by Maya Daniels
My ears perk up at that. Nostrils flaring, I do my best to keep my breathing and heartbeat in check. It’ll be foolish to let a room full of creatures with enhanced hearing notice how unsettled and eager you are to hear more. I’ve always been on a need to know basis with Roberti, and he guarded his secrets more than he guarded his life. Maybe being here is not so bad after all.
“It worked well for centuries.” Flicking the thick book open, Azgor slaps his hand on it with a resounding thump, my heart leaping in my throat at the sound. “Until now. Until one of our own started eroding and destroying what we have worked hard to build, what we have bled to create. So you see…giving you powers or abilities to become more…to become part of both worlds without understanding what all of us have sacrificed so you can have it is like giving a child a deadly weapon before it learns to walk. Power without knowledge is a ticking bomb biding time until it destroys us all.” Azgor’s eyes take on an eerie green glow as he sweeps his gaze over the room. “And that is why all other studies have been placed on hold until further notice.”
“It’s all because of her!” The vampire that was staring at me before this class started snarls, jumping off his chair and pointing an accusing finger in my direction.
Shouts and yells, followed by chairs flipping over when people jump up to be heard over everyone else, make me push my own seat away. Knees bent, I turn slightly so I can have only Astara at my back. It’s quite a testament to how comfortable I’ve become around her if, at times like this, I allow her to stand where I can’t see her. Glancing at her over my shoulder, I can see she’s as surprised by it as I am.
“The Fae are tired of being left in the shadows, so they are sending their half bloods to destroy us all.” A spittle flies out of the vampires mouth, his fangs gleaming in the light of the candles lit throughout the room. His upper lip curls in disgust, and I feel my own fangs throbbing in my gums. “They’ve always resented being seen as less than us.”
The anger that is surging through my veins drains out of me at his words. Confusion clouds my mind, and my knees straighten, my balled-up fists dropping limply by my side. What the hell does he mean by Fae thinking they are less than vampires? My gaze flicks from one shouting face to the next, watching shifters, demons, and Fae screaming at each other, pointing accusingly at everyone else. Just the vamps are standing still, glaring daggers down their noses at the rest of us. The illusion that all species are equal, and get along well here, brakes like a crystal glass dropped on a concrete floor.
“If you don’t sit down this moment, all of you will be going through the trials again.” Azgor’s voice sounds like the wrath of the gods when it echoes so loud the windows rattle from it.
All sound cuts off so suddenly that my ears are ringing and I am a little disoriented. I can feel Astara’s hand on my arm, and as much as I hate physical contact, which she pointedly ignores, I’m grateful she holds me up.
“Miss Drake.” Azgor’s even tone, as if we were not on the verge of ripping each other’s throats out a second ago, startles me enough to lock gazes with him, my own eyes wide like dinner plates. “I didn’t know you decided to join us.” He flicks his eyes to my right, and a knowing look passes across his face when he sees Astara next to me. “We got a little out of line here, but history always has a way of getting people passionate about something.” He grins at me, but his smile does not reach his eyes.
“I don’t understand…” Something like panic fleets through his gaze, but I have no time to ask my question or worry about what can make the ghoul scared.
The door bangs open, slamming into the opposite wall with a loud crash. A dozen or so guards rush inside, spreading around the room so seamlessly that between one blink and the next, there is one of them strategically placed everywhere I turn. Astara folds her arms across her chest, glaring at all of them. Even Azgor looks put out by the disturbance. I guess I’m the only confused one in the room.
“Azgor, you are needed in the meeting room.” Fenrir strides inside, his shoulders swaying with each step he casually takes, but there is stiffness in his posture that makes my heart skip a beat.
“We will continue the class tomorrow.” Forgetting about all of us, the ghoul piles up his books, hugging them to his chest like someone is about to steal them from him. “You are dismissed.”
“They all stay here until further notice.” Fenrir turns at the room, his lips pressed in a thin line that displays his anger.
