by LJ Swallow
“Well, hello. What a pleasant surprise,” says Ivan warmly.
Oriana walks over to Ivan and kisses him.
My stomach lurches.
Kisses. Him.
Their kiss is brief, but definitely one between a couple who’ve kissed before, and I look away as Ivan slides his eyes to mine when his mouth is on hers.
“Everything okay, Eloise?” he asks as Oriana places herself on his knee. “You look... out of sorts.”
Ignoring him, I look between the other witches at the table. Ivan definitely pulled the more influential witches into his circle—including one of Dorian’s followers, Andy.
“Why are you in here?” I ask. “Classrooms are out of bounds.”
A girl with ginger curls snorts at me. “Like anybody cares.”
“I needed the right space to work in,” Ivan explains. “Plus, Francesca left useful items behind.”
I narrow my eyes. “Did she? How interesting.”
“Not her evil crystals,” he says with a laugh. “Her paints and pencils. I hear you enjoyed Francesca’s art class.”
I suppress a shudder at his reminder he can influence me, but I’m uncredulous at what I see. “You’ve all come here to paint?”
Ivan taps the book in front of him. “Francesca knew simple spells that don’t require much magic energy to perform.”
“I expect she did,” I say stiffly.
Bizarrely, witches sit around the table drawing with thick crayons as if they’re still in Francesca’s art class. I walk across and look down. Runic shapes are painted in black on a large sheet of white paper in the centre of the table and the witches diligently copy them, like young kids learning to write their ABCs.
I sit beside Oriana, who picks up a black crayon from a pile on the table and takes the blank sheet of paper Ivan slides towards her.
“What are you doing?” I ask him.
“Teaching.” Ivan smirks. “These witches missed out on a proper education at a Nightworld academy and they need to learn to protect themselves. We’re taught the basic runes when we’re young, but we’re restricted from learning more potent ones, which is unfair.”
“The restrictions stop witches attempting magic at Ravenhold,” I say.
He places his forearms on the table and leans forward. “Come on, Eloise. Everybody knows the cover up. Ravenhold screwed with kids’ heads and there’s magic around the academy. I’m teaching the witches how to channel this, before the magic ebbs.”
“And who gave you permission?” I retort.
Ivan chuckles. “Do you think I asked for permission?”
“Oh, good. If Angus discovers what you’re doing, you’ll end up in solitary. That suits me.” My mouth twitches into a smile.
Ivan shakes his head. “Nobody in this room will say anything. If Angus finds out, we’ll know who to look for.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Just a comment.”
I huff and watch what’s happening around me. This is crazy, like Ivan has a bunch of disciples.
Andy folds the paper and stands. He shoves his artwork into the back of his jeans pocket and nods at Ivan. “Do you have the paint?”
For a moment, Ivan’s face flickers with worry and he side-glances me before pointing at the crayons on the table. “We don’t need paint.”
“But I thought—" He pauses at Ivan’s subtle head shake. “Oh. Right. I’m done. Can I go?”
I blink. Andy asking for permission? He’s the closest the witches have to a leader and stands shoulder to shoulder with Dorian. Or he did.
“Sure, Ivan. We’ll meet tomorrow. I’ll let you know where later, in case prying eyes join us.” Andy gives me a false smile. “Invite only.”
“I thought since Eloise is your fiancée, you’d want her to join us,” says Oriana.
He pats her leg. “I told you, sweetheart, Eloise is fucking shifters. She won’t want any involvement.”
“With what?” I ask sharply.
“Plus, she’s the Trinity witch,” he adds.
All eyes in the room turn to me and my scalp prickles.
What runes is Ivan teaching them—and why?
Chapter Eighteen
ELOISE
I don’t need to wait long to discover Ivan’s game.
Runes begin appearing around the academy, black circles daubed on the ground or painted on walls. The guards grow more annoyed by their new daily task as they scrub the walls and floors clean. Each time the guards remove the runes, they reappear.
