by C. R. Jane
“Wait!” My brain processes his words too fast. “How do you know about Bethanie? That happened before you came to Raven Academy?”
I catch the flick of shock on his face before it vanishes… he’d said something he shouldn’t have. Did he have something to do with the murders? “What do you know about the killings?” I grill.
“Everyone has been talking about Bethanie’s death,” he tells me like I’m stupid. “Of course I was going to hear about it.”
I frown at him.
“Just stay the hell away from anyone who isn’t a scholarship student. There are real monsters at this Academy, Adi. And you are getting cozy with the biggest and baddest of them. If I knew you were going to this school...” He pauses and looks at me deeply, his eyes softening as if I bring back hurtful memories.
“What do you mean, monsters? Stop talking in riddles.”
“Adi!” Mercy yells from across the camp site. She’s near our cabin, waving me over, her face in panic mode.
Connor is staring back into the woods where the dead student was found. He knows so much more than he’s letting on. But for all I know, he’s the monster whose hiding among us.
“I gotta go.” I back away.
“Don’t trust them,” he repeats, worry clouding his gaze. “And especially don’t trust the teachers.”
I pause and stare at him, my brow pinching. “The teachers are trying to protect us.”
He snorts half a laugh, the corner of his mouth curling upward. “I wouldn’t call what you and the professor were doing in the woods the other night protection.”
My mouth falls open and I rock back on my feet.
“Adeline, we have to pack!” Mercy is shouting for me, but my world is rocking around me.
Chapter 15
(Dante)
I shove open the door to the principal’s office after being summoned, expecting him or that ass Braxton to throw some new bullshit rules our way. After the shit that went down at camp, I suspect a full out investigation will come down hard on all of us. Then again, one of our kind was killed and that rarely happens. At least not in the history of this school.
The door slaps shut behind me and the moment I step into the small office I know at once it’s not the principal or Braxton waiting. My stomach drops.
“Dad,” I growl. Dearest Daddy only visits when delivering bad news, like the time he turned up at my last boarding school to announce he was getting remarried. That he’d met someone else, and I was about to gain a step brother. Once Alexander entered our lives, I was forgotten, pushed aside in the family. My hands curl into firsts, not wanting this conversation.
“What are you doing here?” I demand harshly.
He turns away from the window, his jet-black eyes settling on me. “The school still hasn’t taught you manners I see.” His words grow dark and he holds a look in his gaze more fearsome than a wolf, but this is my dad on a good day. If he was pissed, he’d have struck me already.
“Did you hear about camp?” I flop down into the chair across the desk while he claims the principal’s seat, sitting tall like he’s on a throne.
Dad rules the east side of New York City with an iron fist, ensuring our kind don’t lose control, don’t reveal ourselves to the humans, and if anyone knows what’s going on, he does.
He lifts his chin, lips thinning. “There’s rumors a new hunter’s entered our city.”
A guttural growl rolls through my chest as fury rises to hit the back of my throat.
“So, this hunter’s at our school now?” I ask, shifting to the edge of my seat, ready to round up the gang and go hunting. It’s been too long since we had an old-fashioned hunt. “You think it’s the person who killed that girl?”
“She’s a human, so I doubt it. But I’ve got eyes everywhere. I’ll know soon enough. Until then do nothing about this murder. Understand,” he snarls like he sees my intentions written over my face.
“Give me some credit.” I scoff and roll my eyes, though in my mind I’m making plans. Gather the troops and find the culprit ourselves in case they are hiding within the Academy’s walls.
He rubs his unshaven jaw, the sound grating on my nerves. “You look so much like your mom.”
I shudder at his words, not expecting them, and my response flies out. “Must be hard looking at me then.”
He sighs and breathes heavily. “I will always love your mother for giving me you, but we grew apart. You know this. You saw it.”
“What I saw were the screaming matches, you never being home, Mom crying every night...oh and then her body on the floor when she killed herself.”
Fuck, I hate how bitter my voice sounds. I shake my head, dislodging the hatred clinging to my ribs. “Why are you here? I have class to attend.” My gaze falls on anything but my father.
“I have a task for you,” he finally says, his tone hard and all business like.
“What kind of task?” I frown. Of course he comes for something, never to check on me.
“I need you to get closer to Adeline Jones.”
My head jerks up to meet his stare. “What for?”
“Uncover her secrets.”
I try to decipher his words but the idea of my father, the man who destroys everything he touches paying attention to Adi sickens me.
“I’ve heard she’s special.” Hunger glints in his eyes.
Fury punches me in the gut. He wants to get his hands on her, take her from me, break her until there’s nothing left.
I shove to my feet. “She’s just a human.”
A low rumble hangs in the air between us, and Dad’s standing in a flash. I see the fury in his eyes. I’d hit the mark. No one said no to him. No one. “I didn’t ask for your opinion, just a task to carry out.” His words boom, shaking the walls of the office. His cold fury burns with danger.
Rage simmers just under the surface of my skin, my muscles tense. My mind screams to just say yes to get him out of here, with no intention to carry out the task, while the wildness inside me has me standing tall, facing my father, not backing down.
