Chapter 9 - Luna
CHAPTER 9 - LUNA
M onday morning assembly. Boring as hell lectures on school policy and reminders not to do stupid things like get stoned and slip into the cafeteria for midnight pancakes, then leave the stove on, and the kitchen catches fire.
Except, the start of the semester led with a change in leadership, and Kymbal, the asshole who suspended Blaze, stood at the headmaster’s podium, making Venellan sit with the rest of the staff, publicly humiliating him. I ground my teeth. This guy was a dick with a capital D, for suspending Blaze and ousting Venellan, as well as dressing us down for the first ten minutes like we were stupid.
“I bear bad tidings.” Kymbal smiled like a damn rat, all long teeth and a pointy, wrinkled snout. “One of our own has sadly not returned to us this semester.”
Fifty pairs of eyes swept across the auditorium, searching for the missing student. I knew exactly who she was. Queen Mean Girl. The traitorous infiltrator. The bitch who had the nerve to call me a snake when she was one. Rot in hell for scarring my bonded physically and mentally.
“Nelle Hargrove sadly passed away in a car accident during her winter break.” Kymbal feigned about as much sympathy as a wolf did over killing a rabbit. “We’re hosting a memorial for her this Wednesday for students who wish to pay their respects.”
Half the students huffed a “ Yeah, right, we’d rather swallow fire than attend ,” me included.
Nelle graffitied her filthy markings on my dorm door, now on my bonded, and I’d rather kick dirt on her proverbial grave than mourn her.
Venellan, who sat to the side with the head teachers, rose from his seat, approaching the podium, casting the weedy Kymbal aside. “Actually, students, Nelle was killed in an invasion of the Brotherhood’s castle.”
A collective gasp sucked the air from the auditorium. Heads swiveled from left to right as if they looked at Venellan to Kymbal, confused by what the heck was going on. I had a pretty good idea, based on being privy to Nelle’s treachery, though Talon never let on a thing about what appeared to be a coup to reappoint the rightful headmaster.
“Always knew she was brave,” Angela flicked her hair, proud of her bestie, clearly unaware of the truth.
Terry swiped at a faux tear. “Can’t believe she’s gone.”
Bitch, please. With Nelle out of the way, a new Mean Queen ascended to the crown, and she vied for the position.
Kymbal wrestled for the microphone back. “Get. Out. Of. My. Way!”
Talon stepped forward from behind the curtains, roughly seizing the dick’s arms, holding them behind his back in one hand.
“What is the meaning of this?” Kymbal hissed, his neck and face reddening with every futile struggle against a stronger and larger Talon, who’s
free palm clamped over the dick’s mouth and shut him up.
The headmaster gave an appreciative nod and went on, “Unfortunately, Nelle has been working with our enemy for an unspecified amount of time. She might have been born into the Brotherhood. We don’t know.”
The room’s attention shifted to me like I had something to do with it. I didn’t give them the time of day. Once, I would have cared. Now, not so much.
Astra stared them all down like her eyes hosed them with dragon fire, and I clasped her hand, thanking her with a squeeze.
Brimstone’s neck twisted as if he gave them the same resting dragon face.
Angela and Terry bent their heads and slumped in their chairs. The Mean Girls were nothing without their queen. Talk about an epic fall from grace. Maybe that crown wasn’t worth a dime anymore.
I was glad the headmaster didn’t go into the whole broken rules for Blaze rescue and shame me in front of the students. I didn’t need any more heat. Something told me this semester, though moving into the warmer months, were going to be cooler on the snake enemy front.
Venellan’s fingers tightened on the lectern. “Multiple forbidden dark magick spells were found in Nelle’s room, along with contraband in a total of ten student and staff quarters.”
News to me. Not surprising, given what she did to Blaze. Had she spelled Cole into dating her? Tried the same on Cole? Me? Snakes crawled on my skin, and I vowed to thoroughly go over my room tonight to check.
I wasn’t exactly the best judge of character when it came to seeing the darkness in someone. Nelle was right under my nose the last six months. I suspected the bitch was up to something, but I always thought it was her petty petition to get me booted from the Academy or hated by every single student.
“Whoa!” Astra whispered.
What she said .
Sworn to secrecy by Venellan, I hadn’t said a word to Astra about what went down at my grandfather’s castle. Some things were best left in the dark, until they came to light.
More shocked gasps and glances came my way. They faded into oblivion as I kept my eyes trained on Talon, who gave me a wink, telling me he was behind this unveiling. He never let on about an investigation, though I recalled Gable suggesting it. My heart gave a little patter at my Frog Prince shielding me from Nelle’s bullying, and again with this secret.
Astra gave me an elbow nudge, and a “Go, bestie! He’s mad about you!” under her breath, and my smile sprung free from hiding.
