by K. G. Reuss
I was going to hyperventilate at any moment. My heart stumbled in my chest as Raiden noticed the attention Eric was giving me. He shot a look at Eric before zeroing in on me again, his dark brows crinkled, and his full lips turned down into a frown. Damien glanced back at me. A wide grin spread over his face, and he nudged Eric. Eric shook his head and said something, which Raiden replied back to, all three of them looking over at me. For the second time in a matter of minutes, my gaze locked on Raiden’s. There was a tremendous flurry of butterflies, and for the second time in an hour, a tugging in my core demanded I go to him.
Great. He’s probably inside my head, having a look around, making me feel like I should be running to him!
Ugh.
Did I really think that?
I hope he didn’t hear me. . .
I wanted to sink into the ground. Hastily, I looked away, not wanting to be on the Conexus radar more than I already was. With effort I forced my attention back on what Harper and Abby were talking about.
I was definitely going to make it a point to stay away from Raiden Hawthorne, the possible elite prince, even if there was a terrible pulling in my abdomen to run to him.
Four
Raiden
I was going to be living in my own personal hell for the unforeseeable future. The pull to her was immense. Her eyes on me stroked my skin from afar. I swear I could even feel her heart fluttering in her chest. I kept my gaze straight ahead, outwardly not paying her a bit of attention. But on the inside, I was a mess.
We sat at our usual table with me at the head of it. Everyone started talking—missions, classes, new students—but I remained quiet, my body stiff and alert as she sat at edge of the mass of tables in the courtyard. She was with two casters—Harper and Abby—Sloane’s old friends. Good. Those girls were nice. Brighton sending Harper was a good idea.
We were only there for a few minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore. I stole a look at her. Instead of a passing glance to satisfy my need, my eyes met hers and locked on them from across the courtyard. She looked healthier. Over the last few weeks, she’d been sick from stress. Now, the beautiful glow was coming back to her skin. And her eyes—those beautiful, green eyes—they were brighter than they’d been lately. She was really starting to feel better. Of course, I assumed the attack from the day before hadn’t been sitting well with her. Her jade orbs still appeared lost and frightened. A pang shot through my heart as I thought about it. I hated that there was even the smallest possibility she might feel that way.
I wanted to tear my gaze from hers. I couldn’t. I was stuck there, a prisoner held captive by her beauty. Her hand moved to her neck, fingers fumbling for a necklace. She took the small charm dangling from it and absently moved it around on the chain. Her chest heaved in and out deeply as she breathed. Her nervousness, her fear as she stared back at me, made the air thick. I knew the girls had been talking about me. They’d warned her about me and Conexus. It was just the way it was. The way I wanted things to be. But man, did I want nothing more than to go to her and plant my lips on hers and hold her to me. The memory of her lips brushing against mine stirred the butterflies in my guts. It was a rarity, one I wasn’t accustomed to. One I longed for. I didn’t even know how to address it, and that caused me more frustration.
My resolve nearly faltered, but I shoved down the feelings emerging within me and clenched my jaw, hardening my stare at her. I wanted to frighten her. Needed to for both our sakes. She had to know I was stern, serious, scary. She needed to fear me like everyone else did. If she felt half as much as I did, this would be pure hell on Earth for both of us.
Finally, her gaze fell away, her cheeks flushing red. The breath I was holding whooshed out.
“Hey,” Eric’s voice cut in. I looked to him trying to keep my face impassive and not stricken like some kind of lovesick teenager.
“We gotta go. We have the orientation coming up. Walton and Brighton wanted to speak to us before it starts.” Eric peered ahead. He was looking at Ever, I just knew it. I gritted my teeth as he gave her a small smile and inclined his head to her. I tried to fight it. I knew I shouldn’t look. But I was a glutton for punishment it seemed. I followed his gaze against my better judgement and saw she was smiling back at him. A tiny smile I wanted for myself. It was uncertain and timid. Scared. Such a small gesture, but it made my stomach clench. The grin on her face immediately fell away, her eyes averting from us as she noticed me.
