16. Aflora
Daytwo of my schedule centered around Warrior Class.
Because apparently Midnight Fae enjoyed fighting.
At least the wardrobe worked for me—stretchy black pants, a T-shirt, and my hair thrown up into a ponytail. I even had on tennis shoes. All the guys were similarly dressed, including Kols and Shade. Only the Malefic Bloods wore black T-shirts instead of white.
“You were right,” I said to Ella. “The different types are becoming easier to identify.” The Sangré Bloods were the easiest with their colorful heads, then the Malefic Bloods because of their penchant for obsidian. The Death Bloods I recognized because of class yesterday, and the Elite Bloods seemed to be gravitating toward Kolstov.
The Warrior Bloods weren’t in this class because it was defense basics and they would slaughter us all. Or that was how Ella explained it, anyway.
Regardless, I was ready for a physical course. I had a lot of pent-up annoyance to burn, thanks to Shade’s mental gymnastics last night. He’d taunted me with his tongue over and over, never letting me orgasm, and I woke up panting and hot and very frustrated.
His smirk now told me he knew it, too.
“I can’t tell if you want to fuck him or kill him,” Ella remarked, following my glower to the source of my anger.
“Kill,” I said. “Definitely kill.” I tugged on my collar, irritated by its presence. I’d give anything to be able to create a tree and use its branches to smash the willow stump’s head into the ground.
Of course, it’d probably be a burning thwomp.
Uh, yeah, I didn’t want to play with those again.
A hush fell over the students as Zephyrus appeared in a pair of loose pants and a sleeveless shirt. He didn’t acknowledge me or Kolstov, just picked up a thick wooden stick from the ground, gave it a twirl, and ignited both ends with green flames.
“You all know who I am. You all know why you’re here. Defensive magic is a key part of your continued education. But I’m not going to waste your time teaching you spells from a book you can read. Instead, we’re going to practice them. However, before I can assign you to groups, I need to assess your skills. So today will be about what you know and what you can handle.”
Ella and I shared a glance.
I was pretty sure what group I’d be assigned to.
“We’ll go for old-fashioned duels with winner and loser circuits. I’ve already assigned your first pairings.” He snapped his fingers, and names began scrolling through the air in emerald script crafted from fire.
“Ha. Well, our friendship was short-lived,” Ella remarked, pointing to our pairing. “You’d better bring more than flowers to this fight, earth chick. I’ve been practicing with Tray.” She wiggled fingers lined with dark red magic, her gaze taunting in a playful manner.
Her teasing warmed me slightly, making me relax just a bit.
Until the first fight began.
Vibrant sparks flew through the air as physical attacks were blocked with defensive spells.
Defensive spells I didn’t know.
“Uh, this is going to be a really short fight,” I told Ella.
She smirked. “I know. But I promise to go easy on you. Trust me, I was a newbie not too long ago. I get it. We can review some common defenses tonight or during one of our break days.”
I nodded absently, my focus falling to Shade as he stepped into the ring with a lanky Malefic Blood. The male narrowed his gaze. “I’m so glad we’re paired, Shadow. I’ve been dying to kick your ass all week for disgracing my sister.”
“Is that what she told you?” Shade mused.
“That would require her to be able to speak, which?—”
“Stop flirting and get to it,” Zephyrus said, interrupting the Malefic Blood.
“Gladly,” the lanky male replied, a sharp, translucent blade appearing in his hand.
I jumped as he charged Shade in a whirl of power, his aim going right for the other male’s heart. It was a brutal attack, one clearly meant to kill.
But Shade sidestepped with ease, stirring a dark cloud in his wake and wrapping it around the other male’s throat. “If you want to play like that, then properly challenge me,” he said sharply, yanking on the hold and bringing the male to his knees.
“Enough,” Zephyrus snapped.
Shade released the male with a little wave of his hand and shrugged. “Stiggis started it.”
“Bastard!” The Malefic Blood flew through the air toward Shade, additional weapons falling into his hands, but he ran headfirst into a wall of magic and bounced backward to collapse to the ground.
My eyes widened as Zephyrus put away his wand, the block disappearing with it. “Chig, take this idiot to the medic.”
