Petra’s eyes widened. “She is dead. I killed her.”
Sharp gasps filled the gym. Petra had killed a fellow Summer Court fae, an unforgivable crime. A crime punishable by death. She was no better than me.
“You will spend the rest of your life in misery,” Lady Cardinal shouted, flashing her fangs.
Thorsten lifted his chin. “Headmistress Cardinal, how shall this fae be punished?”
“The dungeons. Indefinitely.” The headmistress showed her fangs. “Physical damage is allowed until the Summer Court makes reparations.”
Mr. Chad licked his lips and adjusted his pants again. I bet he had fantasies about violating a princess.
“No!” Petra shouted. “I didn’t come here to hurt you. I came here to investigate my brother’s disappearance. He’s either been kidnapped or...murdered.” Her voice broke on the last word. “My father will destroy you all if you had a hand in killing him.”
Headmistress Cardinal’s nostrils flared. “How dare you call us foolish or careless! If Preston has gotten himself killed, it was his own fault. We took the best care of him.” She snapped her fingers, and Thorsten wrenched Petra’s neck to the side. Petra froze as he sank his fangs into her neck. Blood spurted out, and my stomach turned. Thorsten slurped, and bile rose in my throat. Hunger and satisfaction filled his eyes. This was the Thorsten I might see one day up close. The Thorsten who would come for me and take what he was owed.
“That is enough,” Lady Cardinal said, snapping her fingers. “We don’t want to give her a quick death. That’s too good for a cheating rat like her. I’ll contact the Summer Court and see what they want to do about her and what they’re prepared to give us in exchange for her. For now, take her to the dungeons.”
Petra’s head lolled forward and she groaned, weak. Even a royal couldn’t stand up to the vamps.
I held in my sigh of relief as Thorsten dragged her out of the room, a few guards following. Petra had come very close to revealing me, and there was the chance that she still could. Thorsten shot me one last unreadable look as he pushed open the gym door and exited the room. A bit of blood lingered at the corner of his lips.
Then he was gone.
“That was close,” Virgie whispered in my ear.
I didn’t dare to react. Not with Headmistress Cardinal and Mr. Chad still in the room.
“Students,” she said, facing us. “ Nocturnal Academy will launch a full investigation of this situation. We will get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearance of Preston Kallan and figure out whether the Summer Court knew about Petra’s unacceptable actions. If any of you know anything, you are to come forward, or you shall suffer beside Petra in the dungeons.”
20
Despite a dangerous imposter sneaking into the academy, our term progressed as planned.
I didn’t know what the Summer Court would do once they heard about Petra’s recklessness and that Preston was missing, but with the finals coming up, I had bigger things to worry about. Plus, I doubted the Summer Court would’ve ever welcomed me seeing as I was a Winter Court descendant. As for their wrath, I wasn’t too worried about it. It had been difficult for them to get into the academy before, and their chances had drastically diminished with the vamps increasing the number of guards at the academy after the Petra incident
Studying took up the next few days, and I struggled to focus as I waited for Lady Cardinal and her guards to burst through the doors of Lord Sullivan’s class to snatch me. All Petra had to do was out me if they allowed her to talk in the dungeons. Thorsten must’ve been working in the background, ensuring that didn’t happen, and the longer I remained in my classes, the more certain I got that my suspicion was the case.
No matter what was happening, Lily and I woke to our ringing alarm on the day of the Placement Tests. The time for us to be assigned into majors had come. This was my only chance to get out of the courtesan category. It was a small chance, but better than nothing.
“Ready?” Lily gave me a smile as she straightened the collar of her white shirt.
I put on my blazer and checked myself in the mirror. My purple hair was pulled into an elegant shoulder braid, and for once, my school uniform didn’t feel oppressive but like an outfit that gave me credibility.
Like the first breakfast of the school year, this one took place in the grand ballroom. I expected to be subjected to more humiliation when I entered, but there was no expensive caviar and champagne for the vamp students, and no disgusting oatmeal for us. We all got served bacon, hash browns, and assorted fruit.
