by Meg Xuemei X
“Cass,” Hector warned behind me.
The fae captain wouldn’t want me to take any male’s arm or allow any man to touch me, because I belonged to his princes, and of course, his princes’ bond brothers.
I looked over my shoulder at my entourage. “Amber, you can ask Hector to help you carry those heavy books. His hands are empty, and we can put them to use. And you two are so lucky. You get to have a piece of His Grace’s cakes, too. Stay close to me, so you won’t get lost.”
Hector glared at me.
The class scattered, but many students tried to loiter close to us. Helmer remained behind. I hoped he was repenting.
I lay my fingers on Noah’s corded arm and drew in his energy. Noah snapped his head at me, his green eyes slightly narrowing.
Just then, Pyrder rushed toward us like golden lightning, tore me from Noah, and pulled me into his arms. With me wrapped under his shoulder, he wheeled and glared at Noah.
“Where were you taking my mate, Noah?” he snarled, his usually playful turquoise eyes turning to a burning amber that seared with jealous rage.
14
When an alpha male, like each of my mates, got into a jealous fit he could do a lot of damage. The last thing I wanted was for Pyrder to lunge at Noah, only to realize it was unnecessary. I didn’t want him to get into a bad situation, as I’d always gotten myself into.
And Noah’s hidden power should not be underestimated.
Ambrosia zoomed in behind her prince, and I gave her a disapproving stare. I’d wondered where she’d gone. There she was—running to get Pyrder when she’d thought I couldn’t manage in the class. Would they ever let me handle my own shit? I gotta talk to everyone seriously and sternly tonight.
“Your Highness,” Noah smiled in acknowledgment.
“His Grace Noah kindly offered to go over the curriculum with me in a bright sunroom, Pyrder,” I said before the fae prince completely exploded. “There’ll be tea and cakes. Amber and Hector were invited, too. I need cakes, Pyrder. I had the lousiest day today.”
Pyrder frowned at me, but his face softened. “What happened?”
“Why don’t we stop by the garden and get this sorted out?” Noah said, his voice musical, smooth, and diplomatic.
Pyrder nodded at Hector and Ambrosia. He didn’t want to draw attention to us as well. And like a miracle, the area cleared out in an instant, as Noah led us toward a small garden with mostly crimson blossoms outside the classrooms.
A few mage guards, dressed in black like ninja assassins, spread out on the perimeter. They were Noah’s men. Hector and Ambrosia merged with the team to stop bystanders from nearing us.
Pyrder focused on me and completely forgot that he’d wanted to twist Noah’s head off with his bare hands. We sat around a stone table in the center of the garden.
Amber hesitated on the cobblestone walkway, and I waved for her to sit beside me.
“There’ll be cakes later. His Grace Noah promised,” I told her, and she gingerly perched on my other side, hugging her books to her chest.
Noah didn’t object but smiled at me, which confirmed that cakes would be served.
I turned to Pyrder and he dipped his head closer to listen to me.
“First, a fae chick led a gang of ten, well, six, to be accurate, to crush into Amber.” I thumbed at the girl. “This is Amber. And then they called me freak. The fae chick threw Earth fire at me to melt my face, not knowing Earth and I are buddies.”
The veins jumped on Pyrder’s temples. I put my hand on his temples to sooth the veins. “I already handled it,” I offered. “No one can play fire with me. You know that, right, Pyrder?”
He gave me a doting look and kissed my eyebrow. I looked up at him with a brighter smile.
“And then what happened, Cass baby?”
“Then I gave her back her own fire, because I didn’t want people to think I was stingy. I don’t just take. I always give. The fae chick didn’t like her own fire and left screaming with her pals. It’ll take a while for her to grow her blonde hair back. Maybe she can find a witch to help her, but it’ll cost her an arm and a leg. Her family has old money, Pyrder. That’s what I heard.”
“Mellissa won’t drop the matter,” Amber said in a small voice. “She’ll come back with a powerful backup and hit us harder.”
