Then her eyes meet those of the other man. He lets his eyes penetrate deeper this time, his expression intense and focused as he stares her down. Her face goes blank and her lips part. She’s like a rabbit in a trap. Sweet tender flesh begging to be rent apart by the hunter.
Just when I think Ebony will run across the room and launch herself at him—hell, probably at Leo too—they turn and walk away. As they pass through the doorway, Ebony blinks a few times, looking down at her page. Then she scowls at Seth, who is still staring at her.
How can she so willingly show her arousal for all of them? She’s offering herself up like a sacrifice. She can’t trust any of them.
She can trust me. How come she doesn’t know that? Why does her lust for the others obliterate her good sense but her feelings for me remain completely in check?
I start to move out of the library slowly. I don’t want either of them to see me and suspect I saw the exchange. I just want to get away from her and think.
I know it’s only a matter of time before I’m drawn back to her again. I need to have a plan; I need to figure this out.
I’m not going to stop until I get what I want. I want Ebony to notice me, love me, give me the appreciation I deserve. The attention she’s wasting on useless jerks.
I want Ebony.
And I can’t rest until she’s mine.
5
Ebony
No matter how hard I try, I can’t keep my focus on the book in front of me. There’s something about the stranger with Leo that’s just so…magnetic. Even when I’m not looking at him, my body is hypersensitive to his presence.
He’s most certainly very powerful. I feel the hum of his magic all the way across the room. That’s likely why Leo’s taking a personal interest in him. He’s the first new student to arrive mid-session. Despite that fact, I don’t believe its standard practice for the headmaster to personally escort a new student around the Academy.
I briefly consider using a hearing enhancement spell to eavesdrop on their conversation. I’d never get away with it. Leo would know what I’m up to the moment I cast the spell.
Seth’s still staring at me, though he’s trying to hide it. Gabriel watches me too. I suck in a breath and try to keep calm. For some reason, I don’t want to behave badly in front of the stranger.
After a few moments of staring at the same three lines of text in my book, I glance across the room. I try to look bored like my eye is wandering while I ponder some new and fascinating thing I just read. My gaze lands on the table where Leo and the stranger sat. Leo has his back to me, which I decide is a good thing. The stranger is looking right at me. His gaze sends a jolt of hot electricity through my body. The hair on my arms stands on end.
I’m so startled that I quickly look back to my book. Heat rises in my cheeks. I hope Seth can’t see my arousal from here.
“Hello, all!” A familiar voice trills from the doorway. Ivora flits in on glittering wings. Her slippered feet hover half a foot off the ground. The other students glare at her for disrupting their silence. Ivora pays them no mind.
She lands next to my table and places one small hand on the seat across from me.
“Can I sit here?” She bits her lip and hugs her books closer to her chest. I soften my gaze.
“Of course.”
Relief washes over her as she plops into the chair and loudly sets her books on the table.
“Shh!” A student, another fairy with foxlike features and green wings hisses. Ivora rolls her eyes.
“Thanks for letting me sit,” she says.
“No problem. I was getting bored anyway.”
We stifle a laugh. The knot of tension in my chest loosens. I haven’t been a good friend to Ivora lately. Dealing with magical training, school, and the constant threat of death from either Wrath or Rhiannon got the best of me. I pushed everyone away, including Ivora though she’d done nothing to deserve it.
Before her death, Cordelia taught me never to apologize for doing what’s best for me. I realize now that lesson shouldn’t apply to friends. I mistreated Ivora even though I desperately needed space. I owe her an apology, or at least a chance to let things go back to normal between us.
It takes less than a minute for Ivora to notice the stranger sitting with Leo. The second her eyes land on him, her wings perk up and start fluttering with excitement.
She leans closer to me.
“Who is that?” This time, she takes all the care in the world to be quiet.
“I don’t know,” I whisper back. “Leo- The Headmaster didn’t introduce him to anyone.”
I hope Ivora doesn’t notice my blunder. I don’t want anyone to know how familiar I’ve become with Leo, that I think about him every night when I fall asleep, or that I’ll take any excuse I can get to go to our secret place and practice magic with him.
I fight the urge to look at Seth. A wave of guilt washes over me. He and I used to be so close. I’m still convinced staying away from him is what’s best for him. Even if that wasn’t the case, I’m not in the right state of mind or heart to give him what he wants. I feel like every day I’m getting blindsided by new information about my past, my magic, or my enemies.
“He’s gorgeous,” Ivora marvels. “Don’t you agree?” She playfully nudges me when I don’t say anything. I can’t help but grin as the awkwardness between us starts to melt away.
“I agree.” Even though my words are true, I find it difficult to voice them. There’s nothing inherently harmful about finding someone physically attractive. Yet, when I say it out loud, I feel like I’m admitting a dirty secret.
I shouldn’t feel that way when I talk to Ivora. After everything that’s happened to me over the last few weeks, it’s not a surprise that trust no longer comes easy to me. Everyone I thought I knew turned out to be completely different.
Everyone except Ivora.
She’s done nothing but be kind, loyal, and helpful to me. It’s about time I treat her like it.
