Infernal

by Cara E Holt

  Drayce comes over to me and hands me a towel. “Wipe your face, and try to look like you’re exhausted.”

  Nodding, I take the towel off him and I am wiping my face when Meara walks over to us.

  “Nothing like a good sparring partner to bring out a good sweat session.”

  I nod and pretending, I blow out a big breath. “I’m exhausted.”

  “You did well today Elara. I stink and I really need to shower.” She states as she grabs her bag and leaves me alone with Drayce.

  As I watch Drayce use his magic to pack away the mats and other equipment, I wonder why he is sticking around. I mean I’m a hybrid, to our supernatural world I’m a freak of nature, unnatural, yet he has done nothing but treat me with respect and care.

  “What has you thinking so hard Latimer?” He asks me as he walks towards me with that half smirk. He rocks that muscle vest effortlessly, and my ovaries fan themselves delightedly at the vision of him.

  “You think I’m an exceptional fighter?” I ask him grinning, avoiding asking him what I am really want to ask.

  Drayce rolls his eyes and smiles. “Did I say that?”

  I nod, tapping my chin. “Yes you definitely did in a room full of witnesses too. Admit it. Your opinion of less known coven witches was flawed.”

  He comes to stand in front of me. “You want me to admit I was wrong?”

  I nod, waiting.

  “I may have been misguided.”

  “Misguided?” I step into his space, and jab him in the chest with a finger. “That’s the best you can do?”

  He nods and gives me a half-smirk. “Afraid so.”

  I shake my head, feigning disappointment. “So stubborn.”

  Drayce wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me flush against him. There is no one around, so I am not sure why he is being so attentive.

  “You like my stubborn arse though.” He tells me rather than asks.

  I bob my head side to side. “It’s tolerable.”

  He tuts. “Is that the best you can do?” I smile as he once again throws my own words back at me.

  “Afraid so.”

  His face turns serious and he studies me intently. “How are you adjusting to your new identity?”

  “I’m dealing. I’ve arranged to meet up with Silas later today.” I sigh. “It excites me as much as it horrifies me if I’m honest. Your father would be horrified if he knew you were engaged to a half-breed.”

  Drayce brows draw together. “He really would. That’s why we have to keep this a secret. You can tell no one Elara. Not even Norah. Not with this.”

  I frown. “Norah would never betray me, but I have no intention of telling anyone.”

  He nods. “I know it will be hard, but it’s for the best. We have no idea what the council would do if they found out.”

  I shudder at the mention of the council. They were clear on witches breeding with other supernaturals. It was forbidden and seen as unnatural and they likely would react very badly to the news that they had one walking around this academy.

  I take tea with my friends in the cafeteria, as Drayce has a meeting with coach gray and the other guards. Everyone still stares at me when I walk in a room. Being Drayce Black’s fiancé made my desire to go under the radar impossible. I had guys and girls saying hi to me in the corridors now, who previously would have ignored me or barely known of my existence.

  Xan sits opposite me watching me as I eat and with a sigh, I put down my pizza and stare back at him.

  “Spit it out, whatever it is you want to say.”

  He chews on his lip. “You and Black, it all happened very fast.”

  “Yep.” I nod. “Is there a point to this statement?”

  Xan gives me one of his signature sexy smiles, his green eye twinkling with devilment. “I just don’t get it. I also remember you saying you were dreading having to be tied down in three years time, yet days later you’re engaged to Black.”

  I nod. “You’re right, I did say that but as you know Xan, our parents decide who and when we make our matches. Mine decided that now was the right time.”

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  Selene sniggers. “Are you kidding me? She gets matched to Black, the hottest and damn fiercest witch here at the academy. What girl wouldn’t be okay with that?”

  Arla nods. “I wouldn’t complain.”

  Xan shakes his head at all three of us, disappointment is clear in his expression. “Girls you disappoint me.”

