Peony snorted. “She can’t even get the simplest plants, like mold, to grow.”
“Mold is a fungus,” I snapped, determined to show that at least I was book smart.
“Focus!” Ms. Rutherford’s violet eyes drilled into me.
I went back to waving my hands above the plant, the way I’d seen Peony do, and breathed out, calming my temper. But the coldness remained in my hands, waiting to betray me. I had to think of something, and quickly. Peony wrapped her arms around herself. She was sending me a clear message. She’d goad me until I revealed my magic.
I waved my hands as if frustrated, and hit the pitcher of water sitting on the edge of Ms. Rutherford’s desk. It toppled, and I gasped in what I hoped sounded like genuine shock. The teacher’s eyes widened as the pitcher tilted, then took a suicide dive off the edge and onto the floor.
“Miss Onyx!” Ms. Rutherford’s voice turned shrill. As water dribbled out of the pitcher, forming an expanding puddle, all heads in the class turned. I swallowed hard, getting the sense that what was supposed to be my escape strategy would cost me.
“I’m so sorry!” I leaned down and grabbed the pitcher. “I’ll clean it up right now. I guess I was nervous.”
Lily appeared above me with a towel in hand, ready to erase my mess. No, not again. Her trying to help would only pass whatever punishment I was about to get over to her. If there was any time she needed to stand aside, it was now.
“Yes. Clean it up,” Ms. Rutherford ordered. “Clumsiness will not be tolerated in Home Decor. What if that pitcher had been a valuable vase?”
“I got nervous,” I repeated, glancing around for anything I could use to wipe up the water. I placed the pitcher back on the desk. Lily must’ve understood my look, because she backed away and tossed me the towel.
“Ah, ah,” Ms Rutherford said, emerging from behind her desk and snatching the towel from me.
“I need that,” I blurted.
“You won’t always have an easy means of cleaning up a mess you’ve made.” A faint, vicious grin curled her lips. “Now, clean up the puddle.” She snapped the dry towel behind her back, holding it there. “If you cannot make anything grow, then perhaps you have other tricks up your sleeve.”
Peony. She had already turned Ms. Rutherford against me, or maybe Ms. Rutherford was trying hard to fit in with the vamps and Peony saw an opportunity to hang on. Whatever. I eyed the rest of the class, who looked disgusted with me. Thorsten hung on the border of the art room and the gardening area, arms crossed, leaning against the wall. Behind him, Virgie stood near the piano and watched along with the other dancers. And Lily bit her lower lip.
No one would sweep in to rescue me now.
“Time’s ticking,” Ms. Rutherford half-sang.
I took off my blazer, determined to soak up the puddle. That left me in just my white shirt, which was too tight around my body.
“Miss Onyx, do you really think getting your wool blazer wet is a good idea? What happens to wool when it gets wet, and then needs to be dried?”
“Huh?”
Ms. Rutherford leaned against the desk. Why was she being so difficult over spilled water? What had I ever done to her? Her cruelty made no sense. It wasn’t like Thorsten was high on the totem pole in Nocturnal Academy. At least, not yet.
He could say something now and put me further into debt, but he held back.
Ms. Rutherford snatched my blazer from my hands. “You have one more chance to clean this water or I’ll summon Lord Sullivan or Mr. Chad.”
A memory of Blair taking a bite from Mr. Chad, who slurped up her blood, sent sickness through my gut. So did the thought of where Ms. Rutherford was going with this. The only option I had left for soaking up this water was my—
Shit.
“There will be plenty of towels wherever we end up working, won’t there?” Lily asked.
The teacher ignored her.
Furious heat rushed into my cheeks as tears gathered in the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill. No, no, I would not cry in front of Peony or this sadistic bitch. And I would not freeze this puddle in front of everyone. Already, a faint spider web of ice expanded from the center, which I could see if I leaned an inch to the side.
Crouching, I pulled my skirt forward, trying to ignore the prickles of everyone’s stares that must have fallen on my panties. I sopped up the water, pushing the fabric side to side, hiding the evidence and soaking my skirt. My legs and butt were exposed. In front of Thorsten and the whole class. I stared at the ground, unable to meet anyone’s gaze. Humiliation swallowed me whole.
