“Bryce said the Knights were able to neutralize his powers. What do you think they used?”
Rufio turns to me with eyes that are already glazed. “Beats me. Maybe the same material used in Daisy’s special dagger?”
I can tell there isn’t deep thought in Rufio’s comment, but what he said makes sense. “Her father’s diary said lightning glass, whatever that is.”
“Can we not talk about her for a second? I came here to relax.”
I swallow my angry retort. Maybe Rufio doesn’t truly believe the dagger can kill us, but if there’s a remote chance that it’s lethal to our kind, I’ll take it. I won’t be able to strike my father myself, not while I have the tattoo, but maybe a Norm with a thirst for revenge can.
19
Daisy
I’d like to believe my change in attitude is what’s keeping the sharks at bay. But I know too well the reason Gifted Academy’s student body is leaving me alone is their mortal fear of the Magnificent Four. Despite the fact that Bryce, Rufio, and Phoenix are ignoring me, it only takes one school king to take an interest in me to grant me immunity.
Today is my second tutoring lesson with Morpheus. We’re back in the library because I will not step foot in his apartment and risk bumping into his roommates. It’s bad enough we have class together.
After only ten minutes in his seat, he can’t stop bouncing his leg up and down while he stares at the math equation he’s working on. I decided to let him try to solve it without me butting in while I work on my own homework. We have another quiz next week, hence why Morpheus is more agitated than ever.
With a groan, he drops his pencil on the table and yanks his long hair back. “Gah, why is this so hard?”
“Are you done?” I peer at his paper, and then, seeing he has indeed solved the equation, I pull his notebook toward me.
“It’s probably all wrong,” he grumbles, folding his arms.
It takes me a few seconds to scan through his work. “No, actually, this is correct.” I lift my face to his. “You did it, Morpheus.”
His eyes widen as he leans closer so he can look at his own work again, which brings him all over my personal space. The scent of cinnamon and oranges fills my nose. I’m not sure if it’s Morpheus’s aftershave or his shampoo, but it makes me want to take a deeper whiff of the scent.
I clear my throat. “Uh, stop stealing my air.”
He leans back and looks at me sheepishly. “Oops, sorry.”
“Are you ready to tackle the next one?”
He sucks his lower lip in while he ponders my question. My eyes stay glued to his mouth, and I wonder if his lips taste like cinnamon and oranges too. Whoa. Where did that thought come from? Isn’t it enough that I slept with Bryce and Rufio? Jeez, I never knew I was a nympho.
I sense someone has walked up, so that forces me to peel my eyes off Morpheus and his kissable mouth. Mrs. Wilkins is standing there.
“Miss Woods, may I have a word with you?”
It’s strange to hear people call me by my fake last name in front of the guys now that they know my real name is Rodale.
“Yeah, sure.”
I leave my things, guessing this conversation won’t last long, and follow the librarian to her office. As I walk, I sense Morpheus’s stare at my back, so I glance over my shoulder. His demeanor has changed. He’s frowning now, but at least the glower isn’t aimed at me, I think. He did say Mrs. Wilkins hates his guts now.
Once inside the woman’s office, she gets straight to the point. “Have you found the answer you were looking for in that book I lent you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Good. I’d like it back.”
My eyebrows arch. “Already? I haven’t had the chance to read everything.”
“That book is a priceless relic. I can’t let a student keep it for an indefinite amount of time.”
“Oh, okay. Can I keep it over the weekend at least?”
Her forehead wrinkles. “Fine. But I expect the book back first thing Monday morning.”
“All right, then.”
She turns her gaze to the window, and I can guess who she’s staring at now. Our table is within her line of sight. “How is everything going with Mr. Malek? Is he behaving?”
“Yes. I haven’t had any problems with him.”
“Good. Let me know if he does return to his usual ways. Don’t be fooled by his good disposition. That boy is the epitome of darkness. Anything can set him off.”
“You don’t like him very much, do you?” I cross my arms and pinch my lips.
Mrs. Wilkins watches me closely for a moment. “Would you like a nightmare personified? You felt his power before. How was that?” She arches an eyebrow.
A shiver runs down my spine at the memory. It was awful. Some of the worst seconds of my life. But I’m not going to give her the satisfaction.
I’m not sure why I’m feeling all protective of Morpheus. He was horrible to me when I started here, but now I think I’m finally seeing the real him. The way our society is built with Idols, Fringes, and Norms all hating each other turns us blind to the person behind the race. My father hated Idols with a fervor. To him, it was black and white. Idols needed to go. It’s no wonder Bryce automatically assumed I shared my father’s sentiments. He doesn’t know Dad always protected Rosie and me from the ugliness of the world. I didn’t know what he was up to until his death.
“Not great,” I reply.
“I rest my case.” She walks around her desk and takes a seat. “You have until Monday, Daisy. I hope you’re a speedy reader.”
Dismissed, I simply nod and walk out of her office. Morpheus has his head down toward his notebook, engrossed in what he’s doing. He lifts his face when I approach the desk. He’s no longer glowering, but his eyebrows are scrunched together.
“What did she want?”
“She lent me a rare book the other day, and she wants it back.”