“Yes, sir,” another Malefic Blood said, his body width twice the size as that of the male on the ground. He lifted the unconscious man and tossed him over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing, then headed off the field.
“I’ll move you into the winner’s circle, Shade. But I expect to see defensive magic in your next match.” Zephyrus dismissed him before he could comment and gestured for the next pairing to come forward.
Which was Kols and a petite female wearing a wicked smile. “Ready, future lover?” she asked him, her catlike eyes glowing red with power.
“If you think I’m going to go easy on you, Emelyn, then think again.”
Her resulting laugh reminded me of nails on a chalkboard, her expression nowhere near amused or kind in any way. She flipped her long black braid over her shoulder and fell into a fighter’s stance. “I’ve been practicing.”
“I’m sure you have,” Kols replied, his stance relaxed as they squared off. “Give it your best shot, Jyn.”
“Is her name Jyn or Emelyn?” I asked Ella in a low tone.
“Emelyn Jyn,” she replied, her tone sour. “She’s Kols’s future mate.”
My eyebrows lifted. “She is?” Didn’t he say something about not doing girlfriends?
“Yeah. Assigned by the Council. Some sort of agreement between Malik and Lima.”
“Yes, our Council fancies arranged pairings,” Shade added as he came to stand with us. “I was assigned to Cordelia, Stiggis’s older sister.”
I frowned at him. “Then why did you bite me?”
“Why indeed?” he mused, his lips curling. “Maybe I wished to avoid my arrangement. Or maybe it was for another reason entirely. And maybe, if you’re a good little rose, I’ll tell you one day.” He touched the tip of my nose with his index finger and sauntered off just as Kols pinned Emelyn to the ground beneath a wall of power. It reminded me of the one Zephyrus had used to block Stiggis’s attack on Shade.
Emelyn screamed in pain, but Kols didn’t stop.
And Zephyrus merely watched.
“Isn’t he going to stop him?” I demanded, torn between Shade’s commentary and the action unfolding before me.
“Who? Zeph?” Ella asked, snorting. “Yeah, no. He’ll let this continue until Emelyn gives the signal, which should happen in about three, two, there it is.”
A cloud of red smoke puffed out around them, and Kols released the brick of magic. “Practice harder, Jyn,” he said, walking away.
“We’re next,” Ella informed me.
“Great.” I followed her into the ring and noted how several fae fell silent around us, their intrigue palpable.
Too bad for them this would be a short show.
“I have no idea what I’m doing, so go ahead and start,” I said, owning my inexperience.
Ella smirked. “Already am, princess.”
I almost asked what she meant, when I felt her energy swathing me in a cloak of immobility. The thought of being bound triggered me into action, that blue light within me igniting to life and easily cutting through her invisible ropes while also memorizing the magical feel of them.
Using the knowledge, I tried to weave my own spell to wrap around her and nearly smiled when her legs locked in place.
“Holy shit, you’re a fast learner,” she said, pulling out her wand. “Italaka.”
My spell dissolved.
I took out my wand as well, unsure of how that would help me, and waited for her next attack. Which came in the form of a water figment shaped like a lion. I jumped to the side as its jaws yawned wide, its teeth far too real. They reminded me of crystal fragments. Sharp, precise, and turning right for me.
A cerulean wave of power billowed out of me, destroying her fragment and sending Ella to the ground.
Zephyrus stepped in with one of those walls, except it went around me while he and Tray knelt to check on Ella. I stood frozen on display, unable to move, and confused as hell.
“Did I do it wrong?” I asked, but my words echoed around me in my makeshift prison. I pressed my palm to it and jolted at the zap. Then cocked my head as the energy signature seemed to unravel in my head, allowing me to absorb the knowledge just like I did with the binding spell.
Strange, I thought, even as I memorized the spell Zephyrus had woven and, more importantly, how to undo it.
Closing my eyes, I disentangled the threads, removing the enclosure and allowing me to hear the chaos erupting around me.
Questions and accusations flowed from every inch of the courtyard, followed by someone screaming, “Zephyrus! She’s escaping!”