Something washes over his face, and he schools his rage so easily. “Son, you need to calm your inner demon and think logically. What if she’s the answer we’ve been searching for? What if--”
“She’s not the answer,” I snap, though in the back of my mind I know the truth. Adeline is beyond special, divine, and no one’s going to touch her.
Dad’s expression darkens. “I thought I could trust you. That’s why I came to you first, before going to Alexander, but I was wrong.”
The punches kept coming. “Yes, you were.” I storm out of there, sick and fucking tired of this conversation. I knew my dad too well, and even if I said yes, he’d still have other eyes on Adeline. And I refused to be one of them.
(Adeline)
The hallway is quiet today… a little too quiet. Three days have passed since we arrived from camp, and now a heaviness has settled over the school. We’re told police are investigating both murders, except I’ve seen no evidence, like everything is being hushed over, covered. And with each passing day, Connor’s words sing louder and louder in my head about monsters at Raven Academy.
I’ve hardly seen Alexander or his gang, and Braxton has been absent, even skipping some of his lessons. Something is happening at the school, but no one is letting us know.
So, again I have a free period and decide to head to the library as I have an essay due for English. Nothing like losing myself in books and dealing with the dread bubbling in my chest. I pass a few students who mind their own business when someone knocks their shoulder into mine a bit too hard… with a bit too much force.
I glance up.
Clarissa’s glaring at me. “You still wearing your blindfolds, bitch?” she spits in my face and keeps on walking.
Nice. Well that hasn’t changed. I raise my chin and turn the corner before stopping in front of a vending machine, craving a sugary hit, and I jab my finger into the button for a Lara Bar.
It’s a health bar, but all snacks are free at this school, so I’ll take it. I jab it again and take two.
Stuffing it into my pocket, I intend to eat it in my library while I do my research.
Footfalls hit the ground nearby and I twist my head to find Dante standing inches from me. His eyes are on me so intense, I might crumble under his gaze. But his expression is so dark it might drag me to hell and back.
“Dante?” My heart is pounding at his sudden presence, and something about him leaves me uncertain, maybe slightly afraid. Which is ridiculous.
His hand combs through my hair, sliding to the back of my head, and he draws me closer. Before I can catch my breath, his lips are crashing against on mine, his tongue spearing into my mouth. I ache with desire in his arms, and I moan as I eagerly suck on his tongue. I’m filled with anticipation, with an inferno inside me spilling over.
Fingers glide over my hips, and he drags up my skirt. I let out a startled gasp. He walks me over to a dark spot beside the vending machine, hidden from prying eyes. His hands are on my ass, and he kisses me so savagely, I lose myself.
Every inch of me throbs for more. Connor’s words flutter to the forefront of my mind.
Monsters. Danger. Stay away.
The fight from that night at camp flickers through my thoughts.
But I can’t fathom them now, not now…
Suddenly, he rips from my grasp, leaving me breathless, the wall barely holding me up.
I watch as he runs his hands through his hair, leaning his back against the wall beside me. He looks down, his hands lingering in his mussed hair, a pained expression donning his face. Confused by his sudden withdrawal, I straighten my clothes self-consciously.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from . . .” his words trail. “I was just so . . .” leaving his words unspoken, he turns to look at me. He’s cupping my face in his trembling hands. His fingers lace through my hair as he takes me in a kiss, gentle this time, then pausing to whisper against my lips. “I just needed you.” I return his anguished kiss, still reeling from the erotic encounter.
“And I needed you,” I reassure him, lost in his golden eyes, still laced with torment. With a hint of relief apparent in his gaze, I grasp his tousled hair, pulling him into my kiss, whispering against his lips, “Please . . . don’t ever stop needing me.”
Chapter 16
The first choir performance was this morning. I’m a masochist so obviously I went to watch. I sit in the back, hoping that Clarissa or one of her cronies won’t see me. I didn’t tell Mercy or anyone else I was going, the last thing I wanted was anyone’s pity.
It was easy to hide however since it seems like the whole school shows up for the performance. The choir will be leaving for their first trip in a few weeks and this is supposed to be a warmup for that competition. They’re going to New York City, a place that I’ve dreamed about going to all my life.
It’s agonizing sitting here. They’re amazing, I can’t imagine any choir being good enough to beat them. But as I sit here listening to Clarissa sing a solo of Adele’s “Someone Like You,” all I can think is that it should be me. I was good enough; I know I was.
So why didn’t Braxton choose me for the team?
I know in the grand scheme of things there are far more important things to care about than making a school choir. I mean I just found out my parents aren’t really my parents, and two students have died...but still, it grates on me to be excluded from this one thing that I know I’m good at. It feels like my whole life has been a movie filled to the brim with scenes that exclude me.
I mean to sneak out early, but I can’t bring myself to miss a second of the performance. I find myself singing along quietly to some of the songs but stop as soon as some of the students in front of me turn to look at me. They give me curious looks, surprisingly not seeming to be annoyed at the fact that I was singing during the performance. I don’t sing again though, the last thing I want is attention.