I had to get out.
My skirt dripped with moisture and clung to my legs as I rose. My ears rang. I had been holding my breath the entire time. Ms. Rutherford smiled and nodded, having made her point, and stalked back behind her desk. Everyone stared at me like I was an animal. I looked as if I had wet myself three times over.
I ran out of the room, pushing the door open and escaping into the corridor.
“Onyx, wait,” Lily called behind me.
I whirled around and held up my hand. “Stay away. Don’t get detention.” Before I could see her reaction, I sprinted down the hall, wet skirt slapping against my thighs. I didn’t stop until I reached an empty classroom at the end of the hall. Pushing the door open into the dark space beyond, I plopped down on one of the chairs, let my head slam against the desk, and allowed the silent tears of shame to come.
The darkness was comforting. No one could see me here.
I forced in breath after breath. My chest hurt. The room was cold, dark, and musty, just the way I felt
After some time, there was a knock on the door.
“Go away, Lily.” I didn’t lift my head from the desk. “Please.”
Despite my pleading, the door still opened. I snapped my head up, ready to cuss at her, but instead, I found Thorsten in front of me.
Rimmed in the faint light of the corridor, he was just a shadow. He stepped forward, and my breath caught. Had he decided that now was the time to collect his debt? How much blood would I have to lose or who would I have to spy on for him? What if he demanded my virginity?
He closed the door behind him, and my stomach tensed. It was just the two of us. Nobody would hear me scream.
“Why are you here?” I asked, hating how raspy my voice was.
“I need to make sure you don’t do anything to harm the academy,” he said, drawing closer.
I hiccupped. “By walking around with my skirt dripping everywhere? I doubt that will destroy the academy.” Go away, I urged him silently. I wouldn’t fall for his games.
To my shock, Thorsten let out a cold laugh. “The academy does not like students who don’t cooperate. It was obvious you were attempting to dodge Ms. Rutherford’s orders when you knocked that pitcher over. Why?”
He knew why. I swallowed, straightening, and then I pushed myself out of the desk and stood, ready to grab something if he tried anything. Unfortunately, there was nothing around me, besides a few old books, desks, and chairs. “Because showing the class my panties and mopping up water with the skirt I have to wear for the rest of the day is fun?” I retorted.
Thorsten tossed something at me, and my blazer landed on the desk I’d been using as my shoulder to cry on. “All students need to remain in uniform at all times,” he snapped.
“Thanks?” I grabbed the blazer and threw it on, glad I could hide my tight white shirt. Was he helping me again? We were alone and he hadn’t jumped on me yet. If he wanted to, wouldn’t he have done so by now? “I need to go.”
“Yes.” He remained in front of the door.
“Why is Ms. Rutherford acting like a vamp?” This might be my only chance to figure out the new teacher.
He shrugged. “Many purebloods look down on those born in the human world.”
No shit. “Well, why aren’t you a teacher? I heard you’re from a rich family and that Steinberg is your sire. Why are you a guard and a stand-in?”
The muscles underneath Thorsten’s shirt rippled. “That’s none of your business.”
“You’re what, Kassius and Kayden’s age? Why aren’t you studying here?” From what I had gauged, the Latino twins were rich, but not as rich as Thorsten’s family.
“We all have different paths.”
I snorted. Sensing that I wouldn’t get anywhere with regular questions, I said, “I’ll make you a deal. You tell me why you’re here, and I’ll tell you the rumors flying around you.”
“I don’t care.”
“You don’t care that there’s a vamp here who has asked a fae to spy on you?”
Thorsten’s shoulder tightened. “You’d better not be lying, half fae.”
“I’m not. I’ll tell you who they are if you tell me why you’re here.”
He ran a hand through his ash blond hair, showing the first sign of frustration. “Fine. I’m young, and I need to prove myself.”
“But your family has money.” Vamps were all about prestige and status, not about giving everyone the same opportunities to work their way up.
