I hadn’t forgiven him, but I figured if I wanted to ask him for something my best bet was faux niceness.
“You do whatever you’ve got to do, but maybe I can ask one tiny favour?” Say yes.
“Sure?” Ryder replied, the butterflies in my stomach becoming so active as he gazed at me that I could have hurled.
“Can you try and direct whatever attitude you have towards me? I can handle whatever you have to do, and I’d rather deal with it than let you mess with la mia famiglia.” My family. It was a risk trusting Ryder not to say anything to the Heirs, but I was willing to try if it meant getting some heat off my sister’s backs.
Laina was too delicate to be picked on and Kaida was one wrong step away from detonation already; I was strong enough for any hare-brained scheme a few spoilt teenagers came up with and more than willing to take most of the blast. That was what I had always done. Except for when Kaida got there first.
“See, this is why I felt like I had to say something to you.” Ryder muttered. “Everything in your file reminded me of my friend Seb.”
I didn’t know how I felt being compared to a boy, but I figured that if he found something he liked in me then that was a good start for me getting him on team Dari.
“Who’s Seb?” I asked hesitantly.
“We went here together before we both joined the guard. He was my best friend, and he was amazing and loyal to the very end; even when everybody thought he wouldn’t do much because of his criminal past.”
He has a thing for criminals, nice to know.
“What happened to him?” I didn’t know if asking more questions was the right thing to do, but I was curious as to why Ryder carried a torch for his friend so bad that he was willing to be nice to me after a few shared traits.
Turned out Seth had sacrificed himself to save Ryder’s life nine months prior, and that was not something people in this realm usually did. The creatures here were fundamentally selfish; not a good sign for the outcome of the next couple years.
“Especially considering he was a Werewolf; our classes aren’t usually friends let alone willing to die for each other.”
Ryder shook his head and jumped back to his feet, putting his mask back into place.
“Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry I guess, and that I am willing to offer some assistance on the down low as an apology.”
“Would you consider telling your brother to lay off Kaida as a way of apology?” Worth a shot.
“I can ask, but don’t get your hopes up. Cal’s a stubborn little asshole when he wants something.”
Ryder picked up what I presumed was my Portal from the bedside table and began typing, before turning the screen round to face me.
“This app is where you can find all the information you didn’t get; classes, history and basically anything that there is to do with your family. There’s way more than even I know but I figured it would help you guys feel like you aren’t drowning.”
The app in question seemed to be a giant archive of books, articles, pictures and more about everything and anything to do with Superno Academy and our family. It would take weeks to even push a dent into it, but it was the thing we most needed here.
We would never stop drowning, as Ryder called it, unless we somehow found the information needed for us to swim.
“Thanks for this Vampiro…” I whispered, taking the portal back off him with shaky hands. “I’m glad you’re not a complete waste of oxygen.”
Our fingers brushed for the briefest moment and my entire body tingled with electricity. Ryder stared at me silently, narrowing his eyes as he thought about whatever stupid thing was inside his pretty head. Get out my room before I do something I regret… maybe having those cocktails earlier hadn’t been such a good idea.
“You’re welcome Dari. Remember not to breathe a word of it or else I’ll have to have you for dinner.”
He bared his fangs at me, the huge smile on his face making them seem less harsh. Was it a thing for all Vampires to be cocky and attractive or was it only this particular one who could make my knees weak without doing a damn thing?
“I have no objections to letting you eat me.” I said sweetly, trying so hard to act like I didn’t notice the double meaning to my words. Definitely had too much to drink.
Ryder balked, moving to open the door with his Vampire speed.
“I’ll send you a message when your stipend is ready, and you can start spending it.” He sped off with a frown on his face, irritating me more than his asshole behaviour. I hadn’t been flirting with him really, it was just the alcohol making me a little less cautious, but his reaction to it made me flinch a little in embarrassment that I had no choice but to shrug off.
I wasn’t low on confidence by any means, but he didn’t need to look so disturbed by me. I just prayed he could take a joke as I settled into my bed for the evening, perfectly content to gorge myself on information until school tomorrow and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. Not that it would be so difficult considering it sort of hadn’t existed until today…
Kaida
What’s the time? I need to get a clock. I wonder if Dari slept okay. I could do with a run; is it six am yet? This bed is nice even if it’s not really mine. I bet Laina loved having her own bed. I need to find out what time it is. If this room was made by a Seer, why did they not give me any clocks?
The demons in my head woke me up without the need for my alarm, my routine so engrained into my DNA that it somehow knew when it was time for me to come back to the land of the living.
I hadn’t bothered to check out my new Portal device last night on account of never being a huge fan of technology, and not wanting to bother either of my sisters with the frivolous task of explaining it to me. Dari had come to check out my room and explain how it was made, but she had been too tired to stay for a lengthy chat.
