Marked: Black Water Academy: Book One

by Murphy, Sloane

  “How are you feeling?” Ethan asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

  “I feel okay now. Not quite like normal, my eyes can’t seem to focus properly, and I know the shame from earlier will hit me soon.” I admit, then wish I hadn’t. Creed doesn’t know what happened yet, and I’m not sure I want him to. It could be the thing that tips them off, and Ethan already knows that something isn’t right. I look around the room, and everything is brighter, and more in focus than it was before.

  “Wow.” I say quietly, and Creed just sits there and smiles while Ethan watches me with caution.

  “It’s cool right? I mean, once the first murderous rage wears off. Everything will start coming soon: the speed, the strength, the enhanced hearing. Sight is usually one of the first, and once they’re all okay, we get to teach you the fun stuff, like enrapturing and shadow walking. Plus, whatever your own fun little quirk is.” He winks and I can’t help the shiver that runs down my spine. I look to Ethan who shakes his head ever so slightly, and I keep quiet, silently thankful I don’t have to explain, even though it feels wrong keeping it from Creed.

  “I just need to go sort a few things; I’ll be back in half an hour.” Ethan announces, and Creed looks shocked, but doesn’t stop him leaving. He looks at me, trying to work me out again one last time before he leaves and locks the door behind him. A million thoughts rush through my head, and I feel my heartbeat increase. What if Ethan worked it out already? What if he tells? What if I can’t trust him? I try to take a few deep breaths, when I catch Creed’s scent again. It’s like every time I’ve touched him, but more intense. The tingles attack my body, but I have no idea why. I stand up and slowly retreat from him. I need to get this under control, otherwise I’ll never leave this goddamn room.

  “Creed... your scent… I, I think I need you to go.”

  “Come on, Eden. You’ll be fine. It’s just because I’m in your system already. Plus, Ethan just left. I won’t judge you like he does. That monster inside of you, the one you’re fighting, it can be your best friend if you learn to embrace it fully.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that so many keep their true nature locked away, controlled, that it seems like this terrible thing they have to monitor. They put themselves down and throw shame on others that let theirs out other than when absolutely necessary. But it hinders them. If you learn to accept your monster, and treat it well, it will be the best ally you could ever ask for. Think of all the things that unlock for you when your birthday comes around. Now imagine if that wasn’t limited, like a caged beast. Imagine if you let it stretch its legs and reach its true potential. Imagine all the things you could do.” He’s stood in front of me and tucks my hair behind my ear, his scent surrounding me, making my entire body buzz.

  “And what if I don’t want to be different? What if I just want to fade into the shadows?” I say hushed, averting my eyes from his. He grips my chin and brings my eyes back to his, so bright it’s as if they contain the storm within them.

  “Eden, I think we both know that you were never going to be able to hide in the shadows. You burn too bright.” He leans down and brushes my lips with his, and a whimper escapes me as he pulls away. The door to the room opens and he steps away from me as if nothing happened. Ruby bounces in, in bright pink pj’s followed by a more relaxed Ethan, who’s changed into gray sweats and a white tee.

  “Ready for our monster movie marathon?” Ruby asks with glee. Any fear she had is gone as she bounds towards me and wraps me up in a hug. “Sorry about earlier,” she whispers before squeezing me tighter.

  She jumps back and waves hi to Creed before putting in the movie, and then settles into the big armchair I was in before, leaving me to sit in the middle of the sofa between Ethan and Creed. Awesome.

  I wake the next morning to an alarm going off. I lift my head and realize it’s in Ethan’s lap, and my feet are in Creed’s. I feel the burn of embarrassment climb up my neck and stain my cheeks. I look around and find Ruby is still out cold on the chair.

  “You guys! Get up! How can you sleep through that racket?! We need to move.”

  “What the hell are you on about? The chamber is soundproof,” Creed moans, but Ethan sits up alert.

  “If she can hear it, it must be from the Academy. We need to get back, now.” The urgency in his voice makes Ruby move quickly, while Creed just sits and stretches.

