Dark Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Book 1)

by Caroline Peckham

  Daniel himself was another mystery. He’d retreated completely, saying little or nothing if I saw him around school, having zero interest in continuing the small friendship we’d begun to strike up. He wasn’t even hanging out with Laini anymore. It was damn weird. Like he had no time for anyone outside of the cult now.

  He started sitting with a girl called Astrid who I’d long since marked as a Black Card member during breaks and in the cafaeteria and though I never saw the two of them talking to each other, they didn’t talk to anyone else either.

  I wanted to know if it was something to do with the cult rules or more to do with whatever the hell that magic was he’d been exposed to. Was it brain washing of the magical variety? Or just plain old fashioned cult insanity?

  I couldn’t imagine my carefree brother behaving like that. I couldn’t imagine him joining the cult full stop. But I knew he had. And I just couldn’t figure out why. There had to be something about them. Some draw or magic or promise they made which lured people in. But so far, I was coming up with a whole lot of nothing and it pissed me off something chronic.

  I pushed a piece of cherry gum between my lips and started chewing just before I arrived at the sweeping lawn of Devil’s Hill.

  Spring was having its way today and the sky was a clear, bright blue despite the chill to the air. I closed my eyes for a moment, turning my face to the sun and drinking it in. Summer was coming. And I couldn’t wait to enjoy the warmer weather. I just hoped I could figure out some of Gareth’s secrets before the academy broke up for the season. Though I still had plenty of time yet.

  I looked out over the courtyard and noticed Ryder talking to Kipling Senior a little way from their emporium where the other two brothers continued to serve the masses. Senior was nodding in agreement to something and his eyes shifted over Ryder’s shoulder, landing on me in a way that seemed deliberate. He inclined his head my way and Ryder turned his dark green eyes on me too.

  I held his gaze and blew a bubble, letting it pop with a loud snap. I got the impression the action irritated the hell out of him and for some reason it only made me do it more often. Maybe I had a death wish. Or maybe something had shattered inside me when Gareth had been killed and I was left with a void in my chest where fear should have lived.

  Ryder stalked away from Kipling Senior and headed back towards his usual spot on the bleachers. He held a bottle of protein shake in his hand which he opened and drained in one go before crushing the can in his fist. He tossed the can into the trash several feet away making the shot look as easy as breathing. I was about to turn away from him when he raised a hand and beckoned me over.

  I pursed my lips, objecting to being summoned like a dog and the corner of his mouth twitched with something which seemed a hell of a lot like amusement. Which shouldn’t have been possible for Ryder Draconis unless someone was bleeding at his feet. But there it was.

  I rolled my eyes dramatically to let him know what I thought of being beckoned then wandered closer. I didn’t hurry; I certainly wasn’t going to go running.

  When I made it to the centre of no man’s land where the unallied students were allowed to pass, I stopped, waiting for him to close the rest of the distance between us.

  Ryder’s eyes glimmered with dark promises and he beckoned again.

  I frowned, looking over my shoulder to where Dante held court with the Oscura Clan on the picnic benches. He hadn’t noticed me yet, his attention held by the clamouring of his wolf pack as they fooled around but he’d sure as shit notice if I crossed over onto Lunar Turf.

  I looked back at Ryder, shaking my head and he caught my gaze, tugging me into one of his visions.

  I was straddling him on the bleachers, his fingers biting into my waist as he dragged me closer and I bit into his neck, the bliss of his blood sliding over my tongue and filling my magic with his dark power.

  “Now or never, new girl,” his voice was a command and a challenge all in one.

  I blinked and the vision was gone but my fangs snapped out as the desire remained.

  That almost smile was back on his face and he tipped his head to the side, giving me a clear view of exactly what I needed as he bared his throat to me.

  Fuck it.

  I spat my gum out as I shot forward and was on him in less than a second. I wasn’t going to fulfil his little fantasy though and as I reached him, I used my Vampire strength to yank him out of his seat. In the blink of an eye, I threw him around the end of the bleachers and shoved him against the wooden side of the raised seats, not bothering to be gentle. He was always looking for pain anyway.

