Delayed Admission

by Heather Renee

  “Raegan!” Gemma’s voice finally broke through the pounding.

  Rolling on to my back, I gave up trying to move as several facts kept repeating in my mind.

  Someone was inside my head.

  Gargoyles were watching me.

  I was trapped at the academy.

  Worst of all, I had no idea what I was going to do about any of it.

  Chapter 10

  Seconds ticked by slowly as my body returned to its normal state and the pain receded. Pushing up on my elbows, I glanced around and hoped nobody had seen me collapse. What I found was a very pissed-off elf running my way.

  “What the hell happened?” Enzo demanded.

  “We don’t know. She wasn’t feeling good, and when we walked through the shield, Raegan was kicked back,” Gemma explained.

  I still couldn’t find my own voice as I tried to process everything.

  “Where were you going?” Enzo asked as his hands roamed my body, likely checking for injuries.

  “Just out for a girls’ night. Nothing against the rules, Mr. Crabass,” Gemma replied with the snark I loved so much.

  Enzo mumbled something, but I couldn’t make it out.

  “I’m fine. You can go back inside, Enzo,” I finally said.

  “You’re not fine. You need to go see the headmaster. The shield is meant to keep people out, not in.” Without asking, his arms curled under my body, lifting me up as he pressed me against his chest.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I snapped. “Put me down. Right. Now.”

  When he didn’t listen, I started hitting his chest with my fists, but he didn’t even flinch.

  “Enzo.” Gemma’s voice deepened. “I know you think you run this school, but Raegan is our friend. If she doesn’t want to go with you, we’re not going to let you take her.”

  He turned around slowly, giving me a view of my friends. If looks could kill, Enzo would be ash.

  Gemma stood with her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed, a fierce determination set in her jaw. Peyton and Finley flanked her, hands out at their sides, legs bent ever so slightly, seemingly ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.

  Enzo took three long strides toward them, the power radiating off him so hot that my skin began to burn and itch wherever it touched him. “I’ll only say this once, so listen carefully. Raegan is my responsibility. I brought her here. I tutor her. I will keep her safe. Don’t get in my way of that or you’ll regret it.”

  Gemma stepped into his personal space, close enough that her chest was pressed against my side. “Are you threatening me?”

  “No, I’m telling you facts. Either deal with it or push me and see what happens.” Darkness seeped into his words, and I shivered despite the heat rolling off of him.

  I reached an arm out to Gemma. “I’ll be fine. I promise to come find you as soon as we’re done with the headmaster.”

  Her eyes met mine and she shook her head. She didn’t like it, and I didn’t blame her. “First stop, Raegan. Not to your room. Not the bathroom. Not to get food. Right to my room. You don’t want to see me if I find you elsewhere.”

  The last bit was directed at Enzo, but he didn’t react. Instead, he twisted away from them and quickened his pace toward the academy.

  Neither of us spoke, and students gave him a wide berth as he moved through the building. A teacher attempted to ask him what was wrong, but one wrathful look from Enzo had the teacher cowering and turning a different direction.

  Good thing I wasn’t really in danger. I’d have been sorely disappointed to not have anyone there to stop him from taking me.

  “You don’t have to be so rude to everyone, you know,” I stated after the third student he practically shoved out of our way. “I’m not dying.”

  Dark eyes met mine. “How do you know?”

  I gulped but didn’t respond. Enzo was overreacting. I was certain of it, but I didn’t push him further. If he wanted to go all caveman until he knew I was for sure okay, I wasn’t going to stop him. When I thought about it more, it was kind of endearing. You know, in that this-guy-is-psycho-but-he-really-cares sort of way.

  When we arrived in Magic Hall, Enzo closed-fist pounded on the headmaster’s door and, before it connected a third time, the door opened. Headmaster Stone was on his feet within seconds, moving quicker than I had ever seen before.

  “Bring her to me,” he requested, then moved his hands back and forth like he was wiping down a table.