He spun around to find me free of his cage and narrowed his green gaze. “You. Come with me. Now.”
I wasn’t given an option to comply, some sort of invisible noose tightening around my waist and yanking me forward.
Kolstov fell into step on my other side, his jaw tight. “Why didn’t you tell us you could do that, Aflora?”
“Do what?” I asked. “All I did was dismantle her water monster.”
“You attacked her with WarFire,” Kolstov snapped.
“What? I don’t even know what that is.”
“It’s the giant purple ball you just threw at my brother’s mate,” he returned through his teeth.
“Purple?” I blinked at him in confusion. “It was blue.”
“And again, I saw red,” Zephyrus added, opening a door to a nearby building and ushering us inside. “What role do you want? Peacekeeper or guard?”
“Peacekeeper,” Kolstov replied. “I’m the only one with the right bedside manner for it.” His focus fell to me. “Do exactly what Zeph tells you to do, or I’ll be left with no choice but to reprimand you publicly.”
He turned on his heel, leaving us just inside the archaic stone structure. I gaped after him, startled by both the threat and the plea in his gaze as he uttered it. “I don’t understand.”
Shade materialized beside us, his amusement palpable. “Well, that was exciting. You sure do know how to make friends, little rose.”
“Did you know she could do that?” Zephyrus demanded.
“No, but I’m thrilled by the prospect.”
“Would someone tell me what I supposedly did?” I cut in before the headmaster could reply.
“WarFire,” Zephyrus said. “You created WarFire and threw it at Ella. It’s a lethal flame meant to kill. And it requires high-level magical skill, something you claim not to possess, but that little act suggests otherwise.”
“I…” I wasn’t sure how to reply to that. “All I did was destroy her water lion.”
“What color did you see?” Zephyrus asked, ignoring me in favor of Shade. “I saw red. Kolstov swears it’s purple. You?”
“Green,” Shade replied. “Just like yesterday.”
“It’s cerulean blue,” I insisted, annoyed that they kept talking about the color of my flame and not focusing on what the heck just happened. “Is Ella all right?”
“Cerulean…?” Zephyrus repeated, trailing off and sharing a glance with Shade. “That’s impossible.”
“Why are you all so obsessed with the color? You’re telling me I almost killed Ella. Is she okay?”
“Tray’s healing her,” Shade replied, still holding Zephyrus’s gaze. “And I agree; that’s impossible.”
“Do you have Quandary Blood in your history?”
“No. It’s a dead line.”
“I know that.”
“Then why bother asking such a question?”
“Just tell me what’s going on,” I interjected, tired of these conversations about colors and bloodlines. There were more important things at play here. “How could I possibly create WarFire? I don’t even know a standard defense spell.”
“WarFire is an advanced offensive spell.” Zephyrus finally gave me his attention again. “It’s exceedingly difficult to conjure and requires a lot of energy. It’s also extremely illegal.”
“Great.” I threw up my hands and paced in the small stone space, wary of the dusty walls and cobwebs in the corners. Beautiful place, I thought, pinching the bridge of my nose. “You realize Earth Fae don’t fight, right? We’re very peaceful beings.”
“Could have fooled me,” Shade murmured.
“I learned how to duel at a young age because of my birthright, but I rarely took defensive or offensive skills in school. My method of fighting is through power. Earth power. And we don’t create fire.”
“Yet here we are,” Shade replied, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. “How did you pick up her bondage spell? Or did you read that in a book?”
“I don’t know. I just… absorbed it.”
“Which is how you dismantled Zeph’s force field?” Shade guessed.
“Is that what that was?”
“Yes.” Zephyrus narrowed his eyes at me. “A powerful one, too, that you took down faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
I swallowed. “Oh.” That wasn’t good for a lot of reasons. Well, none of this was good. It showed a growth in dark magic, which I definitely didn’t want. “I really am becoming an abomination, aren’t I?”
“So it would seem,” Zephyrus replied, not mincing words. “The question remains: Is it permanent or temporary?”
I had no answer for that and neither, it seemed, did Shade. He merely remained as nonchalant as ever, not a single inkling of remorse tainting his features.