I see no sense in lying about it since Bryce saw the book already.
“Son of a bitch.” Morpheus leans back and sets his pencil down.
“What?”
“I came here the other day asking if she had any rare books, and she lied to my face.”
“Well, maybe that’s the only rare book she has.”
“When do you need to return it?” There’s a new glint in his eye now.
“Monday, but don’t get any ideas. I haven’t had the chance to read that damn bible yet.”
“We can photocopy it.”
“It’s over a thousand pages,” I reply exasperatedly and earn a few shushing sounds from the students nearby.
“Fine. Let’s do a read-a-thon together this weekend.” He begins to collect his stuff and shove it in his bag.
“A what?” I squeak.
“I’ll come by later, and we can read the damn bible together.” His lips curl into a crooked grin.
Okay, now I’m speechless. I so do not want to spend a weekend hunched over a book with Morpheus. That’s dangerous territory in more ways than one.
“Who says I don’t have plans already?” I ask.
“Do you?” He lifts an eyebrow.
I could lie, but I’m sure he would be able to tell. “No.”
“It’s settled, then. I’ll bring dinner. See you at seven?”
He’s already up and ready to leave.
“Fine. Seven, but only if you bring a certain diary with you.” I have not forgotten about our deal, even though I took pity on him and already restarted our tutoring sessions.
He twists his face into a grimace. “I’ll try, but Bryce is stubborn as fuck.”
“Let me put it this way. No diary, no read-a-thon.”
I stare hard at him, trying my best to portray a stern expression. Not that I think I would scare the likes of Morpheus with my I’m-not-joking face.
“I’ll see you at seven.” He smiles, but it doesn’t comfort me. He doesn’t believe I’ll follow through this time.
It’s all your f
ault, Daisy. You shouldn’t have succumbed to his cute face.
Fucking dimples get me every time.
20
Daisy
Since I no longer have a working cell phone and I don’t own a laptop, I stay in the library a little longer to check my emails. There are only a few desktop computers that pretty much collect dust since everyone has their own.
I read Rosie’s email first. She already knows I can’t be reached by phone from my previous email, so her message is pretty lengthy. Apparently, our landlord is still acting strange, pestering Rosie with questions about me. I reply quickly, asking Rosie to keep evading the lady. Maybe I should look for another accommodation for her. If Mrs. Wilmot is fishing for information, she can’t be trusted.
Next I send an email to Toby asking him how things are going. There’s also an email from Felicity in my inbox. She broke up with her hippie boyfriend—shocker—and she’s on her post-breakup week where she’s sworn men from her life. Next week will be the I’m-single-let’s-whore-out phase. I send her a quick update, leaving out all the juicy details.
By the time I’m done, it’s already past five and the library will close soon. I collect my things and hastily walk out. The hallways are empty, which is to be expected; it’s Friday afternoon, and I’m sure everyone has better things to do than hang out at school after classes.
I’m a minute away from the senior dorm building when Drusilla walks out from behind a tree and stands in my way.
With a groan, I ask, “What do you want now?”
“What do you think? You managed to get away from us, but there’s no one around to save your ass from us this time.”
I should be afraid—she’s an Idol, and I’m still very much a Norm—but I’m feeling a bunch of stuff. Annoyance. Anger. But no fear. Did Bryce erase my ability to feel the emotion? Maybe I should ask Morpheus to test it out. He’s a fearmancer, after all.
“You’re seriously pathetic. It’s so easy to show bravado when you have extra powers in your arsenal. You wouldn’t last a minute if you had to fight with your muscles.”
Drusilla’s eyes flash with pure hatred. “There’s only one pathetic being here, and it’s you.”
I make a motion to walk around her, but she continues. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Sure as shit, I lose my ability to move. Damn the bitch and her words.
“What are you going to force me to do? There’s no crowd around. Humiliation is your thing, isn’t it?”
She narrows her eyes to slits, and her lips curl into wicked smile. “I’m done playing childish games. I’m getting rid of you for good.”
I sense someone approach me from behind, and then my nose and mouth are covered with a handkerchief laced with cheap perfume. The strong fumes burn my nostrils and go straight to my head. Almost immediately, the world begins to spiral out of control. Shit. It feels like I’m drunk. The handkerchief vanishes, but not the effects of the substance on it.
Renata appears in my line of vision. Actually, there are two of them now. Great.
“What the hell did you do to me?”
“Just giving you a taste of living as an Idol. You just took a big whiff of Silver-voltage,” Drusilla replies with glee. “Oh shit. But that stuff is lethal to Norms, right?” She bites her nail and makes a phony guilty face. “Too bad.”
“You bitch!” I yell, but my voice sounds wrong. I really underestimated her. “You were the one behind the deaths of the Fringe girls.”
“I had nothing to do with that, but good riddance.” She turns her attention to her minion. “Come on, Renata. Our work here is done.”
“How long do you think she’ll last?” Renata asks.