“I told her that I’d smile at her whenever I saw her, so she’d know I was thinking about her,” Eric said softly, his cheeks flushing. His eyes focused on his hands, and his leg bounced nervously.
“That’s nice of you.” I swallowed down the emotions bubbling up within me.
“What a tangled web we weave,” Damien chuckled, looking in Ever’s direction.
I had to get out of there. Fast. I rose to my feet, my hands shaking. Damien took note and got to his feet along with Eric.
“Leaving, Gen?” Jared asked, looking up from the book he had his nose stuck in.
“Yes. We have orientation,” I grunted irritably. I didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, I turned abruptly and started across the yard. I had to get as far away from her as I could.
“What are you so pissed about?” Damien asked as we moved quickly.
“Nothing.”
“Is it Amara?” Eric ventured. She and I had a spat early in the day about her patrolling schedule that the entire Conexus had been privy to. I knew it was more about Ever being at Dementon than whether or not Amara had to patrol a midnight shift.
“No,” I snapped. “Just drop it.”
The guys fell silent and didn’t say anything else until we were greeted by Professor Walton, the guidance counselor at Dementon, and Headmaster Brighton.
“Good evening,” Brighton greeted us. “General Hawthorne. How are you faring?”
“I’m well,” I answered tensely. “But this needs to be done quickly. I have other matters that need attending to.” In all reality, I wasn’t so sure I’d be able to get through being in the same room with Ever once orientation started. This was going to be as short and sweet as I could possibly make it.
“Well, you know how Professor Walton can be.” Brighton chuckled and glanced at the dark-haired counselor.
“Long-winded?” Damien asked with a grin. “He’s like that with everything, trust me. I was in his calculus class last semester.”
“You barely attended,” Professor Walton grunted as he shuffled his papers.
“Sounds like Damien.” I smirked at my friend, trying to keep my mind off the fact that soon I’d be front and center with the girl my heart was beating for having a front row seat. I groaned inwardly. I hated feeling so out of control.
Shuffling and chattering filled the air as the new students started filing into the auditorium. I cleared my throat and looked pointedly at Walton as the place started to fill up. “Quick. Please.”
“Of course, General.” Professor Walton gave me a curt nod before walking out from behind the curtain to address the students.
“Have you had the chance to speak to Miss Torres?” Brighton asked softly as Eric and Damien chatted a few feet from us.
“No,” I answered curtly.
“Are you going to?”
“Not unless it’s a necessity,” I shot back.
“I think everything to do with you two is a necessity. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“No.” I shook my head, finally looking at him. “And even if it was, I still won’t. Eric is taking care of everything.”
“Hardly seems fair,” Brighton commented, studying me with his gray eyes.
“Eric knows what’s at stake—”
“I wasn’t talking about Eric. I was talking about her. Everly. She needs you—”
“Well, I don’t need her,” I growled, feeling my eyes darken the way they always did whenever I got angry. “I won’t drag her into this.”
“I beg your pardon, General, but I
don’t think that’s for you to decide. Because whether you like it or not, the girl is in the center of it already. She’s going to need you.”
“I’m not all that dependable.” I chuckled bitterly, hating the conversation.
“As I’m beginning to see,” Brighton’s voice was sad. I didn’t get a chance to reply because Professor Walton called me to the stage. Shaking off Brighton’s reply, I walked out to the middle of the stage, not anywhere near ready to deal with being in front of her.
Five
Raiden
“My name is Raiden Hawthorne, and I’m the general of Conexus in our region,” I stated, staring out at the sea of new faces. I launched into the speech I’d prepared, making sure to keep my eyes off Ever.
“I want to take a moment to impress upon you the seriousness of the Cipher threat. There is to be absolutely no free roaming this year as has been allowed in previous years. To leave school grounds students must obtain a pass, be accompanied by at least three other Specials, and return before sunset. Carrion and rotwraiths were spotted only a few miles from here and attacked a student. If members of the Conexus wouldn’t have been with her, I fear the worst would’ve happened.”
