Supernatural Academy: Year One (Supernatural Academy #1)(85)

We explored for a few more hours before deciding we’d come back tomorrow. With shovels. When we got back to the house, Larissa and Ilia were waiting out front for me. I hugged them both before opening the front door to wave them in.

“You guys want a drink?” I said, feeling a little down. “I could use a drink.”

Three hours and ten bottles of wine later, we were swimming naked in the pool. I couldn’t even remember whose idea it was, but it was the best fucking idea ever.

“I’ve missed you,” Ilia said, her voice dreamy. “Ever since the whole kidnap thing, you’ve been distant. Which I totally get,” she rushed to say, “totally totally … totally. It’s just … nice to have your fun ass back for a night.”

I shook my head, floating on my back, boobs and vag flashing the entire world because I just didn’t give a fuck anymore. “I’m a fucking mess,” I said, eyes locked on the stars above. The summer weather was perfect here, and I couldn’t remember the last time the barrier was used above the commons, even with its random weather changes. It was definitely more volatile in winter. “We’re no closer to finding Asher, and every single day he’s gone it’s like acid eating away at my soul. I’m not sure how much longer I can be patient.”

How did I help him on my own though? If anything, me tracking him down might cause him more issues. I’d been powerless when the Arterians took me. And no library meant no idea who I was or how to control my stupid powers.

Maybe I should demand my powers be released. Deal with the fallout, whatever happened.

“Maddi, seriously,” Calen shouted, his voice muffled like he was holding his head in his hands. “Can you put some damn clothes on. You’re giving the rest of us blue balls.”

I flipped him off, but he kind of had a point, so I at least stopped floating, submerging my body under the water. Larissa looked nervous as the guys appeared, all of them entering the pool area to check on me, as they did every night when they came back from working out or classes.

“Are you all naked?” Rone asked, his voice a mixture of anger and resignation.

“Naked as the day we were born,” Ilia said, shimmying in the water. Her nipples were barely covered, and with the advanced sight of most supes, the dark and water didn’t really hide anything.

“Fantastic,” Calen groaned again. “They’re naked and drunk.”

He started muttering, and it sounded a lot like Asher is going to kill me, but I couldn’t really be sure. Just the thought of Asher was enough to sober me up, and I reached for the towel on the side, lifting it as I stepped up out of the water, wrapping it around me as I went.

“I don’t want to get out yet,” Ilia complained, lazily gliding across the pool. “You guys have the best water in the entire Academy. The entire world!”

I shot her a wonky smile. “Stay,” I said. “Enjoy yourself. I’m going to do some more research.”

I could see the indecision on their faces, and it wasn’t until Calen, thankfully dressed in shorts, dive-bombed in and splashed water all over them that they got caught up in a water fight. I hurried away, sad and sober once more.

The next morning when I stumbled out of bed, I was surprised to see Ilia and Calen wrapped around each other on the couch. My friend was thankfully clothed now. I went in search of Larissa, only to run into Rone as he opened his bedroom door. On the other side was a familiar head of blond hair, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

He shook his head before gently shutting the door. “It’s not what you think. I just made sure she was safe because she was very drunk by the end of the night.”

Rone had a caring side, one he hid behind his gruffness. The angry, untrusting side of him was not an act—he was a product of his upbringing—but this was not the first time I’d seen him act in a protective manner toward Larissa. I was starting to think he had a little bit of a thing for her.

I didn’t push him on it, because he wasn’t the type to deal well with that, but Larissa was definitely going to spill the next time we were alone.

Jesse cooked us breakfast, which was a nice surprise—we usually had food delivered from the Academy. His pancakes were probably the best I’d ever had, so I wasn’t complaining.

“So, back to the Demi-fey Academy today?” I asked, shoveling in one bite after another, craving the food after all the wine and swimming.

Jesse, Axl, and Rone shook their heads. “Today is Supernatural Day,” Axl said, and I leaned forward because I loved it when he got that teacher tone in his voice. “This date is the first official record of supernaturals crossing from Faerie—outside of the Atlanteans—and is our celebration of that.”

I smiled. “That’s cool. I remember someone mentioning it in history class the other day. What happens?”

“Celebrations all day,” Rone said. “Starting with a race competition event in some of the practical magic buildings.”

Despite my annoyance over missing another day to search for the library, Supernatural Day turned out to be a hell of a lot of fun. Magic users dominated in the first three events, but vampires kicked our ass in the scavenger hunt and race through the forest. At the end of the day, there was a huge magical light display, which was akin to fireworks but much more creative. I saw dragons and unicorns and waterfalls explode across the sky, and I could feel the energy on my skin, raising goosebumps.