“This is outrageous!” Another Gildron from the front row of seats climbed the stage at Venellan’s takeover. One of Kymbal’s buddies. Another asshole who voted for Blaze’s suspension. “Unhand him, Darnax! He is the leader of this establishment.”
“Not anymore!” Talon made a show of pulling Kymbal’s arm tighter and making him whimper. “He’s under arrest for possessing contraband.”
He jerked his head, and Jes emerged from the shadows to the side of the stage, apprehending the man the instant he hit the top step.
She roughed him up with a sharp arm jerk behind his back. “How about we have a nice chat about the dark magick spells we found in your room, Gildron? What were they for, huh?”
“I’ll have you fired for this!” He cursed her as she hauled his ass backstage, the crowd’s shocked gasps escorting him.
This was not what we expected on our first day back from mid-year break. Assembly had more drama than a soap opera.
Kymbal’s red face paled to the color of snow. His time was coming. I hoped Talon found something to pin him, undermine his leadership, restore Venellan to his rightful role, and get Blaze back to teaching.
W.O.W. Talk about to be the best assembly yet. I wanted to Saturday Night Fever strut this bitch through the auditorium. Instead, I settled for reaching up to tickle Brimstone’s chin, and bring down his resting dragon face.
The headmaster stared the auditorium down. “If you have used dark arts within this facility to cheat on tests, cause a student to fall in love with you, or get revenge on a fellow student for a petty squabble, you will be disciplined. Period.”
Angela and Terry glanced back at me, gazes hot with retribution, telling me they were offenders. We all heard the rumors about Angela spelling her ex-boyfriend to never be able to get his dick up for cheating on her, and him suffering a chronic bout of erectile dysfunction. Evidence of which I hadn’t been able to erase since the day she cracked open a portal into his bedroom, and we saw his pasty ass cheeks clenching as he pounded into some first-year female.
“The same warning applies to staff. Whoever you are, if you’ve dabbled in the dark arts, you will be interviewed, your studies or role put on hold, pending investigation. Depending on the severity of the matter, you may be going home with a mind wipe.”
Nightfire Academy’s student and teaching population was about to get smaller. By the sound of it, things were overdue for a clean-out.
I waved at Angela, and she slumped even further in her seat.
The headmaster reeled off a list of names, ratcheting up the tension as all eyes descended on the guilty parties.
Lots of petty comments flew around.
“Always knew she was a cheater into dirty spells.”
“So that’s how she got to date insert hot guy’s name.”
“Assembly dismissed.” The headmaster waved his hand. “Stay if your name was called.”
Students stumbled out of their seats and the auditorium, some in a daze, others whispering violently, a few crying as the Tollens seized their arms and dragged them away.
Astra and I remained put, squeezing the other’s hand, waiting as we usually did for the crowd to clear.
The headmaster descended the stairs and approached us. “Miss Prince, may I have a word?”
Crap. My stomach shrank with alarm. See me about what? Was dark magick found in my room? Or was I being punished by association for admitting Gable into the Academy’s grounds?
I gave Astra a final smile, and she pumped my hand before letting it go.
“See you in class,” she whispered, departing, glancing over her shoulder, tipping her head at her gargoyle nipping her ear.
“Yes, sir?” I stood up and met the headmaster, dreading my fate and the manilla folder he clutched to his side. My school file, perhaps? “Is this about me bringing Gable inside the Academy? Because I?—”
He raised a palm and lowered it in a placating gesture. “Much as I hate to admit it, we owe the rogue.”
I wish I had recorded that for Gable to hear. My Rock god would have to settle for my recital.
“Oh?” I raised a brow, waiting to hear the headmaster’s groveling apology.
“He saved Blaze from a fate I dare not contemplate.” The way he whispered it spoke of a deep affection for my bonded that went beyond mentor and mentee and into the territory of the headmaster considering Blaze family.
I didn’t know much about the headmaster besides odd references from Talon, Cole, and Blaze. I had no clue if he had a family or children or what he did in his spare time. He knew more about me than I’d ever know about him.
“Miss Prince,” the headmaster started, “there are factions within this institution who wish you gone.”
A hammer struck my ribcage and knocked the breath from my lungs. I was never going to be free of the suspicion clouding me like a permanent rain cloud hovering above me.
The headmaster clutched the folder to his chest. “We’ve managed to quiet those factions for now, but if they vote to demote or, God forbid, expel me, I can’t promise you that I can protect you.”
Something told me those factions involved the two Gildrons apprehended by Talon and Jes. Did they seek revenge against me for bringing Blaze back? What I really wanted to know was when I’d finally be safe from all this political madness and my grandfather’s scheming. An invisible snake wrapped around my shoulders, strangling me, the weight too heavy to carry.
“Why do you protect me, sir?” A question I never stopped asking myself. I was pretty confident of the answer but needed to hear it from his mouth.