  Enzo set me down on thin air, and I started to struggle, believing my ass was about to land on the ground, but the headmaster shushed me.

  “You won’t fall. Just calm down.” Headmaster Stone’s hands roamed over my body, and the longer he stood there, the more severe the frown on his face became. “Where have you been today?”

  My body tensed. I was afraid that if I had told him the truth, they’d kick me out without hesitation. I tried to think of a lie, but nothing came to me in my panicked state.

  “Tell the truth, Raegan,” Enzo said calmly when I didn’t answer right away.

  With a sigh, I gave in. “I went to the door Gemma told me was forbidden. As I was sensing the magic before trying to go inside—”

  “You had no business trying to get inside. You should have known better.” Enzo’s eyes narrowed.

  “Well, I figured if it was right out in the open for students to stumble upon, then it couldn’t be that bad.”

  Headmaster Stone’s hand cupped my elbow. “It’s worse than bad, my child, and you shouldn’t have been able to open that door. Something is wrong, but I’m going to fix it. Don’t you worry.”

  He turned away, heading toward his wall of potions and oddities. Enzo continued to stare at me, a mixture of rage and curiosity written across his chiseled face.

  “I’m sorry?” I said more as a question than a statement.

  “Sorry doesn’t keep you safe, Raegan. Gemma is a smart girl, and you need to listen to her when she tells you to stay away from somewhere.”

  I raised a brow. “Even if she tells me to stay away from you after tonight?”

  “I said somewhere, not someone.” A hint of a smile played on his lips, but before I could examine it, the headmaster returned.

  “Just a little cleansing spell and you should be better in no time.” Reaching into a bowl, he scooped up something I couldn’t see. He rubbed his hands together before pressing them to my arms and moving up to my shoulders then my temples.

  Whatever was on his hands smelled like mint and vanilla, with a hint of sage. At first, I wanted to jerk away, but my body began to relax as the concoction seeped into my skin.

  When the headmaster was done, he pressed my feet down and I slowly slid off his invisible table until I touched solid ground again. My body wavered, but Enzo was right there to catch me. My eyes met his, and I instantly regretted it as lust slammed into me.

  He might have pissed off my friends, but he had done it in such an alpha way that my girly parts were fanning themselves and saying, “take me”. Yes, I needed some mental help.

  “You should be feeling like yourself by morning, but I don’t suggest you try to leave the grounds again,” the headmaster said with a hint of sorrow.

  “Why?” I asked. “Am I in trouble? I promise I won’t go near that door again.”

  He shook his head. “There are things happening within this school that the students don’t need to worry about. Just know it’s safer for you within the walls for the time being, as long as you stay away from the dungeon. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” I wanted to argue, but I also hadn’t given them the full story and agreed with him that I needed to stay.

  “Raegan, you need to know that arriving here as a late student and being unaware of who you are has caused the council to question some things about your history. We’ve come up with no paper trails as to where you’re from or who your parents were. It’s as if you didn’t exist before Enzo found you.”

  “What does tha
t mean?” I asked with a shaky voice. I had been coming up with the same answers in my failed attempts at research, but that hadn’t surprised me. I hadn’t known what I was doing. The council should have found something. I couldn’t have been created from thin air.

  He placed a hand on my shoulder and brought his kind face level with mine. “We’re not sure, but we’re going to figure it out. I swear, everything is going to be okay.”

  His words held promise, but his eyes told me he wasn’t sure the words were true.

  When he backed up, Enzo took my hand and led me from the room. His palm was warm within mine, but not like the heat I had experienced when he took me away from my friends. That had been dark and overwhelming. This was soothing and put me at ease for the first time that day.

  “I have to go see Gemma,” I said, wanting to keep my earlier promise.

  “You need to see something first, and then I’ll take you back to your dorm.” Enzo tightened his grip on my hand as if he believed I’d try to run away from him.