“Who do you think he is?” She asks. “More importantly, what do you think he is?”
“What do you mean?” I ask her.
“Well, he’s talking to the Headmaster, so he’s obviously talented in magic. I wonder if he was born with his abilities or they're linked to his species. I’m not just good at plant-based potions because I’m a genius. It’s also because I’m a fairy. I’ve never met a werewolf, that I know of, but they’re supposed to be naturally talented with metalwork so long as they don’t work with silver.”
“Why silver?” I furrow my brow.
“Silver is to werewolves what iron is to fairies,” Ivora explained. “It burns like acid when it touches us.”
“So you’re saying we can figure out what the new guy is by throwing different pieces of metal at him and seeing what he reacts to?”
Ivora lets out a peal of laughter that attracts the attention of everyone in the library. The foxlike fairy girl glares at us and slams her book shut. She gathers her things and storms out while Ivora and I fight back fits of giggles.
This is what my life is supposed to be like. I should be allowed to simply study my subjects, sit with my friends, and laugh like a fool when silly things like this happen. Instead, I have to worry about assassination attempts, hidden enemies, and complicated feelings for my guardians. Sometimes I look at body-swapping spells. I almost cast one once, but I couldn’t go through with it. I couldn’t risk someone else dying because I forced them to take on my face.
That doesn’t mean I don’t want to escape.
Leo and the stranger are looking our way. Ivora smiles and waggles her fingers to say hello. I bury my nose in a book and pretend not to notice anything.
“What are you so scared of?” Ivora whispers to me.
“Nothing,” I lie. “I just don’t want to look like I’m flirting with the Headmaster like you.”
“I don’t look like that. I’m clearly flirting with the guy sitting next to the Headmaster. Huge difference.”
“In that case, I don’t want the Headmaster to know I’m trying to flirt with the guy sitting next to him. The Headmaster doesn’t need to know who I fancy.”
Of course, it’s a different story when the Headmaster is the one who fancies me, and I've admitted to feeling something for him in return.
I wish Leo and the stranger would just move to another room already. I can’t think straight with both of them in here. I understand why my thoughts are clouded when Leo’s around. The last time he and I were alone together, I almost crossed a new threshold with him. I’d felt desire before. For Seth, Lucien, Kashton, and even Gabriel at one point but those feelings paled in comparison to the fire I felt when I was alone with Leo that night.
My pride still feels wounded from his rejection, but I understand why he pushed me away. To everyone who sees us, he’s the Headmaster, and I’m his student. If we were to get caught, there’s no way we could explain the truth without risking our lives.
“Live a little,” Ivora urges me.
“I’d rather figure out who he is before I start flirting,” I reply.
“Maybe he’s a prince!” Ivora exclaims in a whisper.
“What makes you think that?” Seth scoffs. I hadn’t realized he was listening.
“Look at the way he holds himself,” Ivora points out. “So regal, so noble.”
“Sounds like you’re projecting a personal fantasy. Care to share?” Seth gives Ivora a strange look that makes me feel uneasy.
“You wish.” Ivora rolls her eyes and goes back to staring at the stranger. “I bet his a prince from another realm sent here to hone his magical abilities.”
“What kind of realm is he from if it doesn’t have its own Academy?” I wonder.
“Maybe it’s fallen on hard times, and he’s going to save all of his subjects.”
“Give me a break,” Seth sighs.
“If you don’t want to listen to us, you can always leave.” Ivora gestures towards the door.
“I came to the library to study.” Seth points to his book. “That’s why people generally come to the library. Perhaps you should leave since you don’t appear to be studying.”
“My books are right here.” Ivora gestures to the small stack in front of her. “I’m totally studying.”
“Then why aren’t your books open?” Seth counters.
“You’re both giving me a headache and drawing too much attention,” I warn them. Leo and the stranger are looking over here again. I’m sure they heard every word Ivora said. Subtlety has never been her gift.
There’s a strange fluttering in my chest when I look at Leo. It feels nice, like a butterfly’s wing.
I look back to my book before I stare for too long.
I struggle to get through a paragraph. My mind won’t stop wandering back to the stranger. Ivora’s right, he’s terribly handsome. I want to know why he’s here as much as she does.
A strange tingling sensation blooms in my brain. I shake my head as if that will make it stop, but it doesn’t work.
I know you’re unclean.
“Excuse me?” I look at Ivora, though the voice I heard didn’t sound like her.
“I didn’t say anything.” She gives me a concerned look. I look at Seth.
“I didn’t say anything either,” he shrugs.
“Oh.” I turn my attention back to my book and pretend that nothing happened. I’m certain I heard a voice. Dread washes over me as I realize it came from inside my mind, like a thought that didn’t belong to me.
But who’s voice was it?
6
Ebony
There’s no focusing now. No matter how hard I stare at the words on the page, I can’t shake the cold grip of fear on my heart.
After hearing that intimate and foreign voice, I feel certain that someone spoke directly into my mind. Someone would have to be extremely powerful and talented to accomplish that. Messing with someone’s mind can be disastrous if the slightest thing goes wrong.
