Hillcrest Academy

by Cassie Pierce

  “What?” I snap, more aggravated at myself than at him. I don’t like letting down my walls, especially in front of people. My sharp tone does nothing to erase the smile from his face.

  “Nothing....” he whispers sounding unsure, and a little sad.

  “Nothing? Please tell me that you did not wake me up at this unholy hour for nothing Jaxon!” I whine.

  “Really Princess? Love yourself much? Of course.... I have a reason to be here other than the free show. I came to get you. After skipping yesterday, it would not be good for anyone if you were late to class.”

  Ahhhhh! There is the smartass that I have come to know and love. What kind of person does it make me that I missed his bad attitude— just a little.

  “Really? Class? You want me to go to class? You basically just told me you were a freaking angel, and that I am a neph.....neph......”

  “Nephilim,” he supplies when my brain can’t recall the word.

  “Yes! That! You tell me that I am this super rare Nephilim, and that we are somehow connected by a sacred angelic bond, but that no one can know, or they will try to kill me, and you want me to go to class! CLASS! Well excuse me Jax if class is not on my to do list today. I need answers. Answers that I somehow doubt I am going to get in math class!”

  I know I am yelling, but he is pissing me off. Sometimes yelling is totally called for. This is one of those times.

  “Technically we don’t have math class,” he says with indifference as he rises to his feet.

  “Not the point!” I fume as I explode to my feet as well, getting in his personal bubble and refusing to back away. His deep inhale tells me that he doesn’t want me to. He takes a step closer, lining up the hard planes of his delicious body with my soft curves. His warm breath tickles my cheek as he bends his head and whispers into my ear.

  “You’re cute when you’re mad,” he chuckles before slowly backing away. I sway on my feet, but quickly right myself before he notices. I will not be thrown off of my game by a sexy face and a little verbal foreplay.

  “Bite me,” I tease as I step further away from him. The oxygen seems to have been sucked from the room, but it could just be Jaxon. It is kind of like whenever he walks in it just gets harder to breathe.

  “Oh I will Princess, but not today. Today we have class.” He starts for the door, waiting patiently for me to follow. The really childish part of me wants to grab onto the bedpost and make him drag me from the room, but I don’t. Something tells me the asshole would like that, and as sick as it may be, I would probably like it too. So, I let out a dramatic sigh, because come on.... I can’t let him win that easily. Then I start toward the door.

  “This isn’t over Jaxon. I want answers. I need them,” I say as I grab my empty bookbag from the floor. He steps closer to me, gently taking the bag and throwing it over his shoulder. His eyes fix on mine, and he reaches up and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.

  “Never said it was princess. I will answer your questions. I swear it. Just....after class. Mom will kill us if we are late. This isn’t a regular school Maci. Punishments are different here. Now come. We must go.”

  I almost forget how to breathe as he reaches back, taking my small hand into the shelter of his much larger one as he pulls me from the safety of my dorm room. Here is to hoping that I survive my first day of classes at Hillcrest Academy.

  ∞

  ~ Chapter 8 ~

  After a quick stop by the restroom so that I can freshen up and at least brush my teeth and hair, we make our way downstairs. I can’t help but notice that every head in the room swivels in our direction as we make our way into the common area of the girls’ dorm. I fight against the urge to look at the ground as everyone openly gawks at me. I hate this.....

  The old me would have flipped them a bird for daring to look at her, but this new version of myself is weak. Well....weaker. Plus, it is a lot harder to be a badass when there is no one in your corner to back you up. I mean technically I have Jaxon, but something tells me he would probably enjoy a cat fight. So, instead I swallow the urge to prove my dominance and follow silently behind him.

  Like the good little girl that I definitely am not.

  I don’t know why I am the one causing such a fuss. You would think that it would be Jaxon that they would have an issue with. He is after all the only boy in the girls’ dorm!