I paused and looked out to the blur of faces. I noted Everly off to the side. Alone. Good.
“As Professor Walton was saying, it’s imperative that you all take your coursework seriously, especially your training, whether it be in the classroom or physical training in the gym with an assigned trainer. The world of Specials has many opportunities past graduation. Some of you will choose to take up a career in our world, while others may choose to obtain a Nattie job and acclimate into their world. Either path you choose, must be done with your best efforts.” I stopped talking and cleared my throat. Everyone was staring back at me, waiting for me to continue. Drawing in a deep breath, I prepared to plunge on. This was the important part. And probably the only part most of them cared about.
“Now, an important announcement. You will be training hard throughout your time here. Nothing you do or don’t do will go unnoticed. We, the Conexus, will be watching you. In the coming weeks, some of you and other students within Dementon will receive a black envelope with a red seal, like this one.” I held up the dark envelope for everyone to see. “This is your calling to Conexus. If you receive one of these, you’re required by our laws to follow the directions printed within. We induct new members throughout the year, depending on how well you excel. It’s a great honor to be invited to Conexus. One not handed out easily. If you want to join the ranks of the elite, I urge you to work hard. Questions?”
A pretty blonde next to Ever raised her hand, a smile curling up on her plump, pink lips. I tried to remain focused on her, my eyes aching from the strain of not looking at Ever.
“My name is Tara.” She simpered, pushing her chest out. Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. “I was wondering, when you said training, is there any chance we can sign up for who we want to train with? Because if we can, I’d love to train with you.”
Ever looked from her to me. I couldn’t help it. My eyes slid from the blonde to Ever. And that hungry beast within me came to life, unfurling inside my guts, taking up space in a place it didn’t belong, demanding I go to her and wrap her in my arms.
Get it together!
My eyes moved back to Tara before answering, “I don’t train anyone who I deem unworthy.”
There was an uncomfortable murmuring sweeping through the crowd at what they all must have considered a jab at her. Tara folded her arms over her chest, her cheeks reddening. I didn’t have time to worry about whether I’d embarrassed her or not.
“You’ll have the first week to get adjusted to classes before training starts. To further address Tara’s question, I do not usually take on anyone to train. Not only am I extremely picky, but I’m also very busy. However, this year I will be helping out. On Friday, you’ll all be required to come to the training grounds where members of the Conexus will work with you. You’ll rotate between the stations for your final. If we deem you worthy enough, you will be selected to train with us. This does not mean that we’ll extend an invitation for you to join Conexus. We just view you as having potential. The likelihood of getting one of us as a trainer is slim. Very. Trainers will be announced at the declaration of factions ceremony later that evening. Think of this week as a tryout, not just for Conexus, but for your own factions. Dementon is the best in the world for a reason. I expect each and every one of you to walk into the workshops with one goal in mind: to convince me of your worthiness. It’s in your determination that I find you to be most powerful. An unmotivated individual will accomplish nothing, while those who push forward can conquer the world. I’m going to take this time now to allow Eric Craft and Damien Wick to join us. We will answer any other questions you may have.”
“Hello,” Eric’s deep voice sounded around us as he and Damien came onto the stage. “I’m Eric Craft. I’m lieutenant general in Conexus. For those who are unaware, I’m second-in-command. If you have any questions or concerns and find that Headmaster Brighton and Professor Walton are unable to help you, come see me or Damien Wick, Captain and our third-in-command. We’re going to be taking questions now before classes begin.”
“I have a question,” a male with chestnut hair said, raising his hand.
“Name,” Damien acknowledged him.
“I’m Mason Reed,” the guy stated. “I’m a shifter. I transferred in from St. Bonimule’s in Maine.”
“Good school.” Eric nodded at Mason.