  Smart elf.

  “If Gemma skins me because I didn’t go straight to her, I will cut your balls off. Just so you know.”

  “We’ll be quick, and she won’t find us where we’re going, so don’t go threatening my jewels, woman.” He flinched and used his other hand to cover his junk.

  Good. He should be afraid of me.

  We headed back downstairs and out of Magic Hall. When we were about halfway to our destination, I realized he was taking me to the library. I’d been there several times a week since starting classes and was well-versed in every crevice of the place.

  Curiosity was getting the better of me, thinking that I had missed something and was about to learn some super-secret spy stuff about Shadow Veil. It was the perfect distraction to my shit-tastic day.

  We ventured to the northern back corner of the room, and Enzo searched the shelves for a book. At least, I thought that’s what he was doing until he found what he was looking for.

  Using both hands, he pulled on three books at the same time, causing them to lean, but not fall. When the shelf began to groan in movement, he stepped out of the way. The shelf pushed in, then slid into the wall, leaving about a three-foot-wide opening into a dark hallway.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “Something only the elves know about and, since you’re one of us, it’s about time you knew, too.”

  Once the wall finished moving into place and we entered the dank passage, Enzo turned around and tapped the wall in rapid succession. He urged me forward, and I heard the door close behind us. Claustrophobia began to choke me from the inside, but when we arrived at a cavern-like room just thirty seconds later, my chest eased.

  The area was dome-shaped, reminding me of a cave. It was probably fifty feet across by thirty feet wide, and on the ceiling were tiny lights that looked like fireflies. Around the room, there were a few tables filled with maps, books, and magical items I didn’t know how to identify. Though, they gave off a distinct elven vibe that made the room seem like it was pulsing in power.

  “Welcome to what’s left of Elora,” Enzo said as I glanced around in fascination.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep. I want you to see something.” He tugged my hand, gesturing for me to sit at one of the tables while he grabbed a book from the shelf. “This book tells the beginning of all magical beings. If the council can’t figure out where you come from, then maybe it will bring you a little bit of peace to learn about how it all started from those who were directly involved. Only Professor Trinket has access to this information, so you won’t learn about it in most of your classes.”

  My fingers caressed the front of the ancient book. It was in perfect condition; no doubt, a spell kept it from aging. The leather-bound cover was engraved with a stunning tree I’d never seen before but reminded me of a cross between a cherry blossom tree and an oak one. Underneath its roots were letters I couldn’t read.

  “What does this say?” I asked in a low voice of awe.

  “Concentrate. Focus on the lines and call the words to you like you call the truth from an illusion. Your elven side will reveal the script to you. That is, if its strong enough.”

  My eyes flashed to his and caught a hint of laughter within them. There was the Enzo I was used to, the one who liked to push my buttons and capabilities.

  “Can I take it with me?” I doubted it, but it couldn’t hurt to ask.

  “No, but you know where to come now when you want to learn more. Do you want to stay for a while and see what you can learn?”

  Regrettably, I shook my head. “I really need to let my friends know I’m okay.”

  “Understandable.” He took the book from my hands and carefully put it back where he had taken it from.

  I followed him out of the room and instantly missed the rush of power I experienced when we entered. Watching the wall close up when we were back in the library was almost painful. There was raw magic in that room that called to me almost as much as the woman’s voice from the dungeon.

  When we arrived back in my dorm area, Enzo insisted on taking me all the way to Gemma’s room, but stopped us just outside my door.

  “Raegan, I need you to take all of this seriously. You’re not dealing with humans any longer. The magic here is real and, while it can be enchanting, it can also be extremely dangerous to you. The things in the dungeon are the worst of the worst, and you need to resist whatever is happening within you.”

  My eyes widened and my lips moved, but no words came out.

  “I know you didn’t go there for the fun of it. Something more is happening, and I don’t expect you to tell me everything, but I meant what I told Gemma. I will keep you safe. If you won’t talk to me, at least know you can trust me with your life.”

