by JA Wren
She reached up and wrapped her free hand around her crystal pendant, smiling at the gentle hum from the Wisp.
While they waited for Lucia to rejoin them with the triplets—which she hoped to hell wasn’t really the trio from inside the labyrinth—Rayna swept her gaze around the room. It was packed like a hoarder from one of those reality shows. Enough she worried a dead body might be hiding under a teetering stack of dusty old books. Not the space she would’ve expected from the impeccably dressed pantsuited-peacock lady.
“I apologize for the…mess,” Hale said, disgust oozing from her words. “I’ve only recently taken over from my predecessor, and I’m afraid he was…somewhat of a packrat. I’ve yet to find time to tidy.”
“And clean,” Rayna mumbled. Then clamped her hand over her mouth when she realized she’d said it aloud.
Hale scowled but nodded. “Yes. Cleaning would have been top priority, but running an academy of this magnitude is time-consuming. And there have been…other distractions in the way of hygiene.”
“No janitorial staff?”
Dear God, Knox. Do you have zero self-preservation today?
“I mean—” she stuttered, trying desperately to fix this before the woman kicked her out and made her leave the property right that very minute.
Hale huffed and leaned back in her overly large wingback seat. “We do, Miss Knox, but I have no idea what’s buried in this room and until I do, I can’t let just anyone in here. My predecessor did not allow them inside his office, not once during his seventy-five year tenure.”
Rayna scrunched her nose. “No wonder it looks like a skeleton might pop out of the closet any second.”
To her utter shock, Hale snorted. “I can’t argue with that. But it also means I can’t be sure what the staff might find while cleaning. Best to err on the side of caution. Even if it means working inside this rubbish heap for the time being.”
Rayna raised her brows, surprised the woman had agreed with her. She chose to keep her mouth shut, though—like Asher, she noted with a frown directed at him. “You’ve been especially quiet since we stepped into the building.”
He shrugged, lifting one shoulder, but didn’t even look at her.
Now he was giving her the silent treatment?
Hello. He was the one keeping secrets. She had all the right to be pissed. But him? No way. She was about to tell him exactly that when movement out the corner of her eye stopped her.
Hale stood. “This room is spelled. No lie can be uttered, no truth hidden. It’s incredibly handy when dealing with difficult situations, though most often it’s used on unruly students. Or…delicate negotiations.” Lines of strain crinkled around her eyes and mouth. “I imagine your companion is trying incredibly hard not to reveal anything while you’re still tethered to him.”
Rayna’s jaw slackened. But before she could blurt out a string of questions, the door swung open and Lucia entered, her blonde ringlets swaying. “I have bad news. Selene and the triplets have gone on a sort of field trip and won’t be back until tomorrow. Maybe the day after.”
Hale let out a growl-huff combo sound and flopped into her chair. “Right, then there’s only one other way to do this. Not my preferred method, but it will have to do.” She gestured at the silver-haired man with a flick of her slender wrist. “Quincy, would you be so kind as to assist Lucia?”
“Of course.” Quincy stepped closer, along with the blonde, and stood behind Rayna.
She jerked back, unease skittering over her skin, but Asher reached out and gripped her arm, his hold incredibly gentle. “I won’t let anyone harm you, Rayna.” His eyes pleaded with her, so earnest, and thanks to the spelled room, she knew he wasn’t lying. “I can’t tell you everything. For your own good, I swear, or I’d sit you down right now and give you every gory, painful detail. But I can’t. Not until you—”
His voice was so full of heartache and sorrow it brought tears to Rayna’s eyes. What the hell was he hiding that was so gut-wrenching?
He stroked a thumb over the back of her hand. “Please. Just trust me. Let me shield you. Enough to keep you safe. Enough to put your life ahead of everything else, even if that means you hate me for it. I’d rather you loathe me than see you—”
He broke himself off again, clenching his teeth hard enough the muscles in his jaw stood out, bulging under his skin. She couldn’t explain it, but a deep ache resonated through her chest, an echo throbbing up to her throat.
