Immortal Academy- The Complete Series

by S. L. Morgan

  “Melanie?” Finley said in a tone of curiosity. “What’s the deal with you today?”

  I glared at Finley, knowing that a bitch fairy was sitting two seats down from her—Eileen, the one who was using Lusa to get to Dom.

  “What do you mean?” Melanie responded civilly, prompting me to wonder if I’d somehow also fixed her maturity level with my fairy enchantment.

  “I don’t want to sound rude—” Finley stopped herself and grinned, “Well, you’re a leprechaun, you don’t get your feelings hurt, you just get revenge.”

  “I would never.” She looked at all of us as we studied her skeptically. “I mean, yes, I’m a leprechaun, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything hateful to any of you. You’re nice people.”

  Shit! This could go south quickly. She’s acting way too nice not to be suspicious.

  Finley eyed me. “Are you two cool now? Is that why she’s sitting with us?”

  I narrowed my eyes at Finley, “Of course we’re cool. We’re roommates, and she’s helping me catch up on my Fairy 101 studies. Remember?”

  “Shut up, Fin.” Scott nudged her with a look of annoyance.

  “What are you all talking about?” Eileen’s shrill voice entered the conversation. “What’s going on, Mel?”

  She must have picked up on the fact I’d cleansed a fairy of darkness and realized she might have a comrade out of commission. Fairy down! I smiled at how stupid she looked, trying to act like she was BFFs with Lusa. Using the one little fairy gene I was able to access while working with Melanie, I could sense that was the case. I could feel the chick’s constant need to make a move once Dom moved on from me, but far worse than that, I could instantly tell that it was taking everything she had to sit at the same table with me.

  “Nothing is going on, Eileen.” Melanie smiled, “I feel great today, and I’m super grateful that Jenna and I are finally getting along. I’ve wanted to be her friend for a long time.”

  Eileen looked at me and smirked. Shit.

  “Is that so?” She poked at her fruit salad, “Why would you of all people want to be friends with the girl who has the only guy you want?”

  “Maybe her tricky leprechaun genetics are pulling one over on me, and she takes me out later today,” I lied. “Can we just eat and get out of here?”

  “No.” Eileen leaned forward, proceeding to make this the most extended conversation I’d ever had with the girl. “Something’s up. I’m a fairy. Fairies can easily sense when something is off. Melanie has all the best intentions in the world and has never been happier to be your best friend…suddenly.”

  “Really?” I answered while everyone at the table stayed quiet, including Vannah, who was probably dying of curiosity about how everything had gone with Melanie and me. “So, what else are you picking up on?”

  “You’re all secretly—”

  “You know—” I cut her off, feeling my heart rate pick up and promising myself to punch Finley in the jaw for starting this. “Why don’t we talk about what Melanie told me about you.”

  “Oh, this should be good.” Eileen leaned into a stiff and concerned Lusa’s side. “Do tell,” she mocked.

  “I really shouldn’t be shocked that a bunch of desperate fairies are standing in line to hook up with my guy after he dumps me without warning,” I started. “Well, fairies along with other supes here too, of course. I mean, I can’t blame them. Dom’s gorgeous, a badass, and he’s sexy as hell, so who wouldn’t try to get a chance when he was done with me?”

  “What are you talking about?” she crinkled her nose in annoyance.

  “I’m talking about the fact that fairies think they’re the smartest and most in-tune supes at IA. You pride yourselves in knowing everything about everyone.”

  “Because we do,” she snapped.

  “Then what makes you think you have a chance with Dom?” I smiled when she choked on her pink drink. “In fact, you’re so convinced, that you’re using his sister to get close to him. You’re missing a few rainbow-colored brain cells if you haven’t picked up on how he feels about being my mate.” I kept on before she could say a word when Lusa glared over at her, “Imagine my shock when I heard a fairy actually had a real reason this time to bully up on me. When did you plan on taking me out so Dom would date his sister’s best friend? It was going to be some lame quest trick you pulled, right? Hey, what’s new. I’ve had fairies single me out since I was thrown into these supernatural school systems as an orphan. Now, at least you’re a fairy with a purpose for acting like an asshole, and not being one just because that’s how you’re all born.”

