Supernatural Academy- Year One

by Jaymin Eve

  Louis was so swoon worthy. There was an old-school gallantry about him on top of the powerful and sexy thing he had going on. If I wasn’t completely obsessed with an Atlantean god already, I’d probably have a semiserious crush on Louis.

  After I left the office, I turned my thoughts to the rest of this week. It was exam week, and there were no normal classes on. Today I had my Sword and Sorcery exam at 11:00 A.M—each student had their own fifteen-minute exam timeslot.

  Which gave me plenty of time for breakfast and last-minute studying.

  “Axl,” I shouted, waving as I hurried to his table.

  I’d almost reached him when a tingle of energy rushed along my body and I went flying in the most overdramatic trip anyone had probably ever seen. I would have landed face-first into a nearby table if Rone, who must have been nearby, hadn’t used his vampire speed to catch me midflight.

  “Holy shit,” I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest as I stared up with wide eyes. “What the fuck just happened?”

  His lips twitched as I dramatically continued to curse—the twitch was as close as Rone got to a smile. “You tripped over your own feet.”

  The fuck? I had not tripped.

  I glared, struggling to get down. He dropped me to my feet, and I searched the crowd, finding the Clovers exactly where I’d expected them.

  “It was Kate?” Rone growled.

  I nodded, not taking my eyes from them. “Yeah, those bitches have been stepping it up lately.”

  This was not the first incident, but it was the first one that someone else witnessed. I hadn’t told anyone about the bleach in my shampoo—which I luckily scented before it destroyed my pink hair. Or the clothing that I’d sent to be washed last week that had been returned in shreds.

  Or the cliffston in my water bottle yesterday.

  I’d been saved by my ability to scent water elements, helped along by the fact we’d been studying the herb closely in Herbalism. What they’d wanted to put me to sleep for, I would rather not think about.

  “I’m going to have to confront them soon,” I said with a sigh. “Not this week though. This week I’ve got to pass my classes.”

  Rone had his eyes locked on them, the icy energy of vampires ramping up as he glared. “Don’t worry about it,” I told him. “They’re just annoying, and it’s my problem to deal with.”

  His eyes met mine, and I thought he muttered “We’ll see about that,” but he was gone before I could ask him to repeat himself.

  I continued toward Axl, sinking into the chair beside him. “You okay” he asked, worried eyes running across me.

  I nodded. “Yep, all good. Rone saved me.”

  It seemed Axl wanted to say more, but he didn’t. “Sword and Sorcery this morning?” He patted the textbook on the table. “You’re more than ready. Use your magic to direct the arrows cleanly into the targets. There will be multiple different obstacles to make it harder though.”

  I nodded. “I’ve been practicing my magic words and controlling the arrows, but I’m still nervous. The teacher said that they randomly select the obstacles, so there’s no way for us to know until we’re in there.”

  Axl nodded. “Let’s work on the words. It’ll help, I promise.”

  For the next thirty minutes he quizzed me, and I practiced pronunciation while calling energy. Louis’s reinforced block had it back to being harder to gather but easier to control. I hoped it didn’t let me down during the exam.

  “You’re going to do great,” Ilia said. She’d arrived ten minutes ago and was eating her way through three plates of pancakes.

  Since I was done with my exam prep, I turned all of my attention to her, finally taking in her drawn face and red, glassy eyes. “Everything okay?” I asked, reaching out to wrap an arm around her. “You look upset.”

  Jesse and Axl were at the table with us, but they were deep in conversation about Parents’ Day, which was next week.

  Ilia sniffled. “Josh and I broke up last night,” she said.

  I gasped. “What? Why?” I pulled her even closer, one-arm hugging her the best I could. “What happened?”

  She shrugged. “I found out that he fucked someone else at the Full Moon Party. He didn’t even remember it. They were drinking wolfsbane moonshine, and yeah, apparently she’s pregnant. Dumb bitch knew it was her fertile time and didn’t bother to take any precautions.”

