The teacher’s desk in the Home Décor room was empty. The plants looked as if they hadn’t been watered in a month. The two attached rooms also stood empty, with the art supplies and the musical instruments collecting dust. I tried not to think of Preston. Impossible. How long would it take before the vamps realized he wasn’t coming back? Would they investigate his death?
“Good afternoon, class.” I blinked as Thorsten walked through the room and toward the teacher’s desk. He had changed from his guard uniform to black slacks and a red button-up shirt. What the hell was he doing here?
“I’m Thorsten Steinberg, your Career teacher. This will be your Career class until further notice. Home Decor is on hold.” His arctic gaze swept across the room, past me like I was a complete stranger. Thorsten crossed his arms. “Don’t dawdle. Get to work. Practice your skills.”
A few fae exchanged glances. Home Décor was just for fae and was taught by a fae, with a vamp supervising the class. Normally, it was one of the teachers, but I guessed since Preston was missing, Headmistress Cardinal decided that one of the guards would do. Even if he could be no older than twenty-one. At least in human years. Who knew how long ago he had been changed.
Peony was the only one brave enough to raise her hand.
Thorsten’s mouth thinned into a hard line. “Yes.”
“Isn’t Prince Preston coming?” She batted her eyelashes at Thorsten, which only made him glare harder.
“No, Prince Preston will no longer be teaching at Nocturnal Academy. Your new teacher will arrive later this week. Until then, I strongly suggest you practice your skills. If you fail this class, your contract will be less than desirable.”
The pep talk propelled everyone to their respective expertise. Virgie sang in an angelic voice while Lily tidied the art room. I didn’t know if she didn’t have magic or felt uncomfortable using it without a teacher’s guidance. Peony joined the other Summer fae who had retained magic despite being in the human world. Together, they made the sad potted plants come back alive. Within minutes, everything was blooming. Peony’s fingers were poised over her charges, but she kept her gaze trained on me, full of accusation.
I didn’t know how to feel about Thorsten filling in. Was he here to watch me? See what he could demand in return for his deeds? Forcing myself to move gracefully, I walked across the room to the fae girls who were practicing their dancing.
The skill ranked below plant magic and instrument playing, but it was better than standing around and worrying over Peony discovering the truth behind Preston’s disappearance and exposing my crime.
5
By the time dinner rolled around, I was ready to go up to my dorm and collapse from exhaustion. The other fae seemed just as tired from their first official day at Nocturnal Academy. Everybody was slumped over their bowl of spaghetti carbonara, eating in silence. To my annoyance, Lily grabbed her filled tray and walked over to my table.
I had chosen the smallest table, a round one meant for four on the side of the cafeteria, next to a wall with nature paintings. As Lily approached, I faked a nasty cough. Instead of backing off, she lifted one eyebrow at me. She might be timid, but she wasn’t dumb. I’d have to stick with staying blunt and mean.
“Thanks for today,” she said, remaining in a standing position.
“Yeah.” I made a show of chewing my food. “If you’re sore from Mr. Chad’s class, there are some pain relievers in the infirmary. It’s down the hall.” I hoped she’d leave, but no such luck.
Lily remained standing, staring at me as I ate. My shoulders rose. “Did you need help with anything else?”
Lily put her tray down and took a chair. “Peony is out to ruin you,” she said quietly.
I fumed. I’d had enough. Lily already knew too much. If she continued to hang around me, she might discover my sick powers or worse, the role I played in Preston’s death. “Look, if you’re smart, you’ll stay away from Peony and me.” I grabbed my tray and thought about retreating to my dorm to eat, but there was nothing stopping Lily from following me. So instead, I settled for the Outer Gardens. The place used to be my sanctuary since the vamps avoided it during sunlight hours. Now, however, my heart raced as I pushed through the gilded doors. Preston had died out here. The blood spurting from his chest replayed in my head. It wasn’t wise to return to the scene of the crime. I shook my head. I needed to stop thinking like that. The Outer Gardens were the only place I could be outside. I wouldn’t let them be tainted.
