Chapter 16 Shea
I cursed under my breath as I trudged through the snow, hugging my coat tightly against me to no avail. The air seemed to get colder the closer I got to the black towers that loomed over the lonely branches of the frozen forest. No surprise there. I always imagined Hell as a place devoid of warmth and light rather than full of fire and brimstone, and you couldn’t get much closer to Hell on earth than Heritage Prep.
Leaving Caesar had been especially difficult, but I took great comfort in knowing Aunt Janette was there to protect him with her magic. We’d spelled the campsite enough for them to remain undetectable, but I couldn’t help being nervous with them so close to the vampire headquarters.
Though, let’s be honest, the real reason that my stomach was more twisted than a writhing nest of snakes was because I was about to walk right into said headquarters. I’d put on a brave face for Caesar, but now that I was alone with my feelings and getting closer to my possible doom, I was fucking terrified. Especially considering I had Aunt Janette reverse the Sun Kissed spell—I couldn’t exactly convince a bunch of vampires I was here to join them if they burned just from touching me.
But doing stupid things despite my fear was kind of my M.O. And Julian and Arya needed me. I didn’t really have a choice this time around. I just hoped that luck stayed on my side, that I hadn’t run out of my nine lives when I needed them most.
I shuddered and pulled my hood lower over my head, then thought better of it and pushed it back down. I didn’t want my vision obstructed lest one of the “students” was wandering around out here. The fear was irrational, of course. I had chosen to make my entrance in the morning for that very reason. And if they denied me at the door, I at least had a snowball’s chance to flee.
The closer I got, the more ominously the towers loomed. I swallowed my doubts and kept trudging forward. I prayed the castle would be warm. Or at least warmer than it was out here. Even hiking, I was having a hard time shaking the chill.
I groaned when the trees opened up and the front entrance came into view. Stairs. Hadn’t I been through enough? I sat down in the snow, not caring that my ass was getting cold. My legs needed a break, and I wanted to gain my bearings before I entered Satan’s armpit.
Movement in my periphery startled me. I whipped around and stumbled on the frozen snow while trying to get up.
“Who are you?” asked a voice behind me, and I froze.
I knew that voice. I pulled off my beanie and turned toward Adam, trying to give him the most unimpressed expression I could muster. My heart beat in my throat, and I had to forcefully swallow against it.
“I’m a new Initiate.”
Adam squinted at me. “Do I know you?”
I stifled a snort. He should know me, after the weeks he’d spent stalking me. Looked like the memory spell I’d cast had been more effective than I realized .
I shook my head and shrugged. “It’s my first time here.”
I kept my face angled down. Hopefully, he’d take it as a sign of respect and not recognize the fear coursing through me—or my face.
Adam grunted. “Hey, Thomas!” he called as another person approached.
I let out a breath when the new guy came closer, also looking very human.
“Have you heard anything about a new Initiate?” Adam asked Thomas.
Thomas shook his head. “No, but they’d be more likely to tell you than me.”
“Sekha hedjefa,” I breathed, and both boys froze, getting a glazed look in their eyes. My heart fluttered. I wasn’t sure if that would work on more than one person at a time. Thank fuck that it had.
“You will forget the past five minutes. You just met me and you were expecting me. You’re supposed to take me to Hadrian.” I hoped that would do it. “Hetem,” I said, finishing the spell.
Their eyes lost that glossy look, and they smiled at me.
“Let’s get you to Hadrian,” Adam said.
Thomas nodded and grabbed my bag, making light work of the contraption that had fought me all the way here.
A few other Initiates stood around the grounds—apparently acting as guards during the day—sending curious looks at us. They seemed to defer to Adam, though, and since he seemed confident, they didn’t question it. I was both grateful and terrified that Adam held that much power. I just needed him to not recognize me. But if everything went smoothly, surely I could avoid Adam in such a large structure.
Finally, we reached the colossal stairs, and I trudged up them between Adam and Thomas. My legs were screaming at me to stop, but I had to keep going. If I just made it to the top, maybe then I could finally find some reprieve. Although, I knew that was unlikely. My mission had only just begun.
As I entered the enormous doors—which were even bigger than they’d appeared to be—my spirits sank. The interior was just as black as the rest, making the vibrant red accents pop. Banners flanked the room, bearing the Heritage Prep logo, a single drop of blood dripping between the words. I could almost appreciate the darkness of the whole setup—if I wasn’t already so nervous about the vampires this place housed.
