“The last girl that fell in love with Cade, Melody Ackerman, went missing. She was found dead in the enchanted gardens. They say Bethanny lured her out there,” said Audrey
“Audrey do yourself a favor and stop listening to gossip. Your time here will be smoother and less stressful.”
I opened the door for them. Audrey snorted as she walked out behind Ivy. Closing the door, I ran smack into a wall of muscles. The man’s chest was massive. Looking up my eyes widened when piercing blue eyes met mine. This man wasn’t a student. There was something about him that spoke of sex appeal. His gruff beard did nothing to detract from his gorgeous face. He was stunning. I’m sure he was a teacher or someone of importance and I’m sure I was drooling.
Stepping back, I looked up. “Excuse me.” I tried to step around him and waved for Ivy and Audrey to follow me, but they didn’t move.
“Arianna Deeds, I’m Liam Moretti, the headmaster here at the academy. I hope Audrey isn’t scaring you already on your first day,” said Liam.
“It’s nice to meet you. We were just heading to the advisor’s office so that I can obtain my schedule and get a bite to eat.”
“There’s no need to go to the advisor’s office. I have placed Cade in charge of showing you the ropes and getting you up to speed,” said Liam.
“I’m sure he would rather run through fire after being doused in gasoline. I’m a quick learner and Audrey is getting me up to speed.”
“Ms. Deeds it wasn’t up for discussion. Cade will help you.”
“Are you punishing me because of my sister? I thought when I left home and came to the academy I would be judged on my own merits and abilities and not punished for my sister’s deeds.”
The gasp from Audrey and Ivy didn’t quell my temper or my feelings. I’m tired of being treated badly based on Kyra’s actions. I’m my own person and for once, I want to be treated as such. “I mean no disrespect but last night my sister left me defenseless on an abandoned side of town with rabid werewolves thirsting for my blood, all because she wanted to be a student here.”
“Wow. My sister can’t stand me, but she wouldn’t leave me to die,” said Audrey. She backed up when Liam cut his eyes at her.
“I would never punish you for another’s actions. I know that you are special, and I seek to develop you. Why did you think this was a punishment,” asked Liam?
“How can the hired help teach me my role in defending the weak?” I hunched my shoulders and threw up my hands.
“Who told you Cade was the hired help?” asked Liam.
“He did. He said that he was nothing special and that he wasn’t a student here. He told me that he cleans the floors.”
Audrey’s laughing in the corner didn’t calm me down. Ivy’s eyes were round as she looked at Audrey who was almost on the ground with her laughter.
“Cade isn’t the hired help. He cleans the floors because he is a germaphobe who suffers from insomnia. He is one of the most powerful beings in this building which is why he isn’t a student,” said Liam.
“Thank you, for your consideration. I don’t think I’m special, but I will work harder than anyone here to make sure I don’t fail you.”
“Great. Your work begins now. Where is Kyra?”
“I don’t know. She left class to go to your office.” I looked at Audrey and Ivy. They each looked at each other and frowned. Kyra couldn’t be so stupid to think that she could stay here and avoid him. Sometimes I don’t know what goes on in her head.
“She’s doing her best to avoid me, and it was amusing the first night. She will meet me sooner or later. For her benefit, it had better be soon,” said Liam. “Do you want to explain why Maximus was in your room last night?”
“Kyra impersonated me and brought him to the room, but she didn’t expect me to be there. When he turned her down, she threatened to say that he slept with her. I asked him to leave and he left.”
“Maximus was in your room. Did nothing I say mean anything to you? You trusted him in your room?” asked Cade.
He strolled up and stood beside Liam. The tick in his face emphasized how he clenched his jaw. His fists were balled-up at his side and his green eyes had turned the color of dark green clouds.
“I didn’t invite him there.” I crossed my arms. Cade acted like I invited the man here. I can understand that he’s upset about Letoya, but after what I witnessed last night with Maximus and Kyra, I’m not so sure that we know the whole story on what happened between those two.
