Supernatural Academy: Year One (Supernatural Academy #1)(68)

“You ready, Maddi?” Axl asked, and I blinked. Even he was well built; not as bulky as his friends, but his shoulders were just as broad.

And all of them were inked across their right sides.

“Are these marks Atlantean?” I asked, needing a distraction. If I could stare at the designs versus the bodies underneath them, I might just make it through this swim.

“Yes, they’re marks from our royal lines,” Asher said.

“That’s why Asher’s is the crown,” Axl added. “Because he’s almost directly descended from the last ruler of his house.”

An abstract monochromatic crown filled the right side of his pecs completely. “Maybe I should get some ink too,” I joked.

Five sets of eyes ran across my body, and I swallowed roughly.

“Asher did our ink,” Rone said, breaking the tension. “He’s an expert in the language and the ancient symbols.”

I tilted my head, taking a closer look at the designs. They were breathtaking. Art in its finest form. I was beyond impressed that Asher was the artist, and now I had a very good idea of what I would ask for when we next bet.

I wanted Atlantean ink from Asher.





27





The food arrived soon after that, and we sat around a large table in the pool house. It had thick aqua cushions offsetting the dark wood frame. Breakfast consisted of fruit, pastries, and bacon and egg rolls. At first it seemed like a ton of food, but it disappeared so fast that I counted myself lucky to have snagged one small plate. Jesse, on my left side, had his plates arranged around him in the order that suited his mood, eating them in a neat, precise manner.

While we ate, I asked them all questions about their lives and families. I wanted to know everything. The guys gave Axl permission to reveal their backstory, and he was more than happy to oblige.

“Asher’s parents died when he was young … three or four,” Axl told me. “They were on an expedition in the Greek Islands, trying to find more Atlantean artifacts. Something went wrong. His father’s body washed up and they never found his mother.”

“They were murdered,” Asher added, his voice dark and gravelly. “I’ve spent a lot of years trying to unravel their last few days.”

Sympathy for Asher rose inside of me. He’d been so young when he lost both parents. It was devastating. And completely unfair.

“I understand wanting closure,” I said softly. “I hunted down information on my father, my adoptive father as it turns out, because I didn’t just accept my mother’s vague ‘he died from drug use’ answer.”

Turned out he’d died because he stole drugs. Something that his dealer was not too happy about.

“It’s fine,” Asher said, even though his face was telling another story. “Like I said, I barely knew them. And while closure would be nice, I doubt it’ll ever happen at this stage.”

There was a beat of silence, everyone caught up in the darkness, and then Axl continued, “Jesse’s parents are still alive and well, living in Germany. They work for one of the prisons as corrections officers, and they’re big-time into wine.”

I choked out a laugh, and Jesse shrugged. “He’s not even kidding. They own three wineries, and drink at least one bottle every night. They like to ‘sample’ the new season’s haul.”

I already liked them.

“Calen’s parents live in France,” Axl continued. “They own a little bakery there, and I can tell you, to my knowledge no one makes a better dessert than his mom or fluffier bread than his dad. I tried to calculate their recipes to the exact formula one day, but they use no strict measurements. It’s not calculable.”

Calen sighed, leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands. “I miss them. Mostly their food, but also just seeing them in person. I need to get back to visit soon.”

“Are they coming for Parents’ Day?” Asher asked.

Calen sat straighter. “Yes. Fuck. I completely forgot about that. The school is opening step-throughs from a few main ferry points, and I’m pretty sure the parents are catching one from Paris.”

“Parents’ Day? I asked.

“On May 10,” Calen said, “they open the school for parents to visit. They generally stay until after dinner, and then take the step-throughs back home.”

I forced a smile. Parents. Whatever would one do with those?

“I’m the product of two scientist parents,” Axl said quickly. “They’re pretty uninterested in me or anything to do with my life, but I understand it. Their minds are on the bigger picture. I don’t even know where they are; we don’t really keep in touch. But if I ever needed them, they’d be here.”

Sure, if he could track them down, since they apparently just fucked off and didn’t even bother to tell him. I got that Axl was practical and understood their reasons on a mental level, but emotionally it had to hurt.

It hadn’t escaped my notice that he’d left Rone for last, still hesitating as he started the vampire’s story. “I said it was okay,” Rone grumbled, waving his hand. “You’ve all accepted her as one of us, and I won’t bother to fight it until I know for sure she’s here to hurt us. For now, I’m reserving judgement.”

Axl eyed his friend, and then nodded slowly. “Rone has a similar backstory to you,” he said softly. “Adopted as a young child. His family were … not good supes. They were part of an evil clan that liked to prey on humans, feeding and killing at will. Rone refused, even when he was young and vulnerable, and they almost killed him.”