by JA Wren
Kind of sucky for her supposed mother to send her an invitation to join the academy…late. Way to make her stand out from her classmates. Couldn’t Nyx have let her join at the same time as the incoming year of students?
“Headmistress Hale is a Physical,” Delilah said. “Although, I’m not actually sure what she is, but I assume a shifter of some kind. Doctor Quincy has a doctorate in wizardry and witchcraft, so he makes up the vote for us Psychs. And Professor Lucia is head of the Spirituals. She’s part celestial being and actually super nice. Too bad the students in her discipline are such jackasses.”
Rayna tried to smother her wince. One thing she did know was that she was a Spiritual and she doubted her new friend would be as nice if she found out that little snippet.
How long would she be able to keep that a secret?
Asher squeezed her hand as if sensing her thoughts. Or maybe just the slight dip in her mood. She appreciated his constant support, even in the subtle ways he showed it. Maybe even more because he didn’t make a big deal about it. Just tightened his grip on her whenever she felt overwhelmed.
The line moved up ahead, cutting off their conversation as they were next to be served.
“What’ll it be, darlin’?” the lady behind the counter—Ambroisine according to her nametag—asked, a trace of Southern accent slipping through, Cajun if she was correct, almost making her ask if beignets were on the menu.
Rayna sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, mulling it over while other servers helped the students behind them. She should have thought about it while she was in the line instead of chatting away with Delilah.
The girl in question already had her tray of stacked red velvet pancakes, cream cheese glaze pouring over the sides and topped with strawberries. She frowned at Rayna over her shoulder while she and Autumn moved towards a nearby table.
She was tempted to get the same, but the intoxicating scent of smoky bacon called to her. Maybe they’d hand over an entire plate of bacon as a side dish for the pancakes. Or waffles. Belgian waffles with chocolate chips and a mountain of fresh fruit and cream. But then she spotted the eggs Benedict perched on fluffy English muffins—
“She’ll take a bit of everything,” Asher announced from beside her.
Normally, Rayna would’ve protested at him ordering for her, but he’d spoken what she felt too nervous to give voice, so…she’d let him get away with it. This time.
Ambroisine’s eyebrows quirked up. “Can she put all that away? She’s damn skinny. Darlin’ might not even get through an order of beignets.”
“Wait,” Rayna interrupted. “Are there beignets?”
Ambroisine laughed, a hearty chuckle that had her curls bouncing. “Only the best outside of New Orleans.”
Rayna’s eyes went wide and she nodded her head with jerky, excited movements.
“We’ll share,” Asher added, as if with his help there’d be no denying they’d clear their plates.
With a tiny shake of her head, Ambroisine piled plates with a little of everything on offer—an obscene amount, but Rayna was so hungry she couldn’t even muster up a shred of guilt. “Here ya go, enjoy.”
Asher took the overloaded tray, balancing it on one hand while they thanked Ambroisine and joined Delilah and Autumn.
“Holy mother of dragons,” Delilah said around a mouthful of pancakes. “How are you going to eat all that?”
Rayna smirked. “One bite at a time.”
Twenty-Four
She was wrong.
Often two bites at a time were needed, but Rayna and Asher easily devoured every delicious morsel of their shared breakfast. Each item tasting even better than the last. But once their tray was empty and her belly full, there was still that familiar gnaw in the pit of her stomach.
It couldn’t possibly be hunger—even if that’s what it felt like—because she might actually burst if she ate anything more.
“Coffee,” she announced. That had to be it. Once she got a hit of caffeine through her veins—usually her first stop in the mornings after waking up—she’d feel better.
Delilah nodded. “We can head to the barista next. I need my wheatgrass shot anyway.”
“You’re still doing that?” Autumn asked as they rose from the table. “I thought you’d stopped when—well, you know what happened.”
Delilah’s eyes flicked to Rayna, then back to Autumn, her voice going too soft to hear what she whispered to her friend.