“He violated the truce. He doesn’t honor the truce, so I won’t either,” said Cade. He stormed down the hall.
“I forbid you to leave these walls. Come here,” said Liam. He didn’t turn toward Cade as he stared me down.
“You said he’d rather be doused in gasoline. Do you still believe that nonsense?” Liam arched his eyebrow at me and sighed.
Cade prowled toward me. “You owe me a favor and I hoped not to ask this of you, but you force my hand,” said Cade. He looked at Liam at with his jaw clenched.
“Stop. It’s not his fault. Kyra lured him into my room. No man would’ve been able to resist what she so blatantly offered. She is to blame.” I looked from Liam to Cade. Kyra wasn’t even here, and she was ruining lives.
“I’ve told Maximus that I’m not interested in him and that won’t change. Calm down, he didn’t touch me inappropriately.” Is this about the safety of the school or me? Cade is more upset than Liam is, and I don’t know why. Liam is just standing there. He needs to do something.
“I know he kissed you.” Cade tossed the words out of his mouth like a vial of poison. He looked like a tortured animal being electrocuted by a sadist.
“How did you know that? I was scared in the woods at night that the werewolves would come back and finish me off.” I grabbed his hand. He flinched like I shocked him and stepped back.
“I’m sure he promised you that no werewolves would touch you. How can you take up for a man, who can’t tell the difference between you and your sister?”
“You have reasons to hate him. I get it. You talk as if he’s my boyfriend, but you overestimate his appeal.”
“It’s safe to say Maximus failed that test big time,” said Liam.
“You probably can’t tell us apart either,” I mumbled. I don’t know why that bothers me so much. Most people can’t tell Kyra and me apart. It has never really bothered me before, but it bothers me that Cade thinks he can.
Cade walked toward me until my back was up against the wall. His hand gripped my chin as he lifted my face to his. I could smell the ocean scent on him and my eyes closed briefly. He leaned down and his breath tickled my ear. “Wrong, princess. When she offered herself to me, while calling herself you, I was man enough to turn her down.”
“How did you know she wasn’t me?” Butterflies somersaulted in the pit of my stomach. I could barely draw a breath as my heart raced in my chest.
“You love Shakespeare and when I rattled off a Shakespearean sonnet, she had never heard it before. Meet me here in two hours,” said Cade.
“Why?”
“Your training begins tonight.” Cade walked away.
“Your sister gets around,” said Audrey. She leaned against the wall.
“How come you didn’t tell me Maximus was in your room last night?” asked Audrey. She led the way to the cafeteria. I grabbed her arm before she opened the double doors.
“It’s not a big deal. Can we talk about something else before the rest of the school knows he was there too?”
“I gossip. I know I have a problem with it, but I’m loyal to my friends. I consider you and Ivy my new friends. This place is a lonely scary place without friends,” said Audrey.
“It’s nice to have friends. At my old school, I was stuffed in the locker every day before first period. I debated suicide but eventually found my talent in drawing,” said Ivy.
“We have each other now we’ll never be lonely again. If someone tries to toss you into a locker or somet
hing, I’ll punch him.” Smiling, I followed them through the double doors.
The cafeteria was different from my school’s cafeteria. It was the size of a mall and it had several different lines of people standing everywhere. The school didn’t look like it held this many students. I can’t help but notice that the girls looked like they are thirty-five while I still look twelve. Peeping down at my chest I wished my breasts would’ve grown. Luckily, I don’t need a nice rack to save humans and keep people safe.
I’m short, so I can’t see over Ivy’s and Audrey’s shoulders. I’m not sure what line I’m in or what to expect but I hope it’s not turkey. My appetite has calmed down since I saw Cade. My mind won’t get over how he backed me up against the wall or what it felt like to have his hand on my face.
“Earth to Arianna. Do you want pizza, tossed Greek salad or chicken fettuccini alfredo?” asked Audrey. She placed fettuccini on her plate and got two pieces of bread from the center plate.