“You can keep them wherever you want.” At Azgor’s flippant comment about all of us, my jaw hits my chest, especially when he waves his hand like he’s shooing a fly.
The guards stay like statues, one hand firmly gripping the hilts of swords or daggers in a clear threat that they have no problem using their weapons if anyone moves. I’m one second from releasing the fragile hold I have on my control when the Fae looks straight at me.
“Francesca, I’ll need you to come with me.” Fenrir lifts his hand palm up, inviting me to take it even though he is a couple of yards away.
I stare at him like an idiot.
“It’s about time we get rid of the trash.” The jerk from the group of vampires gloats, and all of us turn to look at him.
All of us but Astara.
My friend doesn’t give me time to process what is going on before she materializes in front of him, his eyes widening comically before they roll to the back of his head and he drops like a rock at her feet. Not even the guards have time to react to her movement.
“Anyone else like to say something about Francesca?” Astara twirls in a circle, looking around before she wipes her bloody hand off the shirt of the closest person standing next to her. “I didn’t think so.”
Stepping over the vamp, with a hole as large as her fist in his chest, she sways her hips and descends the stairs. “He will heal, eventually.” The explanation is aimed at me, but the smile does not reach her eyes.
“Come.” Fenrir waves me on, and I woodenly move to join him.
“What the fuck is going on?” Hissing under my breath, I hope no one can hear my question.
“There was another attack.” Grabbing my elbow, the Fae leads me out of the room, my mind spinning with all the unanswered questions.
4
I’m vibrating with frustration while I stew in my own anger. In this damn place, you can’t be sure if you’re better off hiding in a hole somewhere in hopes that no one will come looking, or moving from one room to the next to see what kind of a new shitstorm has hit the fan. Giving a side-eyed glance to the Fae marching me through the hallways, I decide I should hold onto my questions until we get to wherever he is taking me. At least Astara is trailing behind us soundlessly, like a shadow giving me protection from the back. The way that vampire reacted to my presence unsettled me. If they looked down their noses only at me, I wouldn’t think anything of it. Looking at everyone else the same way raises a shit ton of red flags.
The flames dance around when we walk past them, reaching toward the high ceilings like gnarled fingers, expending and retracting from the stirred air. My skin prickles when a mournful howl comes from the outside, the sound full of anguish and something I can’t name. It tightens my chest, making it difficult to draw in a breath. Clenching my fists, my nails digging into the skin of my palms, I bite the inside of my lips to keep my mouth shut. A bad feeling, like some unwanted premonition, crawls up my spine, leaving me drenched in cold sweat.
“In here.” Fenrir presses his large palm on a door to our left, pushing it open without releasing the hold he has on my elbow, as if he is worried I might run away. His worry is not warranted, but it still irks me to no end.
“I can walk the rest of the way on my own.” Snapping at him, I jerk my arm out of his grip, marching inside the room and regretting it the same second.
Blue eyes lock on mine the moment I step inside the vast space, freezing the air in my lungs. Zoltan’s gaze bores into me, intense and knowing, causing all sorts of emotions to fight for preced
ence. The strongest of them all is my fight or flight instinct, telling me to turn around and run as fast as my trembling legs will carry me. Locking my knees so I don’t turn into a puddle, I glare at him like he stole my last cookie.
Fenrir clears his throat, startling the crap out of me, and the jerk chuckles when I hurriedly move further into the room. Astara punches his shoulder hard enough to move him sideways before coming to join me. Now that I’ve broken the hold Zoltan has on me, I notice three others in the room with us. Seeing the wolf shifter deepens my scowl.
“I came as fast as I could.” Azgor rushes in, almost colliding with Fenrir, who is still standing close to the door while rubbing his shoulder. “Oh, sorry, Fenrir. I didn’t see you there.” Sidestepping, the ghoul closes the door before joining the rest at a long table covered with papers, somehow ignoring the tension in the room, as always. For a predator, Azgor is the worse example of our kind.
Clueless by default.
“The portal was attacked?” Azgor leans over the table, frowning at whatever he saw there.
