by JA Wren
Piers frowned at their wrists, then laughed, a full on chuckle that resonated from his belly. “Well, that’s a new way to get a girl to hang out with you. How’d you come up with that idea, buddy?”
Asher took Rayna’s arm, fingers curling around her wrist just above the glowing string, kind of like he was shaking Piers’ hand right along with her. Or shielding her in the most subtle of ways. “Not my idea.”
Piers’ gaze flew to Rayna and she shook her head fast enough to give her a brain rush. “Not mine either. We woke up in bed together like this first thing this morning.”
She clamped her hand over her mouth as soon as the words fell from her lips.
Dammit, Knox.
Piers grinned while his eyes raked over her in a new light, too much appreciation in the blue depths. “Well, that’s—different. You sure he didn’t pull a fast one on you, sweetheart?”
Asher growled, gluing himself closer to Rayna, his body temperature rising until she thought steam or smoke might billow from his shoulders. “You may have to use tricks, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us need to find inventive ways to get women to hang out with us.”
Piers’ eyes darkened, turning a stormy sea blue. “I never said I did. You’re the one tied—”
“Mr. Jones,” a voice called. “What, may I ask, are you doing out of class? I have it on very good authority that you are required to take extra classes every Sunday afternoon for at least another month.”
An average height, slender man stepped up beside them, shifting his large, rounded glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose.
He wore something Rayna might expect from a grandfather, despite the fact he looked to be no older than mid-forties. White dress shirt, olive waistcoat, and beige trousers ironed so sharp pleats ran down his legs, feet tipped with old-school brown leather loafers.
He narrowed his eyes on Piers, the student in question stuttering to find an answer until he was saved by Evelyn.
“He was meeting our newest student, Professor.”
“Newest—?” The man turned with an odd jerk, then smiled at Rayna. “Oh, I didn’t see you there.” He tucked a silver pocket watch into his coat, then held out his hand. “Professor Balthazar. I teach Omenology here at the academy.”
Rayna didn’t relish another awkward handshake, but she placed her palm in his icy grip, the touch of his freezing fingers sending a shudder through her arm that rippled along her nerves. Hairs on the back of her neck stood up even as her crystal pendant hummed gently against her sternum.
“Rayna Knox,” she wheezed out, trying her best to get rid of the odd feeling buzzing through her fingers.
Asher introduced himself, but didn’t bother taking the Professor’s hand, which meant she was free to rub hers against her leg. She hoped the Professor didn’t notice, because that might look rude, but she had to stop the weird feeling from spreading up her arm.
Balthazar smiled wider, almost a little too much. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you both. I do hope to see you in my classes.”
“She’s Spiritual Realm, Professor,” Evelyn said, her voice hoity. “I doubt she’ll be interested in Omenology.”
Rayna didn’t even know what the hell that was, let alone whether she’d be interested or not. But since the odd Professor was raising her hackles, she didn’t object.
“Doesn’t mean she can’t take Omenology as an elective in the future, Miss Greenaway.”
Unlikely.
It could be the greatest class at the school and she’d avoid it like a kid hiding his veggies under his napkin. The longer she stood next to the Professor, the more her insides churned, almost like her molecules were trying desperately to escape whether she allowed them to or not.
“Right.” Balthazar straightened his spine. “Time for Mr. Jones to get back to his classes. You won’t be mastering those powers of yours if you don’t attend your Inner Abilities studies. You missed quite enough during your recent trip with your father.”
He shooed Piers, but the guy only backed away slowly, eyes remaining on Asher. Professor Balthazar trailed after him, waving over his shoulder.
Evelyn clapped her hands together once, demanding attention. “Now that the male pissing contest is over, we can get on with things.” She relinked her arm through Rayna’s and rolled her eyes. “Boys. I swear we’d all be extinct if women didn’t have to coddle and look after them like infants all the time.” She flicked her perfect lavender tresses over her shoulder and smiled. “How about I take you to your dorm? Sadly, you’ll be sharing with the Neanderthal beside you, but hopefully Headmistress Hale will be able to separate the two of you asap. Because sharing a bathroom with a guy?” Evelyn shuddered.
And something clicked, for the first time since Rayna woke to find herself bound to Asher. She was stuck to him, literally tied together.
And she really needed to pee.
Seventeen
Evelyn led them to another towering building with a wrought iron sign embedded into the stone walls labeling it Alpha Dormitory.
A beautiful statue stood near the oversized wooden doors, just like every other building she’d seen so far, all different figures but each made from the same shiny gold. This one was a woman holding a bow, arrow poised to sail through the air if she came alive.
“What’s up with the statues?” Rayna asked as they rounded the figure in question and its matching gold dais.
Asher stayed close enough to her side she could still feel the lingering heat rolling off him. And she definitely wasn’t complaining. The sun was dipping into the horizon and taking with it the last of the days’ warmth.
“Oh, Headmistress Hale didn’t tell you?” Evelyn’s perfectly plucked brows knitted together. “I assumed she’d explained since—well, never mind. They’re part of the academy’s security measures. I’ve never actually seen any of them in action. Apart from those in the labyrinth and the Gorgon Fountain, of course. The rest are kept in a sort of…stasis, I guess is the best word.”
