“You gonna let them talk about you like that, baby girl?” He whispered in her ear had he continued to pin her to the mat.
“Please tell me you’re not about to hump my leg, Fido, I’m not really into that sort of thing.” Her voice was muffled because half of her face was pressed downward, but she knew he could hear her because he rumbled behind her. Laughing at her.
“Why were you in the graveyard?” He asked out of nowhere.
“Are we seriously doing this here?” She gritted out as she attempted to wiggle free. His hips were pressing down with force. Werewolves were damn strong and she knew she wouldn’t beat him easily.
“Tell me and I’ll let you win...why were you with Knightley?” He growled.
“Aww, is the little doggy jealous?” She sneered.
“I don’t get jealous, baby, but I do need to know what you were doing in that graveyard at that time of night. Do you have a death wish?”
Finally, she was able to bring her foot out and backwards, flinging her foot into his crotch from behind. He grunted and rolled right off of her. She hadn’t wanted to fight dirty but he’d left her no choice.
She crouched above him as he glared up at her. Bringing her lips close to his ear she whispered “You don’t know me, buddy. I don’t share secrets with strangers.”
Cole looked up into her eyes then, shaking his long hair from his face as he did so. Fire burned there.
“But you’d share them with Jasper Knightley?” He seemed genuinely upset, and for some reason it made her stomach dip.
“Again, thats none of your damn business. Are we done here?” She asked impatiently. The whole class was watching their little exchange with rapt attention and she was more than ready to get the hell out.
Eight
A jerk of her arm wrenched her backwards but she caught herself on the doorframe of a small closet. A hand was wrapped around her upper arm, yanking with force.
Struggling, she pried the fingers from her skin and reached down for her stakes.
“Would you quit it?! Just get in here!” Whisper yelled a familiar voice in her ear.
All the fight left her body as she let herself be pulled into what looked like a supply closet somewhere on the third floor, not far from her dorm room. The space was dark and smelled like dirt and mildew, but she ignored that as she squinted through the darkness at Jewel. Her old friend looked much younger in the lower light, reminding her for a moment of when they would play hide and seek as little girls.
“What the hell? What do you want?” She whispered, though she probably didn’t need to.
“Was it you?” Jewel asked with venom in her voice.
Blue scoffed. “Was what me?” She played dumb and Jewel growled under her breath.
“Don’t be stupid. Was it you who did that to Savannah? Did you let Vamps onto the campus?” She spat.
Blues heart clenched. She knew the girl hated her now, but to blatantly accuse her of something so monstrous was crossing a line. It was like they never knew each other at all.
“I’m not even going to answer that. I can’t believe you would ask me…Jewel, you know me.”
“Ten years is a lifetime, Blue, you're a stranger now.”
Hurt lanced her heart.This girl had been her sister once. Closer than even Harlow back then. They had done everything together, practically shared a crib as infants.
“You don’t mean that, JJ.” She whispered.
Jewel jerked back suddenly.
“You don’t get to call me that anymore. We aren't friends. I don’t want to know you. I just needed to know if it was you...and I can tell when you’re lying, which is why I believe you.”
Blue snorted and rolled her eyes through the pain.
“Oh thank you, thank you for bestowing me with your confidence! You know what JJ? You are the one who changed, not me. I didn’t do a thing to you and you dropped me like I was nothing. We needed each other and you walked away!”
Jewel shifted her eyes from side to side.
“Shhh! Someone's going to hear you!” She cried desperately, big brown eyes wide with worry for herself and Blue had to laugh.
“You know what? This is a waste of time. Clearly you’ve made up your mind about me. I’m out. See you around JJ.”
Leaving the closet, Blue slammed the door behind her, not giving Jewel the chance to follow her through. Her heart was breaking all over again. She had thought it was over, thought the pain of losing someone would have numbed by now but she had to admit to herself that a part of her had hoped Jewel would come back to her. It was silly, thinking back on it now. Too much had happened, too much bad blood.