“Because I regret not taking you in the night your parents came to the Academy’s door.” He rubbed at his chest as if pain struck him. “They could have been valuable allies.”
I sniffed, holding back a sob. “Why did you turn us away?”
“It was before they wiped your mind.” The headmaster’s drawn eyes met mine. “You were brainwashed by your grandfather, and I didn’t believe there was hope for you.”
There was always hope. Gable and I were proof of it.
“What about now?” I kept the questions up. “Is there hope for me? Or am I just a weapon for the Guild?”
He sighed, long and hard, his chest deflating. “I believe you are the key to this war. How, I do not know yet. And there’s always hope, Miss Prince.”
“I just want to be free,” I told him sincerely.
“I know you do, child.” He came up to me and cupped my cheek the way he had when we first met on a freezing dark night at the door to the Academy. “So do we.”
A moment of silence passed between us, and he reached up to scratch Brimstone’s chin.
“We need to protect ourselves over the coming months while a war rages internally,” he said. “That applies to all of your suitors.”
I didn’t want to fight a war in my home as well as outside of it. “I appreciate you looking out for us.”
The headmaster tipped his head in goodbye and moved on out of the auditorium.
I pressed a hand to my forehead and sucked in air, grateful to still be a student, to be safe within these walls, and with my boyfriends. For how long remained to be seen. We all had to be extra vigilant, obey the rules, and not give the Council any reason to dismiss us. I hated to admit it, but Gable was right when he said my place at the Academy was conditional. He was wise to warn me.
Brimstone nuzzled me and rasped at me, urging me to get to my first class. I couldn’t wait to give Cole the good news when we caught up for lunch.
Doing that Saturday Night Fever strut, I made my way to the door, stopping at the tall, familiar figure leaning in the doorway. Blaze, looking closer to the magazine model, his hair washed and styled, clothes pressed, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.
“Hi.” I wasn’t expecting to see him until tonight, and my heart thumped four beats of delight.
He folded me into his waiting arms. “What did you think of the show?”
“Smells like vindication.” I chef kissed my fingers.
He chuckled, leaning his head on mine, and I loved the weight of him on top of me. “We had to make a public spectacle of it to convince any Gildrons who sided with Kymbal that he’s not as clean as a whistle.”
Brilliant war maneuver. Hopefully, it didn’t lead to more political machinations against my men or me.
I rubbed my chest against him as I stretched onto my tiptoes to kiss his jaw. “That explains why you left early this morning.” I poked his side. “Clandestine meetings, huh?”
“I’ve got more good news, Darkfire.” I loved the warmer note in his voice that sounded empty last night.
“Yeah?” I leaned back to study his brighter eyes, a paler blue than his turquoise.
Brimstone pecked me behind the ear, reminding me I was late, but I didn’t give a damn when my man needed me.
Blaze’s smile brightened his entire face, banishing the shadows that took occupancy after his kidnap. “Venellan’s reappointed me to light teaching duties. Half my standard load.” He kissed the top of my head. “Two classes instead of four.”
I tried to lean back and smile, but he pressed me tightly to him. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations.”
“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you, sweetness.” He rocked my hips from side to side. “I’m going to work your magical ass off.”
I laughed my reply, “I’d expect nothing less from the resident Nightfire Academy hardass.”
This time he poked me. “I’ve had to be with the faculty breathing down my neck. Things might be changing at last. Stay tuned.”
The complete opposite of what the headmaster told me. What did my man know that I didn’t? I’d wait with bated breath.
My bonded’s expression turned serious on me. “Thanks for staying last night. I haven’t slept so well in over a week.”
Rest that did him a world of good, blasting away the discoloration beneath his eyes and his haunted gaze.
I leaned back to study the brighter shade to his icy eyes. “I’ll stay tonight. Every night. We all will.” I smacked my forehead. “Sorry. If you want us all there, that is.”
“I do.” He stroked the back of my head. “I want you all with me. It’ll be a tight fit on my bed, but I don’t care.”
“We can alternate and camp out on the floor,” I murmured, resting my head on his chest, listening to his even breaths, appreciating that he looked better than yesterday.
“You won’t be leaving my side, sweetness.” He crushed me harder to him.
“Good. Hey, are we still on for Gable’s tonight?”
I texted him before bed to see if we could come around, and he was happy to have visitors.
Blaze’s body went harder than stone. “Sweetness?—”
I squeezed him and bumped my torso into his. “No backing out. Gable’s got a special contact with expertise in dark magick coming who might be able to help.”
“I can’t.” Blaze shifted to get free, but I didn’t let go, hooking my hands under his armpits and locking my palms on his shoulders.
“I’ll be there, and so will Talon and Cole.” I kissed his chin and neck. “We’ve got you. You won’t turn evil. I haven’t.”
Why did my encouragement feel like a self-fulfilling prophecy?