Rayna’s gaze lingered on the golden archer. The woman’s dress billowed around her as if wind had caught the fabric right as it turned to hardened precious metal. “And when they’re not in stasis?”
Evelyn shrugged. “They’re given life, ready to battle to protect the academy and all of its inhabitants. But that hasn’t happened in centuries. The academy has to be under a real threat in order for them to come alive since they’re the last line of defense.” She laughed. “Frankly, we’d be in a world of trouble if they ever did come to life. It would mean all the other defenses had failed or been breached. Trust me, you’d have a lot more to worry about than statues coming to life.”
The girl kept chuckling, but that was the least reassuring thing anyone had ever uttered. Especially since she was still recovering from her run-in with the statues in the labyrinth.
Asher grumbled under his breath as though he was agreeing with her, probably because he’d gotten his fair share of the beating from Marble-man.
“What are the other defenses?” What Rayna really wanted to know was what could possibly be worse than battling foes made of unfeeling marble.
If they were last in line, what other horrors hid behind the pretty stone walls and stunningly tall spires? She was more grateful than ever that Hale had let her stay. Who knows how she might’ve been removed from the premises.
Evelyn’s smile wavered and she urged Rayna through the door, barely waiting for Asher to slip in behind her before slamming the heavy thing shut. “Mostly we rely on wards set all around the academy, right to the very border of the labyrinth. They prevent the academy from being found by non-students and faculty. They also protect us from—well, anything that might seek to harm us. But no need to worry about that. The academy hasn’t been attacked since—”
She cut herself off abruptly, like she’d said more than she’d intended. Evelyn cleared her throat, then ushered them through a building similarly structured to the one where they’d met with Hale. They headed strai
ght up a twisting spiral staircase, the steps lit by more flickering flame lanterns.
“The dorms are sectioned off by three separate floors, each one housing a specific discipline,” Evelyn said, her voice bouncing off the stone walls as they climbed higher and higher. “Psych is on the first level, Physical on the second, and Spiritual on the third. It’s sort of like a tier, going from the biggest group of students—that’s the Psych guys—and up to the rarer Spirituals, like us.”
Rayna was panting and wondering why the hell they hadn’t installed an elevator when they finally stopped at a huge wooden door, wider than any other she’d ever seen.
Intricate carvings had been engraved into the surface, incredibly detailed swirls in dense layers to create a three dimensional work of art. She could have sworn they were moving, coiling in a circle almost like the labyrinth itself, but it had to be a trick of the eye.
Evelyn practically curtsied at the door, holding out her arms either side of her body and dipping at the waist with a slightly bowed head. “Lady Gwen.”
The feminine figure in the center of the door turned, her wooden body moving with the same fluidity as any human. She smiled at Evelyn and waved her delicately carved fingers. The door creaked open, allowing them entry, while the figure held out her arm and gestured for them to enter.
Rayna frowned but followed Evelyn as she sauntered through the doorway. To her utter shock, Asher dipped his head at the wooden figure, earning a soundless giggle from the woman. If she’d been human, she probably would’ve blushed scarlet at his attention.
The door eased closed, but the figure kept her gaze firmly locked on Asher until the very last second.
“What was that?” she couldn’t help asking.
He shrugged. “Being friendly.”
“Looked more like flirting to me.”
His lips twitched, dark eyes twinkling in amusement. Or maybe they were just catching the light from the lanterns. “You jealous?”
She scoffed and turned her back on him, trying to mask the truth because for some bizarro reason, she was jealous. Which was ridiculous, because for one thing, Asher wasn’t hers and she had no right to feel like that. And second, the woman was made of wood. Not like she was really a potential rival—
Rival? What is wrong with you, Knox?
Evelyn flicked her hair over her shoulder, calling attention to herself again. “I suggest you make friends with Lady Gwen. Unless you want to get locked out of your dorm.”
“Another security feature?” Rayna guessed.
Evelyn beamed. “Exactly. You’re learning.” She turned toward the long hallway as girlish giggles echoed through one of the closed dorm rooms. “Now, as I was saying, the top floor of the dorms are for Spirituals only. Which is awesome, because it means we get the bigger digs. More space to spread out. Usually you wouldn’t even need to share a room with anyone. Sometimes they’ll let a few of the more powerful Physical students take up residence on our floors, but that’s only when they have an influx. It’s not like the academy is lacking in space.”
She laughed as they stopped right at the very end of the hallway, where an arching window stared out over the labyrinth beyond the academy walls.
Rayna peeked out at it, amazed the hedges were so vast, spiraling out in centric circles. No dark void above from what she could tell, nothing like the pitch black ceiling they’d seen while stuck in there. Must have been some sort of trick.
Enchantment, her mind whispered, but she was still getting used to all this magic stuff.
“This’ll be your room.” Evelyn swung a wooden door open with a tiny rasp, then spread her arm out to show off the space. “Decent size, though the bed is a little on the smaller side. I know its bare-bones right now, but with a little TLC, you can spruce it right up to however you like. It does have a gorgeous view of the labyrinth and the gardens outside the cafeteria. I would know, since it used to be mine when I was an Alpha.”