Almost like the ghost of being choked.
She wasn’t happy about any of this, but she nodded, trusting he was being truthful and that for whatever reason, she couldn’t know the details. Didn’t mean she suddenly no longer cared what and why. Or that she wasn’t still extremely pissed at him.
But for now she was willing to cooperate. “You will tell me eventually, right?”
He flinched. “Not likely. Nyx said you had to figure it out yourself. Remember—”
He snapped his mouth shut, body coiled tight as he strained against his own words and fought whatever spell compelled him to be honest inside Hale’s office. She tried not to hold it against him. Tried to focus on this Nyx person and put the blame on them. But an ember of resentment burned within her, wishing he’d just spill all the details and be done with it.
Why did she have to figure it out for herself? What was so awful he had to hide it from her? To shield her, he said. Those were protective words, but why?
Her mind racing with crazy potential reasons, she didn’t notice Quincy and Lucia coming closer until they stood right behind her. Quincy wrapped his big hands around her head, covering her ears and, for a second, she thought that was their attempt to keep her from hearing what was said.
But then a weird, hollow hum resonated around her, while a thin, translucent dome emerged over her head. Kind of like an astronaut’s helmet or a soap bubble. She reached up and pressed the tip of her finger to the surface, the substance wobbly and flexible, but it didn’t burst like a bubble, just shimmered around her finger.
It seemed to suck out the rest of the world. She could see Hale’s lips moving, see her leaning forward in her seat, but there was no sound of her voice or the creak of her chair. It was muffled, like floating in a pool and listening from under the water.
And then the hollowness around her head closed tighter, until there was nothing. Not even the dull thrum of voices and breathing. Only Rayna’s own thoughts.
Panic flittered in her chest, her heart kicking against her ribcage. She wanted to scream, even just to test her own voice.
Something.
Anything.
Her breathing turned choppy, but she couldn’t even hear that, only feel the rasp over her lips and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Tears dripped down her cheeks—
And then Asher reached out, his hand engulfing hers, and everything slowed.
The frantic beats of her heart settled. Her breathing eased until it returned to normal. She closed her eyes and focused on the warmth of his palm, letting it sooth her even if she was in this horrifying situation because of him.
No. Nyx, remember?
If she kept her blame directed at Nyx, she could accept Asher and the calming effect he had on her and her body. Let it envelop her. Surround her like the bubble, but in a good way instead of disturbing.
She opened her eyes and watched, keeping a tight rein on her panic, concentrating on Asher when it tried to raise its head. He and Hale conversed, talking animatedly while various emotions played out on their faces, or in their postures.
Rayna tried to track them, catalogue every flinch or widening of Hale’s eyes. Or the tension coiling around Asher’s body like he was suffering untold agony. Tears glistened in his eyes and his hand heated, little flames licking around the palm that held onto hers.
She jerked, trying to pull her hand free before he burned her.
But while she felt the warmth, the rising heat against her skin, it didn’t scorch. She stared even as the fire curled up he
r arm, wrapping around her like they weren’t only a part of him but a piece of her, too.
A lost piece finally finding its way home.
The chill she always felt deep in her core thawed out while the beautiful sunset flames circled her elbow, almost lovingly. She snorted—or at least she thought she did, still unable to hear a damn thing.
Flames couldn’t love.
They weren’t sentient.
They destroyed, burned everything in their path and reduced it all to ash.
Her gaze lifted to the man beside her. He controlled the fire, just like he’d wielded it as a huge sword when they’d fought the living statues.
Did that mean—did he love her?
It wasn’t possible. They’d known each other a few hours. Well, not counting the night together she still couldn’t remember. But no one fell in love that fast.
Did they?
She’d always scoffed at love at first sight, passing it off as lust. Or maybe a desperation to find a connection with some other poor soul.
