.
“He has the same habit of Cardinal to hit his stupid stick against his open palm. Are they siblings or lovers? Maybe they’re both.” I snickered.
“What did you say?”
I froze at the stern voice behind me and slowly turned around. A guard who was not Thorsten stood there and next to him was Peony. They must have been walking right behind us. Peony had grabbed him for sure when she saw the sour look on my face. I cursed myself for letting my guard down for even one second.
She smiled sweetly and said, “I thought you’d do something like this. Badmouthing our teachers and ruining their reputations.” She tutted disapprovingly. “Looks like someone needs to learn her lesson.”
I stumbled backward, prepared to run if the guard lunged for me.
But instead, he just glared at me and crossed his arms, flashing his fangs. “I’ll have to report this. Headmistress Cardinal will give you a fitting punishment.” He strode off.
“Great.” My stomach clenched as my throat went dry. What had I gotten myself into?
Peony advanced, stopping inches from Lily and me. “You’ll get what you deserve.” Her hazel eyes flashed with hatred as she dropped her tone to a dangerous whisper. “I might not have been able to prove that it was you who had the twins’ blood crystal and sent me to the dungeons, but mark my words—I will make your life hell. Vulthus will finally get you under control, just as he was able to break that stupid fire fae. What was her name again?” She tapped her chin, making a show of thinking.
“Blair,” I gritted out, balling my fists, telling the ice in my veins to calm down. If Peony had one guard eavesdrop on me, there was no guarantee that more weren’t watching this interaction from the shadowy alcoves.
“Right. Well, best for losers to stick together.” Peony turned to Lily. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you get to clean toilets and shoes very independently,” she said sarcastically and let out a cruel laugh. My hand shot out in reflex, but Lily held me back.
“Don’t. She’s not worth it.”
I took a few deep breaths as Peony disappeared into the changing room. Lily was right. I already had too many problems on my plate. No need to add assaulting a fellow fae student to my charges.
Lily and I changed into our PE leotards and began stretching. Today was a cardio class, and Mr. Chad was salivating, excited about the prospects of us bouncing up and down on trampolines.
Even though I hated giving him a show of my curves jiggling, I had to admit that jumping on the trampoline felt freeing. Being in the air for only a few seconds was wonderful and the cardio helped me work off some steam.
Twenty minutes later, I was drenched in sweat, but elated, happy hormones darted through my bloodstream.
That was until Thorsten walked in. “Onyx Logan, come with me. Headmistress Cardinal wants to see you immediately.”
My heart pounded, and blood rushed in my ears as I stepped off the trampoline. Once again I cursed myself for diving into an escape for mere minutes. All eyes were on me. Lily bit her lip anxiously. Peony smirked. Virgie glanced away. And I remembered one thing.
The investigation.
Shit.
The staff was still hunting for the one responsible for Preston’s disappearance, and now it was my turn to be in the hot seat. An explosion of panic in my chest made my heart race as if it were drowning. I couldn’t breathe.
“I need to change first,” I said, trying to gain time to think. I had gotten out of jams before but nothing like this.
Thorsten shook his head. “No. Headmistress Cardinal ordered that you are brought to her immediately.”
I gulped.
“Return her if she’s done before the end of class,” Mr. Chad said, and Thorsten nodded respectfully.
It felt like time slowed as I walked to Thorsten and followed him out of the gym. I felt exposed in my tight uniform.
We didn’t speak for the first minute. I listened to our feet tap against the corridor floor. I expected Thorsten to reprimand me, but instead, as we rounded the corner, he shoved something round into my hand. I glanced down to find a red crystal that looked like a blood crystal, down to the grains.
Hope rose in my chest. “Thorsten?”
“I did not forget,” he said simply.
What was happening? I took a breath and dared to face the towering guard.
“It’s a fake,” Thorsten said in a neutral voice as if we were discussing the weather, keeping his pace. “You must switch it with Headmistress Cardinal’s real one during your interrogation and then put the real one back in place. I can’t guarantee you’ll succeed, but this is your only chance.” For a moment, longing flashed in his eyes before hardness took its place.
I gulped. “How?” All I was wearing was a leotard. I didn’t even have any place on me to hide the crystal, let alone an idea of how to switch the two.
Thorsten’s arctic gaze drilled into me. “Find a way.”