  Serena grins and points at him. “You’re just pissed that Elara being engaged means you don’t have a chance now.”

  He holds up his hands and shrugs. “I don’t deny it. I was clear to Elara that I wanted her.” He winks at me. “You coming to my party tonight?”

  I nod, giving him a pointed look. “I am, but don’t get any ideas.”

  He grins defiantly. “You’re not completely his yet. I have a year.” He stands up and leans over the table and looks me in the eye. “I don’t give up that easy.”

  She’s Already Taken.

  Drayce lies on his bed watching me with his hands behind his head, giving me that view of that deep v that dips down to the waistband of his cargos. I’ve decided to wear black leather look pants and a green leopard patterned blouse, that I have tied together at the waist. I run my fingers through my hair and decide to leave it down.

  “Meara will stay with you until I get there tonight.”

  I nod and flick my fingers to open the wardrobe and float a pair of shoes over to me. I slip on the black peep-toe heels. I don’t normally make such an effort for parties, but being Black’s fiancé now and seeing the beautiful and perfect girls that threw themselves at him, I felt I needed to make an effort to look better. Pathetic, I know.

  “What time will you be there?”

  He stands and comes up behind me, placing his hands on my hips. “I’ll be there about eleven.”His hands move from my hips and stroke round to my behind. “Anyone ever told you what a great arse you have?”

  I smile at him through our reflection in the mirror. “Yep, I’ve been told by more than a few.”

  He cocks a brow as he leans his head into my neck, running his nose along my skin and making me shiver. “Oh really?” He slaps my arse gently. “Good job it belongs to me now.”

  I roll my eyes. He seemed to get off on the fact that I had his ring on my finger. He grabs me by the hips again and spins me so that I am facing him and pushes me up against the mirror. His ice-blue eyes dance with desire and I wonder if it could be that despite being pushed into this situation, he wants me as much as I want him.

  He presses his hips into mine and putting a finger under my chin tilts my face up. “Be good.”

  I snigger. “I never have been the good girl Drayce.”

  He grins as he leans in closer. “Be good until I get there then.”

  I smirk, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I can’t make any promises.”

  His lips were so close to mine but not close enough. I was on fire with how much I needed to touch him and feel his lips on mine. With a knowing grin he pulls back from me and walks out of the room, leaving me breathless and wanting. I hear Meara enter and the two of them chatting in the other room. Taking a deep breath, I put a smile in place and walk through to them.

  The party over at the Aether senior dorms is well under way when we arrive. Meara and I have to weave and push our way through the crowds. I scan the room for Norah and I can’t see her anywhere, but then it is so busy that is hardly surprising. Meara follows me until we get to the kitchen where all the drinks are and we both down some shots of nightshade, we then move on to the human alcohol. We eventually find Norah and the others, and have fun dancing for a while until Norah drags me back to the kitchen for more drinks.

  I sit myself down on the kitchen worktops and watch Norah pour us fresh shots of nightshade. I was feeling slightly tipsy already after the earlier shots of nightshade.

  “Did you see Sereia in
the other room?” Norah asks, waggling her eyebrows. “Wouldn’t be surprised if she hexed you the way she was throwing daggers your way.”

  I chuckle. “I’ve dealt with worse than Sereia, she doesn’t scare me.”

  Xan walks in the room and whistles when he sees me. He does a slow scan from my feet to my head and grins. “Well, look who we have here.”

  I roll my eyes and smile back. I couldn’t help but like Xan. He may be a walking sex-addict but he was honest about it, and I respected him for that. He walks over to me and places himself in-between my legs, placing his hands on either side of me on the worktop.

  “Enjoying the party?”

  “Yeah, you?”

  Meara tuts and shakes her head, making Xan turn his attention to her. “What?”

  Meara grins. “Do you have a death wish Xan?”

  Xan grins back at her. “I know what I want, and I’m not afraid to go after it.”