  “If it was that important…” an alarm goes off in the room and just about makes my head explode. I scream and cover my ears. “…they’d set off the internal alarm,” Creed mutters before kneeling down to add his hands to mine, to help drown out some of the noise.

  “Remember what I said to you last night, Eden. Embrace it. It only hurts because it’s new and you’re pushing it out.” My skin sparks where he touches me, but he seems oblivious still. His calm helps me center myself and control my new hearing abilities, turning the volume down.

  “Come on, you guys.” Ethan says with a scowl, hurrying us out of the door. I didn’t realize we were so far down, since I came here unconscious, but we climb about eight flights of stairs until we reach a door. “Mind your eyes, Eden. This is going to be bright for a minute or ten.”

  He opens the door above us, and it’s like I can’t see again, there’s nothing but white. I feel Creed behind me, rubbing my arms, reminding me to embrace my new powers. I blink, what feels like a billion times, and my eyes stream, but after what feels like forever, I can finally see again. We step out into the middle of a field next to Black Water lake. I look around and everything is clearer than I thought and it’s beautiful. I watch the lake and it’s almost as if it’s calling to me. I take a step forward, but Ethan catches me, grabbing my arm. “Be careful by the lake. It’s not what it seems.”

  He lets me go and heads toward the school, and we follow as he leads us to the hall where the housing ritual was held. I look around, spotting Kane and Ava and go and sit with my house.

  “Are you okay?” Kane asks me, looking over me with concern, and I remember he was there yesterday. Blushing, I drop my head down.

  “Better, thank you. Sorry. What’s going on?” I ask.

  “We’re not sure, but we’ve never actually been summoned like this before, so everyone’s a little on edge. Come sit.” I sit next to him and smile at a tense Ava, who ignores me.

  Sitting quietly, I wait as students and teachers flood the room. When almost everyone is settled, Laney strides into the room, her robe floating behind her. I can see the worry on her face. Whispers pick up, but she claps her hands and silence descends.

  “Everyone, I need you to listen. A student was attacked last night, and has, unfortunately, passed this morning. The Minister arrived a few minutes ago, after we alerted The Council to the tragedy. We are not entirely sure what happened yet, but that is why the Minister is here.”

  At her words, a tall man, with dark hair, dressed in dark suit, enters the room, and the entire feeling in the room changes. This must be the Minister.

  “Ladies and gentleman, I am sorry that we must meet on such terrible terms. I am Drake Creed, Minister of The Council.” I suck in a breath. He’s Creed’s dad? I look to Creed and then to Ethan who I find looking at me, and suddenly I understand why he didn’t want me to tell Creed all about yesterday. I feel my heart in my throat, as he continues. “A student, a Fae, was attacked by what we believe to have been a rogue Vampire. I’m sure you have heard the rumors that some of the original families survived the Uprising. Reports coming in seem to be backing these rumors, and from the way the poor girl was attacked, we are led to believe that she was attacked by an original family member. We do not know yet whether there was an intruder, or if it was a student here, but I want you all to know that we will find out the truth of it. For the meantime, we are in a lockdown. You are not to be anywhere without another person at any time after dark on the campus. Is that understood?” A murmur rises, and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I need to leave. I try to swallow the
rising panic, but I can feel it taking over. I look at Kane frantically, and he stands and takes my hand, leading me down the stairs and out of the hall.

  “Deep breaths, little Dragon. You can control this. Being in a room like that so soon after your birthday is really a bad fucking idea. Ethan should have kept you in the chamber.” He swears and bangs open a door and drags me inside it.

  “Now then, calm.” He catches my eyes and holds both my hands. I feel it, his calm washing over me like a wave in the ocean. “Deep breaths, and just focus. Let the panic wash away. You can control your blood lust. Focus on my voice, not my scent, and on your heartbeat. Make it slow down.” I close my eyes and do as he says; letting him believe it was my blood lust that terrified me. I focus on his voice, and the calm he’s projecting, while trying to slow my heart rate.