With a drained sigh I rolled over to the side of my brand-new Queen-sized bed that was closest to the door, almost tipping myself off the edge when I couldn’t quite remember where it stopped. I had never seen a bed quite so big in my life and wondered whether it had been a custom build, or if I was just so used to terrible things, I was overthinking something entirely normal.
The frame was thick, quilted black velvet, with at least six inches of space around each side of the mattress. The headboard went halfway up the back wall that it rested against, the bottom of the bed sticking out just enough for me to sit on when I decided to get dressed.
It was completely extravagant, and I absolutely loved it. The rest of the room had the same sort of furniture that a dorm did, think desk, drawers, and extra chair. But each one was made of dark wood, velvets and screamed of extravagance that I knew I could get used to eventually.
The walls were a luscious burnt red that matched the oversized fluffy rug covering up the almost black floorboards. A giant gold ornate mirror hung opposite the bed, low enough that I could see myself lying down and standing up. Not that I wanted to stare at myself.
Décor had been kept to a bare minimum and the only light that wasn’t false came from the glass panel in the balcony door; even the window was covered with thick quilted curtains. It was my personal gothic heaven and I never wanted to leave.
Unfortunately, my routine waited for no woman, and I had fifteen minutes to get ready for my morning run. I didn’t know if I would be able to get my afternoon run in so I certainly couldn’t be late for this one.
It was bad enough I didn’t know where anything was in this room yet and had no clue which way I could run to still fit the correct time, distance, and steps in. Stupid school with its stupid lack of roads and signs. How they expect me to get around without becoming lost is beyond me.
With a shake of my head and a couple stretches I continued my day. There was a small toilet room (they could have given me a shower in all honesty and let me avoid the mess of a shared one) and another door that led to a closet that was far too big.
Most of the rails
were empty and alone, apart from one carrying my outfits from home, one which hung a few thick winter coats and jackets, and another with the already provided school uniform.
Uniforms themselves were not an issue for me; I thrived on the idea of wearing the same things and having all students do it too. But the specific choice of uniform was not the ideal outfit for me at all.
There were generic black blazers with the school’s name embroidered in glittery silver thread, white blouses in various styles, knee high white socks with matching pairs in black and finally, red, white, and black checked skirts that didn’t look like they would cover my ass let alone reach my knees.
I stifled a groan that quickly turned to a laugh when I realised Dari would be losing her shit as soon as she laid eyes on what she was supposed to wear every day. The thought of her reaction amused me a little.
I would be fine once I had found some tights to cover my legs, but Dari would have no possibility to turn the uniform into anything different that she would approve of. When tomorrow hit and we couldn’t wear our own clothes I had the distinct feeling there would be a moody Princess prowling the campus and terrifying anyone who dared look at her funny.
I yanked a gym outfit off the hangers and quickly changed, taking only the briefest moment to braid my hair and wash my face. The toilet room had a shelf filled to the brim with an assortment of beauty and make up products that I would be checking out later when I had spare time.
Our collection of makeup at home had been extremely limited and I was excited to push the boundaries and try new things in the one aspect of my life that I could. My need for structure and routine didn’t seem fazed by makeup or hair, so long as everything was neat and done well, I could change the colour and style as I pleased.
Satisfied that I was ready and conscious of the clock in my head heading toward six, I grabbed my headphones and Portal and headed downstairs.
It turned out Spotify was still a thing here and as soon as I figured out how to turn the infernal Portal device on, I was able to easily log into my account and find my running approved playlist. To be frank I think I would rather have died a thousand painful deaths than figure out the right combination of songs for my morning cardio again.
The common room was silent, so I took the risk it was empty as I quickly moved towards the kitchen, hoping to get a drink in before I left. There were two minutes before I needed to go; I did not have time for the mammoth distraction waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
Xavier’s head snapped up at my arrival, his bottomless eyes entrapping me like he was a lion, and I was nothing more than a lamb here for slaughter. I froze, unconsciously tugging the sleeves of my shirt down to make sure they covered all my arm.
Xavier’s thick hair had been scraped back from his face to a low bun and he was topless, in nothing but a pair of Nike shorts and matching shoes. The white of his clothes showcased his olive skin that stretched tight over his abs and the tantalising V line of muscle which was disappearing beneath his waistband. Of course, he has a V line.
He blinked a couple times and coughed, no doubt as unsure as I was over this weird morning meeting.
“What are you doing up so early?” He asked, pausing with his protein shake halfway to his lips as he clocked my stare.
I wasn’t comfortable being in his presence, but I found it less stressful than normal. Maybe because he hadn’t been the one to attack me yesterday, but instead had offered me help – even if it was help I didn’t want.
“Running. What about you ragazzo uccelo?” Bird boy. I replied politely, pretending he hadn’t caught me checking him out.
I had less than a minute to get a glass of water and leave, so even if he were sin embodied Xavier would not distract me and make me late. I was never tardy, especially over something as pointless as a man.
