by M Guida
A tall man wearing glasses and a suit stood on the stairs, holding a Manilla file. “Good morning, ladies. My name is Baron Germaine. I am the monitor of Wyvern Tower. If you have a problem, you can come to me.”
Yeah, right. Only if you wanted your secret to go straight to Anton
“You’ll be getting your schedules and your room numbers, and you’ll meet your roommates.” He gave us a dark look. “There will be no switching.”
I heard slight grumbling but ignored it.
Baron Germaine opened the file. “Ebony Erickson.”
My eyes widened. I was first? Really? Crap. I could feel every eye on me, making me break out in sweat. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders and forced my wobbly legs to move.
“I’m Ebony Erickson,” I said quietly.
He handed me a piece of paper. “Here’s your schedule and room number. Your books and bags are in your room.”
Unfortunately, the paper didn’t list who my roommate was.
I made my way up the ornate circular staircase and found my room at the end of the hallway. I had a sneaking suspension it was Raven’s room. Maybe not.
I opened the door to a large beautiful dorm room. A picture window looked down on the courtyard below. I could see them taking down the podium. I sat on the twin bed near the window. Books were stacked neatly on each of the desks in the room. My trunk and suitcase were next to another trunk and three suitcases, but there was no name on the luggage.
I decided to unpack and put my suitcase on the bed.
Just then the door swung open and a girl with long blond hair and big green eyes gave me a crusty look that made me wonder if I had spinach in my teeth.
“You’re my roommate? Seriously?”
I had no idea who the hell she was and why the sudden hatred. “Is there a problem? I don’t even know you.”
She slammed the door. “Problem? You could say that. I’m Victoria Lind. My friends call me Tori, but you can call me Victoria.”
“Okay, whatever, Tori.”
She came up to me nose-to-nose. “Don’t call me that. You’ll never be my friend. Not after what your sister did to Bo.”
Then it hit me who she was. Crap, my life had just gotten ten times worse.
“You’re Vivian’s sister, aren’t you?” I drew out my words.
“Good job figuring that out, Einstein.” She put her hands on her hips. “So, I guess I don’t get a choice on what bed I want.”
I almost made the gesture to give the window bed to her, but fuck that shit. I stuck out my chin and narrowed my eyes. “Sorry, I got here first.”
“Maybe so, Horn Girl. But I have another message for you. Stay away from Gunnar. He’s already taken.”
My blood ran hot, warming my face. “Says who?”
“Nora. She’s one of my best friends. So, stay away.” She ran her gaze over me and curled her lip. “You’re an even bigger freak than your sister.”
I caught my reflection in the huge oval mirror on the other side of the room and groaned. There were my stupid horns again, betraying my feelings. I wanted to run out of there and demand a new roommate, but I knew Baron Germaine wouldn’t listen.
I turned my back on Victoria and fought back the tears threatening to pour down my cheeks. The one thing I really wanted was to luck out with a great roommate like Raven had. But no, the bad luck fairy had other ideas. How the hell was I going to get through this year?
Chapter 4
The silence in our room was deafening, except for my thundering heart. I hoped Victoria couldn’t hear it. Luckily, my stupid horns had receded. I had just finished hanging up the last of my uniforms when there was a knock on the door.
Victoria brushed passed me and opened it.
My stomach fell to the floor like a rock.
“Nora, come on in.” Victoria motioned with her arm.
“Oh, my God, Tori.” Nora gave me a cool look. She had on a short black skirt that showed off her legs and a leopard twist-tie crop tee that revealed her belly button. “You scraped the bottom of the roomie barrel.”
I folded my arms. “I'm standing right here.”
“Yeah. Whatever.” Nora flicked her hand and walked into our room as if she owned the place. She sat on Victoria’s bed and crossed her legs. “The view from my window looks toward Mystic Towers and I swear I can see Gunnar’s room. He’s asked me to sit with him at dinner. I just love a bad boy.”
I frowned. “Gunnar’s not a bad boy.”
Nora laughed. “You’re such an idiot. Of course he is. Do you know how many people he’s killed?”
