Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(104)
I knelt down as I tried to piece everything back together and refill my satchel and the sound of giggling reached me from the stairwell.
“Hurry up!” I recognised Marguerite's voice. “That jumped up little boyfriend thief is going to be here any second and we need to get every moment of this on camera,” she hissed.
I stilled, listening for more as I got the feeling I knew exactly who she was waiting for.
“I didn’t think you and Darius were officially dating?” another girl asked.
“He belongs with me,” Marguerite growled. “Anyone with eyes can see that!”
“Careful with that Pegasus shit, Bianca!” Kylie snapped.
I straightened and half turned away from the stairwell, planning to go the long way around and avoid whatever glittery-shit filled hell they had planned for me but I stopped myself before I could scurry away.
I’d never been one to run from a fight before so why the hell should I run from a bunch of mean girls just because they’d claimed ownership over a man-whore and wanted to punish me for stumbling into his path?
I eyed the stairwell as I tried to come up with a solution. The stairs were narrow and spiralled tightly down to the lower floor and it sounded like the girls were fairly close by.
I still had very little chance of beating any of the older students head on with my magic but there was one thing I could easily do.
I lifted my hands with a smirk and summoned water, letting my power build and build before finally releasing it in a torrent that flew from me and flooded the entire stairwell.
The girls shrieked as they were drenched and I turned and ran the other way before they could come back for me.
Their footsteps were quick to follow from the stairs and I slipped into the closest door, grinning to myself as I listened for the sound of them passing. Their cries of anger and thundering footsteps passed right by outside and I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. They hadn’t seen me and that meant I had one less issue to deal with today at least.
“Hiding from someone?” an amused voice cooed behind me and my heart sank like a stone as I spun to survey the classroom I’d believed to be empty.
My gaze fell on Caleb as he smiled predatorily from the shadows where he was seated.
“Well damn, I’ve run straight from a pack of hyenas into the mouth of a crocodile,” I muttered.
“Not a lion?” he teased and the fact that he hadn’t even bothered to rise only confirmed the fact that I had no chance of escaping him.
“Oh no, they hunt together, you don’t strike me as the type to need any help in cornering your prey.”
“Sometimes it comes right to me without me having to do a thing,” he agreed and I caught the trace of hunger in his dark eyes.
I took a steadying breath, pushing aside the urge to run. We both knew he had me and racing through the corridors filled with witnesses before inevitably ending up pinned against a wall and drained didn’t really appeal to me. There was a quiet kind of dignity in just accepting my fate. One day I’d be strong enough to fight him off, but as much as it angered me, that day hadn’t come yet.
“Shall we just get this over with then?” I asked, stepping towards him with purpose. If I was going to be used as a human juice carton I’d sooner do it on my own terms. I kept my stride even as I pulled my long hair over my right shoulder, baring my throat to him.
Caleb’s gaze slid to my neck before trailing lower as he took in my curves, a different kind of hunger lighting his navy eyes.
Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet and I stopped a foot away from him, tipping my head to look up at him.
“You know, I can feel your power,” he breathed, leaving the space between us empty and my heart began to beat a little faster. I wished he’d just get on with it but I didn’t think begging him to get it over with was the best way to negate this torture so I just held my ground.
“Any idea on what I am then?” I asked, wondering if the different Orders of Fae tasted like flavours of pop. With a bit of luck, I wouldn’t become his favourite.
“Sadly not. I can only feel the depth of your power, the strength of it. And you’re strong. Once you learn to harness it, I have the feeling that I won’t be able to take an ounce of it from you without permission.” His lips twitched into a smile and I couldn’t help but stare at them for a moment, wondering if I might like them a little more if only they didn’t hide his fangs.
“Why the hell would I ever give you permission?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. Sure, I wasn’t exactly fighting him off now but this wasn’t permission; it was bitter acceptance. We both knew that I couldn’t fight him off... yet. But if there was any chance in hell of me growing strong enough to manage it then I knew without a doubt that I would do just that.
Caleb reached out and brushed his cool fingers across the flickering pulse at the base of my throat. My skin skittered with nervous energy in response and a faint tingle of pleasure which I refused to acknowledge came along with it.
“You’re an Heir too. If you make it past The Reckoning and complete your training here at Zodiac then the chances are that we will be in each other’s lives for a very long time.”
“I thought the whole point of your little boys club was to make sure my sister and I didn’t make it through the Reckoning? Don’t you want us gone?” I demanded.