by Abby James
She gasped as her expression changed to one of offense as if I’d just told her her pink jacket clashed with her orange skirt and red lipstick, which it did, but I wouldn’t be the one to tell her. Nor was I going to tell her about the mess she’d made of applying her eye shadow and that it made her eyes look smaller rather than larger, which was the look she should aim for.
“That’s a great neglect on the part of your parents.”
“The outcome of the war was Darkwells,” Emrol said.
I could only stare at Ms Marble, my face no doubt tinging up, more through anger than embarrassment. No body liked to be a scapegoat and that was the role she’d assigned me, for whatever reason.
Focusing on Emrol, her little beady eyes, which were too close together, softened, as did her features. “Thank you, Mr Amon.” Her voice had softened too.
I resisted an eye roll. God not even the teachers knew what Emrol was up to. I was grateful he’d stepped in to draw the attention away from me, but angry for the way he treated everyone around him. We weren’t his chest pieces to be manipulated around some fae chess board and laughed at and swiped aside when they were done having their little fun.
Ms Marble posed another question regarding the mission and core values of Darkwells to a guy called Mr Turner, and I tuned out again. I’d been like this pretty much throughout my whole education, my mind wandering off to daydreams the moment a teacher opened their mouth.
Beside me Emrol did an exaggerated stretch and slouched back in his chair, splaying his legs out in front of him. Given his height and size, he now took up more of my personal space. I had a quick glance out the corner of my eye only to realize he’d somehow managed to angle his body closer to me rather than the other Elert sister.
It was hard not to exhale in annoyance. But it was equally hard not to stare at his muscled thigh, resting mere inches away from mine. After his performance in the hall yesterday, I would not allow anything he did to affect me. All I had to do was pay attention to what was being said and forget about him.
“Is sitting this close upsetting you?”
Damn those fae could be stealthy. I’d not heard him move, but now his lips were close to my ear.
I startled. “I forgot you were there.” I tried to sound as nonchalant as I could, while whispering so it didn’t look like my lips were moving.
He chuckled and it ran through me like liquid velvet.
“If that is the case why is your knee angling toward my thigh while your hands are balling into fists as though there is a war inside your head?”
“You’re right. I’m fighting against punching you in the face.”
He laughed softly while hiding it behind his fisted hand.
I glared at him. “Why have you even bothered to turn up to class if you’re not going to pay attention?”
“Are you paying attention?”
“I was, until you interrupted me.”
“Good, then you can recite for me the constitutional law covering all supernaturals.”
Is that what they were talking about? Thank god I hadn’t been listening.
“Emrol,” came a whiny voice from his right.
Ms Marble snapped her attention to the other Elert sister. “Miss Marcel, would you reframe from interrupting the class.”
“I am sorry, Ms Marble, but it seems Samara has better things to do than listen to the arduous work of our forefathers to make our world a peaceful haven for all supernaturals.”
God, what a suck. But it had worked. Ms Marble’s little eyes darted to me. “Miss Wright—”
A deep chime rang out around the room. I thought someone had left their phone on and was expecting Ms Marble to launch a verbal attack, but everyone around me rose and headed for the door. Ms Marble also rose, straightening her slim fit dress, then busied herself in her bag seeming to forget about us now she’d done her part.
I waited for Emrol to go in front before I left. The other Elert sister quick stepped to get a place beside him as he left, and he slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, then leaned down and said something to her like a guy would if he was whispering sweet, loving or sexy words for only the girl to hear. It shouldn’t bother me because he was a complete ass, but I’d enjoyed the flirt. Even so, a part of me flared up in defense. I wasn’t the sort of girl men like him flirted with, so I couldn’t help but think it was all a ploy.
Emrol headed left down the hall, steering Miss Marcel with him. Before he disappeared too far down the hall, he dipped his head again to the brunette. He must have said something because she looked up at him and in that moment he kissed her. Not just a peck, there was definitely tongue involved. As soon as he released her lips he looked at me. The furnace that bathed my neck and cheeks would likely have me blood red. He winked at me, smirked, then walked off with his prize tucked up under his arm.
I spun, fists clenched, wanting to punch something. He was such an asshole. I stormed off down the hall when my scribe vibrated in my back pocket. The vibration continued and the screen flashed red and yellow. The writing said, return to Nylph house immediately.
11
People spilled out of their classes and rushed off through the hall, creating total chaos. There was something about the chatter that sparked my adrenaline. While no one was screaming and pushing their way through the crowd in a mad dash to escape, a sense of urgency filled the air. It disorientated me. Which way would lead me to the west wing of the castle?
My scribe was too busy flashing warning signals for me to use it as a guide, so I grabbed the arm of some guy passing by. “Excuse me—”
A scene filled my mind so vivid it was like I’d witnessed it. I let go of the guy’s arm. He slowed enough to stare at me, his face full of concern, then joined the fleeing students.
I stayed were I was, panting through the fierce acceleration of my pulse. Students pushed past me, but I was too dumbfounded, too frozen in my own fear to react. What the hell had just happened? I blinked and looked around me to the jostling crowd of students, all intent on making it back to their house.
