“What do you need?” I ask, my heartbeat echoing in my ears. Is it possible that he got more attractive since the last time I rested my eyes upon him? He runs his hand through his thick mane and looks at me with vibrant hazel eyes.
“I need you to understand. We can’t split up when we get back,” he says cryptically. There is evidently something more he needs to tell me, but either he can’t or he won’t.
“Do you think this won’t work?” I ask, demanding to know his reasoning.
“I don’t know how to explain. The spell should work, but that’s not what I’m worried about,” he says.
“Kole, just tell me what’s on your mind,” I say, grabbing his arm instinctively.
“I can’t,” he explodes, anger oozing from him. He lifts both arms above his head and looks to the sky as I take a small step away from him. He sucks in a deep breath. “Do you know that vampires don’t mate or connect unless they have found their soulmate?” He asks. I merely nod. “I would only ever show interest in someone if they were my soulmate.” I look at my feet dismally. I don’t know why I thought he would want me. He’s too busy looking for his soulmate. But I am still unclear. Why would he show an interest in me if I am not his soulmate?
“I understand,” I say with a small, sad smile.
He is standing at an angle and his mark peeks from his shirt. I feel drawn to it. It’s almost as though I need to see it. He has seen mine after all—though he will never be able to tell me what he had seen. It is forbidden by the Headmaster and nobody would dare stand against him.
“You do?” He asks, pulling his arms back to his side and taking a step closer.
“Yes, I do. You are looking for your soulmate. That’s what I want you to do,” I say. Kole’s eyes are hooded and a growl erupts from the back of his throat. “Plus, I’m a mermaid. What are the odds you and I would ever be anything more than friends?” I ask.
“God, Snow,” he says. I take off in a slow jog to catch up with the rest of the team, trying to ignore being blatantly rejected. Is my mild attraction really so obvious? As a group, we come upon the academy doors and I look at them proudly. We did it. I glance at Kole, who caught up with the group seconds after me. His lips are pulled into a tight line and I can’t bear to look at them.
The front door swings open quickly and I smile up at the Headmaster, whose face is pale and distressed. My smile immediately seizes. “What is it,” I ask, rushing through the doors.
“The Elite magician is dead,” he says. “We must hurry.”
I follow behind the Headmaster and allow him to lead us through the corridors. Kole, once again, is right beside me. I wish he would allow me to get over my unreciprocated feelings for him, but he doesn’t understand personal space.
We enter through his office doors and take in the horrifying sight. There is no blood or gore, but the magician is sitting at an awkward angle, head turned in a way that should not be possible. His face is pale and I’m sure he is cold to the touch. Everything around the magician is destroyed. I cover my mouth with my hand and stare at the scene in shock.
“We can still do the spell, right?” Laithe asks anxiously. Something about his tone makes me turn my head and scowl at him. The spell holds little relevance if the magician who was planning on doing it is dead.
“We can’t,” the Headmaster says. “All the materials were destroyed.”
I walk toward the body of the murdered magician and look down at him. “Does he look oddly positioned to you?” I ask nobody in particular.
“Yeah, his head is doing a one-eighty,” Laithe says sarcastically. I shake my head and stare at him for a moment. Both Keagan and Kole look at the man and take a step in his direction. Domino stands beside the door with Laithe, but while Laithe looks as though he doesn’t care, Domino looks sick.
“Get Domino out of here,” I say to nobody in particular.
“Come with me, Miss. Elvy,” The Headmaster says, pulling her into his side and leaving the room. I am happy that he took Domino.
I watch as Kole examines the body alongside Keagan. Kole reaches into the magician’s pocket and pulls out a slip of paper. He scrutinizes the contents and his eyebrows shoot up. We make subtle eye contact and he drags his hand down my opened palm, which goes completely unnoticed by Keagan. I feel the slip of paper between his fingers and accept it greedily. I make my way around the back of the chair and open the paper from the magician’s pocket. The contents of the note fill me with fear and dread.
Assassin is Headmaster and Commander is Elite.