  I caught his jaw in my grip and shoved his head aside before biting the opposite side of his neck to the one he’d offered me as I drove him back against the bleachers.

  I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach but it was worth it. I was a predator and my food wasn’t going to tell me how to eat.

  My teeth pierced his skin and he groaned in a way that made me think he might even be enjoying this as much as I was.

  I snarled at him and sucked harder, being rougher with him than I usually would have been but he only caught my waist and dragged me closer, urging me to do my worst.

  His blood was thick with a power so dark and tempting that I was sure I could lose myself in it without even trying. It was icy cold and tasted like the best frozen yoghurt I’d ever had.

  A moan of ecstasy escaped me and Ryder’s hand slid around my back, gripping my ass. I caught his wrist with a snarl and slammed it against the wall by his head. If he was going to be my Source then he’d do it on my terms which meant no pawing at me while I ate. At least not in public...

  When I finally pulled back, Ryder was looking at me triumphantly. Fire burning in his gaze as his heart thumped hard against my chest where it was pressed to his.

  I took a steadying breath and licked the blood from my lips. He followed the motion hungrily and I stepped back despite the ache I felt to stay there.

  “You still think I taste sweet?” he teased.

  “Like cherry pie,” I agreed, smirking just a little.

  “Elise!” Dante barked and I looked around suddenly. The whole of Oscura Clan were on their feet, their eyes on me standing on Lunar Turf with Ryder’s hand lingering on my waist.

  I bit my lip as I felt the tension coiling in the air. Why the hell did the two of them put so much importance on me? And why the fuck did I like it so much?

  My skin heated as danger coiled through the air and I flipped my gaze back up to Ryder’s.

  “Thanks for the snack,” I teased, smiling at him for a moment before I shot away.

  I wasn’t sure if I was insane or if this was going to work but it was the only idea I had.

  I came to a halt, perched on the picnic bench right in front of Dante’s usual spot. He’d brought his meal out here to eat and I reached out and snagged his fancy ass golden chalice. He turned around to look at me, adjusting to the fact that I was now sitting firmly in his territory instead of his enemy’s.

  “What the fuck are you playing at?” Dante growled, electricity crackling in the air. His wolf pack circled closer and I didn’t miss the fact that I was being penned in.

  Tabitha actually snarled at me, leaning around Dante to get a better look at me.

  My heart beat a little faster but I kept my gaze locked on Dante’s as I took a long drink from his chalice, the sharp tang of beer rolling over my tongue.

  Several pack members actually gasped like I’d just done something completely outrageous but I didn’t spare them any attention, swirling the drink in my hand as I watched a storm brewing in Dante’s gaze.

  I licked my lips slowly and he frowned like he couldn’t quite decide what to do with me.

  “Now you’ve both fed me on your pretty little turfs,” I said. “So it’s even. Right?”

  Dante watched me take another sip of his drink then released half a laugh which instantly made the wolves back off. He dropped into his chair and looked up at me as I sat
above him on the table, swinging my legs.

  “And now that you can see Oscura have it better, you can feel free to stay. Permanently,” he said in a deep voice.

  “Tempting...” I said, pretending to consider it though we both knew I wasn’t. I drank the last of the beer in his fancy cup and started spinning it between my fingers.

  “Do you need more convincing?” Dante caught my knee in his grip and tugged me closer to his side of the table, making my skirt ride up as he moved me.

  I looked down at his hand on my leg, heat driving its way beneath my skin for a moment before I laughed.

  “No thanks.” I tossed the empty chalice to him and was gone before he caught it.

  I made it to the tree at the centre of Devil’s Hill and looked around to find both Ryder and Dante staring at me. I was playing one hell of a dangerous game with the two of them and I couldn’t help but question my sanity. But I had to do it. I had to keep finding ways to get closer to them. And if that meant I had to let them keep up this power play over me too then so be it.

