Chapter 12
Twelve
Ruleten is pounding into Jenson with a lot more force than he normally does.
He walked into training pissed off and after seeing the newest – now viral – video on Isos Darian sent me, I’m not surprised.
His girlfriend is shown very clearly on the screen wrapped in a towel that had barely covered her ass.
Mavyn, on the other hand, had been wrapped within a robe that covered everything but the column of her neck and hands. Even her feet were hidden beneath it.
The comments had been even worse for Ruleten. Every single one of them that mentioned the mage were inappropriate, and for a moment I had felt what he is currently feeling because the comments towards Mavyn weren’t any better.
At least the ones from the male commenters. Most of the female commenters were hating on her, and then there was a mix between cheering for her because of what she did with the rebels and calling her a monster.
I had to remind myself, though, that we are not fated and want no more business with her. Esmirra can mope about it all she wants, but she was wrong. My minor slip up last night will not be happening again.
Ruleten hits with more force than necessary and Jenson makes a face at him but neither break.
I’ll have to step in if Ruleten doesn’t let up.
He’s been over exceeding what any house member would do ever since the confrontation at that party in the beginning of the year.
He’s been keeping his head down too and has been staying away from me.
I haven’t cared to do anything else to him for his association with the damned poison drop.
It’s not his fault his girlfriend is best friends with her, and I don’t want to associate with Jullia Waterstone.
Varian had told me about his brief conversation with her and I really would rather avoid any unnecessary deaths.
I cluck my tongue as Ruleten slams his fist into the matted hand of Jenson with too much force now.
It knocks the fifth year sporo demon off the actual mat they’re standing on.
I take a step towards them when something I can’t quite explain happens.
It’s. . . pain. Within, but deeper than just my bones, muscles, or organs.
It’s excruciating and I dig the tips of my fingers into the center of my chest because it won’t stop.
Then damning power that ripples with shadows and death hits us like a tidal wave.
It almost feels like Percius’s, but Varian has always been about controlled power.
And that wave was simply a controlled release.
Meaning something is wrong.
Without thinking I pull shadows around me and like a snap of your fingers they disappear and I’m standing before his classroom. Inside Castiel is already in front of Varian roaring in his face and the devil with his controlled power that dominates all of ours punches his best friend in the face.
“You lied,” he growls. Then with a roar, “YOU LIED TO ME!”
Varian rears back to him again, but Callahan appears between then and catches his fist. I barely stumble in when that. . . fracture? Crack? Rip. . . deeper within me stretches. Immediately my eyes go to the middle of the third row. Her seat is empty and thinking of her makes it hurt more inside.
We’re not fated.
I repeat that in my head as I stumble further in and force my mind and body to cooperate.
“Where the fuck is she, Castiel! Where the fuck is the sun death realm and why does it feel like she’s gone!”
Varian is fighting against Callahan who’s holding him back. His aura so strong in this room it’s nearly tangible. Too many things are happening for me to properly concentrate. I don’t understand and that in itself is irritating.
They’re still fighting and I’m about to intervene when long spears of ice imbed strategically around them. Stilling and silencing the three celestials with so much pain influencing their aura.
“Chill the fuck out.” The temperature in the room drops to freezing as Jullia Waterstone bares her teeth at us.
A layer of white opaque frost covers her skin and uniform in organized patterns.
It even dusts the curls of her hair. “No wonder she wants nothing to do with any of you. Acting like animals with no control just like the devil before was.”
That dagger pierces right where I know she wanted it to. Castiel stays slumped on the floor as Varian shoves out of Callahan’s hold and paces. His red eyes ringed within gold jerk towards the mage and dips his head.
“This has happened before,” he says carefully though strained. “This has happened before and she came back.”
Jullia nods as her eyes slide to mine and the attention of Callahan and Varian shift to me. Castiel keeps his head drooped but his voice rings out to us. All the other students struck watching the display and thankfully none of them have their tablets up recording.
“Her mark never faded, but she loathed the fact that it was on me.” Castiel’s pitiful voice sounds like it’s cracking. “I’ve been waiting for her to sever our bond.”