“Money isn’t everything,” Thorsten said. Then after a pause, he added. “I was sired a few years ago. Griffin found me while he was on a business trip in Germany. He paid a good sum of cash for me. He needed an heir quickly.”
My jaw dropped. I hadn’t expected Thorsten to say quite this much. “Why?”
He shook his head. “I told you enough.”
I nodded. He was right. “Mei, the new vamp from China, has been asking about you. She made Kristen her spy.”
Footsteps approached from down the corridor, and Thorsten stiffened, somehow adding to his height. He turned and opened the door so hard that it banged against the stone wall. “Do not leave your uniform lying around again,” he ordered, jabbing his finger at me.
Lily stood outside, staring at me, and Thorsten turned his glare on her. “Make sure your friend knows how to dress.” Then he stalked off, leaving me confused and frustrated as he always did.
10
The next day during breakfast, I put my head down and tried my best to ignore everyone whispering about my misstep. I only looked up when the room fell silent, noticing that a vamp guard had entered and was now handing out forms, slapping them down before each student. The paper sheet required us to fill out our names and check one of two boxes: French or German.
“How exciting! I always wanted to learn a language.” Lily beamed and clapped her hands together.
I was less enthused. Was this so I could learn to talk dirty to foreign guests? Yikes. And I made an ass of myself in the subjects I already had. I was already falling behind and didn’t need any more opportunities to fail. But I had a feeling that I’d have to choose one of the languages. Both sounded hard and there was no box to opt out.
I turned around to find Virgie sitting with Peony and Kristen a few tables away. If anyone would know who our teacher would be it was one of them, probably Peony. She was looking around the cafeteria, probably for the twins, but they were gone. As much as I didn’t want another run in with Peony, I got up.
“What are you doing?” Lily asked.
“I’m not signing up before I know who’s the teacher for each.” An idea tickled the back of my mind.
Lily jumped out of her chair, more excited than I’d ever seen her. “Great idea. A teacher can make or break your love for a language.”
I tried not to roll my eyes as I walked over to Virgie. Ignoring Peony and Kristen, I asked, “Any idea who’s teaching those?” I waved my paper carelessly, not wanting them to see how much the answer mattered.
“Why? Hoping to blow one of the teachers to pass?” Peony asked without blinking, and Kristen sputtered on her breakfast cereal. Funny she should say that.
Virgie gave me a cruel look, her acting skill improving. “Sorry. I doubt either teacher will give you an easy A.”
I crossed my arms. “Haha, very funny.”
Virgie checked her nails. “Ms. Rutherford is teaching French.” Peony narrowed her eyes while I tried hard not to show how grateful I was for Virgie helping me. Before she could tell me who the German teacher was, a group of six male vamps burst into the cafeteria, Kassius and Kayden leading them.
“Has any of you nitwits been in our rooms?” Kassius’ body hummed with rage. Every fae in the room snapped their gazes to him and his posse.
Kayden crossed his arms. “Stealing from a vampire is punishable with prison time.” He walked slowly from fae to fae. “One month or more in the dungeons. Barely enough water and food to keep you alive.”
Kassius joined him. “No blankets to keep you warm. Nothing to entertain you.” He let out a cruel laugh. “Well, besides Mr. Chad. I’ve heard he enjoys visiting the inmates, if you know what I mean.”
I didn’t move, didn’t blink. My heart stopped beating.
Next to me, Peony swung out of her chair and sidled up to the twins. “What’s the problem? I’d love to help.”
Kayden shoved her away, but Kassius pulled her closer, his fangs flashing as he opened his mouth and hissed, “The problem is that our blood crystal was stolen.”
Mutters floated around the room. Peony’s eyes widened, and her chest rose and fell rapidly, but she quickly recovered and trailed a finger playfully down Kassius’ chest. “How awful. Whoever the thief is must be punished.”
Kassius nodded, then moved away from her to address the whole room. “If you come forward today and return the blood crystal, we’ll ensure that your punishment will only be three days in the dungeon.”
Kayden balled his fists. “However, if you choose to hide, we’ll see to it that your punishment will be severe.”