There was a loud sniff and a sigh of satisfaction. I whirled to see a young woman with long golden hair framing a pale face leaning toward me, her eyes heavily lidded.
“Ah, fresh blood. I love new recruits.” She sniffed again, and her brows crinkled. “But now’s not the time for them. And something about you smells different.”
“Hey, Ann, what do we have here?” asked another young man, also pale and blond, though nearly a foot taller than Ann. He sniffed the air, too. His eyes snapped open and zeroed in on me. “You’re a witch,” he hissed.
I took a step back, the hair raising on my neck. Of course. That was how Julian had figured me out. He’d been able to sense the magic in me. I’d just walked into a den of creatures that could smell my magic. Great. Maybe I could mask my scent? It might buy me some time.
I began to mutter the spell under my breath, but something struck my face faster than I could brace against the excessive force.
I hit the floor with an “oof,” my head spinning. I tried to suck in air, but failed, my lungs burning.
“Don’t you say a word, witch,” the male vampire hissed again.
I shook my head and held up a hand. “I just want—”
But I was interrupted again, this time by the asshole pulling me into the air and pressing me against the cold black stone. A heartbeat later, he was clamped down on my neck, oblivious to my kicking and screaming. He placed a hand over my mouth, stifling my cries.
My will was seeping from me. The pull of venom tried to lull me into complacency. I wanted to give in, but I clung to my purpose. I bit down on the hand over my mouth with all my might, and the hand flinched back in surprise, though the teeth seemed to tighten their latch.
“Daywalk,” I croaked.
There was a clamor in the room, something I hadn’t fully noticed in light of the attack. It buzzed and droned, and I knew I was the epicenter of the excitement. But the venom was working, and I relaxed against the wall and sighed.
“What did she say?” came a shrill voice.
There was a crack, and the teeth braced on my neck unclamped, the body in front of me yanked away.
I fell to my hands and knees, gasping for air, though it wasn’t my lungs that needed replenishment.
“What the hell were you thinking?” It was that voice again, less shrill now, though the feminine tones still held a hardness that exuded authority. “Who is this girl? What’s she doing here?”
I looked up into a face so angelic, I could hardly breathe. The woman’s pale skin was offset by blood red lips. Stark white curls framed her petite face.
“She’s a witch,” spat the vampire who had bit me, but my eyes were still locked with the woman in front of me.
“What did you say about daywalking? And no magic, or I’ll be forced to let Todd finish the job.”
Todd smirked, but I ignored him. “I have a spell. For daywalking.”
“Where? Tell me,” she demanded.
“In my grimoire. Which I’ve hidden by magic.” Though despite that fact, I still felt panicked that my bag was currently in Thomas’s grasp.
She narrowed her thickly lashed eyes at me, puckering crimson lips with suspicion. “And why bring such a thing here?”
“I want to be admitted to the school,” I said, my eyes dropping to those ruby lips. I had no idea why they were suddenly so attractive, but under the influence of the venom, I meant every word. I needed to be here, with these beautiful people. It was my destiny, my calling, my path.
The beautiful vampire paced in front of me, the sway of her hips mesmerizing me. “And why would a witch want to go to a vampire school. You could never be turned, not without losing your magic.”
“The shifters won’t have me,” I said, all the disappointment I’d felt for months coming out in those few words, coloring my voice with bitterness.
The angel in front of me smiled. Her gaze went to Todd, and she snapped a finger. “Get Hadrian. He’ll want to see this.”
Todd nodded, though he wore a brooding frown. I guessed he wasn’t happy about this new development, but he didn’t voice anything to the woman, just darted off in a blur.
The angel wrinkled her nose and sniffed. “Will someone please stop the bleeding?”
“Right away,” volunteered a young woman, who rushed forward and kneeled next to the angel. She had large glasses that made her eyes huge, her tall, spindly frame looking frail next to the vampire goddess with the red lips.
And suddenly recognition hit me—Piper! I’d only seen her once, but she had made quite the impression on me. The Initiate who wanted out. It pained me to see that she was still here. Had she changed her mind back about joining? Or was she going to add to my list of people to rescue?
“I keep a tube of superglue on hand at all times,” Piper said, coming to my side to dab some on my neck.
We shared a brief glance of understanding, and relief found me for only an instant before I sucked in a breath at the sting, and I nearly jerked my head away.
“Sorry,” Piper said. “I probably should’ve warned you it would sting.”
The pressure on my neck stopped, and Piper wiped her fingers and turned the cap on the glue tube. “There. That should do it.”