By the end of the week, pissed-off guards ignore the runes. Angus drags all the witches into a meeting and warns that those responsible will spend time in solitary, but nobody will admit who. His suspicion points at either me or Ivan, which annoys me. Can’t he see the coincidence between Ivan’s arrival and the mysterious runes?
I’m uneasy. Ivan won’t be able to hide his actions for long and he’ll need to put whatever he’s planning into action, if he intends to leave before he’s caught. This means I’m running out of time too.
But what are the runes for?
Ethan and Zeke create a pact to watch me, I’m sure, because I’m rarely alone. I sleep with Zeke for a few nights before protesting I need my own bed, since I get little sleep when I’m with him. Ethan doesn’t ask me to sleep with him, which again feels hurtful after our sex the other night. Admittedly, this pushes me closer to Zeke, but I make excuses to see Ethan alone.
Tonight, Zeke is with the shifters and attempting to bring some calm. Witches are still demanding to know who hurt Ivan, and tensions rise as the event is used as an excuse by those wanting to fight each other. The witches lose, as usual, but as the runes around the academy multiply, I’m wary about the witches’ new strength.
I'm late to dinner tonight, as I spent the last hour walking around the academy examining the runes, to see if I recognised any. Ivan is correct—we're taught basics at a young age and I spot some of those runes, but the more complex ones are unfamiliar. The simple runes I recognise are no more than 'add-ons' used to augment magic, so do nothing when used alone. What runic spell is Ivan attempting to amplify?
I’ve barely entered the long hallway from the residential wing to the main building when the yelling reaches me. Fresh runes are daubed on the wall and my stomach leaps as I see some are glowing red.
Picking up my pace, I arrive at the dining hall. A shifter stands on the table favoured by Zeke and his crew while Andy and Connor stand close by, arms crossed. The furious Andy’s face is bruised and his nose swollen. Kai step forwards with a snarl, but he hits a barrier that shocks him and he bounces backwards, yelping. This is similar magic to that used in the courtyard circle where I stood with Dorian that day, only this one leaves red welts on the shifters' skin.
More runes glow on the floor and surround the table in a circle. Other witches sit and jeer on the edge of other tables behind Andy and Connor.
I scout the room for the culprit—Ivan sits in a quiet corner watching but saying nothing.
"What's happening?" I ask an amused Oriana.
"See that kid?" She points at Kai, who now has marks seared across his skin. "He attacked Andy earlier and broke his nose—just like the one who attacked Ivan."
Kai. One of Zeke's right-hand guys. Shit. Did he punch a witch?
"But Andy can't use a spell! They'll both be in trouble."
"Nah, he'll be at the infirmary with burns," sneers Andy.
"You have to stop!" I demand, but he flicks me a disparaging look before returning to the amusing spectacle.
"Yeah, stop, you arseholes!" shouts Zeke from the doorway.
He marches over before attempting to scuff one of the runes with his foot, then takes a sharp breath. "What the fuck?" he shouts and steps back, causing more amusement as he hops on one foot.
Kai stands in the centre of the circle, breathing heavily as he glowers at the witches. "You'll regret this," he snarls through clenched teeth.
"Yeah?" Andy laughs.
&nbs
p; "Get rid of the fucking circle," snaps Zeke as he steps forward and looms over Andy, and his growing black pupils begin to obscure his furious eyes. "Now."
Andy looks him up and down then scoffs. "No."
Zeke snarls and closes the space between them. Fuck. I rush over and snatch Zeke's arm to pull him away. "Don't get involved."
He pulls his arm away. "They're my guys, El. Of course, I'm fucking involved."
My pulse picks up. "Don't touch anyone. This is Ivan—I told you about the runes.”
Zeke glances at Ivan in the corner, who gives him a small wave. "The fucker..."
I grab Zeke's arm for a second time as he steps in Ivan's direction. "No. Let this play out, Zeke."
"The guards aren't paying attention." He waves an arm at the impassive mid standing by the door, arms crossed. "Why not?"
"Waiting to intervene?" I ask. "Maybe another went to fetch Angus."