✽✽✽
It was fourth period, and that meant Weapons Mastery. She sighed as she approached the doorway to the classroom.
When she had first received her class schedule, she’d been excited for that class in particular because the thought it would give her a chance to try out her new stakes. So far though, they had been sitting still every class, listening to Mr Zion talk to himself about the history of weapons. It was boring to say the least. It wasn’t that she wasn't interested in the topic. There was actually some pretty cool and useful information in her textbooks, but she yearned for more action.
Entering the room, she was surprised to see that the desks that had previously been arranged into rows, were absent, leaving a wide room with a wooden floor and high ceilings. Without the classroom setting, the space looked much larger. A rolling wall was dragged out into the center of the room, holding weapons of all kinds. There were swords from every known continent, daggers shaped like snakes, blades with no handles and even a few silver whips. She practically salivated looking at the whips.
Though she’d always preferred her stakes which were quick and efficient, silver whips were badass and her hands itched to yank it off the wall. You could kill a Vampire easily by staking it through the heart with pure silver, but little did the humans know that you could also decapitate them if done with the correct tool. Vampire skin was as hard as leather covered stone. Mortal weapons had no effect on them, no matter how hard one might try. Silver whips on the other hand, cut through their necks like smoothe butter. The one drawback though, was that the whips could also hurt a Slayer if used carelessly.
Zion entered the room, grinning from ear to ear at the eager looks on her classmates faces. Apparently everyone was on the same page and tired of the lectures. It was in a Slayers nature to crave action. Zion was a tall man, with noodly looking arms that made her question whether or not the Weapons Master could actually hold up one of those swords. She almost chuckled at the image.
“I know you’ve all been waiting very patiently, so I’d like to inform you that your wait is over…” He announced with a sweep of his arm, gesturing towards the weapons wall.
“Please approach the wall and study each object, get a feel for them one by one until you have selected the one that feels the most natural to you. Choose wisely, because whichever weapon you choose, you will have a custom made version sent to your dorms within the week.”
Excitement rippled through the group of about twenty students and also through Blue. She was practically dancing on the balls of her feet. She held back a ways, watching as the over eager Slayers crowded the weapons wall, poking and prodding each one like children, all the while her gaze never left the whips. They came as a set, each one had a black leather handle and a four foot long silver chain whip as slim as a pencil lead. They were beautiful and Blue had no interest in any of the rest.
“You have a bit of drool on your chin there.” Drawled a low voice from her right side.
She didn’t have to turn to know who it was. The blonde boy from the kitchen hovered next to her shoulder. She hated that she knew his voice down to her core. They’d had one and a half interactions and still she could feel a pull towards him.
“You're not in this class.” She replied, still staring at the whips.
He grunted. “I am now. My schedule change
d last minute.” He supplied gruffly though she really didn’t care. Actually, He didn't even seem like he really wanted to be talking to her. His voice was strained, like he was forcing himself to interact.
“Ah, Dresden my boy! Welcome, I’m so happy your mother decided to place you in my class. Come! Choose your weapon.” Mr. Zion ushered Dresden forward.
His arm brushed hers as he passed and it sent a unwanted tingle through her body. ‘What is it with these guys?’ She wondered. Out of Dresden, Cole and Jasper, she couldn’t figure out who unnerved her the most. She rewound Zions last statement in her head. ‘His mother? Who’s his mother? And why would she have any say regarding his class schedule?’
Dresden chose a silver dagger, clean and simple and it seemed to fit his straight to the point personality. He went right for it without hesitation. By now the rest of the class was holding their weapons of choice while Zion made his rounds, instructing each Slayer on its proper use, though many of them were already familiar with basic weaponry. None of them were rookies, each one knowing their way around practically any weapon available, even firearms when the situation called for them.