She wasn’t wrong.
A replica of the window from outside the room took up a huge section of one wall, overlooking the labyrinth. A second, smaller window near the lone bed looked onto the beautiful trees beside what she’d dubbed the supply building. Birds—or at least something bird-like—fluttered inside the trees, rustling leaves and big colorful blossoms.
“This room also has its own bathroom, so you won’t have to share with anyone else.” She opened a door that led onto a small, but private bathroom.
Rayna wondered how much plumbing a building like this went through if every room was kitted out with a bathroom unit. “Does everyone get their own?”
“Not exactly.” Evelyn straightened a crisp white towel hanging from the rail, then reached into the cabinet under the basin and pulled out a second one. She hung it with infinite care next to the first. “There are a few rooms, like this one, that cater to special cases. Most of the other students share the main bathrooms—two of them—located near the center of each floor. You’re welcome to use it, but why, when you have your own?”
Fair enough.
“The dorm beside yours is currently empty, though there is another late admission the academy has their eye on. If she is enrolled, she’ll likely get the room beside yours.” Evelyn smiled. “Until then, you should have quite a bit of priva—uh, maybe not, with your situation.” Her cheery expression faded the moment she looked at Asher. She shrugged. “Afraid I can’t help you there.”
Which was yet another bummer.
Not that Asher bothered her. She wasn’t even all that desperate to get them separated. But there was the small issue of bathroom time.
“Right, well I’ll leave you to get settled.” Evelyn drifted closer to the door again. “Your things should arrive by nightfall. Headmistress Hale has someone collecting necessities from your apartment, and they’ll be delivered to your room as soon as they get here. Someone will bring you dinner around seven, but usually you’d need to hit the dining hall. For today, Hale thought it’d be best to let you settle in before you join the other students.”
Very accommodating for a woman who’d barely let her onto the grounds not even two hours ago.
“Anything else I can do before I head out?” Evelyn asked.
Rayna looked around, unsure. Everything was all so new and she didn’t really know what to expect. Or what she needed to know. How to make her way through this crazy place. “Um. I think I’m good for now, thank you.”
Evelyn smiled and nodded. “Then be sure to clean up if you plan to go exploring and I’ll meet you at the dining hall first thing in the morning. Breakfast is served between six and seven, and classes start at eight. Oh, that reminds me about your schedule. I’ll stop by later and drop it off. Until then, don’t get up to too much mischief.”
She wiggled her brows, and with a flick of her hair, she turned and shut the door, leaving Rayna alone with Asher for the first time since they’d arrived at the academy.
Perhaps since they’d left her apartment that morning.
“Well,” she started, glancing around the dorm and taking everything in. From the narrow bed, to the compact desk and chair near the window. A chest stood at the base of the bed and a huge, Narnia-style wardrobe took up too much space in one corner. She wandered around, Asher trailing her but letting her move about and examine their new living arrangements.
It would sure need some sprucing, just as Evelyn had said, and the stone walls made it colder than a spooky castle—or at least she guessed it did. But the place was nice. And she had a room mostly to herself. As soon as they got rid of the glowy string. Plus, she had a free ride for the next few years. What more could a girl like her ask for?
She let out a laugh and buried her face in her palms. “Oh my God, is this place real?”
Asher moved to stand in front of her, taking her shoulders in his hands. “It’s a lot to take in, I know. But it’s real. And more importantly, you’ll be safe here.”
“What does that mean?” She lifted her head. “You said some
thing similar when we first met Hale, but I don’t understand. I was perfectly safe in my apartment. Okay, as safe as anyone can be in Lower Manhattan.”
He dropped his hands and took a step back. “I can’t tell you more than that. Please, Rayna, just trust me.”
“Kinda hard to do when you’re keeping so many secrets.”
“I’ve told you everything I can.”
“Which is basically nothing.”
She hadn’t meant to snap at him, but something aggressive and agitated coiled inside her like a snake, ready and waiting to strike. Frustration and stress pinched her nerves tighter until she lashed out at the one closest to her.
“Rayna—”
“Forget it. At least for the time being.” She picked at her destroyed dress. “Right now, I need to clean up and then sleep for about a week.” She scrunched her nose. “Okay, make that until early tomorrow morning. I’ll need to make myself partially presentable, otherwise Evelyn might freak out, and something tells me I don’t want to be on her bad side.”
Eighteen
Asher wore the most wounded expression she’d ever seen on a guy, but too bad. She didn’t have space to worry about his sensitive man-feelings just then. Not after the day they’d had.
Besides, “I need to pee,” she blurted in a rush.
“What?”
“Pee.” She raised both brows at him. “You do know how normal human bodies function, don’t you, Mr. Fire-Sprouting-Guy?”
His lips curled up. “Mr. Fire-Sprouting-Guy?”
She shrugged. “Until I know what exactly you are, that’s your designation. Now, are you gonna let me get into the bathroom, or not?”
He stepped back and gestured with his free hand. “Lead the way.”
She did, then stopped at the entrance to the tiny bathroom and groaned. “Oh, God, this is going to be awkward, isn’t it?”