"Let me fucking go!" yells Kai.
The room drops into a sudden hush and I look over my shoulder. Dorian walks into the hall and straight up to Andy. He snatches his shirt. "Let the shifter go. Now."
"No."
"What did you say?" asks Dorian in a low voice.
"I said, no."
"You do as I fucking say." The menace in his tone lifts the hairs on my arms. "Or you'll earn yourself more than a punch from a shifter."
Andy peels Dorian's fingers from his shirt and my hand flies to my mouth when he shoves him. “Hands off, arsehole.”
Dorian's eyes blacken and he snatches the witch by the throat and throws him across the room. Andy crashes into the table where a group of shifters sit quietly in an attempt to keep out of the fray. "I said, tell your friends to let the shifter go," he shouts.
Andy picks himself up from the floor only to be knocked down again by a hit from Dorian's magic. The other witches’ amusement stops as blood begins to trickle from Andy's nose.
"Has everybody forgotten who the fuck I am?" Dorian shouts and spins around. "Did you miss the part where I regained enough power to deal with you all?" He clicks his fingers at the witch who stood with Andy and he stumbles to his knees.
"Not the witches. We're sick of how you treat us," puts in Oriana from where she sits beside Ivan, and Dorian spins to face her. Ivan drapes an arm across her shoulders and smirks as Dorian falters.
Dorian doesn't hurt girls. Ivan has a spokesperson.
With a sigh, Ivan crosses to Dorian. He meets him face to face; Ivan’s expression bored against Dorian's seething fury. "Don't worry. I'll help."
When Ivan pats Dorian’s shoulder, I cringe and wait for him to retaliate, but Dorian stares in shock. "What did you say?"
"Andy. Take the runes down," Ivan says, paying no more attention to Dorian. "I don't want any more trouble for my boys. Taunting shifters isn't a good idea."
"You sat and watched!" I retort.
He touches his chest. "I'm as shocked as everybody else. I didn't know what to do."
"Fucking arsehole," mutters Zeke beneath his breath. Then he says, "Do you know what trouble you've caused?"
"Me?" asks Ivan. "I didn't do this." He pauses. "But the witches do listen to me; I’ll fix the issue."
Dorian's jaw clenches as Ivan walks over to rub the rune with his foot, and the action doesn't affect him the way the rune hurt Zeke. He clicks his fingers and a couple of witches help Ivan scuff away the other runes.
"There. Now you can get down, Kai." The shifter lurches forward with a growl and Ivan holds his hand up. “But I must warn you not to retaliate. I apologise for my friends’ behaviour.”
I wait for the shout. The violence. For Dorian to unleash his wrath against the pretender for his crown. Instead, he whispers something in a grinning Ivan's ear who turns on his heel and walks away.
As Ivan passes me, he pauses and whispers, “Now I know how to trap a shifter.”
Tension chokes the atmosphere in the room filled with stunned students and many look to Dorian. Will he follow Ivan from the hall? Is this a new challenge to destabilise the academy?
There’s no longer any doubt that the runes are capable of magic; I hope those involved realise the consequences they could face.
Chapter Nineteen
DORIAN
Students arrive at Ravenhold regularly and the place fills, since few are rehabilitated enough to leave. Most kids immediately take their places within the race they belong to and blend in, aware that a hierarchy exists, and they need to toe the line. Sure, some new students push the boundaries, but they soon know who I am and how I’ve troops at my disposal. Nobody wants to go head-to-head with Dorian Blackwood.
But now there’s this guy.
Ivan Summerhill.
This witch achieved something that none dared to before—a hold over the other witches. I’ve watched him the last few days and witnessed my loyal witch followers drift towards him. I’ve power over the witches that’s easier to keep a hold on compared to the other races, because vampires and shifters are stronger. Although most abilities are subdued on the island, not all shifter strength is supernatural, and not all vampire charm is magical. Without magic, witches are the weakest of students—they have little else unless they’re physically strong.
