Marked: Black Water Academy: Book One

by Murphy, Sloane

  “Last time, guys and girls. Swap!”

  “See ya!” he waves a small wave before heading to the front of the room and in his place sits a girl with beautifully long black hair.

  “Hey,” I smile. “I’m Eden.”

  “Nice to meet you, Eden. I’m Aurora Creed-Lang.” My jaw just about hits the floor as she looks shyly at the floor, hiding behind her curtain of hair.

  “Creed, as in… Creed?” I ask, barely able to form words.

  “The one and only.” She says quietly. “So, I mean, we’re both Vampires, so we don’t really need to do this exercise.”

  “No, but, holy shit. How did I not know about you? Where have you been hiding?” I check out her uniform and I see the Scorpion symbol showing her house.

  “I’m… not like my brother. I prefer to keep to myself, stay away from people in general, and I don’t usually associate with the Creed name; everyone else just thinks I’m Aurora Lang. But I know who you are, and I wanted you to know.”

  “I… don’t really know what to say to that.” I stammer.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just spring it on you like that. I just... It’s not always fun hiding who I am, you know?” Oh boy do I. What the hell.

  “I get it. But your secret is safe with me.”

  “Oh I know. August wouldn’t trust you if it wasn’t, and I know he does. I’ve seen him with you. He’s not what everyone thinks he is either. Just… thank you, I guess.” She says softly.

  “Times up, ladies and gents. That’s all for today, but just remember this lesson. Not everyone is who you think they are. Try to get to know someone before you cast aspersions,” Andrina shouts over the bell as people start filing out of the class. I grab my satchel and try to wipe the shock from my face. While I might be keeping Aurora’s secret, I’m sure as hell speaking to Creed the next chance I get.

  “Hey, I have Runes next, then two study hall sessions; that means you’re with Ethan right?” Ruby asks and I nod.

  “Yeah, I just need to go and get changed. I’ll see you at lunch?”

  “Sure thing. I better dash, I can’t believe they put my classes literally a school’s width apart!” she huffs. “These heels are not made for running. Catch you later.”

  Holy crap. I suck air into my lungs and try not to pass out.

  “Come on, Eden. Keep up!” Ethan shouts from about thirty feet in front of me. “You’ll never be able to fight and keep yourself alive without a decent stamina. Running will help build your fitness but using your Vampire speed with it will drain you. We need to keep practicing.” Easy for him to say. We’ve spent the morning tapping into my speed, making it so I can use it when I want to, rather than by accident. But running laps around this freaking huge lake at full speed is exhausting. He jogs back to me and I fall to the floor and he joins me.

  “You know I’m only hard on you because I want you to stay safe, right?” he says gently knocking his shoulder with mine.

  “I know, and I appreciate it. Really, I do. I’m just so unfit these days.”

  “You used to train?” he asks, skeptically.

  “Well, no. But I used to run with my mom every morning. Once she was… gone, I stopped. Freedom wasn’t something we were granted much of in the group homes.” I lie through my teeth and want to slap myself for slipping up.

  “Well, since we’re basically at where we started, why don’t we switch it up? I invited a friend to join us for training. She’s like you, her birthday was early in the year, so she knows what it’s like to learn to fight with raw instincts.”

  “Oh, I mean, yeah sure.”

  “I told her to meet us at the chamber, but here by the boathouse is fine. You relax here and catch your breath, and I’ll go get her.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “And I was also thinking, that maybe after, we could hang out. Just the two of us, and like… not train.” He rubs the back of his neck and his arms flex with the movement.

  “Oh… yeah, okay. That would be nice,” I smile, a little shocked. Ethan has been so hot and cold since the first time I met him, so I just didn’t expect this from him.

  “Awesome,” he beams. “Okay, you wait here. I’ll be back.” He takes off at a jog, and then speeds out of sight and I lay back against the grass. I mean, hanging with him is just that, right? It’s not a date or anything. The last thing I want is more drama or complications in my life. But, I mean, Ethan is… well he’s Ethan. He seems so strong and loyal, but it’s like he never gives his entire self over. I can’t really blame him since I hold back too, but still.

