Chapter 1 #2
No more running from Puritas or my family who loathed what I’d been made into through those Chimera Circle experiments.
Those despicable magical scientists were gone now, too.
The supernatural governing body, the Guardian Movement, had shut them down once and for all.
No more forcibly turning supernatural beings into hybrids, like they’d done to me.
I’d once only been Dark Fae, hailing from a prominent family of the Royal Fae Court, but those sick bastards had made me part Wraith as well.
Their kidnapping had turned into torture and torment, forever altering my genetic and supernatural makeup and causing my family to disown me for no longer being a pure Dark Fae being.
It had altered everything.
And until a few months ago, I’d been living my life in hiding from my parents and my brother, especially, due to his ties to Puritas.
Then I’d been offered a role by Warlow Boyd in a hybrid-only team, Crossborn, that existed to assist others like me and improve their lives.
The decision to come out of hiding to see to that had shifted a lot for me.
And today would be a step even further in that direction.
It was to be my first day at Wraeven Academy.
There were many academies across the supernatural world, but this one seemed truly perfect for me. It was geared toward darker beings, the curriculum, its policies, and even the housing arrangements reflecting that.
Home to the feared, the hunted, and the deadly.
That was its kind of tongue-in-cheek motto.
And I loved it.
It was going to be perfect.
Smiling to myself and managing to shake off the emotional remnants of that nightmare as I focused on Wraeven, I finished in the shower and stepped out.
Then I dried and dressed myself with my magic, even putting on my deep, smoky eye makeup and my black lipstick in the same burst of power.
I walked to the mirror and checked my appearance.
I’d chosen my go-to outfit, which functioned like a security blanket, I figured.
My sleek black corset with the faux silver charms over my lower stomach that were shaped like broken chains.
I’d actually made them—one of my hobbies and another grounding strategy that I used when the trauma rose up and got too much in the moment.
The corset gave way to a pair of black leather pants that were tucked into combat boots.
Yeah, I was good to go.
I walked back into the bedroom and grabbed my watch from the nightstand—a black leather band with an opalescent face that had no hands or numbers, but magical symbols instead etched into the surface.
It wasn’t any old watch.
In fact, it didn’t actually tell the time.
It was a Watch of Warding, which Warlow had made for me.
It was specially created and spelled to detect blood-relatives with hostile intent. The face glowed when one neared, flickering more intensely the closer they came.
Despite the heaviness of why I had it, as I strapped it on, I didn’t focus on that and instead the sweet gesture that it had been from Warlow.
Just like him and Cornelius inviting me to stay here in their home after that attempt on my life up at the Guardian Compound.
I’d been living at a Guardian Movement safehouse before that, but given that Cornelius Martel was an Immortal and one of the most powerful beings across the supernatural world, Warlow had insisted I came here as it was more protected than even a safehouse.
And, although he hadn’t spoken to it directly, I got the impression that he hadn’t wanted me to be alone either.
It was sweet.
They’d both been incredible toward me.
I looked up at the crystal clock on the wall opposite the bed, seeing that it was time for breakfast.
Perfect again!
I walked to the door, threw it open, then headed downstairs.
“Weaving & Shadow Architecture,” I told Warlow.
We were sitting at their breakfast nook tucked into an alcove with the arched windows that were synonymous with the architecture of their mansion.
A round white marble table with gray veins was at its center, the surrounding walls a slate-blue.
Curving around half the table was a tufted seat where he and Cornelius sat together, the curve of the seat drawing them naturally inward.
Opposite them was where I sat on a high-backed chair upholstered with the same silvery velvet.
The table was covered in a lovely breakfast spread of croissants, bowls of raspberries, blueberries and blackcurrants, stacked pancakes, a glass syrup pitcher full of fresh maple syrup, and a big jug of my favored lemonade that I was sipping from a glass as we talked.
“That’s the subject you’re most looking forward to?” he continued on.
He brushed a strand of shaggy blond hair from his eye, the ends brushing the shoulders of his red flannel shirt.
His jeans grazed Cornelius’ dark pants as they sat close together.
While Warlow had a boxer’s physique, Cornelius’ powerhouse form eclipsed him, towering, and his light-gray tee barely containing all that rigid bulk of his.
Par for the course with an Immortal, really.
The light in the room kind of made his long silver hair sparkle with an ethereal glow, too.
I smiled out at Warlow. He was being so sweet with his questions about today, making sure I knew he cared and was taking an interest.
Of course I knew. He’d been so great with me.
And Cornelius, despite his stoic reputation, had also been kind and gentle with me.
They’d both been amazing.
It was actually going to be hard to leave here from that respect.
Being in their home and having them treat me so well… it was the first time in years that I’d experienced anything like that. The first time also that I’d actually felt safe.
“Yep. It’ll really help me to hone my Wraith abilities, the part of me that, unlike the Dark Fae aspect, I’m not as confident in.
But more than that, the course is being taught by a Shadowmancer—Selix Nyvarra.
That’s about as close to meeting another Wraith as I’ll ever get.
They’re rare too. Not as much as Wraiths, but still. ”
Cornelius looked up from his breakfast with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.
“One of the main ways in which Shadowmancers draw power is from the absence of light—shadows and veils. This will directly correlate to your Wraith abilities. Also, the illusionary aspect will connect with your Dark Fae side. There is a great deal you will learn from this course.”
“Even how to meld those abilities together more so,” Warlow said.