  No matter how hard they tried to draw me in, I wouldn’t forget what they were. Or what they might be.

  My Atlas pinged and I pulled it from my pocket, eyeing the message with a smirk.

  Harvey:

  A bunch of us are going to hang out in The Iron Wood later. I’m gonna get blazed now though, if you wanna join?

  I did not wanna join. I’d sooner cut my own heart out than take a hit of the drug which had killed my brother, but I sure as shit didn’t mind hanging out with Harvey while he was jacked up on it. Killblaze made people hallucinate and blather all kinds of things they might not divulge under normal circumstances. With the right amount of prodding, I might just be able to get some information out of him.

  Elise:

  I’ll join you. Where?

  The moment his reply popped up, I shot away to meet him, leaving the gang Kings to themselves on the courtyard.

  Using my Vampire gifts could be tiring so I didn’t do it all the time but sometimes I just loved to run with the speed of the wind. I sped around the side of the dorm building and came to a halt by the same old storage shed where I’d found the gas can for my flaming penis trick on the Empyrean Fields. They called this place The Dead Shed and I hoped that was just because it was a quirky name and not because someone had actually died here.

  The teachers still hadn’t managed to make the grass grow back up on the fields yet and my masterpiece remained on show for the whole school. Rumours were flying all over FaeBook as people speculated about who had done it, though so far my infamy hadn’t been exposed. I wouldn’t be telling people either; Professor Mars was still out for blood and if there was one scary fucker on the faculty then it was him. His detentions were legendarily awful and I had no intention of joining one of them.

  I leaned against the shed and smiled as Harvey blinked at me in surprise from his perch on the steps at the back of the building.

  “Shiiit. One second you weren’t there and then poof. Like a goddamn ghost you appear!” He started laughing hysterically and I cast my eyes over the empty test tube beside him. It looked like he’d already had his hit of Killblaze and was feeling the effects.

  “Like a goddamn ghost,” I agreed, my smile darkening.

  “You wanna take a hit, babe?” Harvey asked, sagging back against the steps as he tipped his head to the sky and exhaled slowly.

  Babe? That little nickname didn’t slip out pre high.

  “Not really my scene,” I said slowly. “But we can still hang out while you’re buzzing. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

  “Myself? You wanna know how high I can jump?” he asked excitedly, springing up.

  His eyes were full blown and he stumbled before righting himself with a lazy smile on his face. I smiled too, encouraging him to do whatever he wanted.

  Harvey bent his knees and started pumping his arms back and forth before leaping forward off of the step. To give him credit, he jumped pretty damn far. It just went to shit when he fell flat on his face and a sickening crunch came from his nose.

  Harvey was laughing uncontrollably as he lay face down in a puddle of his own blood and I cursed as I moved forward, rolling him over with the toe of my shoe.

  He flopped onto his back and groaned in pain from his shattered nose then started laughing again.

  “Did you see me go splat? I bet you’re less interested in boning me now.”

  “I couldn’t really have been any less interested in that than I was to start off with,” I muttered.

  “Huh?”

  “Let me fix your face.” I bent down and caught his fingers between mine, pressing healing magic into his skin. It would have been quicker if I just touched his nose but I didn’t want a drop of his tainted blood on me. I’d never been a messy eater when I drank from my victims and I didn’t want bloodstains on my clothes from an addict either.

  Harvey grinned broadly, his skin sparkling as his Pegasus Order form hummed beneath his skin and his nose realigned itself.

  I drew back once he was healed and he sat up, pulling another test tube from his pocket. This one was still filled with the vibrant blue Killblaze crystals and I eyed it warily. Who’d think such an innocent looking thing could have stolen my brother from me?

  “Sure you don’t want a hit?” he asked as he started shaking it, aggravating the crystals locked inside until they started breaking apart, becoming nothing more than sapphire smoke locked within the glass chamber.

  “Not really my thing,” I said, backing up a few steps before he popped the lid. I did not wanna inhale any of that poison.