“Yeah,” Mason agreed with a fond smile. “My parents moved, so here I am. Anyway, we trained at Bonimule’s. Does Dementon offer a program for testing out of the beginner stuff or will I have to go through it again?”
“You have the choice to either start again or test out,” I stated. “That’s something you can speak to Professor Walton about. He’ll do the necessary paperwork for it. You can forego workshops if you feel up to par. However, at the final, if you fail, you don’t get a do-over. You may miss out on your Conexus calling.”
“Oh.” Mason nodded, obviously contemplating hard about joining Conexus. The room became quiet as we looked out at the crowd.
“I think we should also elaborate further on what General Hawthorne said earlier,” Eric said, clearing his throat. “In addition to the workshops this week, the final consists of a fight. We, Conexus, will be drawing names. That name will be one of yours. You will fight the one who drew your name in the ring as your final. We’re also encouraging you to observe us as we train. If one of us strikes your fancy, we’d love for you to choose us instead of getting a random name from a hat. You’ll have the opportunity to do just that before names are drawn. By doing the final this way, we’ll be able to place you in the appropriate level for your skills after tallying all scores.”
There was a general murmur of excitement throughout the crowd. It happened every year. There was always at least one student who wanted the glory of beating a member of Conexus. It had never happened. And it never would. I’d have rolled my eyes if I wasn’t standing in front of a hundred new students. I cast a quick look out of the corner of my eye to see Ever’s lips turned down into a deep frown. I wished I could know what she was thinking. Whatever it was, it was causing her distress.
“Are there rules?” a dark-haired guy asked, raising his hand, pulling me away from my concerns.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Jake Masters.”
“Well, Jake, are there rules when you get attacked?” Damien ventured with a raised eyebrow. Jake shook his head. “Then I think you have your answer.”
“There are few rules.” I shot at look at Damien who shrugged. “When you’ve had enough, you simply say so. We won’t fight you ’til the death, but we won’t stop the fight until you’ve indicated that you give up.”
“What happens if we get hurt and can’t speak?” another guy piped up.
“Name?” Damien asked.
“Melvin
Sykes”
“Mr. Sykes, we know what we’re doing. We’ll have a good judge of each of your abilities by the end of training that day. We won’t go forth and hurt you to the point where you can’t speak. And if we do, we can fix that with healing,” Eric answered. “Anything else?”
A girl raised her hand, and Eric acknowledged her.
“I’m Samantha Rhoades,” she stated nervously as she pushed her dark ponytail over her shoulder. “I know being invited to join Conexus is a huge honor. But, um, what if we’re really good but don’t want to do join?”
“You don’t get a choice,” I confirmed evenly. “Our world needs you, therefore it will take you. And that’s final.”
It was a beacon. Ever raised her hand tentatively in the air, and my eyes zeroed in on her immediately. She gave a visible shiver as our eyes locked. Even Eric and Damien’s attentions were fixed on the scenario.
“Good luck,” Damien’s voice chuckled in my head. “This will be good. Wish I had popcorn.
“He’ll be fine,” Eric encouraged.
I quickly shut my friends out and waited for her to speak, my breath held.
“I-I have a question,” she stumbled over her words, her voice soft and sweet. “Um, I’m Everly Torres, by the way.”
“Go ahead, Ever,” Eric said kindly, his mask of cool, collected control falling away. He gave her an encouraging smile.
“What if we don’t want to participate?” Her voice became smaller and more frightened than I expected it to be. Her eyes searched each of our faces before continuing, “Do we get a choice?”
“I’m sorry, Ever,” Eric said, frowning. “What do you mean ‘If we don’t want to participate?’”
“I mean, like in the workshops or final at all? Can’t we just choose a faction? I-I’m pretty sure I know where I’m going,” she continued, looking around nervously. “I-I can’t shift. I don’t do magic. I-I definitely don’t change into a wolf and howl under a full moon, and I don’t drink blood. I’m fairly certain that really only leaves an obvious place for me.” She looked at Eric hopefully. He cast me a quick look.
