Void(3)

“Okay,” I said, bending down to peck a kiss on his forehead. “See you later.”

“See ya,” he said, breathing out another puff before waving me away.

I bumped Poppy’s shoulder on my way over, motioning for her to descend the stairs. She eagerly placed her Mary Janes on the steps and scaled down, and I followed after her, closing the trap door behind me.

I was so preoccupied with getting to the ground that I didn’t notice scraping my palm against a rough patch of wood until blood started trickling down my arm. I winced at the pain. “Dammit.”

“You okay?” Poppy asked once my feet were firmly planted on the ground. She gave me a cool once-over as I cradled my hand against my chest, accidentally smearing more blood against my shirt and skin.

“Just a little cut,” I gritted out. If I took off my necklace and let my Void out, I knew it would heal. But I would rather stay another semester at Coxcomb’s than risk Mother or one of her associates catching me without it on. The council would have a hissy fit.

“You gonna go change before seeing the Headmistress? It’ll be a demerit if she sees you strutting around like that,” Poppy said, nodding at my outfit.

I looked down at my clothes and shrugged. “It’s nearly lights out. I can say she caught me mid-sleep, and these are my pajamas. I’m not getting changed for a late night summoning.”

Poppy rolled her eyes. That was the problem with her; she followed the rules a little too closely. I saw the desire to be more in her eyes though. “Okay, I’ll uh...see you around,” she said before spinning on her polished heel and heading toward the dorms, her skirt billowing up with a swish on each step.

I stared at her retreating back for a moment before turning in the opposite direction and heading down the dim hallway toward the front office. My flip flops slapped against the cold tile as I walked, making the noise echo around me. Class portraits were framed and lining the walls, each photo filled with fake smiles and gloomy skies. When I finally made it to the front, Headmistress Coxcomb—or Mistress Cock, as Reed and I liked to call her behind her back—was pacing the floor in front of her office. The moment her blue eyes landed on my casual strut, she frowned.

“Where have you been? I summoned you an hour ago,” she hissed as spit collected on her wrinkled lips.

Mistress Cock was elderly and chronically traditional. She always wore a black business suit and one-inch pumps. She kept her long, gray hair in a coiled updo pinned as tight as her rigid rules. I knew the moment she realized I wasn’t prim and proper because her scowl deepened. “What are you wearing?” Her eyes roamed over me, and I pulled my hand behind my back to hide the bleeding, praying that it was dark enough to cover the crimson stain on my shirt. Knowing her, she’d make me scrub the laundry for the next week.

“My pajamas. I was sleeping.”

“Don’t lie to me, Miss Cainson. You weren’t in your room!” she sneered while crossing her arms over her chest.

“Maybe you weren’t looking hard enough.”

We had a silent standoff, each of us straightening our postures to see who would break first. Humans had a sixth sense about supernaturals. They knew in their blood when they were the prey. I think that’s why she gave me so much hell over the years. She knew that I was a threat, but couldn’t explain her fear of me without looking weak. She liked the power she held over her students too much. She liked putting people under her thumb and pressing until they bled. I’m sure it was why Mother picked this school in the first place.

“We don’t have time for this. Someone apparently important is here to see you. Some kind of diplomat from America. If you want to look like a foolish girl while meeting him, that’s on you.”

A diplomat? That’s what they were gonna call it? I wanted to roll my eyes. Instead, I bit my tongue.

I knew what they wanted. I was being summoned. My amulet started to vibrate against my skin as if in preparation to work overtime to keep my powers at bay. I hadn’t been near a supe in six months. Every time I was around one after a long hiatus, my power came back with a starving vengeance. I dreaded it.

Trying to hide my dismay, I nodded once. Mistress Cock seemed to enjoy the way my face had drained of blood, because her expression turned cocky. “Are you in some sort of trouble, Miss Cainson? Maybe I should sit in on this meeting.” She was practically glowing at the opportunity to finally put me in my place.

“That won’t be necessary,” a cool voice said.

I hadn’t even noticed her office door crack open. My amulet buzzed even harder, and I started to tremble as it worked overtime to hold the cravings back. My mouth went dry. My entire body suddenly felt starved. I drew my brown eyes to the man standing in the threshold who was full of delicious, dark power, and I wanted nothing more than to drain him dry.

I dropped my eyes to the ground, trying to force the cravings at bay. If he saw the hunger there, he’d see my weakness. I had to get myself under control. I wanted to run in the other direction, but what good would that do with a supernatural who had super-speed? I should’ve stayed in the attic with Reed. Shuffling my feet, I followed him into Mistress Cock’s office and flinched when the door slammed shut behind us.

I took a steadying breath and clenched my teeth, trying to get my intense cravings under control. He tsked under his tongue like he found me lacking. “You don’t seem nearly as impressive as everyone claims. Are you shaking?” the smooth voice asked with a chuckle, making me snap my eyes back to his. He regarded my face with a hum before his nose picked up my scent. “You’re bleeding,” he said with a scowl, not giving me a chance to even take in his appearance. He flashed forward toward me, quicker than I could blink, invading my space with his cinnamon smell. His nose was on my neck in an instant, sniffing me as my pulse thudded.