I haven’t studied such spells in depth, but I've learned the caster has to be within fairly close range to pull it off. Specific range was never covered in my lessons.
“You okay, Ebony?” Ivora asks.
“Fine,” I say too quickly. “Just a headache.”
“Need water or a tonic? I have both in my bag.” Ivora reaches for her bag on the ground, but I place my hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“No, I think I just need some fresh air. I’ll be back in a moment,” I add so she doesn’t try to follow me. I need to be alone for a moment to gather myself. Perhaps, if I’m lucky or unlucky enough, I’ll run into the person who whispered in my mind. I don’t know what I’d do in that case, but I need to know who it was.
I stand up from the table. My limbs feel like they’re full of jelly. My eyes dart around the library, looking for anyone who might’ve cast the spell.
“Okay,” Ivora says, but her voice sounds far away. I make my way toward the library entrance. I have to pass the table where Leo and the stranger sat. The stranger is looking through the titles of several books stacked in front of him.
“Yes, I’ve read this one before,” he says to Leo, who isn’t listening. Leo’s watching me. I try not to look at him as I pass the table. If I do, he’ll know something’s wrong. I can’t have him coming after me right now. I need space to think.
But is thinking safe anymore? Just because whoever whispered into my mind isn’t speaking right now, doesn’t mean they aren’t still there. Are my thoughts my own anymore, or am I continuously broadcasting them to someone else?
I have no escape at the Academy. Everywhere I turn someone’s trying to help me, advise me, teach me, and in some cases kill me. It’s impossible to get moments to myself. My only solace is escaping into my thoughts, but now that might not be a possibility anymore.
It’s a wonder I haven’t gone mad.
On second thought, maybe I have. That would make as much sense as me hearing someone else’s voice in my head. Going mad would be easier than dealing with everything else.
Maybe there’s a spell for that.
I pull myself away from those kinds of thoughts. I should talk to someone about this. Not the voice, necessarily, but my desire to do myself harm through spells. Body swapping. Forced madness. Permanent invisibility.
Who am I kidding? I can’t talk to anyone about this. All it will do is make them worry. My limited peace will be taken from me under the guise of good intentions.
I walk through the corridors crowded with students trying to get to their next class. I slip unnoticed between them. As I walk, I bite back a laugh. Aside from the Huntsmen and Ivora, no one here knows who I am.
Every day I live in fear that some great, ancient evil will rise from the pit of hell to claim us all and no one else here knows that’s a possibility. What would they think if I told them? Most of the other students ignore me since I keep to myself. They’d think I’m crazy if I start spewing warnings about the end of our world.
“Ebony!”
I wince at the sound of someone calling my name. I can’t go five minutes without someone calling after me.
I look over my shoulder to see Lucien weaving through the crowd after me. Unlike me, students trip over themselves to clear a path for him. Especially the female students. Lucien has that effect on people. He’s had that effect on me on several occasions.
Usually, when Lucien calls my name, it’s because he’s intent on talking to me about things I don’t want to talk about like Wrath and Rhiannon. He gets this stormy look in his eyes. One time, I avoided him by turning invisible. It was the first time I’d tried that spell outside of training, and it worked like a charm until someone else forced the spell to fail. Now someone was forcing thoughts into my head. Would it ever stop?
Lucien doesn’t have that look in his eye this time. In fact, he looks like an average guy in an average school trying to catch up with his average friend. Though, Lucien and I aren’t exactly friends. I don’t have a wor
d for someone who I kissed in secret but can’t be with.
I decide to wait for him.
“What do you want?” My question comes out harsher than I meant. A handful of girls overhear me and gawk at me like I’ve lost my mind. Every one of them would give their right eye to talk to Lucien.
“Hostile today, are we?” He says, unbothered.
“Sorry.” I press my hand against my temple. “Headache.”
“Where are you heading?”
I give him a suspicious look.
“I’m asking as a concerned friend.” He lifts his arms in mock defense.
“Since when?”
“Since I figured out being overbearing and forceful doesn’t work,” Lucien grins. I let out a sigh and shake my head.
“I’m going to my room for a little while,” I reply.
“Can I walk with you?” He asks. Before I can say anything he adds, “not in an overprotective guardian way, I just don’t want to go to class.”
“Why not?” I give him a reproachful look.
“Kashton’s taken over for the professor while she’s on maternity leave,” Lucien grimaces. “That man likes nothing more than publicly announcing what a terrible student I am.”
“Well, aren't you a terrible student?”
“I’m a delight in the classroom.” Lucien winks.
“By delight, do you mean you pay attention, engage with the lecture, and do your assignment?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffs.
“I can’t imagine why Kashton doesn’t like having you in class,” I laugh.
This feels good. Normal conversation does wonders for me. I appreciate that Lucien’s willing to put current events aside to give me what I actually need. He might not feel the same way if he knew that someone here is capable of invading my thoughts. I decide not to tell him, for the time being. Besides, when dealing with magic that complex and powerful, I prefer Leo’s council. Magically speaking, he’s the strongest of all the Huntsmen.
Forbidden Angel Page 3