  “Maybe you should be.” I look over Xan’s shoulder at the sound of his voice and sure enough Drayce is stood in the kitchen doorway, his arms folded, and glaring daggers in to the back of Xan’s head. Behind him Thorin grins at me and rolls his eyes. “Because whether you want her or not, she’s already taken.”

  Xan looks at me and winks before stepping away and turning to face Drayce. “We’ll see.” He shoulders past him and out into the other room, and I breathe a sigh of release as the tension leaves with him. Drayce doesn’t take his eyes off me as he walks into the room. When he reaches me he holds out his hand. “Let’s dance little raven.”

  Excitement thrums through my body as I take his hand and allow him to guide me through into the other room. I turn around and find Meara and Thorin following, with Norah hot on Thorin’s heels.

  Drayce weaves us through to the centre of the dance floor and he grasps my hips and pulls me against him, and starts to move us to the beat of the music. I wrap my arms around his neck and move with him. Drayce looks across the room and he glares coldly. I follow his eyes until I see Xan, who raises his glass to me and winks.

  I tug on Drayce’s neck until he looks back down at me. “He’s just winding you up.”

  Drayce frowns. “He needs to learn to keep his hands off what belongs to me.”

  My tummy erupts with butterflies at his possessiveness. Could it be that Drayce Black was jealous?

  “Forget him and let’s just have fun.” I turn so that my back is against his chest and start to move my hips. I feel his hands on my hips a second later and lean into him as we dance. I close my eyes and lose myself to the feel of him against me and the way we move together so effortlessly.

  A glass shattering scream pulls me from the hypnotic haze I am in, and the room turns quiet as a girl runs into the party with a stricken look on her face.

  “Outside..., attacked.., two of them.”

  Drayce immediately takes my hand and pushes through the crowd following the girl back outside. At the front of the dorms a crowd is huddled together and Drayce pushes his way through until we reach the centre.

  “Oh god.” I cover my mouth with my hand. There on the grass before us are the bodies of two witches. Both are laid out in the position of a pentagram and both with their eyes open and unresponsive.

  Thorin comes up behind me and swears when he sees the two bodies on the floor.

  “Okay everybody move away.” Drayce barks in command. “This is a crime scene. You all need to move on now.” He turns to Thorin. “Go and alert Mistress Isolde. Meara clear out the party, send everyone back to their dorms now.”

  Drayce leans down and examines the first girl. The symbol of the Ouroboros is burned into her skin, having burned through her dress. Drayce chants a spell and creates a protective barrier around us to close off the scene from prying eyes. He runs a hand through his hair and looks back at me. “Fuck, you were yards away from here.”

  I move towards him and he pulls me into his arms, hugging me to him. “I’m okay though.” Deep inside though, I realise just how close the monster who was sending me cryptic messages had been.

  The whole academy is in shock. Mistress Isolde has set a 7pm curfew and all dorm parties have been prohibited until further notice. There is talk amongst the students in the cafeteria that some parents and covens are suggesting the school should be closed until the culprit is caught. Drayce and I return to his dorms once the professors arrive and take control of the situation. We don’t talk much, I just get changed as soon as we get back and then find Drayce sat on the sofa looking miles away as he stares at the flames of the fire.

  “You okay?”

  He pulls his gaze from the fire and meets my eyes. “Why is he doing this? Why does he want you?”

  I sigh, standing before him. “I have no clue. I don’t understand it either.” Drayce reaches out and tugs me towards him until I end up sitting and straddling him.

  “I won’t let him get to you.” He vows, his face set determined. There’s a knock at his dorm door and Drayce shouts for them to enter. Thorin walks in with Meara. I try to move off Drayce’s lap but he holds firm on my hips and keeps me in place.

  “What do you know?” He asks them both.

  Thorin sits himself down on the edge of the sofa whilst Meara leans against the wall near the door.

