by Coralee June
I didn’t even get to catch a breath for longer than a moment, because Judge Braxton was already barking for the guards to get back inside, issuing orders to them. “Get a car. I want her at a portal to take her to the academy within the hour. And get the headmaster on the phone. We’ll need to bring in Selik on this,” he said, casting me a cursory glance.
“Banner Selik?” my mother shook her head. “The headmaster would never allow it.”
“Headmaster Torne has no choice,” the judge snapped before looking back to one of his guards. “Make the call.”
“Yes, Judge.”
The guard walked out, and I blew out a puff of breath. Everything was happening too fast, but it was all out of my control. Once again, other people were determining my life because of my powers. I forced myself to drop my hand from the punctures Gritt had left behind, rubbing the wet blood against my fingertips. Render’s eyes zeroed in on the movement, and I watched his throat bob.
“I’ll escort her there,” Render said to the judge, without looking away from me. I had a feeling he wanted me to stick around for more than just the blood dripping from my neck.
“I will too.”
We both turned as Quade strode into the room, looking annoyingly pompous.
“I’m not going anywhere with either of you,” I said, shaking my head. “If you’re so worried about others learning about me, why not send me back to Coxcomb’s while you figure it out?”
Judge Braxton tugged at the hairs on his chin, shaking his head. “Out of the question. We need to harness this new power of yours and get you trained immediately. That can’t be done hiding away with humans.” He said the last word like it was something dirty. “You two are due to return to the academy anyway,” he said, looking at Render and Quade. “You’ll both escort Miss Cainson.”
“But—”
My words were cut off when my mother and the judge turned away and began talking quietly amongst themselves as if I wasn’t even there anymore. I swallowed my argument, and Quade raised his arm, motioning toward the door. “Pretty sure that was your dismissal,” he said.
My shoulders slumped. There was no use trying to say anything. That rare attention that my mother had given me wasn’t really for me. It was for this newfound edge to my power. I walked out the door and into the hallway, feeling both Render and Quade following a step behind me. My life suddenly felt derailed, the train traveling way too fast and due to wreck any second.
“Cheer up, Devicka,” Quade said smoothly. “You’ve always wanted to go to Thibault. Now you are.” His bright teeth looked menacing, despite his cheeky grin.
Not like this, I wanted to say. I didn’t want to be accepted into Thibault like this—as another pull of a puppet string.
I hadn’t even been given the time to sort through the shock of what I’d done, and they were already shipping me off. I didn’t even know if I could do it again, because I didn’t understand how I’d done it in the first place.
“I don’t need you to babysit me,” I said to them over my shoulder. I was feeling weak, and now my neck hurt like a bitch. Blood was still dribbling from the shifter’s punctures on my neck, even though the Void was healing me. I lifted my hand up again, trying to staunch the bleeding, but I managed to pull the skin, making it worse.
Render cursed behind me. “Fuck.”
Just as I was about to turn the corner in the hall, strong hands grabbed hold of my arms, and Render shoved me against the wall. No sooner had my already sore head smacked against it than Render’s mouth was at my neck, lapping up the droplets of blood on my neck. His tongue was hot and wet, and when he closed his lips over the wound and sucked, something happened to my body. Sparks of pleasure went down my limbs and settled in my core, and a moan slipped from my mouth, unbidden. If he heard it, he didn’t say anything. His teeth scratched at the puncture, heightening the entire experience. I felt a hot desire pool between my legs, and I wrapped my hands around his back before digging my nails into him.
Fuck. Why did this feel so damn good?
I snapped open my eyes, horrified that I’d just stood there, moaning and melting against him like some human blood tramp. I shoved at his chest, my cheeks flaming with arousal and embarrassment.
