Void(21)

Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to keep my embarrassingly erratic breathing under control, but I knew he could hear it anyway. The wound sealed closed within a matter seconds from his healing saliva, and then he pulled away, licking his lips to get the last remnants of my blood.

His steely eyes were locked on me, and it was then that I realized I was still clutching his back. We were so close. So dangerously close. But he was a vampire. He hated me. And I had no business liking anything about what he’d just done. So why did I want him to do it again?

Each hurried breath I took had my breasts pushing against his chest, my pebbled nipples seeking friction from the movement. Unraveling myself, I dropped my hold from his back and pressed my fingers onto the tender spot of my neck. My fingers came away wet with his saliva, and for some reason, even that seemed erotic.

But then I saw Quade’s judgmental eyes behind Render, and red flushed into my cheeks. I needed to get a fucking grip.

I put my hands up and shoved at Render’s chest, making him take a step back. “Don’t touch me again without my permission,” I rasped, though the demand came out more huskily than I intended.

The hungry look hadn’t left his expression, but I saw him try to rein it in with a nonchalant shrug. “You were bleeding. Did you really want to walk around, passing gods knows how many vampires? You could’ve had a dozen of my kind latched onto you within minutes.”

“Or maybe that’s just your excuse for your own lack of restraint,” I retorted. “Maybe you actually want my Void blood.”

“The only thing I want is answers,” he replied, his face growing stony. “You and I are still enemies, Void. And you know what they say about enemies, don’t you?”

I swallowed deeply, fear coursing through my veins at his imposing stance.

“I can help with this one, vamp,” Quade interrupted with a sly smile as he stepped closer, sandwiching me between them. “Keep your friends close,” he said, leaning in to whisper in my ear, “and your enemies closer.”





Chapter 5





The portal took us to Thibault Academy, spitting us out into the lawn at the front of the old building. It was late morning by now, and my eyes burned from having been awake for so damn long. I was completely depleted. Letting my Void out twice had taken a lot out of me, and this new twist to my powers had drained me even more. Aside from that, I’d been without sleep or food for way too long, especially after such an emotionally stressful ordeal. All I wanted was a bed and to be alone, but I rarely got what I wanted.

“Classes will have already begun for the day,” Quade said, running a hand over his short dark buzzcut. “I’ll bring you to the headmaster so that he can get you a room.”

“We will bring her to the headmaster,” Render cut in. “Come on, Void. We don’t have all day.”

I had no choice but to follow them across the perfectly manicured lawn and up the brick steps of the academy. The crest was displayed proudly above the huge double doors, carved in wood and painted to represent the four main supernatural races: fangs for vamps, pawprints for shifters, fire for elementals, and a skull and crossbones for necromancers. Some other supers attended too, like healers, but the smaller breeds weren’t as common. Only the most promising supers were accepted at Thibault, and everyone who graduated from here was almost sure to either work as political leaders or another auspicious branch of power in our world.

The doors opened, and we walked inside without fanfare. For a normal enrollment in the fall, there would’ve been instructors here to meet the new students. There would’ve been a welcome banquet and rosters drawn up. There would’ve been a new student breakfast with the headmaster on the lawn. The older students would have put on a demonstration to display their skills.

I knew all of this because, when I was little, I’d had all of Thibault’s brochures stuffed under my mattress. I used to look at them with excitement, knowing that when I turned fifteen, I’d be enrolled, and I’d follow in my mother’s footsteps.

I was three years late and missing the right powers, but I was finally here.

“Hurry up, Void,” Render said again.

“She was always slow,” Quade put in.

I was here—and surrounded by assholes.

They strode ahead of me, past the impressive foyer. I felt like I had every detail of the school memorized, but seeing it in real life was incredible. The maroon drapes, the portrait of the academy building painted on the entrance, expensive paneling, and marble floors. “Come on, Void. You can gawk later.” Quade said, walking backward while staring at me. He’d conjured a fireball and was tossing it between his hands and bouncing it off his foot like it was a damn hacky sack. He was always such a fucking show off.

My feet dragged, and I gritted through the exhaustion as they led me to a large set of stairs at least three floors high. I stood at the bottom step and grimaced.

“You look like you’re about to pass out,” Quade observed from a few steps up, and if I weren’t currently questioning my sanity, I’d say he had a look of concern on his handsome face. Clearly, I was delusional.

“Yeah, well, you try unleashing powers you aren’t ever allowed to use and then doing the impossible on an empty stomach with little to no sleep,” I bit back before wavering, my words slightly slurred. “Then try using powers you didn’t even know you had in a roomful of people who hate you. And then get attacked for doing said job. You do all of that, and let’s see how you feel.” I didn’t want to look weak, but these damn spiral stairs just might be the straw that breaks my back.