By now the wall was free and clear and Blue was relieved but not surprised to see that the silver whips were still there. As cool as there were, people still feared them. But not Blue. She snagged them from the wall, gripping their leather handles and getting a feel for their individual weights. They felt right in her hands, familiar. She’d used whips before, her father had taught her how at the age of seven. They were smaller, enough to fit her tiny frame, but the mechanics had been the same.
“You sure you can handle those things, Blue Jay?” Dresden sneered and she startled at his use of her nickname.
“What the hell did you just call me?” She snapped.
“That's what they call you, right?” He asked, widening his eyes, feigning innocence.
“Have you been spying on me?” The only people to call her Blue Jay had been her sister who came up with the damned name, her parents when they were alive and Greg.
He smirked and she hated that it made him more handsome. “I think it's fitting, don’t you? Your small like a little bird, and you’ve got that freaky eye thing going on.”
“Yeah, don’t call me that, in fact, don’t call me anything.” She gritted out.
He shrugged “I don’t know, I think I like it. It's endearing.” He walked past her without another word and she wanted to whip him.
She didn’t know who the hell this guy was but she could already tell that he was going to be a problem. For some reason he seemed to have singled her out from day one and he wasn't about to quit now. They formed a circle around Zion who held a short sword. It looked funny in his small arms and again Blue had to restrain a giggle. Surprisingly though, once he began to practice swing, he looked to be handling himself pretty well.
They watched him perform a series of moves before they broke into groupings of two and three to spar. Not a single person jumped at the chance to pair up with a Graves. Except Dresden. The annoying boy just stood there, waiting for her to give in and join him on the other side of the room. His long pale hair was tied behind his head now, ready for a fight. She stood there, looking around the room vacantly until Zion caught her eyes and gestured at Dresden with his short sword. She had no choice but to spar with him.
They faced one another, him with his dagger and her with her whips. She smiled, aware that her weapons were superior, and so was she. This privileged shithead had probably been too busy counting his parents money and chasing girls while she was out all night slaying Vamps with Harlow.
He came at her first, giving no indication as to which way he was going to move. She dodged his balade easily. Clearly he was well trained, but she was glad for it, she needed someone on her level if she wanted to get some real practice in. Coiling her whips, she flung them through the air, snapping them forward at precisely the right moment, the air cracking around them like thunder. The class stilled in that moment, watching the spectacle with awe.
Dresden lunged out of the way but her whip caught the back of his calf. He cried out in pain as the silver sliced through his tough skin. Still though, he never faltered. He came back towards her with ferocity before she could wind her whips back. As she dove out of the way, intending to duck low, he suddenly changed course, swinging his dagger at her abdomen. She jumped backwards, the blade just barely nicking her skin drawing a tiny drop of blood.
She smiled. ‘Finally, some really practice…’ Despite his pretty looks, Dresden was, in fact, a really talented fighter. His moves were fluid and graceful, but she could also feel the strength behind each strike. Together they danced around the room, the eyes of her classmates fading into the background. They were the only two Slayers for miles as far as they were concerned. She could tell that he was enjoying himself too.
Pulling back her whip, she flug it out and wrapped it around the skin of his wrist. His dark eyes widened for a moment before he used it to his advantage despite his bleeding arm. Vampires would have been rendered useless by this point. Unlike Slayers, Vamps didn’t heal quickly, actually...they didn’t heal at all. They just sort of...rotted. Suddenly, he had her on the ground, pushing his dagger to the soft skin of her throat. She held her breath. His eyes moved from her face and down to where his dagger pressed there, but he faltered as his gaze landed on the silvery scar that wrapped around her neck just under her chin.
She knew what Dresden was seeing. She usually hid the scar well. It was one of the many reasons why she kept her hair so long. Just behind her ear, stretching under the jawbone was a very clear indentation created by teeth. Unmistakably, Vamp teeth. She watched as his body quivered above her. In fear? In anger? She couldn’t tell. His hand slipped forward and his blade sliced into her skin making her gasp in pain. His body was suddenly thrown off of her.