Chapter 9
I look at Kole and bite my bottom lip, unsure of how to handle the situation. I turn my attention to Keagan, who seems to be examining the body and looking for any sort of clue. He may be rough around the edges, but he seems genuinely curious as to who killed the magician. Domino is far too innocent to have done such a thing. I turn my attention to Laithe, who is watching us with an unsympathetic expression. It has to be him. It takes me a moment to process the impending danger, but once I do, I come to an awful realization.
Domino is with the Headmaster—the assassin.
“I need a minute,” I say, acting as if the body sickens me. I spring up and run past Laithe and into the hallway. I don’t give anybody a chance to follow me as I run through the corridors. “Domino,” I shout down the hall, but she doesn’t answer. A few people open their doors to see what’s happening, but I don’t acknowledge them.
“Snow, what’s going on?” Coral asks, running down the hallway. “Why are you screaming?”
“No time to explain. I need to find Domino,” I say. “Domino,” I shout.
“Domino,” Coral shouts, still noticeably confused. I hear a ruckus from a room on the right and barge in. Domino is standing beside the Headmaster.
“Come here, Domino,” I say urgently. “He is the assassin,” I elaborate. She looks up at him and then back to me with a terrified look. “Run.”
Just like I requested, she runs in my direction and the Headmaster looks at us with a wicked grin. He takes a step in our direction and I slam the door between us and take off in the opposite direction. Fighting an assassin is hopeless. They are invincible and only able to control themselves if their commanders are killed or magically separated from them. “Why are we running from the Headmaster, Snow?” Coral asks urgently. I dodge students spread throughout the hallway and take as many sporadic turns as I am able. Domino switches forms and lands on my shoulder. “And why are we helping a fairy?”
“Long story,” I say, winded. “Headmaster is an assassin and the commander wants us dead.”
“Snow,” Domino screams in my ear. I halt in my tracks when I notice Laithe running in my direction with fury evident in his eyes. Could today get any worse? I instinctively throw my leg out and manage to push him into the wall and continue running past. Coral is no longer behind me, but she has nothing to do with the situation, so it’s for the best.
I am running hard and fast. After seconds of sprinting, I am pulled into a small nook and pressed tightly into the wall. I meet a pair of hazel eyes and hold unfathomably still. I open my mouth to say something, but Kole’s finger covers my lips and he blocks my body with his, fully encompassing me. I watch as Laithe runs by as quickly as I had been before, not paying us any attention.
I don’t notice I am holding my breath until he finally passes and I release the air. “Thanks,” I say breathlessly. He looks into my eyes and I become exceedingly aware of our close proximity. His breath fans over my nose and I smell his natural scent, which proves to be appealing to my senses. Frankly, everything about him entices me.
He leans into me and my attraction multiplies. When our lips are mere centimeters apart and our breathing is laced together, Domino clears her throat from my shoulder and I’m shaken from whatever trance I was put into. “Now really isn’t the time, guys,” she scolds.
“You’re right,” I whisper. Kole takes a small step back and allows me to ease past him, brushing his t
oned stomach along the way. “Okay,” I say, trying to break myself of the trance I was in only seconds ago. “We need to get away from this or we’ll all be killed. It looks like leaving the school is the only option,” I say.
“Let’s go,” Kole says. I feel moisture soaking through my sleeve and I assume Domino is crying.
We scurry down the hallway in the direction opposite of Laithe. Kole leads and I follow behind, Domino hiding behind my hair. “Hey, Kole,” I say. He looks back at me and I wring my fingers. “What happened to Keagan?” I ask, afraid to know the answer.
He looks at the floor. “I don’t really know. I hope he got out,” he says.
“Isn’t it funny how we just risked our lives to get these ingredients and we’re not even using them?” I rant. I can’t convince myself to be quiet in such a stressful situation.
It’s my fault that I distracted him, because when the Headmaster comes around the corner, Kole is entirely unprepared for the attack. When the Headmaster grabs Kole and drags him backward, my fight or flight instinct kicks into overdrive. Today the fight instinct wins.