“I'm running too.” He replied, watching me like a hawk as I downed half a glass and tightened my shoes. I could have sworn he was hiding a smirk behind his thumb.
“Cool.”
I didn’t give Xavier time to respond; I was out the door like a greyhound, the satisfying slap of my feet on the floor calming me for the first time since I had arrived at this ridiculous school. These sixty minutes I had each day were one of the only things in my life I truly cherished, and no matter what realm I was in, I would continue to stick to my routine as best as I could. No distractions.
The sounds of Debussy blocked out the world and I allowed myself two quick glances at the beautiful sunrise, before concentrating on nothing but the ground beneath me. Each step I took was counted as I was careful to go no more than a jog along the path, refusing to stray towards the unknown woods.
Three songs in and I was only just beginning to sweat; it was probably best if I added in some extra time for longer runs or else I would become bored of the ease of it. The idea of changing the length of time for my cardio was making me anxious as hell, but the thought of being bored whilst running seemed like a worse option.
Embarrassingly it took me almost half the run to notice the hulking figure trailing me a couple feet behind; no doubt due to the fact I was busy planning how to fix my routine for the better. Xavier was jogging slightly slower than I, careful to keep his distance despite his long legs being able to overtake me if he so chose.
I turned my head back to him and he saluted me, a smirk on his mouth that I returned.
“Race you to the Green Room.” He shouted, before bolting off in a flash and leaving me in a trail of dust.
Competition coursed through my blood - I loved winning – and I followed Xavier as best as I could, forcing myself to push more than normal. I hadn’t run full speed in so long that it took me a moment to readjust to the feeling of the world blurring by in a haze of green and blue.
I vaguely remembered the way to the Green Room but as I had only travelled from there once during a meltdown, I hadn’t been able to calculate the steps and best route to take.
By the time I arrived Xavier was leaning against the wall of the building as he relaxed as though he had been standing there all day.
“Beat you Kat.” He laughed; all trace of arrogance vanished from his features so that he looked like an innocent little boy.
“Barely.” I replied breathlessly, ignoring his use of my fake name, “I didn’t know the route!” He shrugged his broad shoulders, pointing out that a win was still a win regardless. He’s a cheat but he’s right.
I bent over to my knees allowing the sweet burn of air into my desperate lungs. I only needed a minute to compose myself before offering up another chance for me to win. The way back to our dorm was now burned in my mind and I knew I would be able to get there before Xavier this time. He doesn’t know I tracked every step.
“Okay you won this one. Race you back?” I asked, counting to three when Xavier nodded in agreement.
“Go!” I yelled, dipping away down the path towards our rooms.
Xavier was on my tail the entire way back, almost overtaking me at one bend but having to pull back with a groan when I sped up a little more. I could hear him breathing heavy and the faint trace of music from his headphones as he was hot on my heels. When we were at the last stretch with the dorms in our sight, I heard him curse under his breath, and for a dreadful moment he almost took me again.
With a final push of my burning limbs, I reached victory, shouting in joy when I arrived at the wall of our home barely two seconds before Xavier did.
I squealed in delight at my win, loving the fact that a mere ‘mortal’ like me had beaten him on only my second try.
“Guess I won.” I smirked, feeling happier than I had last night.
“I guess you did.” Xavier replied, holding his hand out for a high five, “Not bad for someone who is essentially Human.”
For a second, I was normal, unable to remember all the reasons I had to be terrified being alone with a strange man, the pride inside me at winning overtaking everything else.
“I am not human ragazzo u
ccello, I’m apparently a fae.”
I scoffed at Xavier, tapping my hand to his so fast he didn’t notice the flinch my body automatically gave out.
“I haven’t got the plague.” He said, noticing it anyway.
“Don’t take it personal; I don’t like people touching me. Or me touching them.”
Why the fuck did I just tell him that?!
“Why?” He asked curiously, his dark brow raised and a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.
“Germs.” I lied, hoping my face didn’t betray me. Xavier simply rolled his eyes and opened the door without another word, surprising me when he held it open for me to go through first.
“Thanks.” I sighed, heading up the stairs in front of him ready for my coffee and shower.
“You’re welcome Kat.”
I didn’t bother correcting him; Xavier knew what my real name was he was choosing not to use it, and I was too mature to rise to that bait yet. When I could beat him in a fight then I would call him out, but until then I had to grin and bear it.
Besides, he hadn’t done anything to upset me yet; he had offered me help last night when his friend had hurt me. It was hardly fair to go picking a fight with the one of only two Heirs who hadn’t actively engaged in the pathetic behaviour of his friend group. He stood by whilst his friends did it though, so let’s not pretend he is entirely innocent.
CONVICTION OF THE DAMNED: SUPERNO ACADEMY BOOK ONE Page 10