  Eileen eyed the leprechaun darkly, “Melanie must have gotten jealous that I was Lusa’s best friend and had a better chance with him than she did.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Lusa’s voice dropped into a lethal vamp tone. “This entire time since our previous school you’ve been after my brother?”

  Eileen cowered under Lusa’s harsh glare. “No,” she giggled nervously. “Lus, we’ve done everything together. I’ve even gone on vacation with your family before IA. Have I ever shown that I was more interested in being with Dom than being your friend?”

  “God, you fairies are pathetic creatures,” Ian said, placing his hand over Vannah’s. “Let’s get out of here, you guys. We have a few minutes before our next class. Lus,” Ian eyed her, “the fairy with an agenda can go chill with her own kind. We all need to exchange notes before our next classes.”

  Lusa stood and scowled down at Eileen’s fake expression of guilt. “Stay away from me, or you’ll see how vamps can shut down a desperate fairy pretty quick.”

  “I wasn’t—”

  “Enough,” Vannah brought in her witchiness to top off this supernatural standoff. “Eileen, you’re an idiot. If you couldn’t pick up on Dom’s feelings for Jenna the minute that he realized she was his wolf’s other half, then there’s no hope for you.”

  “You guys are overreacting. Up until now, Melanie was the one who wanted to hurt Jenna, not me.”

  “Whatever, Eileen,” I rolled my eyes. “Melanie, why don’t you help diffuse the exposed idiot before she blows a glitter fuse.”

  We walked outside, and all I could do was hope that Melanie’s brain was still under my spell. I was pretty sure that after leaving the table, Eileen would be so pissed that she’d been outed for being the sneaky bitch she was that she wouldn’t question Melanie selling her out. She would understand that her secret wasn’t safe with a leprechaun in desperate competition over some guy at IA. She would also not question if I’d manipulated Melanie because leprechauns were so devious that they’d do anything to forge a friendship to get what they wanted…sort of like what Eileen had done.

  “Lusa,” I said, taking her rigid arm, “I’m really sorry about that.”

  “I knew she liked my brother, but they’d only ever flirted, and I was pretty sure she understood Dom would never go out with her before we came here. He made it obvious.”

  “Must have been a joyride growing up being his sister,” I teased.

  “It’s just Dom.” She rolled her eyes, “I’ve always ignored all of it. It wouldn’t be the first time someone used me to get to him. I wish I hadn’t been so caught up with everything this school has required of me since day one. It’s like I’ve been oblivious to everything, including a fairy who most likely had it out for you like Melanie did.”

  “Speaking of which,” Vannah said once we and the master shifters were huddled up by a tree, “what exactly went down with you and Melanie last night?”

  “Before we start,” I eyed everyone, “Vannah, we have to cloak them all with magic. I have a feeling this school is about to bust loose, and we can’t lose them to some evil possession.”

  “Already did it,” Vannah said. “They can’t be altered. What happened with the leprechaun? Did she help?”

  “Sort of, but I think I had to help her first.”

  “What did you do?” Vannah’s voice was grave while everyone listened atten
tively.

  “I found out that most of my fairy enchantments can’t be reversed if done wrong,” I said softly. “I used that to turn Melanie good.”

  “How did you manage that?” Scott asked disbelievingly.

  “I was pissed when I found out how demented she was. She was literally so mind twisted that she allowed me into her thoughts, and she was more worried about me being mad at what I saw instead of realizing I’d want to kill her when I got into her dark little brain. She was definitely going to be working for the sinister energy at this school if I didn’t do it. So, being pissed off that the chick literally wanted to kill me off and hurt anybody who Dom so much as smiled at, I knew I had to clean her brain up, or I was never getting help to fix Dom. Her brain was broken, so I fixed it, and now she can help fix me.”