“Really?” I asked, delightful light glinting in my eyes. I showed her a boxing stance before leaning back against Pyrder’s chest. “That’s fantastic.”
“Bring this Mellissa to me, Ambrosia,” Pyrder said, anger rising in him again. “I’ll have a word with her.”
“No, Pyrder. People will laugh at you if you get in between a catfight,” I said.
“This isn’t merely a catfight, Cass baby,” he grated. “A gang tried to hurt you and will try again. I won’t allow it.”
“You promised,” I said. “All of you promised to let me take care of my own shit. I need test subjects anyway. Challenges can only make me better. What’s that saying? Those who can’t kill you make you stronger? Finally we have volunteers, and you want to send them away?” Then an idea hit me, and my eyes rolled slowly as I did my calculation. “On second thought, I don’t know much about how the Academy operates.” I regarded Noah, hoping he would chime in. “We might need to get a couple of lawyers.”
“What do you need attorneys for, Cass?” Noah wanted to know.
“They’ll draw the contract for me, and I’ll get Mellissa and her minions to sign an agreement. If they attack, I won’t be responsible for damage to their persons or property. There won’t be any financial compensation for them, either.”
I didn’t have any money, but I had to protect my mates’ interests. They were all loaded.
Noah threw his head back and laughed.
I frowned at him.
“Get hold of yourself, Noah,” Pyrder hissed. “My mate isn’t here for your amusement.”
“No, of course not,” Noah said, wiping a tear from the corner of his green eyes. “I haven’t laughed for a long time. Cass is such a joy. It’s refreshing she doesn’t think like any of us.”
“She doesn’t need to think or act like any of us,” Pyrder said. “My brothers and I aren’t seeking to make her conform in any way. She is who she is. She’s unique, and she’s free and wild. We’ll do whatever we can in our power to make sure that she doesn’t need to change. Ever.”
Warmth swelled in my chest. I often thought Pyrder was the shallowest one among my mates, but he often surprised me.
Then I felt spells rise around us, forming walls. Magic pricked my skin. Just before I threw all my fire to burn the spells down and bolted, Pyrder pulled me tightly against him.
“It’s okay, Cass baby,” he said softly and kissed my temple. “They’re the sound barriers, so no one can eavesdrop on us.”
I gradually relaxed in Pyrder’s arms, especially after I discerned that the spells couldn’t confine me. I had a suspicious nature, which I couldn’t completely blame myself for, but I’d learned to trust my mates.
None of them would allow any harm to come to me or any cage to trap me.
Noah studied me with a piercing, curious gaze, but he didn’t inquire about my sudden antsiness. “Cass is the hope for all of us,” he said, light filling his gorgeous green eyes. “I’ll always support her and do whatever it takes to help her reach her potential.”
I almost rolled my eyes. Please don’t hand me another “Cass is the weapon” speech.
Pyrder’s blue eyes darkened and narrowed at Noah threateningly.
“You and your brothers aren’t the only ones who are resourceful,” Noah said softly over Pyrder’s ferocious look. “I understand your hesitation to present Cass to the Council, but eventually they need to know. We’ll bridge it together, and we’ll get Cass ready as expeditiously as possible.”
“Who’s your source?” Pyrder demanded. “And what exactly do you know?”
Noah sent Amber a glance.
I raised a hand. “I vouch for her.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have. I didn’t even know her but, somehow, I felt she was connected to me. Even though I thought she was full of shit thinking she was sent to guide me, I wanted her to be my first friend in the Academy.
Then the corner of my eye caught a movement at the edge of the garden. Rainer was here, and he was whispering to Ambrosia. She nodded, turned in our direction, and reached us in a blink.
Both vampires and fae were incredibly fast, but they moved differently. Fae used speed naturally, like they owned it; vampires, on the other hand, zoomed in on their targets as if they wanted to steal something quickly.
“Your Highness,” Ambrosia bowed to Pyrder, then to Noah. “Your Grace, Prince Reysalor and his bonded brothers would love to have you join them at Prince Pyrder’s Montage Suite.”