His mouth pulled back, but instead of moving away, his soft tongue danced along my skin, his teeth scratching my sensitive neck as he moved. I could feel him everywhere, and it made my entire body buzz with need. Each flick of his tongue along my pulse had me whimpering for more, and he smiled against my neck like he enjoyed making me into this puddle of lust.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to keep my embarrassingly erratic breathing under control, but I knew he could hear it anyway. The wound sealed closed within a matter seconds from his healing saliva, and then he pulled away, licking his lips to get the last remnants of my blood.
His steely eyes were locked on me, and it was then that I realized I was still clutching his back. We were so close. So dangerously close. But he was a vampire. He hated me. And I had no business liking anything about what he’d just done. So why did I want him to do it again?
Each hurried breath I took had my breasts pushing against his chest, my pebbled nipples seeking friction from the movement. Unraveling myself, I dropped my hold from his back and pressed my fingers onto the tender spot of my neck. My fingers came away wet with his saliva, and for some reason, even that seemed erotic.
But then I saw Quade’s judgmental eyes behind Render, and red flushed into my cheeks. I needed to get a fucking grip.
I put my hands up and shoved at Render’s chest, making him take a step back. “Don’t touch me again without my permission,” I rasped, though the demand came out more huskily than I intended.
The hungry look hadn’t left his expression, but I saw him try to rein it in with a nonchalant shrug. “You were bleeding. Did you really want to walk around, passing gods knows how many vampires? You could’ve had a dozen of my kind latched onto you within minutes.”
“Or maybe that’s just your excuse for your own lack of restraint,” I retorted. “Maybe you actually want my Void blood.”
“The only thing I want is answers,” he replied, his face growing stony. “You and I are still enemies, Void. And you know what they say about enemies, don’t you?”
I swallowed deeply, fear coursing through my veins at his imposing stance.
“I can help with this one, vamp,” Quade interrupted with a sly smile as he stepped closer, sandwiching me between them. “Keep your friends close,” he said, leaning in to whisper in my ear, “and your enemies closer.”
Chapter 5
The portal took us to Thibault Academy, spitting us out into the lawn at the front of the old building. It was late morning by now, and my eyes burned from having been awake for so damn long. I was completely depleted. Letting my Void out twice had taken a lot out of me, and this new twist to my powers had drained me even more. Aside from that, I’d been without sleep or food for way too long, especially after such an emotionally stressful ordeal. All I wanted was a bed and to be alone, but I rarely got what I wanted.
“Classes will have already begun for the day,” Quade said, running a hand over his short dark buzzcut. “I’ll bring you to the headmaster so that he can get you a room.”
“We will bring her to the headmaster,” Render cut in. “Come on, Void. We don’t have all day.”
I had no choice but to follow them across the perfectly manicured lawn and up the brick steps of the academy. The crest was displayed proudly above the huge double doors, carved in wood and painted to represent the four main supernatural races: fangs for vamps, pawprints for shifters, fire for elementals, and a skull and crossbones for necromancers. Some other supers attended too, like healers, but the smaller breeds weren’t as common. Only the most promising supers were accepted at Thibault, and everyone who graduated from here was almost sure to either work as political leaders or another auspicious branch of power in our world.
The doors open
ed, and we walked inside without fanfare. For a normal enrollment in the fall, there would’ve been instructors here to meet the new students. There would’ve been a welcome banquet and rosters drawn up. There would’ve been a new student breakfast with the headmaster on the lawn. The older students would have put on a demonstration to display their skills.
I knew all of this because, when I was little, I’d had all of Thibault’s brochures stuffed under my mattress. I used to look at them with excitement, knowing that when I turned fifteen, I’d be enrolled, and I’d follow in my mother’s footsteps.
I was three years late and missing the right powers, but I was finally here.
“Hurry up, Void,” Render said again.
“She was always slow,” Quade put in.
I was here—and surrounded by assholes.
They strode ahead of me, past the impressive foyer. I felt like I had every detail of the school memorized, but seeing it in real life was incredible. The maroon drapes, the portrait of the academy building painted on the entrance, expensive paneling, and marble floors. “Come on, Void. You can gawk later.” Quade said, walking backward while staring at me. He’d conjured a fireball and was tossing it between his hands and bouncing it off his foot like it was a damn hacky sack. He was always such a fucking show off.