  “That’s it, I can feel it. You’re doing really well.” He encourages and smiles at me before the door bursts open and Ethan barrels through it.

  “Calm down, Ethan. She’s fine. I got her.” Kane tells him, but he snarls.

  “This is bullshit. I’ve just run the Academy twice and I can’t find any signs of an attack. There’s no blood, no body. Nothing. Just another excuse for them to try and cull more of my kind. It’s a witch hunt.”

  “I wondered why you subjected such a new Vampire to a room full of temptation. You’re lucky I was there. What on earth were you thinking?” Kane scolds him.

  “I was thinking the only reason we’d be summoned was the famous Creeds and their wonderous journey to wipe out their own kind. Gus must have known. That’s why he was so casual about it all this morning.” He paces in front of us, and I sit confused.

  “Erm, don’t mind me or anything, but what exactly are you talking about?” I ask, trying to keep my calm as Kane still holds my hand.

  “The Ministers little show back there. Trying to create fear, pit us against each other, and create suspicion. He knows that members of the Original families survived, children mainly, and that with how long it’s been, some of those who survived will be coming into their powers this year. So he’s trying to weed them out, creating fake murders to whip the student body into a frenzy.”

  “How did you know?” I ask, my voice nothing more than a whisper.

  “It’s what he did before,” he answers, either missing my meaning, or being oblivious to what feels like an obvious truth right now. I shrink into myself, releasing my hand from Kane’s, and the world crashes into me: the sounds, the smells, and the emotions of everyone around me, which I wasn’t expecting. I gasp and clutch my chest at the fear and hate around me. Tears stream down my face.

  “Are you okay, Eden?” Ethan asks with concern, coming closer, and I gasp at the turmoil inside him.

  “Stop,” I gasp, my arm shooting out and keeping him at arm’s length. “I can feel everything. The pain, the fear, the sadness. It hurts.” I sob and Kane steps forward and washes his calm over me again, so I can breathe.

  “You’re an empath?” Ethan asks confused, looking to Kane for confirmation.

  “She is. How peculiar. Eden, this is an unusual talent for a Vampire. Do you know if anyone in your family had this gift?” I shake my head, and I feel the fear pit in my stomach, fighting the calm I’m being gifted.

  “It was just me and my mom; the rest of my family died when I was young. She passed a few years ago, but she didn’t have any special talents. She always joked about how ordinary she was.” My voice breaks a little thinking about Dannika, and I wonder if I’m strong enough to do this alone. To carry my secret without hurting anyone else around me.

  “How strange; but still, you will learn to control it. It is very similar to what I’m doing to you now, just in reverse. I can feel a small inkling of what you feel, but I can project feelings. With you, you can feel the emotions of everyone around you. You just need to learn to turn it on and off like everything else, otherwise you’ll never leave your room again.” He laughs.

  “I should take you back to the chamber. We can work on your control. Kane, could you speak to Laney? Have her excuse us for the rest of the week. Eden can catch up on classes, but not if she massacres her class in the meantime.” He jokes, but the dig still stings a little.

  “Sure thing,” he says and slowly pulls his wave of calm back. I take a deep breath as the emotions rain down on me along with everything else. Ethan tries to usher me out of the room, and I refuse. Despite the noise inside my head, I don’t want to hide. I’ve spent the last day-and-a-half being led around by people who don’t know me. Letting them make decisions for me. My parents would scream at me for relinquishing control of myself and my surroundings, but then, they didn’t exactly prepare me for this. Neither did Dannika. I pull at my hair and I want to scream. I feel like I’m losing my mind, and myself.

  “I don’t want to hide in there, Ethan. I don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself. All I want is to be in class. To know what’s happening out here. I can control myself; I know I can. I just need to practice.” He crosses his arms, and I can tell he’s pissed, but Kane’s smirk reassures me that I’m not out of line. “She’s strong, and she’s got fight in her. I knew I liked you, Eden.”

  “And what if you can’t control it? What if you hurt someone?”