In seconds, Dresden was pinned to the floor by none other than Cole, the wolf boy. They were a tangle of limbs and snarls, but Blue just stood there in confusion. When had he come in? Probably while she had been distracted during the fight. Still, she couldn't understand why he was attacking a student.
Dresden had gained some control back as he flipped Cole onto his back and repeatedly slammed his closed fist into his face. The rest of the class hooted and hollered encouraging words at both of them, only interested in the spectacle. Soon, Zion was parting the onlookers and preparing to step in.
“That's enough!” He yelled at the boys but they ignored him.
“I said stop! This is unacceptable!” He kept trying but they were in the zone. Nothing existed apart from their fight.
Blue was getting bored with their nonsense. She didn’t know if there was some sort of rivalry between the two boys that she didn’t know about but they were acting like school children. She stepped forward, much too close to the scuffle and brought her fingers to her lips, letting loose an ear splitting whistle.
“Stop!” She yelled once, and suddenly the boys halted.
Her brows rose in surprise. She honestly didn’t think that was going to work in the slightest. ‘Oh well, might as well roll with it.’ She figured. The guys were breathing heavily, glaring at one another, but they backed off and got to their feet. Cole was about a foot taller than Dresden, but where Cole was all muscle and girth, Dresden was lean and lithe, but still incredibly strong.
“What was that all about?” She asked Cole, whose golden wolf eyes flickered to hers for a second before latching back on to Dresden. He didn’t answer.
Stepping forward, Blue leveled him with a cold stare. “I’ll ask you again, what the hell was all that? We were sparing and you what...decided to step in and finish the job for me?”
This time, Cole did look at her, with deeply furrowed eyebrows and a clenched jaw.
“He hurt you.” Cole muttered, his voice still carrying a bit of his wolf in it's growl. Blue couldn’t help but scoff, despite the sudden presence of butterflies that danced in her abdomen.
A p
art of her wanted to be flattered and blush at the prospect of this huge guy defending her honor and defending her physically, but the larger and more dominant part of her wanted to rip him to shreds for assuming that she was incapable of taking care of herself. Besides, she barely even new Cole. Why did he care?
“Yeah... that's sort of the point of the exercise…” She deadpanned. The class snickered. This time, though it wasn't at her expense.
Still, Coles face showed no remorse.
Coles jaw twitched while Dresden just stared him down with irritation in his eyes.
“He made you bleed, that wasn’t a part of the curriculum. He does it again, he’s dead.” Growled Cole.
“Watch yourself, dog.” Dresden spat, taking a step closer and Blue knew they were seconds away from another brawl.
Stepping between them, Blue pressed a hand to each of their chests, keeping them apart like children.
“Alright assholes, simmer down. I’m not exactly a damsel. Get your shit together and cool off.” She ordered and she could have sworn Dresdens lips turned up slightly.
“Cole, can I speak with you in the hall?” She asked, though it wasn't really a request.
Zion shuffled forward with a frown. “Excuse me, Miss Graves, but class is still in sess…” He was cut off when Cole turned his hard stare towards the instructor.
Wisely stepping back, Zion turned to the class, calling for their attention. One by one they turned away from the drama, a bit reluctantly. Blue turned towards the door, not waiting for Cole to follow but knowing he would anyways. She could also feel the unmistakable caress of Dresden's gaze on her back as she left.
The hall was empty save for the flickering of a lonely torch, making Blue want to roll her eyes. Everything about Arcane was old, creepy and in need of remodeling. A presence at her back made her turn around. Cole was much too close, leaving barely any empty space between their bodies. Her breath hitched as her eyes traveled upwards, slowly. He really was a giant of a guy. Her head barely crested his shoulder and one of his arms seemed to be about the width of both of her thighs put together. His long, chocolate hair was wavy today, just curling at his shoulder blades and his beard looked freshly trimmed.
Blue Blooded: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (Arcane Academy Slayers: Book 1 ) Page 6