Lily didn’t follow me, but I had lost my appetite, so I tossed the remainder of my dinner over the fence and down to the lake below. I tried to enjoy the rose bushes surrounding me, and the red sun sinking over the horizon. But dark memories kept worming their way into my head. When I wasn’t seeing Preston’s dead eyes, it was the face of Headmistress Cardinal and Lord Sullivan that popped into my mind.
I paced around to the far side of the garden, where the fruit trees grew, and settled underneath one, watching the horizon turn purple. Classes were done for the day, and the vamps would be going out to mingle with rich society while I’d be left here, alone, to dwell on what I had done.
Apparently, fae who had grown up in enslaved families came better prepared than I had for Nocturnal Academy. Lily had brought a tiny alarm clock I didn’t hear the next morning. The only reason I woke up at all was because she turned on the light when she started getting dressed.
I jumped out of my bed and pulled on my clothes, not giving Lily even as much as a good morning nod and hoping that she’d get the message.
Lily, however, still trailed me once breakfast was over, ignoring the stares of Peony and Virgie. The twins elbowed each other as we walked past, and it took all my effort to maintain my relaxed pace and not cradle my backpack in case they wanted to search it for the missing blood crystal.
Thankfully, they didn’t, and Lily stayed well behind me on the way to History. Lord Sullivan had us finish our chapter and put us through a quiz about the Dark Ages. Swallowing my pride, I scribbled in the answers the vamps wanted to hear. The bad, bad humans hunted the vamps, trying to steal their wealth. The vamps had to pull away from human society and teach them a lesson. Lord Sullivan paced around the room as we wrote our answers. The chapter was almost as bad as the ones I’d seen about the vamps “rescuing” the fae after they fled their war-torn realm generations ago, giving them great servant jobs and getting them off the streets. Lord Sullivan stopped behind me, breathing down my nape and eyeing my paper. I continued filling in my answers like a good little student.
Cold. Polite. Agreeable.
Maybe I had a chance.
Mr. Chad was more organized with his lessons today, making us all walk on increasingly narrow balance beams. The vamps, of course, pulled everything off perfectly, and several boys ran across the beam, throwing into our fae faces their superior physical abilities.
Lily stumbled on the first beam, a four-inch wide one, and fell off completely, on the next beam. I was right behind her. And seeing her tumble nearly made me fall too. Shooting my arms out in a T, I reclaimed my balance, resisting the urge to help her up as she cradled her ankle. She better not twist it. I doubted the vamps would give her time off to recover. They’d probably punish her for it.
“Up,” Mr. Chad ordered. “Learn some balance. If you fail PE, you’ll fail the Placement Tests. Nobody wants a clumsy or weak servant.” He grinned. “Well, some buyers are into that.” He leaned toward Lily, and she trembled. “But trust me, you don’t want to be placed with them.”
I winced at his implication. Lily pushed herself up, cheeks scarlet. She pulled her hair over one side of her face and climbed back onto the beam.
Since we were already on the topic, I asked Mr. Chad, “What are the Placement Tests?”
One Asian vamp girl who had a Dior hairclip in her hair, narrowed her eyes at me. Mr. Chad didn’t seem to mind that I had spoken out of turn. Instead, he turned his gaze to my ass. Couldn’t he ever control himself?
�
��At the end of the first term, students are tested, and then placed in the appropriate major.” He turned his gaze reluctantly to Lily and shook his head. “So you better get going. You don’t have much time to prepare and see where your strengths lie.”
I almost fell off the beam, barely finishing. A set of tests determined our whole future? That wasn’t right. I needed time. I couldn’t mold myself into a perfect servant in one term.
Lily extended her hand, but I waved her away and jumped down. Peony climbed onto the beam next, flicking a golden curl out of the way and attracting Mr. Chad’s attention. She winked at him, and he puffed out his chest. I suppressed the gagging threatening to erupt from my throat.
Mr. Chad said nothing else about these Placement Tests for the rest of PE. I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking about them. If I passed, I could earn a better life. But if I failed, I’d be done for.