“No.” Zoltan’s deep baritone makes me shiver slightly, so I inch closer to keep myself moving in hopes that no one will notice. “One of the guards was killed not an hour ago.”
“On the other side?” It’s Astara who asks the question that brings everyone’s attention to us, and I have to force myself not to slap her. Why can’t we pretend we are observing so they can forget we exist?
“No, the guard was killed here.” Zoltan’s focus is entirely on me, drying up my mouth to the point it’s difficult to swallow. “The body was found inside the academy, drained of blood.” I blink stupidly at him a couple of times before his words penetrate my muddled brain.
“Wait! You think I had anything to do with it?” My voice is shrill, the flustered feeling from the vampire’s presence draining from me as anger replaces it. “How dare you, you asshole! I was dealing with that idiot over there.” Stabbing a finger at the wolf, I’m barely holding myself back from attacking Zoltan. “Or your sister was dragging me through the building.”
“Francesca…” Fenrir takes a step closer to me and my head snaps in his direction. Whatever he sees on my face makes him take a step back, lifting both hands palms up in a placating gesture.
“Don’t you Francesca me, Fae.” Sneering at him, I look at each of them in turn. I know they don’t trust me; I don’t trust them fully either, but accusing me of murder makes me see red. “If I wanted anyone dead here, they would’ve deserved it. You can bet your damn lives that I would’ve made sure everyone knew I did it, too.”
“I believe what Fenrir was about to say if you allowed him was that no one thinks you did anything.” Zoltan’s gaze narrows slightly, and I can’t decide if it’s anger or lust shimmering behind his eyes. Whatever it is, it makes butterflies wreak havoc in my stomach.
“Oh…” Deflating, I take a deep breath, feeling foolish for my reaction, but somehow, I still manage to lift my chin defiantly at him. “Then why am I here?”
“The guard was found two doors down from your room.” Zoltan pauses to allow his words to sink in, and sink in they do, like sharp claws gauging into the spaces between my ribs and making it hard to breathe. “After talking to Leo, we believe that he was coming to warn you.”
“Is…” my voice cracks, so I wet my dry lips and try again. “Is this about the trap the wolf was talking about?”
“The wolf has a name.” the shifter grumbles under his breath as he frowns at me.
“Yeah, Leo. Makes you sound like a pussy cat, not a puppy as I originally thought.” I smirk at his growl, but it doesn’t last long. The reality of the situation presses on me like a mountain on my shoulders. “I still don’t understand why a Daywalker would want to harm me after what Soren said. Unless they are suicidal…” A look passes between all of them, sending a tremor inside me. “What? What is it that you’re not telling me?”
“I think this is a horrible idea,” Azgor mumbles under his breath, his broad shoulders hunching as he rubs a hand over his face.
“What’s a bad idea is waiting around and giving history lessons while Roberti and Cassius are running amok, planning our demise, ghoul.” Slapping both hands on the table, I glare at all of them. “Telling me what I’m in for, while obviously everyone is gunning for my life, is not.” Turning my head to the side, I search Astara’s face. “You know what they are hiding?” Betrayal stabs me like a hot poker to my chest.
“It’s not my place to say, Franky. I’m oath-bound; I’m sorry.” She looks like she’s about to cry, her eyes shimmering in the golden glow that illuminates the room. It soothes me slightly but not enough. I have to remember not to lower my guard around these people.
“We moved the body, and no one in this room is allowed to say a word until we get to the bottom of this. Am I clear?” Zoltan shoots a murderous stare at each of us. “They didn’t have time to hide the body or they would’ve. If we leave them looking over their shoulder wondering who knows about what they’ve done, eventually one of them will slip. And we’ll be waiting.”
“A room full of students knows, thanks to Fenrir.” Lifting my eyebrows, I look pointedly at the Fae.
“They heard nothing.” Fenrir sniffs, looking down his nose at me.