“His father made him do it.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She tilted her head back and squealed. “When I make him mine, I’ll be the most feared woman alive.”
“That’s your goal?”
“Everyone will do my bidding, including you.”
“Don’t count on it.” God, how could Gunnar want to be with someone like her?
Someone timidly knocked on my door and I prayed it wasn’t another one of Victoria’s posse.
I opened it and relief flooded over me. It was Cadye.
She smiled. “Hey, I thought I’d see how you were doing.”
“This tower is only for dragons,” Victoria’s crisp words chased away Cadye’s smile.
I wanted to argue that Nora was a Golden Dragon and not a dragon.
But before I could say anything, Nora clicked her tongue. “Tori, don’t be rude. Cadye’s with Armond.”
Victoria’s cheeks burned red. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were somebody.”
Cadye cocked her eyebrow. “Somebody? Seriously?”
I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Nora and Victoria. “Come on. Let’s go. I’m hungry.” A total lie, but I couldn’t stay in there for another minute.
“Really? You’re hungry?”
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure my now two new enemies couldn’t hear. “No, but I had to get out of there. Victoria Lind is my roommate. Her sister was Vivian Lind, Raven’s number one nemesis.”
“Oh, man. I heard that Victoria and her family blame Raven for Bo’s death.”
“Yup.” I put my hand on my chest. “And apparently me as well.”
Cadye rolled her eyes. “That’s asinine. It wasn’t Raven's fault. Bo was trying to protect her."
I tilted my head. “Well, you try telling them that.”
Bo had been one of the Royals, Prince of the Dragons. Vivian had been going with him and thought she was going to be the next queen of the dragons until Raven came along.
Cadye frowned. “Is anything else wrong?”
I shook my head. “No. Why?”
She nudged me. “We’ve been through a lot, buddy. You’re not fooling me.”
Cadye and I had fought in the last Dark Demon war a couple of years ago, and ever since we’d been best friends. We told each other everything. We stepped outside and I opened my mouth to tell her what was bugging me but The Sentinels, including Gunnar, were milling around in the courtyard and I stopped.
She stepped in front of me. “Ebony, tell me.”
My heart fluttered. Gunnar, Darius, Kyle and Armond were heading over toward us. I shook my head. “Not now. I’ll tell you later.”
She followed my gaze and smiled. “Hey, guys. All settled in?”
“Yup.” Kyle rubbed his stomach. “I'm hungry. Is there anything around here to eat?”
Darius punched him in the arm playfully. “Dude, you’re a wolf. Go catch something.”
“Ha, Ha,” Kyle muttered.
Kyle was the youngest of the Ellis brothers and was Armond’s best friend. He and his older brother Evan and had just found out that they were wolf shifters a couple of years ago, but their older brother Sam was not. He had a different father.
Surprise, surprise.
Gunnar stood next to me. “Ebony, how’s your new roommate?”
I swear he could hear my thundering heart. I took a deep breath and t
ried to remain calm. “Well, I met her, so there’s that.”
Cadye blurted, “She’s a total bitch.”
Gunnar looked between me and Cadye. “Really? Why?”
“Oh, Gunnar. There you are.”
I winced. Like a bad penny, Nora came strolling over, looking beautiful and sexy as ever with her red hair loosely falling around her shoulders. All the guys were focused on her.
Nora leaned next to Gunnar. “Hey, baby.”
Victoria was right behind her, wearing short shorts and a cropped leopard top. “Have you guys seen Zayne?”
Zayne was Bo’s brother and next in line for the crown. He had replaced his brother on the Defenders. God, Victoria was going to be as bad as her sister, chasing the crown. I felt sorry for Zayne.
Armond shook his head. “No.”
She pouted. “Well, I have to find him.”
I wasn’t staying here for another second. “I need something to drink.”
Without waiting for a response from anyone, I headed to the cafeteria. I opened the door and ran into Jaxon.
He flashed me a sunny smile. “Hey, I was wondering where you ran off to.”
“Just getting settled. I’m a little thirsty.”