Maybe Thorsten knew something. Certain he wouldn’t speak to me with anyone around, I slipped out of PE, into the locker room, and changed back into my normal uniform a few minutes before class ended. Heart racing, I hiked up my backpack and ran to Home Decor, or Career, and entered the triplet room, crossing the music room and then the art studio until I reached the gardening section.
“Thorsten.”
He stood with his back to me, once again in his black button-up shirt and black slacks. I held my breath because his ashy blond hair, combed to the side, reminded me a bit of Preston. His tall, muscular form made sweat break out under my shirt. No. I would not fall for this again.
Slowly, he turned. “Onyx, right?”
I swallowed. How could he forget? “Yes. I just heard about the Placement Tests. What are they, exactly? What do we get tested on?”
One side of Thorsten’s mouth turned up. At first the half smile seemed warm, like he was about to reassure me that I’d pass and earn a place answering phones or running errands. But then he narrowed his eyes and pulled his lips back to reveal the tip of a fang. There was nothing kind there. “After your dance performance here yesterday, I’d say you better get ready to learn how to please a man.”
Everything stilled. My heart leapt into my throat. Why would Thorsten say that? Why would he help me hide my botched escape and dispose of Preston’s body only to tear into me with cruel words? Was this all a part of a sick game? Was he a psycho who enjoyed getting my hopes up just to dash them again?
“There are other things I can do,” I forced out.
“Like what? You don’t exactly have a green thumb, if you know what I mean,” Peony purred behind me.
I whirled. Peony, Virgie, and the fae girl with the dark hair and the bleached blonde highlights stood there. Peony trained her catlike stare on me, so close I could see the hazel of her eyes, while Virgie remained the quiet soldier, unreadable. The third girl had the air of a leech trying to suck some popularity off Peony or maybe even some protection.
“There are plenty of other things I can do,” I said before I realized I was wading into dangerous waters. Thorsten and Peony already knew about my magic, but Virgie and the new girl might not, so I quickly elaborated. “Accounting. Secretary work. Even cleaning. I’ll pass the tests.”
Peony’s eyes darkened and she pushed past me, heading over to where Thorsten stood at his desk. She turned her attention to him. “I created the floral arrangements we had at our welcoming ceremony. I also created the vine garden in the vampires’ dormitory tower. Have you seen those?”
I resisted the urge to shake her. Did Peony have to throw herself at every teacher?
“No,” Thorsten said, short and curt. He turned back to his desk, showing Peony his back, and I suppressed a snicker.
Peony clenched her jaw and stormed away to the piano where she started banging out a tune as if trying to get Thorsten’s attention who ignored her as the other students poured into the room. Despite this small victory, I still reeled from her comment and what Thorsten had said earlier. An icy sensation spread through my limbs, and a single leaf on a lilac tree nearby curled and died.
I inhaled sharply and tried to get a grip on my murderous magic. No matter how angry I felt, I could never let it show to any of the staff or the other students. Rumors flew around here, and the prickling on my neck from Peony’s stare warned me that I would be the subject of more in no time.
“Onyx,” Thorsten snapped. “Don’t just stand around. Join the dancers, as that seems to be your area of expertise.” He waved me off as if I were a nasty fly.
Hot tears of shame threatened, but I sucked them down, turning away. Thorsten was the worst of them, biding his time until he had an opportunity to hurt me the most. I stalked over to the music area, farthest from Thorsten, and joined the girls who were reluctantly gathered around a radio. No one spoke.
Except for Peony. “Get that practice in, and maybe he’ll even pay you,” she hissed.
I sucked in a sharp breath. Every muscle tightened, begging me to turn around and deck her across the face. The new girl with the streaked hair whispered something that carried the tone of a question.
“Thorsten was sired by a rich vamp,” Peony said, loud enough for the surrounding fae to hear. “Griffin Steinberg. He owns several luxury car companies.”
“Like Lamborghini?” The new fae practically drooled.
Peony pulled out a compact powder from her gray blazer and glanced at her reflection. “Yes, Kristen.” Peony snapped her powder case shut. “If you do well, Onyx, Thorsten might be kind enough to whore you out to his daddy’s friends.”