She didn’t bow to me. She didn’t ask me if I’d like to attend. She treated me as if I were merely the four powerful males’ woman. She thought—I bet even Pyrder and Noah also thought—I would just follow them like a leashed dog.
Fine. They could have their way, and I would attend to my own business.
“All right, the party is over,” I said. “And I was under the false impression there’d be cakes. That’s fine. Amber, pick up your books. We’re striking out on our own. You’re going to show me the library. I’ll need to carry a lot of books around from now on, since Noah promised not to let Helmer expel me.”
Then everyone talked at once.
“Helmer tried to expel you?” Pyrder said. “How dare he!”
“He tried to whip Cass,” Hector offered.
Pyrder clenched his fists. “I’ll kill him!”
“Helmer will be taken care of,” Noah said. “He won’t show his face again in the Academy.”
“That’s good,” I said. “The dude practices human sacrifice. One of you should investigate him and stop his dark practice. Amber, let’s go. Time is short.”
“Cass.” Ambrosia blinked rapidly. “You can’t run off. Your presence is required. That’s why His Highness and his bonded brothers invited—”
I wiggled a finger at her. “Woo-ha, don’t tell me what I can or can’t do. I’ll just tell you to fuck off. And if you don’t, I’ll make you understand what fuck off means.”
Ambrosia half-dropped her jaw, looking partly embarrassed and partly mad.
“You handled it poorly, Ambrosia,” Pyrder said. “My mate is an alpha in her bones. Take care with her next time.”
Noah watched us with interest. “There won’t be a meeting without you, Cass.”
“Liar,” I said with a smile. “You big boys don’t need me, so I’m going to do my girlie thing with my new friend.”
“C’mon, Cass baby,” Pyrder said. “Let’s go home.”
“Not yet,” I said, and grabbed Amber’s arm to push her along because she’d just frozen. “I’ll come home when I come home.”
“Cass—”
I didn’t want anyone to follow me. And with that in mind, suddenly I pulled Amber into a whirlwind in the sky. When I looked down, there was no one in sight.
Fuck, I’d just teleported and taken an unwilling passenger with me.
Amber screamed, and I screamed with her.
“Where are we, Cass?” she shouted.
“The fuck I know,” I yelled back. “But don’t panic.” And I screamed. “Help! Help!”
“We need to get down!” Amber shouted into the wind.
“Where’s down?” I shouted. “Fine, fine. Close your eyes.” I squeezed my eyes shut first and repeated, “Down. Down.”
Splash! When I screamed and opened my eyes, I was in the middle of the pool. Water splattered my face and soaked my hair. Amber dropped the next second beside me and made a bigger splash. Her books followed her into the water.
“Where are we?” I asked, wading in the water.
“We’re in the gym pool for elite students,” Amber said bitterly.
But there was no one around, except us.
I burst into laughter. “We’re the elites.”
“This is not a laughing matter, Cass,” Amber hissed. “You’re indeed a maniac. Oh, bloody sky, my books.” She waded toward a thick book half sunk in the water.
Just when I was about to dive in to rescue her books, Amber jerked backwards, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, and fell under the water.
I shot toward her, lightning fast, and pulled her out.
“Hold on,” I called. “Hold on.”
Her eyes turned glassy white, and an ancient Earth tongue poured out of her paling lips. This time, I paid attention to the old language and perceived its meaning.
“Stay away from water!” She repeated her prediction.
“Too late now,” I said. “We’re in the water, but I can get you out of here. Not a problem, bro.”
I wrapped an arm under her armpit and dragged her toward the bank. It was effortless on my part since I was very strong.
“Stay away from water,” she cried again.
“Chill, girl,” I said, and pushed her onto the bank before climbing onto dry land as well. “See, we’re out of the water.”
But I wanted to jump back into the pool for the elites. Why didn’t we take advantage and swim laps since we were already here? But I was hesitant to freak out my new friend, who might just end our budding friendship.
“Stay out of the water. Danger. Light. Water with the sound. Oh, gods,” she said it on the third time on a sigh before she rolled her eyes back to normal.