My guess was that this show of equality had been put on for the dozen of stern-looking men and women that sat at a long table with Headmistress Cardinal and the other teachers. All were vamps, and the men wore expensive Brooks Brothers suits while the women all looked as if they’d come from the country club. Even the vamp students on the other side of the ballroom sat straight and acted politely, showing deference.
“Who are they?” I asked Virgie.
“Some are teachers from other academies and others are high-ranking vamps.” Virgie took a sip of her coffee.
“And they don’t approve of us being humiliated?” I asked, slathering on the doubt.
Virgie chuckled. “Don’t be silly. They just want us to eat properly so that we perform accurately. They want to make sure they and their friends will get exactly what they’re paying for.”
“So some of them will be buying our contracts?” Lily sat up straighter.
Virgie nodded. “Yes, so if you see someone showing interest in you, be polite. They might become your future employer. If you impress them, they might pay you more or give you better terms.”
No pressure, then. I tried not to worry too much about who’d buy me and how I’d make myself stand out as a competent secretary or assistant, instead of being appraised for my sexual skills.
The gong rang, and the fae all rose as Lady Cardinal motioned to us. The silent fae servants quickly cleaned away our plates while the vamp guards, about twenty, carried away our desks and tables with efficient speed. Our half of the room was empty within minutes, while the other side where the vamps sat remained as it was before. Wonderful. They’d get to enjoy a languid breakfast while watching the entertainment.
I wished at least our vamp classmates would leave. I had known there would be witnesses during the tests, but to have Kassius, Kayden, Mei, and the other nasty vamps watch and judge us was unnecessary.
When the guards were done, Lord Sullivan pointed his stick at us and counted, assigning us each a number and giving us a sticker to attach to our blazers. He wagged the stick at me. “Ninety-eight,” he said to me. He pointed at Virgie and Lily behind me. “Ninety-nine and one-hundred.”
I put on my sticker and glanced around, trying to figure out who was ninety-seven and thus going before me. I got the answer when a skinny figure strode up to me, her hazel eyes blazing with hate and blonde curls bouncing. Peony was still beautiful, but now her features were more angular, her skin paler. Her waist belonged to an emaciated wasp. She had lost about ten pounds. She was too skinny, yet her skinniness could still be considered beautiful if one was into sick things like that. What punishments had she endured in the dungeons because of me?
My stomach turned over.
“Onyx.” Peony pronounced my name as a death threat.
My knees trembled, and I leaned against Virgie as Peony glared at her former friend. On the other side of Peony, Lily bit her lip. Was Peony going to expose me in front of everyone?
Virgie whispered into my ear, “You’ll be fine. Any kind of drama will diminish our contracts and our chances to get good ranking.”
I nodded. Today, I was safe from Peony. At least, safe in the way that she wouldn’t make a public accusation. There were still plenty of other ways in which she could play dirty and trip me up. She’d lost her ranking in Nocturnal Academy and would be desperate to get it back.
Headmistress Cardinal stepped forward in the middle of the room
and said in an authoritative voice, “Students, there will be three parts to the Placement Tests. First, magic. Second, service. Third, entertainment. We will be starting with a plant magic display. You will all have thirty seconds to show us your extent or lack of magic.”
I swallowed hard, not looking forward to making myself appear helpless and undesirable.
One by one, we went, each of us being presented with a tiny potted plant on a rolling table. Most of us weren’t able to do anything. Peony’s brows scrunched up in concentration when it was her turn. The plant shot up, its leaves doubling in size, and red flowers bloomed, opening up.
Goosebumps raced down my legs, and ice tingled at my fingertips at the flowers as I remembered Petra’s attack.
“Miss Onyx.” Thorsten motioned me forward, and I felt equal parts relief and panic at him being our MC. I wanted to ask him about Petra’s fate, but now wasn’t the time.
I stepped forward, ushering my magic to a point deep within me as I looked at the new, tiny plant that had been brought out for me. It felt like I was up there forever, staring at the plant, waving my hands and doing nothing.
