The moment I opened the top drawer of the cabinet I found it stacked with files, each labelled with a name in alphabetical order. The next two drawers held the same and I skimmed my gaze over them, hunting for anyone I recognised but coming up short. I guessed she didn’t keep her academy records here and wondered if it might be worth trying to break into her office at the school too.
I opened the bottom drawer last and found a bunch of files which seemed to be in a completely random order.
I hooked them out on instinct and flipped open the first one. A photograph looked up at me alongside the name Aubrey Hawkins but I didn’t recognise her. I scanned the first page of notes, the word suicidal jumping out at me as well as the fact that she had no contact with her family.
I frowned, closing her file and pulling open the next.
My heart skipped a beat as I looked into the face of the boy who had died in the woods. The one no one would admit had even existed. The one they told me was a figment of my fucked-up-Killblaze-tripping imagination.
Luke Thompson. He had a name. A real honest to the stars name. I whipped my Atlas out and took a photo of his file with all his personal information included. Then I followed suit with the other files in that drawer. There were eighteen of them in total. Was I looking at a list of victims? Was it possible that all of these people were dead because of Miss Nightshade and her accomplice?
I placed all of the files back in the drawer and closed it again, locking it up and putting the key back where I’d found it.
I gave the rest of the room a sweep, but I couldn’t find anything else and her computer was password protected.
I finally accepted that I wasn’t going to discover any more clues here and leapt back up into the vent from her desk.
I didn’t relax until I’d made it back to Aurora Academy with my newfound evidence. Now I just had to look into the rest of the people in those files and figure out if I was on to some kind of pattern. And what the hell it meant if I was.
Eleven Months Before the Solarid Meteor Shower…
I hurried across the Acrux Courtyard as I ran for my Elemental magic lesson with Professor King.
I took the curving path down to the Empyrean Fields where the class was held, spotting the rest of the students already lining up. I cursed beneath my breath as her gaze narrowed on me.
“That’s minus five rank points, Tempa,” she purred, her deep brown eyes raking over me.
“Sorry,” I muttered, joining the line of students and finding myself beside Dante Oscura. I was just glad she hadn’t decided to bite me as punishment. Some other sucker must have gotten that fate today.
It wasn’t that I had anything against Vampires biting me on the whole. It was just the way that Professor King did it always made me feel really uncomfortable. She liked to grab hair and drive you up against something or bend you over something and bite your neck from behind. And she wasn’t horrible to look at either so having a beautiful woman rough you up and bite your neck could do strange things to a teenage boy.
She was in her thirties and always wore deep red lipstick and styled her brunette hair like she was off on a night out, not here to teach a class. She was also the strictest teacher in the whole damn academy. Crossing her was not fun. I’d heard a rumour that she actually hung students from the ceiling in ropes built out of her air magic during her detentions. Then she left them there until all the blood in their bodies ran to their head so that she could get a faster flowing drink from them before she let them go again. Was that bullshit? Possibly. Did I want to find out? No thank you.
This term, the freshmen were having two Elemental lessons a week alongside us sophomores. It hadn’t been said directly but it was obvious why. Between Gabriel Nox, Leon Night and Ryder Draconis, there wasn’t a freshman who could equal their magic. Professor King wanted to challenge them by pitching them against more experienced students.
I had thought that Dante would be just as capable as them too. But for some reason he was really struggling in this class. A fact which generally meant I kept the hell away from him during it as he often lost his temper and started punching things. I didn’t want to end up being one of those things. We may have been kind of friends – though I really wasn’t sure about that – but I got the feeling if he lost it, he’d really lose it. And I had no intention of being on the receiving end of his temper.
“Today I’ll be assessing all of your progress,” Professor King said, not raising her voice. She didn’t need to, no one dared speak to each other while she was talking in her lessons. “I’m going to come along the line and I want to see a demonstration of controlled Elemental magic. Fire balls, shaped vines, water orbs, hand held vortexes and the like. This is an assessment. Some of you-” her eyes narrowed on Dante “-are treading a thin line. If you cannot achieve basic control of your Element, I may be forced to recommend your removal from this academy. We have students who have remained on in high schools for their magical education who would cut off their right arms for a place at this institution. We can’t let hopeless cases stay on.”
Dante growled beside me and a hum of electricity filled the air at her implication. It prickled against my skin almost painfully and I side stepped to try and escape it.
“Wait in line until I reach you.” Professor King headed to the start of the line a few students along to my left and I glanced at Dante uneasily.
“Hey,” I said, keeping my voice low so as not to piss off our teacher.
Dante flipped his gaze to Professor King then turned to look at me. “You have air, right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
Dante raised his palm between the two of us. “So perhaps you can help me prove something I’m growing suspicious of, mio amico?”
I nodded and Dante flicked his fingers, causing a little whirlwind of air to come alive in his palm. It started spinning faster and faster, coiling together tightly and taking on some of his storm magic so that it glowed grey like a tornado, utterly contained within his hand.