“Right, master of deception. How can I forget?” Grinding my teeth, I look away from his face. He must’ve cast an illusion, so everyone else can hear a different conversation than the one we had in Azgor’s classroom. Clever, I must admit. Manipulative, but clever.
“Bickering among ourselves will solve nothing.” Leo sighs, ruffling his hair in frustration and messing it up. “From what I know, Roberti and Cassius are across the portal. They left a few of their minions behind to keep an eye on things and get their hands on Francesca if the opportunity presents itself.”
“To do exactly what? Kill me?” The ancient magic pulses hard against my skin, and every person in the room shudders, their primal sides pushing to the surface.
“Calm her down before we turn this place into a slaughterhouse,” Zoltan growls at Astara, his fangs denting his lower lip. Warmth pools in my stomach at his wild expression, and some crazy part of my brain wants to keep pushing until his control snaps. “Don’t do it, Francesca.” His softly spoken words are like physical fingers gliding over my skin.
“Or what?” My voice is breathy, daring him to finish his threat.
“Ummm, Drake…” Azgor clears his throat uncomfortably, and I see him tugging on the collar of his shirt like the fabric is choking him. “Astara and I can’t hold off all five of them.”
His comment makes me look at the other males in the room. Fenrir and Leo both, just like Zoltan, have barely-contained aggression plastered on their faces, their bodies poised ready to pounce, and all of them are turned towards me, same as the other two that I’ve ignored until now. Swallowing thickly, I push the magic brewing in my chest with everything in me until I can feel it retreating. The charged air disperses around us, and everyone sighs from it.
"If not to kill me, then what is their plan? To lock me up?"
"There are worse things than getting killed, Drake." one of the unknown people speaks for the first time.
“Who are they?” I sound like I’ve been choking on smoke for a day, but I tilt my chin up at the two males that are hesitant to meet my eyes.
“My betas,” Leo answers, rolling his shoulders, I assume to release the tension in his muscles that all of us feel.
“I still stand with what I said earlier,” Fenrir says before I have the chance to ask more questions about the shifters. “She needs to know the truth, and we need to move her away from here.”
“Finally, someone is making sense.” Clenching and unclenching my fists, I pointedly avoid looking at Zoltan. I can feel his gaze on me, unsettling me to no end.
“I’ll have to agree with Fenrir. It’s not safe for her here, even if we have her in sight at all times,” Leo pipes in, the other two shifters nodding their heads in s
upport of their Alpha.
“I can go back to Sienna.” The idea that I can get the hell out of this place fills me with so much hope I’m surprised my feet are still on the ground.
“Sienna is even worse.” Azgor shakes his head sadly, killing my happiness.
“I don’t understand.” Still staring at the ghoul, I point an accusing finger in his face. “And you are a killjoy, just so we are clear.”
“Duly noted, Drake,” he tells me dryly.
“I’ll make you a deal.” Zoltan snaps my gaze away from the ghoul. Excitement and dread battle inside me when my eyes connect with his.
“What kind of a deal?” heart jackhammering in my chest, I hold my breath, ignoring Astara’s snort. I can’t hide how my body reacts to the vampire at the moment, not even if my life depends on it.
“You move and take the room between Fenrir and me.” My mouth opens so I can argue straight away, but he lifts a hand, stopping the words at the tip of my tongue. “Hear me out, then argue.” Pressing my lips in a firm line, I nod once, not trusting myself to speak. “You move and you train for two days with us.” He circles his forefinger between all the males in the room, tightening my stomach. “After that, I will tell you everything. And I’ll take you where you can see that all of what I tell you is the truth.”
We stare at each other for a long time, none of us relenting. It’s almost like everyone in the room is holding their breath, waiting to see what will happen. You’d think all their lives are hanging on my answer, which is ridiculous, of course. As crazy as it sounds, I’m not that worried about the training part. Pain I’m familiar with. I’m freaking out internally about being in close proximity to Zoltan. Having only one wall between us is not enough for my peace of mind. What’s worse is that looking at him right now tells me he knows it, too.