“I’ll have the salad.”
“Is salad going to be enough? The café closes at three and you might have to spar with Cade. You’ll probably need your energy,” said Audrey.
‘I’ll be fine. I don’t think I can eat right now anyway.”
“I’d never eat again if he touched my chin like he did yours. I wanted to swoon for you,” said Ivy. She placed her hand over her heart and leaned against the metal rails.
“Do they have sodas here? I haven’t had a sugary drink in forever.” I’m parched but every time I think about Cade my stomach drops. It’s not just his looks, even though he’s beyond handsome, it’s something about him that gets to me.
“Yes. The school lives outside of the world’s rules on some things, with the understanding that the school has its own rules, but when we are outside, we focus on the government’s rules,” said Audrey.
‘I’m going to love school here,’ said Ivy. She walked over and grabbed two sodas off the rack and placed one on her tray and the other on mine.
We followed Audrey to an empty table in the center of the floor. She passed ten empty tables before settling on this one. Placing my tray down, I slid on the bench. I would’ve like to sit off to the side instead of in the middle of the floor.
The doubles doors slammed. Turning around, I saw Bethanny and two other girls flanking her side. I’m not surprised that even in the crowd Bethanny forced herself to stand out. She was the kind of girl that was starved for attention.
“Why don’t we sit off to the side instead of this table in the middle of the floor.” I looked at Ivy; she nodded?
My nerves were frazzled. The last thing I needed was Bethanny and her crew harassing me. Cade is handsome and I’m sure that I am not the only girl who’s noticed that, but she has singled me out. How did I make an enemy so quick?
“It would be nice to blend in for once instead of sticking out in the crowd,” said Ivy. She looked past me and spotted Bethanny and her girls.
“We’re angels we don’t blend in. We were created to stand out. This school will help both of you with your confidence,” said Audrey.
“Bethanny intends to ruin your life. You can’t hide from her, so just ignore her.” Audrey shoveled a spoonful of pasta in her mouth.
“We should exchange numbers so that we can call each other sometimes and meet up. This school is big, but there’s safety in numbers,” said Ivy. She pulled out her phone, opened her contacts and passed it to me.
“Good idea.” I put my number in her phone then passed her phone to Audrey.
“Call us after your training session. We want to know what happens,” said Audrey.
My phone rang. I looked at Ivy.
“This is my number,” said Ivy.
“I’ve got it saved.”
Bethanny burst out laughing. She was the loudest girl in here. Her friends snickered and pointed behind her. I turned around toward the double doors and there was Cade.
He moved quietly through the crowd stopping every now and then to shake hands with some guys. His all-black outfit was simple yet sexy. The stone-washed gray jeans looked amazing on his tall lanky legs and his curly hair was slicked to the back in a low ponytail.
“He’s so hot in a scary way,” said Ivy.
“That’s why Bethanny has lost her mind over him,” said Audrey.
“If she dated him maybe she isn’t over him. He looks hard to forget,” said Ivy.
“They never dated. The only girl he ever took an interest in was Melody Ackerman,” said Audrey.
A sharp pain sliced through my chest and my stomach rocked. This wasn’t the time to get sick. I’m out of my element and I have made an enemy made on the first day. I need all the advantages I could get. I forked some salad in my mouth. He’s a guy and guys date girls all the time. Some guys dated guys and some guys dated guys and girls.
“Who was Melody Ackerman again,” asked Ivy?
“She was the girl found dead and people say that Bethanny did it. Nothing was ever proven but I wouldn’t date him no matter how fine he is. I want to live,” said Audrey.
Bethanny can’t just be running around the academy killing people. Bullies never win. I’m not going to let her bully me. “Who are her enemies?”
“You. I don’t know of anyone else that stood up to her beside Melody. I told you how that ended,” said Audrey
How could Bethanny not have any enemies? Her attitude alone would make people not like her. Bullies always have people who hate them. She couldn’t be any different. I can’t win for losing and between Kyra and Bethanny. I’m screwed.