  Supes have very specific fertile times, even the magic users. The shifter would have known it was hers long before she frolicked naked at the Full Moon Party.

  “Is Josh sure it’s his?”

  I mean, if he apparently couldn’t even remember her...

  Ilia shrugged. “He doesn’t know for sure. He won’t know until it’s born. But … I mean, he put himself in that position after asking me to be exclusive. His friends confirmed he was with her.” She shrugged again, her bottom lip quivering. “It’s for the best, really. A magic user and shifter were never going to work out in the end.”

  I sniffled with her, my heart hurting for my friend. “Stay in my room tonight,” I said when we pulled apart. “We can hang out and eat junk food, take your mind off it.”

  I had exams to study for, but she was my first priority.

  She shot me a sad smile. “Love you, girl. Thanks for the offer, but I’m actually heading out soon for a new hunt. We’ve got a wolf shifter in Japan causing some issue. He’s sixteen and pretty powerful already. I’ll probably be gone a month or more, which right now is the best news I could have gotten. If I stayed near Josh, I’d probably curse his dick to fall off or something.”

  I laughed, even though she was definitely not kidding. “I’m going to miss you.” It would be weird not seeing her every day. “I suppose it has been a long time since you did any work.” I joked to cover my sadness.

  She snorted. “Yep, it’s time for me to earn my keep again. But I’ll be back before you know it.” She nudged me. “And if you ever set your damn phone up, we could text.”

  I snorted, not even sure I knew where it was at this point. “Be careful,” I said to her. It bothered me that she was about to traipse halfway across the world; I would miss her so much. But this was her job, and maybe getting away from Josh was the best thing for her.

  With one last hug, she took off, and I tried to ignore the sad ache in my chest.

  I got up to leave just as Asher arrived. He stopped me with a hand on my arm, a hand that felt like it was scorching my skin. “You’re going to kill it on your test,” he said, flashing those fucking dimples at me.

  Asshole.

  Sometimes I wondered if he did it deliberately.

  “I’m nervous,” I admitted. “This is my first supernatural test, and I’m not sure I’m ready.”

  “You are.” He was always confident. I tried to absorb some of it.

  “Thanks. I’ll find you guys later.”

  He nodded. Then he did something that completely took me by surprise. Leaning in, he kissed my cheek gently before he released me and turned to slide into his table for breakfast.

  I stared after him in shock as my pulse spiked and breathing turned ragged. That was the first “non-friend” thing he’d done in ages, and it affected me far more than it should have.

  Shaking my head, I stumbled away, stopping short at the death glares from the Clovers at their nearby table. In fact … it looked like half of the school was staring at me. My relationship with the Atlanteans was the subject of much gossip, which we fueled by never admitting or denying anything.

  The guys didn’t want people to know I might be one of them, and despite my few weird episodes in Water Magic, nothing had gotten around about it yet. Instead, the students all thought I’d found my own harem and was fucking the five guys on a rotating schedule.

  If only it was that simple. Truth of the matter, Asher was too much for me to handle, let alone five Atlantean supes. But sometimes I enjoyed the drama of our entire situation.

  Masochist.

  Pushing that ki
ss to the back of my mind because I had an exam to get through, I rushed across the commons and into the practical magic area. Simon was already outside the test room—his timeslot was just after mine—pacing frantically, rubbing his hands together.

  He rushed at me when I reached him, grabbing my hands. “I can’t do this,” he said, sounding half-hysterical. “I’m not cut out for this magic thing.”

  I shook my head. “You’re amazing,” I said fiercely. “You found your weapon straight away. You’re one of the smartest supes I’ve ever met, and you aren’t as weak in magic as your family has made you believe. You’ve got this, Simon. If you can remember four hundred years of supernatural history, you can do anything.”

  His family had done a real number on him, making him feel like he was barely magic in nature, and therefore not worthy of being here. They were smart and powerful, apparently, but in my head they were idiots for not loving their son unconditionally.