Because he didn’t care at all that he’d put me in this situation.
“What about you?” I asked. “Are you growing elemental gifts?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Everything feels normal to me, apart from my link to you. That’s new.”
“Yeah, you put it there.”
“I remember.”
“And you don’t care at all that you did it.”
“Of course I care. Why else would I be willingly standing in this outdated shack of a former classroom with you?” He pushed off the wall to stalk toward me. “This isn’t exactly the most comfortable of spaces, but I didn’t want to leave you alone with Zeph and Kols.”
I glared up at him. “I’m in this mess because of you.”
“I know.”
“And you’re completely unapologetic.”
“Am I?” he countered, cocking his head.
“Are you?” I demanded.
“Shall we play the ‘maybe’ game again?”
“Ugh!” I wanted to slap him. “You’re impossible and cryptic and such a… a… bloodsucking willow stump!”
He chuckled and shook his head. “You’re so close, Aflora. So close.”
Apparently, bloodsucking had lost its damning effect from yesterday, leaving me as the butt of his joke yet again. “Fine. You’re a fucking asshole,” I told him, the words tasting wrong in my mouth.
And of course, they only amused him more. “Oh, I do like that word from your lips, little rose. Say fuck again.”
I threw my hands up in the air and turned to Zephyrus. “Can you make him leave?”
“It would be a waste of a command. Shade doesn’t follow rules.”
“Indeed, I don’t,” the Death Blood confirmed. “Besides, I’m here for your protection against the angry mob outside. If Kols can’t calm them all down, we’re going to have a fight on our hands. And I’m not ready to lose you yet.”
“Don’t feign selflessness.” Zephyrus folded his arms, causing the muscles to clench and flex in the process. “We both know you just want to avoid the pain of losing a mate.”
“I never claimed otherwise,” Shade replied casually. “But my reasoning is neither here nor there. I’m here to protect her, and protect her, I shall.”
“Or I could just create another ball of cerulean flames,” I muttered, not really meaning it.
“Do, and I’ll kill you myself,” Zeph warned.
A chill swept down my spine at the truth in those words.
His green eyes glowed with sincerity, too.
I swallowed and nodded. “Then maybe you could use this time to teach me how to control it.”
“I’m going to need more than a few minutes for that lesson.” He considered me for a long moment. “But I’ll talk to Kols about your schedule. I think your independent study should be reevaluated and scheduled with me. You’re going to need all the defensive-magic help you can get after that little display out there.”
Shade nodded, his agreement clear.
Something told me my reply wouldn’t matter, so I remained quiet and waited instead.
What felt like hours later, Kols joined us once more, his expression wary. “Ella’s fine. Tray’s irritated, but understanding. And the others, well, let’s just say Aflora hasn’t made any friends.”
Not like I had any here anyway, I thought sourly.
“No one is escalating the issue, but I had to agree to enhance her collar with more power restrictions,” he added.
Zeph’s chocolate-colored eyebrow inched upward. “How are you going to do that?”
“I have no idea.” He looked at me. “For now, I need you to stay in the suite. No going to the cafeteria. No socializing.”
“What about class tomorrow?” I asked.
“You’ll be with me, so that’ll be fine. But going forward, we need a better device to keep your powers in check.”
So, a tighter leash. Awesome.
I sighed. “All right.” While I hated the prospect of it, I understood the reason behind it. If my powers continued at this rate, I might actually hurt someone, and then I’d never be able to live with myself. Restraint made sense. I’d rather bear the pain myself than inflict it on another.
“You’re not going to fight me on it?” Kols asked, his expression surprised.
I shook my head, swallowing. “I know what an abomination can do, Prince Kolstov. If that’s truly what I’m becoming, restraint is a requirement.” My shoulders fell as I looked toward the door. “If you lead me back to the suite, I’ll stay there until you tell me otherwise.”
Because escape was never going to be an option at this rate.
Not with the fire still licking a hot path beneath my skin, begging to be unleashed.
The power inside me seemed to be searching for an outlet, a way to explode. There had to be a way to temper it. Because if not… I shivered, refusing to consider that outcome.
I will survive this, I promised myself. Somehow.