“I am glad I was able to destroy that horrible school,” Caleb said, breaking the silence.
My jaw dropped. “You blew up Nocturnal Academy?”
“Yes, the troops who rescued the students were mine.” Sadness filled Caleb’s voice. “Many of them died doing what was right, what my father refused to do himself. He is not the forgiving type. Before we blew up the school, I talked to Father, and he said we couldn’t risk purchasing you from Nocturnal Academy ourselves.” Caleb gave me an apologetic smile. “Not that you’re an object that can be bought. I simply wanted to bring you home as soon as possible.”
Warmth filled my chest. Caleb was genuine. He didn’t hate us earthbound fae. I waved my hand, telling him it was all right. It had all worked out in the end. “How did you know you could trust Steinberg?” We had nearly reached the gates of the Vasara Training Center, and I needed to hear the end of the story.
“I decided to approach him because he was more rational and calmer than the others. He agreed to bid on you.”
That’s why Steinberg had never touched me. It all made sense now.
“Steinberg didn’t want a fallout with the other vampires, and we didn’t want anyone to stop us from reaching the portal, so we agreed to wait a few months, have you be seen in the vampire society plenty of times before we whisked you away.”
That explained all the trivial errands Steinberg had sent me on. We passed through the open gates and onto the beautiful grounds of the Center. Bright green grass laced with tiny flowers of every color adorned the lawn, forming strange patterns that were almost hypnotic. A floral aroma hung in the air. The gates, without guards, closed behind us with a slow creak and a final thud, making me wonder if they would open again.
I lifted my chin, determined not to show fear. I would start off my new life right. Still, I glanced back, wondering if I could scale the tall stockades. Even if I could, where would I go?
Thankfully, my dread was short-lived. Caleb stepped in front of me and opened the vaulted, wooden door. I gasped as I entered the Vasara Center and breathed in pure summer, pure warmth, the opposite of Nocturnal Academy’s mountain castle. Inside, the mansion was mostly made of a sand-colored wood that lifted my mood. A huge tree grew in the center of the vast hall spreading out in front of me, its leaves scraping the ceiling and barely missing the balconies and railings of the levels above us. Before the tree stood a beautiful fountain where cute, colorful birds chirped. The fountain fed a pond in which tiny, golden fish swam. Grapevines and other plants grew on the walls and a pleasant flowery scent hung in the air.
Then energy flooded the space, and a bright light entered the hall from an open doorway on the left. The female fae radiated so much light, I had to blink several times to adjust my eyes and take her in. Her white gown hit the floor and appeared weightless. Her long, wavy hair reached past her waist and was as pale as her skin. Atop of her head rested a thin golden crown, the same color as her magnificent, huge, golden wings.
Golden wings. Like Caleb’s. She, too, was royalty.
I dropped into a low curtsy, feeling dirty and inappropriate in my black dress. Why hadn’t it occurred to me to wear something that could be both sensual and elegant? Now, I looked like a true whore in front of this angel goddess.
“Thank you, Caleb, for bringing Vergeat here.” The goddesses’ voice washed over me like a calming, yet persistent river.
I dared to glance up. “Your Majesty?”
A tinkling laugh escaped her, and it too managed to sound celestial. “Not quite. I am Nerissa Bitterbay. I run Vasara, which is Latvian for ‘Summer.’ Human languages are so interesting, don’t you think?”
I just blinked, unable to come up with a response.
Nerissa continued. “I develop warriors while my younger brother Nathan Bitterbay prepares them for battle.”
I nodded, surprised by how much information she was offering. And warriors? That didn’t fit me at all. But at least I knew now for certain that this center was not for breeding.
“Come with me, Vergeat. I’ll show you to your rooms.”
Had she just said rooms, as in plural?
“I’ll see you soon, Vergeat,” Caleb said and headed toward the door.
“Virgie is fine,” I mumbled.
He glanced across his shoulder and smirked. “Oh no, not in the Summer Court. Vergeat is your proper name.” And with that, he closed the wooden door, leaving me alone with the radiating goddess.