As she got to her feet and helped me do the same, I wondered with irritation why the beautiful vampire didn’t just seal my neck with her blood the way Julian had. Maybe they felt it was beneath them. After all, why heal a wound they had every intention of opening again?
“Thank you,” I told Piper, not for healing me but for not outing me. The fact that she didn’t told me she was still on our side. I tried to convey with my eyes a silent promise that I would get her out, too.
“And what is so important that I must be pulled from spending quality time with my daughter?” a man asked as he strolled into the lobby, and I nearly lost my breath again.
He was beautiful, an angel of death if I ever saw one. His devilishly handsome face was bespeckled by a five-o’clock shadow that I wanted to run my fingers over, his dark hair shiny and silky, swept back in a style that looked both pristine and effortless, like a model in a fashion magazine, perfectly captured for all time.
Where Julian’s goodness bled into his beauty, this man’s allure was heightened by something sinister, something morbidly thrilling. And I knew if I wasn’t careful, I could easily fall under his spell just like everyone else in this palace of darkness.
The red-lipped beauty sashayed toward him, as if the seductiveness of her movements was completely unintentional.“Hadrian, this girl claims she has a spell for daywalkers.”
Hadrian cocked a brow at me, stepping closer. “Ah, a witch. I’ve only heard of one other witch with such a spell.”
I blinked at Hadrian. Did he know where the grimoire came from? Would he know my relation to Julian?
He clasped his hands in front of his hips. “Well? I’d like proof of this spell.”
“Um, it’s in my bag,” I said, looking around the room. I didn’t see my backpack, or Thomas. But Adam stood a few feet away staring at me, his brows drawn. I looked back to Hadrian quickly. “And I hid it with magic, which I’ll need to use to reveal it.”
“And how do I know you’re not here to use your magic to try to destroy us? Witches aren’t known for looking out for anyone but themselves.”
“I hate the shifters,” I said, channeling that feeling of disappointment that I’d tapped into just moments before. “They wouldn’t let me in their school.”
Hadrian laughed. “So you come to a vampire school instead? And what do you hope to accomplish?”
“Revenge,” I declared honestly.
Hadrian smiled, wagging a finger at me. “I have a feeling I’m going to like you. But I’m going to need you to prove yourself, first.”
My brow shot up. “I thought I just did.”
He shook his head. “Words, my dear. Those were just words. I want to see action. I want to see that hatred light your eyes.”
I took a deep breath to try to steady my racing pulse. “Of course. Whatever you need.”
He narrowed his eyes on me. “I recognize your face. You know my daughter, Arya, don’t you?”
My eyes widened, but I gave no other sign of my sudden panic. Was this the end for me?
Hadrian laughed again. “Don’t look so surprised. I’d been surveilling Arya for months before I retrieved her, and I took great care in studying her friends. I should’ve known one of you would come for her.”
“I came to join her,” I insisted with false bravado. “I had hoped that my bond with her would help me gain admission.”
“We’ll see.”
“Wait a minute,” Adam said, recognition lighting his eyes.
The tower shook, and there was a rumble. Some shouts came from outside, only discernible once the clamor from the lobby died down.
Hadrian’s eyes widened. “There’s an attack? On my towers?” His gaze shot to the Initiates. “How many did you leave patrolling?”
Adam stepped forward. “There were still four when we came in.”
“Six! It takes at least six to cover all angles of these towers. And the middle of the day, too.” Hadrian scowled. “Cowards. Initiates, take up the front lines. The shifters will be less likely to kill humans. Vampires, let’s take care of any who come through their ranks, shall we?”
The angelic woman threw a glance my way. “What should we do with her?”
Hadrian looked at me thoughtfully. “Take her with you, Marguerite. If she’s true to her word, she’ll help us in this fight. If not...?” Hadrian let the words hang in the air as he dashed up the stairs.
Marguerite? This beautiful goddess of a creature was the one who was tormenting Julian? Fury and vengeance flared hot as hellfire in my chest and surged through every inch of my body, urging me to claw her pretty face right then and there. But this was not the time. And I’d promised Caesar that I’d be on my best behavior.
“Come,” Marguerite said, clamping a hand around my shoulder. “We’ve got work to do.”
I let her tow me up a spiraling staircase, the yelling and sounds of destruction from above the only thing keeping my murderous fantasies at bay. Who was attacking this place? Did Caesar and Kai know? Where was Arya? Was Julian out of harm’s reach?
I was expected to defend these terrifyingly beautiful creatures in whatever fight was brewing. I just hoped that my luck hadn’t finally run out.