  “Maybe that’s because they are used to seeing me sneaking out of here early in the morning princess.” He says with a wink that instantly infuriates me. I silently call him every colorful curse word that I can think of as my cheeks tint pink. Only I would get soul bonded to a super-hot smartass who can read my mind! I still have questions about this whole mind reading thing. Like did this just start yesterday, or could he always do this? The main thing I want to know, is how in the world do I shut it off?

  Uuuuhhhh!!!!!!

  “Stop doing that!” I seethe as I dart in front of him and out of the double door that leads to freedom from Mr. tall, dark, and infuriating. I have never been known for my filter, so all that I know in this moment is that I need to get away from him before I say something that I will regret.

  Not that I have to say it. I seems all I have to do is think it! Which is a huge problem, because I have bad thoughts all-of-the-damn-time!

  I guess that’s why I am not paying attention when I practically storm from the building. I don’t see her until we collide into a mess of tangled limbs, and by then it is too late. My forward momentum cannot be contained. We crash to the ground with a mixture of curses as the papers that were once arranged neatly in her hands fly everywhere. I watch hopelessly as the wind catches a few of them, carrying them to who-in-the-hell-knows-where.

  “I am so sorry,” the words tumble from my mouth before we even finish falling. I am quickly yanked to my feet by a now laughing Jaxon, but I pay him little mind. Instead, I turn all of my attention to the poor girl that I just form tackled.

  Now this girl looks like what I imagine an angel should look like. Well....except for the murderous look that twists her pretty features into something ugly.

  Her long golden locks fall in soft ringlets to the middle of her back, and despite her current situation, not a hair seems to be out of place. Her ice blue eyes zero in on me, and I know that I have made an enemy before she even speaks.

  Bitchy mean girl is a language I speak well.

  “Watch it half-breed!”

  I flinch at the venom in her voice. The way she says the word half-breed like it’s somehow dirty......like I am somehow dirty. She thinks that she is better than me, and she doesn’t even know me.

  Oh hell no!

  Any pity I felt for knocking her on her skinny ass evaporates the minute that she speaks. If there is one thing that I hate, it is people that put down other people. Well the joke is on her, because I am not a half-breed. I also happen to speak fluent bitchenese.

  “B,” Jaxon growls from behind me, and I almost laugh. B.....what an appropriate name for her.

  I hold up a hand to Jaxon, silently telling him that I’ve got this. I take three steps, crouching down into the girl’s personal bubble. I smile, and even I can admit....it looks a little crazy.

  “Sorry....B, is it? I would offer to help you up, but something tells me you are at home on your back.”

  Her eyes flash with fury, but I don’t give her the satisfaction of a second glance as I push myself to my feet and walk away. I don’t look behind me to see if Jaxon follows. I don’t have the energy to care.

  I make it to the middle of the courtyard that sits nestled between the dorms and the campus before a large hand reaches out and grabs me by the arm. I am pulled to a stop, and before I can say anything Jaxon uses the momentum to spin me around.

  “What?” I snap, but that is the only thing that I have time to say. His lips crash down on mine, stealing my words and anger and replacing them with an intense heat. This kiss is nothing like the first one we shared. That one was soft, and unsure, but this kiss is
hungry and heated. I let out a soft moan as Jaxon pulls me closer, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth before softly biting down.

  I gasp as a soft burning sensation filters through my lust filled haze. Almost like he can sense my shift in attention Jaxon pulls away, touching his forehead to mine as he softly breathes me in. I would love to stay here forever, but another ripple of intense pain flares across my lower back, and I whimper out loud. Tears spring to my eyes without my permission as Jaxon carefully cradles my cheeks between his hands.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” he questions. His eyes do a quick scan of my body, before rising back to meet mine with a look of hurt.

  “Shit...I’m sorry Maci. I shouldn’t have....” he starts, but I quickly shake my head no. He thinks that he hurt me somehow, but that isn’t it. That kiss was...it was wow, but something weird is happening.

  “It’s my back,” I say as I reach behind to clutch the offending spot. Jaxon’s eyes focus in on my movement as his hand brushes mine aside. He makes quick work of pushing up my uniform shirt, and when his thundercloud eyes find the smooth surface of my skin he sucks in a sharp breath.