Finally, Thorsten announced my results. “Time up. Miss Onyx, number ninety-eight. No magic.”
A few of the vamps snickered. I swallowed and hurried away not meeting anyone’s gaze.
“Number ninety-nine,” Thorsten announced, silencing the noise.
Virgie and Lily came after me, also not demonstrating a lick of magic.
The new vamps, meanwhile, took notes, whispering our worth to one another. Some pointed. Others nodded and shook their heads. I would’ve been annoyed about being treated like cattle if I hadn’t been worried about scoring top marks. The vamps had done it. They had finally broken me. I wanted to fit in, be a good girl, be part of their messed up system.
“Thank you, everyone,” Headmistress Cardinal said in a polite manner I wasn’t used to. “This concludes our first part. Students, we will announce the one with the top marks in this section shortly.” She turned to the vamp guards. “Meanwhile, please set up for the second part—service.”
Here was where I could shine. The vamps brought in a table and two chairs. But then Lord Sullivan and Mr. Chad took the seats. I groaned. We were going to serve them? Great. I’d never get high marks on this one either, especially since I’d ignored Mr. Chad after exposing Petra.
Meanwhile, two vamp guards pulled a curtain from an electronic scoreboard which flashed with names and numbers, displaying our ranking for the first part of the Placement Tests.
I bit my lip hard. Even though it was no surprise, it still hurt seeing my name at the bottom while Peony’s was at the top.
Since our numbers remained the same, Peony went once again before me. I expected her to do well, but as she carried two heavy bowls of soup, they sloshed over, splashing Lord Sullivan’s and Mr. Chad’s crisp, white shirts.
“I’m so sorry.” Peony flushed as she handed Lord Sullivan a napkin while Mr. Chad leaned back, letting Peony dab away the mess. She was lucky the soup hadn’t landed on his pants. But why had she spilled it in the first place? I glanced past her and toward our audience. The twins were smirking, talking to each other. In Kayden’s hand was a pinkish-red ball. The blood crystal. They were using it to trip us up, and Peony had no doubt been looking at them, silently offering to make everything up to them. The twins were taking revenge.
Were they furious with me? After being interrupted by Thorsten before they could have their way with me, they were probably planning to make me fail. I couldn’t fall for it. I had to be strong. I had triumphed over the blood crystal once, and I could do it again.
“Number ninety-eight, Miss Onyx,” Thorsten announced, and I squared my shoulders and pasted a smile on my face.
“Good evening, Lord Sullivan and Mr. Chad.” I dropped into a low curtsy, which I realized gave Mr. Chad an all-too-good view of my chest. “I’ll be assisting you tonight. What may I bring you?”
Lord Sullivan smiled. “A bottle of champagne with two glasses. You may open it here.”
A shiver darted over my skin as I remembered making Mei’s sparkling water can explode. Was this payback?
“Certainly.” I dropped into another curtsy and scurried out of the room, where the fae servants waited for us in the corridor.
Outside the ballroom, a fae servant gave me an expectant look, lifting one eyebrow.
“I need a bottle of champagne and two flutes.” How would I open it? I had never done so before, which Lord Sullivan was probably counting on to give me low marks. How had I done the wine bottle? Shit, I couldn’t remember. This had to be similar.
The fae returned with my items and shoved them into my hands. “Good luck.” He forced a smile.
“Thanks, you wouldn’t know how—”
“I’m not allowed to help you,” he said, cutting me off.
My heart sank. I hadn’t thought so, but it was worth a try. Back in the ballroom, I put the two flutes down before the teachers, then took a deep breath, trying to remember what the waiters had done at the beginning of the term when they had served champagne to the vamp students. I’d practiced my phone voice, carrying trays, even polishing silver. But not this.
“Open the bottle, Miss Onyx. We don’t have all day. Unless you don’t know how to.” Lord Sullivan gave me a cruel smirk.
I smiled back. I could do this. I wasn’t a klutz unless I wanted to be. If I could hang upside down and perform circus tricks in Mr. Chad’s class and summon ice at will, I sure as hell could open a stupid champagne bottle.