The twins strode out of the cafeteria, their entourage of meatheads following them.
I forced myself to return to my table and grab my bag. Don’t think about the blood crystal. Don’t think about it. Had it been a mistake to take it out of my bag and leave it in my dorm? Were the vamps about to search everyone? Could I run upstairs and quickly remove the crystal? No, I’d only draw attention to myself, and there was no guarantee that the twins or some guard wouldn’t search me. Maybe they were counting on the thief doing just that.
“You need to pick a class,” Lily said, nearly making me jump. I glanced over at her form, seeing she had picked German.
I wasn’t sure if I needed to have another class with Lily, but I knew that the last thing I wanted was to spend more time with Ms. Rutherford. Thus, I checked German, too.
The vampire guard collected our forms and handed us our timetable for the day.
Our first class of the day was PE, followed by the new language classes. As always, we switched out of our uniforms and into the tight, gray leotards, which I guessed Mr. Chad had selected himself. Since November had arrived, bringing with it freezing temperatures, we were allowed to wear leg warmers. I was grateful for that, even though putting them on made me feel like a sexualized 80s aerobics instructor.
When I entered the gym, I blinked at the new setup. About twenty silk contraptions hung from the ceiling. They looked a little bit like hammocks, but I seriously doubted they were there to help us relax.
I turned to gauge the reaction of the other fae, but they appeared just as clueless, their foreheads wrinkled, clasping their hands tightly together.
“Girls.” Mr. Chad slinked into the room, his lecherous gaze sliding over each of us, like he was in front of a yummy macaroons display. “It is highly important that you are graceful, no matter what major you end in.” He stepped in my direction, and I cringed. “It has come to my attention that despite everything I’ve taught you, some of you are still disgustingly clumsy.” Spittle landed on my cheek as he glared at Lily, and I squared my shoulders, not daring to do anything until he moved down the line. “I have thus decided to step up our lessons. Today, we’re working with silks.”
A woman in her early twenties stepped out from behind one of the silks. I hadn’t seen her before. Her strawberry-blonde hair was put into a
n elegant chignon, exposing her pointed ears. Another fae staff member. She wore a tight, baby blue unitard that covered her arms and legs but left almost nothing to the imagination.
Mr. Chad motioned to her, swiping his arm an inch from her breasts. “Candice is a highly sought-after courtesan. She will demonstrate the moves for you.”
I swallowed the bad taste in my mouth. No one dared to speak and uncomfortable silence hung in the air.
“We’ll start with a warm up.” Candice, who offered a toothpaste-advertising-smile, gripped the silk that reached to her hip bones and pushed it forward, stretching out her back.
Oh. At least we weren’t going to do anything humiliating yet. Even though the move gave Mr. Chad a prime view of our asses, I had to admit that it was amazing for my spine, the stretch exactly what I needed. Next, we put one of our feet into the sling and rotated it outward, working on our hamstrings. We repeated it on the other side before going to simple inversions. It felt great. Hanging upside down in the air, I felt safe in the silks and free. This was the most fun I’d had…well, since I had gotten to Nocturnal Academy.
Toward the end of the class, Candice had taught us a quick routine.
“Thank you,” Mr. Chad said. He clicked his pen. “I want you all to show me the routine, one by one. You’ll be graded for this. Ten percent of your total grade, so you better do well.”
I gulped. I had expected to perform, but with the others, not by myself. Since Lily and I were on the far right side of the line and Mr. Chad started from the left, we had to watch everyone before it was our turn.
Most of the fae did fairly well. Peony, of course, had to show off, pushing her chest out and making all the moves look like the silks were a man’s body she was gyrating against. I hoped she wasn’t giving Mr. Chad any ideas. Silks were fun, but I really didn’t want to learn pole dance next.
Virgie did a good job as well. Kristen was a bit clumsy, but when Mr. Chad corrected her posture, his hand nearly on her ass, she leaned into him, earning an A in the process.
Only three more girls until it was my turn.
The Nocturnal and Fae Prison Academy Boxset [A Complete Paranormal and Fantasy Series Boxset] Page 17