  “Then I have you, Kane, and Cam who have all seen me at my worst,” I pause, because much as I dislike his dad, Creed isn’t the Minister. “I have Creed too.”

  Ethan hisses. “You can’t trust him, Eden.”

  “He’s not given me any reason not to, Ethan. He’s been a good friend since I’ve been here, and Laney must have paired me with him too for a reason.”

  “And what if he’s just a spy? Trying to work out the girl with no family?”

  “Then it’s a good thing I have nothing to hide, isn’t it?” I raise an eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge me. He doesn’t know that I’m lying through my teeth.

  “Fine, but we’re spending the rest of the day training. Tiring you out might be the best way to help you learn control.”

  “Well, if you two are quite finished, I’ve got places I need to be.” Kane laughs. “Good luck with this one.” he says to Ethan before waving goodbye and leaving us in the small room together.

  I follow him back to the dorms, and I’m surprised to find my room put back together, no trace of yesterday’s destruction. “Kane’s got more than a few talents,” Ethan explains. “Now, go get your defense gear on. We’re going to work on some basic skills and some meditation.”

  “Yes, sir.” I mock salute him, and he rolls his eyes. I lock myself away in my room and sit on my bed. I pull my locket out of the hidden pocket in my backpack and open it to the faces of my parents and my brother. “You guys really messed up saving me. I’m so screwed.”

  I fall onto my back, sucking air into my lungs and trying not to groan. “Like, can you take it easy on me a bit? You’ve been kicking my ass for hours.”

  “Come on, Eden. It’s like you’re not even really trying. Like you’re afraid to let go. We’re far enough from the Academy that no one can see us, that you aren’t going to hurt anyone.”

  “Except maybe you,” I grumble as I rise onto my elbows.

  “Yes, except maybe me, but at this rate, I doubt you would hurt anyone, unless you’re not in control because you won’t free yourself.”

  “Fineeee!” I whine, and I hate that I whine, but I ache. Trying to fight back, while trying to hold back from fighting back is exhausting, and I keep getting hit. I jump to my feet, letting muscle memory from training with my dad and brother take over, and I drop into a defense stance. “Come at me, pretty boy.” He smirks and attacks, and I get hit.

  “Fuccck.” I take a deep breath and reach to where the monster inside me lives. If you’re in there, now would be a nice time to come and play.

  I reach deep and I feel the power inside me awaken. I drop into the defensive stance again and nod to signal Ethan. He attacks and it’s like I know exactly where he’s aimi
ng before he does. I duck and swerve, roll on the floor and block each attack as it comes. He stops, and his brow furrows, causing me to smirk. “Not so smug now, huh?”

  He lashes out and punches me square in the chest and I fly backwards.

  “Shit, Eden!” he runs toward me, falling to his knees beside me, his blond hair falling into his eyes as he looks down at me.

  “Looks like I’m not the only one who was holding back,” my voice is raspy as I try to breathe again.

  “I didn’t mean... I mean... shit. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I was being a smug bitch instead of a cynical bitch for a change. I can’t blame you.” I laugh and sit up, bringing my face closer to his.

  “You’re not a bitch, Eden. Even if you want everyone to think you are, to keep them away. I see you. I’ve seen the way you are when you think no one is watching. There’s more to you than you let anyone know. You can trust me, you know? I might be a monster, but I’m a monster that’s on your side.”

  “I…” I have no idea what to say to that, so I sit looking conflicted, trying to find the right words to reply when he kisses me. Slowly, and soft, his arms wrap around me, pulling me closer to him as his lips crush mine in the gentlest way.

  He pulls away and looks down at me. “I’m not sorry for that, but I won’t do it again until you ask me to.”

  I put my hand to my swollen lips and wonder what the hell is going on with my life since I started at this school. “I think, I need to go.” Swallowing, I see the light in his eyes dim a little.

  “I understand,” he says and stands, pulling me up with him. I walk away, back toward the Academy and I feel his eyes on me. The feel of his lips on mine still lingers. Before I came here, I’d never been kissed, and now… now I have no idea which way is up.