There wasn’t a moment of resistance as my magic tumbled into him but as I held his eye, I watched his pupils dilate with the rush of taking in my power.
I bit my lip as his grip on my hands tightened and he tugged me closer again, our chests almost brushing as I looked up at him.
“Stop power fucking her and start working on what Pyro wants,” Caleb called and I flinched, yanking my magic back again as I looked around at him and Darcy.
“Are you afraid I’m going to steal her attention from you, Cal?” Darius asked Caleb with the hint of a smile playing around his lips.
“Not likely,” Caleb replied dismissively but his eyes narrowed.
“I’m still here,” I reminded them irritably. “And neither of you are interesting enough to keep my attention for long so there’s no point in you getting your panties in a twist over it. Maybe we should just get on with this class?”
Darius smirked at Caleb tauntingly and I rolled my eyes at him.
“Well I’m happy enough to practice without help if you wanna leave me to it?” Darcy suggested, not-so-subtly trying to tug her hand out of Caleb’s grip.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I promise to be gentle with you,” he said, ignoring her attempts to break free.
My sister obviously had reservations about this activity and I couldn’t really blame her. She shot me a look which basically said she’d rather be pretty much anywhere else than holding Caleb’s hand and I glanced at Darius before raising an eyebrow at her as if to say ‘who’s got it worse?’. Darcy snorted a laugh and the two Heirs looked between us like they were trying to figure out what we’d just communicated to each other.
“Come on, Roxy, let’s see what you’ve got,” Darius said, releasing one of my hands so that I could cast with it.
He drew me away from Darcy and Caleb and I threw an apologetic look back at my sister as we walked across the sandy arena.
Darius was slowly pushing more and more of his magic into me as we walked and heat was building in my chest with the force of it.
I pulled on my hand, forcing him to stop walking when it seemed like he was going to drag me all the way across the arena to the shadows on the far side of it. I had no intention of being alone with him and this spot right in the centre of the arena had plenty of space for us to work in.
Darius smirked at me as he gave in and came to a stop. It was either that or release my hand which he didn’t seem to have any intention of doing.
“Okay, Roxy. Why don’t you make a motorbike for me again?” he asked.
“Well I don’t think you really know anything about them so how could you correct me if I shape something wrong?” I asked dismissively.
I didn’t really like that he’d discovered my love of bikes. It felt like I’d given him ammo to use against me and I had no intention of letting him find out anything else or even letting him see how much that passion meant to me.
“I know plenty about them,” he assured me. “Like how to ride them faster than anyone else I know.”
“Those are very big words for someone who doesn’t know a gasket from a gas tank.” I shrugged.
“Well how about, if you manage to make one with your fire magic, I’ll let you back up your talk with a race?” he suggested.
I hesitated. This was not a good idea. But... I really wanted to get back out on the road. I’d been missing the purr of an engine something chronic in the last few weeks and Darius’s collection of top of the range speed machines were oh so tempting.
“If I win, I get to keep the bike,” I said.
“You won’t win,” he replied dismissively.
“Then you won’t be afraid to agree to my terms.”
“Fine. What do I get when I win?” he asked.
I looked up at him, my mind whirling with anything at all I might be able to offer him. But what does an asshole who lives in a palace filled with gold even need?
“I’ll work on one of your bikes. Give it the mods you don’t think it needs and prove you wrong for a second time,” I offered.
“But if I’m right and it doesn’t need your so called modifications then I’m not ending up with much of a prize, am I?” he mused.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re not right but getting you to admit that is probably an impossible task so what do you want instead?”
Darius pushed his tongue into his cheek as he considered it, his gaze trailing over me in a way that made me shift my weight onto the other foot.
“I’ll think of something,” he assured me.
“Sure. Whatever you want. I’ll be winning anyway, so it doesn’t really matter,” I said with a shrug.
I turned away from him and pulled on his magic as I worked to create a bike out of fire.
As expected, my magic was going haywire with the stupid suit on and even with Darius’s help I really struggled to wrangle it under control. He even had to admit that the damn thing was causing me issues after fifteen minutes of struggling against it.
“You could just take it off,” he suggested as I managed to turn my latest attempt at a bike into a fireball which almost took out Marguerite’s eyebrows as she scowled our way.
“Not going to happen,” I replied dismissively.
Pyro was looking rather unimpressed with my efforts and I had to bite my tongue against my irritation so I rolled my sleeves back and folded the hem of the shirt up to reveal my waist.
“I’m going to use both hands,” I said to Darius without looking him in the eye.
He didn’t need any further encouragement and stepped forward to grip my waist like he had before. This time I didn’t press my body to his though and instead focused on harnessing my magic in the way I wanted.
My frustration meant I threw more power at the task than I’d intended and I yanked on Darius’s magic too.
A full sized motorbike materialised in the flames before me and with a surge of triumph, I sent it tearing across the arena.
Pyro stopped what she was doing and actually applauded me and I grinned to myself as more than a few of my classmates joined in.
I started making the bike weave between the students as it did a circuit of the arena and Darius leaned close to my ear as he maintained his grip on me.