I grabbed the side of the piano, which Peony had abandoned in her quest to drag me through the mud.
Virgie offered Peony a snort while Kristen’s eyes shone with genuine amusement.
As always, I was unable to keep my mouth shut. “It’s funny that you say this, Peony when you were trying to get all cozy with him a minute ago while I was just asking him a question about the exams.”
Lily, who was in the art area, arranging the colored pencils, stopped and turned her attention on us, worry creasing her forehead. Peony squared off with me and glowered, looking like a cat ready to pounce. “What do you have to offer, Onyx?” A tiny smile grew. “Well, tell me. It wouldn’t be magic by any chance, would it?”
A chill ran down my spine.
“I have common sense,” I forced out. “And pride.”
To my anger, Peony just maintained her nasty smile, promising pain. “We’ll see. In fact, I’m certain that everyone will see what you have to offer soon. Very soon.” With that, she turned away, the silent promise that she would spread her poison hanging in the air.
I stared after her for what felt like minutes as she fluttered around the room like a poisonous butterfly, stopping in front of the other girls, pointing to me, and speaking in hushed whispers. Kristen was by her side, nodding so vigorously I was surprised her head didn’t snap off. Virgie glanced at me from across the room, sending me an encouraging nod before she continued following Peony like a good lap dog.
I gritted my teeth. I’d show them all. I’d get the last laugh when I passed the Placement Tests. That was if Thorsten didn’t get to me first.
6
I had barely blinked and it was Saturday. Like the rest of the fae, I was knackered from our vigorous week, but unlike them, I couldn’t afford to take a break. I grabbed my books and made my way to the cafeteria, which was mostly empty so early on a Saturday morning.
“What are you doing today?” Lily asked me over breakfast.
I suppressed an eyeroll and gathered my materials again. What did it take for this girl to leave me alone? “I need to study.” I started toward the library
She smiled widely. “Good idea. I need to catch up, too.”
Of course, she would trail me. I sighed. At least, she’d have to be quiet in the library.
We rose from the table and headed into the corridor.
“So how long have you been here?” Lily asked.
I pressed my lips firmly together, remembe
ring how Mom had allowed the Supernatural Department, or SD for short, to drag me off. Back then, I had been distraught and confused about why she hadn’t fought them. Later, thanks to Headmistress Cardinal’s recording, I discovered that my mother had sold me. Guess she had enough of working at her greasy burger joint.
“I joined summer prep, getting a crash course on my new, lovely society,” I replied tightly. Before Lily could ask another question, I added, “Why did you arrive so late?”
“Same reason as Kristen. Our mothers’ contracts state that their children belong to their employers until we turn eighteen, at which point the vampire who owns us must send us to Nocturnal Academy. After graduation, he can buy me again or let someone else buy me. I doubt that’ll happen. Our master is Adrian Stormwell. He’s well-off, but not super rich, and his real estate business has been on the rocks lately. And he already has my mother. He doesn’t need to have two fae for the same job.”
I gulped at how casually she mentioned slavery. “What did you have to do?” I shifted my bag on my shoulder, feeling queasy.
Lily smoothed her blazer. “Mostly help Mom clean and fold laundry. Mom has very little magic, like most of us.”
I exhaled. That wasn’t too bad. And it explained why Lily was always tidying things up.
“Kristen was in the same house. She was a vamp companion.” At my furrowed eyebrows, Lily explained. “Her mother was one of the courtesans. Kristen was required to sing and dance for the vampires.” Lily chewed on her lip. “Most vampires can’t stand children, but some feel the opposite way. Knowing they can never have a child, they become desperate and choose a fae child. They act like it’s their own, spoiling it and treating it like a precious doll. Of course, that all stops when the child becomes a teen.” She let out a strained laugh. “Nobody wants to deal with a child that is no longer cute and is starting to form their own opinions.”
The Nocturnal and Fae Prison Academy Boxset [A Complete Paranormal and Fantasy Series Boxset] Page 14