My feet dragged, and I gritted through the exhaustion as they led me to a large set of stairs at least three floors high. I stood at the bottom step and grimaced.
“You look like you’re about to pass out,” Quade observed from a few steps up, and if I weren’t currently questioning my sanity, I’d say he had a look of concern on his handsome face. Clearly, I was delusional.
“Yeah, well, you try unleashing powers you aren’t ever allowed to use and then doing the impossible on an empty stomach with little to no sleep,” I bit back before wavering, my words slightly slurred. “Then try using powers you didn’t even know you had in a roomful of people who hate you. And then get attacked for doing said job. You do all of that, and let’s see how you feel.” I didn’t want to look weak, but these damn spiral stairs just might be the straw that breaks my back.
I took the first step, my whole body feeling heavy and sore. It might as well have been a damn mountain I was scaling.
Render sighed. “Do I have to do everything?” he moaned before flashing beside me and picking me up. I didn’t even argue. Just clutched his broad shoulders like a damn damsel in distress and let him carry me up. I could go back to thinking he was a scary asshole tomorrow after I had the chance to recover. For now, I was just grateful that I didn’t have to take the stairs myself, even if flashing did make me want to vomit all over Render’s polished dress shoes.
Much to my chagrin, Render flashed me in front of a door clearly marked “Headmaster” on a plaque to the side. It was quieter up here, and there was a carpeted runner that trailed along the long hallway in the school colors of red and gold.
I just wanted a fucking nap first, was that too much to ask?
My body swayed slightly when he set me down, and my stomach coiled inside of me like it wanted to strike out and spray me with venom. I hated flashing, but right now, I was pretty sure I would’ve hated those stairs more. “I’m not sure if you made things better or worse,” I gasped while we waited for Quade to catch up.
Render rolled his eyes. “I’m not trying to make things better, Void. I’m just impatient for how damn slow you were moving.”
I made sure I was steady on my feet before reaching up to wipe away the sweat that had gathered on the back of my neck. I was nervous, sick, and exhausted. And now I had to meet the headmaster of the most prestigious school for supernaturals in the entire country. Quade jogged up to us and gave me a quick once over, lifting his flaming fingers up to inspect my pale face.
“You look like hell, Void,” he said with a dark chuckle.
“Right back at you, asswipe,” I replied. Lie. He looked so good I was tempted to puke on his shoes instead, just to lower him a notch.
“You and I both know that’s not true,” Quade retorted.
Ignoring him, I took a deep breath and tried to settle my nerves for my meeting with the headmaster. But before I was ready, Render raised his knuckles and rapped against the door. I shot him a look. “I wasn’t ready,” I said between my teeth.
He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Don’t care. I have things to do.”
Before I could open my mouth to tell him off, the door swung open and Headmaster Torne stood there in all his imposing stature. Sleek gray hair, dark eyes, and dressed in an all-black suit, he radiated so much power that my amulet started to buzz again. I sucked in a surprised breath, nervous about seeing one of my idols in the flesh. Some girls had posters of boy bands tacked to their wall, but I’d had a portrait of Headmaster Torne framed on my nightstand. He was a legend. One of the strongest elementals in existence. He would’ve easily been voted on as the council judge since he was so well liked in the community, but he preferred to run the school.
“Miss Cainson, come in and have a seat,” he said while looking down his pointed nose at me. The distaste on his face was immediate and thorough.
Another supe that hated me. Surprise, surprise. It hurt a hundred times worse since I’d always idolized him.
“Thank you,” I said before walking inside his office and slumping down in a red, plush accent chair. Quade and Render flanked me on either side, standing in a wide stance with their hands folded in front of them like some kind of antagonistic bodyguards.
