Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(94)
I folded my arms and abandoned my speech because dammit he'd been right about that, I'd been rehearsing it all day. So I decided on being entirely blunt instead and laying out all of the facts.
I raised a hand to count them off. “You and Darius have been against Tory and I since we stepped in the door. You meet up in secret and you talk about going on killing sprees like it's completely normal. You chat with some stupidly hot model in a bar who is apparently in the know about your killing sprees and then you corner me in a women's bathroom like a psycho. Then later that evening both you and Darius go conveniently missing just before Geraldine turns up almost dead in a strange attack. Oh and who happens to be the first on the scene? You. Covered in blood and smelling like cinnamon.”
Orion's brows had raised during my list and now he was grinning, his dimple out in full force. “Cinnamon?”
“Yes,” I said firmly. “Geraldine smelled it and that's what you smell like so...” I waited for his outburst. A fierce denial, or him falling to his knees and begging me not to go to the FIB. But he just sat there watching me like I was his favourite TV show.
“And how many people have you told this, Miss Vega?” he asked calmly. Too damn calmly.
“Enough that if you lay a hand on me, the whole school will know what you're up to before midnight.” Triumph scored a path through my body but something about his expression told me I hadn't quite won yet.
“Well it seems you've been spending a lot of your time spying on me - and smelling me apparently. But I'm still waiting for you to plant the evidence on my desk?” He gazed at my hands, mock-expecting me to produce something as my gut shrivelled into a prune. “No?” he questioned tauntingly. “No video, photo, audio recording? No evidence at all?”
I remained totally still, refusing to back down. I might not have had evidence but it was only a matter of time until the FIB caught on to him.
Orion calmly took his Atlas out of his bag, placed it under my nose and brought up a news report which had been published less than half an hour ago.
Wounds on Zodiac Academy Student Now Confirmed as a Nymph Attack.
Underneath it in bold were the words:
Professor Orion (the head of his field in Cardinal Magic at Zodiac Academy) is expected to be awarded the Noble Crest after his act of bravery saved her moments before her death.
“Oh,” I breathed as the world crashed in around me.
“Yes – oh. Now can we return to your session or do you have any more wild accusations you want to throw around? Is Principal Nova dealing drugs under the bleachers at the Pitball Stadium? Or is Professor Pyro starting fires in The Wailing Wood?” He chuckled at his own words and I rose to my feet, knocking my chair over in my haste.
“You know what? I'm done with these sessions. I know what I heard, sir. And maybe you didn't attack Geraldine but I know you're up to something.” I strode toward the door but Orion flew in front of me, his Vampire speed propelling him into my way.
My heart got jammed in my throat as he gazed at me.
“Don't bite me,” I snarled, stepping back in a rage. “You took almost everything from me the other day and I've only just got my full power back.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “You got it back? How?”
I shook my head. “I'm not sure.”
“Well pay attention next time.” He stepped forward and I slammed a hand to his chest, my heart screaming.
“Don't,” I commanded.
“I wasn't going to bite you,” he said and my shoulders sagged with relief. He stepped back and pointed to my chair, flicking a finger to force it upright. “Stay. Finish the session.”
I glanced at the door uncertainly, unsure what to believe anymore. “Will you answer something for me first?”
“Depends what it is,” he said in a gravelly tone.
“Do you want me and my sister dead?” I pinned him with my hardest, most unwavering stare. For Tory. For me. I had to hear his answer, even if it was a lie.
His eyes softened, running over my face with the faintest of frowns. “No, Blue. I don't.”
THE WHOLE ACADEMY was buzzing with excitement for the dance this weekend and I couldn’t help but get a little caught up in the idea of it too. Apparently the Professors always went all out to try and beat the previous year with impressive magic to decorate the place and fulfil the theme which was going to be ‘fall’ this time to match the season.
I was a little apprehensive about attending a party with our classmates who ranged from the weirdly obsessed A.S.S. to the outright hostile mean girls and quite possibly murderous Heirs. But I was trying to convince myself that the presence of the teachers and the general desire to have fun would mean that Darcy and I could enjoy it too.
After the arrival of my new clothes, I finally had some running gear and I was burning off a bit of nervous energy with a workout before I had to meet my least favourite Heir.
I jogged down to the Fire Arena wondering if Darius would actually show up for our tutoring session today. He’d skipped the one that had been arranged for last Thursday and Professor Pyro had bought into his blatant lies about getting caught up helping out some other students saving a cat from a well with a glowing look in her eyes that told me she was firmly Team Darius. I on the other hand had been told off for not rearranging the lesson myself even though I’d actually shown up and hadn’t heard a word from Darius to excuse himself.