  “Oh shit!” another voice says from somewhere behind me, and Jaxon is quick to push down my shirt and push me behind him. He turns, glaring daggers at Ryker. Ryker holds up his hands, smiling as he walks closer to his brother.

  “Relax brother,” Ry teases, but nothing about Jaxon looks relaxed. His shoulders are tense, and his eyes are alert as he stands protectively in front of me.

  “Ry....” Jax growls in a tone that I have never heard from him before. “You cannot tell anyone. I am serious. You know what they will do to....”

  “I said relax big guy,” Ry cuts in, throwing his arm over my shoulder and giving me a wink. Jaxon’s eyes watch his brother closely, and not for the first time I sense a certain level of dislike between the two.

  Ryker must sense it too, because with one final wink he releases me and walks away. I watch him as he goes, suddenly leery of the dark-haired Lux brother who was kind to me on my first day here. It isn’t until he is completely out of sight that I dare to speak.

  “What did he see Jaxon? What was on my back?” I ask, planting my feet and refusing to move until he answers my question. I understand that there are some things that I have to wait to get answers to, but this is my body damnit. If there is something on my skin....something dangerous...then I deserve to know.

  “You’re right,” Jaxon’s voice says into my mind, and despite knowing that he can speak to me this way, I still gasp. “It was a tattoo....a mark.”

  A tattoo? These psycho angels inked me without my permission! I open my mouth to ask just that, but Jaxon’s voice whispers into my mind, and the urgency I hear there makes me be quiet.

  “You don’t understand Maci. You shouldn’t have that tattoo. Only the highest of the angelic order wear that symbol. On them it is a symbol of power, but on you it means something much different. It marks the start of a prophecy foretold since the beginning of time. I don’t have time to explain everything right now, but I will... tonight. I swear. All you need to know is that it is dangerous for the one who wears it. It is both an honor and a curse, and you should have neither since you do not have pure blood.”

  “but Ryker saw.....” I voice out loud, because my mind can only process one thing at a time right now, and Ryker seems like the least of my problems. Jaxon nods, placing a sweet kiss to my forehead before taking my hand.

  “He won’t tell. I will make sure of it. Now, I know this is the last thing either of us wants to do, but we really do need to go to class. I wasn’t kidding about the rules, and especially with that mark on you, we cannot afford any extra attention. Come.”

  ∞

  Jaxon has no idea just how right that he is when he says that class is the last thing on my mind. It doesn’t even make the top one hundred list. If it weren’t for the fact that not going to class might get me killed, I am fairly certain I would ditch again today.

  He’s right though. I can’t afford the attention that skipping will bring. Besides, I heard once that the best place to hide is in plain sight. So, despite the fact that school is the absolute last thing I want to do, I follow him. The second I figure out what in the actual hell is going on here, I am out though. This world...this life....it isn’t for me.

  I don’t even like scary movies....So angels and demons and everything in-between. Yeah...not so much.

  I don’t protest when Jaxon takes my small hand and folds it securely into his much larger one. If I am being honest, I like that he touches me so freely. No one ever has. I am lost in thought as he pulls me across the courtyard, and into a smaller white brick building that I haven’t seen before. It is identical to the main building, just smaller.

  He practically pulls me through the double doors, stopping inside a long hallway that is lined with open doors. I peek into the one closest to me, only to find a typical classroom setting. My eyes travel upward, noticing a strange marking above the open doorway.

  The marking is gold, and it is a combination of an upside-down triangle and what looks a whole hell of a lot like angel wings. My eyes are focused on the foreign yet familiar symbol as Jax tugs me into the classroom. I gasp as we enter, and the marking above the door flashes a soft yellow. I blink, thinking I am seeing things.

  Glowing doors? What in the hell kind of alternate universe have I landed in?