  Harvey smiled widely as he brought the test tube up to his nose and flicked the top off before jamming it into his nostril. He inhaled deeply and I stepped back again, my skin prickling uncomfortably as a shudder ran through me.

  Harvey’s face split into a mask of utter ecstasy and he dropped back onto the concrete, smiling up at the clouds as he groaned in pleasure.

  His shoulders started twitching followed by his arms and legs. I gasped as the convulsions tore through his body, backing up again as I half considered running for the school nurse. Had he just taken too much? Was I about to watch him die just like my brother had?

  He was still smiling. Did he even know his body was struggling? Was he even aware of any pain?

  The hole in my heart throbbed violently as I stood transfixed while Harvey grinned at the sky, his eyes alight with joy.

  Had Gareth felt like that? Was he happy in the end? Had the drug stolen his ability to understand what was happening to him? Or had he been afraid? Had some part of him known what was happening? That he was leaving me and Mom and everyone he’d ever known, never to fulfil any of the dreams he’d always had.

  I couldn’t breathe. There was air caught in my chest and I couldn’t let it go as tears burned the backs of my eyes.

  For a moment I wasn’t even looking at Harvey lying on the ground. It was Gareth. And he wasn’t smiling, he was screaming, begging me to save him. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t there. I hadn’t even known he was in trouble-

  Harvey’s laughter cut through my waking nightmare and I exhaled in a rush. This pain wasn’t going to rule me. Ryder might have been one screwed up son of a bitch, but he had one thing right about this pain. It was a part of me. I owned it. It didn’t own me. And I was going to use it to do whatever the hell I had to to avenge my brother.

  “Aren’t you afraid that stuff will kill you?” I asked, any pretence of friendship flooding from my voice and leaving it cold and hard. But I didn’t care. Harvey was shit-faced and his mind held the answers I wanted.

  He only laughed in response.

  “Hey!” I snapped my fingers at him to make his bloodshot eyes swivel my way. “I’m asking you a question. Aren’t you worried you’ll die like your friend did?”

  “Gareth?” he asked slowly, licking his lips like they were parched. “How do you know about him?”

  “People talk,
” I said, not bothering with a better explanation.

  “And what do they say?” Harvey pushed himself up onto his knees and blinked at me. He was surprisingly lucid for someone who had taken two hits of that shit and I could only imagine that he was a seasoned addict. Maybe he wasn’t as pliable as I’d thought.

  “Where do you even get it from?” I asked, changing tact. “How do you know it’s not laced with all kinds of crap?”

  “This shit is pure,” Harvey said adamantly, throwing his arms out to his sides. “Are you too hot? I’m too hot.”

  He stood and started pulling at his shirt, unhooking the buttons but I wasn’t in the mood to watch him prance about naked on a high.

  I shot towards him, catching his shirt in my fist and slamming him back against the shed. “I asked where you get it from,” I growled.

  Harvey’s eyes widened and he just stared at me for a long moment.

  “You got a death wish asking questions like that?” he breathed and the bitter tang of the drug washed from his breath over my nose.

  I recoiled a little but didn’t loosen my grip.

  “I’m already dead anyway,” I snarled because since I’d lost Gareth I’d felt like that more than once. “So I’ve got nothing to lose.”

  “You don’t ask questions about who cooks it or who sells it unless you wanna end up in pieces,” Harvey said, a manic grin pulling at his lips.

  I growled at him, pulling my arm back to punch him but before I could swing my fist, a huge hand caught my arm and tore me away from him.

  I inhaled sharply as Ryder whirled me around, his eyes black with anger as he looked down at me.

  “I didn’t say anything,” Harvey gasped. “I didn’t tell her a goddamn thing!”

  “Fuck off,” Ryder snarled, not even looking at him.

  Harvey didn’t need telling twice and he turned and raced away from me, not offering a second glance in my direction as he left me at the mercy of the Lunar King.

  “Let go of me,” I demanded, my heart spiking as Ryder tightened his grip on me.