Amber blinked water out of her frenetic eyes. “I hate to prophesy in dangerous places. I could have drowned.”
“Nay, you got me, and I got you to safety.”
“What did I say?”
“You said to stay away from the shower,” I said. “That’s not going to happen.”
I hadn’t bathed when I was in my cage. I was done with being dirty and smelly, given that I now had four mates and would do everything in my power to keep them. So hygiene was a must.
“I love baths,” I emphasized, and I especially loved it when my mates bathed me.
And that scene made me blush just a little.
15
I lay down on Amber’s small bunk bed, my hands under my head, my feet crossed at the ankles, after I changed to Amber’s dry clothes.
She was nearly my height, but she was slender, and I was curvy. I could barely button the shirt around my chest. Now it looked like the buttons would break at any time and my breasts would burst out. My ass was also screaming in the tight pants.
Amber sat on a bed across from me, staring at me.
There were twenty or so beds in this bunk room. All the blankets were folded in the same fashion, wrinkleless, with angles and all that shit. It was amazing that this place was so tidy and spotless.
If I lived here, I’d have to learn to fold the blanket first, supposing my mates would let me, supposing the Academy wouldn’t kick me out with the next incident. After my trying day, I could almost see it coming.
“I can’t believe I teleported.” I chuckled. “I did it right under their noses. I just hope they didn’t panic and look for me all over the campus or tell me I’m ruthless when they finally find me.”
Amber didn’t look as thrilled and amused as I was. She looked worried. She always did. “I bet the whole Academy is looking for you now.”
“We’re here, aren’t we? What’s to look for?”
Amber sighed. “You don’t think like a normal person.”
That got me. My face darkened. I just didn’t know how a normal person really acted and reacted, and I wasn’t good at mimicking people.
Except for Jezebel, I hadn’t interacted with anyone while I was locked in that cage. Jezebel hadn’t spent much time with me, either. Sometimes I hadn’t seen her for weeks when she’d been in a cranky mood and forgotten to feed me. Besides, Jezebel wasn’t exactly the kind of role model I could learn from.
My first real interaction had been with Reysalor after two of my mates had
set me free from the cage. They’d accepted me right away, all four of them. None of them had judged me for social incompetence or the many other ways I was lacking. Instead, they went out of their way to make sure I didn’t change and had no need to. As Pyrder had said, they had no desire to have me conform. They liked the way I was. They didn’t want me to be like everyone else, and they didn’t want anyone else. They wanted me.
“I’m sorry, Cass. I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” Amber said. “You aren’t supposed to be normal. I’m just trying to figure you out. You’re a superhero, the savior of humanity. You just need to step into the role.”
“Fuck off, Amber. Don’t pull that superhero shit on me. I’m no superhero, and I don’t want the fucking burden. I can barely take care of myself. I irritate most people, and I constantly bug Boone for more cakes.”
“You don’t know how important you are,” she said. “I’m here to serve you. If it’s required, I’ll give my life for you without a blink.”
“Wow, wow, cut the crap,” I said. “I don’t want you or anyone to give their lives for me. I won’t be responsible for that heavy shit. I might not have conscience and humanity like you guys, but I don’t want my hands red, either. So just fuck off.”
“It won’t be up to you when the time comes,” she said softly. “It would be an honor for me to guide, serve, and die for you.”
This chick was stubborn and weird and crazy, and she thought I wasn’t normal? I shook my head. What kind of world had I come to?
“I don’t want you to do any of that dying, guiding, or serving bullshit,” I said. “All I want is for you to be my friend.”
“I already am,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “I felt I knew you even before I met you.”
It dawned on me that she’d been as lonely as I was when I was in the cage. Now I had four mates and our loyal warriors of mixed fae, vampires, and hybrids. But Amber had no one. Judging from the way Mellissa and her gang had bullied her, Amber was an outcast in the Academy.
She was no longer a pariah. She had me. I remembered how she’d thrown herself in front of me to take the whipping for me. I would never let anyone lay a finger on her again.