Rayna had no clue what they were talking about. As far as she knew, wheatgrass was one of those super healthy green juices people liked to swig in the morning. She’d tried it once, in a desperate attempt to get healthier when she started losing weight rapidly about a year ago.
But nope, all she got was a mouthful of freshly mown lawn clippings and a burn down the back of her throat. She’d promptly thrown it back up and vowed never again.
Good thing, too, since she found out later it was used to promote weight loss. As if she needed that.
Surely Delilah wasn’t using it for that. The girl had a great figure, one Rayna would love to have instead of her near skin-and-bone state.
As they walked to the café next to the cafeteria, Asher wedged himself close, locking their hands and melding their shoulders so it looked like they were a regular couple. So no one might suspect they were tied at their wrists.
Rayna ordered a huge black coffee, keeping it simple after the indulgent breakfast, and Asher did the same.
“Red spice?” the barista asked.
“I don’t know what that is.”
The emo-looking guy laughed, his lip ring catching the light. “It’s a sprinkle of freeze-dried blood.”
“Ew!” Rayna’s stomach roiled even as her face curled in on itself. “Why would I want that? Actually, why would anyone want that?”
The barista turned, chuckling away to himself and shaking his head. She swore she heard him mutter, “newbies,” under his breath.
Asher cupped her elbow, heat radiating up her arm. “There are vampires on campus. Part of the Physical Realm along with shifters.”
Vampires. Of course. “But…in their coffee? Why would they ruin delicious coffee with blood? Freeze-dried blood, whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean.”
He pressed his lips together, holding in his own laugh while their new friends stepped up to place their orders. Delilah and Autumn stuck with herbal teas, the former adding the mysterious wheatgrass shot to hers.
They were just leaving, passing by the cafeteria entrance on their way out to the beautiful day, when tingles rippled over Rayna’s spine.
“Oh gods, Rayna. What are you doing with Psych nerds?”
Evelyn’s screechy tone oozed derision, her pretty face pinched with a mix of confusion and disgust. She sneered at Delilah and Autumn, the two girls practically shrinking back like delicate petals exposed to intense heat.
Or like the plants in Rayna’s house when she suffered one of her quirky episodes at night.
Evelyn took a step closer, making the two Psych girls edge back even further. “Seriously, I leave you alone for one morning and you hit the bottom of the social barrel?” She twitched her head at the students milling around. “You know what? I don’t think many people have spotted you yet. Thank gods you haven’t hit the cafeteria or all hope would be lost for your reputation.”
She perked up, fussed with her lavender hair styled in perfect curls, then took Rayna’s free hand—the one attached to Asher, since her other held her much-needed coffee—in hers, stroking her fingers over her palm. “Okay, it’s fine. We can totally fix this.”
Rayna gently, but firmly, pulled her hand away. “There’s nothing to fix, Evelyn. I was just making some new friends. We just shared breakfast—in the cafeteria—actually. They’ve been really helpful.”
Evelyn gasped, almost comically, her gaze darting around as if cataloguing the damage, who and how many people had spotted them. “But Psychs? Didn’t you hear anything I said yesterday?” She lower
ed her head, closer to Rayna’s shorter level. “You’re Spiritual royalty. Nature Mages—especially first years—are so far beneath you it’s not even funny.”
“You’re—” Delilah sputtered, leaning forward even as Autumn tried to pull her back, drag her away. “You’re a Spiritual?”
Rayna’s mouth opened, ready to explain herself, but no words came out, and before she could force something—dear God, anything please—Evelyn steamrolled again.
“Uh, hello, she’s Nyx’s heir.” Evelyn didn’t even look at the Psychs as she delivered the blow.
“Wait,” Rayna held up her hand, realizing too late it put the glowy string between her and Asher on full display for the growing crowd. “No one said anything about being her heir.”
Okay, so no one said anything more than daughter, but heir? That sounded ominous as fuck.