Next minute a teacher appeared barking at everyone to make their way as orderly and calmly as possible to their houses. My legs moved somehow. Not from my conscious signal because my brain was stuck on the vision.
I spied an alcove to my left and pushed sideways through the crowd until I reached it. Pressed against the cold brickwork, I rested my head back and closed my eyes, feeling the race of my heart. The ebbing adrenaline took my energy, leaving me with the shakes.
It was like I had relived a memory, only in vivid detail, more so than any memory would allow. In the heart of the darkness, a glow had flared. And in that glow there was a creature, thrashing like a wild animal. But it wasn’t what I saw that caused such a severe reaction. It was what I had felt. Terror. And mingled in with that had been rage, so pure and lethal it felt like my insides had been turned to stone.
It was the silence that pulled me out of the vision and back into the alcove were I hid. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been here, pulling myself together, but long enough for the hall to clear of students. After all the frantic noise the hall was too eerie quiet. The squeak of my trainers along the polished floor was too loud in my ears.
Dammit. I’d dropped my scribe at some point in all the panic. I had no idea which way I should go to reach Nylph house. Once I was outside I would know what side of the castle I was on. All I needed to do was find an exit.
To my right was a statue of a mythical creature I’d recognized from passing this way with Amy only a few hour ago. If I continued heading straight I should head in the right direction to the kitchen, and from there hopefully retrace my steps from where we’d come this morning.
I left the mysterious mythical creature and took off down the hall, but made only a few steps when I heard a crack. I froze, my pulse rising to moderate alert.
There was nothing behind me but an empty hall. I turned back in the direction I’d being heading only to hear
another crack and then a thunk. I spun, pulse ratcheting up to high alert, to find a lump of marble on the ground in front of the ugly creature. Holy crap, I hope the statue wasn’t expensive.
I doubled back to find the ugly beast had lost a talon, which happened to be the size of my forearm. I picked it up, measuring the weight in my hand. Solid marble meant the talon was hefty. There must have been a stress fracture, which cleaved through under the weight.
Another crack and I jumped back, hefty talon still in my hand. The whole thing was going to fall apart. I stepped closer, looking for the new stress fracture when an arm lifted and swiped down on top of my head. My shriek echoed down the vast hall as I staggered backward. The freakin’ statue had attacked me. Then before I could talk myself out of thinking that, the creature came to life, awkwardly moving its arms, unfurling its giant reptile like tail, and rising up off its haunches, then down off its plinth.
The heavy thud it made when its massive paws landed on the floor vibrated up through my legs. I backed up, hyperventilating, my mind on freakout mode, not helping me in the slightest.
The beast shook like it had woken from a long sleep, then swiveled its marble head from side to side as if deciding which way to go. I stayed still, holding my breath, stupidly thinking that if I didn’t move it wouldn’t notice me. Could it really see out of its solid marble eyes?
It cranked its head around, bits of marble dust wafting to the floor, and leered in toward me. Jesus, it could see, or smell me. Was this the reason all the students had been sent to their houses?
I backed up inch by inch. When it came to savage animals, it was sometimes safer not to turn and flee as it often incited the animal’s attack instinct. Instead I moved back one footstep at a time, breath held as if that would make me invisible. Whatever crazy magic had brought it to life gave it the ability to detect subtle movement, for it shifted its head like it was trying to get a better look, then lashed out with its arm. Lucky for me, it seemed moving marble limbs wasn’t that easy, and I was able to duck under the clumsy swing. The swoosh as the limb swiped through the air sounded above my head.
I sidestepped, but the beast swiveled its head with me, tracking my movements with precision. If its movements weren’t fast, maybe its run would be as slow. And I had nothing to lose by trying to escape. I threw the talon at it for added distraction, then spun and sprinted off down the hall.
Another swoosh over my head and I ducked as I ran, only to skid to a halt when its tail came down and smashed into the floor in front of me. Marble barbs punctured through to embed into the concrete, creating fissions, which raced in thin seams toward my feet.
The beast snapped its tail back dislodging it from the concrete, dragging it back toward me like a club. The last sight I saw before I threw myself sideways were the spikes protruding from the end like huge stalactites, two now broken, no doubt buried in the hole on the floor.
As I hit the floor my head snapped back and the crack ran down my spine, but I didn’t have time to moan when a giant claw came down on top of me, forking either side of my body with its huge talons, close enough to my arm that it pierced through the side of Amy’s sweatshirt—one I had borrowed until my stuff was magically brought to me—pinning me in place.
I rolled to my back, only to stare at another marble talon on the other side of me. The beast leered down, its ugly snout moving to within inches of my face. The only good thing about this situation was it had no bad breath to breathe all over me or saliva to drip onto my face, but it did have a marble head it could bludgeon me with.
Its spiked tail thrashed up behind it, swishing to and fro like an angry cat. With my eyes caught on the movement of its tail, the beast swirled it around in one large arc like a cowboy about to lasso a steer and sent it plummeting toward my head. I screamed and tried to roll away but its talons held me in place.
I closed my eyes, like that was going to save me, then was blown across the floor by a powerful blast until I collided with the wall on the other side of the hall. Chunks of marble rained down on me. Huddled in a ball, arm shielding my face, marble dust filtered through the air, clogging my nose and making me cough.