  Finley’s mouth dropped open. “So, all this fairy stuff about you is really true?”

  “You saw it first-hand, working with Melanie.”

  “God,” Finley looked at the group. “Since when does wanting to go out with a guy bring out the worst in a bunch of twisted fairies?”

  “Since you’ve never had your ass bullied by them,” I answered.

  “No,” Vannah said. “This school has constant dark energy in it. I think it magnifies something as silly as a crush and curses that mind to fixate on it. This little Dominic crush by a couple of fairies tells us that we’re up against a lot.”

  “Well, I have a crush on Lusa,” Scott smiled at the pissed-off vampire. “You don’t see me wanting to kill anyone who looks at her since she dumped me.”

  “I think that’s because shifters are different,” I said. “Fairies are constantly tempted by darkness. Melanie filled me in on her weakness last night,” I went on to inform them. “Witches play with some dark spells to learn their craft, and vamps play with minds.” I sighed, “Maybe that’s why you haven’t wanted to kill anyone?” I said, trying to figure it all out.

  “I guess that could make sense,” Vannah confirmed. “Vamps aren’t as susceptible as fairies and witches, though.”

  The bell rang. Now, we’d all have to wait until tonight before we could catch up again, which was fine. I was going to start using my new reading technique and try to get a breakdown of who we could recruit onto our side to help us go after the darkness once we got Dom fixed.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Focus, Jenna, Focus! I kept repeating over and over as I gripped Melanie’s hands who sat across from me on the floor of the dorm room.

  “This isn’t working,” I heard Vannah say, sitting to my right.

  My eyes snapped open, and I looked over at her. “I’m trying. God, this isn’t easy.”

  “You’re forcing it,” Melanie added, looking at Vannah for help. “You have to stop doing that.”

  I jerked my hands from hers. “Listen, we’re all very aware that I never really paid attention to the important parts of my Theory of Supernatural classes, so give me half a break.”

  “We don’t have time for breaks,” Vannah said. “We officially have Eileen turning some fairy mob against all of us since you called her out last week because she’s been using Lusa.”

  “I had to get her mind off of Melanie and what I did to her.”

  “What exactly did you do to me?” Melanie asked in her new rational and mature voice.

  I smiled at the leprechaun I once hated, “Like I said, I saved your life.”

  “Back to what I was saying,” Vannah interjected before Melanie could respond. “It’s been a week since Dom’s been out with Ethan and a week since you created fairies who are now our enemies at IA,” she said in frustration. She looked at Melanie, “There’s nothing you can do to help her unlock anything? There seriously has to be a way she can access these genetics without the merge of her mate and without concentrating so hard the vein in the middle of her forehead is on the verge of popping.”

  I ran my fingers over my forehead, “There really has to be an easier way. I’ve already got my senses back to where I can read people well, I just have to get it down to where it all comes naturally.”

  “It’s not in your personal genetic makeup for anything to come naturally outside of you being a strong shifter,” Melanie said.

  “I call bullshit on that,” I argued, frustrated because I sensed this was more than likely my issue.

  “Call it whatever you want,” Vannah said. “Melanie’s right. You have to work for this, and every single time you both start working to access your fairy powers, you have to have an absolutely clear and relaxed mind to do so.”

  I pinched my lips together. “Damn it,” I said in defeat. “How the hell do I try to find peace and serenity when all I can feel is the impending doom coming for this school?”

  “How strong are these feelings?” Melanie asked.

  “Strong?” I questioned in annoyance.

  “Yes. How strong are the feelings you have that things are close to getting dangerously bad at the school?”

  “It’s strong enough for me not to be surprised if we suddenly have deaths or strange occurrences happening again. It’s like I know it will happen, but it’s not happened yet.”

  I watched Melanie look at Vannah. “This is another fairy talent. It’s just like her being able to feel and read other’s emotions.”