Headmaster Torne settled behind his desk and entwined his fingers together, looking across at me with displeasure. “I’ve been informed of the new development regarding your power.” He leveled me with a look. “I’ll be honest with you, Miss Cainson. I don’t want you here. You’re dangerous. You have no idea how to use your power. The last thing we need is an incompetent Void unleashed in a school full of our top young prodigies. But it seems I’ve been overruled.” I swallowed hard at his harsh words, and he got back to his feet and walked over to his bar, which was set up with all sorts of different vials and jars of potions.
I watched as he grabbed a cup and started mixing liquids together. He threw in some sort of moss to top it off, and then conjured some ice in his palm, plopping it into the drink before walking back over. “Here. This should help restore some of your strength.”
I took the offered drink, surprised.
Sensing my confusion, he went on. “I’ve studied the Void phenomenon. The weaker you are, the more the Void tries to replenish you. I don’t want that in my school. You’re already volatile enough as it is.”
I looked down at the cold, black liquid, hesitating.
“If I wanted to poison you, I wouldn’t have wasted flame moss on you. It costs a hefty price, you know.”
Call me crazy, but his words didn’t exactly fill me with comfort.
Lifting the glass to my lips, I took a tentative sip and then moaned when the cool, earthy liquid touched my tongue. It smelled like death, but it tasted like heaven. The more I drank, the more it bolstered me. By the time I finished the last drop, my eyes no longer burned with exhaustion. My limbs no longer felt weighed down. Even the dizziness had lessened. “Thanks,” I said gratefully, setting the cup back down on his desk.
“Miss Cainson, I think we both know that your presence here won’t be readily welcomed.”
I shifted in my seat. “No one has to know,” I offered quietly. “People know of me, but I’ve been living in the human communities for so long that I’m not recognizable. You could just say I’m a transfer student, or—”
“Absolutely not,” he said, cutting me off. “Thibault Academy operates on high standards. I do not lie to my students. These are the people who will one day be leading our supernatural community.”
“But you said it yourself. They’ll hate me on principle,” I argued. “I have my amulet. No one needs to know I’m a Void.”
I knew I was pleading to deaf ears, but pani
c had clawed its way into my bones. I knew exactly what was going to happen if he announced my presence here. It would be like it was everywhere else, but worse. These were my peers. People my own age. Thibault was for the best of the best. They were going to chew me up and spit me out.
“Yes, I’ve heard all about your magicked amulet,” the headmaster scoffed, eyeing my necklace with a sneer. “Made by demons, was it not?”
I held it protectively against my chest. “My father gave it to me.”
“I’m not going to debate this with you, Miss Cainson. I called you here before letting you get settled in because I want to make a few things perfectly clear.” He leaned forward, bracing his hands on his walnut desk, the glow of his lamp casting yellow light across his harsh expression. “I don’t want you here. I don’t care what abilities you accidentally stumbled upon, you’re a liability—a risk I’m not willing to take. If I could kick you off the premises, I would. The second you mess up or put one of my students at risk, I’ll have your head on the chopping block, Judge Braxton be damned.”
My mouth went dry. This sort of prejudice and cruelty wasn’t new to me, but it was devastating to hear it from a man that I’d admired as a kid, a man I’d wanted to grow up to be. Beside me, Quade visibly stiffened, like he was surprised.
“I understand, sir,” I mumbled, though the respect felt hollow.
“Good. You may be just as immortal as the rest of us, but we all have our Achilles heel. Every other Void who’s ever lived? Their Achilles heel was themselves. If you’re not careful, you’ll follow the same fate as them, and I don’t want you self-destructing and losing control in my school. Which is why I’m having a paragon accompany you everywhere you go. If you so much as sneeze the wrong way, I’ll know about it. You won’t be sleeping in the dorms, either. I’ve arranged for you to stay in a small cabin off the property so that my students will be safer. I will allow you to take classes to learn about magic and some semblance of control, but I am not deluded into thinking that you will be able to accomplish anything but the destruction that you usually bring. You are to keep that amulet on at all times, Miss Cainson. For all our sakes.”