“Please follow me, Vergeat.” Wings gently flapping, Nerissa floated toward the tree. As I got closer, I noticed a staircase, which seemed to have grown from the tree itself, circling the trunk. Wow. I followed Nerissa behind the fountain. She stepped onto the third step, waiting. I did the same. Just as I was about to ask why we weren’t climbing to the top, the staircase began to spin and move sideways, then upward. I inhaled sharply, and my arms shot out sideways for balance. The entire tree was spinning with a low creaking sound.
“Remember, the third step will always take you to your quarters,” Nerissa said in her ethereal voice as the staircase moved us to the second, then third level. We reached an opening on a balcony. Behind it was a wall made out of bark, which upon closer inspection had a round, wooden door almost hidden in the fibers. Nerissa stepped off the stair and turned the wooden knob, opening the door.
I followed her into the room, trying not to gape. The cutest apartment awaited inside with the same sand-colored wood for the floor. Sunlight flooded the area. There was a living area with a reading nook, a bookcase filled with books, a walnut-colored piano, and a green hammock. The open door behind the living room led into the bedroom that had the most magnificent bed I’d ever seen. The wooden frame rose high and connected in a spiral above the bed while Sakura blossoms sprouted from the twigs. Above, the ceiling was a giant window, letting in the sun.
“Rest up. You’ll need your energy for tomorrow,” Nerissa announced.
“This is all just for me?” I motioned around myself.
Nerissa gave me a serene smile. “Yes, Vergeat, it is. You’ll be picked up tomorrow.” She walked through the outer door where the staircase was still waiting for her. “Good night.” Closing the door, she left me with countless questions. Yet, for the first time since Steinberg’s announcement, I wasn’t scared. I might not know much about this new world I had found myself in, but I did know that I was beyond fortunate to have landed in this wonderful, magical place.
Chapter 4
With everything that had happened, there was no way I could sleep. I stepped in front of the mirror and twirled this and that way for probably an hour, studying my gossamer, lilac-and-white wings that were huge, yet as light as feathers.
When I finally managed to tear myself away from my reflection, I studied my new home. The clay walls and the wooden floor added charm all by themselves, and I had an open window with flower pots hanging just outside. The piano carried a beautiful tune that reverberated through the room. My bookshelves were loaded with tomes about fae history that would likely take a lifetime to read. As the sun set, I considered reading at least one chapter, but ended up collapsing onto my bed, which was so soft it felt like a cloud.
My eyelids fluttered shut as my body relaxed. A knock on the door roused me seemingly seconds later, but the glass ceiling showed me the sun was already rising into the sky. I had slept all night.
“Vergeat Everston. The admissions office must see you at once,” a male fae spoke on the other side of my door.
Admissions office? What a mundane name that didn’t fit at all with this amazing place.
“One moment, please. I need to get dressed.” I swung my legs out of bed.
“Be quick. We have been processing a lot of students lately,” he said curtly.
A lot of students? Had Caleb brought the rescued fae from Nocturnal Academy here? That made sense, I supposed. They didn’t really have anywhere else to go. Also, while working at Steinberg’s, I’d overheard that the vampires had been searchin
g for the academy’s fae for weeks and hadn’t turned up a trace.
I opened my closet, which was filled with no uniform but plenty of beautiful dresses that were modest, yet sensual. I chose a weightless lilac creation that hit the floor and complimented my exquisite wings, which I’m ashamed to admit I admired for at least a good minute in the mirror.
“Miss Everston?” came the fae’s voice again, and I hurried to the door. Did I really have the ability to warp and control minds as Caleb had claimed? I guessed I was about to find out. Was that why I had been able to convince Steinberg’s sister to leave me alone? Why none of Steinberg’s guests had ever drank from me, even though I had often found them gazing longingly at my neck?
I opened the door, my heart thudding with nerves. A fae soldier, a youngish man with dark skin, stood there. He had a quiver on his back, and his uniform consisted of brown pants, a green shirt, and leather armor. His wings were a bronze, translucent masterpiece.