  Vannah studied Melanie. “Then why aren’t you noticing anything about the school being on the threshold of hell?”

  “I don’t feel it. Everything feels normal.”

  “So, what are you saying?” I responded. “I’m as nuts as Professor Marguerite? All that’s left is me spewing out that evil is here and doing some song and dance through the campus with my paranoid proclamations?”

  Melanie and Vannah covered their smiles. “Sorry,” Vannah cleared her throat. “It’s not funny, I know, but that vampire literally started chanting and singing a strange chorus, begging the light to come for this school and turn us darklings from the devil’s children, praying for us to be purified by the fire of the sun.”

  “I know,” I rolled my eyes and tucked my knees into my chest. “I was in her class too.” I shook my head. “What if that crazy vampire is onto something, though?”

  “On something, is more like it. She’s so far gone to the other side of reality that there’s no way she could sense evil if it slapped her in the face,” Melanie snickered. “To be honest, I don’t know why my dad hasn’t removed her from her position.”

  “Well, maybe he doesn’t know yet that she thinks he’s Lucifer’s chosen demon, disguised as a leprechaun,” I answered.

  “I told him everything she’s said about all of IA, and he just responded with—” she paused and looked down at the plush carpet we sat on.

  “Responded with what?” I asked, feeling her mind was suddenly shut off to me. “Don’t make me dig into your brain and grab your secrets.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip. “Well, it’s just that—”

  “Wait,” Vannah said. “Let Jenna work for this information.” Vannah eyed me, “Use your powers, and read past her blocking you.”

  “I just said that,” I answered Vannah. “I can’t dig past the barriers of a mind that’s shut off to me.”

  At that moment, I only saw my wolf. She looked back at me, her blue eyes reminding me of the last time I saw Dominic’s wolf with the same shade of blue, screwed by my magic, right before he and Ethan took off.

  The wolf seemed to encourage the idea that Vannah was right. I literally had more power than the average fairy, and I could do this even when no other supernatural would be able to.

  I looked over at Melanie and felt the urge to reach for each side of her head. “Hold still,” I said softly before closing my eyes.

  “You think you can actually—”

  “Quiet,” I whispered, trying to focus.

  My inner wolf always seemed to be front and center when it came to me working with these genetics that appeared whenever they wanted. It was like she was my guide to handling everything the
right way.

  I felt my energy levels rise to meet the streaming purple hue that floated out of the sealed door of powerful magic, and like jumping into cold water, my entire body went into a crazy shiver as the current soared through my insides. Instead of fighting it, I welcomed it like a breath of crisp morning air. It felt amazing, powerful, and pure all at once.

  I reopened my eyes to see Melanie’s wide ones. “Your eyes are purple,” she gasped.

  She was enamored by the way I transformed into a fairy with just my eye color alone and wanted to hug me with cheerfulness in the fact that I was finally getting somewhere with all of this. I felt her sense that I’d accessed part of my power, but she was saddened that full access still wasn’t granted by my genes. She couldn’t understand how someone who wanted to defeat evil would be blocked from doing so. How was it I was blessed with genes to help supernaturals, yet they were cut off and locked away from me?

  Then, I got the answer I was seeking earlier, the one that forced me into her blocked mind. Her dad wasn’t changing any staff members after learning Harrison was appointed the leader of the Elite Council, because that council was responsible for all of our staff changes. He questioned the Guardians’ involvement, but wouldn’t test it. He wished he could have read into Harrison’s mind the day we all sat in Dean Edgewater’s office together, but he was blocked by the commander's mental state. He didn’t know much, but his senses told him not to test the commander further than he already had by questioning my adoption. He feared the unknown with the Guardians and definitely with Harrison. IA’s president was more fearful of the Guardians than he was of anything he’d encountered in the supernatural world.

  “What a piece of chicken shit,” I said, pulling my thoughts out of Melanie’s mind.