I nodded. “Thank you.” He was helping me. I couldn’t expect him to do all the work.
We reached the office wing, and Thorsten paused. I turned to him. “What?”
His face was unreadable. “Use magic. If anyone can do this, it’s you.”
Magic. All I could summon was ice. It wasn’t as if I could disguise myself or—
Glamour.
Was I capable of making one thing look like another, as Petra had made herself look like Ms. Rutherford?
Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I hoped against reason that Thorsten was right and that somehow, I could use my leotard, which was completely inappropriate for this and made me feel exposed, to my advantage in distracting Headmistress Cardinal and switching the crystals.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked on Headmistress Cardinal’s office.
“Come in,” she called. My stomach cramped, but I reached for the door handle and pushed it down.
Chapter 12
The fake blood crystal was the same size as the one on Lady Cardinal’s desk. Hiding the round ball behind my back and pretending I was massaging sore muscles was the only way to smuggle it in without her seeing it. At least I had just come from PE and that made sense. I quickly went over my options on how to switch the fake with the real crystal. The round ball in my hand, despite looking just like the pinkish orb of a blood crystal, wasn’t as heavy as the twins’, which was smaller and the size of a golf ball. This one was grapefruit sized.
“Come in, Onyx.” Lady Cardinal motioned impatiently for me to step into her office. Her stormy eyes were streaked with red. “I don’t have all day.”
Already ice gathered in my fingertips. Great. Putting a fake, frosted blood orb on Lady Cardinal’s desk would reveal my magic and the hand I had in Preston’s death.
Come on, Onyx. If Petra could make herself look like Ms. Rutherford, I could disguise a blood orb, right?
I let the door fall shut behind me and stepped forward, studying Lady Cardinal’s office, searching for something I could use to my advantage. A single lamp illuminated her desk, which held the real blood crystal. I averted my gaze the second I spotted the flash of pink. Instead, I focused on a huge, flowering plant on the left of her desk, probably a gift of Peony’s.
Lady Cardinal slammed her stick into her desk, letting me see her rage. “Sit!” she ordered as if I was a dog.
Slowly, I pushed the chair back and sat down. Lady Cardinal’s rage, thankfully, blinde
d her to me holding something behind my back. I eyed the closed wooden shutters behind her. They were nailed shut. And she was seated in what looked like a sturdy leather chair. So much for making her slip, and that would look too suspect, anyway.
“Onyx,” she ordered. “Look at me.”
Her voice alone pulled my chin away from the surface of her desk. Lifting my face, I looked right into her hard eyes, trying to ignore the fact that she was reaching for that crystal, ready to use it on me. I turned my gaze to the other side of the room, breaking the sudden calm that would doom me. I'd suffered enough from the vamps' influence to know the warning signs.
“Look at me!” she snapped, raising her stick. The desk seemed to stretch out a mile between us. The headmistress had a huge desk which only made her look more intimidating.
I saw my opportunity. If I disobeyed, Lady Cardinal would get up and circle the huge desk to hit me. She’d abandon her crystal and focus on me. I grasped the fake behind my back tighter, urging my magic into it, but only frost formed on the surface. Not good. Why did I think I could do any glamour without practice? I breathed out, allowing my ice to melt.
“I’m sorry,” I said, turning my gaze to my lap.
“You most certainly are not sorry.”
“I am!”
“Then look at me!” She was losing it. What explained this over-the-top reaction to a dumb comment I made in the hall? Was there truth behind it? Were Lady Cardinal and Lord Sullivan really lovers?
Normally, it was in my best interest to appease her, but not today.
“Are you and Lord Sullivan really dating?” I dared to ask, turning my voice to innocence. “I heard something about that.”
“How dare you defame my and Lord Sullivan’s names?” Lady Cardinal rose, letting her chair fly back. She gritted her teeth and advanced, stick ready, her furious eyes promising pain. At least, Lady Cardinal had a thing about building up intimidation, and as I predicted, she circled the desk slowly like a shark, vanishing on the other side of the plant. It wasn’t hard to act terrified. I jumped out of my seat and whirled around so that my back was to the table, conveniently allowing me to seize her blood crystal and exchange it with my fake one. Lady Cardinal raised her stick as she emerged from behind the plant, and I ducked. As I did, I put the real blood crystal down on the floor, under my chair, while bringing my other hand up to shield my face.
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