Chapter 10
I pounce forward and tackle the Headmaster away from Kole. I know Kole wouldn’t have been able to do anything from his position, so I take it in my own hands. As the Headmaster and I crumble to the floor, Kole becomes an afterthought. Why did I just risk my life to save a man I hadn’t met once before today? And why is all hell breaking loose on my birthday?
A strong hand tangles in my hair and pulls me toward the nearest door, so I instinctively kick everything around me, hoping to eliminate the threat. My eyes fill with tears and I feel locks of my bleach blonde hair rip from my scalp. I open my mouth in a silent scream. Kole chases after me and Domino picks herself up from the ground. I must have flung her from my shoulder when I went for Kole.
When my hair is released, I jump from the ground and run to the opposite side of the room. Kole and Domino join me as we stare at the Headmaster. I hold the back of my head where my hair was yanked from my head and groan in pain. Kole pulls me to his side and I push Domino behind me protectively.
It’s a three-on-one stare down until the sprinklers spring to life. I fall to the floor, legs no longer present. My long, heavy tail squirms beneath me and the Headmaster takes a step forward. Behind him, a black haired Laithe steps through the door. I soak the water into my skin and it gives me strength. “Do you even know what you look like?” I ask Laithe, irritated by his constant change of appearance.
“I avoid mirrors,” he says with a cold smile. “So I’m sure you are all dying to know why I’m doing this, am I right?” He asks.
“Not really. Where is Keagan,” Kole asks from above me.
“He got lucky. That Keagan is a survivor if I must say. Humans had taken his eye before he got here, but that didn’t stop him. He escaped before I could get to him. He won’t be coming back. He wanted out from the start,” Laithe hisses. “Now I only have to kill three of you.” My eyes widen and I ball my fists, ready for a fight.
Kole runs across the room at full speed toward Laithe and I’m left alone, facing the Headmaster. He takes a step forward, taking advantage of my weakened state. I try to scoot backward, knowing that I currently have no leg function.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Laithe says, looking past Kole and into my eyes. The Headmaster picks me up with an arm around my neck and another around my waist as though I weigh nothing. Without my tail, I weigh about one-hundred and ten pounds. With the tail, I weigh well over two hundred. Mermaid tails are heavy and long. They are full of solid muscle. “One wrong move and I will snap her neck,” Laithe begins, “or rather the Headmaster. It’s basically the same thing at this point.”
I realize that Domino is no longer behind us and I hope that she has a plan. Without her, I don’t know how we will get out of this situation. “Does he even know what he’s doing?” I ask angrily. The Headmaster tightens his grip slightly and I grab at his arm. It’s more uncomfortable than painful, but I don’t like the compromising position.
“To answer your question, Snow, he does not know what he’s doing. Do you want to know what’s different between us and most duos?” He asks rhetorically. “With the Headmaster, I don’t need to speak my commands. I just think them,” He says with pride evident in his voice.
I’ve heard of assassins who are controlled on a cellular level by their counterparts. It is actually quite common, but Laithe acts as though he has made an astronomical accomplishment. I try to think my way out of this situation, but no matter what we do, there isn’t an outcome that will secure our safety. “You’re sick,” Kole says, venom oozing from his voice.
I jerk backward when Laithe’s eyes become a fiery red and he grows fangs, much like vampires do when preparing for a fight. He bulks up and swings his arm at Kole, who takes the hit standing. I’m sure the jab didn’t even tickle Kole, but he looks absolutely furious that Laithe would try.
And when Laithe looks in my direction, I am terrified.
The grip around my throat tightens immensely and I can’t catch even the smallest tendril of air. I claw at the Headmaster’s arm, but know it won’t do any good. “Stop. Stop hurting her,” Kole shouts in agony. The grip doesn’t loosen and I open my mouth, trying to find oxygen.
“Say you’re sorry,” Laithe says. My vision is blurry and turning black, but I hear the teasing in his tone. I pray he lets me go.