But not love. Never real love.
So, then why did she feel an intense urge to return the feeling?
Fourteen
They kept her in the soundless bubble for way longer than Rayna would’ve liked. Apparently, the explanation of why she needed protection took forever.
What the hell were they keeping from her?
When they finally burst the translucent bubble, and her hearing returned, her ears felt like she’d taken a flight halfway across the world. Or like she’d been scuba diving. Not that she ever had. But the weird sensation in her ears resembled that intense shift in altitude, and she kept playing with her jaw in an attempt to pop her ears back to normality.
“Well,” Hale said, bringing her hands together on the desk. “Your situation is rather—unique, Miss Knox. You will be permitted to stay here and attend the academy.”
Before Rayna could utter a word, Hale turned to the blonde hovering nearby. “Lucia, could you arrange for a class schedule? By this evening, if possible. I’d like for Miss Knox to begin attendance first thing in the morning.”
Lucia nodded, and headed for the exit. “I’ll have one of the Spirituals deliver it to her dorm.”
“What?” Rayna gasped as Lucia disappeared. “Just like that I’m allowed within your precious walls?”
Hale’s face pinched. “Nyx forgive me, but I think we will need to explain a few things.”
Asher growled from beside them, taking a step forward, closer to the headmistress. “She can’t know.”
“You might not realize with your current circumstances,” Hale gritted out between clenched teeth as she glared at him. “But the gods are warring.”
He scoffed. “They’re always warring.”
“Gods?” Rayna asked, but neither of them seemed to pay her much notice.
Even Quincy was pointedly avoiding looking at Rayna, inspecting a collection of dusty books in the corner, though it was clear he was still paying attention to the conversation.
With a deep breath, Hale closed her eyes. “This time it’s different.” She didn’t move, didn’t say a word for several moments, then finally opened her eyes. “We aren’t talking about Olympians overthrowing Titans and locking them in Tartarus. Or the Olympians fighting amongst themselves as they’ve done for eons. Those were little scuffles compared to this. It’s so much greater than ever before.”
A beat of silence passed before she continued.
“The Primodials are preparing for war. With themselves. With each other. With humankind. Olympians and Titans are pledging their allegiances even as we speak.” Her voice dropped, going from serious to grave. “Primordials are choosing their heirs. Surely you can understand the implications. The utter devastation that would occur.”
Asher’s face tightened, like he did understand, but Rayna was still in the damn dark. Olympians and Titans sounded like Greek Mythology to her, but she didn’t know much more than that, or anything about Primordials. “Well, I don’t understand, so could you explain it? And tell me what it has to do with me?”
Hale opened her mouth, but Asher made a sound low in his chest. “Nyx specifically said not—”
Hale waved a hand. “Yes, yes. I understand. However, Miss Knox at least needs to have an inkling as to what she is in order to attend her classes and learn to control her powers. That is academy policy after all, given we are here to help students learn. They cannot do so if they do not know who they are and where they come from. Nyx would have known that when she sent the invitation to Miss Knox.”
“Powers?” Rayna repeated, latching onto the one word that stood out.
Hale smiled, flashing Asher a triumphant stare before turning back to Rayna. “Yes, powers.”
“You mean…that’s why I’ve been—” She couldn’t lie inside the spelled office, but she also didn’t actually know how to explain. “You know. The weird quirks.”
Hale laughed. “Quirks? Is that what you’ve been referring to them as?” At Rayna’s nod, Hale chuckled harder, ignoring Quincy as he tsked under his breath. “You poor dear. I can’t presume to understand why Nyx chose to keep you in the dark, especially with the coming war, but you’re not experiencing any quirks. I imagine your powers have been manifesting, whether you’ve been aware of them or not.”
Powers.
Manifesting.
She tried to reconcile the words and their meanings, but her brain was struggling to process. And she definitely didn’t have space to think about the war Hale kept mentioning. “So, the…the black sheets?”