Asher stepped forward, wedging himself between her and the Siren, his voice a low rumble when he spoke. “Stop. I don’t know how much Hale told you, but she would have instructed to keep details on lock down.”
Evelyn curled her lip at him, the two clearly about to go for each other’s throats. Again. But Rayna growled. “I’m so damn tired of you and your secrets.” She turned to Evelyn. “What the hell do you mean by my mother’s heir?”
“You knew?” Delilah squeaked from behind her. “I thought you said you don’t know what you are.”
Shit.
This was turning into a fucking mess.
Everything was crashing down around her and she couldn’t stop it. Like a tower of blocks fallen with one wrong move.
“Delilah—”
“Oh, gods, you’re not about to—” Evelyn mock-retched. “Apologize to a Psych, are you?”
“Yes, I was.” She tried to keep her voice steady, but it rose the more worked up she got. “Because guess what? They’re people, too. And they’ve been kind and helpful and while I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, too, I don’t understand why you have such a problem with an entire group of people. They’re students here just like you.”
Evelyn’s nose crinkled. “They have no real power. They suck it from talismans, no better than leaches. Even worse than the vamps.”
There were a few whoops from the crowd that had gathered around them, students leaning out from the cafeteria or piling into the entrance from outside. Apparently, the show was far better than the sunny day.
It was far too surreal. Back in high school, Rayna had been one of the weirdos stuck at the table with the other kids who didn’t fit into any one group.
She was so not the prom queen.
Evelyn could keep that title if she wanted.
“You know what, that’s enough.” She stepped closer to the Siren even though it meant she had to tip her head to stare up at the tall girl. “I’m not going to stand here and silently watch you belittle people just because it makes you feel better about yourself or something. The mean girl act? It’s so nineties teen movie and frankly, I’m not interested in your better-than-everyone else vibe. Mess with my friends—any of them—again and we’re going to have a problem.”
Evelyn’s face sharpened, dark smudges staining the skin around her eyes as her cheekbones popped out, far more visible than before.
Asher growled, stepping forward as if to come to Rayna’s defense, but no way was she letting a guy fight her battles for her. She placed her hand on his chest, pulling him back closer to her, his heartbeat pounding away against her palm.
His skin was searing hot beneath his shirt, hot enough to scorch through the fabric any second. He needed to cool down before the situation exploded completely out of hand.
“I hope you realize you just made an enemy. A very powerful one.” Evelyn’s voice was low, far lower than ever. “You might be Nyx’s heir, but I rule this academy. You’ll soon learn what a big mistake you made by siding with the loser Psychs. Don’t come crawling back to me when you regret it.”
She stormed off, students parting like the red sea to make a clear path for her.
“Well,” Rayna muttered, catching the student gazes staring at her like gaping fish. “That was far more drama than I’m used to.” She turned to smile at Delilah and Autumn. “So, I didn’t get a chance to explain—”
She cut off with an oof as the girls lunged at her at the same time, diving in for a group hug and leaving Asher to catch Rayna or they’d all tumble to the ground.
Except Delilah shrieked a second later and jerked back, rubbing a red spot on her chest. The crystal pendant glowed fiery red while little sparks snapped from the surface.
“What is that?” Autumn asked, apparently more free-flowing with the words now that Rayna had kinda-sorta proven herself.
Maybe.
If not for the fact Tink had gone and burned her new friend.
“A WillowWisp?” she said, her tone lilting at the end so it was more like a question. “We’re sort of…bonded.”
Considering the reactions from everyone else, Rayna was surprised when the girls looked at each other and then gave matching grins.
“OMG, that is so cool,” Delilah gushed. “I’ve read a lot about them, but I’ve never heard anything about bonding.”
“They’re not supposed to,” Asher said. “Actually, we need to head to the stables soon so Rayna here can find a new familiar.”