A savage voice barked, “get up.”
I peeled my arm away, blinking through the dust and looked into the black eyes of a stranger.
“What are you doing out of your house?” He spoke with a dark, menacing tone, and I couldn’t work out if he’d asked a question or threatened my life. But maybe that was because my life had just been threatened, and I was still trying to get my head around my miraculous escape.
“What happened?”
“Get out of here, now,” he growled.
I stumbled to my feet, tripped over some of the chunks of marble and fell down onto my ass. The dark stranger made no move to help me. He stood tall, shoulders back, like an imposing presence, flashing rage through his eyes. Despite everything that had happened, I was sane enough to notice how hot he was. Yummy, yummy, yummy. A raw energy pulsed through his body with such force it radiated outward engulfing all in its path. How did a good dose of radiation feel? Something like how I felt right now no doubt.
I somehow drew my eyes away from the hypnotic presence of him and looked around at the battle ground. A fine powder coated the concrete floor, the chunks of marble and me. But he was untouched, black from head to toe, including his hair. It was like he carried the night with him.
And those eyes. Jesus, I’d seen those eyes before. “It’s you.” And because that was the lamest statement ever made, I qualified with, “from the upstairs hall yesterday.” Like that was an improvement.
“You need to leave.”
“What the hell was that thing? What happened?”
“Each moment you delay is a moment closer to your death.”
Dramatic. “I thought Darkwells was safe.”
“From those outside, yes.”
I stumbled to my feet again, avoiding the lumps of ex beast. “We’re shut in with the bad guys?”
He stared at me for his reply. I felt locked in place and dissected, but I also couldn’t stop the few tinkles to my girlie bits. This guy could strip words, guises and clothes with his look.
“I didn’t think you would be so naive.” His voice was full of scorn.
I wasn’t going to remain here feeling diminished by yet another panty soaking dude.
“I get the picture. You’re a total asshole.”
I stumbled over the rubble, not really thinking which direction I headed, but wanting away from him. I’d had enough of gorgeous guys acting like dicks.
He wrenched me backward by the elbow. “Wrong way.”
The last thing I remember before I was shot somewhere else in my head, was the frustration in his voice. That soon disappeared when I was lanced through with a jet of something ferociously good. It felt like a ton of dynamite had gone off inside of me, but instead of making a mess, it empowered me, made me feel like I was ten feet tall and invincible. Much like my experience yesterday with the fae, I looked through different eyes, smelt through a different nose and felt through the body of someone else entirely. Everything was magnified, sharpened, enhanced. With the tremor of energy that rippled throughout, I thought I was about to burst through my skin.
But there was something else now looming into focus. A thumping beat, an alluring rhythm that snagged all my attention. And in the air I smelt an aroma so sweet, so beautiful and addictive my mouth watered with an incredible desire for a taste.
The dark guy let me go, not just let me go, he flung me away like I was poison to touch and I crashed into the wall, tripped over more marble and hit the concrete once more.
He descended on me in seconds, keeping his body out of reach of touching me, but loomed his face in close. “What are you?” he snarled. It was a snarl, a real, god damn snarl.
His eyes, which I had thought mesmerizing moments ago, turned hard. An inferno raged within, kaleidoscoping the deep reds and ambers, such that I swore he would spark energ
y bolts from his eyes.
I pressed back against the wall, for the first time feeling real fear at his proximity.
His gaze flicked from one eye to the other, jaw muscle twitching, and then as if reading my body language, he launched away.
“Go,” he commanded. “I’ve wasted time enough.”
A puppet to his bark, I was on my feet, about to head in the direction I had tried to flee, the direction which had triggered him to yank me back, then spun and escaped the other way.
“Keep running until you are locked away,” he called after me.
I did, I raced down the corridors like I had wings. It no longer mattered to me where I was going, just as long as I was away from him.
For what felt like an eternity I ran until I caught the first glimpse of sunlight streaming in through some giant open wooden doors. I punched out into the day, exhaling the biggest breath, but didn’t stop there. I knew this area and Nylph was across the lawn.
I jogged down the stairs two at a time then sprinted down the pebbled paths and across the lawn like fire was licking at my tail. I plunged into the forest without stopping. Tree branches smacked across my face, but it didn’t slow me. It was not until I was away from the castle and being slapped across the face by branches did I realize what it was that I had sensed back there with the dark and dangerous hot guy. The throbbing beat that had echoed through my ears in such an enticing rhythm and the beautiful smell that drew me like the sweetest nectar was me. My own heart beat and my blood swimming in my veins.
By the time I saw Nylph my lungs were screaming for air and my legs were burning with lactic acid. The door flew open and Amy burst out.
“Jesus, Sam,” she screeched at me as I pounded up the stairs. “Get in quick.”
I followed her through. The moment I was in, the door slammed shut and a ribbon of white light rippled over the exit.
“What was that?”
“Wards. Nothing’s getting in.”
I glanced at Amy, then the faces of everyone else in Nylph, who were all seated in the common room. Everyone except Emrol.