Few witches fight back because they know that Dorian Blackwood takes witch blood and are unsure what this does to me. Their residual magic energy does little, but I’ve planted the seeds of worry. They think that each time I feed off a willing witch girl, my strength grows.
Oh, my wonderful friends, wait until Eloise’s blood hits my veins.
The performance in the dining hall earlier infuriated me. It's a long while since somebody challenged my authority, and anybody who does only tries once. This witch has no idea what he's dealing with if he thinks I'll allow such behaviour, especially in front of a crowd.
Ivan lounges in the common room now, sitting on a table with his feet on a chair. The group of witches around him listen and nod, as he speaks and draws on the table with a finger. Is Ivan teaching more runes? More trouble?
I’m ready to teach him a bigger lesson, although someone already beat seven shades out of him, his face bruised and eye swollen. Zeke? Ivan was damn rude about Eloise in class, and I’ve seen how protective Zeke is. The charming bastard was Eloise’s saviour when stuck on the island with her. Nicely done, Ravenhold—put a guy between me and the Trinity witch to distract her from my charms.
Ivan is part of somebody’s plans too, and I need to figure out whether that ‘somebody’ is within or outside the academy.
I also need to warn the fucker to back off the witches and learn his place.
Few shifters or vamps are in the common room tonight, and the witches look at me impassively as I lean against the doorframe. One whispers to Ivan, who looks up. I jerk my head towards the door, indicating he should come with me, but the arsehole looks away again.
Anger flaring, I head over. "We need to talk, fuckwit."
He lifts his eyes and chuckles at the word. "What about?"
"You know damn well what about."
"I'm busy." Ivan looks away.
The fury running through me grows. “What happened to your face, witch? You know I can do worse than that."
He shrugs without looking at me.
“Ivan won’t say,” says Andy, who at least has the sense to appear worried by my arrival.
I purse my lips. “My bet’s on Zeke. Why didn't you tell someone and get the guy sent to solitary? He’ll be out of your way for good.”
Ivan lifts his eyes. “And yours? That would help you too.”
“He’s no barrier to me. Neither are you.”
“But he is. Zeke’s fucking the girl you want.” Ivan smiles and winces as his cut lip pulls tight.
“Eloise will come to her senses.”
Ivan snorts. “Uh huh.”
The witches gathered with Ivan watch the exchange. This guy seriously needs putting in his place. “You wanted to talk to me the day you arrived. I’m ready now.�
� The arsehole chuckles at me and I reach out and lean into his face. “Now.”
Our eyes meet in challenge and I sigh. Zeke once tried this shit with me and experienced the consequences; now it’s Ivan’s turn.
Finally, Ivan stands. He points to the opposite end of the room, where there’s an orange armchair and beaten-up red sofa, filthy and covered in empty junk food packets that some students get weekly from the mainland. What a waste of privileges.
“I’m not stupid enough to go somewhere private with you, Dorian.”
I run my tongue along my teeth. “You can’t avoid that situation forever.”
“I won’t need to.” Ivan walks over and flops into the armchair, one leg across his knee as he beckons.
Oh, man. This dickhead has more than a broken face coming.
Eloise told me Ivan is similar to me in personality, but I don’t appreciate comparison to anybody. I look behind the injured face in an attempt to see what attracted Eloise. Yeah, some girls would be attracted to his average looks, especially as he carries himself with the air of somebody influential. He's the kind of guy girls feel honoured to get attention from.
Did Eloise fall for that charm? I can’t see how, but the girl does have weird tastes, and she likes danger too.
Sitting opposite Ivan on the sofa, I rest my forearms on my knees and glare at him. “I don’t like you.”
“And I care, why?” he asks languorously.
“Because I run this academy. You were really fucking stupid to talk back to me earlier.”
Ivan shakes his head. “I told you; I’m here to help. That’s why you’re going to be nice to me, Dorian Blackwood.”
My mouth drops open in shock. The only other person who’s dared address me like this is Eloise. “Did you not hear what I said?”