Taking a deep breath, I loosened the cage around the cork. Holding the bottle at an angle, I started to rotate the base of the champagne bottle, holding the cork and cage firmly. Slowly, the cork pushed out with a nice pop. In the corner of my vision, the twins shifted, and I showed them my back, avoiding the blood crystal.
I poured champagne into both flutes with grace, then refilled them as the bubbles died down. Lord Sullivan’s face fell in disappointment as I stepped away and offered another curtsy. The vamps at the table scribbled on their notepads. None shook their heads.
“Task completed. Miss Virgie, number ninety-nine,” Thorsten called out.
As I walked past Virgie, I exchanged a smile with her. She too performed well, lining up the silverware in the correct fashion around the plates.
It was only when both Virgie and Lily had successfully finished their serving that I remembered about the twins. I glanced over at them and found them both staring at me, whispering something. I bit my lip. Had they not messed with me because they planned to use their “niceness” as leverage to get me alone later tonight?
Before I could worry further, Headmistress Cardinal announced, “The scores for the first and second round have now been combined to reflect the current ranking of the fae students.”
Holding my breath, I searched for my name on the board. My heart swelled. I wasn’t at the bottom anymore. I was in the middle. And Peony was only a few spots above me. Virgie was two above hers, and Lily ranked a few below me.
“Please set up for the entertainment part,” Headmistress Cardinal continued.
Lord Sullivan and Mr. Chad rejoined the other high-ranking vamps at their table, while the fae servants cleaned the floor and rolled in a piano. Others carried in violins and other instruments. I’d seen some of the other fae practicing after school hours, the corridor outside the Home Decor room filled with broken classical tunes.
“For this part, you will either sing, play an instrument, or dance.” Headmistress Cardinal let her gaze sweep across all of us. “While your ranking is of the utmost importance, be advised that it does not guarantee a position. The discretion of who gets assigned what position lies with our two judges.” She nodded at the two men sitting in the center of her table. “Lord Gregory Vulthus and Lord Griffin Steinberg.”
Time stopped, and a wave of dizziness washed over me. We were being judged by Blair’s sadistic master and Thorsten’s sire? What the hell
?
I dared to glance in Thorsten’s direction. He stood just as tall as always, a broad statue of strength, his face impenetrable, as if he didn’t care that all eyes were now on him. He hadn’t interacted with his sire, hadn’t shown any indication of knowing him.
I squinted, trying to see the features of the two vamps, who held our destiny in their hands, but they were sitting in the shadows. As always, the vamps’ identities were protected, while we fae were exposed by bright light.
Why had Headmistress Cardinal waited until now to reveal the names of our judges I shook my head. It didn’t matter why. The vamps always played games. Since I was on the chessboard, unable to escape, I better make sure that I was the pawn that reached the other side to transform into the queen.
21
Peony’s hands trembled by her sides as she eyed the piano. The twins’ table was in front of it, which would give them the opportunity to trip her up again. Peony was normally quite good on the piano, as was Virgie, but given the paleness of her face and her lack of recent practice, I guessed she wouldn’t be as confident as usual after her stint in the dungeons.
“I can’t play well,” Lily whispered, leaning around the back of Peony.
“Then dance,” I blurted. Lily had practiced some with us in Home Decor and she wasn’t too bad.
“All students will be tested during two performances,” Lady Cardinal continued. “The first performance will involve the choir and various instruments seen here. During the second performance, Peony will play the piano while the rest of you dance. Our judges have chosen the pieces. First is an old favorite of Lord Griffin Steinberg’s. You will perform Requiem: Lacrimosa dies illa.”
I gulped. I hadn’t practiced much on the violin, and I still couldn’t tell a soprano from a tenor, so I’d join the singers and blend in. Virgie seated herself beside the violin with a few others, including Kristin, while Lily stood beside me. “I can’t sing,” she squeaked.
The Nocturnal and Fae Prison Academy Boxset [A Complete Paranormal and Fantasy Series Boxset] Page 24