“Exactly,” Cornelius agreed. “This course will assist you with merging your hybrid abilities.” He smiled.
“Something you already demonstrated when you pulled Cassius from the Celestial Plane by harmonizing both sides of yourself and creating that impressive gateway from both shadow magic and your Dark Fae power.”
I jolted at the mention of Cassius.
“Yeah,” I murmured. “That was really something.”
Cornelius reached out and touched my hand softly. “I know from firsthand experience how disorientating becoming a Fallen can be, how deep an existential crisis is brought forth. It will take him some time.”
“But you don’t need to wait or even concern yourself with it,” Warlow cut in. “Forget his bullshit and dickish ghosting. You have a whole new life to begin today, a lot to look forward to. Your work with Crossborn as well. Forget about him.”
Wow.
Cornelius raised his eyebrows. “Another take, sweet boy. And an empowering one.” He stroked Warlow’s hair and lowered his voice. “Are you all right?”
“Fine. Just… she deserves better. She opened herself for the first time ever and he…” He trailed off as he saw me looking more than a little off from the way this discussion had veered. “I mean—let’s talk more about today. Are you all packed up? Ready to go?”
I pushed the Cassius stuff down—again—and brightened as I told him, “All packed and prepared. I just have to head to The Archive when I get there and pick up my course books. I had them reserved and—”
“They’re already in your dorm room,” Warlow told me.
“They’re… what?”
Cornelius informed me, “Warlow had me transport them there from The Archive last night so you’d be prepared.”
“And in case you needed some solitary time in your dorm to acclimate. We didn’t want you having to worry about traipsing through the whole place to get your books. This way you get time to adjust—bits at a time.”
The way he knew I operated.
“Thank you so much,” I told them both.
“Any time,” Warlow said.
Cornelius lifted a shoulder. “It was no problem at all.”
Warlow shoveled four raspberries into his mouth and one leaked out. He went to grab a napkin, but then Cornelius was already there, leaning in and licking the mess off the corner of his mouth. He lingered, swiping his tongue over Warlow’s bottom lip.
“Cor,” Warlow said, ushering him back, and giving me an apologetic look.
Cornelius grinned. “I can’t tell what’s more delicious—you or the raspberries.”
“Stop!” Warlow laughed.
Cornelius nuzzled him. “Who am I kidding? It’s most assuredly you, my darling boy.”
“Not gonna miss this, are you?” Warlow asked me.
“Actually, I think it’s really sweet.”
Well, I’d actually walked in on things that were not just sweet, and actually dirty as hell. But it was adorable at its heart. That they were this in love still, this into each other. The way they couldn’t get enough of each other. The way they adored and fought for each other.
“Sweet,” Cornelius chuckled. “See?”
“Please. She’s being incredibly nice about it and restrained.” He looked out at me. “So, any thoughts on how you’re going to handle the Lazriel of it all when you inevitably encounter him in the halls?”
Cornelius frowned. “I thought you said you had a word with him about his fixation?”
“You did?” I asked.
“Just a little chat. Possibly an Alpha wolf growl that assisted as well.”
I slapped my hand to my head. “Oh, holy hell.”
“It’s all right. I merely explained that you weren’t in a place to be able to reciprocate and that the wolf and vampire in him were having his interest in you as coming off… uh..”
“Rather predatory,” Cornelius finished for him.
“Predatory… that’s a little extreme,” I said. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“It very well could have reached that point if Warlow hadn’t checked him.”
Warlow nodded. “He was also wracked with guilt about taking off when you rejected his interest, that it happened to be just before the Guardian Compound attack by Puritas, so that ramped things up for him. I had to shut it down. I mean, unless you feel different where he’s concerned now?
Ready to reciprocate his interest, perhaps? ”
Before I could get a word out, Cornelius warned, “But if you do, you take control and keep the power in your hands. Given how he is, it will need to be that way or he could very well overwhelm you.”
Wow. This discussion was… a lot.
I hadn’t exactly handled the Lazriel Thaine situation well before.
He was on the Crossborn team with me and he’d made his interest known, flirting heavily and then even asking me out.
And I’d turned him down, not ready, and also concerned that his vampire side was drawn to my Wraith side—that he was drawn to me just for that.
It had been a thing with vampires—especially younger ones—in the past.
But I had been curious. He had a real forthright attitude about him that I liked. He was hot as hell, funny… there was a lot there to like. I just… I hadn’t been ready at the time.
“I don’t know,” I told them. “My focus is on classes and acclimating. The rest… I’m not sure.”
“And you don’t need to be,” Warlow assured me.
Right. I didn’t need to be.
“Thank you,” I told them. “For this… for everything you’ve done for me.”
“No gratitude needed,” Cornelius told me with a smile.
Warlow beamed out at me. “It’s really been our pleasure, Velra. And we’re going to miss you being here.”
“I’m going to miss the both of you too.”
We fell into light conversation then, talking more about the subjects at Wraeven Academy, Warlow’s day ahead at Crossborn, Cornelius’ day as Inter-Realm Ambassador and some secret work he was doing with some clandestine magic-wielder group I didn’t know the details of.
And then Warlow’s other job at Polaris, an erotic supernatural nightclub owned by his friend, Lucian Black.
Lucian was also one of the three loves of Cornelius’ daughter, Mia Snow.
I savored the moment, the breakfast, the conversation, being around them as a guest in their home for the last time.
And even though this part of my life was changing, coming to an end, I was actually really excited about what lay ahead.
I couldn’t wait to begin.