Zodiac Academy: The Awakening (Supernatural Beasts and Bullies #1)(22)
“Meaning he’d be the only one biting me?” I confirmed, just about understanding where she was going with this and not sure that I liked it one bit.
“Well, yeah. But look at it this way; if he does then you’ll only have one Vampire to worry about instead of a whole Order of them. Besides, Vampires aren’t even the most dangerous Order in this school; some of the creatures here could straight-up kill you if you caught them at the wrong moment. At least a Vampire needs you alive. And if I had to choose one Vampire to be pinning me up against a wall and putting his mouth all over me then Caleb Altair would be top of the list.”
I let out a surprised laugh, wondering how I managed such a thing after the ordeal I’d just been through but I had to admit Sofia had a point. I didn’t exactly relish the idea of any Vampire biting me but if I had to pick one then Caleb with his head of messy blonde curls, eyes as dark blue as the depths of the ocean and body cut straight from an Abercrombie and Fitch commercial would probably top the list. Or at least he would if he wasn’t such a jackass.
Before I could voice my opinion on Caleb Altair’s lack of personal boundaries and general aura of entitled douchebag, the crowd of students came to a halt and I gave my attention to what had stopped us.
As the hill was still sloping down, I was offered a view of the building that we’d reached although the term 'building' didn’t seem to cut it.
An arching doorway was cut into what looked like a hulking rock but the clouds had drawn in over the stars and I couldn’t see anything outside of the huge fire which blazed above the opening.
Most of the older students had headed on in and only the freshmen and ten of the older fire Celestials remained. Darius moved to stand before the doorway and the huge fire on the platform above it moulded itself into a giant dragon. The detail of the beast was insane; its body was darkest red with glimmering gold outlining individual scales and teeth which looked sharp enough to bite. The fire beast unfurled huge wings which spread out widely on either side of it as it opened its jaws.
My heart was pounding as I watched the display of magic and the dragon turned straight towards me. I knew the creature wasn’t real but something about it felt like so much more than a mirage.
With a roar created from the crackling rumble of burning embers, the dragon blew a torrent of fire over our heads, low enough to make a lot of the freshmen shriek and duck aside.
I held my ground, tipping my head back as the heat of the fire warmed my skin and the power within me purred with appreciation. I already felt like some of what Caleb had stolen from me was returning and my magic seemed to rise to meet with the dragon’s flames as if it were greeting an old friend.
“Fire is the most potent Element of all,” Darius announced. “It brings light to the dark, warmth in the cold and can destroy everything placed in its way. Only those born with veins filled with the heat of the sun and hearts blazing with the true power of the flames can enter our House and claim their place amongst us.”
I glanced at Sofia, wanting to ask her what this was all about but the hush that had fallen over the crowd of freshmen held me silent.
“So who wants to be the first to try and gain access to the greatest House in Zodiac Academy?” Darius called, holding his arms wide as he stood before the entrance like a monster guarding its keep.
The other students were all casting glances at each other, none of them seeming to want to volunteer to go first. More than a few sets of eyes drifted to me and I wondered if my title as the lost Vega Heir meant I was expected to go first.
As the idea occurred to me, Darius’s eyes met mine through the crowd and the dare in his gaze was clear. My blood simmered with the urge to rise to the challenge and my feet began to carry me forward before I’d fully made the decision to face him.
The rest of the freshmen parted like a tide and I prowled forward with my best don’t-screw-with-me look slapped on my face. A few years of hanging around Joey’s bar had given me enough practice at dealing with dangerous men and rule number one in my book of survival was ringing in my ears.
Don’t back down. Don’t show weakness.
So despite my thundering heart and slick palms, I held Darius’s eye and gave off an aura of mildly underwhelmed as I approached him.
“First one in always gets the toughest run of it,” Darius warned. “Feel free to back down if your mortal upbringing has left you unprepared to face the gauntlet.”
“We’re all going in one way or another. I’d sooner get this over with quickly,” I replied dismissively.
Darius’s eyes flared with irritation at my tone and for a moment I thought I saw something shift within them. If Vampires weren’t the most dangerous creatures in this school then what was exactly? Because I had the distinct impression that I was currently looking one in the eye and poking it. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I held his gaze and he took a step towards me.
“Maybe you should have picked an easier House to join,” he warned. “I don’t get the feeling you’re cut out for the trials of this one.”
“Well you made it in,” I pointed out. “So it can’t be that hard.”
Before he could respond, I sidestepped him and headed into the mouth of the cave. My heart was racing so fast that I was almost convinced he would be able to hear it. But through some combination of rock hard willpower and sheer dumb luck, my bravado held out and I managed to enter the cave without descending into a trembling wreck.