  My attention is pulled away from the doorway as whispers and laughter meet my ears. I look up, my cheeks glowing bright red when every eye in the room turns my way. I hold my hand up in a dorkish wave, because apparently, I love self-torture.

  This causes the laughter to increase, and I slowly lower my hand. I want to hide behind Jaxon, but instead I push out my shoulders and tilt up my chin. I have never been one to let the opinions of others make me feel bad, and I am not about to start now. Then, because I just can’t help myself, I throw up my middle finger, smiling my sweetest smile and waving again. Jaxon chuckles beside me, pulling me further into the classroom.

  “You are going to make a terrible angel,” he says with a laugh as he pulls me to the back of the room and throws my bag down on an empty desk. I shrug before sitting down, my eyes finding his so that he knows I am serious.

  “You are just now figuring that out. Guess you should have done your homework before letting me die.”

  I don’t mean it the way that it comes out, and I feel like a total ass the moment that the words tumble free. If they bother Jaxon, he doesn’t show it. Something tells me it takes a lot to get any real emotion from him.

  “Tell me how you really feel Princess,” he laughs with his hand over his heart.

  A throat clears to my left, and my attention shifts to a skinny, pale, red-headed kid that looks like he stopped growing at the age of twelve. A map of freckles dot across his pale cheeks, which tint the shade of a tomato under my scrutiny.

  “Oh. Hey Reed man. What’s up?” Jaxon says, turning to the boy and giving him a high five. The boy’s eyes light up with a severe case of hero worship as he throws his hand up, returning the greeting that boys seem to love so much.

  “Look Reed,” Jaxon says, nodding his head in my direction. “This is my friend Maci, and it is her first day. She doesn’t know a lot of people, so I was wondering if you would switch seats with me?”

  Jaxon barely finishes his sentence when the boy — Reed— that was what he called him, practically falls over his own feet in an attempt to give Jaxon his desk. I raise an eyebrow at him, slightly impressed at his power of persuasion.

  I wonder what I could get him to do just by asking?

  “Anything,” he says seriously, and the intensity and emotion behind that one word opens a floodgate of feelings and emotions that I don’t want to deal with. I clear my throat, desperate to change the subject. I say the first thing that pops into my head.

  “Do you always get your way?”

  Jaxon laughs, and I love that sound a little too
much. It curls my toes and heats my insides in ways that should be illegal. I risk a peek at him, but focusing on the chiseled lines of his face and those damn pink pouty lips that are practically begging for me to kiss them is not helping.

  Uhhhhh! Boys! My life was better before I discovered boys! Now, they take up way too much space in my brain.

  “Usually,” he says with a shrug.

  “Until you.”

  “What does that mean? Until you?” I demand, leaning across the desk and poking him in his muscular chest.

  His face pales, and he leans closer. So close that one little inch is all that separates me from those damn lips. “You heard that?”

  “Of course I heard that Jaxon. You are right beside me! What?” I ask when he continues to stare at me like I am a ninth-grade science experiment.

  “Maci....I didn’t say that. I thought it. Oh my.....it seems the bond is developing more rapidly than I expected.”

  “Wait. I read your mind.... like as in that angel-mind-voodoo that you do to me? I can do that? It works both ways? This is going to be A-W-E-S-O-M-E!” I sing as I lean back into my desk.

  “Yeah....awesome,” Jaxon whispers, but his voice sounds anything but awesome. It sounds hopeless, and maybe a little sad.

  “Well....you don’t have to sound so hap......”

  “ATTENTION CLASS!” a voice booms from the front of the room, cutting off my words and forcing me to focus on who I assume is the teacher.

  It turns out that Mr. Rothe is a giant of a man, that looks like he could be a direct descendant of the thunder god Thor. No...scratch that. Mr. Rothe could actually be Thor. The resemblance is that close.

  He talks like he looks, all deep booming baritones and clipped sentences. I like him.

  My mind is a million light years away as he launches into the introduction of origins and ancestry, and what is expected of us in his class. He is about ten minutes into his lesson when his words finally seem to filter through the mud that has weighed down my mind.