Hale squinted but nodded. “Perfectly normal, I believe.”
“Believe? You mean you don’t know for sure? And how can you even call that normal? Normal people don’t wake up to black cinders and tar all around them, or their plants fried until they look like they got caught in a wildfire. Normal people don’t find their—”
Rayna cut off, her throat closing and sealing away her words, not yet ready to admit what she’d done.
Hale pushed herself from her chair. “Quincy, would you mind organizing Miss Knox’s admittance while I fill her in on a few details?”
She was pretty glad to see the silver-haired man disappear, because it meant he couldn’t do that creepy hearing removal trick again.
Hale rounded the desk and came to stand in front of Asher and Rayna. “Miss Knox, you are very special. I know that won’t make even a tiny bit of sense right now, but you are. In fact, you are the last of your kind. The only one to exist for a very, very long time.”
“My kind?”
Hale nodded and perched her butt on the edge of her desk. “I cannot reveal too much. Please note that’s not a lie, but the truth. Your health and a great deal more depend on that. But I will share that you are a daughter of Nyx, the Primordial goddess of night.”
“What?” Rayna staggered back, only the glowing thread—currently shining brighter—holding her to Asher kept her on her feet. “Uh, no. That can’t be right. I have a mother. A very human, although pretty damn horrible, mother. She lives in Queens and—”
She stopped at the patient expression on Hale’s face, a sinking feeling taking hold of her stomach. Her chest tightened and no other words would leave her lips. The spelled room wouldn’t allow them to. “That’s a lie, isn’t it?”
Hale nodded. “It may be your truth, one you’ve lived these past twenty years, but you were not born from a mortal. Not even an Olympian or a Titan. You are much greater than that, made more special now that you’re the last of your kind.”
She was scared to utter her next question, but she had to. Desperately needed to get the real answers. The ones she’d come here to find out. “So, what does that make me, exactly?”
“You are a daughter of the night.” Lips pressed tightly together, Hale shook her head. “More than that, I cannot reveal. And before you ask more about your powers, I honestly don’t know what you’re capable of. We’ve never had a—well, one of your kind at the Labyrinth Aca
demy before. There is no precedent. Never mind your unique—”
Asher cleared his throat and cut her off with a shake of his head. “None of that.”
Rayna scowled at him. “And what about Asher? Will he be attending classes?” She held up her hand, gesturing to their bound wrists. “It’s not like he can go anywhere without me tagging along.”
Hale beamed. “Asher has agreed to join you and will be enrolled. While he certainly doesn’t need to learn about his abilities, he will need to abide by academy rules and regulations while he remains here. That means attending classes of his own once we’re able to separate the two of you. As you’re a late admission, perhaps he can help tutor you in the fundamentals of our world. Particularly regarding the Primordials.”
Great. Her hot Mr. One-Nighter—yeah, she could still call him that in her head—had suddenly morphed into her personal study partner. All while keeping secrets from her for her own protection.
Hale sighed, her body language turning incredibly uncomfortable. “As you’re currently bound, you’ll need to share a dorm for now. This situation is not ideal, and dorms usually house two same sex students per room, but since I cannot remove the Moon Thread, we’ll have to make do.”
Share a dorm room.
Hale’s meaning slowly sank in. Rayna glanced at the string tying her to Asher, leaving about two ruler lengths of space between them. Enough they didn’t have to walk wedged into each other. Enough they’d been able to maneuver themselves with a great deal of effort so he could fight the marble statues and wolves.
But not enough they’d be able to have separate beds.
She pushed that thought aside, unprepared to deal with it.
At least not yet.
“Right,” Hale said, pushing off from the desk and heading for the door to her office. “Let’s get you registered with admissions. If you’re worried about tuition, it’ll be taken care of by Nyx. While she hasn’t sent us a student in far too long, she’s been extremely generous in the past, so I’m sure she’ll leave you with a decent monthly stipend for other expenses.”