“Ooh,” Delilah burst out, clapping her hands and spilling some of her tea. “We can take you. The professor who looks after the magical creatures is weird—super-duper weird—but he’s the sweetest centaur around.”
“Centaur?” Rayna repeated.
“You know, like the hybrids.” Delilah beamed. “Half man, half horse?”
Rayna nodded slowly, trying to picture how that kind of combination fitted together on an anatomical level. “Right. Centaur, of course.”
Delilah hooked her arm through Rayna’s. “Come on. I’ll even show you what the wheatgrass is for.”
Twenty-Five
Rayna was incredibly disappointed the black winged horse wasn’t standing in front of the barn-like structure this time. In fact, the place seemed completely lacking in the magical creatures she was promised.
Kind of becoming a recurring theme at the academy—broken promises.
Trying to mask her feelings from showing on her face, she gulped the last sip of her coffee and glanced around, searching for a bin or—
“Here.” Asher took the paper cup from her, his fingers grazing hers in the process. He slipped it into his own, then held the pair in his fist, his skin glowing bright orange and red. In a split second, the cups were gone, turned to ash before they drifted off on a light breeze.
“Handy,” she murmured. “You’re like a walking incinerator.”
He laughed and shook his head.
“Hey, you two,” Delilah called. She and Autumn had strolled ahead when they’d neared the barn. “Hurry up.”
“It’s not like we’re missing much.” Rayna kept her voice low, but Asher heard, of course. Hard not to when he was stuck to her side.
“Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.”
Too late.
At least she managed to keep that part from leaving her lips.
The encounter with Evelyn had put her into a bit of a bad mood and even Tink’s gentle humming against her sternum wasn’t helping. She needed to get to the bottom of who she really was—what she was—and why Evelyn said she was Nyx’s heir.
That was new information and considering how tight-lipped Asher had been so far, she doubted he’d be willing to sit her down and explain what the hell was going on.
Delilah knocked on the barn door. A strange sort of knock, almost like those coded knocks, which seemed ridiculous given it was a barn that housed magical creatures. The huge wooden doors swung open, no more than the width of a regular doorway, just enough for one person to step through.
An endless pit of darkness lay on the other side, just like the ceiling of the labyrinth during the trials.
Del
ilah looked back over her shoulder, grinning and wiggling her eyebrows before disappearing into the abyss with Autumn.
“What the hell?” Rayna whispered as they stopped a foot away from the doors. Literally nothing showed inside the barn. Pure blackness. No hint of light or movement. No sign of Delilah and Autumn.
Asher leaned in closer. “Trust me?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation, the truth tumbling from her before she could even think it over.
He made a rough sound deep in his chest, then took her hand and guided her through the doorway, into the black pit. The darkness consumed her, just like it had at the beginning of the labyrinth, and once again she felt weirdly at home.
Weren’t normal people supposed to be afraid of the dark?
As if summoned by the pit of black, Tink glowed inside her necklace, casting a dim haze of red light around them. Not that it actually lit anything up. There’d need to be something inside the darkness for that.
Then from one step to another, everything was bright sunny daylight again, as if they’d passed a threshold, an invisible border between light and dark. Tink burst from her necklace and flew off at high speed.
“Tink!” Rayna lurched, trying to sprint after the Wisp, but Asher pulled her back.
“She’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Home of magical creatures, remember? This place?” He held out his arm, gesturing at their surroundings she’d kinda missed while freaking out over her little flamy friend. “It’s her home.”
“Oh.” Rayna deflated, shoulders sagging as she took in what was most definitely not the barn they walked into.
More like the pitch black doorway had been another of those portal things like the grain terminal back in New York. Like stepping through the cupboard and entering an entire world hidden within its depths.
Huge trees flanked them, their crisp pine scent almost overwhelming if not for the sweet breeze carrying the most beautiful smell Rayna had ever experienced. Floral, but different from any flower she’d ever sniffed. Topping it off was the cleansing scent of ozone, that familiar right-before-it-rains note.