  He appears back, the slight breeze stirring around me at his speed and he appears with a girl about my height with shoulder-length curly hair, who looks at him like he hangs the moon. Well. This is going to be fun.

  “Blakeley, this is Eden. Eden, Blakeley. Like I said, you guys have an early birthday in common, and I remember how hard it was for you at the beginning, B, so I thought you might be able to help out Eden.”

  “Hey,” she smiles brightly, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Awesome. “I can definitely help, but what I can tell you, Eden, is that training when your powers are already here is brutal. You are going to hurt a lot, because you’re faster, more agile, and more lethal than most of your class, so you’ll likely only be paired with third and fourth years to fight. It sucks, but that’s just the truth of it. The upside is exactly the same things.” She offers me a hand to help me stand and nods at Ethan who takes a few steps backward and leans against the wall of the boathouse.

  “What I want you to do, is try to forget everything you’ve already been told, and I want you to just clear your mind. The power that runs through you already knows everything you need to know; you just need to let it out.”

  “Erm… okay.” This girl sounds crazy, like legit, but totally crazy. I stand and close my eyes while I try to clear my mind. I reach out for the power inside me, and it feels just out of grasp. Frustrated, I try again, and that’s when I feel pain slice through my jaw and stumble back.

  “Focus, Eden. If you’d let your guard down, let your power flow through you, you’d have known I was coming. I told you, you get more. Now stop wasting it and use it!” she shouts, and I reach inside of myself again and unlock the cage I picture my sleeping monster in. I feel it, the rush of power as it runs through me.

  “That’s it. Let it out, learn the power, how to leash it and how to let it go. Now, focus.” She says and I keep my eyes closed and focus on the sounds around me: the wind on the lake, rustling through the forest; and the crunch of the grass under her feet. I can almost see her in my mind and dodge as she tries to hit me again and I smile.

  “Well done. Now, let’s try it again, except I want you to retaliate. Don’t hold back.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Blakeley?”

  “Ethan, shut up and let me do what I’m doing. You asked me here, remember?” She snaps. “Sorry, just wait a minute, you’ll see I know what I’m doing.” She tells him before facing me again.

  “Ready?” she asks, and I nod. I keep my eyes open but try not to focus on making myself do anything but watch her. She steps, and my feet mirror hers as we circle each other. She jumps forward and I fall to my knees and slide, leaning back to avoid her outstretched hands. I twist and grab her hand using my momentum against her and pull her down, pinning her beneath me.

  “I… what the…?” I say, happy but so confused as I let her go.

  “Well done, you’re a natural. You’re going to be a great warrior; I can already tell.”

  “But… how did I?” I ask, confused. I’ve been trying so hard to not show that I’ve trained before, and ten minutes with her and my body just reacts like I never stopped training.

  “Your power, it knows your body and mind. It pulls on everything you’ve ever learned. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d already trained extensively.” She looks at me with suspicion.

  “Not before I started here,” I tell her
, trying to keep my gaze steady.

  “Okay, let’s go again, but I’m not going to stop after one move. Prepare yourself. I want to know how much you know.”

  “Oh, we don’t have to…” I say. Shit, I’m not ready for this.

  “I insist. I can’t help you get better if I don’t know what you can already do. For all I know, basic hand-to-hand isn’t something you need to work on; you might need advanced training, or weapons training. We won’t know until we test you,” she smirks, and it’s like she knows, but there’s no way she can know.

  “Okay,” I give in, unable to see another way. I take a deep breath and try to push my power back down, just enough that I’m still in control, but she comes at me with no notice and attacks. I try to avoid her blows, but she just keeps coming, and that’s when I feel the monster inside of me take total control and everything goes fuzzy.

  “Eden… Eden you need to let her go.” I hear Ethan’s voice shouting at me, and I shake my head trying to clear it, and that’s when I see Blakeley in front of me. My hand is around her throat and my claws extended; not piercing the skin, but close enough. I release her and she drops the inch or so to the floor and her legs give way as she crumples at my feet.