“Sometimes your enemies don’t broadcast their disdain for you.” I pushed the salad away from me.
“Don’t look now but Cade is coming over here,” said Audrey.
My hair was a mess. I hope he’s not going to make a scene. If I’m lucky Bethanny will have left the cafeteria to terrorize some other poor soul. I’m not going to look for her. She’ll only bully me more.
“He really likes you. What are you going to do about Bethanny?” asked Ivy. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and folded it in her plate.
“I hope you had some protein with that salad. You’re going to need it because I’m not going to go easy on you,” said Cade.
“I have more than enough energy to handle anything you throw my way.”
He sat beside me and grabbed a cherry tomato off my plate. “I hope you do. Liam has sent out a search party looking for your sister.”
Frowning, I looked at Audrey. “I didn’t think this place was big enough to need a search party.”
He shook his head. “She’s not on school grounds. Wherever she is, I hope she stays there,” said Cade
“Do you guys live around here,” asked Ivy.
“Nope. We live far from here.”
“Her stuff was still in the room. It looked like she was getting ready for a date,” said Audrey.
“Kyra wears makeup all the time not just on dates. She doesn’t leave the house without having makeup on.”
He studied me. “I’m glad you don’t wear makeup.”
“How do you know I don’t wear makeup?” Ignoring the tingling rushing up my spine I raised my eyebrow at him. He kills me, acting like he knows so much about me.
“If you wore makeup you would’ve shown up to class with it on.” He looked at his watch.
“It’s time. Let’s go.” He stood and waited for me.
“I’ll see you later.” I grabbed my trash and tossed it in the huge gray trash container.
“I’ll call you later,” said Audrey. She pointed at Cade’s butt and fanned herself. Ivy giggled and covered her mouth.
My stomach rocked as I followed him through the double doors. I breathed a sigh of relief. The corridor was much quieter and the students were preoccupied. Pulling out my phone, I checked my text messages. Mom still hadn’t called me, and I didn’t know what to say. I’m sure she was missing us and just giving us time to settle in. There was a chance Kyra wasn’t at home and mom knew n
othing about the trouble Kyra has caused at the academy. It would be selfish for me to tell her just because I’m stressed. Mom has dealt with enough over the years with Kyra pulling stunt after stunt and constantly getting into trouble.
“Are you expecting a call?”
Stepping back from him I looked up from my phone.
“Yes, but it’s ok.” I slipped the phone into my pocket.
“I get it. You won’t be the first girl to lose her head over him.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “I’m expecting a call from my mom. She said she’d call when she thought I was settled and I guess I’m just missing her.”
His ears turned pink and he took off his jacket. “Show me your power. Every angel has their own unique magical capabilities and those that are learned.”
“I don’t know if I have any powers. I was hit by lightning.” I hunched my shoulders.
“So, you can control the elements. Neat. Let’s take this lesson outside just in case you need motivation.” He turned around and headed toward the door.
The wind blew my hair in my eyes as soon as I stepped outside. The torch lights around the cobblestone appear gold, and the aroma of fresh roses filled my nose. Tipping my head back, I closed my eyes.
“Try to feel the world around you and then move with it.”
Breathing deep, I cleared my mind. Opening my eyes and gazing at the sky, I focused on the sky. My heart raced but I didn’t feel any different. After a few minutes, I looked at him.
“This isn’t working. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. How do we know that I wasn’t randomly hit by lightning?”
“Your eyes turned purple a minute ago and the thunder roared. I’m sure you heard it.”
“This is so new to me. I feel lost. That night on my eighteen birthday I didn’t know what happened to me.” I sat down on the step and placed my head in my hands. How am I going to fight demons when I can’t channel my power?
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”
“I feel a little lost.” I stood up. There was no reason to stay out here, and I didn’t need anyone else to stumble upon us watching me failing fast. I headed to the door.
Shape Shifter’s Demons in the Mist: Angel Academy Page 19