He widened the door. “Well, come on in. They’ve got everything you can imagine, including ice cream.”
“Really?” A big dish of ice cream might squash all the jitters inside me.
I followed him inside. The cafeteria was as big and as homey as I remembered with wooden beams overhead and hardwood floors. Not many students were inside so the food line wasn’t very long.
Students were coming out with banana splits, sundaes of every flavor, and shakes.
“Hey, wait up." Cadye hurried toward me.
I turned around, and unfortunately, Cadye and the others had tracked me inside all except for Victoria. She had found her victim and was hanging all over him at a big round table. I remembered the same table when I had been come here to watch Raven’s trials. It was the Royal table and unlike Victoria, I wanted no part of it.
Jaxon nodded his finger. “You’re Cadye, right?”
“Yes. And you’re Jaxon?”
He bowed slightly. “At your service.”
Gunnar stood behind Cadye. “Smooth talker, Jaxon.”
But he wasn’t looking at Jaxon. He was looking at me. I almost said something until Nora looped her arm through his and gave me a deadly he’s-mine stare.
I turned my back and concentrated on the freezer full of ice cream with every flavor imaginable.
A jolly looking cook opened the glass lid. “What can I get you, my dear?”
“I’d like a banana split with cookies-n-cream, rocky road, and brownie chunks with butterscotch and chocolate sauce.”
The woman smiled. “Would you like whipped cream and nuts?”
“Absolutely, thank you.”
“That’s an interesting combination,” Jaxon murmured in my ear. “Just like you.”
“Interesting combination?”
His cheeks turned pink and he ran his hand through his thick blondish brown hair. “Well, yeah. You’re part dragon, vampire, and Golden Demon, right?”
I raised my eyebrow. “Yeah, what of it?”
“I think it makes you really cool…and beautiful.”
This time, it was my turn to blush and I lowered my head.
“Here you go, dearie.” The cook handed me the royal banana split.
“Thanks.” I glanced up at Jaxon. “Wow, this is huge. I don’t know if I can eat all this myself.”
He grabbed two spoons. “How about we share?”
I’d never shared anything with a guy before and I smiled shyly. “Sure.”
Jaxon put his hand on my lower back and escorted me to the Royal table. I didn’t want to sit there, because Gunnar and Nora would, since Gunnar was a Dark Demon prince, even though he was on our side now. I sighed. Of course Jaxon would want to sit there, being Dante’s cousin and all. He scooted out a chair for me and motioned for me to sit.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
We sat down and he grinned. “Ladies choice. You want the cherry?”
I laughed. “If you insist." I plunged my spoon into the whipped cream and nuts and captured the cherry.
Victoria came over to our table with a small cup of vanilla ice cream and sat down. She burst out laughing. “Don’t you even know how to eat ice cream without getting whipped cream on your nose?”
And just like that, my roommate ruined it for me. My cheeks burned beet red and I could feel my face turning red hot.
“I think it makes you sexy as hell.” Jaxon swiped the cream off my nose with his finger and then licked it off. I didn’t see Victoria’s reaction to that.
Armond and Cadye put their trays down at the table.
Victoria put her hand down on the chair next to her, blocking Cadye from sitting. “You can’t sit there. I’m saving that seat for Zayne."
Armond narrowed his eyes at her. “Then I suggest you move.” His voice had a deep growl and for a minute, he reminded me of Lucien.
“She’s not a Royal.” She pointed at me. “Neither is she.”
“And you aren’t either, but I am, and I decide who sits here. So does Jaxon.”
I opened my mouth to say something but Jaxon clasped my hand and shook his head. With the glint in his eyes, I could see he was enjoying this encounter.
Victoria’s lower lip trembled and she flashed her gaze around the table. “But Jaxon’s not a Prince.”
I almost felt sorry for her.
“He’s of Royal blood.” He moved the chair out for Cadye to sit, making Victoria almost topple over.
Gunnar and Nora joined us and surprisingly Gunnar sat next to me. I noticed he didn’t pull a chair out for Nora.