“Follow me, please,” he instructed, all businesslike.
I did as he said, and we walked down the balcony of my floor, the third floor. Other doors opened and closed around us, and fae students, male and female, all in similar armor, stared at me in my dress as we progressed to where the tree grew. All but a few had either earth-colored or green-colored wings. Apparently, purple wasn’t a common color. Fae students stood on the tree steps two or three at a time, which rotated with the tree to take them to the main floor. I didn’t recognize anyone so far, which made sense since it had been the class after mine at Nocturnal Academy that had been rescued.
Jealousy burned for a moment as I swallowed hard. Had Caleb struck a year earlier, I might not have endured—
The guard and I got in line, waiting for our turn on the tree staircase. I glanced nervously from his warrior clothes to my impractical dress. “Is this okay?” I motioned at my dress.
“Of course.” He gave me a smile, dimples forming. “Admissions would not have provided you with anything that was unacceptable.”
Our trip down the tree went quickly. Other warriors in training left through various doorways on the bottom floor. Some, I assumed, were heading outside to learn to handle weapons. Others ducked into what appeared to be classrooms. We, however, walked back toward the front of the building and the doorway Nerissa had emerged from the day before.
Beyond the doorway was an office, decorated similarly to my apartment. Beautiful, almost overdone flowers hung from the border of the ceiling. Vines had grown up the walls, turning them green with only the highlights of the sandy wood showing through, and a long, open window looked out on the front grounds and the stockades that kept us in. The row of desks in the room seemed to have grown out of the floor and out of dirt beds. The plants here reminded me of those I’d seen Peony create back at Nocturnal Academy—
Because they were.
I froze a few steps into the long room. Peony herself sat at the closest desk, blond curls perfect as always, and she was writing something on a long piece of parchment paper with a quill. Caleb stood beside her. In the fae realm, she had greenish-white, translucent wings. As I stopped, my former friend made eye contact with me.
We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity as my escort left the room, shutting the door firmly. My pulse hammered in my ears as memories of my time at Nocturnal Academy flooded me.
Kayden and Kassius, the cruelest vampire twins at Nocturnal Academy, had been clear with the rules on the night of the Wild Hunt: Don’t be the last one to reach the top of the vampire tower and you shall live.
The last fae up would die in an awful and excruciating way. It was tradition.
I could survive. I knew how to work the rules.
All I had to do was convince the vampire students to let me pass. They asked for pieces of clothing or a bit of blood. Which was fine. I could give them what they wanted. Let them tar and feather me. I would live to see the next day. All I had to do was play by the rules.
I had played by the rules. I was almost to the top of the tower, climbing the red-carpeted stairs. A vampire student stepped out of the shadows. I stripped off my skirt and handed it to him as my ticket to pass.
But he seized my arms with a grin. “You’re coming with me.”
“But—” I was not the last to reach the top. These were not the rules.
“Shut up.” The vamp seized my skirt and put iron cuffs around my wrists. Then he threw me into an empty dorm, taking a seat at a desk next to mine.
Heavy darkness settled into my chest. I was the sacrifice. The rules were a lie. They had chosen me. They knew I wanted autonomy and that made me dangerous.
No matter how much I pleaded or cried, my captor remained indifferent to my protests. Eternity passed. All the other fae must’ve reached the vampire tower by now. Certainly, they couldn’t kill me. My contract would fetch a high price. Headmistress Cardinal wouldn’t allow it.
Finally, the door flung open and in stepped Kassius and Kayden, grinning ear to ear and flashing their fangs. I sat up, hoping the twins were my salvation. “Kassius, Kayden. I’m so glad you’re here. This vampire captured me.”
“Jerry, leave us alone,” Kayden drawled.
I felt relief, but also rising panic as the door shut behind Jerry. Something wasn’t right.
Kassius tore my shirt open with a savage grin, sending buttons flying.