That thing within slices with pain and I face the mage to ignore it. “What happened?”
Beside her where Mavyn should be sitting is her empty chair. Upon closer inspection I notice drifting pieces of. . . ash. She’s within the sun death realm. She’s where that devil still resides being tortured.
“Why do you care?”
I slowly turn to Callahan who’s black ring around his eyes are fluctuating. The same as Varian’s gold ring. They’re battling with their true forms because they just lost their fated. Their souls torturing them within.
She’s not my fated.
“Because you two are loosing control and your power was felt all the way at the arena,” I answer lazily like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Keeping everything else neutral as I slowly breathe through my nose and keep tight control over my blood and heart.
My aura coiled like a second skin around me so no one can see any fluctuations within it.
“There’s nothing you can do right now except wait, so do as the mage says. ”
I watch the three of them – males that feel like brothers – who are all fated to her. All being tortured because of circumstances out of their control.
I’m glad I’m not fated to her. No matter what Esmirra has said about her. She may not be a vampire, but she’s still a nuisance with secrets she’s keeping even from her fated. She’s not –
“Fucking hell.”
That slicing disappears and within it feels like someone has tied a line and is pulling me towards something with all its might.
She’s not my fated.
“That. . .” I twist my head barely an inch to her. She’s standing in the corner, dressed in her uniform, hair framing her face in curls. She huffs a breath. “That was unexpected.”
She looks. . . fine. Though I can feel her aura laying over her skin like its own kind of second skin and her eyes are stark red.
When I catch her eye she immediately looks away.
She looks to her fated and it grates on my nerves that she won’t hold my eye contact like she does to everyone else.
Then I’m no longer looking at her but at Varian’s shirt covered back.
His thick arms wrapped around her and pulling her flush to his chest. His damning aura and smokey scent consuming her.
He’s murmuring things into her hair. Callahan coming up behind them with barely any restraint and Castiel looking longingly at them.
The moment only lasts a second before Varian gets pushed and blue belladon expels. “Don’t touch me.”
It sounds like a threat.
“Mavyn. . .”
“Enough!” she snaps. Raising her head and steeling her spine. She glares those bloodred eyes at them. At Varian and Callahan and even Castiel raising from the floor. She pushes past Varian and starts walking back to her desk. “You have a class to teach professor.”
She gets back to her seat and the room is just as still. Everyone watching her as she pulls her tablet and stylus to her. Jullia sits down after a moment and then Varian darkly demands everyone to get out.
No one has to be told twice. Chairs scrape and bags are grabbed before everyone that had been filling the room exits in silence.
Not that I can focus on them because my entire being is focused on her.
The little vampyr with her red eyes and sweet scent.
For the first time in nearly ten years my fangs ache.
I want to taste her blood that smells like divinity.
Even her roommate squeezes her shoulder before leaving with the rest of the class. No one wants to be anywhere near whatever altercation is about to happen.
Once the room is emptied but for us, Varian slams the door shut and glares at her. His devil power loose as he pulls up his dominance and faces her. “Mavyn – “
“Varian.” His fists clench. He opens his mouth but Mavyn cuts him off again with nearly growling words. “I am not yours.”
Varian’s power explodes even as he stays completely still and Callahan’s ripples through even as he tries to reign it in. His face is solemn and his eyes are pointed at the ground. Like he can’t look at the vampyr they’re all connected to.
Mavyn doesn’t even twitch at the display and even has the nerve to roll her eyes. “I am not yours, Varian. We simply have this thing between us neither of us chose that messes with our heads and emotions.”
“I choose – ”
“YOU CHOSE NOTHING!” she roars. Her hands slamming into her desk as she stands and her aura ravages the space.
Dominating all of us with raw power. Not blue flame, not lightning, not blood – raw, uncontrollable, wild magic.
“There is never a choice in fate. I had just told you that. Fate is always set no matter what path you take or how long you try to delay. And this fate between us means nothing in regard to whether we’re compatible, or right for each other, or that we love each other.
It simply means a power higher than the primordials wanted to play with their magic. ”