  “I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry.” I stammer. What on earth have I done? I look at the blood running down her arms and chest. There’s a gash along her thigh and another above her eye.

  “What on earth are you?” she gasps as Ethan crouches in front of her and breaks his own skin, offering her his blood to help her heal. She takes the offering, and the scent of his blood makes my fangs extend. I clasp a hand over my mouth, but I have to fight myself to stay planted to the spot.

  “I need to go.” I whisper and take off at a sprint back toward the dorms.

  “Whoa there, speedy. You okay?” I crash into Kane, and I wipe a tear that I can’t quite stop as it rolls down my cheek.

  “I… I’m fine. Just tired, I guess.” I lie, and he knows it.

  “Hey, come on now. Let’s go upstairs. I wasn’t meant to train with you until later, but maybe we can do it now since you’re free?” I sigh, but I let him take me up the stairs of our dorm and lead me to my room. I open the door and find the room trashed.

  “What the hell…?” I gasp. My mirrors are smashed, the cushions of my sofa are torn apart, the stuffing strewn across the room. I open the door to my bedroom and find my bed in a similar state. Kane walks beside me and opens my closet and I see my clothes in ribbons, my shoes with heels broken, and all of my things just everywhere. I gasp and dart to my bed and grab my backpack from underneath. It seems untouched, but I check through it, and feel for my locket, finding it still in place. I let out a small sigh of relief, before the tears start at the violation of my room.

  “Hey, we’ll get this all sorted and find out what the hell happened here, okay? For now, let’s go to my room, and I’ll check in with Ava to get her to report this mess. Is anything missing?”

  “I don’t think so, it’s my own fault. I keep forgetting to put the charm on my room. I thought I was safe.” I say quietly through my silent tears. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and leads me out of the room and down the hall to his room. He pushes the door open and lets me in, and it shocks me how different his room is to mine. Instead of light colors, it’s all dark, and sharp lines.

  “You’ll be safe in here. Let me just go and get Ava okay? I’ll just be gone a few minutes.” I nod and take a seat on his sofa. “Help yourself to anything. I’ll be right back.”

  The door shuts softly behind him as he leaves, and I try to process this day. Apparently, I’m a monster who can’t control myself, and someone out there dislikes me enough to break into my room. It was as if someone was searching for something, but God only knows what. I don’t have much; not that anyone else would want anyway. Unless someone suspects? Surely not; that’s not possible. I’ve been so careful. Haven’t I?

  The door flies open, and I scream. Creed appears before me and wraps me up in a hug. He sits beside me and pulls me onto his lap, cocooning me with his body. “Are you okay, pretty girl?” he whispers in my ear while he rocks me gently, and I can’t help the new set of tears that break through. I tell him about attacking Blakeley, and then about what happened to my room, and feel him tense as I explain everything.

  “Fucking Ethan and his brilliant plans. He’s a fucking idiot. He should’ve known better. Blakeley is more likely to provoke you if she thinks you’re a threat to her precious Ethan. As for your room, I need to check it out, see if I can trace a scent. Wil you be okay while I go and check?”

  “I will, but Kane and I were already in there, so you might not find anything, I’m sorry.”

  “You have no reason to be sorry. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong here, okay?”

  I smile at him unconvincingly, because he doesn’t know.

  “I know you probably don’t believe me, but I’m on your side, Eden. No matter what anyone else says. I’ve got you. Always.” He says as he places me back on the sofa and leaves the room in a blur.

  “Motherfucker!” I hear him shout from down the hall and I wince, knowing he’s just seen my room. He bangs around in there while I just sit here in silence. The door reopens and Ava and Kane enter the room.

  “I see Creed found you before I got back,” Kane winces at the shouts from down the hall. “I’m going to go deal with that.”

  “Do you have any idea who would want something you have?” Ava asks me gently.

  “I have nothing, so I have no idea.” I shrug.