Drusilla shrugs. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”
She sashays away, flipping her long red hair back like she’s on a catwalk. I try to move, and to my surprise, I’m able to take a step forward. But coordination has left the building. I only manage to wobble like a drunk person for two seconds before I fall just off the path. I’d laugh if the situation wasn’t grave. Toby warned me about Silver-voltage, and I’ve seen firsthand what it does to Fringes. How long until I start to convulse and bleed from my nose? There’s gotta be an antidote. If only I could get to the infirmary or had my phone.
Damn it. I’m really screwed this time.
No, Daisy. You can get out of this. You’re not going to die like a stupid junkie.
Clenching my jaw, I push myself off the ground. I’m super dizzy, but at least the world has stopped spiraling. I lean against the tree behind me and take deep breaths.
Surprisingly, with each inhale of fresh air, my head clears a little. My legs don’t feel like they’re boneless anymore. I can get help.
I begin my trek back to school while random thoughts pop in my head, too fast for me to latch on to any of them. The front door of the main building looms in front of me, just a few paces away, but I can’t remember why in the world I came back here. I have my backpack with me, and my room keys are in my pocket.
I shake my head and spin around. Man, I must be losing my mind.
Sudden euphoria hits me, and crazy laughter bubbles up my throat. Like a silly girl, I skip the rest of the way toward the dorm building. I wish I had a car. It’s a great day to go out dancing. Maybe I can convince Toby to come get me with Purple Delight. Oh, wait. I don’t have a phone anymore. Damn it.
I’m about to pull the main door open when Phoenix walks out, looking and smelling like a million bucks. My eyes travel the length of his yummy body as my mouth waters.
“Daisy? Are you just coming from school?” He gives me a once-over.
“Yup. I had to check some emails. Where are you going? Hot date?”
Phoenix chuckles. “I wish. What’s up with you?” He leans closer. “Your eyes are red. Are you high?”
“Me?” I place my hand over my chest. “I don’t think so. At least, I don’t remember taking anything.”
“Really?” His eyes take on a dangerous glint. “What are you doing right now?”
“Nothing really. I’m probably going to grab something to eat at the vending machine and call it a night.”
I have a vague memory that I was supposed to do something else, but I can’t remember.
“You can do better than junk food. I’m going to my parents’ for dinner. Want to tag along?”
I cock my head to the side and squint. “That sounds like a trap. Aren’t your parents awful?”
Phoenix’s smile wilts a little. “One more reason for you to come. You can save me from a torturous evening. Be my hero.”
“Heroine,” I correct him.
He chuckles. “Heroine. Fine. So, is that a yes?”
I shrug. “Sure. I have nothing better to do.”
PHOENIX
Daisy’s definitely high. She would never have a conversation with me like I’m an old friend of hers. And the fact that she didn’t think twice before accepting my invitation just convinced me she took something. But what? Her eyes are red, so my guess is pot. I don’t really know much about drugs Norms take since they don’t affect me at all.
Well, pot meet kettle. I wouldn’t have extended an invitation if I wasn’t also high. I took a dose of Silver-voltage before heading out. It’s the only thing that will help me endure an evening with my folks. And I have extra in my glove compartment for the way back.
“So, where do your parents live?” Daisy asks as she follows me to the garage.
“Near Echo Cove,” I reply, giving her a side glance.
Her red lipstick is gone, but her bee-stung lips are a temptation I’m not sure I’ll be able to resist. Now that I know who her father was, my fascination for her has grown. There’s still the old hatred and suspicion though, lying just underneath the surface. I can’t forget the time Daisy spotted my black eye and I ended up unleashing the beast on her. But since saving her from drowning, I can easily forget these feelings. Maybe Bryce was right to send her away. She does have a crazy power over us.
>
“Oh, do they have a beachfront mansion?” she asks.
“Naturally.”
Nothing less will do for Mr. Westbrook. My white Porsche SUV comes into view. The back lights flash as I near the driver door.
“Oh, nice wheels. It fits you,” she comments.
“Thanks.”
The sound of tires screeching catches my attention, and a second later, Pietro’s sleek sports car comes flying into view. On instinct, I pull Daisy out of the way, which means flush to my side. The idiot doesn’t slow down until he reaches the garage’s gate.
“Where is he going in such a hurry?” Daisy asks.
“Who knows? The guy is a moron.”
It’s an effort to step away from her, but I must if I intend to get into my car. I wait until she walks around the vehicle to slide behind the steering wheel. I don’t share Daisy’s enthusiasm over my nice wheels. It was paid for by my father and is therefore tainted. I’d rather live in poverty instead of being shackled to the monster.
We don’t speak for a moment, but once we pass the academy gates and hit the highway, I glance at her. She’s looking out the window, and for the first time, she doesn’t have the usual edge I’ve come to associate with her. Her guard is down. Maybe I can satiate my curiosity about her.
“What happened after your parents died?” I ask.
She turns to me with a frown. “What do you mean?”
“The newspapers said you and your sister died in the fire, but that’s obviously not true. So what happened to you?”
She lets out a heavy exhale. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why not?” I push. She’s trapped in my car; she’s not going anywhere.
She leans back against the headrest. “We lived on the streets for a while, if you really must know.”
“Really? What was that like?”
I sense her stare burning a hole in the side of my face. “What do you think, pretty boy?”
Ruthless Idols: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 2) Page 11