“I’m sorry, Laithe. Just let her go,” Kole pleads. I imagine it’s the closest to begging Kole has ever come. My hearing begins to fade and the pressure around my neck does not seize. I feel myself spasm, but can no longer control my limbs as they drop to my side.
“I’m not cruel, but it’s due punishment to kill her first. She seems to be the most intelligent of all of us Elites. She’s my toughest competition,” Laithe says. I miss the tail of his sentence as my ears go out of focus. The pressure in my head is overwhelming and I try to hold onto consciousness—I really do—but I lose my grip and fall headfirst into the pit of darkness.
Chapter 11
I don’t think I was unconscious more than a few seconds. I drop to the ground and inhale as much oxygen as my lungs will allow. I look at the scene unwinding before me. Domino stands with a mirror in her hand, holding it to Laithe’s face. He looks equally mesmerized and horrified by the reflection. Kole springs from his knees and places Laithe in the same hold in which he had me.
He whispers something into Laithe’s ear. Laithe begins struggling against Kole, but it is useless. By the time my breath finally evens, Laithe stops and the Headmaster falls to the ground beside me. The sprinklers were off when I awoke and my tail transforms into a pair of human legs. I realize I must have been out far longer than a few seconds if the water managed to drain so quickly. As a mermaid, my body absorbs any water near me and I dry far quicker than average, so it would have only taken a few minutes to switch back into my human form.
Kole drops Laithe to the ground and runs to my side. Domino follows closely behind. He falls to his knees and pulls me into his lap, holding me as close to him as humanly possible. No words are spoken as Domino grabs my hand and we accept one another’s comfort. It takes me a moment to realize that Kole’s shirt has slashes and holes all throughout, so there is one less barrier between us.
“I almost lost you,” he whispers into my hair, kissing the top of my head affectionately. I curl into him and allow the warmth of his body to seep into me. As a mermaid I am cold blooded. Vampires are more coldblooded than most, but their body temperature is still rather warm in comparison to ours. And after they feed on human blood, which they do only a few times a year, their body temperatures rise exponentially.
I almost forgot about the other presence in the room and I turn to Domino. “Honey, are you all right?” I ask, looking into her nearly black eyes. Her dark brown hair falls over her face and she nods. She will undoubtedly be scarred by this situation, but at least we are all alive.
“I hea
rd him say that he doesn’t like mirrors, so I went and found one,” she says. I guess it distracted him long enough to save you,” she smiles.
“I see you three have stopped the assassin,” the Headmaster says proudly.
We nod and I pull myself to my feet, Kole’s arm never leaving my waist. “Did you know it was you? Why did he do this?” Domino asks.
“I did not know it was me, Miss. Elvy. Will you all follow me back to my office?” The Headmaster asks kindly. I take a peek at Laithe, who is still unconscious on the floor.
We each step over his body and the Headmaster whispers an incantation to Laithe’s body and it disappears. I don’t bother asking where the monster had gone. The wooden paneled hallways look completely different after everything that had just happened. I push myself further into Kole, knowing that my fears will subside if he is close enough.
We enter the Headmaster’s office and I take a seat. Kole remains standing and peels his shredded shirt from his body, still facing me. Domino stands directly behind him.
“So did he not mention his motive?” The Headmaster asks. We all shake our heads. “Well, if you haven’t heard by now, I am leaving Edmund’s Academy for a few years to assist in building another academy just like this. This year, I was planning on choosing an Elite to temporarily take over as the Headmaster or Headmistress. I don’t know how Laithe heard about the opportunity, but the power drove him to madness,” he says. I notice that the Headmaster called Laithe by his actual name. He stripped it of any form of respectful title. “But because of your accomplishments, each of you will run your own sectors of the academy while I am gone. If you accept, you will all three be in charge and can remain with us for as long as you would like.”
“Of course,” I answer immediately.
Kole merely nods and Domino jumps up and down excitedly. It is a great honor to receive this position, especially as a twelve-year-old.
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