  “I think someone was just trying to scare her,” Creed says as he barrels back into the room. “Everything was pulled apart to cause a huge scene, but it doesn’t look as if things were moved much further than where they were. No one seems to have rummaged through things, just destroyed them.”

  “I don’t know if I feel better about that or not.” I look around the room at the uneasy faces.

  “We just heard,” Ethan says as he and Cam walk through the door with Ruby close behind them.

  “Are you okay, little one?” Cam asks, wrapping me up in a hug.

  “I’ll be fine. I just don’t get it. I haven’t been here long enough to make any real enemies.”

  “There’s always Amberley,” Ruby chirps up before taking a bite out of an apple.

  “Nah, this isn’t her style.” Creed says, hovering behind me, but shooting daggers at Ethan.

  “Well, you’d know, wouldn’t you?” Ethan chides. “What are you even doing here?”

  “Don’t start with me, Ethan. Can we just leave it?” He steps around me, shielding me from Ethan and I have no idea why.

  “I don’t know. Can we? Is all of this because of you?” Ethan pushes Creed backward. It’s not much, but enough for the tension in the room to become heavy.

  “If you guys are going to start your shit, you can leave. Right now.” Kane snaps, making me jump. His voice booms across the room making the hair on my arms stand on end.

  “I’m out. I’ll be about if you need me, Eden.” Creed bends down and touches his lips to my forehead, so soft I barely feel it, but I do feel the paper he tucks in my pocket.

  “I’m going too, if you’ve got this handled, Kane. I’ve got somewhere I need to be.” Ethan basically growls and follows Creed out of the door at Kane’s nod.

  “Cam, you good staying here for a bit while Ava and I try to do some damage control?” Kane asks without consulting me.

  “Ain’t no thing but a chicken wing… speaking of, you got any food?” Cam chuckles and moves to the refrigerator.

  “Help yourself. Ruby, I think it’d be best for you to head back to your room, make sure no-ones been in there too.”

  “Okay,” she says brightly and springs up from the sofa and leaves with Kane and Ava.

  “So, little one, it’s just you and me for a while. You want to watch some TV?” He turns on the fryer, and chucks in a whole bag of wings before throwing himself back down on the sofa.
>
  “I don’t remember the last time I ever watched TV…” I tell him, because well, we never had one growing up, and then Dannika never had one, and while there was one at the group home, I sure as hell never got near it. It’s just not something that’s ever really appealed to me.

  “You mean, you don’t know what WatchBox is? Oh man, I am about to bring you to LIFE!” I giggle at his absurdity. He’s puffing out his chest and flexing his arms, looking all godlike.

  “Are you from around here?”

  “I’m from near here, yeah. I actually grew up with Kane, Ethan, and Gus. Once upon a time, before the world went crazy, we were all super close. Then the Uprising happened, and we lost people, and each other for the main part. It’s why Ethan and Creed are so up in each other’s crazy. They were thick as thieves back in the day… Then Ethan’s mum died, and Gus’ dad became the Minister. It all went to hell after that. I don’t know all the details, Ethan isn’t exactly a chatty Cathy like me, and Gus, well, he went his own way. It’s kinda nice him being around some more.”

  “Holy… I can’t even imagine those guys as friends. They’re so…”

  “Up each other’s butts?”

  “Ha! Yes! They seem to wind each other up, just by looking at each other.”

  “Well, little one, that has something do with you too,” he chuckles, and I feel the red stain my cheeks.

  “I didn’t… I don’t…” I sigh.

  “Exactly. I think it was kind of genius of Laney to finally make them work together. I just don’t think she realized that both her boy geniuses had such similar tastes.” He laughs as he pulls the wings out of the fryer and douses them in sauce. He rummages in the refrigerator and pulls out a jar of dip before sinking next to me on the sofa and picking up the remote.

  “Now, enough of all that. I am about to blow your freaking mind.”

  * * *

  “What on earth are you watching now, Cam?” Kane asks, looking tired as he grabs a bottle of water from his refrigerator and then sits down beside me.