  Simon tried to smile, but he was clearly too nervous to achieve anything other than a grimace. “I might vomit,” he said, breathing deeply. “I don’t understand how you’re so calm. Your magic malfunctions all the time because of the block, and yet you still make it work.”

  It was true, but the teachers were aware of my “special circumstances” and they allowed for this. Plus, I’d worked my ass off to be as good as I could be. “We’ve studied hard. You’re awesome with your short blades. You’ll be fine.”

  By the time it was my exam slot, I’d talked Simon off the ledge and felt confident enough to leave him alone. His nerves had at least taken my mind off my own worries. I passed Damon, who had the time before me. We hadn’t talked much since the school dance; he’d backed right off when I left with Asher that night. Hanging with the Atlanteans made it kind of hard for me to get a legitimate date.

  “How did you do?” I asked as he paused.

  Damon shrugged. “It was easy. It’s really just an evaluation of progress. End of year is the hectic exam.”

  I knew that, but I was still determined to do well.

  “See you on the other side,” I told him, hurrying down the short path and into the Sword and Sorcery room. It looked huge and intimidating; I was used to being in here with dozens of other students. The long wall of weapons gleamed in the low light, and Striker, our teacher, was waiting for me. I picked up the pace, stopping right before him.

  “Maddison,” he said abruptly, still a man of very few words. “Pick your weapon and prepare.”

  Nerves returned full force, and I tried to focus. I knew the words I would need, it just depended on what obstacles appeared. Lifting the bow from the wall, I held it parallel to the ground and nocked the arrow into it. This single arrow would be what I directed through a series of obstacles using magic words.

  “Prepare yourself,” Striker said, and then the lights dimmed.

  I took some deep breaths and lifted the bow. A familiar thrum of energy unfurled in my center, dull because of the block, but it was there. It liked the bow. It wasn’t the same intense connection that other students had with their weapons, but it was the closest I could find. Whatever weapon was my “one,” it wasn’t here.

  Red and white targets popped up across the huge room in different sizes and heights. They were randomly scattered, with no direct path, and I almost freaked out again.

  Fuck it, I decided.

  I’d worked too damned hard to give up now.

  “Begin,” Striker said from wherever he was; I could no longer see him.

  I eyed the closest target and mapped a path. “Work with me, arendo,” I whispered, using the closest faerie word equivalent for arrow. It was a loose interpretation, but I felt like the arrow related to it. Lifting the bow to the right position, my arendo rested beside my cheek. I took a deep breath, relaxed, and then let it go. The string made a distinct twang that I was actually growing to enjoy, because the louder that sound, the better my arrow flew.

  Today, it was loud.

  The arrow flew straight and true toward the first target; a fire sprung up before the thin paper circle, and I whispered “Loest,” Faerie for “cool.” Ice licked across the arrow, allowing it to pass through the fire unharmed.

  The next target I directed it to was nearby, and it was a gateway to three others. “Sunde,” I said, sending the arrow left, and then “disense,” to lower it slightly. I released the power when it was low enough, and the second target was destroyed. This continued on and on. Over and over, new obstacles sprang up. One target was iced over, and I needed to send flames along the arrow to burn through the icy shell.

  When there were two targets left, I whispered, “Sunde,” to send it left, but I was tired by now, and I overestimated how much energy I needed to release. The shield over my power wavered, sending forth a huge surge. The arrow completely missed the target, shooting off to the side and smashing into a pillar.

  “Fuck,” I breathed, pissed off that I’d been so close to hitting every target.

  The lights flickered before flaring to life, and Striker stepped forward from wherever he’d been standing. “Sorry,” I started, but he held a hand out to stop me.

  “You did an excellent job,” he told me. “Especially with your power suppressed.”

  I blinked. “Oh, thank you. I’ve been working hard on my use of power and the pronunciation of the fey language.”

  I loved that so many of my classes tied in with each other to strengthen me as a magic user. Some days it even felt like it was working.