I raised my eyebrows. It was perfect. Beyond perfect. He had total control over it. The entire thing stayed central in his palm and I couldn’t even feel a flicker of wind against my skin even though I stood barely a foot from it. He was creating all the air it needed to keep up the magic, containing it entirely, not taking any from around us. He closed his fist and the magic dissipated instantly.
“Does it seem to you like I should be failing this class?” he asked, his voice a seductive purr which held the barest hint of a threat.
“No, man. I mean, in all honesty I don’t think I can match that level of control and I’ve got another year of education on you.” I knew the gang leader took his education seriously and I’d been surprised when he’d started failing this class. It was no joke either, you really could lose your place at the academy if you couldn’t claim control of your Element.
“So why…” I began but I trailed off, not wanting to say so why are you failing so terribly just in case he lashed out.
“I have a theory that you may be able to help me with,” he said, looking beyond me to make sure Professor King wasn’t listening. With her Vampire ears she easily could have been.
Dante pulled his Atlas from his pocket and typed something out before showing it to me.
I want you to try and sense the air magic around me during my assessment and tell me if that Vampira bitch is sabotaging me.
My lips parted with surprise and I looked up at him, frowning as I tried to figure out why the hell a teacher would do something like that.
“Is that a yes?” he asked.
“Of course. I’ll try,” I said, not entirely sure if I’d even be able to do as he wanted but I’d give it a shot.
He nodded once and pushed his Atlas back into his pocket just as Professor King made it to me.
“Impress me, Tempa,” she commanded almost lazily.
I cleared my throat, casting half a glance at Dante then lifting my hand between us. My heart was t
humping unevenly at the implication he’d made but I had to ignore it. Even if Professor King had something against Dante, it wasn’t my problem. It wouldn’t affect my assessment.
I stooped down and plucked a blade of grass from the ground by my feet and dropped it into my hand before I began.
I released a steadying breath and summoned a tunnel of air into existence in my palm. I exerted my will on it, forming a current which gathered up the blade of grass before circling my wrist and then weaving it back and forth between my fingers. Once I got used to the way the air was flowing, I increased the speed and watched as the grass spun around and around my hand in the current I’d created.
“Nice control,” King commented. “Steady rhythm.” She marked something down on her Atlas. “But I can feel a breeze on my face.”
I cursed as she moved on, releasing my hold on the magic and letting the blade of grass fall to the ground.
My heart beat a little faster as Dante gave me a pointed look. I hadn’t had a lot of practice at sensing the use of others’ magic but I’d sure as hell give it a shot.
I kept my gaze fixed on Professor King’s free hand as she dropped it to her side.
Dante lifted his hand and summoned a miniature tornado just as he’d shown me. For a moment it seemed to be going well but then a breeze knocked against my arm.
Professor King shifted back a step and moved her hand. Or had she? She could have cast magic then but maybe not. She was a damn Vampire so the movement had been so fast that I couldn’t be sure. I thought she twitched her fingers again just as Dante’s magic fell apart.
Eugene Dipper was standing on his other side and he caught a smack of powerful air magic to the face which knocked him on his ass.
Dante growled loudly and Professor King sighed. “Still no improvement,” she commented. “If anything, you might be getting worse.”
Dante outwardly snarled at her and Ryder Draconis laughed loudly from further down the line.
Professor King didn’t seem to care that she’d pissed off the future leader of the Oscura Clan and moved on to assess Eugene as he clambered back upright again.
Dante swore and stormed away, striding out of the class without a backwards glance.
I watched him go with my heart hammering, not looking at Professor King.
My Atlas pinged in my pocket a few moments later and I found a message from Dante under the alias I’d given him.
Starhawk:
Well?
Gareth:
I’m not sure. Maybe. She moved her hand, but with her Vampire speed I couldn’t say for sure if she cast anything and it was hard to figure out exactly what magic was taking place. It happened too quickly.
I didn’t get a reply and my heart kept on thumping a warning beat. Was he pissed at me? Had I failed him somehow? I needed the money he was offering me for working for him. I chewed my lip. I needed to make sure I wasn’t on his shit list.
Gareth:
I’m sorry, man. If there’s anything else I can do to help then I’m all in.
Starhawk:
If you want to prove your loyalty then you’ll figure this shit out for me.
Gareth:
How?
Starhawk:
Search her office. Find something incriminating. I want photos or footage of something I can use to bend her over a barrel.
I inhaled sharply as I read that. How the hell was I supposed to get into her office? In fact, forget that, how the hell was I supposed to snoop on a Vampire??
Gareth:
Yeah. Of course. Anything. Just…not really sure how to go about that…
Starhawk:
Figure it out, cavallo. Prove your worth.
Shit. Shit, shitting, shit.
I scraped a hand into my hair, glancing at Professor King as she continued to move away from me with her assessments.