  “It’s the same as before. They are completely unresponsive. The boy who was attacked the other day has awoken and he has no magic. He has been drained like the first girl.” Thorin informs us.

  “Fuck.” Drayce sighs.

  “We need to figure out who this is and his connection to Elara.” Meara suggests, giving me a sympathetic smile.

  “Maybe my parents might have some idea.”

  Drayce nods. “It’s definitely a place to start. I’ll speak to Mistress Isolde about us getting your parents here.”

  Thorin nods. “We’ll go. You two get some rest.”

  Drayce doesn’t ask me but that night he climbs into his bed with me and pulls me against him. I didn’t want to look pathetic by asking him to stay but he was here without me having to.

  “Sleep.” He tells me, kissing my forehead. “I’ve got you.”

  I can’t explain the uneasy sense of foreboding I feel that morning, as I head to the library to make a start on my herbology assignment. You know when you get that inexplicable feeling that something bad is about to happen, but you have no idea why. I try my best but concentrating on my assignment research is useless, so eventually I give up and ask Thorin if we can head over to my next class early.

  I barely listen to what my professor is saying throughout my Wiccan literature class and I am even asked a question at one point, and red-faced I have to admit I wasn’t listening. The bell eventually rings and I turn and see Drayce stood outside the classroom. I hurriedly stand and grab my bag.

  Drayce smiles in greeting and takes my hand in his as we start to walk. He is a natural at this fake engagement thing with the touching and hand holding, I think everyone was fooled that we were genuinely together. “Mistress Isolde wants to see us.”

  My stomach sinks, whenever we are summoned to her office it is nothing but bad news.

  That sense of foreboding returns as I take my seat beside Drayce in her office. She offers me a half-smile before she addresses us.

  “Thank you for coming here so promptly. I need to advise you that both students that were found last night, as like the others been drained of their magic. They did not however stay in a trance like state for as long as the other two and we believe this may be because the perpetrator was interrupted.” She clasps her hands together and looks across at me. “He left another message for you Elara.”

  “Go on.” Drayce says, sitting up in his seat, his hands clenched in fists.

  “It is time to come home.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask bewildered.

  Mistress Isolde sighs and shrugs her shoulders. “I have no clue my dear. I think it is time we asked your parents to the academy to discuss your recent hybrid status.”
/>
  We leave the office, and I’m still reeling from what I have heard. Drayce steers me to the cafeteria. I am in a daze as he guides me to sit and places a sandwich in front of me. He sits down beside me and keeps an arm around my waist as he greets his friends and engages in general chatter. I stare at my sandwich, feeling sick to my stomach.

  There is a loud smashing sound as every glass in the school cafeteria smashes and the lights on the room flicker on and off, as the ground rumbles beneath our feet. I can feel the panic building inside of me. Drayce looks at me and then at the room around us.

  “Are you doing this?” He whispers in my ear. Outside the skies blacken, rain starts to pour down and the sky cracks with the sound of thunder.

  I stare at him wide-eyed. “I don’t know, I think it might be me.”

  Nodding he stands and makes an excuse about us needing to get some books from the library. He steers me out of the cafeteria and out into the academy grounds. I try to take some big deep breaths and calm myself down. I lift my head up to the skies and close my eyes and let the rain drench me wet through.

  “I feel like I’m drowning. Like I don’t know who I am anymore.”

  Drayce stands leaning against the wall, the rain soaking his clothes and making them cling to that delightful body of his. “You are who you have always been little raven. You’re fierce, determined and you take no shit from anyone. Nothing will change that.”

  “I need to run, do something; I need to take my mind off all this mess.”

  Drayce walks over and comes to a stop in front of me. “I have just the thing.” He tells me grinning.

  Fetch Doggy.

  I look around me and back at Drayce with one brow cocked. “Am I missing something here?” We were in part of the academy grounds that were woodlands and as pretty as it was, I’m not sure a walk in the woods was what I had in mind when I said I needed to take my mind off things.