  “You should be proud,” Striker said, surprising me with the somewhat personal touch.

  I basically floated out of the room.

  29

  The rest of my exam week passed in a similar manner. I studied hard, Axl quizzed me even when I was half asleep, and I surprised myself with how far I’d come over my four months at the school. For the first time in my life I was pretty sure I was acing my classes.

  “How did you do?” Larissa asked when I stepped out of the written portion of the Herbalism exam.

  “I think I got them all right. Chesna and cholia trip me up every time, because they look and sound the friggin' same.”

  Larissa laughed. “Oh gods, I know. Trolls probably love that, because one kills them, while the other just cures their allergies. Anything to make it harder to find the one plant that can take them down.”

  Cholia killed a troll. The tiniest drop on their skin would petrify their wood-like exterior. I really hoped I got that one right.

  We celebrated the end of exams by ordering three meals for dinner and five desserts and sharing them between us. “I wish Ilia was here,” I said sadly, scooping more of the beef stroganoff into my mouth and moaning at the creamy sauce that dripped from the succulent meat. “I miss her.”

  “Me too,” Larissa said, dropping her eyes to the table. “But at least she texted to say she arrived safely and would be chasing her supe for a few weeks.”

  I nodded, making a mental note to try to find the phone again. I hadn’t seen the box in months, but I must have shoved it somewhere. Thankfully Larissa had one that got Ilia updates.

  Larissa reached out and grabbed my hand. “I think I’m addicted to having friends now. I never realized how lonely I was before you showed up. You and Ilia. I love you both.”

  Aw, my little vamp and her emotions always hit me in the feels.

  “I also never knew what I was missing out on,” I agreed, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “Knowing I have you guys in my corner … it means everything. I would cut a bitch for you. Girl power, my friend. This is girl power.”

  She laughed, her eyes watering. “Girl power.”

  “What about me?” Calen said, dropping into the seat beside me and reaching out to snag some of my food.

  “You can’t be part of girl power,” I told him, not so politely snatching my stroganoff back.

  “Why not?” he said, sounding completely affronted.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Uh, let me think of the reasons
. One: too much dick. Two: Two too many balls. Three: Not enough awesome.”

  “So much dick,” he agreed. “You have no idea how much dick. Wanna find out?”

  I punched him in the shoulder, and then resumed my celebration dinner. Calen ordered for himself and leaned back to look between Larissa and me. “You know there’s a big party on tonight, right? I expect you both to be there, dressed in your finest, skimpiest clothing.”

  “A school-based party?” I wondered, because I hadn’t heard anything.

  Calen threw his head back and laughed. “Gods no. This one is underground, of course. That’s where all the good stuff happens.”

  I turned to Larissa. “What do you think? Will there be any weird shit there?”

  She laughed, flashing all of those perfect white teeth and just the hint of fang. “Like what?”

  I shrugged. “Sacrifices to the gods. Double, double, toil and trouble spells?”

  She screwed her face up, having no idea what I was talking about.

  “You’ll be fine,” Calen interrupted. “I’ll keep you safe.”

  “Very reassuring,” I told him drily. “You’re usually ass-up drunk before I’ve even had my first drink.”

  He opened his mouth, but then shut it again, because I was right. “You’re still coming,” he finally said.

  I just shrugged. “We might make an appearance.”

  Later that night, when we were back in my room, Larissa was hyped. “Oh my gods, Maddi! This is insane! I’ve never been to one of the underground parties here. It’s usually reserved for the popular.” Her eyes went really wide. “Holy shit. I’m popular now. I mean, I’m not really popular, more like popular by association because you’re hooked up with the five hottest dudes at school.” She sucked in a few deep breaths, resting her hands on her knees.

  I shook my head as laughter burst from me. “It’s going to be fine. They’re just supes like you and me, all of us living this same life.”

  She shook her head. “Not even remotely the same life. They live like gods, and the rest of us are the peasants scurrying around in the mud. But … I see your point.”