  Holy freaking swoon.

  My heart was beating a mile a minute and doubled in speed when he placed his hand over my chest.

  “The reaction you have to me isn’t one-sided.” His head leaned in and his rapturous eyes held me captive.

  I couldn’t move or breathe. I had daydreamed about tasting him but never thought it would happen. Almost as often, I thought about cutting his balls off, so I hadn’t put much effort into trying to figure out my feelings for him. Though, as he moved closer, I knew without a doubt that I desperately wanted his lips on mine.

  “Raegan!” Gemma screeched from her doorway, interrupting our perfect moment.

  Enzo promptly backed up, winked at me, and then disappeared. Asshole. I hated when he did that, mostly because I couldn’t.

  Gemma’s eyes watched me disapprovingly as I trudged my way to her room. She was going to lay into me, but I didn’t really care.

  The day had been filled with one shitty thing after another, but it had ended with something unpredicted, and I was beginning to realize that the unexpected wasn’t always so bad.

  Chapter 11

  Finals week for the first quarter was upon us, and I was a freaking train wreck. On top of that, I was going to be off of school for two weeks, but most of it was going to be spent with Enzo still trying to play catch up, and I was running out of patience in dealing with him.

  The only benefits to the break were that my birthday happened to be during it and Aunt Jules would be at the academy with me to celebrate since I still couldn’t leave the school grounds. The last four weeks since my incident trying to leave the school had been interesting to say the least.

  The day after, I was sure things with Enzo were going to be somewhat awkward, since he had tried to kiss me and admitted I wasn’t the only one affected by our relationship, but the following week he didn’t once mention what had happened. He pretended as if none of that night had transpired except for the time we spent in the hidden elven room.

  I was tempted to broach the subject myself, but if he wasn’t man enough to own his feelings, then I didn’t need him. I had decided it was time to check out the rest of the eye candy in the school and had been eyeing a fellow witc
h named Embry in my History of Witches and Shifters class.

  Peyton was more than encouraging of my slight crush, mostly on Gemma’s behalf. None of my friends wanted me to get involved with Enzo more than I already was. He was trouble and everyone could see it, except me apparently, because more often than not, he intrigued me.

  On the other hand, Embry was tall, dark, and handsome. Along with his tanned skin, he had striking indigo eyes that loved to wink whenever he caught me staring at him. I had yet to speak with him outside of class, but depending on how finals week went, I had considered approaching him soon.

  “Ready for your first big finals week, Biatch?” Gemma asked when she arrived at my door that Monday morning.

  “Not even close. The professors have all been pretty understanding so far, but they can’t baby me for finals. If I get a C or better on any of my tests, I’ll be the happiest hybrid ever born.”

  “I thought you said you were catching on pretty well with the stuff Enzo was teaching you?” She frowned.

  “I am, but second year stuff is a level above, and I’m just not there yet. Another few months and I should be, though.”

  She tossed a pillow from my bed at me. “Good, because I’ll be pissed if we don’t get more classes together next year just because you failed. I might have to unfriend you if that happens.”

  I laughed. “You can’t just unfriend me. It doesn’t work that way.”

  Her brow quirked at me. “Have you not learned I tend to do things my own way?”

  “This is true. Anyway, let’s get this week started, so we can be over with it sooner.” I grabbed my bag off my desk chair, then double-checked that I had my tablet and binder full of notes. They encouraged everything to be done on the tablets to save on resources, but some things needed pen to paper, and finals preparation was one of them.

  Gemma tossed me a couple of energy drinks from my butler box that I had almost forgotten, and I threw her back a smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “You’d probably have flunked out of school already and disappeared back to the dark depths of the human world, living a sad and pitiful life.” Her face remained neutral for a few seconds before she broke out into hysterics. “I crack myself up, but seriously, you’d be lost without me. I know it.”