So how was I gonna do this?
Of course, I did happen to be very close to a Vampire who might just give me some tips.
Gareth:
Hey, little angel. I need some tips on sneaking up on a Vampire…
Ella:
Why??
Crap, I should have thought of that. Of course she’d have questions. I hurriedly came up with an excuse and shot a message back to her.
Gareth:
Got a friend I want to prank. He makes it difficult by being super fast and having bat ears. Very inconsiderate…
Ella:
Well, we are the best Order after all, wouldn’t you agree?
Gareth:
Second best. Now are you gonna help me out or what?
Ella:
Keep your panties on! You’re gonna want a silencing bubble around you to keep your pounding heartbeat and elephant feet hidden. And I’d suggest lying in wait rather than trying sneak up because our superior eyesight means we see any movement. And don’t even bother trying to overpower him…we’re much stronger than you hahaha xxx
Gareth:
Thanks, asshat x
Ella:
No problem, dipshit x
Right. So I just had to cast a silencing bubble and sneak into her office when she wasn’t about. Easy. Not. But fuck it I had to try because I needed Dante Oscura’s money. I still hadn’t had a job from Ryder despite him claiming to want me to do something for him and the next payment was coming up.
The staff had their own section of the Cafaeteria to eat their meals in and Professor King was often there. I’d just have to make sure she was eating dinner and then head to her office and hope I could find something.
***
Professor King had been walking to her table with a tray full of food when I’d looked into the Cafaeteria and I’d come straight here. To her office. Like I had a goddamn death wish.
I lingered at the door, glancing up and down in case any other professors were around. They weren’t.
I raised my hand to knock even though I knew she wasn’t there. But I wanted to sound out any magical locks she might have placed on the door. To my surprise, there weren’t any.
I reached for the door handle, swallowing a lump in my throat and…it turned. The door swung opened silently and I gaped at the darkened space before me.
Shit. That was easy. Too easy.
I wanted to run the fuck away. But Dante would beat me shitless if he knew I’d gotten this far and bailed. And she was eating dinner. So...
I took a breath and paused to cast a detection spell in the corridor outside. I’d already set one at the start of the hall and if someone passed through either of them, the magic would warn me they were coming without alerting them to it. I’d have a very short span of time to get the hell out of here but hopefully it would be enough.
Steeling myself, I stepped inside.
The office was fairly big and pretty empty. A mahogany desk sat in the centre of the space, the top of it oddly bare. There were a few lamps in the corners of the room but I didn’t risk switching one on. An office chair was rolled back against the wall and a few weird, abstract paintings hung around the place.
I tried the desk drawers and found them locked.
I sighed, looking up and noticing a large closet on the far side of the room. I walked over to it and pulled open the slatted door before stepping inside the small space.
Books lined the shelves on the walls, all seeming pretty inconspicuous to me. I was about to head back out and take another crack at the desk when I noticed a cardboard box shoved into the back corner.
I dropped down before it, lifting the lid and frowning at the stack of papers inside. There were all sorts of things from bills to newspaper cuttings, old photos and even a graduation certificate. I sifted through all of it in case I might find something useful, but it didn’t seem like I would.
Just as I was nearing the bottom of the box, a warning prickle of magic slid down my spine.
Oh, shit on it!
I started shoving the papers back into the box as fast as I could, tossing the lid on before jumping to
my feet just as the second magical warning ran along my spine.
I was out of time. She was right outside! So I did the only thing I could and yanked the cupboard door closed, hiding myself inside it.
My heart was thundering with panic and I double checked the silencing spell I’d cast was tight around me half a second before the office door was thrown open and Professor King sauntered in.
I held my breath even though the silencing bubble made it unnecessary, watching her through the slats in the cupboard door and hoping against hope that she didn’t need to come in here.
She walked across the room, slipping her blazer off so that she was left in her sleeveless white shirt and black pencil skirt. She took a mirror from her purse and touched up her dark red lipstick, glancing at the door like she was waiting for someone.
I didn’t have to wait long to find out who, as the door opened again a moment later.
Ryder Draconis strolled into the room looking half bored and half pissed off. He’d changed out of his uniform into a black T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans and Professor King bit her lip as she waited for him to close the door behind him.
She waved her hand and the sound of the door locking came just before she threw up a large silencing bubble. Luckily for me it encompassed the closet too so I could still hear her as she spoke.
“I’ve been bad again, master,” she breathed, her voice husky.
My eyes widened as Ryder looked at her for a long moment before reaching over his back, hoisting his T-shirt off and tossing it on the floor. His chest was criss-crossed with faded scars and I frowned as I looked at them, wondering what the hell had happened to him that was so bad it couldn’t be healed away with magic.
Ryder took a step closer to Professor King and she bit her lip as her gaze raked over his exposed, muscular body.
Savage Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Book 2) Page 34