“Congratulations, Roxy. Looks like we’ve got a date Wednesday night then.”
I ignored the flutter in my chest as he called it a date because it absolutely didn’t take place. “Maybe I’ve already got plans Wednesday,” I said.
“Yeah, you do. With me.”
He released his grip on my waist and my control over the magic faltered as the bike burst apart into a thousand flaming tendrils which burnt out quickly without anything to maintain them.
I turned to give Darius a response to that comment but he was already half way across the arena on his way to the locker rooms. The rest of the class were disbanding too and I rolled my shirt down again as I turned to look for Darcy.
She was walking towards me and I had to fight to school my expression before she arrived. From the few glances I'd cast her and Caleb's way during the lesson, it didn't look like they'd managed to power share at all.
My plans for Wednesday night had definitely not included spending any more time with Darius Acrux. But if I backed out now I’d be letting him win. And I really couldn’t live with doing that.
My stomach writhed with vomiting butterflies as I stood outside Orion's office ready for my Liaison session. I wasn't sure I could handle how awkward this was going to be.
Maybe he could just assign me a new Liaison? Yeah, I should definitely suggest that. That would make this whole off-limits thing a whole lot easier to deal with.
I was annoyingly early because I'd heard a bunch of Aer students plotting a massive attack for the freshmen in my House. To avoid being caught up in that, I'd arrived here at a quarter to seven. And the prize for worst idea ever goes to...
Orion appeared at the end of the corridor dressed in an immaculate suit unlike the grubby Pitball kit or
shirt and slacks he usually showed up in. I guess the Pitball pitch is still off limits.
My mind reeled as I suddenly realised he was on time. And not just on time. Goddamn early. I half expected him to do a U-turn and come back later, but he kept walking toward me. His Atlas was in his hand and his eyes were fixed on the screen. I didn't know if it was better or worse that he wasn't looking at me. All I knew, was the closer he got, the less air made it into my lungs on each breath.
He finally stopped before me, dropped the Atlas to his side and looked up.
Echoing silence seemed to fill the void between us.
He scratched his beard then moved toward the door to unlock it, his arm bumping mine as he did so. I quickly scooted back, hovering behind him and decided now might be a good time to just call quits on this whole agonising lesson. Which was actually gonna be a full damn session for once. Why today? Why would you be early today?
“La- sir?” I corrected half way. Where did that come from? I almost said his first name!
“I don't speak French, Miss Vega.”
Hilarious.
He stepped into the room, leaving the door wide but I remained in the corridor. I moved half way through the entrance and found his back to me as he walked across the room.
“Um actually, I was thinking maybe it might be a better idea if I just get a new Liaison,” I suggested, but my voice was followed by another bout of excruciating silence.
Orion settled into his chair and didn't reach for his bourbon for once. “No, that won't be necessary. Come in. Close the door.”
There was a large tan leather book on his desk and as I moved into the room, I spotted the name on it. Orders of Fae.
I shut the door and the click resounded in my ears. I wet my achingly dry mouth, heading across the carpet and lowering into the chair opposite him.
The clock on the wall ticked so loudly I swear it was making my left eye twitch.
He pulled the book toward him, flipping it open to a page marked with a long blue feather and started reading something in silence. While he did that, I studied his expression, trying to work out what he was thinking. My eyes shifted to his mouth and heat surged up my spine as the memory of that kiss made me want to just-
“Dragons.” Orion looked up. “I think you and your sister might be Dragons. Though a kind thought to be extinct.”
“Oh,” I said, leaning forward to try and get a look at the book. My mind whirled with that idea. Darius always looked so incredibly fierce in his Order form and he was also so damn big. I couldn't imagine what it might feel like to have my body transform like that. Would it hurt? And would I know how to use my wings and shoot fire instinctively?
It was absolutely insane and so much to process that I finally forgot about the tension in the room. I tried to pull the book toward me and Orion pointed out the passage at the same time, causing our skin to graze. White hot energy raced under my flesh and I immediately yanked my hand away.
I sat back in my seat, combing my fingers through my hair just so I had something else to focus on. “Right, er- so Dragons?”
“Dragons,” he echoed, clearing his throat. “Potentially this one.” He pushed the book toward me, tapping on the passage before withdrawing entirely.
I leaned forward, reading the paragraph with intrigue.
The long extinct Ismenian Dragon was once a powerful Order. As the largest of the Dragon Orders, its fire was three times the strength of its smaller cousins. Often darkest blue in colour, it had a forked tongue and poisonous breath which could kill a Fae up to ten metres away.
I lifted my head, my mind spinning. “How big does this Dragon get?” I asked, thinking of Darius and his already huge form. If we were one of these Ismenian Dragons we'd be even larger. And despite the kind of frightening possibility of actually shifting into something that size, I didn't mind the sound of being bigger and badder than Darius Acrux. Him and the other Heirs would never be able to push us around again.
“I think they could be as much as double the size of a regular Dragon. So...” He didn't finish that line of thought, instead drawing the book away from me and closing it. He got to his feet, turning to place it back on the book shelf which arched over the doorway in the centre of the wall.