Okay, so he was in a frisky mood. I could deal with that. “Why don’t you remove my handcuffs, so that I can show you what I can do with my hands?” I purred. Kayden and Kassius were easy to trick. Yet, tonight they ignored me.
Kayden advanced with a pocketknife. My breath hitched, and fear exploded within me. The twins hadn’t come to rescue me. Kayden cut through the front of my bra, then the straps, so that the material fell down to the floor, exposing my breasts. Kassius grabbed my shoulders and heaved me off the chair.
Panic weakened my knees. They weren’t taking their time. This wasn’t about sex.
I opened my mouth, but Kassius backhanded me so hard, blood exploded in my mouth, and my ears rang. Tears shot into my eyes.
“You’ve done enough talking,” he hissed. The brothers removed my iron cuffs and pocketed them. Then, each grabbed one of my arms and dragged me out of the dorm and up the staircase.
I was to be their sacrifice. They were in on this. They might’ve even been the ones to choose me. But why?
“Please,” I croaked, and immediately another blow followed to my face. I whimpered and remained silent until we reached the top of the staircase where the fae huddled, their clothes torn, their bodies covered in feathers, tar, cuts, and bruises. The vampires were spread out, standing tall, their appearance immaculate. They grinned and cheered, their red irises shining with insatiable hunger.
Kassius grabbed my long hair and jerked my head back. I couldn’t stop the guttural scream erupting from my throat, even though I knew that my fear and pain was an aphrodisiac to the vampires. I tried desperately to come up with a plan, but my mind went blank. I was frozen with terror. The chosen victim of the Wild Hunt had never been pardoned. Not once.
“This one will be a lesson for all of you.” Kassius’s grip drilled into my flesh, bruising me. He jerked me toward him, and another pathetic whimper escaped me. I searched the crowd for a face that might help me. I knew Peony was selfish, but against better judgment I hoped that being part of her popular clique might do something, even if she wasn’t a real friend. But her hazel eyes were devoid of emotion. Her rigid posture told me she wouldn’t do anything, that all of this was my fault.
Kayden paced up and down the room. “You see, we made a handsome contract for this slut.” He jabbed his finger into my sternum. “Daddy was going to gift her to us for our nineteenth birthday.” He gripped my chin hard enough I feared my jaw would break. “But this ungrateful skank had the audacity to go above our heads and talk to our dad, trying to make a deal with him.”
Yes. I had. I’d told him that I had organizing skills. That I was
better off running a brothel and bringing him in some extra money. My teeth chattered as an earthquake worked through my body. So this was what all of this was about. It was personal. I had hurt their pride. They wouldn’t just kill me. They’d put me through hell first.
The twins said a few other things, but I didn’t catch them. It was only when Kayden yelled, “Virgie will be punished for her audacity and insubordination!” with his hand digging into the soft flesh of my breast that I snapped back to reality. Once again, I glanced toward Peony, then Kristen, then Mei. They remained still. None of them would help me.
Kassius ran his finger down my throat, slow and calculating. “To imprint on her once and for all what her place in our society is, we invite every male and female vamp—” he winked at Mei, “—to punish or have their way with her before we all drain her dry!”
The hollering of the other vampires was deafening.
Please, let me pass out. Please, if anyone is listening, let me go numb and not feel a thing.
“I understand you already know Peony, Vergeat?” Nerissa’s voice washed over me, dragging me out of my horrible past and back to the present.
I managed a nod as my body shook and I desperately tried to regain my composure. My gaze bore into Peony. Not only had the blonde fae refused to help me, she had also blamed me later when Gregory Vulthus, one of the most vicious vampires, had cornered me and felt me up right in Steinberg’s mansion. As if I had a choice in dressing like a courtesan.
“I see you’re doing quite well for yourself, Peony,” I pressed through gritted teeth. Her eyes weren’t her only catlike feature. She always landed on her feet. Last time I heard she’d been thrown into Nocturnal Reformatory, and now, she was in the faeland, probably occupying a role way above me. Some things never changed.
Reluctant Fae Page 3