Victoria cast a pleading look at the two of them. “Armond’s not letting me save a seat for Zayne.” Her whiny voice grated on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard.
Gunnar scanned the table. “What are you talking about? There are plenty of seats.”
Victoria was still pouting. “Not next to me, there aren’t.”
Nora flicked her hand. “Gunnar, do something.”
Gunnar picked up his spoon. “Like what?”
She put her hands on her hips. “Make them move, Gunnar.”
He frowned as he picked up his spoon to dig into his banana split. “Why?”
“Because I said so.”
His spoon stopped in midair and he didn’t look at her. “No.” His hard tone left little doubt he wasn't anyone’s puppet.
I stifled a laugh and took a huge spoonful of my banana split, savoring the butterscotch over the pralines as much as I did watching both Victoria and Nora getting toppled off their high horses.
Nora’s superior look cracked and her mouth opened and shut, making her look like a fish, but she still sat down next to Gunnar in huff. “Come sit by me, Tori.”
Victoria scooted her chair loudly back, and plunked down next to Nora.
Kyle wandered over with two big sundaes, one hot fudge and the other strawberry, and he sat in between Cadye and Jaxon. “Too good to resist.”
“What’s he doing—“ Victoria’s sharp protest died on her lips.
Armond threw her glare that would have made any Dark Demon think twice. Victoria was playing with fire if she attacked Kyle. He was like a brother to Armond.
Darius arrived at the table next, with the largest chocolate ice cream cone dipped in nuts that I had ever seen. He glanced over at Kyle. “Two, dude?”
“Shut up. I’m hungry and a wolf’s got to eat.”
Victoria and Nora whispered to each other and I couldn’t hear what they said. But I had a sinking feeling whatever they were conspiring about it was some evil plot where I would end up the loser.
Chapter 5
The first day of school came sooner than I wanted, but I was out of my room bright and early, wearing my purple plaid short skirt and a crisp white top. I didn’
t like wearing dresses and skirts, but the girls’ uniforms at Legacy were skirts, so I had no choice. The toxic silence in my room put me on edge. Victoria had even been worse after the ice cream treats episode. She would make snide comments about anything I did or said, and even though I managed to resist the urge to strangle her, my dumb horns gave away how I was feeling.
The only peace I had was when she fell asleep after dinner. I was finally able to drift off myself and hope she didn’t get up in the middle of the night and cut up my clothes or try and strangle me.
I headed toward the cafeteria and realized I wasn’t the only early bird. Students were already coming in and out, some sitting on the lawn and others at picnic tables drinking coffee. The coffee part was definitely on my agenda.
The cafeteria was about half full, right now at six-thirty. I suspected in the next half hour it would become super busy because the first class started at eight o’clock.
Like I said, I was an early bird. I wanted time to look over my schedule and I didn’t want to be in our room when Victoria got up. I was a jumble of nerves already and I didn’t need her snide marks to turn me into even more of a jittering mess.
I grabbed a large cup of coffee with cream and a waffle so loaded with strawberries and whipped cream that the strawberries dripped over the edge of the waffle. No one was at the Royal table yet and I hesitated on whether or not I should sit there. I wasn’t of Royal blood. True, I was the Golden Phoenix’s daughter, but he was a super hero, not a prince.
It was nice outside so I decided to sit at a vacant picnic table I had seen earlier. Luckily, it was still empty. I sat my tray down and got out my schedule. I had Supernatural History first period with Professor Rink, who hadn’t been at the opening ceremony. That was followed by the class I dreaded the most—Dragon Magick with Professor Tuamma. In that class, I knew I would be expected to shift and I still hadn’t been able to. Worse, Victoria would be in that class. None of my buddies was a dragon. Next was Potions with Professor Griffith. Raven had excelled in that class. My anxiety ramped up just thinking about that. Then it was Demonology with Professor Elfiel. Because of Gunnar, I was hoping I would find out more about Dark and Golden demons in that class. I was seriously obsessing over him still and I wanted to know everything about him. Last was Defense and Battle Techniques. Raven also excelled in that class, so no pressure there.