“What's in there?” I asked just to break the penetrating silence.
“A storage room,” Orion said, taking another book from the shelf and putting it down on the desk.
“Oh,” I breathed. “Do you store anything interesting in there?”
Orion gave me a taut frown. “Miss Vega-”
I rolled my eyes and he stopped short, a low noise leaving his throat.
“What?” I huffed. “It's really stupid that you keep talking to me like we didn't-”
“Don't,” he growled and I sighed, my eyes falling to the book on the desk.
The Wonders of Being a Dragon.
I exhaled a laugh at the name and Orion fought so hard against a grin that he almost busted a tooth.
“Read it. And I'll sign you up to attend the Dragon Order Enhancement class tomorrow.” He managed to get the moody mask back on his face and I nodded, taking the book and putting it in my bag.
“Don't we have enough to worry about with our Elemental Trials starting on Thursday?”
“Finding out your Order is essential,” Orion said firmly. “I imagine you'll emerge any day now. Don't you want to be prepared?”
I considered that and nodded. If I was going to burst into a forty foot Dragon maybe a heads up would be nice.
I checked the clock on the wall and found it was only a quarter past seven and my stomach dropped. I still had forty five minutes left of this session.
Orion followed my line of sight and a deep v formed between his eyes.
He sighed heavily. “Fuck this. Come on, let's go for a walk.” He got up and I looked up at him in surprise.
“A walk?” I asked in confusion, getting to my feet.
“Yeah, maybe you'd like to try out that fire again, huh?”
“That almost sounds like fun,” I teased.
“Yes, well I can be fun sometimes. Especially when I'm not wearing this suit.”
I stared at him and his eyes widened as he realised what he'd said.
“I meant when I'm not working,” he said quickly.
“Right yeah.” And when you’re diving into swimming pools. And pressed against me with your tongue in my mouth.
I moved toward the door, bumping into him as he moved too. Oh god why are we even trying to pretend this isn't the most awkward evening ever?
I was relieved when we exited the painfully quiet corridors of Jupiter Hall and the evening call of birds, chatter of students and music from The Orb finally broke the pressure in the air between us.
He took off at a purposeful stride down the path and I headed after him, falling a step behind so we didn't have to look at each other.
The air was icily cool and the sky crystal clear, brushed with deepest orange and pastel peach as the sun began to set. My breath fogged before me and I sensed the keen clutch of winter in the air.
Orion headed through The Wailing Wood and I practically had to jog to keep up with his long stride.
We finally emerged in The Howling Meadow and a gust of wind sailed through the long grass, causing a sweeping ripple all across the huge field.
A smile pulled at my mouth as Orion stepped into the grass and I headed after him toward the very centre of the meadow. I reached into the well of magic inside me, wondering if I'd be able to cast that intense fire again. I could almost feel that power there, but it was like a sleeping beast. And I wasn't sure how to wake it.
The breeze grew stronger as I stopped in front of Orion, dragging my dark hair out in a wild tangle of tendrils. His tense jaw relaxed a little and his eyes skimmed over me in a way that unravelled me from the inside out.
I took a breath, angling my face away so I didn't drown in memories of his mouth and hands on me.
Okay now w
e're in the middle of a field alone. How is this better exactly?
“Raise your hands to the sky, let's not burn the entire meadow down,” Orion instructed and I did as he said. “Order powers are different to your Elemental powers. You should feel those channels in two different parts of your body.”
I kept my eyes on the sky, my hands raised as I nodded.
I'm feeling a hell of a lot of fire in my body right now but none of it is Dragon Fire.
“I can sense my magic and it feels like there's another part of me, but it's not awake,” I explained.
“What were you feeling when you used it before?” he asked and I couldn't blink, couldn't even breathe as I recalled the exact moment when Orion was about to die as two Nymphs stood above him.
“I was afraid.”
“Good. Afraid we can do,” he said, then a scream ripped from my lungs as I was launched a hundred feet into the air.
The wind rushed over me and my stomach lurched wildly as I flew up on the magical gust Orion cast at my back. With a yell, I hit the peak of my momentum, the sky staring down at me as my arms cartwheeled like mad.
Cast air!
I forced out my palms, stifling my screams and trying to gain a handle on my terror. But I started tumbling, falling at a furious pace, hurtling toward certain death.
Air exploded from my hands and blanketed my fall just a foot from the ground. My hair was a mess over my face and as I released my magic and my knees hit the ground, I pushed it out of my eyes with a groan of relief.
“Did that wake it up?” Orion asked casually.
I looked up at him with a scowl and he started laughing his head off.
A feral noise escaped me and I launched myself at him. I shoved him in the chest before I could even think about the consequences and his eyes lit up with the challenge as he stumbled back a step.
“Oh you wanna fight? Come on then, no more physical contact though, Miss Vega.” He brushed his shirt down like where I’d touched him had left a mark.
Zodiac Academy 3: The Reckoning: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts) Page 6