Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(44)

Just keep running. Don't stop.

“Mud monster!” a boy shouted at me as he exited The Orb and the girls around him ran about screaming and giggling.

Tears burned my eyes as I was consumed by the utter shame of this situation. And the worst was yet to come. Because I had to ask goddamn Professor Hot-As-Shit Orion to help me while looking like the beast from the bog.

Inside Jupiter Hall, I found my way to his office by following a long corridor. I clutched the door handle and hesitated for several long seconds.

Please swallow me up, ground. That would be really great right now.

I turned the handle, but found the door locked. I frowned, pulling my Atlas out to check the time. I was five minutes late so where the hell was he? Had he given up waiting already?

“I hope that's not a fashion choice, Miss Vega.” Professor Orion appeared in jeans and a white shirt, his hair damp as if he'd just showered – it's alright for some.

His obsidian eyes dragged down me from head to toe and his mouth pulled up at one side, revealing the dimple in his right cheek.

“Oh yes, I just love rolling in mud in the evenings,” I deadpanned, trying my best to front this out. But it was pretty hard when all I could see in my periphery was clumps of mud.

He stepped right into my breathing space, pushing his key into the door. He headed inside, leaving the door open for me to follow and I trailed in after him, feeling like an ogre in a ballroom as I took in his lavish office.

A crescent-moon desk built from cherry wood sat at the heart of it, behind which was an archway of shelves filled with leather-bound books. A closed door in the arch stopped me from nosing any further in that direction so I stared around at the rest of the room. The tall window to my left looked over The Orb and the sound of laughter and conversation carried through the cracked-open window. I was almost certain I heard someone mentioned my name and pig-shit in the same sentence. A ping from my Atlas told me all I needed to know. My photo was now live and waiting for me on FaeBook for the entire school to see.

My insides withered and died.

I stood awkwardly on a deep crimson rug as Orion dropped into his large Ottoman chair, pulling something from a cupboard in his desk. He placed a crystal glass on the surface followed by a large bottle of bourbon. I guess Falling Star’s assessment about him was true.

He continued to ignore me as he poured himself a measure than sat back in his chair, tipping the contents down his throat. He smacked his lips, placing the glass down and moving to refill it.

“Excuse me?” I interrupted his rudeness.

Orion's eyes flicked up. “Yes?”

“Well, it's just that apparently I'm standing in your office looking like a swamp monster and watching you get drunk.”

“That does appear to be happening, yes. Very observant, Blue. Or perhaps I should call you Brown now?” He nearly choked on his laughter at his own joke.

God this guy was a piece of work.

I placed my hands on my hips and he tried to rein in his laughter as he stared at me – he did not manage it.

“Right, screw this.” I marched toward the door, done with this day and every bastard I'd encountered during it. How could I have thought for one second that this teacher would help me? I had to remember the faculty in Zodiac were as heartless as the students.

As I grabbed the door handle, the mud on my skin heated with a punishing warmth. I winced as it was scraped off of me inch by inch then washed away by a stream of water that wrapped around my skin like a film. The combined magic dragged the mud from my flesh and it sailed right out of the window.

Relief swept through me as my body was cleaned of the muck and my hair fell about me in a soft fan of blue and black.

As I turned to Orion to thank him, a harsh wind forced me back against the door. I had to shut my eyes against the onslaught of air and my heart raced as I was held in place.

When the wind died away, I blinked a few times and found Orion standing before me. The scent of bourbon floated from him. He was frighteningly tall and all those muscles made me weak, but he was still just another asshole with a pretty face.

“Thank you,” I forced out.

“Your gratitude isn't what I want.” He snatched my arm and in one, single heartbeat I knew what he was going to do. My thoughts went haywire and my body tumbled into panic mode. Before I realised what I was doing, my hand smashed against his face and a loud clap filled the room.

Oh holy shit I just slapped a teacher.

The moment following my strike lasted for two whole eternities. Orion stared at me and I stared right back. His cheek was pinking with the imprint of my hand and he lifted his fingers to touch the mark as if he was unsure whether it had actually happened.

My tongue was a desperately dry lump of flesh but I managed to speak in a hoarse voice. “Don't bite me.”

He leaned down so he was nose to nose with me and the heavenly scent of cinnamon sailed from his skin, tangling with the sharpness of bourbon on his breath.

His lips pursed and all amusement fled from his expression. “How are you going to stop me?” he asked as if he genuinely wanted an answer out of me. I suddenly felt like I was in a quiz.

I took a slow breath, the proximity of him making my thoughts harder to grasp than usual. “I know how to wield air. I can push you back.”

“Are you sure about that?” He shifted closer, opening his mouth to reveal the sharp points of his fangs.