When the last notes of the last song fade into the room, I stand up and begin to make my way out of the room, feeling more dejected than ever. I sneak one last look behind me at what I’m missing out on, and I lock eyes with Braxton who looks more gorgeous than ever in his fitted navy suit. There’re questions in his eyes, but I don’t feel like answering them. I give him a sad smile before I turn and leave, not stopping until I’m hidden behind one of the school buildings. I sit on one of the many marble benches that are all over, the cool stone seeps into my legs, but I ignore it. It’s a weird thing how you can crave solitude, but at the same time not really want to be alone.
I know it’s him before he says anything. It’s like our relationship, or whatever this is that we’re doing, has progressed to the point where I can sense him when he’s near.
“What are you doing out here all alone?” Braxton asks gently as he comes to sit on the stone bench with me. “There’s far better benches to sit at if you’re trying to get a good view,” he says with a small laugh as he looks at the fact that my bench is facing the back of one of the buildings.
I shrug, but don’t respond.
“Seems like you’re having some deep thoughts,” he says, trying to prod me out of my silence.
“Maybe I don’t feel like talking,” I tell him, scuffing the bottom of my boot against the ground as I kick a rock.
“I’ve heard that it’s not good to hold things in,” he jokes.
I look up at him. “And I’ve heard that It’s not good to start affairs with your professor...but I guess here we are,” I snap back at him and he flinches from the venom in my voice.
“Do you wish that I had never kissed you?” he asks in a tone that almost sounds afraid. His face is a complete mask though so I’m not sure how he’s really feeling.
I sigh and look down at my skirt. I pick at an imaginary piece of lint on the cloth so that I can pretend that I’m not trying to not look at him.
“No,” I finally admit when the silence becomes too heavy.
I hear him sigh in relief and it makes me finally look back at him. “You sound really relieved,” I remark, not understanding why this perfect creature would even care how I felt about anything.
“I don’t think I could actually stay away from you if you wanted me too,” he admits, his face as serious as his confession is.
I’m sure the surprise is clear on my face because he reaches out to gently stroke it.
“Can you tell me what has you so upset?” he asks softly as I lean into the warmth of his hand. I shiver at his touch and it must give him the permission he is looking for to pull me into his arms. I don’t even stop to look around to see if anyone is watching us.
I need this.
“Everything is so messed up,” I tell him, and I feel him chuckle beneath me. I pull back enough to level him with a glare, and his face quickly straightens up.
“I didn’t tell you about what happened before camp,” I say, snuggling back into his warmth, totally aware of how many boundaries we’re crossing at this point.
“I had to do my mandatory school physical and in the blood test, I found out that my parents...aren’t really my parents,” I whisper, as if admitting it too loudly would make it truer.
He stiffens underneath me at my news. He pulls away from me. “You had a mandatory physical where they took your blood?” he asks, and his voice is full of dread.
“You missed the important part,” I tell him impatiently, not understanding why that would be what he would focus on. “Everyone has to do the physical, and Nyx was there to help me…” I begin.
“Nyx was there as well?” he barks, and now I’m really confused.
“What is your problem?” I ask, moving off his lap. He closes his eyes and breathes through his nose as if he’s trying to calm down.
“I just can’t believe you had to find that out at school, in the nurse’s office,” he explains, but it feels like a lie.
“Have you asked your parents about it yet?”
> “No,” I admit lamely. “I don’t want to stress them out with my dad still being sick.”
I look up at him, an idea forming.
“Do you think there’s a database or something where I can look up who my real parents are?” I ask.
His face blanches.
“I’m not sure. We could look into it,” he offers halfheartedly.
“Why did you even come find me if you were going to act this weird?” I ask with a sigh, making another scuff mark on my boot.
“Tell me what else is wrong,” he says cajoling as if he’s just been the supportive boyfriend this whole time. Boyfriend...hmmm. Was that what he was?
It all comes out in a rush after that despite his lackluster reaction to the news about my parents. It’s like I just need to get it out to someone and Braxton’s the poor unlucky soul who has to hear it.
I tell him about my dad’s cancer and bullying at this school and my old one. I tell him about Alexander and Dante, and the wolf in the woods. I tell him about my fear of doctors and how hard the physical was for me. I tell him how scared I am about Mercy’s ex and how he could be the killer. It all comes out like verbal diarrhea. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken this much at one time in my entire life.
I take a deep breath when I’m finished and sit back in the bench trying to collect myself. One thing is for sure, there’s a lot that can be said in just telling someone about your troubles. I feel better than I have in ages.
Braxton puts his hand around my waist and scoots me closer to him so he can lean his head on the top of my head.
“That’s a lot,” he says softly. “You should have said something to me earlier.”
“You’ve been a little hot and cold,” I retort, playing with the edge of my skirt.
“I’ll only be hot from now on,” he whispers into my ear, sending goosebumps spiraling across my skin.
I draw away from him, suddenly feeling brave enough to ask him the question that has been plaguing me since I saw the choir list.
